Bible Study on 1John 3, verses 1 to 3, we should be called the sons of God

 

1John 3:1 ¶  Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. 2  Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. 3  And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.

Christians must not be confused that they are rejected of men because Christ was rejected of men.

John 17:25  O righteous Father, the world hath not known thee: but I have known thee, and these have known that thou hast sent me.

John 15:20  Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also. 21  But all these things will they do unto you for my name’s sake, because they know not him that sent me.

John 16:2  They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service. 3  And these things will they do unto you, because they have not known the Father, nor me.

The world can’t comprehend what we believe unless God the Father intercedes, in a manner of speaking, to enlighten them. The very mind of God, the Holy Ghost, is involved in this transaction.

John 1:11  He came unto his own, and his own received him not. 12  But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: 13  Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

Our eventual destiny is to be like Christ. We will not only have a glorified body.

Romans 8:21  Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. 22  For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. 23  And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.

Not only will we be changed but with our own eyes we will see Him.

Job 19:25  For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: 26  And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God: 27  Whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another; though my reins (that’s internal organs) be consumed within me.

The pure, the righteous, God’s people by virtue of what Christ did, not what they have done, have this blessed hope.

Titus 2:11 ¶  For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, 12  Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; 13  Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; 14  Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.

Matthew 5:8  Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.

Bible Study on Genesis 24, verses 10 to 28, Rebekah came out

 

Genesis 24:10 ¶  And the servant took ten camels of the camels of his master, and departed; for all the goods of his master were in his hand: and he arose, and went to Mesopotamia, unto the city of Nahor. 11  And he made his camels to kneel down without the city by a well of water at the time of the evening, even the time that women go out to draw water. 12  And he said, O LORD God of my master Abraham, I pray thee, send me good speed this day, and shew kindness unto my master Abraham. 13  Behold, I stand here by the well of water; and the daughters of the men of the city come out to draw water: 14  And let it come to pass, that the damsel to whom I shall say, Let down thy pitcher, I pray thee, that I may drink; and she shall say, Drink, and I will give thy camels drink also: let the same be she that thou hast appointed for thy servant Isaac; and thereby shall I know that thou hast shewed kindness unto my master. 15  And it came to pass, before he had done speaking, that, behold, Rebekah came out, who was born to Bethuel, son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, Abraham’s brother, with her pitcher upon her shoulder. 16  And the damsel was very fair to look upon, a virgin, neither had any man known her: and she went down to the well, and filled her pitcher, and came up. 17  And the servant ran to meet her, and said, Let me, I pray thee, drink a little water of thy pitcher. 18  And she said, Drink, my lord: and she hasted, and let down her pitcher upon her hand, and gave him drink. 19  And when she had done giving him drink, she said, I will draw water for thy camels also, until they have done drinking. 20  And she hasted, and emptied her pitcher into the trough, and ran again unto the well to draw water, and drew for all his camels. 21  And the man wondering at her held his peace, to wit whether the LORD had made his journey prosperous or not. 22  And it came to pass, as the camels had done drinking, that the man took a golden earring of half a shekel weight, and two bracelets for her hands of ten shekels weight of gold; 23  And said, Whose daughter art thou? tell me, I pray thee: is there room in thy father’s house for us to lodge in? 24  And she said unto him, I am the daughter of Bethuel the son of Milcah, which she bare unto Nahor. 25  She said moreover unto him, We have both straw and provender enough, and room to lodge in. 26  And the man bowed down his head, and worshipped the LORD. 27  And he said, Blessed be the LORD God of my master Abraham, who hath not left destitute my master of his mercy and his truth: I being in the way, the LORD led me to the house of my master’s brethren. 28  And the damsel ran, and told them of her mother’s house these things.

Much can be said about the significance of the Eliezer, a type of the Holy Ghost, bringing ten camels. There are many sermons to be had out of this passage exhorting people to believe on Christ. For one example of prophetic interpretation, the phrase And God said is repeated ten times in the first chapter of Genesis. Perhaps, in symbolic, typology these ten camels, brought by a type of the Holy Ghost to a type of God’s church represent God’s word in Abraham, a type of God the Father, sending the Holy Ghost to gather His church for Christ, who in type is Isaac, already sacrificed in type and resurrected in type, based on how the church responds to the words of God. What is happening here is then telling us in shadow what has happened in the spiritual world since before creation.

Ephesians 1:4  According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:

The part played by the bride-to-be for Isaac, the church for Christ, is laid out by the servant of Abraham, or the Holy Ghost, as one who when approached by the Holy Ghost, responds. The Holy Ghost makes the truth of the gospel brought by the Holy Ghost on ten camels, in a manner of speaking, representing what God has said, apparent and the bride-to-be responds. The bride for Isaac waters the camels as the church glorifies the gospel of Christ by its response to that gospel, confirming that the church is indeed chosen, but chosen by her response. Below, Paul expresses his wish to present the church as pure to Christ as His bride.

2Corinthians 11:2  For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.

And this marriage will be complete at the end of human history.

Revelation 19:9  And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God.

Verse 16 defines a virgin; a virgin, neither had any man known her. This will be important in talking about the miracle of Mary carrying Jesus in the gospels. Verse 22 gives us an important point about understanding the Bible. Bracelets, which go around wrists, are said to be for hands, which clearly includes the wrist. So, an earring is said to go on one’s face in the next passage.

Bible Study on 1John 2, verses 18 to 29, antichrists

 

1John 2:18 ¶  Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time. 19  They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us.

Again, supposing John is talking to new converts or simply referring to the disciples he has led he announces that it is the last time. An atheist historical writer, Will Durant, noted that the early Christians;

“…were apparently unanimous in believing that Christ would soon return to establish the Kingdom of Heaven on earth”.[1]

Christians were always told to be looking up expectantly waiting for Christ’s return.

Titus 2:13  Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;

John makes mention of antichrists, plural, corrupters who had been a part of the Christian community but were now gone out as false teachers. He will explain next what they believe. They have denied the divinity of Christ and there is much to say about that. But John explains here that they were permitted by God to do this so that their pernicious doctrines are exposed. By them being allowed to separate from the brethren it is made clear that the orthodox brothers and sisters in Christ do not agree with them.

1John 2:20 ¶  But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things. 21  I have not written unto you because ye know not the truth, but because ye know it, and that no lie is of the truth. 22  Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son. 23  Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father: (but) he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also. 24  Let that therefore abide in you, which ye have heard from the beginning. If that which ye have heard from the beginning shall remain in you, ye also shall continue in the Son, and in the Father. 25  And this is the promise that he hath promised us, even eternal life. 26  These things have I written unto you concerning them that seduce you. 27  But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him.

Unction is divine empowering or anointing from a Greek word, according to Strong’s, that comes from the same word for consecrating Christ’s messiahship. The Gnostic heresy of the first century is emphasized here. The Gnostics, according to some sources, believed that the God of the Old Testament was a devil, perhaps Satan himself, and He keeps man imprisoned and deceived but Christ came, as an avatar and guide, a teacher to lead us to freedom. Christ was not God in the flesh because flesh, like all matter, was evil in which we are imprisoned. So, Christ could not be God. They denied the divinity of Christ, in many instances, and blasphemed God, imagining themselves like in the modern movie, The Matrix, taking the red pill which opens their minds up to the truth of the artificial construct we live in, according to them.  To many of them the real God was unknowable and Christ, while at some point divine according to some Gnostic traditions, only appeared in the human form of evil flesh and matter. The Gnostics also believed that man was perfectable as he embraced this secret knowledge.

Modern day Communist theory is modern Gnosticism with the perfectable socialist man who throws off the shackles of a deceiving world system, of course, after the murder of many millions to get to that place and the total denial of all freedom as the socialist man merges into the collective, his only legitimate identity. Man becomes his own god, as stated and implied in many Marxist writings.

The antichrist spirit denies God the Father, the Son of God, and the Holy Ghost, whom John will mention later. The anointing or unction of the Holy Ghost upon the believer will deliver him or her from destruction and teach them all things.

John 14:26  But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.

The antichrist spirit denies that Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah, the anointed One. Each person in Gnostic heresy was responsible for saving themselves and salvation was not found in Christ. Jesus was only a teacher, among many of the Gnostics, who led us to our own self-knowledge and salvation that only we ourselves could provide. You can see Gnosticism all around you if you pay attention to mainstream spiritual thought and the embracing of certain religions and political ideologies, and intellectual thought in the Western world.

1John 2:28 ¶  And now, little children, abide in him; that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming. 29  If ye know that he is righteous, ye know that every one that doeth righteousness is born of him.

John pleads with these Christians, many of them brand spanking new and not experienced at all, to say faithful to Christ, believing that He will return so that when He does they are not ashamed at their faithlessness. Then, John makes an important transition statement into his next argument that doing what is right flows predictably from everyone who is born of Christ, born again. Verse 29 is a reference to believers in Christ and not a blanket statement saying that everyone who does right, believer or not, if born again.

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[1] Will Durant, “The Apostles: A.D. 30-95,”  The Story of Civilization:Volume 3, Caesar and Christ (New York: Simon & Schuster, 1944), 575.

 

Bible Study on Genesis 24, verses 1 to 9, take a wife unto my son Isaac

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Bible Study on 1John 2, verses 12 to 17, Love not the world

 

1John 2:12 ¶  I write unto you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for his name’s sake. 13  I write unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning. I write unto you, young men, because ye have overcome the wicked one. I write unto you, little children, because ye have known the Father. 14  I have written unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning. I have written unto you, young men, because ye are strong, and the word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome the wicked one. 15  Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16  For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. 17  And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.

Again, perhaps addressing new converts, John reminds them that their sins are forgiven for the sake of Christ’s name. Again, if fathers by contrast addresses more mature Christians and elders he warns all about the dangers of buying into the world system. He counts on them to be strong in their faith, opposing Satan and absorbed by God’s word.

Psalm 119:11  Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.

John lists some things that are the conditions by which we are drawn to the world.

These things listed are the very things that tempted Adam and Eve at the beginning; the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life.

Genesis 3:6 ¶  And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.

When our focus is on pleasing our flesh, on what appeals to our eyes, and what makes us held in high esteem by other people we become mired in the world. The world will pass away but the person who is focused on God’s will, will live forever.

Luke 16:15  And he said unto them, Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God.

A Psalm for Sunday, Psalm 60, O turn thyself to us again

 

Psalm 60:1 ¶  «To the chief Musician upon Shushaneduth, Michtam of David, to teach; when he strove with Aramnaharaim and with Aramzobah, when Joab returned, and smote of Edom in the valley of salt twelve thousand.» O God, thou hast cast us off, thou hast scattered us, thou hast been displeased; O turn thyself to us again. 2  Thou hast made the earth to tremble; thou hast broken it: heal the breaches thereof; for it shaketh. 3  Thou hast shewed thy people hard things: thou hast made us to drink the wine of astonishment. 4  Thou hast given a banner to them that fear thee, that it may be displayed because of the truth. Selah. 5  That thy beloved may be delivered; save with thy right hand, and hear me.

 

John Gill reported that famed Rabbi Aben Ezra thought that Shushaneduth was a known tune that this Psalm would have been sung to although he admitted that others thought it was a musical instrument, long forgotten. The Michtam, he wrote, was a “Golden Psalm of David.”

 

This underscores the many vicious campaigns that David undertook and the large loss of life incurred by his enemies…

 

2Samuel 8:13  And David gat him a name when he returned from smiting of the Syrians in the valley of salt, being eighteen thousand men.

 

David’s lament here refers to the difficulties Israel was facing with its neighbors and enemies and the constant warfare that would make David a warrior-king.

 

We can see also here a prophecy of the Jews in their several dispersals or disaporas. Specifically, though, we can see this as what happened in the 2,000 years after the Jews rejecting of Jesus of Nazareth as their Messiah and Saviour.

 

John 19:15  But they cried out, Away with him, away with him, crucify him. Pilate saith unto them, Shall I crucify your King? The chief priests answered, We have no king but Caesar.

 

Matthew 27:25  Then answered all the people, and said, His blood be on us, and on our children.

 

Scattered and persecuted, even hunted like animals by their enemies who were the tools of Satan, with their suffering permitting the survival of the nascent Christian church, God’s beloved, also a reference to Christ Himself.

 

1Thessalonians 2:16  Forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles that they might be saved, to fill up their sins alway: for the wrath is come upon them to the uttermost.

 

Note Paul’s lamentation for the people of his birth nation.

 

Romans 9:1 ¶  I say the truth in Christ, I lie not, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost, 2  That I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart. 3  For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh: 4  Who are Israelites; to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises; 5  Whose are the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen.

 

Now see the use of beloved.

 

Mark 1:11  And there came a voice from heaven, saying, Thou art my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.

 

Romans 1:7  To all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.

 

Ephesians 1:6  To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.

 

John then uses the word beloved as an address to the Christians he is talking to over half a dozen times. But for David in context this is a plea for deliverance and victory. This is about a war for survival much like modern-day Israel has faced several times and even, at this writing, is embroiled in with a vicious enemy.

 

Psalm 60:6 ¶  God hath spoken in his holiness; I will rejoice, I will divide Shechem, and mete out the valley of Succoth. 7  Gilead is mine, and Manasseh is mine; Ephraim also is the strength of mine head; Judah is my lawgiver; 8  Moab is my washpot; over Edom will I cast out my shoe: Philistia, triumph thou because of me. 9  Who will bring me into the strong city? who will lead me into Edom? 10  Wilt not thou, O God, which hadst cast us off? and thou, O God, which didst not go out with our armies? 11  Give us help from trouble: for vain is the help of man. 12  Through God we shall do valiantly: for he it is that shall tread down our enemies.

 

Here David exalts in the victories he believes will come through God’s help and by His will and at the same time delivers a prophecy of a triumphant Christ. This is repeated in Psalm 108.

 

See also 2Samuel 8:2  And he smote Moab, and measured them with a line, casting them down to the ground; even with two lines measured he to put to death, and with one full line to keep alive. And so the Moabites became David’s servants, and brought gifts.

 

Note Christ’s victory in Revelation as He takes control of what’s left of the kingdoms of the world.

 

Revelation 11:15  And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.

 

In the context it is God that is proclaiming what He will do and it is David who is, while lamenting that God might not have helped them as the struggle is great, confident that God will use Israel to accomplish His ends.

 

God will use nations to accomplish His ends as He uses people to do so, even those who are His enemies, even those who don’t believe He exists. What a blessing it is to believe, trust in, and obey God and be used for His purposes as opposed to moving blindly doing His will and then spending eternity in destruction. Do we have confidence, do we pray even, that God will use us to accomplish His will?

Bible Study on 1John 2, verses 7 to 11, He that loves his brother lives in the light

 

1John 2:7 ¶  Brethren, I write no new commandment unto you, but an old commandment which ye had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which ye have heard from the beginning. 8  Again, a new commandment I write unto you, which thing is true in him and in you: because the darkness is past, and the true light now shineth. 9  He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now. 10  He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him. 11  But he that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because that darkness hath blinded his eyes.

Here starts that reference to Jesus “new commandment” of John 13:34,35 which is not so much new in that God the Father had already given this very sentiment under the Law given to Moses as between the people of Israel.

Leviticus 19:18  Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the LORD.

See how neighbor in Leviticus refers to thy people?

I have pointed out previously how the word charity in the New Testament refers to the Christian’s love for their fellow Christians and how important it is.

Colossians 3:14  And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness.

2Peter 1:7  And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.

1Corinthians 13:1 ¶  Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. 2  And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. 3  And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.

    4 ¶  Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, 5  Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; 6  Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; 7  Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.

    8 ¶  Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away. 9  For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. 10  But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away. 11  When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things. 12  For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known. 13  And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.

Such an idea would cause us to forgo self-righteousness and arrogance within the church. The difference between confidence and arrogance is that when we are confident we can handle disagreement and still recognize our unity of purpose and faith while if we are arrogant we can brook no conflicting opinions on any matter and will just go down the street to the next church.

When we love our brothers and sisters in Christ in the proper way, in the Lord, we walk in the Light of Christ but when we hate or despise or hold in low regard our brothers and sisters in Christ or try to manipulate, gaslight, or generally use them for our own agenda we walk in darkness.