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What Have We Learned in 1st Corinthians 1-10?

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What Have We Learned in 1st Corinthians?

© 2025 by C. O. Bishop

Return To Corinthians

We are returning to complete our study in 1st Corinthians. We had stopped at the end of chapter ten. Subsequently, we went all the way through Ephesians, 1st John, 2nd John, 3rd John and Jude. But now we hope to go back and complete what we began in our Corinthian studies.

By way of review, I will summarize what we learned, going through the first ten chapters:

In Chapter One, we Learned:

  • The letter is to all believers in every place and throughout all history.
  • There is much for which to give thanks, regarding the Church.
  • God Desires Unity in the Church: That is one of the three things by which the World can judge the Church. The others are the Agapé love and our behavior as believers.
  • We saw that Disunity can have several sources:
    • Doctrinal Differences
    • Personality Preferences (Who is YOUR favorite teacher? Who baptized YOU?)
    • Other sources
  • We saw the Wisdom and Power of God as opposed to what the World thinks.
  • We saw that the Door to the truth is the Will, not the intellect. We choose to believe God.
  • We learned the nature of our calling before God. We truly are nothing Special: He is!
  • We learned that Jesus is the only person we can boast about.

In Chapter Two, we Learned:

  • That “Jesus Christ and Him Crucified” is the core issue of the Good News we have to offer. We should allow Nothing else to obscure those truths.
  • We see that there is such a thing as a Godly “fear,” under which we serve, fearing to do things in such a way as to obscure God’s light, by leaning on Human “wisdom.”
  • We learned that humans do NOT know what heaven is like, beyond the limited information God has given us. He says we can’t even imagine it.
  • We learned the difference between a “natural man” and a “spiritual man.”
  • We learned our privilege: Having the “Mind of Christ.”

In Chapter Three, we Learned:

  • That a third type of individual exists: the Carnal man. He is a believer, but he lives in the flesh. He is not walking with Jesus, not obeying His Word.
  • We learned that there are eternal results for either obedience or disobedience: Rewards or loss of reward.
  • We learned that Salvation is a gift: Rewards are “wages” for works.
  • We learned that Jesus is the foundation in our lives, and that He gives us freedom to build upon that foundation. How we choose to build affects eternal rewards.
  • We also learned that some “wisdom” does not come from God.
  • We learned that the “Temple of God” is the Body of Christ—all believers as a group.
  • We learned that the Lord protects His church, and will punish those who willingly defile it with bad teaching or evil influence.

In Chapter Four, we Learned:

  • God requires Stewards to be faithful: All servants of God are stewards at various levels. God requires faithfulness to His values and His standards. He holds us accountable.
  • Paul pointed out that the Apostles were nothing special…and that we are nothing special, either. Jesus is the judge, over all of us.
    • Thus, we learned the Humility of Discipleship.
    • We learned that pride and self-will have no place in a disciple’s life.
    • We learned that we are emissaries of God.
    • We learned the responsibilities of the Ambassadors of God.

In Chapter Five, we Learned:

  • How Paul commanded the Church to deal with flagrant, open sin.
  • We learned that Judgment is a command: Not all judgment is bad…Most is good.
  • We learned the various Greek words for Judgment. God forbids some kinds, while He requires others.
  • We learned what five judgments believers face, or have faced.
  • We learned of the Coming Judgment which will NOT affect believers.
  • We learned why God will exclude believers from the Coming judgment.

In Chapter Six, we Learned:

  • God calls the Church to handle interpersonal problems between believers.
  • We learned what God means when he calls the believers “righteous,” and what He means when he condemns the “unrighteous.”
  • We learned that we were the unrighteous, but that He has taken our sins upon Himself, transferring us from darkness into the Kingdom of Christ.
  • We learned that because God literally owns us, Body, Soul, and Spirit, we are no longer our own, and we are not free to choose immorality.
  • We learned that Sexual immorality causes Spiritual, internal damage and it has lasting effects.

In Chapter Seven, we Learned:

  • The principles of a Godly marriage.
    • A gift from God.
    • No immorality allowed.
    • The marriage Covenant
    • Mutual care
  • We learned that there is a parallel between a Godly marriage and the relationship between Christ and the Church
  • We learned something about the responsibilities of marriage.
  • We learned that God hates divorce.
  • We learned about the calling of God, and how it should affect us.
  • We learned that in certain times and places and harsh circumstances, marriage might not be a good idea.
  • We learned that regardless of circumstances we are not to allow either the World or our relationships (including marriage) to alter our relationship with Jesus.

In Chapter Eight, we Learned:

  • God says to govern Knowledge by Agapé Love. Knowledge puffs up: Love builds up.
  • Food sacrificed to idols remains physically unchanged.
  • The idol itself is nothing: It is a block of non-living material.
  • The spiritual issue is there, especially for unbelievers, but evil spirits cannot undo the work Jesus accomplished at the Cross.
  • While we are free in such matters, we are not to use our freedom in such a way as to weaken another believer. There are times when we abstain from our freedom in order not to cause a weaker brother or sister to stumble.

In Chapter Nine, we Learned:

  • The Burden of the Gospel as borne by God’s messengers.
  • We saw Paul defending his position as an apostle, though it seems unclear what the attacks were or what the motives for the attacks might have been..
  • We saw why Paul chose to forgo receiving pay for his teaching.
  • We saw that he worked to learn Christ-likeness, and to follow Jesus. He took his Christian life very seriously. And, He encouraged us to do the same

In Chapter Ten, we Learned:

  • We learned that all the experiences, good and bad. that the Children of Israel endured were examples from which we are to learn.
  • We learned that the Spiritual Rock from which they received millions of gallons of physical water, was, in fact, Christ Himself!
  • We learned that There is a sharp division between the spiritual life of the world religions and the spiritual life of followers of Jesus.
  • We learned that “Communion” means Fellowship. Shared experiences, values, and goals.
  • We were warned that the world does not have the same experiences, values or goals. We are not to join in fellowship with the world. We do not take part in their worship.
  • He says we are not to attempt to mix light with darkness.
  • He also says that we do enjoy freedom that others may lack. But we are not to misuse that freedom.
  • We want to live in such a way that others see the truth of God’s Word alive in our lives. The fruit of the Spirit is never an offensive thing.

Chapter Eleven Holds Rich Lessons, Too!

  • We will learn how we are to follow Paul as he follows Christ…
  • We will learn why the Corinthian believers were given special instructions as to hair length and head coverings
  • We will learn why the Corinthian believers were being chastised for their treatment of the Lord’s Supper

Next week, we will begin 1st Corinthians Chapter Eleven.

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Do You Know What Jude Teaches About False Teachers?

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Jude: The False Teachers and Apostates (Part 1)

© 2025  by C. O. Bishop

Judgment is Coming!

Jude 1-25 (Read it!)

Introduction:

Jude, is the writer of this epistle; he is the brother of James (per verse one) who was the half-brother of Jesus (Please compare Matthew 13:55. James and Jude are the names of two of the half-brothers of the Lord.) They are the writers of the epistles of James and Jude.

Both James and Jude introduce themselves as “the servant…of Jesus Christ.” They do not claim any special privileges or authority due to sharing half his gene-pool. Until late in His ministry, they were not even believers, so it seems fitting that they see themselves as “servants,” not “special-case super-saints.”

They finally realized that Jesus was not “just their older brother,” but truly God in the flesh. So, they repented of all they had previously imagined of Him. (They once thought that He was crazy, or that He was promoting himself as a prophet or a leader.) They abandoned all their former opinions. Therefore, they no longer knew Him from a fleshly perspective: So now they simply called themselves His servants.  2nd Corinthians 5:16 says, “Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more.” This is a good way for us to see Him, too!

These men, with ample cause to think of themselves more highly than others, did not do so. It behooves us to follow their example. In my own case, the longer I “toddle along,” trying to walk with Jesus, the more I realize that I am nobody special…I’m just a servant of Jesus!

To Whom is the Epistle Addressed?

1 Jude, the servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to them that are sanctified (sanctified means “Declared holy: Set apart for His service”) by God the Father, and preserved in (kept in) Jesus Christ, and called: (Yes, you are called! If you are a believer, you are called to serve Jesus with your life. Read Romans 8:28-30, and spend some time thinking about the implications for your own life!)

Years ago, an older woman emphatically told me that “Yes, you are saved by faith, but you are kept by works!” This verse clearly refutes that false teaching: He says we are “preserved in Jesus Christ”. That is a passive truth on our part. God is the one taking action on our behalf. He does the “keeping,” as well as the calling.

2 Mercy unto you, and peace, and love, be multiplied. (Notice the order in which these things are offered: You cannot have peace with God before having received His Mercy as a guilty sinner. And, after receiving His Mercy, and His peace, His Love should begin to take root in your heart.)

The Result of Genuine Faith

3 Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common (that which all believers share: what we “have in common”) salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.

What does it mean to “contend for the faith?” Titus 1:9-13 makes it clear that deacons should at least be able to use God’s Word well enough to spot false teaching and show it to be false. But this passage seems to make it the responsibility of every believer to grow into that ability… taking a stand for the faith. (Compare Ephesians 6:10-18. The armor of God is definitely for all believers!)

When a verse begins with the transition word, “for,” it is giving the reason for the previous statement. (Why should believers contend for the faith? Because… false brethren and false teachers abound.)

The Subject: Men who have “Crept In Unawares:” False Teachers.

4 For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.

5 I will therefore put you in remembrance, though ye once knew this, how that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not.

We have this clue that perhaps not all those who came out of Egypt were actually believers. However, it may be noted that ALL of them had placed themselves under the blood of the Passover Lamb. All had left Egypt with Moses. All had crossed the Red Sea on foot. There was no one among them who did not “qualify as a believer,” by those standards.

Unbelief Among Believers

But, in Numbers 14, the LORD commanded them to go into the promised land, and they ALL believed the evil report of the ten spies, as opposed to the godly, correct report of the other two (Joshua and Caleb.) They did not believe God, when it came time to actually enter into His promises. And ALL of that (huge) group of people, who assumedly were believers, were destroyed. They died in the wilderness. The ten spies who gave false testimony, discouraging the people, died on the spot, under God’s Judgment. But, over the next forty years, that entire generation died, before God took their children into the land, and fulfilled His promises.

So, the question for us remains: Were they “under the blood?” Evidently they were! No one died in their homes. Were they “followers of God?” Evidently they were! I seriously doubt that I would have just “taken off across a desert with Pharoah’s army chasing me,” much less walked between the “walls of water” (See Exodus 14:22) to cross the Red Sea on foot. So…were they believers? I think they were! But God still judges unbelief among believers, too.

A Warning to Believers

Hebrews 4:1-11 warns us that due to unbelief of that same sort, we, too, can fail to enter into the “Rest” of God. Jesus’s finished work at the Cross should enable us to “Cease from our own works” and rest in HIS works.

If you think that your works are somehow making you righteous before God, or that they are maintaining your standing with Him, then you are not “resting” in His completed work. You are supplanting His work with your own! As a result, you can never rest, because you fear that without your continued Good Works, you may be lost.  But God says we are to place our full trust in His completed work, and that, on the basis of that faith, we can KNOW that we have eternal life (John 5:11-13.)

The Israelites (in Numbers 14) should have “rested in God’s word,” and entered the land in full confidence: But they saw the question as being “Can we defeat the giants?” not, “Has God truly given us the land?”  Joshua and Caleb argued that “Because God has given us the land, we cannot fail!” But, because the people completely rejected that specific promise, God judged them for their unbelief.

Judgement of Fallen Angels

6 And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day.

We might ask ourselves, “which angels fell into this specific judgment?” The ones we call demons evidently did not, as they were present in the time of Christ, and apparently still are today.

But, if we think of a specific group of angelic beings who “stepped across the boundary” between Angelic existence and Human existence and (Genesis 6:1-4) interbred with humans, then this comment may make perfect sense. Those angels are “in everlasting chains under darkness” waiting for the final judgment. But Satan and the rest of the fallen angels are not chained…yet.

Judgment of Specific Humans

7 Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.

We still remember Sodom and Gomorrah as examples of God’s fierce judgment. And, ironically, the people who “go after strange flesh” in the same manner they did are still called “sodomites” today (though not very often, as public opinion has shifted to actually approve of them.) But the Law still calls the sins they commit “sodomy” in today’s legal terminology. God “set them forth as an example,” as the scripture says, and the example still stands.

Beginning A List of Examples

8 Likewise also these filthy dreamers defile the flesh, despise dominion, and speak evil of dignities.

Once again, this is nothing new: In Romans 1:21-32 Paul describes the pattern of behavior and deterioration of morality and faith, within the Human Race. The pattern hasn’t changed. Humans still follow this pattern! We wallow in our sin, and we proudly say things like, “Ain’t nobody tells me what to do!” I had a man who claimed to be a believer tell me those exact words, angrily declaring himself to be the only authority in his life.

Additionally, and even more common: We feel free to slander politicians we don’t like, as well as other people in authority. Unbelievers even go so far as to mock the Lord himself. They mock His Word with impunity, and make gross allegations against Him, sometimes very publicly.

Jude Includes Extra-biblical Examples

9 Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee.

Here is a peculiar comment…it stands alone in scripture. There is no other reference to this event. All we know about the body of Moses (other than this snippet) is that GOD buried the body of Moses, and no one has ever known where.

This is actually a quote from an apocryphal text, claiming an argument regarding the burial of Moses. We don’t see the original text as authoritative, but Jude used it as an example of treating high rank with respect. It is the concept of “we salute the rank, not the man.” That is pretty much all we can use it for. We recognize and respect the authority of the badge, for example, even when the person wearing it is acting in an unrespectable manner.

But regarding this specific incident, please read Deuteronomy 34:5, 6.  God says that He buried Moses’s body, and that no human knows where it is. Make of it what you will.

This is not the only place in scripture where a writer cited an extrabiblical source to support an argument. Paul did so in Acts 17:28 as well as in Titus 1:12.  We may be uncomfortable with that fact, but it remains a fact. (Jude does it again in verse 17.)

More Examples

10 But these speak evil of those things which they know not: but what they know naturally, as brute beasts, in those things they corrupt themselves.

Jude says, effectively, that these people are acting as though they are animals, without a consciousness of right or wrong, without an awareness of a sovereign God’s authority over them. I have witnessed a male robin, fighting his own reflection in a shiny hubcap. It was funny to watch, but the bird was not playing. He was attacking something he could not understand.

The people Jude addresses, here, speak evil of things they know nothing about. I have had people defiantly tell me that “The Bible is nothing but fairytales!” When I confronted them with the fact that they had not read it at all, and thus they did not know what they were talking about, they were angry, but they could not respond. It was the truth! They did NOT know!

11 Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Core.

Here are three examples in one verse:

Cain tried to circumvent his own guilt as a sinner: He avoided a blood sacrifice. When that failed, he attacked the one who had already been accepted by God on the basis of that blood sacrifice, and killed him! This has been a pattern throughout history, as well.

Balaam was a real prophet, a real believer, but he sold out and was killed. Today he is only remembered for having sold out and having betrayed Israel, in direct disobedience to God.

Core (Old Testament spelling “Korah”) in Numbers 16:1-34, defied Moses as the appointed authority, assuming that Moses was promoting himself as the leader, when in fact, God had appointed him, and had proven it over and over, in supernatural ways. It is astonishing to me that Korah and his comrades could assume that they could take over, and that God would empower them in similar fashion. But God supernaturally put to death all those who followed Korah. At the authority of God, through Moses, the earth swallowed up Korah and his comrades, so that alive, they and thier familie fell into hell. (Wow! What an awful judgment!)

We will have to continue this passage at a later date. Jude has a lot more to say about false teachers, and false brethren. But the Judgment of God is Prominent throughout this epistle.

Lord Jesus, please open our eyes to see Your truth, and to apply it to our own lives. Help us to consistently reject the false claims of the World, of our own deceitful hearts an of the enemy. Let us shine as lights in the current darkness and present You as the Only source of Light.

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How To Tell Good Leaders Apart From Bad Leaders

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3rd John: A Letter to a Faithful Brother

© 2025 by C. O. Bishop

3rd John 1-13

1 The elder unto the well-beloved Gaius, whom I love in the truth. 2 Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth. 3 For I rejoiced greatly, when the brethren came and testified of the truth that is in thee, even as thou walkest in the truth. 4 I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.

5 Beloved, thou doest faithfully whatsoever thou doest to the brethren, and to strangers;  6 Which have borne witness of thy charity before the church: whom if thou bring forward on their journey after a godly sort, thou shalt do well: 7 Because that for his name’s sake they went forth, taking nothing of the Gentiles. 8 We therefore ought to receive such, that we might be fellow-helpers to the truth.

9 I wrote unto the church: but Diotrephes, who loveth to have the preeminence among them, receiveth us not. 10 Wherefore, if I come, I will remember his deeds which he doeth, prating against us with malicious words: and not content therewith, neither doth he himself receive the brethren, and forbiddeth them that would, and casteth them out of the church.

11 Beloved, follow not that which is evil, but that which is good. He that doeth good is of God: but he that doeth evil hath not seen God. 12 Demetrius hath good report of all men, and of the truth itself: yea, and we also bear record; and ye know that our record is true.

13 I had many things to write, but I will not with ink and pen write unto thee: 14 But I trust I shall shortly see thee, and we shall speak face to face. Peace be to thee. Our friends salute thee. Greet the friends by name.

Introduction:

1 The elder unto the well-beloved Gaius, whom I love in the truth.

Gaius may be one of the men who accompanied Paul in his work. Luke mentioned men with the same name (possibly both the same man) in Acts 19:29 and Acts 20:4. Is the “Gaius” in 3rd John one of those men? Maybe. But, he is someone of whom John fully approves. In verse three we see that he was doctrinally sound, and was living the truth of the Word, not just verbally assenting to it. Read carefully: some of the passages here can be (have been) misused

The Root of the “Prosperity Gospel”

2 Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.

This verse has been used to teach that God’s primary concern is for all of us to be healthy and wealthy. That is false teaching. Hebrews 11:36-38 lists those who lost everything for the sake of the Gospel, and the name of Jesus, and it says that they were the “best of the best.” He says of them that, they were those, “of whom the world was not worthy…”

What does it mean, “to Prosper?”

I looked up the Greek word translated as, “prosper.” I had hoped to ascertain what kind of prosperity it implied. but it turns out that it is pretty much the same in Greek as it is in English: It can literally mean simply to “have a good journey,” or it can imply financial well-being.

Possibly Gaius was well-to-do, and John wished him to remain so. But, possibly his health was in question: The scriptures definitely do NOT teach that if you are walking with God you will never get sick. God says King Hezekiah was the best king Judah ever had. (2nd Kings 18:1-6.)

Old and New Testament Examples:

And King Hezekiah not only got sick: He was told he would die of it. (2nd Kings 20) But when he prayed and asked for a reprieve, God granted him healing and fifteen more years of life. In the New Testament, Epaphroditus was near death from sickness. He was sick, and it happened while he was faithfully serving Christ. (GOD says so! Philippians 2:25-30)

Whatever the circumstances, John wished for good health and general prosperity from God for Gaius. That is a common theme in our prayers for one another, too, but this verse does NOT teach that “If you have proper faith, you will always be healthy and wealthy.” That is false teaching, and it turns people’s eyes away from the Person of Christ, looking more to their own condition than to Him. It is becoming a widespread heresy, and it has ensnared many people, some of whom eventually become embittered and completely reject the entire message of Christ because they have been deceived by a false teacher or a false cult.

Leaning on Jesus

We are told to look to Jesus and to trust Him for our circumstances. Proverbs 3:5, 6 says: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not unto your own understanding.” A sister, here in the church, recently sent me a photograph of a power-strip, plugged into itself: The caption read, “This is what it looks like to trust in your own wisdom: there is no Power!” It is a comical picture, of course, but the message is truly serious.

Romans 1:22 says, “Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools…”

Except for the wisdom that God gives us in His Word and by His Holy Spirit, we do not have answers for the problems and questions in life. When we claim to have the answers, we are immediately ensnared in the trap of “professing ourselves to be wise.” And the result for us is the same as the result for the people in Romans 1:22. We become fools.

What Did Gaius Mean in Verse 2?

It seems that John simply extended “Best wishes” for Gaius’ life, especially based upon what he knew of Gaius’ spiritual condition. He was not stating that God’s primary concern for believers is that we should be healthy and wealthy. God gives many warnings to the rich, about their spiritual condition NOT matching their wealth. He gives none at all to the poor, suggesting that they are poor because of a lack of faith.

No! In James 2:5 God says the poor are rich in faith. (click the link and read it!)

3 For I rejoiced greatly, when the brethren came and testified of the truth that is in thee, even as thou walkest in the truth.

Evidently the traveling teachers saw that Gaius was living the faith, and obeying the truth. Possibly it was because they saw that he did what John commanded in 2nd John 4-10. He had questioned them thoroughly before choosing to house and to feed them and sending them on their way, with provisions. They knew that he was faithful to the truth because of his actions, not just his words.

4 I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.

This agrees with 2nd John 4. But it also seems to imply that John considered Gaius to be his spiritual offspring…at least at some level. Whether John had personally introduced Gaius to faith in Christ, or simply had been feeding him and seeing him grow up in the faith, so that he saw Gaius as his “son in the faith,” we cannot know for sure. But we can see the sense of responsibility John felt and understand how pleased he felt to hear from others that Gaius was living the reality of His faith, and standing for the truth of the Gospel.

Fellowship in the Ministry of Missionaries

This is both in contrast and agreement with the warning and admonition given in 2nd John 4-10. John had also commended “the elect lady” for walking in truth. But he had warned her against lacking discernment, and thereby inadvertently supporting false teachers. Here, in 3rd John 5-8, he commends Gaius for supporting true teachers (“missionaries,” we might call them) and states that by doing so, we are thereby being “fellow-helpers to the truth.”

What questions should we ask?

How did he know they were true teachers? John gave some “litmus tests” in 1st John 4:1-6, and in 2nd John 4-10. The “tests” were doctrinal in nature. What were these teachers teaching? The questions had to do with the person and work of Jesus. Is he truly God in the Flesh? Is he truly virgin-born, thus fulfilling the “Seed of the Woman” prophecy? Did His blood truly satisfy the judgment and Holiness of God for the sins of the entire human race? Was he truly dead, and truly buried? Was He physically resurrected, and is He the eternal God, still today? Is His forgiveness available by faith in His blood, alone…without additional works?

I don’t know what questions Gaius may have asked. But these are the sorts of questions we ought to be asking before supporting missions. We try to only support missionaries who are faithfully teaching good doctrine and the pure Gospel of Christ.

Becoming Partners in the Work of the Gospel

5 Beloved, thou doest faithfully whatsoever thou doest to the brethren, and to strangers; 6 Which have borne witness of thy charity before the church: whom if thou bring forward on their journey after a godly sort, thou shalt do well: 7 Because that for his name’s sake they went forth, taking nothing of the Gentiles.

Part of the proof of the character of these teachers is that they were not “seeking a handout,” and were only being funded by other believers who saw their work as being from God.

8 We therefore ought to receive such, that we might be fellow-helpers to the truth.

This is God’s approval for Missionary support, and His statement that by doing so we are taking part in their ministry.

A Bad Leader: A Counterexample to Good Leadership

9 I wrote unto the church: but Diotrephes, who loveth to have the preeminence among them, receiveth us not.

This is the only example of a New Testament church where one man had seized preeminence. All the other mentions of the church leaders stated “elders” (plural) in each “church” (singular.) But Diotrephes wanted to be the chief ruler. He rejected the authority of the apostles, and he rejected the travelling teachers, approved by the apostles. Further, he excommunicated believers who did receive the brethren.

This is a very stern warning to churches who declare themselves to be the sole proprietors of God’s truth. When WE become the standards of what is true, rather than God’s Word, we are in trouble with God.

10 Wherefore, if I come, I will remember his deeds which he doeth, prating against us with malicious words: and not content therewith, neither doth he himself receive the brethren, and forbiddeth them that would, and casteth them out of the church.

Diotrephes didn’t know it yet, but he was in deep trouble! There are many religious leaders in the world today, some of them claiming to be followers of Jesus, who are in the same trouble.

God does not allow us to elevate ourselves above God’s Word, nor to elevate ourselves above our fellow-servants. We do use the Word as a filter, to decide how to respond to people claiming to be disciples. God warns us in advance that false teachers abound and that false brethren are dangerous. (2nd Corinthians 11:26) He warns us not to be partakers with them. (2nd John 9, 10; Ephesians 5:7)

Conclusion: Follow That Which is Good.

11 Beloved, follow not that which is evil, but that which is good. He that doeth good is of God: but he that doeth evil hath not seen God.

John had just warned them of an evil among them: He told them to “follow not that which is evil!” Then he said, in contrast, “Follow that which is good!” He gave his recommendation that Demetrius was a better example.

12Demetrius hath good report of all men, and of the truth itself: yea, and we also bear record; and ye know that our record is true.

Two “Rulers of the Synagogue” (not the Church)

It is an interesting thing to observe, in Acts 18:8, and Acts 18:17 two consecutive “chief rulers” of the Synagogue at Corinth. One, Crispus, became a believer in Jesus, and evidently abandoned his position as “ruler of the synagogue.”

The second, Sosthenes, was savagely beaten by the unbelieving gentiles, after which, he evidently also became a believer…when? We don’t know, but Paul mentioned him in his first letter to Corinth, (1st Corinthians 1:1) as a brother in Christ. The point is that there is no mention of a “chief ruler” of a church. Perhaps Diotrephes was trying to connect to that Jewish tradition under the Law. I don’t know. But John condemned Diotrephes’s works and he commended Demetrius. I think we can learn from that contrast.

We are given to hope that Demetrius was able to stand against Diotrephes, and that the church would have flourished under a multiple elders, (Gaius and Demetrius, to start?) not that one man who sought to be the “ruler.”

Personal Contact When Possible

13 I had many things to write, but I will not with ink and pen write unto thee:

Personal contact is important: Sometimes a letter is the best thing, but, these believers had the hope that John would meet with them soon. Did he? We don’t know. But that was his hope as well. The letter, however, stood for eternity. We learn from it today.

14 But I trust I shall shortly see thee, and we shall speak face to face. Peace be to thee. Our friends salute thee. Greet the friends by name.

John’s final blessing to the believers with Gaius, through the mediation of Gaius, stands as one of the rarities among the epistles. Virtually all the epistles are addressed to the churches, NOT the leaders. The leaders are simply part of the church. This one is addressed to an individual. Verse 9 may reveal that Diotrephes had been intercepting John’s previous letters. So, this time, he circumvented Diotrephes by writing to Gaius.

But the blessings extended to the rest of the flock.

Lord Jesus, enable us to absorb the teachings in this epistle and to guide our decisions by the examples given here. Teach us to be the living examples of Jesus on Earth.

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How to Understand the Importance of Thanksgiving and Prayer

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Thanksgiving and Prayer

© 2021 C. O. Bishop revised 2025

1st Thessalonians 5:16-18;

Introduction:

Throughout the Bible, God calls us to thanksgiving and prayer. It is important to realize that the call to thanksgiving is in spite of circumstances, not because of circumstances. The call to Prayer is similar, in that God does not guarantee that we will get what we want. We are the ones asking, but it is God who replies. And, we ask in our ignorance, and our relative blindness. Therefore, He, in His sovereign knowledge and His infinite wisdom, sometimes must refuse our request. Remember that His knowledge, His wisdom and His purpose are not only all higher than we can hope to understand. All also are better, from the perspective of eternity.

Prayer in the Old Testament

In ancient Judah, even after bad leadership split the nation, a king would occasionally proclaim a National day of Prayer, and usually a fast, as well. He did so, desiring the mercy and blessing of God for his nation. Or, perhaps desiring the direction and protection of God, for an upcoming challenge or threat.  As far as I can recall, in every single case, God answered those prayers. He did not always answer how they had hoped, but He always answered.

God has recorded those histories for us to learn from them. But we must be careful not to “learn the wrong lesson,” so to speak. There were a few people (prophets) to whom God gave special authority. What came out of their mouths really was His will, and they really did occur. It was not that they were “special saints,” but that God put them in a special position.

Moses is a classic example. He called for the ground to split and swallow up some rebels in the camp. And it happened exactly as he said. But it was for God’s purpose, not some personal vendetta of Moses. As a rule, God uses miracles to draw attention to, and to validate His message. And, right then, Moses was the messenger of God.

Thanksgiving Was Part of the History

At least for the moment, when God stepped in and rescued Israel, it usually resulted in national giving of thanks. But they soon forgot the blessing, and they began to grumble again. Sometimes they abandoned all pretense of following Him.

Numbers 21:5-9 tells about when the Jews were scarcely out of Egypt. They already forgot the Salvation that was poured out upon them while the Judgment was being poured out on Egypt.

Unthankful Hearts Draw Judgment

They grumbled and were very ungrateful toward God, failing to appreciate His supply in their lives. He sent Judgment on them in the form of venomous vipers, migrating across their desert path, and killing many of the people. But God used even this calamity to demonstrate His Grace, in a prophetic “picture.” The bronze serpent on the pole represented the judgment for their sins, and God’s solution for sin.

That image predicted the Cross, where our sins were judged forever, and Jesus’s blood served as the eternal satisfaction for God’s Justice and holiness. It represented the Grace extended to Man, in payment for the sins of the Whole World, forever! In regard to that particular history, Jesus said, “As Moses lifted up the Serpent in the Wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”

So, even our ingratitude and our unbelief are under the blood of the Cross.

Unthankful Hearts Result in Spiritual Darkness

Romans 1:21, we see one cause of God’s judgment for sin: “Because that, when they knew God, they glorified Him not as God, neither were thankful, but became vain in their imaginations and their foolish heart was darkened.”

Humans fail to recognize the authority and Grace of God. We fail to Give Thanks…and because of this, our hearts are darkened. We fail to see the truth that, when God’s reply to our prayer is “NO,” The reply is just as worthy of thanksgiving as when He gives us the desire of our hearts. We need to thank Him for His wisdom and grace in those times, too.

So, What about Prayer?

In Luke 18:1, Jesus taught that we “ought always to pray and not faint.” The apostle Paul reiterates this command in 1st Timothy 2:1-4, saying that we are not only to pray for ourselves and for one another, but for unbelievers as well, and especially for national and civic leaders, so that we might reap the benefits of “a quiet and peaceful life.”

Today, we live in the only nation in the history of the world which was originally founded upon specifically Christian values, and grounded in the whole truth of God’s Word, the Bible. It was not founded upon greed, or nationalism, but upon humility and public awareness of our utter dependence upon the Almighty Creator God. Perhaps the unbelieving world around us has forgotten this, but we as believers have no excuse: We are to remember; we are to pray, and we are to give thanks, regardless of the circumstances.

God’s Word and His Values are Eternal

We live at a time when those Christian values upon which our Nation was founded have largely been set aside as “old-fashioned,” or “outmoded,” or “irrelevant for the realities of today.” However, the Word of God will stand for all time and Eternity, and it does not depend upon the opinions of humans for validity. The Law of Gravity will (literally) cease to exist before God’s Word will fail to be relevant. In Ps 119:89, the psalmist says, “Forever, O Lord, thy Word is settled in heaven.” In light of eternity, the values of the humans of today are merely a passing aberration, while the values of God are the principles upon which the very Universe is founded.

Daniel’s Example

A heathen king ordered the Prophet Daniel to cease praying to his God. He immediately went to his balcony, opened the doors, and in public view, he prayed toward Jerusalem, as was his habit. You know the rest of that story, from Daniel chapter 6: Daniel “spent the night at the zoo,” as it were—specifically, in the Lion’s Den. But in the Morning…in the morning, the king released Daniel, and his enemies took his place. He had been under the protection of God—they were not…(It was “feeding time” at the zoo!)

We have a “Morning” coming, too! The Apostle Peter tells us in 2nd Peter 1:19, that we are to focus our attention on the written Word of God as the only light in this dark world, “until the day dawns!”

Jehoshaphat’s Example

King Jehoshaphat, under threat of an invading army, declared a national day of prayer and fasting, and God answered through a local prophet. The troops of Judah went to the battle, all right, but they were led by the national choir, singing, and praising the beauty of holiness. They were giving thanks in advance, and worshipping the God of their salvation! The resulting battle was fought by God alone. The people of Judah never lifted a weapon. And every single enemy soldier died that day.

Modern Examples

Today we are still called to prayer, by God Himself. It is possible today, as always, in times of trouble, that some of the human leaders who may make that call are not believers, themselves. We should not be deterred from the privilege of prayer by those who do not know the God who answers prayer. Let us continue in prayer, undismayed. We also should remember that while prayer can “change things,” prayer definitely does not “control things!” Believers under fire are praying, but many of them die.

It is OK to pray and die!

An American missionary in the Philippines (Martin Burnham) along with his wife (Gracia Burnham) was kidnapped by Islamic rebels, there. They prayed daily for deliverance, and they prayed faithfully for their captors as well. But the day finally came when a firefight broke out between the national army and the rebel force. Martin threw his own body across that of Gracia, trying to shield her. Both were praying, but only Gracia came home alive. Martin was shot and killed, protecting his wife.

How do we respond to that sort of answer to prayer? Can I give thanks when the result was not what I wanted?

God’s Command

1st Thessalonians 5:16-18 says, “Rejoice evermore; pray without ceasing; in every thing give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus, concerning YOU!”

God says His will for us is that we should rejoice evermore, that we should pray without ceasing; and that in every circumstance we should give thanks.

Let’s look at that passage, point by point:

  1. Rejoice evermore,
  2. Pray without ceasing, and
  3. In every thing give thanks
  4. For this is the Will of God, in Christ Jesus, concerning YOU!

Rejoice Evermore

Notice that He did not say, “Feelhappy,” or “feel Joyful!” He said “rejoice!” This directly ties into what Jesus commanded in John 16:33 “These things have I spoken unto you that in Me ye might have peace: in the World ye shall have tribulation, but be of good cheer; I have overcome the World.”

Joy is a choice: Habakkuk chose joy in the face of the sure knowledge that his nation was about to fall to foreign invaders in judgment as a result of Israel’s sin. He said, “Yet will I rejoice in the LORD: I will joy in the God of my Salvation!”It was an act of the will, not a result of emotion. His emotion was grief at the collapse of Israel, but his choice was Joy!

Pray without Ceasing

God gives a clear command, that, just as Jesus commanded, we are not to give up on prayer: we are to “press on,” praying in the face of devastating news, in the hope that we will be delivered. And as the young Hebrew men under the threat of the furnace replied, “God IS able to save us: but even if He does not, we will not worship your idol!” They knew they faced death. They did not know for certain that God was going to deliver them.

Martin and Gracia Burnham knew they potentially faced death, and did not know that only one of them would be delivered. But they prayed and they chose the Joy of the Lord in response to their trauma. Afterward, Gracia shared her story in a book: “In the Presence of Mine Enemies.”

Perhaps we can learn from her example, and seek to find the “table” God has prepared for us in the presence of our enemies, The World, the Flesh, and the Devil. Hopefully, in the presence of our enemies, we can choose by faith to rejoice because of His supply. Perhaps we can choose to pray faithfully, in recognition that His supply is perfect, even when we fail to understand it.

In Every Thing give Thanks

Notice that God does not say “for everything give thanks!” Rather, He says, “in every thing give thanks.” Martin and Gracia Burnham surely did not “feel happy and satisfied” as the prisoners of a murderous band of Islamic terrorists. But they chose to rejoice IN that reality, rather than deciding that “God must have ignored their needs.” God calls us to do that, as well.

Was I “happy” that my mother had an incurable disease? Absolutely not! But could I rejoice in her testimony and the legacy she left behind? Yes, I really could, once I quit whining and crying to God, insisting that He change His directive Will for the benefit of my desires. But it took a while. (We can grieve; that is OK. It is OK to hurt, but it is not OK to allow the hurt to make us bitter.) Mom simply graduated early.

(Odd thing: she was valedictorian in both high school and college. She was the eldest of her siblings and the rest all lived well into their eighties, while she died at 65. So, once again, she “graduated at the head of her class!”) It caused us grief to lose her, but she blessed all those around her, by the overflowing Grace of her walk with God.

Is Martin Graham unhappy today with God’s decision to take him home and leave Gracia here? Absolutely not! Martin is rejoicing before the Lord, as we speak! Is Gracia unhappy with His answer to prayer? Not today: At that moment, Martin’s death filled her with grief! But God healed her of her grief, and she once again walked in the sure knowledge of God’s Grace.

Making it Personal

We are called to do the same: we are not told that we will always understand God’s will, nor, obviously, that we will always get what we desire. There have been times when I was certain that I was praying according to the will of God, but my hopes were dashed. There have been other times when I gave up hope, because of the circumstances, and God delivered, anyway.

It would be easy to “learn the wrong lesson,” here, and decide that “there is no point in praying, as God is just going to do His own will anyway.” But that attitude ignores that fact that we are commanded to pray; and, to “not faint”…not give up on prayer; and to “pray without ceasing:” How can it be within the will of God for me to disobey those clear commands?

The fact is, we simply have to admit that we do not know what is best. And, if we truly want what is best, then we need to subject ourselves to the will of the One who not only knows what is best, but desires to bless us to the utmost.

It IS Personal!

The final word in that passage is very personal: He says, “For this is the Will of God, in Christ Jesus, concerning YOU!”

Don’t succumb to the temptation to “shuck that aside,” thinking, “Well, that was to the believers at Thessalonica!” Of course, it was! And it is also to you, personally, just like the rest of the epistles! Take this personally, and apply it to your life: the result will be a greater sense of peace and joy, as you learn to trust the Creator and Judge as your Savior, your Shepherd and your Friend.

Lord Jesus, please draw us close enough to you that we can feel your arms supporting us and hear your heartbeat for the lost around us, and be transformed into your likeness, sharing that care for the lost world.

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How to know the Free Will of Man vs the Sovereignty of God

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The Sovereignty of God and the Free Will of Man

© August 2009 by C. O. Bishop. Revised 2025.

Introduction:

Romans 9-11: an overview. (Read the whole passage in one reading. Get the context.)

There was a time when Romans 9:19, 20 defeated my every attempt to understand it, and I became angry every time I tried, so I finally told God I would skip it until He enabled me to understand.  Several months later, He honored my intent. He gave me at least enough understanding to be at peace about it. I don’t pretend to fully grasp any single passage of scripture. God’s Word is eternal, and its depth cannot be probed by human effort.

In reality, the focus in Romans 9 is not the “Free will of man vs. Sovereignty of God” at all: Rather it is the question, “So; what about Israel? What about the Jews?”

Within the scope of that question, the “Freewill vs. Sovereignty” question does pop up, but the context relegates it to an issue of service, and election as a chosen vessel, NOT a salvation issue.

It deals nationally with Israel, not on an individual basis. Israel has never been barred from salvation, as witnessed by the fact that Paul, and all the other disciples, plus thousands of Jews at Pentecost and thereafter, were saved, and, initially, those believing Jews comprised the church!

For around 1700 years, prior to the Cross, God used Israel as His main vessel to reach the world. They repeatedly failed Him and rebelled against Him: They sought their own enrichment instead of His Glory. They followed other gods, and they made His Name to stink in the unbelieving world. (Does that sound familiar? Do you know of any groups of people doing that today?)

The Times of the Gentiles

Acts chapter 10 tells the beginning of the Gentile-dominated church, which owes everything to Israel, according to Romans 9:4, 5; 11:11-15. That dominance grew throughout the book of Acts, and it is reflected in many of the epistles. But Romans chapters 9-11 warns that it is NOT permanent, but passing, and that Israel’s best day is yet to come.

The Church is the Bride of Christ, and its members are distinct from all other believers, though we are saved by the same Grace, redeemed by the same Blood, sanctified by the same Spirit, and fed upon the same Bread of Life. Within the church, all other distinctions become insignificant, so that Paul could say, “in Christ there is not Jew or Gentile, bond or free, male or female,” etc. (Galatians 3:28; Colossians 3:11.) So: What about the Jews?

What Choices Did Israel Have?

Did Israel have a choice in the matter of faith? Yes! Did God know ahead of time what their choice would be? Of course! Did he further harden their hearts to provide a clear lesson to others? Apparently so: Compare Exodus 8:15, 32; 9:34, 35; 10:1, 27. In the early passages about Pharaoh, it says he hardened his own heart. In Exodus 10:7 everyone but Pharaoh saw that the hand of God was at work: They protested against the king, saying, “Don’t you understand that Egypt is destroyed?” 

But, somewhere along the line, God took his already-hard heart, and extended that hardness beyond normal human capacity for stupidity, and thus took an opportunity to judge Egypt, and to set a standard for Divine Judgment that remains today, and is known throughout the world.

The Effect Upon the Unbelieving World

Pat James told me that his elderly mother, an atheist, read the secular history of the Jews, and the attempts throughout history to exterminate them. She came to see that history as proving the existence of God. She saw Him as the Savior of Israel: She could find no other explanation for their survival. Soon, shortly before she died, she chose to receive their Savior as her own!

But, God has hardened the collective hearts of unbelieving Israel, just as He did to Pharaoh. He stretches their unbelief past the logical limit, to make an example for us, the heathen gentiles.

Unbelief is the Most Common Response Among all Humans

Unbelievers have said, “Well, if I saw someone raised from the dead, I’d believe! I’d have no choice!” But, in Luke 16:31, God says they would not: Furthermore, He gave a living example of that truth, in John chapters 11 and 12. When the Jewish leaders saw Jesus raise Lazarus from the dead, they did not embrace the Author of Life: They plotted to kill both Him and Lazarus.

Their unbelief and hardness of heart was incredible! And not all of it was forced upon them. Mark 3:5 says Jesus was grieved by their hardness of heart. Was it foreknown? Yes! Was it predicted? Yes! Was it forced upon them? No! They were given a choice, the same as we are.

When the Magi came to Jerusalem (Matthew chapter 2) “seeking Him that is born King of the Jews,” Herod and all Jerusalem was disturbed. But not a single person cared enough to walk the six miles down to Bethlehem with the Wise Men, to see the Child! Later, though, soldiers were sent to slaughter all the children in his age-peer group. Those were some pretty hard hearts!

The Shepherds had heard the same message, of His birth, and they rejoiced. Simeon and Anna also rejoiced. They were living proof that the remnant within Israel always exists, just as God told Elijah. But the heart of Israel as a nation was already very hard.

A Personal Choice is Offered: “Whosoever Will”

So…what about the issues of personal decisions, free will, etc? Does the Gospel really say, “Good News, brother! You may be predestined to spend eternity in Hell! (Heh, heh! Have a nice day…!)”?  Or does it actually say, “God so loved the World…that whosoever believeth in Him shall never perish…”?

1st John 2:2 says the payment made at the Cross is full payment not only for our sins, “…but also for the sins of the whole World.” I have to believe that while God knew my response from eternity past, He still offered me the same choice as others, and He allowed me to struggle through the making of that choice.

More than 45 years ago, a teacher of mine proposed the idea that “We approach the narrow gate, and see written above it ‘Whosoever will may come’. We enter that door by faith, and having entered, we look back, and we see above the door, on the inside: ‘Chosen in Him before the Foundation of the World!’” I suspect that this idea may be pretty close to the truth.

Is God fully Sovereign? Absolutely. And does He give us choices to make, and then hold us accountable to those choices? Absolutely. But do I understand how both can simultaneously be true? Absolutely not! However, I do recognize that The Bible clearly teaches both, so I have to teach both to the best of my ability and understanding.

God Predicts Ultimate Human Failure

The Church is predestined to fail in its Great Commission. (In fact, the modern Church seems bent on following unbelieving Israel in her failure.) Does that excuse us from responsibility? No! The Great Commission stands. The church will fail (See Revelation 3:14-19). But God offers the walk of fellowship, faith and obedience to believers, one by one. (Revelation 3:20) The church at Laodicea was being judged: Jesus did not even say, “…except ye repent…” as a way to escape judgment. But in verse 20, to every individual believer, He still made the offer for personal fellowship and obedience and blessing.

God Saves People One by One

I read a story of a small boy on a Southern California beach: A storm had hit the area the night before, and many thousands of starfish had been washed ashore. Starfish are fairly mobile underwater, but on the beach, out of the water, they are helpless. As the tide receded, the boy was picking up starfish, one by one, and heaving them out, as far as he could, into the water.

A jogger stopped, and asked what he was doing, and with dignity, the boy explained. The man laughed, and said, “This beach stretches on for miles. The starfish will soon die in the sun! What difference do you think you can make?” The boy thought for a moment, then picked up another starfish and hurled it into deep water. “It made a difference to that one!” he replied, as he stooped for another. (James 2:13 seems appropriate: “Mercy rejoices against judgment.”)

We treat obstacles to faith in the same manner. Take them one by one, and make a difference to that one. Make a difference in that one place: That one situation. Make a good decision this time. Be a good witness now: today! Blossom where you have been planted, and await the Master Gardener’s direction for any transplanting that needs to happen. We can’t see the full scope of God’s program, nor could we understand it if we saw it. But we can take the challenges one by one, and daily strive to meet them with God’s Word, and by His Spirit.

So, Again, What About the Jews?

One by one, God calls us to love them, and to earnestly reach out to them with the offer of eternal salvation. One by one, we seek their redemption. Psalm 122:6 says, “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem.” But, as a nation, they will continue to rebel until the end of the Church Age. During the Tribulation, a remnant (144,000, to be precise) will succeed in re-evangelizing the world. But many of them and many of those they reach will be martyred for their faith and obedience. The remnant left at the end of the tribulation will be saved by Jesus’ return in glory (Revelation 19, Zechariah 14.)

Then, for the first time ever, ALL Israel shall agree that “Blessed is He that cometh in the Name of the Lord.” And all Israel shall be saved.

What Will Happen Then?

Then, Jesus will judge the living nations (the gentiles) according to how they treated his brethren. (Matthew 25:31, ff) Those He judged to have been believers, and His friends, (having obeyed, by faith, in even tiny acts of compassion to the Jews and/or the other believers) will enter into the 1000-year kingdom promised throughout the history of Israel.

During the Millennial Kingdom, Israel will be the center of the world’s political structure; Jerusalem will literally be the capital of the World, and Jesus will literally, physically, reign there in Jerusalem.

What About Today?

But for now, they (Israel, as a nation) are temporarily set aside: From outward appearances, they look withered, like a branch, cut from a tree. We don’t see the glory of God shining from Israel.

Now, some Christians may think that God has permanently set aside Israel, or even (as some teach) that the Church has somehow replaced Israel in the plan of God. They teach that the Church will now inherit all of Israel’s promises.

But Romans chapters 9-11 show that teaching to be false! The Church is not Israel. We will never inherit the land of Israel, nor their preeminent position during the Kingdom. The Church is called the Bride of Christ: We have an entirely different set of promises, which, while they may overlap in some ways, are completely separate from the promises to believing Israel.

What Choices Do We Have?

As believers, we are given some choices, too: 1st Corinthians 3:10-16 outlines a two-choice offer always open to believers. We can build into our lives works, that are either “combustible” or “noncombustible.” ALL of those works will finally be tested by fire. The foundation, Christ himself, will be ours forever, along with a reward for that which does not burn, of all our works.

God invites us to work with him in His flock, in His vineyard, and in in His field. We are free to  choose to do the will of the Father, or we can choose our own entertainment, our own enrichment and our own comfort, etc.  Remember that those choices have eternal results, either way. It is worth thinking about.

Search God’s Word, and learn to make good choices.

Lord Jesus, train our hearts, day by day, and step by step, to choose to trust in You and to choose to follow Your leading. Transform each of us to be Your true Disciples.

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How to Choose Joy in a Discouraging World

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All—and Nothing: Choosing Joy

© C. O. Bishop  September 11, 2011 Revised 2025

Habakkuk 3:17-19; Ephesians 4:31, 32; Philippians 4:6, 7; Proverbs 15:13, 30

Introduction: Choosing Joy in the Face of Destruction

As we recall the destruction around the world, today, and see the continuing worldwide effects of sin, rebellion, persecution, oppression, greed, and poverty, it is easy to slide into either helpless rage or hopeless depression. I would suggest to you that neither is from God. That ALL of the wickedness and suffering we see in the world are the direct (or indirect) result of sin. And that God has provided a correct response for his people.

Please turn with me to Habakkuk chapter three. Habakkuk is a short book. It begins with Habakkuk’s complaint regarding the sin and oppression in Judah, the southern kingdom of divided Israel. God responded and told him that He fully intended to bring punishment through the invasion of a nation called the “Chaldeans”—whom we remember as the Babylonians. Israel and Judah were to go into captivity under Babylon.

A National Sin Problem

Habakkuk was shocked that God would use a nation far more evil than Judah, to punish His backsliding people, the Jews. God assured him that He both could and would do so, but that the Babylonians would transgress too far, and He would deal with them even more harshly than He did Judah. (Remember that Babylon, today, is just a ruin, while Jerusalem, though it has been destroyed repeatedly, is a thriving metropolis.)

Obviously, Habakkuk simply accepted this statement from God, and made a quietly amazing choice: There is nothing showy about it: He knew judgment was coming. But, he simply chose to find his joy in the LORD. (Read Habakkuk 3:17-19)

Finally, Habakkuk listed some the things he expected to see—the fall of Judah—destruction of the pleasant farms and plenteous crops, along with the destruction of Jerusalem’s splendor. He kept the list short, but, to an agrarian society, where the crops and flocks were the immediate, tangible evidence of God’s grace and blessing, these things were extremely important.

Habakkuk made his choice: “Yet will I rejoice in the LORD; I will joy in the God of my salvation.” How can we do that? How can we choose Joy? Let’s look at Ephesians 4:31, 32.

All?  Yes, ALL!

Remember that Paul was in the middle of telling the Ephesian believers how to live. He told them (among many other things) that they were to put away from themselves ALL bitterness, ALL wrath, ALL anger, ALL clamor, ALL evil speaking (yes, that includes gossip, slander, etc.) and ALL malice.

Obviously, the problem is in the word “All.” If we misquote this as saying, “Let MOST bitterness and wrath, etc. be put away from you…” Then perhaps we would be “off the hook.” We might think we have an excuse. But that isn’t what it says! Furthermore, that passage is an imperative sentence (a command), and the word is “all”. We have no option to “play around” with evil thinking: God says to set ALL of it aside.

Learn to See Sin as “Weeds“

The biggest key to weeding a garden is to learn what weeds look like when they are very small, and deal with them immediately. Don’t wait to uproot them, until they are waist high and as thick as your finger. The same goes for sin. You need to learn what sin looks like when it is little.

Jesus gave us some hints (Matthew 5:27, 28). He said that the “weed” we call adultery looks like “lust” when it is little. And, maybe it is only known to the one doing the lusting. But that is the power of weeds. They are pretty little green plants when they are young: But they are nasty things when they grow up. And worse yet, they go to seed.

I do not have to wait until I completely fail and fall into sexual immorality before I stop that sin. I can recognize it when I am secretly “peeking” at some woman walking by.

What About Anger?

Obviously, we can recognize anger the same way. But, we can see that anger begins with irritation, indignation, frustration, or something of the sort. Things that we don’t recognize as sin. Be honest with yourself and God, and confess that “I am irritated… I am a little bit angry.” Recognize it as sin. Uproot that weed now! Don’t wait until you have ruined your testimony or your life, and that of your loved ones. Don’t allow bitterness and hatred to eat away at your heart, steal your joy, and ruin your relationship with God and those around you.

What about Fear?

What about fear? Many passages tell us not to fear. I am not going to read any of them right now. I only want to state that fear begins as “anxiety.” Anxiety is from unbelief—not trusting God. We—I—am anxious about all sorts of things. And I am commanded to not be anxious.

What do we call it when we do what God told us not to do? Or fail to do what He commanded us that we should do? We call it sin, don’t we? And all sin breaks fellowship with God. All sin keeps us from feeding on His Word. All sin makes our prayer life fruitless and empty. Fortunately, all sin can be taken to God in confession, according to 1st John 1:9. (Sometimes that word “all” is pretty nice.)

Nothing? (Yes, Nothing!)

So, what kinds of things are OK to be anxious about? Surely there must be some things about which we can say, “Oh, I’m not anxious! I’m just concerned!” (heh-heh!)

Let’s turn to Philippians 4:6, 7 please. (These are good verses to memorize, by the way!) Paul says that we are to be anxious about very few things, right? Only a short list? One thing? No, he says we are to be anxious for nothing. Instead, by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, we are to bring our concerns to God. Did Habakkuk do that? Yes! And he had a great deal more about which to be concerned than most of us have today, though those of us who try to keep up on the world-news expose ourselves to more sources of anxiety than even Habakkuk had to face.

Anxiety is the beginning of Fear

Just like other sins, we are to recognize fear in its infancy. Anxiety is the “baby-form” of the weed called fear. This is not the good, clean, healthy kind of fear that we call the “fear of the Lord:” This is the infectious, unreasoning kind of fear that says, “God cannot take care of you—you had better take care of yourself!” This fear is from the pit.

During one of the sieges of Jerusalem, the (Assyrian) enemy captain (a fellow named “Rabshakeh”) came and told the people in those exact words, not to place their trust in God. (Isaiah 36:7, 18)  Rabshakeh told the people of Jerusalem not to listen to the king who encouraged them to trust in God.

He said that none of the “local gods” had turned away his power, and that if the Jews trusted in their God, they would fall under his army, just as had the others. Rabshakeh was doing his best to instill fear, specifically unbelieving fear, in the hearts of the listeners. He even said that Hezekiah had torn down all the idols, therefore God would judge him. But Hezekiah had done so at God’s leading—God did not honor the idols, and wanted them removed. He had done a good thing! So, the people trusted in God and He saved them from the king of Assyria.

If we begin to recognize sin in its infancy, and root it out by confession and repentance, it will not gain such a deep root. If we learn to literally “pray about everything,” then we will be more focused on God than we are focused on self.

What about Human Enemies?

So, what about folks we don’t like? Do you have an enemy? Or at least, someone you think of as an enemy? In fact, maybe all you admit is that you don’t like them. How do we deal with that?

You Must Ask Yourself: “Is that person someone for whom Jesus died?”

(The Answer is “Yes!”—1st John 2:2) If that is so, how is it that you feel free to despise them? What did Jesus say to do about our enemies? (Matthew 5:44) He said, “Love your enemies.” (And, that is the Agapé love…it has nothing to do with feelings.) He said “Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who mistreat you.” (Hmmm…. We are back to not being angry, not being anxious, and praying about everything, aren’t we?)

So, What about an Impending Disaster?

Is there something you can/should do to prevent it? If so, then do it. If not, then you have to accept that a disaster is “on your list for today,” and allow yourself to go through it with God. All of us face death. Each is born with a death-sentence. Those who have placed their trust in Jesus Christ for salvation still face death, but it has lost its sting. Death is  a shadow, not a substance, and we pass through (not fall into) the valley (not the pit) of death. We travel with Jesus.

Geologists tell us that what we call “Yellowstone Park” is actually one gigantic super-volcano, one of the three largest in the world. The geologists say that if (or when) it erupts, the United States, as we know it, will simply cease to exist. It would essentially wipe out a third to a half of the continental US.

Is there anything we can do about it? Nope! The Yellowstone Caldera is capable of an eruption 1000 times greater than that of Mt. St. Helens. There was nothing we could have done, even, to stop Mt. St. Helens from erupting: Far less the Yellowstone Super-volcano. Is there any reason to be anxious, then? No, not really! God has his plan, and we will have to accept it as it comes.

Can We Act, to Avoid Danger?

But let’s say it is something more recognizable, like a hurricane or tornado, or a fire, or flood: is it OK to “get out of the way?” Of course it is! The proverbs (Proverbs 22:3) say that “the wise man sees the evil and hides himself, while the simple continues on and is punished.”

My mother and sister were crossing West Texas in a small car. A rainstorm had begun, with wind and lightning, and it soon was raining so hard they could hardly see the road, even by driving very slowly with the wipers going at full speed. They came to an overpass, and saw a cluster of vehicles crowded up under it. Being Oregonians, they didn’t know the significance, and they simply drove on, laughing: They thought, “The rain isn’t that bad!”

But, they had no radio in the car: Everyone else was taking shelter from a tornado! They drove on, and only heard about the tornado much later. I’m grateful that God kept them safe, but in truth, had they known the danger, the wise thing would have been to take cover (and they would have done so). Wisdom and timidity are two different matters. “God has not given us the spirit of fear (timidity—cowardice) but of power, and of Love, and of a sound mind.” (2 Timothy 1:7)

So, What about Depression?

There are whole books on the subject, but I would like to point out that we are each a three-part being: body, soul and spirit. All three parts affect the whole. If you allow your spirit to be unhealthy, through sin or neglect, it will affect the whole person. And, if you feed your soul on emotional trauma and unnecessary, ungodly drama, then it will affect the whole person. If you allow your physical body to deteriorate through lack of exercise, bad physical habits, lack of sleep, or bad nutrition, eventually it will affect the whole person.

Elijah suffered from depression on at least one occasion (1st Kings 19.) He begged God to let him die. God took care of the physical needs first; he gave him sleep, food, and water, and then exercise. Then he corrected his thinking: you see, one of the things tormenting Elijah’s mind was simply an error. He did not know the facts. God straightened him out on that level. Finally, He gave him a purpose—a new assignment from God. And the depression was gone!

Can We “Alleviate” Depression?

In many (not “all”) cases, depression can be alleviated by following God’s example and getting adequate sleep, good nutrition, proper exercise and proper thought-food, or emotional-food. (What kind of music do you listen to? What kind of books do you read? Are you watching TV? What kind of shows? Do you watch Movies? What kind of movies? What kind of conversations do you engage in?) Finally, most importantly, how is your spirit being fed? Are you in the Word? And, are you feeding on the Word, or just putting in your time? Are you rejoicing in the Lord? Or just doubting him?

Proverbs 15:30 says that “The light of the eyes rejoices the heart, and a good word maketh the bones fat.” (Fat bones?) He says that I can choose the light of the eyes…I can look to the light, rather than focusing on darkness. We don’t deny that darkness exists. We simply shine the light of God’s Word on the dark things, thereby dispelling the darkness. That is healthy! It “nourishes the bones.” It makes you strong. And it rejoices the heart.

Yet Will I Rejoice in the LORD

Let’s go back to Habakkuk 3:18, 19. The all-caps “LORD” is how the translators chose to designate the YHWH of Hebrew scriptures. This is the “I AM”, of Moses’ experience. The “I AM THAT I AM:” It was God’s answer to the question, “Who are you?”

We are to rejoice in who God is. We are to rejoice in all of his attributes. Learn to list in your mind all that you know about God, and to find joy in who He is. Thank Him, and rejoice in each thing as you remember it. Can you at least look around yourself at the creation and rejoice in the incredible variety and intricacies of life? Can you take joy in the order of the creation, its beauty and the fact that the Maker thereof has chosen to reveal himself to you at all?

Habakkuk said, “I will joy in the God of my salvation.”  If nothing else, can you be glad that you are saved? Can you take heart in his Grace?  Ponder for a moment why God even wanted to save you. I confess that I can’t understand His love at all. I do not know why he stooped to save us all. But I am awfully glad He did. I can rejoice in that!

Hind’s Feet on High Places

In conclusion, look at verse 19. Habakkuk says that the result of finding your joy in the LORD is that He will make your feet like “hind’s feet.”. (A “hind” is a type of deer that loves high country. It is extremely sure-footed, and very seldom falls.) God says He will not only make you sure-footed, so that you will never fall: He says He will also “set you on your high places.” He will put you above the disasters of life …make it possible to see things from His perspective.

We read in 2nd Peter 1:10 that “…if you practice these things you will never fall.”  (What things??) The things he listed in verses 2-9. We are to grow in the Lord, by Bible study, prayer, and obedience. Some of the commands that we are to obey involve the words “all”, and “nothing”. We can either “learn to lay aside all the sin that so easily entangles us” and “be anxious for nothing,” or we can go on muddling along in darkness, wasting our time and our lives, and being miserable as a result. That is the choice we have to make.

Joy is a choice. It takes practice. It takes diligence. But it is a choice, and it is one we can live with. I haven’t mastered this, but I am working at it, and will continue to do so. There are those around us who have already learned to choose joy. Take their example, and that of Habakkuk….

Choose Joy.

Lord Jesus, help us to respond to Your Word in faith, and make us surefooted in our walk with You. Teach us the art of contentment and the treasures of Joy.

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Do You Know How to Find Your Answers From the Mouth of God?

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Where Do We Find Answers? From the Mouth of God!

(Part 1)

(Two parts) © C. O. Bishop 2010 revised 2021, 2025

Introduction:

We all seem to have many questions in common. How can the believer have assurance that he/she is saved? And, how can we know for sure that “peace with God” is a settled issue? How can we overcome doubts and self-condemnation? How can we know God’s will for our lives? Believerrs ask these questions over and over, and in some cases, they never find an answer. Where do we look for answers? Can human wisdom (and/or human reasoning) provide solid answers? Or, should we simply, blindly, trust that “everything will be all right?” To whom should we turn for the answers?

God Has the Answers

To a new believer, I would advise: We need to begin by establishing a confidence that God himself has all the answers. We can’t count on ourselves or any other human being to have complete knowledge, insight and wisdom. But God does have it! Proverbs 2 tells us that He is the source of all wisdom. James 1:5 echoes this idea.

But Proverbs 2:6 says that “…out of his mouth comes wisdom…” God’s Living Word links Himself to us. He prompts us by his Spirit, by other people, etc., but the written Word is our “…more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place...” (2 Peter 1:19)

So, try to establish a pattern of reading, and study, to begin familiarizing yourself with God’s Word. If you don’t understand a verse, or a passage, or a concept, don’t worry about it: just make a note of that passage, and come back to it later. When you find something that seems to speak to your particular need, write it down, and perhaps select a verse to memorize. In this way, you will keep building a supply of material and tools that God can use to teach you.

Fellowship is Important

Also, begin to regularly attend a good church. Find an assembly of believers who teach the Bible as God’s Word, and who do not teach “peculiar doctrine,” or twist the scripture to make it say something unusual. Let the Holy Spirit guide you. Additionally, you should ask for a doctrinal statement, and read it carefully. Not every group calling itself “Christian” is actually teaching the pure Gospel.

However, it is important to find believers with whom to fellowship, and from whom to receive encouragement and teaching. Then, as you study God’s Word, and as you fellowship with other believers, you should begin gaining a solid understanding of the answers to the questions most of us have. So, let’s talk about some of those specific questions:

How Can I Know I’m Saved?

This is a very common question, and probably the most important question one can ask. If you have no confidence that you are a child of God, then there is no point in trying to live like one.

A simple way to find an answer is to first ask, “What does it take to be saved?” and then, “Have I satisfied that requirement?” So: what does it take? How does salvation occur? The Philippian Jailer, in Acts 16:30, asked, “…what must I do to be saved?” Acts 16:31 says “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved…” That was Paul’s answer! It is not a complicated matter. But perhaps it bears clarification.

What Did Jesus Tell Nicodemus?

In John 3:14-16 Jesus was talking to Nicodemus, explaining to him how to be born again. He adds some insight as to the nature of belief and salvation, but still says “believe.”  He said, “14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: 15 That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. 16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

(Remember, we saw, in Numbers chapter 21, that the children of Israel were in trouble with God. He sent migrating vipers among them as punishment for sin: People were bitten, and they were dying! God commanded Moses to make a bronze serpent and hang it up high on a pole, where everyone could see it (bronze and brass were symbols of judgment.) He called for anyone who was bitten to look to that bronze serpent…confessing that this was God’s judgment, The result? They did not die. It does not say that the pain went away, or that He would heal miraculously the punctures in their flesh . But, having looked to God’s solution, they escaped death.)

A Promise From Jesus

In John 5:24, Jesus gives a conditional promise: it has two conditions to be fulfilled, and a three-clause promise. He said, “24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.” Jesus told the crowd:

  • If they heard his Words, and believed (placed their trust in) the One who sent him,
  • Then they had eternal life—right then!
  • And furthermore, He said that God would never condemn them:
  • They had permanently crossed over from death into life.

A Detailed Explanation from Paul

Romans 10:8-17 gives more detail: “8 But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; 9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

11 For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. 12 For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. 13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

14 How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? 15 And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things! 16 But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report? 17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

Paul said that if a person calls upon (invokes, places their faith in) the name of the Lord, they will be saved. Then he said that one could not “call upon” someone in whom they did not believe, and they couldn’t believe what they hadn’t heard, and couldn’t hear without one to tell them. This is why we practice evangelism, and support missions!

How Important is the Gospel of Christ?

Romans 1:16 says that the Gospel, being believed, is the power of God to save people…and it is the only thing so called in scripture. Jesus’ death at the cross is “Plan A:” There is no “plan B!”

1 Corinthians 15:3, 4 defines the Gospel. “3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; 4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:”

The Gospel is the good news that Jesus died for our sins according to the scripture, that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures (in fulfillment of prophecy). This message, being believed, is what Romans 1:16 says is God’s power to save those who believe.

Two Positions

1 Corinthians 15:22 defines two “positions,” with their respective results. Paul says, “all in Adam died; all in Christ shall be made alive”. Then, we can apply these verses to our own position, to ask, “Am I in Christ, or am I still in Adam?” This is a question that only you can answer. But, according to Jesus’ promise which we already read in John 5:24, if you have:

  1. listened to, (or have read, or heard it in some other way) the Good News concerning Jesus’ death and burial and resurrection, and have
  2. believed that His blood sacrifice is enough to pay for all your sins, and so have truly placed your dependence on Him as your Savior,

then God says you have eternal life already, and that you now belong to Him. He wants to begin to change your life, to make you more like Himself. If you rebel against him, he will not change his mind, and take away the eternal life He promised, but you will be unhappy and unfulfilled until you correct the problem, whatever it is, because you won’t be free to fellowship with Him.

So, What do I do When I don’t “Feel Saved?”

Many believers occasionally feel this way. When I questioned my salvation, I went back, mentally, and reviewed what itsalvation required. I asked myself, “Was there ever a time when you placed your full trust in Jesus’ completed work at the Cross? Do you believe His Blood is sufficient to pay for all your sins?” The answer in my case is “Yes.”

So, the answer forced me to conclude that salvation was not the issue. I had to conclude that probably I was simply out of fellowship with God. (Incidentally, as I have gone through this sequence a number of times, I have more and more quickly arrived at the correct conclusion: I was out of fellowship with God.)

So, What Breaks Fellowship With God?

In a word, “Sin!” Sin breaks fellowship with God. Amos 3:3 says that two cannot walk together unless they agree; Psalm 66:18 says “if I regard iniquity in my heart, God will not hear me.”

Romans chapter 6 assures me that I do not have to sin. Romans 6:16 says that when I choose to submit myself to sin, I temporarily become a slave to it again.

1st John 1:5, 6 says, “God is Light, and in Him is no darkness at all.” So, if we say that we have fellowship with Him, and our lives don’t match His truth, then we are fooling ourselves. We are not in fellowship. 

How do we restore fellowship? By confession. 1st John 1:9 “if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just, to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

How do we maintain fellowship? By obedience. 1st John 1:7 “If we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the Blood of Jesus Christ, His Son, cleanses us from all sin.”

Walking with Jesus

Can we “eradicate” Sin from our lives? I don’t believe we can: 1st John 1:8, 10 says that if we think we have no sin, we are fooling ourselves, and that if we simply claim we have never had a sin problem, then we are making God a liar. So, just as Paul struggled with his indwelling sin nature (Romans 7,) in the same manner, we have to fight it.

Colossians 2:6 says we are to walk in Christ in the same way we received Him (by faith). “Walking” implies a continuous action, not a one-time action. It also implies a step-by-step, relatively slow action, not an idea of moving by “leaps and bounds,” nor of coasting, gliding, or sprinting. In light of the verses listed above, and the wealth of information given to believers concerning how to live the Christian life, it seems safe to say that we will not be without sin until the day we go to be with God. Then, according to 1 John 3:2, “…we shall be like him, for we shall see Him as He is.”

The Christian life has battles, in which God expects us to stand fast. (Ephesians 6:10-18 describes the armor and tells us who the enemy is; James 4:7 says we are to submit to God and resist Satan; 1 Peter 5:8, 9 says that the enemy is deadly, and that he stalks us, but that we are to resist him steadfastly.)

How Do We Do It?

The key is to be filled with, or to walk in, or be led by the Holy Spirit. (Ephesians 5:18 “be filled with the Spirit”; Galatians 5:16-23 “…walk in the Spirit”; Romans 8:14 “be led by the Spirit.” All three are the same idea.) The Christian life is not difficult; it is impossible apart from the indwelling, presiding Holy Spirit living His life through us, moment by moment: day by day.

I trust that each of you is looking to God for the whole life He has to offer you. Please come again, next week, and we will discuss some specific issues in the Christian life.

Lord Jesus, please teach us to find our answers in You: in Your Word, by your Spirit, and always as a manifestation of your Wisdom. Help us to apply Your wisdom to each of our personal lives, so that we become the Men and Women of God that you have called us to be.

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Learn How to Believe that ALL of the Bible is For You

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How Can I Know that ALL of the Bible is For Me?

© 2024 by C. O. Bishop (revised 2025)

Introduction:

I often say, “All of God’s Word is for you, but not all of it is to you.” That could sound like heretical teaching, but it is not intended to be that at all. It only means that when God says “you,” it is important that we see who He means. When He makes a promise, to whom was the promise given? Or, if He gave a command, to whom was it directed?

This is just part of careful interpretation, regardless of what you read. If we read the newspaper, a legal document, or a personal letter, the context in which a word is spoken means a great deal in interpreting any document.

Two Examples:

I like to ask, “When Jesus said, “That thou doest, do quickly,” does it mean Christians are always supposed to be in a hurry?” (But, this was Jesus’s command, given to Judas Iscariot: Judas had just then decided to betray the Lord, in John 13:27.) So, the obvious answer is “No! That command was not to everyone: it was only to Judas!”

But, then I might ask, “How about the Great Commission? To whom was it given?” If we read casually, we might say, “It was directed to the Eleven Disciples!” But a more careful reading would find that the eleven disciples were to produce other disciples across the whole world; and that they were to teach those disciples to obey all that Jesus had commanded the Eleven. (So… what had He just commanded the Eleven to do?)

Yes! The Great Commission is for all believers in the Church age. But, by extension, the Great Commission is also TO all believers! The “spiritual chain reaction” began at Pentecost in the second chapter of Acts. We see the continuing command in 2nd Timothy 2:2. Paul commanded Timothy to teach (make disciples of) reliable, “…faithful men, who could teach others also.”

But, We Believe the Whole Bible, Don’t We?

Yes! We believe the Whole Bible. All of it is true. All of it is the inspired Word of God. But, in Genesis, for example, we can see that the entire book is mostly a narrative. The few commands  there are usually to a single individual. We learn fundamental precepts there, about the nature of God, and we see, in “seed form,” the principles that fill the whole Word of God. We especially see the broad patterns there. Usually, though, the “commands” we find are very specific: they were given to specific individuals.

However, in the New Testament, we see that Jesus and the Apostles clearly saw the entire Old Testament as being the Word of God (not just “containing the Word of God.”) They quoted some passages verbatim, but often simply alluded to some narrative about a person or a situation, to demonstrate a concept. And, in those cases, if we were not familiar with the Old Testament history, we would completely miss the point of the New Testament teaching that’s based on that passage…and is derived from that passage. Let’s look at some examples:

Example 1: What About the Serpent in the Wilderness?

A good example of this is Jesus’s teaching (directed to Nicodemus, but still priceless to us) about why Moses “…lifted up the serpent in the wilderness.” (John 3:14-15) If we don’t know the story in Numbers 21:5-9, then we will be utterly mystified by the comparison Jesus made between Himself and that bronze serpent. (The one Moses lifted up on a pole, during the desert wanderings of Israel.) It represented God’s judgment for sin! The People were invited to “Look, and Live!”

Jesus was nailed onto that Cross as God’s judgment for the sins of the entire human race. We are invited to believe, trusting that the payment is complete, and Live! Jesus said, “It is finished!” meaning, “It is completed! I have completed the job I was sent to do!” The people were invited to look to God’s salvation from the venomous snakes, by looking to the bronze serpent. In so doing, they confessed that their sins had brought the judgment! And the result was that they did not die for their sins.

We are also invited to “Look and Live!” Jesus said, “As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life!” So, both the Old Testament account in Numbers 21 and the Gospel account of Nicodemus are priceless information for us, though neither was technically directed to us!

Example 2: What About “The Rock?”

When we read about Moses bringing water from the Rock (twice) during that same period of history, we might shrug and think, “Oh, yes: I know God miraculously provided water in the desert! That is wonderful, but it has very little application in my life…that was all for Israel!”

But we tend to forget that there were around 2.4 million people there, plus all their (numerous) herds of livestock. It was not just a little “spring” that God supplied: It was millions of gallons of water, coming out fast enough to supply all twelve tribes at once.

And in 1st Corinthians 10:4, we find some really astonishing news: that spiritual Rock that followed them in the wilderness…was Christ! It is not given as an allegory or a metaphor. It is stated as a reality! And…Jesus is with me today! If He is truly that spiritual “Rock” that accompanied Israel through the physical desert, can He supply the spiritual water of life to me, today? Can He supply the Living Water to me as freely as He provided physical water to Israel?

And, the Water?

The story of “The Woman at the Well,” in John 4:4-14 helps us to link the two concepts. She thought Jesus was offering physical water, in an unending supply. But He made it clear that He offered something more. He invited her to receive that Living Water from Him!

Jesus’s promise in John 7:37-39 “completes the connection” for us! He offered that same Living Water, but the next verse explains that He meant the indwelling Holy Spirit, who was “not yet given!” Today, however, The Holy Spirit has been given. And, ever since Pentecost, He indwells each believer. What’s more, in John 14:23, Jesus makes it clear, that, in the person of the Holy Spirit, the entire Trinity has taken up residence in us. What an astounding idea!

He is still the Rock of Ages, supplying His cleansing blood for our salvation, and the endless flow of Living Water, for our continuing walk with Him. He invites the sinner to Come to Him, to Look, by faith, and to Live: To Receive His Eternal Grace and have Eternal Life today!

Example 3: What about Jonah?

In Matthew 12:39, 40 Jesus cited Jonah’s experience in the belly of the great sea creature, as a rebuke to his enemies who asked for a sign. They had demanded yet another sign, and He gave them only the sign of Jonah.

And it Does Two Things for Us:

First: It tells us that the story of Jonah is true. It truly happened, just as told. If I am uneasy with that idea, I have a problem. IfI don’t believe the book of Jonah is completely true, then I am saying that Jesus was wrong about His own Word! But many deny that the story of Jonah is true. They relegate it to the status of a “myth!” But, Jesus treated it as a fact! He treated it as history.

Second: It told us that Jonah’s experience was specifically a prophecy of the resurrection of Jesus! (Jesus called Jonah a prophet: what other prophecy did Jonah make? Or is it just the fact that he spoke for God?) But without that Old Testament prophet to read, we would be blind to the message Jesus offered. If we couldn’t go back and read the Book of Jonah, then we wouldn’t know what He was talking about. We would completely miss the prophecy!

Personal Application

Now: Were the commands in the book of Jonah directed to You? Did Jesus command you to go to Nineveh? (No…He didn’t.) But in that small book, we can see God’s compassion toward people whom we may consider our enemies. The teaching is there for us …if we are looking for it. How high is the priority you assign to the souls around us who are dying as we watch?

Last year, we heard that the president of an Islamic nation (who was the self-proclaimed enemy of Western culture, and the USA specifically,) was killed in a helicopter crash. What should our response be? Should we rejoice that one of our enemies is gone? Or should we grieve the fact that one of God’s created beings, created in His image, has perished, and is almost surely lost?

Jonah saw that Nineveh (the capital of Assyria) was filled with the enemies of his people, Israel! And God commanded him to extend God’s Grace to them! (No wonder he ran away!) And when God succeeded in bringing Nineveh to faith, Jonah was furious, saying, “I knew You were going to do this!” But God revealed the sin in Jonah’s heart, and the compassion in His own heart.

What about Me?

Do I have that same compassion? Or am I apathetic toward the lost, at best, seeing them only as enemies of the Faith? Jonah’s story may not be to me, but it surely is for me!

Jonah preached for three days and saw over 120,000 souls saved….and was furious with God for saving them. Jeremiah, in contrast, grieved and wept for the souls to whom he offered the truth of God. And only two (as far as we are told in scripture) accepted his message as truth,  responding in faith. Jonah saw huge results but had a terrible attitude. Jeremiah had compassion for the lost, but saw a very small response. (And, I would still rather be “on Jeremiah’s team!”)

But, Is it All for Us?

2nd Timothy 3:16, 17 says, “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness; that the man of God may be perfect, (complete) thoroughly furnished unto all good works.”

We have looked at commands and promises given to individuals in the historical narratives of the Old Testament: We saw how some of them could be applied as being “for us to live by.” But others were only for examples from which we can learn the principles of God’s righteousness.

Divinely Given Examples

In 1st Corinthians 10:11, Paul says, “Now all these things happened unto them for examples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.”

You remember that (in Daniel 12:8, 9) Daniel was told that the prophecy he had just received was not for him but rather for the people of the end times. The Apostle Paul saw that the church is increasingly part of that “end times” fulfillment. Today we eagerly look, hoping to see the fulfillment of the “end times” of Daniel’s Prophecy, as they happen. But we also need to look eagerly to see and obey the admonitions of the Old Testament scriptures that Paul points out.

David spoke to that effect, as well, in Psalm 119:9-11, 105, 130. “9Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed thereto according to thy word. 10With my whole heart have I sought thee: O let me not wander from they commandments. 11Thy Word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.”

“105 Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.”

“130 The entrance of thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding to the simple.”

This is how we learn to walk with God: By feeding on His Word. (And it is all food! If you are hungry, Eat!)

What About the “Personal” Books?

In the books of Ruth, Esther, and Job, we see corroboration of the historical books, as well as “inside information” about some of the events in those histories.

The events in the Book of Ruth all occurred during the history of the Book of Judges. But it tells us some “inside information” regarding the Genealogy of Christ, and, in doing so, it paints a clear picture of the coming Kinsman-Redeemer. We could see that Boaz was a picture of Jesus, our Redeemer. We could also see that Ruth, the Moabite woman, was a picture of the Church. She was a gentile woman from a tribe (the Moabites) cursed by God, but she was “grafted into” the genealogy of Christ, as one of his human ancestors!

The events in the Book of Esther happened during the Babylonian captivity: This book links the Jews in Exile to their Redeemer: It shows that He had not forgotten them. When the enemy moved to destroy them, God intervened. (Incidentally, this book is also the origin of the Feast of Purim, which commemorates that delivery, and it is still celebrated today by Orthodox Jews.)

The events in the Book of Job probably occurred about the same time Abraham was alive, though we can’t attach a definite date. But it tells us a good deal of “inside information” about our relationship with God, the limitations of Satan’s authority, and a few details about the Creation, as well as some hints about the angelic host.We see a prophecy there (Job 19:25-27,) that reaches far into the future, to the second coming of Christ, after the Great Resurrection! Again: it is all food! If you are hungry, EAT!

What About the “Meditations and Wisdom” Portions?

The Psalms and Proverbs hold Eternal Wisdom. So do the Song of Solomon and Ecclesiastes. Some parts are more easily applicable than others, but all of them are there for us to read, and to memorize them, and to meditate on them, and always, to profit by them!

Psalms

We just quoted a portion of Psalm 119. That chapter is 176 verses long, and all but four verses refer in some way directly to the profitability and necessity of the Word of God! David used many terms other than “word” to make clear the multifaceted nature of God’s Word: “Precepts, commandments, statutes, testimonies, law, ways, judgments, words, truth, and ordinances.” All these are used to describe His Word. And the four verses that do not directly refer to His Word all speak of His faithfulness and judgment, or (in one verse) His eternal Name.

Proverbs

In the Proverbs, we find God’s Wisdom, in practical application. Proverbs chapter two says that if we want the wisdom of God, we must pursue it through His Word and ask for it in Prayer.

Ecclesiastes

In Ecclesiastes, we hear the echo of God’s Wisdom coming through a man (Solomon) who had engaged in much folly. At the end of his life, he recognized that all of it had been a total waste of time and energy. He counseled the reader to drop the nonsense and focus on the Lord!

Song of Solomon

The Song of Solomon describes a love relationship between a bride and her beloved, the King. In the time when it was written, it spoke of the king (Solomon) and his betrothed (The Shulamite girl.) But the ultimate fulfillment is in the relationship between Christ (the King of Kings) and the Church (The Bride of Christ.)

What Now?

Look again at the Word of God: Look with New Eyes! It is all food for your soul, and if you faithfully feed upon it, you will grow!

Lord Jesus, we know that we are limited in our understanding of Your Word. Please open our eyes and hearts to understand Your Word, and help us to apply it to our lives.

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How to Understand John’s Closing Notes to the Children

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A Letter to the Children (Part 15)

© 2025 C. O. Bishop

1st John 5:14-21, Final Notes

14 And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: 15 And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.

16 If any man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death, he shall ask, and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto death. There is a sin unto death: I do not say that he shall pray for it. 17 All unrighteousness is sin: and there is a sin not unto death. 18 We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not; but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not. 19 And we know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness.

20 And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life.

21 Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen.

Introduction:

To begin with, John wraps up his first epistle with several related comments: He offers Encouragement, Teaching, and Admonishment.

Encouragement in Prayer

Obviously, knowing God hears us is a real source of encouragement. This is because we know we are not just “talking into the void.”

There are several verses about answered prayer, in the book of First John, and we can learn about prayer, here.

Teaching, Regarding Sin, and Judgment, and Righteousness

We see that God calls something a “sin unto death.” We will have to compare the rest of Scripture to understand that concept, but it is there for us to learn. Also, we see a definition of sin, here: one of four such definitions in the New Testament.

Admonishment Regarding the Difference Between the One True God and Idols

Finally, John reiterates the union with Christ that has been conferred upon us. More specifically, that we actually can know Him, and we have been placed into Him.

Furthermore, he reiterates what Jesus said in John 17:3. “This is eternal Life that they may know thee the One True God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent.”

And, finally, in contrast to that One True God, in the Person of Jesus Christ, he admonishes us to avoid everything that is not that “One True God.” He says, “Little Children, keep yourselves from idols!” Amen!

What do We Know About Prayer?

Obviously, Jesus encouraged his disciples to always pray.

Also, Paul told the Thessalonian believers to “pray without ceasing.”

Paul also told Timothy that the believers were to pray for all men everywhere, and especially for the leaders, so that the believers could have peaceful lives. God also says this was a “good and acceptable” thing. He said God “ desires all men to be saved and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.”

Sometimes we say, “Well, prayer is just talking to God!” That is an extremely simplistic view of prayer, but true, if only in the same sense that “talking is just communicating with your voice.”

There is More to Prayer thanThat!

Scripture lists different kinds of prayer. The most common prayer we seem to experience is “supplication,” or “petition:” It means asking God for something, whether for ourselves or for someone else. There is nothing wrong with asking: in fact, Philippians 4:6, 7 commands it, along with the giving of thanks. James 4:2, 3 says that sometimes we don’t have what we need because we did not bother to ask the Lord: But he also says, sometimes we do not receive what we asked for because we had wrong motives in asking.

Confession of our sins and our failings, to the God we serve, is also a type of prayer. And it probably should usually precede the other kinds of prayer, because the psalmist said, in Psalm 66:18, that “If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me.”

When we Praise God, that is a form of prayer. When we Worship or Adore Him, it is also a form of prayer.

We should make the Giving of Thanks a constant part of our prayers: Paul told the Thessalonian believers (1st Thessalonians 5:18) “In every thing give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you!”

Sometimes I remind myself of the other kinds of prayer, so that I do not always come to God asking for something, but rather bring the confession and worship. I use an acrostic, C.A.S.T.

Confession, Adoration, Supplication, Thanksgiving. He commands us to “Cast” all our cares upon Him because he cares for us. 1st John 5:14, 15 is a final review on Prayer.

What Do We Know About Sin, Judgment, and Righteousness?

in John 16:8, Jesus said, “When He (the Holy Spirit) is come, He shall convict the World of Sin and of Righteousness and of Judgment.”

So, it seems fitting that John discusses those three again, here, near the end of the New Testament. There are several things to notice, and some questions to ask, here:

  • The people in verses 16-18 are all believers. John addresses believers, and he refers to the one in sin as a brother.
  • All unrighteousness is sin, and there is a sin NOT unto death
  • But there is also a sin that IS unto death: What KIND of death?
  • If the sin is not a “sin unto death,” what kind of sin is it? And why would we need to pray for that brother to save his life, if it is not a sin unto death anyway?
  • Why does John immediately confirm, seemingly, that “real believers don’t sin?” Or does he really say that?

Where Did God Judge Your Sins?

If a person is a genuine believer, where did the Lord judge their sins? And, what portion of their sins did He judge there? (When Jesus died for YOUR sins at the Cross, how many of YOUR sins were still in the future? The answer? All our sins were future, and He judged them All at the Cross.)

Jesus said, (John 5:24) that the moment you believed in Him and His finished work at the Cross, you crossed over from spiritual death into spiritual life! (And it was written in “perfect tense,” which implies that you can’t cross back into that spiritual death. You can’t be “UN-born-again!”

So…what kind of death are we talking about? I can experience a sort of “walking dead:” a separation from fellowship with Jesus, caused by any unconfessed sin that I hang onto, whether anger, lust, or any other sin I am unwilling to confess.

Definitions of Sin

Verse 17 says “all unrighteousness is sin” This is one of four New Testament definitions of sin:

  • 1st John 3:4 “…sin is the transgression of the Law.”
  • 1st John 5:17 “all unrighteousness is sin.”
  • James 4:17 “…to him that knoweth to do good and doeth it not, to him it is sin.”
  • Romans 14:23 “…whatsoever is not of faith is sin.”

What is a Sin Not Unto Death?

But v. 17 also says “there is a sin not unto death.” So, it can’t be either of these types of spiritual death. You can’t be lost again, but you DO separate yourself from fellowship every time you choose to sin. Neither of those can fit in this context. That leaves only physical death.

There are sins that call for capital punishment. If a Christian commits such a crime, (and they can do so: We are warned in 1st Peter 4:15 to not be a murderer, etc.) then John says, in such a case, we are not to pray that they escape judgment. Their sins were judged at the Cross, yes: but there are always consequences for sins, in this life.

New Testament Examples

And there are cases in the New Testament where believers were literally “taken home” by God for sins that the world would not have judged, at all: But they were actions which undermined the holiness of God’s work on earth. In Acts chapter 5, we saw Ananias and Sapphira, who were believers, but who lied to God, trying to gain honor before other believers. And God revealed their sin, and took their lives.

In 1st Corinthians chapter 11, we read of people who took lightly the holiness and solemnity of the Lord’s Supper. Paul said many of them had been physically sick, and some had physically died, because of that sin.

In both those cases, God decreed that their sin was “unto death,” and it was physical death, but it was for sins that the world would not even have seen as sin, but about which God does care. God does not “ignore our sin.” He hates sin, but He loves the sinners and died for them. And even among believers, He may say, “You have gone far enough! I am bringing you home!”

What About “Sinning Believers?”

In verse 18, John said, “18 We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not; but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not. 19 And we know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness.”

Some folk attempt to teach that this means “real Christians never sin!” That teaching is not only contrary to the experience of every born-again believer I have ever known; it is also contrary to the truth of God’s Word. Christians do sin. Every single genuine believer is a saved sinner, trying to live in the reality of their new born-again nature. And we often fail!

A New Testament Example:

Peter was already a believer when he denied Jesus, cursing, and swearing that he never knew Jesus. How do I know? Jesus said so! In several places, actually, but specifically, in John 15:3, Jesus told the eleven (including Peter) that they all were clean, through the Word that Jesus had spoken unto them.

And, in Antioch, long after Peter had received the Holy Spirit, both Barnabas and Peter were caught up in the hypocrisy of the Jews who claimed that they could not eat with the Gentile believers. (Galatians 2:11-14) But, honestly, Why would John tell the believers to confess their sins and be cleansed, in 1st John 1:9, if believers never sin?? The answer is, they do sin!

But a believer should not be comfortable in their sin, nor should they willingly continue in sin. One of the results of genuine saving faith isa true continuing repentance, as we see the sin in our lives and confess it, and desire to completely abandon our old way of life.

We know that the World will continually present us with temptations and traps, attempting to ensnare us and to render us unfruitful in our Christian life. But if you have been born again, then you are literally the offspring of God, and you will desire to be with Him, and to walk with Him and to work with Him. You will desire to see Him at work in your life, and desire to see your new life transformed into His holy, righteous life.

The New Life and its Source

20 And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life.

21 Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen.

Jesus, the Son of God, came, born in human flesh, and provided eternal life through faith in His shed blood at the Cross.

Through Him, every believer begins to learn the reality of the New Life in Christ. We have been placed into Him by the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit has taken up residence in our bodies, as a guarantee that we cannot be lost again. He is the true light of the World, the true life that God offers to the World, and the true God in the Flesh who died for us.

Jesus said, in John 17:3 “And this is eternal life that they may know thee the One True God and Jesus Christ whom Thou hast sent.”

He invites us to know Him on an experiential basis, joining Him in His work, in His Love, and in His Life. This is the invitation of God which has been extended to the World from the beginning.

Avoiding Idols

Anything we allow to distract us from the relationship He has offered, is an idol. We ignore the true source of the Living Water, and we go “drink from a muddy creek,” contaminated by the World, the Flesh, or the Devil.

We can either accept HIS invitation, responding daily by faith, or we can ignore it, and miss out. Those are the choices.

Lord Jesus, we ask that you would shine more and more brightly in each of our lives, through the study of your Written Word, and by the authority of Your Holy Spirit, so that we see that we truly have been called as your ambassadors, to be your hands and feet and voice, here on Earth. Give us the faith to follow You in every way.

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How to Understand God’s Testimony To You About Jesus

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A Letter to the Children (Part 14)

© 2025 C. O. Bishop

1st John 5:6-13

6 This is he that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ; not by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth.

7 For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.

8 And there are three that bear witness in earth, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one.

9 If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater: for this is the witness of God which he hath testified of his Son.

10 He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son.

11 And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.

12 He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.

13 These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.

Introduction:

We have been studying through the first epistle of John, and finally have come to a fairly “cryptic” passage. It actually contains a somewhat “controversial” passage, as well.

The first question, in my mind is, “What is this about the water and the blood?” There are several possibilities, each with its own group of adherents:

  1. Perhaps he means the Water and Blood that both came out of Jesus’s side when the Roman spear pierced Him.
  2. Or, perhaps the Water of His Baptism by John, and the Blood of the Cross.
  3. Or, finally, the Water of the Word. (Jesus fulfilling ALL the prophecies about His birth and life and ministry.) And the actual sacrificial pouring out of His Blood at the Cross.

Two Out of Three, Probably

Undoubtedly, it at least alludes to the first idea. John also said that both water and blood came out, when the spear pierced His chest at His Death.

(John 19:33-35) “33 But when they came to Jesus, and saw that he was dead already, they brake not his legs: 34 But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came there out blood and water. 35 And he that saw it bare record, and his record is true: and he knoweth that he saith true, that ye might believe.”

Why is that so important? Perhaps because the third possibility is actually the underlying truth. Jesus was and is the Living Word.

He had to fulfill all the prophecies of His Written Word, and He could not stop short of the Cross. He couldn’t just “check all the boxes,” and “touch all the bases.” He couldn’t just “declare Himself King.”

Jesus had to go to the Cross and lay down his life. He specifically shed His blood as final payment on our sin debt. Romans 3:25 specifies that He is the propitiation for our sins, “through faith in His Blood.”

They Pierced Only Jesus: Why?

They could have stabbed the spear into the other two men as well. Possibly they would have seen something similar. But, Jesus laid down His life just in time to avoid thebreaking of His legs. He fulfilled one more prophecy: “They broke none of His bones.”

The Romans did not spear the others, though they were crucified. So the testimony of the Water and the Blood only was about Him.

The Water of the Word

Remember that John also emphasized the Water of the Word, in John 3:5. Jesus said, “except a man be born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God.”  

Peter agreed, in 1st Peter 1:23. He said, we have been born again “by the Word of God.”

In Ephesians 5:26, Paul said, Jesus cleanses the Church, “…with the washing of water by the Word.”

The Water of the Word is absolutely necessary for salvation. Romans 1:16 says, The Gospel of Christ, being believed in, is the only thing God defines as “The power of God unto Salvation.

So, it was also critically important that Jesus fulfilled His own Word, as well as providing the blood sacrifice for our sins. Both had to be there.

Making it Real

Ultimately, only the Spirit of God can make these truths a working reality in the believer’s life. No amount of mental “imagining” can make the crucifixion or the resurrection a reality in my life. In fact, He says to set aside imagination: we are to accept the engrafted Word, by faith.

Around 1978, I was wrestling with some scriptural idea. I struggled to “reconcile God’s Word with my sense of justice.” (something along those lines)

I remember, it suddenly occurred to me, for the first time, that, “It really doesn’t matter what I think. It only matters what God says!” And I meant it: I accepted His Word, and His authority by faith! And I had peace in my own mind, because the conflicted thoughts ended immediately.

So, the Holy Spirit bore witness to my spirit that the truth of God’s Word overruled all other concerns. The Spirit bore witness, because the Spirit is Truth…just as verse six concludes.

A “Textual Controversy,” and How I Address It:

I warned that there is controversy here. Up until the late 19th century, few people made argument over it. Some obscure scholars debated whether it was “in the original manuscripts.” But, (I hasten to remind you:) We do not have the “original manuscripts.”

So, about 160 years ago, scholars publicized three previously obscure “codices.”

(A “codex” is a book that opens like what we consider “regular books,” as opposed to scrolls, that unroll.) These codices are now famous. In them, (as well as others) that verse is missing. The critics triumphantly declared that verse to have been erroneously added.

The Textus Receptus, from 1516, includes that verse. The older English translations, including everything from the Tyndale Bible, to the Authorized, or King James Version, all still have it. Some of the newer translations include it, but they have a note in the margin declaring that it is of doubtful origin.

Some translations are a little more “sneaky:” They completely leave out verse seven, and then split verse eight, and use the first half of verse eight as “verse seven,” and the last half as “verse eight.”

There are Several Problems With Doing Such Things.

  1. The verse doesn’t say anything that is not also confirmed elsewhere in the Bible: It strongly confirms the truth of the Trinity, stating that the Father, the Word, and the Spirit are One. Why would there be a problem with that? It simply teaches in one verse what the rest of the Bible teaches in many passages.
  • I don’t think I am “wise enough,” personally, to “pick through the Bible” and declare that this verse or that verse should not be there. When there is undeniable, recorded history demonstrating that a passage (or a whole apocryphal book) has been added, so that we know who added it and why they did so, and when…then that is a different matter. But to start revisiting individual verses and passing judgment on them as “suspicious,” I don’t consider myself qualified to make that call…and I don’t particularly trust many of the people who claim that they are so qualified.
  • And, finally, this is the problem that gives me the most pause: When we begin “slicing and dicing” the scripture, telling people that their Bible “is not really God’s Word, in its entirety,” then there is no logical stopping point. People who begin to do that in their own minds will often continue “discarding more and more” until they have nothing left that is worth believing. So, they abandon their faith, and suffer the bitterness of a lost love, and a lost relationship with the God of the Bible.

A Personal Example

My own Dad did exactly that. It began when one of his college professors began posing questions he could not resolve. “So (as he told me) “I decided I just didn’t believe that part of the Bible.” But that led to more and more “exceptions” until (he said) “Finally, the only thing I had left was ‘salvation by faith,’ and without the rest of the Bible, that didn’t make any sense either: So, I dropped that, too!” That is a pretty sad story, isn’t it? And it made a wreckage of his life!

So, I go ahead and teach this as the Word of God, just as I do the rest of the Bible. It confirms the Trinity, and I have no problem with that: The Trinity is taught all through the Word of God, and it is inescapably true, with or without this verse.

What About the Other Three Witnesses?

8 And there are three that bear witness in earth, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one. 9 If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater: for this is the witness of God which he hath testified of his Son. 10 He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son.

If we continue with the idea that the “Water” in this passage refers to the Word of God, then we see that the Holy Spirit, the Word of God and the Shed Blood of Jesus collectively testify of the Grace and Love of God, offered through the Cross. These three witnesses are in complete unity.

In any court, when three witnesses, each unimpeachable on his or her own strength, bear essentially identical testimony, but from three separate perspectives, the court has a fairly solid reason to make a decision: The court chooses to believe the witnesses. This is a pretty common standard for courts, and for any other choice to believe

God’s Three-fold Testimony

But remember that all three of these testimonies are from God! His testimony is greater than human testimony. God testifies to the human race regarding Jesus: The Messiah…God the Son.

John concludes that whoever believes this testimony “has the witness within himself.” If you have placed your personal trust in the Gospel, believing the witness of God, then the Holy Spirit now indwells to and continually confirms the truth of that message. But if you do not believe it, then you should know that you are calling God a liar: He is the source of this testimony, He bore record of Jesus, the Messiah, the Only Begotten Son…You have to choose how to respond.

So, What is the Record?

11 And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12 He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.

 13 These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.

The Record is simple:

  • God has given Eternal Life to the Human Race
  • That Life is in the Person of His Son.
  • Whoever possesses the Son of God, has the Eternal Life God offered.
  • Whoever does not have the Son of God, does not have the Life.

So…why did John go to such lengths to tell us this simple message?

There are Two Stated Motives:

John said, “These things I have written unto you who believe on the name of the Son of God; “

  • “That you (plural…ye) may know that ye have (present tense) eternal life, and
  • “That ye may (continue to) believe on the Name of the Son of God.”

Think about the importance of this message:

This knowledge, that you have eternal life, is the only protection for your mind, against the slinking, sneaking fear, and distrust, constantly whispering, “What if you are wrong?? You are  a foul sinner: far too corrupt to survive the wrath of God! His Grace cannot reach to you! He will surely reject you now!”

This message, being believed, is the “Helmet of Salvation” required in Ephesians 6:17. If you cannot believe this passage, then you cannot put on the helmet of salvation, as protection for your mind, against the onslaught of Satan’s lies.

If anyone has questions about this security, offered by God, on the basis of Grace, through faith alone, I would be happy to address those questions with you.

Lord Jesus, help us to believe Your Word, and to apply it to our own lives in every area. Teach us to Walk with You by Faith, and to experience Your Joy and Peace as a result.

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