Down an Unfamiliar Road

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NEW TESTAMENT CONTEXTUAL COMMENTARY

By Dr. Robert R. Seyda

FIRST EPISTLE OF JOHN

CHAPTER TWO (Lesson LXVII) 06/23/21

^2:24 Be sure that you continue to follow the teaching you heard from the beginning. If you do that, you will always be in the Son and the Father.

COMMENTARY

James Arminius (1560-1609) states that it is good when the Church’s is in union with the Anointed One. There, a dwelling place is promised without termination by the bounds of this life. It will continue forever, and finally, when this short life is transformed for heaven. Regarding this, the Apostle says, “I desire to depart and to be with the Anointed One,”[1] and the Anointed One says, “Father, I want My followers You gave Me to be with Me where I am.”[2] John says that the end of this Gospel is “that our fellowship may be with the Father and the Son.”[3]  Eternal life is not possible without such fellowship. In another place, he explains the same end in these words, “But these are written so that you may continue to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing in Him, you will have life by the power of His name.”[4] But from the meaning of the same Apostle, it appears that this fellowship has a prior union. These are his words, here in verse twenty-four. Shall the marriage between the Anointed One and His Church ceases at a period when He presents His spouse, sanctified to Himself by His blood? Far be the idea from us! For the union, which had commenced here on earth, will then, at length, be accomplished and finished in heaven.^[5]

Richard Rothe (1799-1867) points out that John is referring to the old original teaching. He phrases it as “that which you heard from the beginning.” John may not have intended it so but, in his Gospel, he explained that “in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” So, we can see a play on words here by taking the word “beginning” and applying it to Jesus the Anointed One. In other words, what they heard from the “beginning” was from the “Beginning Himself.” Rothe says that experience teaches that deviation from this truth leads ultimately to the denial of the Anointed One and God. He warns that the more we add to the original teachings of Jesus, the greater the danger of deviating from that conception of the truth, which forms the basis for further Church teachings.^[6]

John Stock (1817-1884) reminds us that Noah remained in his ark, which “just as God had commanded Noah. Then the Lord closed the door behind them,”^[7] nor did Noah depart from this prepared refuge from the flood, which came upon and destroyed the world of the ungodly,^[8] till God commanded him to do so. And so, the Church of the living God won and transformed by God’s truth, does not depart from it, continues to obey it still, and thereby reaps the unspeakable benefit of abiding in God, the Father, and the Son. Believers continue in the Son by being connected to Him as the Head of the body, [9] sustained by Him as the living bread of life,^[10] drawing from Him as the inexhaustible fountain of living waters;[11] and anchored to Him as the Rock,[12] through His doctrine and fellowship.^[13]

John James Lias (1834-1923) says that continued union with the Son and Father is the only possible means of salvation. The denial of this truth leads directly to the destruction of all moral principles. The ethical lives of unbelievers are due to their acceptance of the moral principles of their culture. These moral principles of Christians are contingent upon the holy Law-giver. Without His word, it is like a skyscraper without a foundation. And such a structure cannot stand long.^[14] Denial of revelation, then, is ultimately a denial of all truth. And it also cuts away the only power that can enable us to “do the truth.” Thus, continuance in the Son and the Father is the only means whereby (1) error, the source of all evil, can be gradually dispelled, and (2) truth, the source of all holiness and goodness, enabled to take full possession of the heart.^[15]

James Morgan (1859-1942) says this will become clearer while we read when we notice the Apostle John’s object for writing as he did. The three terms, “abide,” “remain,” and “continue,” are from the same Greek verb menō. The repetition is sufficient to show the extreme importance attached to the thought by the Apostle John. What, then, is it? We find it in the phrase, “The Truth is not in us,” John uses again and again throughout this epistle. So that the truth may be helpful, it must be in us. It is not some speculation in the head, but a practical principle in the heart. It must be food for our soul, as nutrition is for the body. But it is not mere knowledge of the truth. It is a system by which we operate. It is the golden chest, like the Ark of the Covenant, that contains the Jewel. And that Jewel is Jesus the Anointed One.[16]

Morgan goes on to say that this thought is proclaimed with tremendous power by more than one apostle. The Apostle Peter puts it this way: “By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself through his marvelous glory and excellence.”[17] Peter believes that the promises of God should have such influence. That’s why the Apostle goes on to say, “But to obtain these gifts, you need more than faith; you must also work hard to be good, and even that is not enough. For then, you must learn to know God better and discover what he wants you to do. Next, learn to put aside your desires so that you will become patient and godly, gladly letting God have his way with you. It will make possible the next step, which is for you to enjoy other people and to like them, and finally, you will grow to love them deeply. The more you go on in this way, the more you will grow strong spiritually and become fruitful and useful to our Lord Jesus the Anointed One.”[18]

Paul views the subject in the same light. He says, “Since we have these great promises, dear friends, let us turn away from every sin of the body or of the spirit. Let us honor God with love and fear by giving ourselves to Him in every way.”[19] Surely this ought to be the effect of God’s promises, says Morgan. Gratitude to Him who gifted them for that purpose. The conscious happiness with which their enjoyment inspires us should have a good effect on us. And above all, the hope they set before us should transport us beyond the world, sin, and self and elevate us to heaven with its anticipated holiness, blessedness, and glory. It will be the same with all who truly receive the doctrine of the text, “this is the promise that He hath promised us, even eternal life.”^[20]

Stephen S. Smalley (1931-2018) believes that we must keep in mind that the believer who lives in the Light and dwells in harmony with God the Son and Father is not an automatic spiritual condition. Remaining in the Light and union with God rests exclusively upon the continuous appropriation of the blessings and responsibilities of the Christian Gospel. We cannot take for granted that such fellowship is ours because we are good church members or belong to a Bible study group. They must make sure that what they heard, which drew them to the Anointed One for salvation, is still echoing in them.^[21]

2:25a And this is what the Son promised to us – never-ending life.

EXPOSITION

Is John revealing something that was never heard before by the children of Israel? While he was in exile in Babylon, Daniel was given this word: “There are many who are dead and buried. Some of them will wake up and live forever, but others will wake up to everlasting shame and disgrace.” Could this be the Scripture Jesus told His Jewish critics to lookup? Not so. It was certainly something the Apostle Paul preached; his final pronouncement was that when people knowingly sin, they earn what sin pays – death. But God gives His people a gift they cannot buy or merit – eternal life in Jesus, our Lord the Anointed One.^[22]

After the Apostle Paul called the Galatians foolish for going back under the iron hand of the Law, he then told them not to be made fools of again, thinking they can hide anything from God. A person will harvest whatever they plant! If they do things to satisfy their sinful tendencies, they will end up losing everything. However, if a person does those things that please the Holy Spirit, they will have a life that lasts forever.^[23] But, says Paul, God does not erase from His loving mind those who insist on doing things their way. Paul testifies that God had loving-kindness for him. Jesus the Anointed One used him to show that He has patience without limit. Jesus wanted him to be an example for those who would believe in and have eternal life.^[24] That’s why he tells young Timothy to try as hard as he could to win his fight against Satan and the world for Jesus’ sake. Take hold of eternal life. It is the life you were chosen to have when you confessed your faith in Jesus – that wonderful truth that you preached so openly and that so many people heard.^[25]

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[1] Philippians 1:23

[2] John 17:24

[3] 1 John 1:3

[4] John 20:31

[5] Arminius, James: Oration 3, The Author and the End of Theology, p. 87

[6] Rothe, Richard: The Expository Times, op. cit., September 1892, pp. 551-552

[7] Genesis 7:16

[8] See 2 Peter 2:5

[9] Colossians 1:18

[10] John 6:35

[11] Ibid. 4:14; 7:38; cf. Jeremiah 17:13; Zechariah 14:8-9

[12] Matthew 7:24; 1 Corinthians 3:11; 1 Peter 2:6;

[13] Stock, John: An Exposition of the First Epistle General of St. John, op. cit., p. 197

[14] See Luke 6:48; 1 Corinthians 3:11; Ephesians 2:20, et. al.

[15] Lias, J. J., The First Epistle of John with Homiletical Treatment, op. cit., pp. 163-164

[16] Morgan, James: Biblical Illustrator, First Epistle of John, op. cit., p. 138

[17] 2 Peter 1:3

[18] Ibid. 1:5-8

[19] 2 Corinthians 7:1

[20] Morgan, James: An Exposition of the First Epistle of John, op. cit. pp. 148–149

[21] Smalley, Stephen S., Word Biblical Commentary, Vol. 51, op. cit., p. 117

[22] Ibid. 6:23

[23] Galatians 6:7-8

[24] 1 Timothy 1:16

[25] Ibid. 6:12

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NEW TESTAMENT CONTEXTUAL COMMENTARY

By Dr. Robert R. Seyda

FIRST EPISTLE OF JOHN

CHAPTER TWO (Lesson LXVI) 06/22/21

^2:23 For a person who doesn’t believe in the Anointed One, God’s Son, cannot call God their Father. But they who have the Anointed One, God’s Son, also have God as their Father.

Rudolf Bultmann (1874-1976) says the question that has arisen is, in what sense do the heretical teachers deny that Jesus is the Anointed One? Since they claim to belong to the Christian congregation, they must believe God sent the Anointed One to bring salvation. So, does the dispute seem to center on to what degree we acknowledge Him as the Son of God? We must examine the fact that He came in the flesh as a human being^[1] to find out how His incarnation took place. It boiled down to two choices: He came in Spirit and was incarnated in human flesh through His birth by Mary. Or, one can assume that Jesus already existed as a just and holy man, and God chose to put the Spirit of the Messiah in Him, as seen at His Baptism by John the Baptizer.^[2]

The Orthodox Church, of which John as an elder and Apostle, took view number one. Jesus was both man and God in one human form. It was the only way He could become both our Savior and Advocate before the Father. The heretics responded that this man Jesus died in the flesh as a human, but God raised His Spirit of the Messiah after the flesh died to live on forever.^[3]

Paul W. Hoon (1910-2000) says that the dissenters in the congregation had issues beyond Jesus’ divinity. They understood the idea of a crucified Messiah, but they could not stand the concept of a humanized God. They no doubt accepted Jesus of Nazareth as the Anointed One, but they could not tolerate the doctrine that Jesus of Nazareth was “God.” They might have believed in the God likeness of the Anointed One, but it was impossible to believe in the Christ likeness of God. Even in his day, says Hoon, the world strikes back at the proclamation that Jesus is both man and God.^[4]

D. Edmond Hiebert (1928-1995) says that those who deny the Son of God do not have God as their Father. Their denial of the Son also means that they have no personal relationship with God as “the Father.” They do not stand in any child-parent relationship with Him. By their denial of the Son, they excommunicate themselves from the great Christian family in which the Anointed One is the Brother, and God is the Father of all believers. “Whoever denies” (John is not referencing the deniers as a group, but individually), which serves as a warning to all deniers of the Son universally.^[5]

Karen H. Jobes (1968) makes it clear that when you take Jesus as your Savior, you get God as your Father. But if you say “no” to Jesus, you are also saying “no” to the Father who sent Him. John further explains that one cannot have fellowship with God the Father and deny that Jesus is the Anointed One. Therefore, the proper understanding of who Jesus is, is a necessary element of true friendship with the Father, which is the only solid basis of assurance of eternal life.[6]

Christian Jewish writer David Stern sees that what the Apostle John says in verses twenty-two and twenty-three invites comparison with Yeshua’s statements — “If you knew me, you would know my Father too.”[7] “The Father and I are one,”[8] and “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life; no one comes to the Father except through me.”[9] All these verses refute the Two-Covenant theory, which says that Jews and Christians each have their independent but equally valid covenants with God so that Jews do not need to relate to the Final Covenant or Yeshua.^[10] Even some Final Covenant believers feel that the First Covenant is of no value to them.

2:24a So, you must continue to follow what you were taught from the beginning of your conversion. If you do, you will remain in fellowship with the Son and with the Father.

EXPOSITION

The Apostle John just said that it would prove so effective a guard against the antichrist to those who received the Spirit of God. Furthermore, those who receive it would remain in union with the Anointed One since, being taught of God, they would not be deceived by any pretenses of antichrist doctrines. However unbelievable I may seem, John now guards against any abuse by balancing his statement concerning a believer’s obligation to others, which reminds him of his responsibility and duty by saying, “Keep on believing what you were taught from the beginning. If you do, you will always be in close fellowship with both God the Father and His Son.” Hence, John’s topic – “Abiding in the Anointed One is our duty,” occupied His thoughts, which should be our primary obligation as well.

There is no alternate route to salvation and heaven, says John. You can’t exit the highway of holiness to take a shortcut. That’s why the wise young Psalmist told God that he took His words to heart as a treasure so that he would not go the wrong way.^[11] Perhaps this smart young man took what the wise king Solomon said about truth and wisdom from God being something to  treasure.[12] And it stands to reason that John was inspired by what the Messiah said about wanting us to have union with Him and His Word.^[13]

Indeed, the Apostle Paul was convinced of this principle because he told the Colossians to let the Word of the Anointed One live in them as a rich source of wisdom and counsel.^[14] A wise believer will ensure that such teachings are followed and used to keep them from going astray.^[15] That will ensure that they will share in all that the Anointed One provides from beginning to end.^[16] Having this truth and union with each other will guarantee that grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and from His Son, Jesus the Anointed One, will be around as long as they live in truth and love.^[17] John was so happy when told of his constituent’s faithfulness to the Gospel.^[18] So, it was also in a message John sent to the Church in the city of Sardis.^[19]

John was there when Jesus told the skeptics that they saw things from an earthly perspective, while He saw them from a heavenly perspective. He came expressly to inform them that if they didn’t change and believe His message, they would die in their sins. Incredibly, they asked Jesus, “Who do you think you are saying such a thing?” Jesus responded that He has been telling them from the beginning who He is, the Messiah, the Son of God.^[20] So, He is not going to change now or in eternity; they are the ones who need to be transformed to have everlasting life. Oddly enough, the Apostle Paul ran into the same type of question in Philippi.^[21] The Apostle John also dealt with a similar situation in his second letter.^[22]

Jesus could not emphasize it more clearly than He did when He talked about how all His teachings should be followed out of love, not as an obligation to Torah. It assures them the Son and the Father will be in daily union with them.^[23] And what did they have to lose? Our Lord told them with all sincerity that He loved you as the Father loved me. Remain steadfast in my love. I obeyed my Father’s commands, and He continues to love me. In the same way, if you follow my commands, I will continue to love you.[24]

The Lord did this for a specific reason. That was so that all who believe in Him can be one. They are all in Him, and He is in them. That’s why He prayed to the Father that they could also be one in us. Then the world will believe that He was the one who sent Him. Jesus goes on to tell the Father; “I gave them the splendor that You gave me. I gave them this magnificence so that they can be one with us, just as you and I are one with each other. I will be in them, and you will be in me. So, they will be undivided as one. Then the world will know that You sent Me and that You loved them just as you loved me.” The Master finishes by telling the Father that He wants these people given to Him to be every place where He is. He wants them to see Him in His full splendor – the splendor the Father gave Him because before He created the world, He loved Him.^[25]

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[1] See 1 John 4:2

[2] Matthew 3:17

[3] Bultmann, Rudolf: The Johannine Epistles, op. cit., pp. 38-39

[4] Hoon, Paul W., The Interpreter’s Bible, op. cit., Vol. XII, p. 246

[5] Hiebert, D. Edmond, 1 John, Bibliotheca Sacra, op. cit., p. 87

[6] Jobes, Karen H., 1, 2, and 3 John, op. cit., p. 130

[7] John 8:19

[8] Ibid. 10:30

[9] Ibid. 14:6

[10] Stern, David H., Jewish New Testament Commentary, op. cit., (Kindle Locations 21725-21729)

[11] Psalm 119:11

[12] Proverbs 23:23

[13] John 15:7

[14] Colossians 3:16

[15] Hebrews 2:1

[16] Ibid. 3:14

[17] 2 John 1:2-3

[18] 3 John 1:3

[19] Revelation 3:3

[20] John 8:23-25

[21] Philippians 4:15

[22] 2 John 1:5-6

[23] John 14:23

[24] Ibid. 15:9-10

[25] Ibid. 17:21-24

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NEW TESTAMENT CONTEXTUAL COMMENTARY

By Dr. Robert R. Seyda

FIRST EPISTLE OF JOHN

CHAPTER TWO (Lesson LXV) 06/21/21

^2:23 For a person who doesn’t believe in the Anointed One, God’s Son, can’t call God, Father. But they who have the Anointed One, God’s Son, also have God as their Father.

Due to this knowledge, says Owen, believers received unexplainable evidence of the eternal power of the Godhead. But this knowledge depends on an acquaintance with the person of the Anointed One, wherein we see the express image and beams of the glory of His father manifested. As the Scriptures declare: “The Son radiates God’s glory and expresses the very character of God, and he sustains everything by the mighty power of his command. When he had cleansed us from our sins, he sat down in the place of honor at the right hand of the majestic God in heaven.”^{[1] [2]}

James Macknight (1721-1800) sees the Apostle John further identifying these “antichrists” that were beginning to infect the body of the Anointed One. They deny that Jesus is the Anointed One, that He is the Son of the Father in heaven, and the promise of eternal life as coming from them. That’s why John then says that another reason for his writing them is to keep them from being seduced by these false teachers.^[3]

Samuel E. Pierce (1746-1829) suggests that we use this text first without the addition. Who is a liar but he that denies that Jesus is the Anointed One? He is an antichrist that denies the Father and the Son. Whosoever denies the Son, has no relation with the Father. Thus, it most evidently appears, here is the whole substance of the text itself; what follows do not add to it. Whether it is agreed to or not, it does not corrupt the doctrine in it. No one can show that this is true. It is only an explanation of reality.^[4]

Adam Clarke (1762-1832) believes we can render verse twenty-two as “Those who deny the Son do not belong to the Father. Those who declare the Son belongs to the Father.” It leads very comfortably into what verse twenty-four has to say about those who do declare the Son. Clarke says that those who continue in the doctrines concerning the incarnation, passion, death, resurrection, ascension, and intercession of the Lord Jesus, which they heard preached from the beginning by His apostles. When done, they will continue to be in union with the Son and the Father.^[5]

Robert Candlish (1760-1854) gives a rather poetic tone to his interpretation of what the Apostle John says here in verse twenty-three. He writes:

        See how low He stoops – how condescending none but a holy God and lost souls can tell,

                    like Jesus, the Anointed One down into the depths of sin’s guilt and hell.

         And above the head of the Anointed obedient righteous One, the dark clouds of fury roll.

                    Do not deny Him; acknowledge Him as the Redeemer of your soul.

          Confess that “Jesus is the Anointed One,” and you are not ashamed of His cross.

                    It is your glory, and it may well come across.

For what fruit is yours through not denying, but acknowledging, the Son, asks Candlish. He came from the Father as His Anointed One to suffer humiliation for you. It must be more than narrowly escaping punishment and being saved by the smallest margin. That would be nothing to ridicule. But what privileges are yours now? What hope for eternal life? He and the Father are one. He inherits the Father’s kingdom, riches, and joys. Jesus has the Father’s heart. He has the Father Himself. And nothing will please Him more than you’re acknowledging Him brings you into union with the Father as He and the Father are of one accord.[6]

Henry Alford has a lengthy treatment of this verse. His main point is this: Not only are there antichrists who deny that Jesus is the Son of God, but by denying the Anointed One, they prohibit any access to their lives. In so doing, they also deny the Father the same privilege. It becomes more complicated by the fact that a person cannot get to know the Father without knowing the Son.[7] So, there’s no sense in any Unitarian to say that they do not accept Yeshua of Nazareth as the Son of God but accept God the Father. That is as ridiculous as saying that while you are favorable to the flames in the fireplace, you don’t want the heat they provide.

Johannes Ebrard (1819-1891) makes an interesting observation on verses twenty-two and twenty-three. Identifying Jesus as the Anointed One from God places a lie and truth in opposition to one another. He does so in comprehensive yet straightforward terms. His writing here is simple enough for children to understand, while those older and more mature find it enlightening. In fact, says Ebrard, there is no passage in all the Scriptures in which, and for which it can support by the ancient saying that truth and lie are like a stream,“in which a child may wade, and an elephant bathe.”^[8]

To put the idea of truth and lie another way, let us imagine that reality is like a pool of water where there is a shallow portion and a deep section. Whether you wade in the shallow part or swim in the deeper section, you can claim you were in the pool. So, it is with the debate over Jesus being the Son of God. There are those in the shallow portion who say Jesus was the Messiah; He just wasn’t God’s Son in the sense of His offspring. Others in the deeper section say that Jesus could only be the Messiah because He is the only begotten Son of God. Despite all the contention, one is a lie, and the other is the truth. They both cannot be correct.

Augustus Strong (1834-1921) says that the Trinity tells us something of God’s absolute and essential nature, not simply what He is to us but also in Himself. If the Anointed One is the eternal Son of the Father, God is indeed and in essence a Father; the social nature, the spring of love is of the very essence of the eternal Being; the communication of life, the reciprocation of affection dates from beyond time, belongs to the very being of God. The Unitarian idea of a solitary God profoundly affects our conception of God, reduces it to mere power, identifies God with abstract cause and thought. Love is grounded in power, not power in love. The omniscient Father, omnipotent Son, and omnipresent Spirit is the genius of the universe.”^[9] In other words, He does not possess these traits; He is all of these.

John James Lias (1834-1923) believes that there are “three arguments” to be noted. (1) The denial of the Anointed One is a lie and even breathes the spirit of Antichrist himself. (2) It is a denial of God’s own Son. And since He, the Father, manifests Himself by the Son, and Him alone, (3) to deny the Son is to deprive ourselves of the Father. Similarly, to confess the Son is to receive the Divine Life of the Father. To acknowledge the Son is to realize what He is, namely, the imparter of Divine Light and Life, the medium whereby all that is in the Father He brought into the world through His Son. Those who confess this open their souls to the fullness of Divine Father, who is inherent in the Son.[10]

Alonzo R. Cocke (1858-1901) has an interesting illustration for us to picture what the Apostle John says here. He begins with “Jesus is the central sum of all truth,” and, therefore, to deny that Jesus is the Anointed One, in whatever way, makes one a universal liar. Denying Jesus, one has rejected the central core of truth.[11] Some say that Jesus was a blessed and devoted man who was a champion of compassion for humanity. But they deny that He is eternal life manifesting itself and the fountain of divine energy. It is a trick to claim for themselves an infallible authority to remove Jesus from His throne and put themselves in His place. No one can claim that Jesus is the Anointed One, a prophet, priest, and king. He is the foundation of all apostolic teaching, the root of the Gospel. To deny the Anointed One or any of these offices is the play the role of a liar.[12]

James Morgan (1859-1942) suggests that the antichrist does not deny the existence of the Father and the Son as two distinct beings, the one dwelling in heaven and the other on earth. Apparently, the reference is to some union between them, which some might feel inclined or tempted to deny. Nor have we far to go to discover what that union is. The apostle John states it has to be that of a Father and Son. But there’s more to it than that. It goes beyond the relationship between God and the angels, or of God and humankind. In this relationship, the Son is the equal of the Father.

The Jews understood Him to claim that equality when He called Himself the Son of God, and so charged Him with blasphemy, and proceeded to stone Him. It is that of which our Lord often spoke, saying, “Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father! So, why are you asking to see Him? Don’t you believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words I say are not mine, but are from my Father, who lives in me. And He does His work through me.”[13] He does not hesitate to say, “The Father does not say who is guilty. He gives this to the Son to do. He does this so that all people will honor the Son as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father Who sent Him.”[14]

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[1] Hebrews 1:3

[2] John Owen: Vol 3, Of Communion with God, Ch. 3, p. 106

[3] James Macknight: First Epistle of John, op. cit., pp. 55-56

[4] Pierce, S. E., An Exposition of the First Epistle General of John, op. cit., Vol. 1, p. 250

[5] Clarke, Adam: First Epistle of John, op. cit., p. 76

[6] Candlish, R. S., The First Epistle of John Expounded in a Series of Lectures, op. cit., p. 192

[7] Alford, Henry: Greek NT, op. cit., p. 454

[8] Ebrard, J. H. A. (1860)., Biblical Commentary on the Epistles of St. John, in Continuation of the Work of Olshausen, (W. B. Pope, Trans.), Edinburgh; London; Dublin: T & T Clark; Hamilton, Adams & Co.; John Robertson, p. 188

[9] Strong, Augustus H. Systematic Theology, op. cit., p. 635

[10] Lias, J. J., The First Epistle of John with Exposition, op. cit., pp. 159-160

[11] Martin Luther is incorrect in translating it as “a liar.”

[12] Cocke, A. R. (1895)., Studies in the Epistles of John, op. cit., p. 59

[13] John 14:9b-10

[14] Ibid. 5:22-24

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The Royal Way of the Cross

It’s remarkable what we can learn from history. Remember, the Bible you read was written 2,000 years ago and is still relevant for us today. So are the writings of great Bible scholars. When they reflect on the conditions in their day, it almost seems like we have the same thing today. Such a person was François Fénelon, born in 1651. Britain could not provide a balance of power, entangled as it was in the civil war that had led to the execution of King Charles I in 1649. So, the 1648 Peace Treaty signed in Westphalia, Germany, left France the dominant power in Europe. Within France, a series of revolts against the crown had begun in 1648, and the outcome of the struggle was by no means certain. In other words, there was hostility between races, constant riots, rebellion against authority, and disrespect for all things sacred.

These were the conditions and atmosphere in which François Fénelon grew up. So, he decided to write down his thoughts, feelings, and impressions. It is essential to remember as one reads his letters and meditations that they were initially written to individuals and often deal with particular problems. The same is true, of course, of the Apostle. Paul’s letters in the New Testament. In both cases. It is necessary to bear this in mind to avoid stressing some point out of context and spirit of the whole. All this needs to be held in mind when reading or interpreting any individual passage. We will begin by looking at his work that involves many themes, and we’ll start with “Seeing our true spirituality state before God.” So, when reading this, think of a dear and trusted friend writing it to you out of love.

Dear (put your name here), in order to make your prayers more profitable, it would be well from the beginning to picture yourself as a week, helpless, miserable wretch, perishing of hunger, who knows only one person whom you can ask or hope for help. Or picture yourself as a terrible sick person, covered with sores and ready to die unless some compassionate physician will care for you and bring you back to health. [Remember, these are suggested word-pictures, not physical but spiritual conditions] These are genuine pictures of our situation before God. Your soul is as vacant of any heavenly treasure as a homeless person living under an overpass. You need them more urgently, and there is no one but God to whom you can go and expect an answer. Again, your soul is infinitely more sin-sick than a distressed, stricken patient, and God alone can heal you. Everything depends on you moving Him by your earnest prayers. He can handle all of this: but remember that He wills to act when He is asked earnestly and sincerely for real needs.

Once you let this reality permeate your mind, read daily devotion or thoughts for meditation, either in the Holy Scriptures or a book you may be using. Pause after a verse or two, write down whatever impressions God’s Spirit might put into your mind. Then, for the words to motivate you forward, to stimulate your mind from its normal state of inattention, you would do well to thank Him for His Word, the revelation by which He teaches us His will, and for His willingness to teach us. Finally, it would be well first to humble yourself. Confess that you have not heeded all His teachings that could have benefitted your spiritual condition. In particular, examine which guidelines you neglected or are still not heeding, and how far your life has come in conforming to God’s will or in opposition to it.

Write the things the Spirit brought to your mind on a piece of paper. Lay it down before you on the bed or chair before which you kneel. Then reflect on the occasions or conditions which caused you to commit these faults and the best means of avoiding or remedying them. Consider what the Lord justly requires of you, that you may keep from such falls and repent of the past. Think of how critically it is to obey Him, however hard it may seem, how it will benefit you if you do follow through, how disgraceful and dangerous it would be to leave it undone.

Remember that we are the definition of weakness itself, as daily experience proves, and offer yourself to Jesus the Anointed One. Detest your carelessness and faithlessness and ask Him to fill your heart with everything that’s missing. Ask Him to strengthen your will so that you may go on doing better. Trust in His goodness and His earnest promises never to forsake you in time of need. Lean upon His words and rest in the hope that he will confirm what He has done in you so far. However, all of this will end up being worthless unless you are honest and sincere, and willing to open your heart and mind to His Spirit’s coaching, counseling, and comforting.

__Written over 450 years ago

Vocabulary redacted by Dr. Robert R Seyda

• 

NEW TESTAMENT CONTEXTUAL COMMENTARY

By Dr. Robert R. Seyda

FIRST EPISTLE OF JOHN

CHAPTER TWO (Lesson LXIV) 06/18/21

^2:22 So who is the liar? It is the person who says Jesus is not the Messiah. Whoever says such a thing is a sworn enemy of the Anointed One – someone who does not believe in the Father or His Son.

Raymond E. Brown (1928-1998) points out that of all the times, John used the Greek noun pseustēs (“liar”); this is the only place with the definite article “the.”^[1] It is usually a sign that the author is speaking of a known person. Rhetorically, we could phrase it, “Who is the one telling lies?” While John has not mentioned anyone in particular, he has identified a group known as the traitors, those who left the congregation to go out and preach an antichrist doctrine. They are the ones going around telling lies about the Anointed One – He is not God, nor His Son, nor the Messiah.[2] ^[3]

Judith Lieu (1951) makes an interesting point about the antichrist. We can all presuppose that those were members of the congregation who were against Jesus identified as the Messiah, the Anointed One. But it doesn’t make sense that they were part of the flock and had such an irreverent attitude against the One who died and gave Himself to save the world. So, there must have been something else they were against that caused John to label them antichrists. John leaves no room for any other interpretation than this: “The antichrists are those who will not accept the Father/Son relationship between Jesus the Messiah and God the Father.”^[4]

2:23a Furthermore, anyone who denies the Son cannot say they are in union with the Father. But anyone who confesses their faith in the Son acknowledges the Father also.

EXPOSITION

John notes that this was one of the first things Jesus told the skeptical Jews about His claim to being sent from God.^[5] Then, on another occasion, the Master pointed out that the Father did not plan to say who is guilty. He gave that to the Son to do. He does this so that all people will honor the Son as they honor the Father. Anyone who does not accept the Son does not glorify the Father who sent Him.^[6]

Perhaps this inspired John to write in his second letter that anyone who goes beyond the Anointed One’s teaching and does not remain faithful to what the Messiah taught does not have God. But whoever continues to follow the teaching of the Anointed One has both the Father and the Son. If someone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not welcome or accept that person into your home. If you welcome such a person, you share in their evil work.^[7]

COMMENTARY

Bede the Venerable (672-735 AD) says that John looks for a confession of faith that involves the heart both in word and deed. He says the same thing the Apostle Paul wrote: “No one can say that Jesus is Lord, except by the Holy Spirit,”[8] which means that unless the Holy Spirit gives us the power to do so, we cannot serve the Anointed One in faith and action. ^[9]

John Calvin (1509-1564) speaks about redemption found only in the Anointed One for the lost sinner. The Apostle John joins the Apostle Paul in reminding the Jews that the prophets’ words were spoken to motivate them to acknowledge deliverance in the Anointed One.[10]

Jewish scribes clouded what the Prophets taught about the Redeemer with false explanations, yet the Anointed One was assumed to be a fact. It was received, as it were, with public consent, that there was no other remedy for the world’s desperate circumstances; there existed no different delivery method than the manifestation of the Mediator. So, until He brings us into the eternal inheritance of His kingdom that is undoubtedly coming, there is no saving knowledge of God without the Anointed One. The Anointed One was to God’s elect the object of their faith and confidence from the beginning.

In this same sense, Irenaeus once said that the Father, boundless in Himself, is bound in the Son. He became one of us so that the immensity of His glory would not swallow up our minds.[11] Look at what happened on the Mount of Transfiguration.[12] Liberals who ignore the incarnation distort this helpful insight into an irreverent dream. It’s as if the Anointed One only shared in the Godhead as a part taken from a whole. In contrast, the meaning is to point out that understanding God comes through the Anointed One alone. The saying of John was always right, “whosoever denies the Son; does not have the Father.”^[13]

In James Arminius’ (1560-1609) lecture on theology, he points out that according to verse twenty-three, Jesus the Anointed One is so by the declaration of the Father’s promise and covenant. Also, according to Scripture, He is established as Savior of all that believe in Him: ^“In this way, God qualified Him as a perfect High Priest, and He became the source of eternal salvation for all those who obey Him.”[14] Therefore, anyone who denies that Jesus is the Son of God cannot be a child of God. It is why Gentiles without the Anointed One are said to be “living without the Anointed One. The Jewish people who belonged to God had nothing to do with you. The promises He gave to them were not for you. You had nothing to hope for in this world. You were without God.” For once, you were full of darkness, “but now you have light from the Lord. So live as people of light!”[15] Therefore, it is necessary that we earnestly stand for the necessity of Christianity as the altar and anchor of our salvation. We do not want, after we accept the Son, to have Him taken away from us and our faith and deprive us of the Father’s presence and availability through Him.”[16]

In a later sermon, Arminius discussed the disagreement among Christians. He points out that those often caught up in such discord are those raised to rely on the sacred rites of the Church. They will not permit any neutrality. Either you are for them or against them. Without any advances toward understanding both sides, it forces an undecided individual to accept one of four options: 1) Seek the third opinion as a compromise. 2) Look for religion with less complicated issues. 3) Place Christianity on a level with all other religions and, therefore, not crucial for heaven. Or 4) disregard Christianity and all other forms of religion as the product of human thinking, and thus not a divine revelation.

The fact is, says Arminius, a third party will not be neutral but become part of the dispute. Looking for another religion or placing Christianity on a level with them ignores the saying that, “If it is true, then it alone is true.” Christianity is not as accommodating as paganism in joining hands with other religions. Christianity admits no other system as its associate. Rejection of what the Bible teaches only makes you an infidel or atheist.^[17]

John Owen (1616-1683)  tells us a distinct honor was ascribed in verse twenty-three to God’s Son as a person according to His oneness in nature with the Father. And our duty is pressed with the highest enforcement; he that honors not the Son honors not the Father. “He who denies the Son has not the Father.” Later on, John says, “This is the word He spoke: God gave us life that lasts forever, and this life is in His Son. ¹² He that has the Son has life. He that does not have the Son of God does not have life.”[18] If we fail in recognizing this, whatever we pretend to do, we do not worship nor honor God at all. And there is reason to give this warning – the fear that this great fundamental principle of our religion is, if not disbelieved, is not taken seriously by the world.^[19]

Owen goes on to talk about the Anointed One’s love and mercy. He says that God’s pardoning mercy, or grace, would be of little value without His love. Therefore, Love and Mercy are those properties by which we know God. No one can obtain a single glimpse of God through or by the Anointed One without these principles. Some try to know God through icons or idols. There is no way to know God except by the Son. If you do not know the Son, you do not know the Father. To know God through the Son is to know His love and the pardoning mercy of the Anointed One.

The Apostle John received this revelation from the Holy Spirit: “We know God’s Son has come. He has given us the understanding of knowing Him, Who is the true God. We are joined with the true God through His Son, Jesus the Anointed One. He is the true God and the life that lasts forever.”[20]  

Now, says Owen, these virtues of God were revealed by the Anointed One in His teachings. In this revelation, God used the Apostle John as a prophet of the church with these words of Jesus: “I have revealed You to the ones You gave me from this world. They were always Yours. You gave them to Me, and they have kept Your Word.”[21]

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[1] KJV has “a” liar, and the NIV has “the” liar.

[2] See 1 John 2:22-23

[3] Brown, Raymond E., The Epistles of John, op. cit., p. 351

[4] Lieu, Judith, I, II, III John, op. cit., pp. 105-106

[5] Matthew 11:27

[6] John 5:22-23; See 8:19; 10:30; 14:9-10; 15:23-24

[7] 2 John 1:9-11

[8] 1 Corinthians 12:3

[9] Bede the Venerable: Bray, G. (Ed.), op. cit., 1-3 John, p. 190

[10] See Hosea 1:11, 3:5; Micah 2:13; Amos 9:11; Zechariah 9:9

[11] Iraneaus of Lyons: Against Heresies, Bk. 4, Ch. 6

[12] See Matthew 23

[13] Calvin, John: Institutes of the Christians Religion, Vols. 1-4, Ch. 6, pp. 358-365

[14] Hebrews 5:9 – New Living Translation (NLT)

[15] Ephesians 2:12; 5:8

[16] Orations of James Arminius: Oration 2, The Object of Theology, p. 63

[17] Ibid. p. 128

[18] 1 John 5:11-12

[19] John Owen: Vol 2, Christologia, Ch. 9, pp. 141-142

[20] 1 John 5:20

[21] John 17:6

• 

NEW TESTAMENT CONTEXTUAL COMMENTARY

By Dr. Robert R. Seyda

FIRST EPISTLE OF JOHN

CHAPTER TWO (Lesson LXIII) 06/17/21

^2:21 Do you think I am writing this letter because you don’t understand the truth? No, I am writing because you do know the truth. And you recognize that no tales come from the truth.

COMMENTARY

And thirdly, John does not teach that a Christian knows everything there is to know. Some respond by pointing to John’s saying in verse twenty-seven, “For the Spirit teaches you everything you need to know, and what He teaches is true.” How ridiculous it would be, says Lloyd-Jones, if they understood that it included all the earth’s arts, sciences, and languages. That’s why we must always keep every verse within the context of the narrative. John is not even suggesting that this broad umbrella of knowledge covers all things spiritual. In verse twenty-six, John gives us the setting by saying, “I am writing these things to warn you about those who want to lead you astray.” That’s why John ends verses twenty-seven and twenty-eight by reminding them, “So just as He has taught you, remain in fellowship with the Anointed One . . . so that when He returns, you will be full of courage and not shrink back from Him in shame.”^[1]

D. Edmond Hiebert (1928-1995) tells us that our assurance of acceptance before God depends on the inner experience of a noncondemning conscience. The Apostle John says, “if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God.” The statement of the specification, “if our heart does not condemn us,”[2] leaves open the question of the present reality of that condition. While this might mean “does not condemn us at first,” John probably intends that it will not condemn us. That’s because there are no misgivings as to our spiritual state. We already resolved such issues before God. While every believer does experience occasions when his conscience condemns him, it implies that this is not characteristic of mature believers. No believer should expect to live a life free from an accusing conscience.[3]

2:22 And, who are the liars? Anyone who says that Jesus is not the Anointed One. That means anyone who denies the Father and the Son is an enemy of the Anointed One.

EXPOSITION

John is not satisfied with identifying those with the antichrist spirit as living in the darkness of ignorance; he calls them out as liars and enemies. There’s no reason to doubt that John still remembered what Jesus said to the cynics and critics who doubted His authenticity by telling them their father is the devil. He has them in his grip. They only want to do what Satan wants them to do. He was a murderer from the beginning. He was always against the truth. There is no truth in him. He is like the lies he tells. Yes, the devil is a liar. He is the father of lies.^[4] And in his revelation, John heard a similar message.^[5]

The same chains once bound the Corinthians through idolatry. Paul reminded them that before they were Christians, they worshiped false gods. None of these gods could speak. So, Paul warned them that no one communicating with the Holy Spirit’s help could say that they hate Jesus. No one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the approval of the Holy Spirit.^[6] In fact, John would address this same dilemma in his day.^[7] And the Apostle Jude would speak about the same people who were already active during his ministry.^[8] Unfortunately, it is still swirling around God’s people today.

COMMENTARY

Andreas (600-700 AD) speaks of the heresy of Simon,^[9] which said that Jesus and the Anointed One were two different people. According to them, Jesus was a man, the son of Joseph and Mary, but the Anointed One descended from heaven in the form of a dove and anointed Him as God’s Son, the Messiah. John is quick to condemn those who think like that and brands their belief as Satanic. There were still others who made a distinction between the Father and some nameless deity beyond Him, whom they called the Father of the Anointed One. These too denied Jesus, saying that he was a mere man and did not have God’s nature.^[10]

Adam Clarke (1762-1832) defines what he sees as an antichrist. Any person is an antichrist, says Clarke, who denies the supernatural and miraculous birth of Jesus the Anointed One, who denies Jesus to be the Son of God, and who denies God to be the Father of the Lord Jesus; thus, he denies the Father and the Son. The Jews, in general, and the Gnostics, in particular, rejected the miraculous conception of Jesus. He was considered no more than an ordinary person, the son of carpenter Joseph and Mary. But the Gnostics held that a Divine person named Aeon, [11] is an angelical being, dwelt in him, but all things else relative to his miraculous generation and Divinity they rejected. These were antichrists who denied Jesus to be the Christ. That’s why the Apostle John calls them “liars.”^[12]

Richard Rothe (1799-1867) says that John makes it obvious that the antichrist spirit is more lethal than some may think. By denying that Jesus was the Anointed One, you also deny that He is the Son of God. You also deny that His coming and death on the cross was for no reason and that His resurrection was a myth. Therefore, God is a liar when He said He sent His Son to save the lost from eternal damnation. John cannot comprehend, says Rothe, how such a person could deny this truth without renouncing truth altogether. Not only that, but denying the facts about the Anointed One indicates they cannot recognize the truth at all.^[13]

Sir Robert Anderson (1842-1918) takes what Paul says here about Jesus being “THE CHRIST.” It is not that He died, nor even that He died for our sins, for demon doctrine will accept this and dwell upon it with exquisite feeling. But that “He died for our sins according to the Scriptures;” died to make atonement for our sins; died as the completion of the typical teaching of the Divine religion of Judaism – fulfillment of “all things written in the law of Moses, and in the Prophets, and in the Psalms, concerning Him.”[14]This is the doctrine of the Anointed One, says Anderson. If a person does not believe it, then, no matter how unique their teaching is in all respects, no matter how impressive their character and life, the Holy Spirit declares that “the spirit of the Antichrist” if they deny the Father and the Son. And let Christians who are fooling with these false gospels recognize these false ministers and warn them that they will give an account of their conduct before God.^[15]

Rudolf Schnackenburg (1914-2002) agrees that there are very few eye-catching phrases to get readers interested in what a person is about to say than what the Apostle John uses here in verse nineteen, “Who are the liars?” or “Who is telling lies?” These are those who openly reject the teachings of the Apostles. Indeed, they are liars par excellence, as the forceful mode of speech “who?” indicates. It is not some misguided error but a designed battle originating from the dark powers opposed to God and directed against any fellowship with Him, which Jesus opened up to humanity. They declare their false opinions publicly, seeking to spread confusion among the faithful. They know they cannot bring Jesus down from His exalted place as Savior and high priest at God’s right hand, so they hope to divide and conquer His followers. If the Light on earth goes out, then the Light in heaven has no meaning or purpose.^[16] No wonder, John was so adamant about the believers sticking together, holding on to God’s Word for strength and comfort. He strongly advises this in verses twenty-three through twenty-six.

After examining the word antichrist as it appears in the Epistles of John, J. Dwight Pentecost (1915-2014) tells us these references will reveal that John is principally concerned with an immediate doctrinal error – the denial of the person of the Anointed One. The emphasis is not on a future revelation of an individual, but the present manifestation of false doctrine. To John, the antichrist was already here. The question arises then about the relation between the “antichrist” of John’s epistles and the “beasts” in the Book of Revelation. The prefix “anti” in antichrist may be used for “instead of” or “against.” Prophecy writer Roy Aldrich correctly observes: The solution to the problem of the identification of Antichrist would depend upon how much light they have on whether he is primarily the great enemy of the Anointed One or whether he is an imitation christ.[17]

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[1] Lloyd-Jones, Martyn, Life in Christ, op. cit., pp. 249-250

[2] 1 John 3:20-21

[3] Hiebert, D. Edmond: 1 John, Bibliotheca Sacra, op. cit., p. 315

[4] John 8:44

[5] Revelation 3:9

[6] 1 Corinthians 12:2-3

[7] 2 John 1:7

[8] Jude 1:4

[9] This is a reference to Simon Magus and the Simonians who claimed him to be the founder of their doctrines.

[10] Andreas: Bray, G. (Ed.), op. cit., 1-3 John, p. 189

[11] Aeon, also spelled Eon, (Greek: “age,” or “lifetime”), in Gnosticism and Manichaeism, one of the orders of spirits, or spheres of being, that emanated from the Godhead and were attributes of the nature of the absolute; an important element in the cosmology that developed around the central concept of Gnostic dualism  – the conflict between matter and spirit.

[12] Clarke, Adam: First Epistle of John, op. cit., p. 375

[13] Rothe, Richard: The Expository Times, op. cit., August 1892, pp. 506-507

[14] See 1 John 5:9-13

[15] Sir Robert Anderson: Redemption Truths, Ch. 11, p. 62

[16] Schnackenburg, Rudolf, The Johannine Epistles, op. cit., p. 145

[17] Pentecost, J. Dwight. Things to Come: op. cit., Kindle Locations 6115-6121

• 

NEW TESTAMENT CONTEXTUAL COMMENTARY

By Dr. Robert R. Seyda

FIRST EPISTLE OF JOHN

CHAPTER TWO (Lesson LXII) 06/16/21

^2:21 Do you think I am writing this letter because you don’t understand the truth? No, I am writing because you do know the truth. And you recognize that no tales come from the truth.

COMMENTARY

Albert Barnes (1798-1870) puts what the Apostle John says here in verse twenty-one into context to understand better the point the Apostle is trying to make. You are not to regard my writing to you in this earnest manner as any evidence that I do not suppose you to be acquainted with Christianity and its duties. Some, perhaps, might have been disposed to put this construction on what he had said, but he assures them that that was not the reason why he had thus addressed them.

Barnes continues by noting that the very fact that they did understand their Christian faith. John says this is why he wrote to them because they knew. It was the basis of his hope that his appeal would be sufficient. If they had never known what Christianity was, if they were ignorant of its nature and its claims, he would have had much less hope of being able to guard them against error and of securing their steady walk in the path of holiness. We may always make a solid and confident appeal to those who understand their faith and its truth because no lie is of the truth.

For Barnes, no form of error, however plausible it may seem, however ingeniously one defends it, and however much it may seem to be favorable to human virtue and happiness, can be founded on truth. What the Apostle John says here has somewhat the aspect of a truism. Still, it contains a fundamental truth of vital importance and should greatly influence our minds regarding any proposed opinion or doctrine. Error often appears believable. It seems to be adapted to relieve the mind of many difficulties that perplex and embarrass it on what the Bible teaches. It seems to be adapted to promote one’s doctrine.

It appears to make those who embrace it happy to enjoy religion. But John says that no matter how plausible all this may be, it may only be to prove that the doctrines they embraced are of God. Here is an impressive and vital maxim: “No error can have its foundation in truth, and, of course, that makes it worthless.” The great question is, what is truth? When that is determined, we can quickly settle the inquiries that come up about the various doctrines being practiced around the world. Mere reasonable appearances, or temporary good results that may grow out of an ideology, do not prove that it is based firmly on the truth. Whatever the results may be, it is impossible that any error, no matter how convincing, will have its origin in facts.[1]

William Sinclair (1850-1917) says that if any promoters of the Antichrist movement had the unction of the Anointed One, [2] they must have grieved God’s Spirit. But the Apostle John’s hearers were still in union with the true Vine, and, therefore, had the divine instinct which “guided them into all truth.” If they trusted the Spirit in simple questions about morality and religion and their effect on the soul, it would be sufficiently plain to them to explain. He does believe this about them. So, he humbly begs them not to think that he distrusts them. If he did not feel that they had the eye of understanding spiritually enlightened, he would know that there would be no response in their hearts to his words, nor interest about them in their minds.^[3]

Alan E. Brooke (1863-1939) agrees with other scholars that to know what is false, you must first understand what is true, for those who know the truth are in a position to immediately detect the true character of that which is opposed to it. In the first case, they must be taught that something is a lie, and they will at once reject it. In the second case, their knowledge of the truth enables them to detect if it is agreeing to the text and context. If the teacher can awaken their perception, it completes his or her task. Learners possess the means if they will only use them. That is the object of this Epistle, “to stir up the gift that is in them.”[4] [5]

Harry A. Ironside (1876-1951) speaks about the anointing of the Holy Spirit and relates a story he heard some years earlier to illustrate it. It concerned a well-known English minister who shared it with him.

One night, when he was just ready to retire, there came a knock at his door. When he went downstairs, he found a poor, wretched little girl standing at the door dripping wet. She walked through a storm, and she said, “Are you the minister?”   “Yes,” he said, “I am.” He was at that time one who had turned away from the simplicity of the Gospel. “Will you please come and get my mother in?” she asked.   The minister replied, “I was just about to retire, and besides, it is hardly proper for me to go out in this weather and bring in your mother. If she is drunk, you can get a police officer to fetch her. He has his raincoat on and prepared for the storm.”   “Oh no,” said the little girl, “you don’t understand! My mother is not out in the storm, and she is not drunk. She is at home dying, and she is afraid to die. She is afraid she is going to be lost forever. She wants to go to Heaven and doesn’t know how, so I told her I would get a minister to get her in.”   He asked where she lived, and she told him of a district so corrupt that even in daytime, respectable people did not go there without a police escort. “Why,” he said, “I can’t go down there tonight.” He reasoned it would ruin his reputation to be caught with a girl like this in that district in the middle of the night. No, he said to himself, I cannot go. I am the preacher of a large and influential church. What would my congregation think if it should get into the newspapers?   So, he said to the girl, “I’ll tell you what to do. Go down and get the man who is running the Rescue Mission. He will be glad to help you.” He felt ashamed as he said it but decided his reputation had to be maintained.   “He may be a good man,” replied the girl, “but I don’t know him. I told my mother I would get a real minister, and I want you to come and get her in. Please come quickly; she’s dying.”   I couldn’t resist the challenge in those eyes, the preacher confessed. He felt ashamed, so he said to her, “Very well, I will come.” He went upstairs, got dressed, and put on his overcoat.   Then the girl led him down through the city, into the slum district, into an old house, up a rickety stairway, and along a long dark hall into a small room where the poor woman lay. “I have gotten the preacher of the biggest church in the city,” said the girl. “He will get you in. He didn’t want to come, but he’s here. You tell him what you want and do just what he tells you to do.”   The woman looked up and said, “Oh, sir, can you do anything for a poor sinner? All my life, I’ve been a wicked woman, and I am going to Hell. But I don’t want to go there. I want to be saved and go to Heaven. Tell me what I can do.”   The preacher related how he stood there looking down at that poor anxious face and thought, whatever will I tell her? I have been preaching in my church on salvation by character, ethical culture, and reformation. But I can’t tell her about salvation by character, for she hasn’t any. I can’t tell her about salvation by ethical culture, for there’s no time for culture, and besides, she most likely wouldn’t know what I meant. I can’t tell her about salvation by reformation, for she has gone too far to reform. Then it came to me, why not tell her what my mother used to say to me? She’s dying, and it can’t hurt her, even though it will not do her any good. And so, he said, “My poor lady, God is very gracious, and the Bible says, ‘God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.’”   She replied, “Does it say that in the Bible? My! It should help get me in. But, sir, my sins! What about my sins?”   The minister said it was amazing how the verses came to him, verses he learned years ago and never used. He said to the woman, “The blood of Jesus Christ, His Son, cleanses us from all sin.”[6]   “All sin?” she asked. “Does it actually say that the blood will cleanse me from all sin? That ought to get me in.”   The minister continued, the Bible also says, “This is a faithful saying, and worthy of acceptance that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.”[7]   “Well,” she said, “If the chief got in, I can get in too. Pray for me!”[8]

Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981) sees similarities with the many misinterpretations of verses twenty and twenty-one, further down, verse twenty-seven. Some feel that their understanding and interpretation of the Scriptures are without error. It’s a case of assuming infallibility. There always seems to be some whose guidance is foolproof and who cannot go wrong, and so you find this principle of perfection reasserting itself again and again. The first thing to do, says Lloyd-Jones, is to realize that the Apostle John is not dealing with the question of guidance from the Holy Spirit. It is not a matter of our ability to tell others what God wants them to know about particular decisions. John is discussing here knowledge of the truth, an understanding of doctrine; his concern is the doctrine’s truth and that he is the one and only Anointed One. That is the context in which to understand these three verses.

Secondly, says Lloyd-Jones, John does not teach that every Christian receives fresh truth directly and immediately, as the apostles did. John already told these people that he writes to them to have fellowship with him and the other apostles. They received the truth when they believed through the apostle’s witness and teaching and preaching. They did not get to know what they now know because it was delivered to them individually from above. How can you expect to have fellowship when each congregation member claims to have the infallible truth straight from God?

---

[1] Barnes, Albert: New Testament Notes, op. cit., p. 4830

[2] Cf. John 15:26; 2 Corinthians 17, 18; Ephesians 16; Philippians 1:29

[3] Sinclair, William: First Epistle of John, op. cit., p. 480

[4] 2 Timothy 1:6

[5] Brooke, Alan E., International Critical Commentary, op. cit., p. 57

[6] 1 John 1:7

[7] 1 Timothy 1:15

[8] Ironside, H. A., Addresses on the Epistles of John (Ironside Commentary Series Book 43), op. cit., pp. 24-25

• 

NEW TESTAMENT CONTEXTUAL COMMENTARY

By Dr. Robert R. Seyda

FIRST EPISTLE OF JOHN

CHAPTER TWO (Lesson LXI) 06/15/21

^2:20 But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth.

COMMENTARY

Priestly L. Greville (1891-1976) feels that the KJV rendering of “ye know all things” is better translated from older manuscripts as “you all know.” The NIV reads: “all of you know.” Under the First Covenant, only those chosen by God received revelations to share with the people. But in the Final Covenant, every believer is eligible to receive the Holy Spirit through the Anointed One and thereby become aware of what the Spirit of Truth teaches us about the knowledge of God. The saving knowledge of regeneration was not just for a cultured few, says Greville, but to every genuine member of the Body of the Anointed One. That is what Jesus was talking about when He said we would know the truth, and the truth would set us free.^{[1] [2]}

Raymond E. Brown (1928-1998) says that John’s use of the Greek noun chrisma (“anointing”) makes sense only if that ointment has effects. There is no such thing as anointing for anointing’s sake. When used literally, it means consecration of the flesh for prayer. For example, scriptures tell us that if any of you are sick, you should call for the elders of the church to come and pray over you, anointing you with oil in the name of the Lord.^[3] It is also used figuratively for calling, illumination, and enlightenment.^[4] Not only that, but it is used frequently in the sense of being under the anointing while preaching or teaching.^[5]

Stephen S. Smalley (1931-2018) says that the Apostle John finishes with pointing out all the heretics’ antichrist errors and lies; now, he’s focused on the genuine believer. So, he introduces the identification marks of the authentic children of God. So, in the following few verses, we see a sharp contrast between the position of the fundamental and radical members in the congregation. Furthermore, John separates those who stayed behind with the loyal member from those who deserted the faithful.

It contrasts the basic concepts of truth and error represented by their positions with God, says Smalley. His Son, His Word, and His Spirit. John emphasizes three leading ideas: responsibility, remembering what they heard, and remaining steadfast. Together, these three themes highlight the concept of God’s indwelling word.^[6] If it worked back then, indeed, it should work today. How many believers are there that confess the indwelling presence and Spirit of God, but the library of God’s Word is empty?

Peter Pett (1966) tells us that the word for “anointing” appears only three times in the Final Covenant, here and twice in verse twenty-seven, below. It signifies “that with which believers are anointed.” It initially had within it in the First Covenant the idea of applying oil to set a man aside in God’s service. The question, therefore, is whether it refers to such a literal “means of anointing” (that is, the oil or ointment itself applied to someone), or anointing with the “anointing,” that is, with the Holy Spirit, where the Holy Spirit replaces the oil.^[7] It brings up whether a person is anointed because they preach, or do they preach because they are anointed? One of these must occur first. It seems clear that a person must first be anointed before they can preach under the anointing.

Douglas S. O’Donnell (1972) reminds us that the Greek noun chrisma means “anointed.” Now here, John uses a play on words by saying to his readers, they too have the “anointing.” It has become commonplace, says O’Donnell, to use the word anointed in ways that are foreign to its usage in Scripture. For example, we might call preachers, sermons, songs, or worship services as anointed. Widespread use speaks of a person or event in which there is an awareness of God’s power or presence. However, to anoint someone in the Bible has to do with setting a person apart for a particular purpose. Such anointing was the privilege of the chosen few – priests, prophets, and kings. Christ fulfilled these offices. Now, God bestowed this priestly, prophetic, and kingly anointing upon all who confess that Jesus is the Anointed One arrived in the flesh.[8] [9]

Current Bible scholar John W. (Jack) Carter points out that there is a play on words working here where the text states literally, “you have an anointing from the Anointed One.” Reminded of Jesus’ baptism, some would argue that this anointing refers explicitly to the believer’s baptism. Some attempt to connect the statement with the traditional act of anointing with oil. Let’s consider this passage in the context of a believer’s water baptism. We must remind ourselves that Jesus’ command was to baptize (or immerse) believers in the Name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit from whom the anointing flows.

The command embraces Jesus’ plan for making disciples: by immersing them in the knowledge of God. The “Name” of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, refers to the whole nature and identity of the trinity. Jesus immersed His disciples in the knowledge of God. Stopping this process with a water immersion is a poor substitute.[10] However, we should notice that only after John baptized Jesus in water that the Holy Spirit descended from above in the form of a dove and landed on Him. It was only then that the Spirit led Him out into the wilderness for testing. It should be enough to convince us that the baptism of the Spirit follows the baptism of water.

2:21a So I am writing to you not because you don’t know the truth but because you see no lie ever comes as part of the truth.

Just in case his readers may have understood that John was accusing them of not knowing all they should know about God and the Anointed One, he wanted to clear that up immediately. Didn’t King Solomon say that it would be the wise among us to listen to good advice?^[11] In fact, says Solomon, don’t try to correct those who think they know it all, for they will hate you for it. But correct those who are wise, and they will love you. Teach the wise, and they will become more discerning. Instruct those who live right, and they will learn even more. The Apostle Paul felt confident that the Roman believers were those who had grown in their knowledge of the truth. However, there was still more that they could learn.^[12] The Apostle Peter said the same thing to his readers.^[13]

John Bunyan (1628-1688) tells us in Pilgrim’s Progress how pilgrim Christian asked his fellow Pilgrim Hope if there was any truth in what Mr. Atheist said?  Pilgrim Hope responded by saying, be careful; Mr. Atheist is one of the Flatterers. Remember what it cost us already for listening to such kinds of fellows. What, no Mount Zion? Did we not see, from the Delectable Mountains, the gates of the city? Also, are we not now to walk by faith?[14] Let us go on, said Pilgrim Hope, in case the man with the whip overtakes us again. You should have taught me that lesson, with which I filled your ears: “If you stop listening to instruction, my son, you will turn your back on knowledge.”[15] So I say, my brother Christian, don’t listen to him anymore and continue to believe in saving the soul.

So, Christian answered: My brother, I did not put the question to you because I doubted the truth of our belief, but to prove you and gather the fruit of the honesty of your heart. As for Mr. Atheist, I know that the god of this world has blinded him. So let you and I go on, knowing that we have the truth, and no fiction comes from facts.^[16] This story provides us with a good lesson on not listening to those who oppose or try to tear down our doctrines and teachings as if they are saying anything true. They may misquote Scripture or cite some known Christian scholar, but it is all an effort to promote lies.

As Jonathan Edwards (1703-1758) sees it, the Apostle John, in his general epistle, plainly manifests that all readers were supposed to have true grace since he declares this to be the qualification he respects; he lets them know. So, he writes to them for that reason because they are supposed to be persons with the same character as those who’ve known God and overcame the wicked one, and had their sins forgiven them.[17] ^[18]

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[1] John 8:32

[2] Greville, Priestly L., The Johannine Epistles, op. cit., p. 65

[3] James 5:14; see Mark 6:13

[4] 1 John 2:27

[5] See Luke 4:18

[6] Smalley, Stephen S., Word Biblical Commentary, Vol. 51, op. cit., p. 104

[7] Pett, Peter: Commentary on the New Testament, op. cit., loc. cit.

[8] 1 John 4:2

[9] O’Donnell, Douglas Sean. 1-3, op. cit., (Kindle Locations 1769-1774)

[10] Carter, Dr. John W. (Jack). 1,2,3, John & Jude, op. cit., p. 61

[11] Proverbs 1:5

[12] Romans 15:14-15

[13] 2 Peter 1:12

[14] 2 Corinthians 5:7

[15] Proverbs 19:27

[16] Bunyan, John: Pilgrim’s Progress, Vol 9, p. 169

[17] 1 John 2:12-14, 21

[18] Edwards, Jonathan, The Works of: Vol. 3, A Humble Inquiry into the Rules of the Word of God Concerning Qualifications Requisite to a Complete Standing and Full Communion in the Visible Christian Church. Part 2, Section 7, p. 272

• 

NEW TESTAMENT CONTEXTUAL COMMENTARY

By Dr. Robert R. Seyda

FIRST EPISTLE OF JOHN

CHAPTER TWO (Lesson LX) 06/14/21

^2:20 But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth.

COMMENTARY

Father Haydock states that Robert Witham says the real children of God’s family remain in unity under the guidance of their lawful pastors. There, they partake of the grace of the Holy Spirit, promised to the Church and her pastors. They also have all the necessary knowledge and instruction in the Catholic Church, so do not look for it elsewhere. You can only find it in the Church of which they are members.^[1]

German Protestant Richard Rothe (1799-1867) says that the Apostle John may have thought he was sending the wrong message to the faithful in the congregation by this time. It might suggest to them that he did not credit them with sufficient insight on the matter and that he looked at them as being on their way to backsliding. That’s why John tells them; they have the gifts the Anointed One gave them, so they know the truth. Then he apologizes and lets them know he did not write to them because they did not only comprehend the truth, but they know that facts do not come from the fiction.

It was another way of saying, compare what I’m telling with what the Anointed One said you’ll see they are in perfect harmony. But at the same time, John was aware that it never hurts to remind believers where their spiritual life started and where they are now, so they can better see if they are on the right road.^[2] Some long-time Christians often feel uncomfortable when a pastor preaches a salvation message on Sunday morning, even giving an altar call. The truth is, they prefer not to know where they are in their spiritual union with the Anointed One.

Robert Candlish (1760-1854) says that mere human study might master everything said or written about God and His works and ways. However, knowledge obtained this way runs the risk of being one-sided and partial; we must examine all the creeds thoroughly to discover their doctrinal, controversial, and historical bearings. The all-knowing theologian may be able to discuss them all and know everything about them. But left to himself without any “unction” from the Holy Spirit, he is vulnerable to allow some peculiar leaning, some personal bias, or personal concept to prevail.

It generally leads, says Candlish, to some portion, aspect, or feature of the divine plan to be seen through a cloud of intellectual dust. In the end, it may cause endless perplexity and doubt to blemish the simplicity of the Gospel, which is the Anointed One. It is not, therefore, any such knowledge of all things that John recommended. Instead, it is that of which our Lord spoke when He prayed, “O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, thank you for hiding these things from those who think themselves wise and clever, and for revealing them to the childlike. Yes, Father, it pleased you to do it this way!”[3]

John James Lias (1834-1923) is happy that John tells his readers, and all true believers, you are not like what he described in the previous verse. There can be no doubt that the unction^[4] here references the Anointed One and the Antichrist. The disciples of the Anointed One partake of His unction, of which those who reject Him are utterly lacking. We must ask, what is the connection between this verse and the previous one? And what is meant by “unction?”

First, however, Lias notes that the English translation of the Greek conjunction kai is “but.” For him and others, it seems there is no immediate connection with what precedes. There appears to be no apparent concern about the influential Hebrew element behind the Greek of this Epistle. What John says here is no doubt in fierce opposition to the traitors of the previous verse. Anyone acquainted with the various shades of meaning knows that they do not connect two opposite thoughts with “but,” we see that in Genesis 1:1 of heaven and earth. We notice the same here in the antithesis between true and false believers. Lias offers a better translation by changing “but” into “instead.” That way, the verse reads: “Instead, He gave the Holy Spirit to you.”^[5]

Lias addresses another factor in this verse where John says that God gave His Spirit so that “all of you know the truth.” God does not regard each of us as standing alone but as parts of a great whole. However, there may be some people who object to the infallibility of the Pope. So, they withdraw into the safety of allowing each Christian to establish the truth for themselves. But how could any single individual sum up for themselves all the graces and perfections of Christian character?

No one who has grasped the foundation of all Christian virtue, humility, would think of pretending thus to stand alone, says Lias. When we are challenged, we must take counsel with God and our brethren, following what the Apostle Paul told the Corinthians, “If someone sitting in the meeting gets some special word from God, the one who is speaking should stop.”^[6] Nor would anyone who seeks true enlightenment despise the voice of the “Apostles and elders” of the Christian Church. Here the Apostle John does not speak about the option to official authority, but the unction bestowed upon the whole Church.^[7]

James Morgan (1859-1942) opens the door to a very enlightening discussion about the Holy Spirit. It is doubtful whether we should understand “the Holy One” to mean the Spirit Himself given to the believer or by the Anointed One who sent Him. He is customarily known as the Holy Spirit, and both His nature and His operations in the hearts and lives of humankind entitle Him to do His work. Yet, on the other hand, He is represented to be the Spirit of the Anointed One. He is the great gift which the Anointed One was to confer upon the Church. In His exaltation, it reveals the Savior as dispensing this gift. “I saw a Lamb standing in front of the twenty-four leaders. It was before the throne and in front of the four living beings. The lamb looked as if it had been sacrificed. It had seven horns and seven eyes. These are the seven Spirits of God sent out into all the world.”[8]

We know that to the Hebrews, the number seven means “completeness, perfection.” But it is also a spiritual number associated with “intuition, mysticism, inner wisdom, and deep inward knowing.” Understanding this, we can see how the seven spirits tied to the seven eyes of the slain Lamb can be taken to mean the “fullness” of the Spirit of the Anointed One. It would distinguish them from the “Gifts of the Spirit” outlined by the Apostle Paul.[9]

It seems natural, therefore, says Morgan, to understand the “Holy One” as the “Anointed One.” And we are thus presented with a most engaging and encouraging view of the truth. Jesus presides over His people and confers His Spirit upon them as His gifts and graces as needed. He does so either for preservation or their faithfulness and efficiency to others. To obtain the Spirit, they only have to appeal to Him. Therefore, they have at hand a never-failing supply of grace to which they may continually come. And having the “unction” from the Holy One, they may realize His gracious promise, “Whoever drinks the water that I will give him will never be thirsty. The water that I will give him will become in him a well of life that lasts forever.”[10] ^[11]

Robert Law (1860-1919) gives us a special note on the meaning of the Greek noun chrisma (“anointing.”) This word is the last descendant of a long and interesting Biblical lineage, says Law. He then offers the following successive steps briefly explaining the progress:

1. Practiced in the anointing of the body with oil as a means of invigoration.[12]   2. From the refreshing and pleasurable sensations thus produced, anointing (especially with fragrant ointments) is an act of courteous hospitality, betokening favor towards the guest.[13] Failure to observe this custom is a mark of unthinking and stingy hospitality.[14]   3. It naturally becomes a symbol of joy and strength.[15] It symbolically identifies the appointment of persons to high and sacred office as a mark of Divine favor and Divine endowment with the gifts and aptitudes required by the office.[16]   4. It is given to Jesus and accepted by Him[17] and becomes a proper name of Jesus.   5. The charisma in Jesus’ anointing is the Holy Spirit.[18]   6. This charisma is, after His Ascension, fully imparted to the Church.[19]

It does not follow that the use of the word charisma (which is unique in the Final Covenant) was a technical ecclesiastical term, or that the ceremony of actual christening, which very soon became a recognized addition to baptism and the laying on of hands, which was already in use.^[20]

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[1] Haydock, George: First Epistle of John, op. cit., loc. cit.

[2] Rothe, Richard: The Expository Times, op. cit., August 1892, p. 506

[3] Matthew 11:25-26

[4] The English word “unction” translates the Greek noun chrisma, which means an ointment usually used in anointing the priests at their inaugural ceremony.

[5] Lias, J. J., The First Epistle of John with Exposition, op. cit., p. 144

[6] 1 Corinthians 14:30

[7] Lias, J. J., The First Epistle of John with Homiletical Treatment, op. cit., pp. 147-149

[8] Revelation 5:6

[9] 1 Corinthians 12:4-11

[10] John 4:14

[11] Morgan, J. (1865)., An Exposition of the First Epistle of John, op. cit., (pp. 121–122) Edinburgh: T&T Clark.

[12] Ezekiel 16:9 upon infants; James 5:14 upon the sick.

[13] Psalm 23:5

[14] Luke 7:46

[15] Proverbs 27:9; Isaiah 61:3; Matthew 6:9

[16] (a) Kings are anointed (1 Sam. 10:1; the anointing being accompanied by the gift of the Spirit); (b) Priests are anointed (Lev. 8:12, 30, Ps. 133:2); (c) Prophets are anointed (1 Kings 19:16, Ps. 105:15, Isa. 61:1); (d) the title “Anointed” (Messiah, Christ) is applied specifically to the kings of David’s line (Ps. 2:2; 84:9); and becomes the title of the expected Deliverer and Redeemer of Israel (Dan. 9:25, 26, John 4:25; 7:27, 31).

[17] Matthew 16:16, 20, John 6:69; 11:27, Luke 24:26 etc.

[18] Acts of the Apostles 10:38; cf. Luke 4:18, John 3:34

[19] John 16:3, Acts of the Apostles 2:32; cf. 10:45, Ephesians 4:8ff., 2 Corinthians 1:21

[20] Law, Robert: (1909)., The Tests of Life: A Study of the First Epistle of St. John, op. cit., p. 127

• 

CANCER IN OUR FAMILY – BULLYING

A pastor was once asked: What is bullying?” Here is his answer: Although we do not find the word bullying in the Bible, we see the word “brutish,” a synonym of the brutal thuggery associated with thieves, assassins, and savage beasts.[1] The Hebrew and Greek words translated as “brute” or “brutish” mean “stupid, foolish,” and “irrational,” like cattle. We can derive from this that those who bully are acting as cows or other beasts incapable of rational thought. It is, unfortunately, not uncommon to see this type of disgusting behavior in fallen mankind – even in the church—in both males and females throughout all life stages.

Even though the Bible does not speak specifically about bullies or bullying, many biblical principles apply to the issue. First, it is crucial to understand what bullying is. A simple definition would be “using superior strength or power to intimidate people.” Bullies prey on people they perceive as weaker and threaten them with harm or end up hurting them to get their way. Obviously, bullying is not godly. God called Christians to love others and look out for weaker ones, not intimidate or manipulate people.[2] Christians should not become bullies but learn how to respond to bullying.

Generally, there are two situations in which a Christian may need to respond to bullying: when he is the victim of bullying and when he is a witness to bullying. When being bullied, the proper response might be turning the other cheek or self-defense. When Jesus spoke of “turning the other cheek,”[3] He taught us to refrain from retaliating for disrespect. The idea is not to return an insult with contempt. When someone verbally abuses us, we do not respond to their affront with outrage. When someone tries to assert their position or power to intimidate or force us into acting in a wrong way, we can resist their manipulation without being manipulative in return.

In other cases, mainly if the bullying is physical, self-defense may be appropriate. The Bible does not advocate total pacifism. God’s instructions to Israel[4] and Jesus’ instruction to His disciples to get a sword[5] are informative. Christians are to be loving and forgiving but not to dismiss evil as being too unchristian.

When a Christian observes bullying, it may be appropriate to step in and help prevent the attack against the victim. Each situation will be different, and many times, stepping in will add to the problem, but it often takes just one person to stand up on behalf of a weaker party to stop the bullying and prevent it in the future. In fact, a Christian could talk with a victim of bullying after the incident and help the victim with any needs, including assistance in reporting the incident.

God’s wisdom is necessary for all instances of confronting bullying. Those who follow Christ have the Holy Spirit living within them. He helps us understand God’s Word, guide us, and equip us to obey God in whatever situation we find ourselves.

We also need to consider our thoughts and attitudes toward bullies. It is easy to demonize bullies and think of them as hateful people. However, this is not a godly attitude. Every human being is born a sinner, and we all need salvation in Jesus.[6] At the very least, we should pray that the bully would have a change of heart and know God’s salvation.[7] Many times, though, bullies act the way they do in responding to their hurt. Perhaps they were bullied in the past. Maybe they feel insecure, and the only way they can feel acceptable to themselves is by belittling others. We can empathize with their hurt and extend God’s compassion, love, and grace while also maintaining solid boundaries to address their wrong behavior. Whether a person is driven to bullying by past pain or simply sinful tendencies, God is the one who can bring healing, restoration, and change. It is always appropriate to pray for both bullies and their victims. Similarly, when we are victims of bullying, we can go to God with our hurt and seek His reassurance and healing.

The Apostle Paul has good advice for us: “If someone does you wrong, don’t pay them back by hurting them. Try to do what is right. Do the best you can to live peacefully with everyone. Don’t try to punish everyone who does you wrong. Wait for God to punish them. In the Scriptures, the Lord says, ‘I am the one who punishes; I will pay people back.’ But you should do this: If you have hungry enemies, give them something to eat. If you have thirsty enemies, give them something to drink. In doing this, you will make them feel sorry for treating you in a bad way. Don’t let malicious intentions defeat you, but conquer them by doing good out of love. God has shown us incredible mercy. We should show this to others in how we behave – not by bullying, but by standing up to defend the weak, being willing to forgive, preventing bullying as best we can through appropriate channels, and praying for the bullies and bullied. The love and grace of God are enough to heal every wound.”[8]

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[1] Psalm 49:10; Proverbs 12:1; Isaiah 19:11

[2] Galatians 6:9-10; James 1:27; 1 John 3:17-18

[3] Matthew 5:38-42

[4] Exodus 22

[5] Luke 22

[6] Romans 3:23; 6:23

[7] 1 Timothy 2:1-4

[8] Romans 12:17-21