Experience and Emotions versus Truth

Deuteronomy 13:1-4 - If there arise among you a prophet, or a dreamer of dreams, and giveth thee a sign or a wonder,
And the sign or the wonder come to pass, whereof he spake unto thee, saying, Let us go after other gods, which thou hast not known, and let us serve them;
Thou shalt not hearken unto the words of that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams: for the LORD your God proveth you, to know whether ye love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul.
Ye shall walk after the LORD your God, and fear him, and keep his commandments, and obey his voice, and ye shall serve him, and cleave unto him.

NOTE: Summary: Even an actual experience does not trump the revealed truth.

John 8:32 - And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

NOTE: Not an experience or a feeling to know and be made free, but the truth.

John 16:13 - ...when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth...

NOTE: Not guide us in experience or feelings, but into truth.

Likewise II Peter 1:16-19 - the word is "more sure" than the observation.

Abiding in Christ - Notes in John ch. 15

John 15:4 - Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.

Steps in Abiding - v. 10, keep His commandments; I John 2:6, walk as He walked; I John 2:10, love the brethren; I John 2:15-17, love not the world; I John 2:24, continue in the word.

John 15:5 - I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.

Proof of Abiding - v. 5, bringing forth fruit.

John 15:7 - If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.

Blessings of Abiding - v. 7, answered prayer; I John 2:28, confidence at His coming.

John 15:27 - And ye also shall bear witness, because ye have been with me from the beginning.

Requirements for apostleship: John 15:27; Acts 1:21-22; Acts 22:14-15; Acts 26:16; I Corinthians 9:1.

VM

The Way, Truth, Life: John chapter 14 Notes

The Rapture in John 14:3 - And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.

RECEIVE = Greek PARALAMBANO, "to take to one's self" as the ancient bridegroom carried off his bride home like a captured trophy. Compare same verb Matthew 4:5; Matthew 17:1. Here in the middle deponent voice, same as "active" voice. I Thessalonians 4:17 is the passive part, ours, to "be caught up with Him."

John 14:6 - Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

JESUS IS "THE WAY": Psalm 25:8; Psalm 139:24; Proverbs 6:23; Proverbs 10:17; Proverbs 15:24; Isaiah 40:3 and its N.T. quotes; Jeremiah 21:8; Matthew 7:12-14; John 10:9; Acts 16:17; Acts 24:14; Hebrews 9:8; Hebrews 10:19-20.

"THE WAY" OF TRUTH, PEACE, RIGHTEOUSNESS, ETC: Psalm 1:6; Proverbs 2:20; Proverbs 8:20; Proverbs 12:28; Proverbs 15:10; Proverbs 16:31: Proverbs 22:6; Isaiah 35:8; Isaiah 48:17; Isaiah 59:8; Jeremiah 21:8; Matthew 21:32; Luke 1:79; Romans 3:12; Romans 3:17; II Peter 2:2; II Peter 2:21.

VERSUS "THE WAY" OF THE WICKED, FOOL, FORSAKING, ETC: Psalm 1:1; Psalm 1:6; Proverbs 12:5; Proverbs 13:15; Proverbs 14:12; Proverbs 15:9-10; Proverbs 15:19; Proverbs 16:2; Proverbs 16:25; Proverbs 16:29; Proverbs 22:5; Proverbs 22:24-25; Jeremiah 21:8; Matthew 7:13-14; Romans 3:12; Romans 3:17; II Peter 2:2; II Peter 2:15; II Peter 2:21; Jude 1:11.

"THE WAY" OF GOD, LORD: Psalm 18:21; Psalm 18:30; Psalm 27:11; Proverbs 10:29.

JESUS IS "THE TRUTH": John 1:14; John 1:17; John 8:32; John 15:1; John 18:37; Romans 15:8; II Corinthians 1:19-20; Ephesians 4:21; Colossians 2:9; I John 5:20; Revelation 1:5; Revelation 3:7,14; Revelation 19:11.

"THE TRUTH" IS GOD, HOLY SPIRIT, OTHER: Numbers 23:19; I Samuel 15:29; John 4:23-24; John 15:26; John 16:13; Ephesians 5:9; Titus 1:2; Hebrews 6:17-18; I John 4:6; I John 5:6.

JESUS IS "THE LIFE": John 1:4; John 3:15-16; John 3:36; John 5:21; John 5:26; John 6:33; John 6:51; John 6:57; John 6:63; John 6:68; John 10:10; John 11:25; John 14:19; John 17:3; Acts 3:15; Acts 5:20; Romans 6:23; Colossians 3:4; Galatians 2:20; II Timothy 1:1; I John 1:1-2; I John 5:12.

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

Important cross refs: John 2:22; John 12:16; John 16:13; I Corinthians 2:13; I John 2:20; I John 2:27.

VM

John chapters 10, 11, 12 Notes

John 10:16 - And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.

Speaking of the Church as a whole, which is largely Gentile. Important cross refs: John 11:51-52; Ephesians 1:10; Ephesians 2:11-22; I Peter 2:10.

John 10:22 - And it was at Jerusalem the feast of the dedication, and it was winter.

"Feast of the dedication" = Hanukkah / Festival of Lights. Celebrates the rededication of the temple after the revolt of the Maccabees against Greek rule, 165 B.C.

Note / Quote at John 10:27-28 - "Assurance [of salvation] is only for those who are truly saved, as evidenced by their life of obedience. They follow the One Who's voice they hear. John 10:27 is evidence, John 10:28 is the blessing." - David Cloud. Cross ref Romans 8:13-14.

John 11:47 - Then gathered the chief priests and the Pharisees a council, and said, What do we? for this man doeth many miracles.

Christ's enemies NEVER denied that He actually performed miracles. They admit it in several places, but still do not believe on Him. Likewise with the Apostles, Acts 4:16.

Note at John 12:39-41 - The vision which Isaiah saw of the glory of God (Isaiah 6:1-10) is said by John to be the glory of Jesus! JESUS IS GOD!

VM

Notes in John chapter 9

John 9:28 - Then they reviled him, and said, Thou art his disciple; but we are Moses' disciples.

Note here and at John 5:45 - Any true disciple of Moses will become one of Jesus Christ!

John 9:34 - They answered and said unto him, Thou wast altogether born in sins, and dost thou teach us? And they cast him out.

"Born in sins," compare verse 2, "Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind?"

John 9:37 - And Jesus said unto him, Thou hast both seen him, and it is he that talketh with thee.

Note: Jesus subtly points out to the formerly blind man that he can now SEE the Son of God.

VM

The Seven "I AM" Statements of Jesus

In John's Gospel we find three courses of seven: seven miracles, seven "I AM" statements of Jesus and seven discourses. Having just noted the ultimate "I AM" statement (this note), as the ultimate sum of the seven, it would be helpful to mark the seven, perhaps at the title page of John's Gospel or perhaps through the text.

"I am the bread of life" - John 6:35.

"I am the light of the world" - John 8:12.

"I am the door" (literally, "the gate") - John 10:9.

"I am the Good Shepherd" - John 10:11.

"I am the resurrection and the life" - John 11:25-26.

"I am the way, the truth, and the life" - John 14:6.

"I am the vine" - John 15:5.

"I AM" - John 8:58. This is the ultimate sum of the seven "I am" statements above. Only the "I AM" Jehovah God Almighty could claim all these.

VM

Notes in John chapter 8

Regarding the woman taken in adultery, John 8:1-11: The critical Greek text removes this passage and modern Bible versions cast doubt on it. However, it is authentic, as this event is in direct answer to the end of chapter 7. Nicodemus gave a challenge to the Pharisees: "Doth our law judge any man, before it hear him, and know what he doeth?" in John 7:51. In response to this challenge, the plan was hatched to attempt to get Jesus to speak against the Law - so that Nicodemus and others could "hear him, and know what he doeth." Where was the man with whom the woman was caught? It was likely one of the men who brought her to Jesus. This was a conspiracy to entrap Jesus so that even Nicodemus and others would be against Him if they heard Him speak against the Law. See also Scofield's note on this as well.

John 8:8 - And again he stopped down and wrote on the ground.

"One of the most convicting sermons ever preached was not spoken, but scrawled in the dust, unrecorded for us." - VM

John 8:11 - "...Go and sin no more."

Note here and also at John 5:14 - Don't be foold by the Easy Prayerism crowd that "repentance" is not found in John! If they'd take the trouble to read John instead of word-searching it, they would see John 5:14 and John 8:11.

John 8:44 - Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.

"Your father the devil"; Satan as spiritual father: Matthew 13:38; Acts 13:10; I John 3:8-12.

"He was a murderer from the beginning" - Satan as murderer, "from the beginning" - Genesis 3:1-7, the temptation to the Fall, the result of which was death. See I Peter 5:8.

"He...abode not in the truth" - clear evidence that Satan was at one time "in the truth" as a holy angel. See II Peter 2:4; Jude 6. Satan's background and fall described: Isaiah 14; Ezekiel 28.

When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own - Genesis 3:4-5; II Chronicles 18:20-22; Acts 5:3; II Corinthians 11:3; II Corinthians 11:13-15; II Thessalonians 2:9-11; Revelation 12:9-10; Revelation 20:10; Revelation 22:15.

John 8:56 - Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad.

Notice, "Your father Abraham", not "My father" or "Our father." Should have sounded odd to the Jews speaking to another Jew. Jesus is in the middle of explaining Who He really is.

Cross refs to John 8:56: Genesis 2:18; Galatians 3:7-9; Hebrews 11:13; I Peter 1:10-12. Compare Luke 10:24.

John 8:58 - Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.

"I AM" - a clear claim to be Jehovah God, the "I AM" of Exodus 3:14. Hence the Jews' desire to stone Him.

Jesus had used "I AM" several times already in the chapter, not as clear in the KJV because of the italicized words. Remove italics from John 8:24, John 8:28. We see (1) The deity of Christ is only denied by those who will "die in their sins," John 8:24; and (2) The death and resurrection of Christ will prove His claims to who He is, John 8:28.

Jesus uses the "I AM" name again with miraculous power, toppling over backwards the men coming to arrest Him: John 18:4-6 (remove the italics again).

VM

Unbelieving Disciples in John chapter 6

John 6:26 - Jesus answered them and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled.

"They 'believed' on Him not as their Lord and Saviour, but as a wordly messiah to supply their needs and defeat their enemies." - D. Cloud.

These depart, John 6:66.

John 6:66 - From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.

This type of disciple is explained in John 2:23-25; John 6:15; John 6:26; I Corinthians 15:2b; I John 2:19.

VM

The Woman at the Well - Notes

John 4:5 - Then cometh he to a city of Samaria, which is called Sychar, near to the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph.

On this parcel, see note at Genesis 48:22.

John 4:18 - For thou hast had five husbands; and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband....

Note: "Jesus faced her squarely with the immorality that had controlled her life." - David Cloud. This is the way God deals with people. When evangelizing or discipling, we cannot soft-pedal a person's sin.

John 4:20 - [The Samaritan woman at the well speaking:] Our fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship.

"This mountain" is Mt. Gerizim, where Samaritan tradition said Abraham offered Isaac. The blessings of the Law were read from Gerizim; the curses from Mt. Ebal: Deuteronomy 11:29; Joshua 8:30-35. Samaritans had built a temple on Gerizim.

John 4:24 - God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

Important cross refs: Deuteronomy 4:15-19; II Corinthians 3:17.

John 4:35 - Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? Behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest.

Don't put off your witness! The field is ready! The time is now!

VM

Born of Water? Not Baptism!

Compare John 3:3 and John 3:5 - Without the new birth, a man cannot enter into the kingdom or even see (perceive / understand) it.

John 3:5 - Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and [of] the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.

BORN OF WATER IS NOT WATER BAPTISM!
Compare John 7:37-39, the water is the Holy Spirit. "Born of water and [of] the Spirit" - Notice "of" is in italics in the KJV text and there is no article ("the") in the Greek. Literally, "Born of water and Spirit" indicates this is one birth spoken of in this verse in the Greek.

Also, Nicodemus is reproved for not knowing about what Jesus spoke, John 3:10. But how could Nicodemus have known about Christian baptism? Why would Jesus reprove him for not knowing about baptism?

B. H. Carroll Explains "Born of Water" is Not Water Baptism:

• Christ and Nicodemus discussed but two births, the natural birth and the spiritual birth, John 3:6. Whatever verse 5 means, it is one birth. Otherwise our chapter talks of three births-the natural birth, the baptism birth and the Spirit birth, which is contrary to the context.


• There is no article in the Greek before the words - not even before "Spirit." This is therefore one birth. "Born of water" is the same as "Born of Spirit."


• The context shows that the salvation invovled in John 3 is a salvation of grace and not of sacraments.


• The Lord rebukes Nicodemus for not understanding what He meant. Carroll says, "The censure lies in the fact that what is meant by 'born of water and Spirit' is clearly set forth in the Old Testament, which is so silent about baptism."


• "The phase, 'born of water and Spirit,' is but an expansion of the previous phrase, 'born from above.' It interprets and develops the first phrase, bringing out the two elements in regeneration, namely, cleansing and renewing. It is only when we lose sight of the cleansing element in regeneration that we are liable to go astray in interpreting the phrase 'born of water.' The matter is clearly set forth in Ezekiel 36:25, 26 which declares: 'Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean; from all your filthiness and from all of your idols, will I cleanse you.' This is the cleansing element of regeneration. 'A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit....' And this is the renewing element."


• See Hebrews 9:13-14. "The Old Testament idea of clean water...typified the blood of Christ, applied in regeneration by the Holy Spirit.... With this Nicodemus ought to have been familiar. 'Born of water and spirit' simply means 'cleansed by the blood of Christ and renewed by the Holy Spirit.'"


• See similar language of washing in Titus 3:5; Ephesians 5:25-27.

The above is paraphrased from "The Four Gospels, Volume 1" by B. H. Carroll, pp. 325-237.

John 3:7 - Marvel not....

Apparently, Nicodemus marvelled at this doctrine.

John 3:13 - And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven.

Notice the omni-presence of Christ; in heaven and earth simultaneously. This phrase stricken from the critical text and the modern versions, which weaken the deity of Christ.

John 3:14 - And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up.

Cross reference: Numbers 21:7-9.

"Even so MUST the Son of man be lifted up." - Must means it is absolutely necessary. Lifted up means lifted up on the cross; crucified. Defined in John 12:32-33. See also John 8:28.

John 3:16 - See "Man's Ruin" (or Romans volume 1) by Donald Grey Barnhouse, pp. 25-26 for excellent devotion on this verse.

VM

The Sign of the Resurrection in John chapter 2

John 2:18-21 - Then answered the Jews and said unto him, What sign shewest thou unto us, seeing that thou doest these things? Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up. Then said the Jews, Forty and six years was this temple in building, and wilt thou rear it up in three days? But he spake of the temple of his body.

When the Jews ask for a sign of His authority, Jesus always gives them the sign of the resurrection.

The sign of the resurrection.

The resurrection of Christ proves:

• His authority over God's house - John 2:13-22



• His authority to judge living & dead - Acts 17:31



• His deity, eternal Sonship - Romans 1:4



• His death acceptable to the Father - Romans 4:24-25



• His eternal intercession for our security - Hebrews 7:24-25

The above note also at Matthew 12:38-40.

John 2:13 - And the Jews' passover was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.

As Deuteronomy 16:16 said every adult Jewish man must. Jesus always kept the Law perfectly.

John 2:23-25 - Now when he was in Jerusalem at the passover, in the feast day, many believed in his name, when they saw the miracles which he did. But Jesus did not commit himself unto them, because he knew all men, And needed not that any should testify of man: for he knew what was in man.

As only God can. Jesus is God!

He also knew some were false professors. They departed later, John 6:64-66.

VM

John Chapter 1 Notes

John 1:1 - In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

"WORD" = Greek "LOGOS: word, expression, concept." Vine's Dictionary says, "the 'Word,' the personal manifestation, not of a part of the Divine nature, but of the whole Deity."

Jesus is the Word / Expression of God, very God in totality. He reveals God to man: Matthew 1:23; John 10:30; Philippians 2:6; Colossians 1:15; Hebrews 1:3, etc.

John calls Jesus the Word: John 1:1; John 1:14; I John 1:1; I John 5:7; Revelation 19:13.

John 1:2 - The same was in the beginning with God.

Compare Deuteronomy 32:39 - "There is no god with me." Jehovah's Witness Bible says, "The word was a god." Contradicts Deut. 32:39. Jesus IS God!

The eternal nature of Christ: Micah 5:2; John 17:5; Colossians 1:17; Hebrews 13:8; I John 1:1-2; I John 5:20; Revelation 1:8; Revelation 1:11; Revelation 2:8; Revelation 21:6; Revelation 22:13.

John 1:4 - In him was life; and the life was the light of men.

This note at John 14:6, "I am...the LIFE" - John 1:4; John 3:15-16; John 3:36; John 5:21; John 5:26; John 6:33; John 6:51; John 6:57: John 6:68; John 10:10; John 11:25; John 14:6; John 14:19; John 17:3; Acts 3:15; Romans 6:23; Colossians 3:4; Galatians 2:20; II Timothy 1:1; I John 1:1-2; I John 5:11-12.

John 1:11 - He came unto his own, and his own received him not.

THE RESPONSE OF THE JEWS: (1) Rejected His prophets and preachers, Matthew 23:37. (2) Refused His tender love, Matthew 23:37. (3) Resisted the Holy Ghost, Acts 7:51.

John 1:14 - ...(and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,)...

Compare Isaiah 42:8 - "...my glory will I not give to another." Jesus is not another because Jesus IS God!

John 1:21 - ...Art thou that prophet?

"That prophet" that should come, promised Deuteronomy 18:15-18. This prophet is Christ: John 6:14; John 7:40; Acts 3:22-24; Acts 7:37.

VM

Psalm 27:2

Psalm 27:2 - When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell.

"They stumbled and fell." - See John 18:4-6.

VM