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Results from: Answered Bible Questions, Answers, Unanswered Bible Questions, Notes Ordered by Verse | ||||||
Results | Verse | Author | ID# | |||
1 | It is the (s)Spirit that gives life?Both | John 6:63 | Aixen7z4 | 150644 | ||
I agree. It is important that with breath in our bodies we have biological life. The fact of it is obvious, I think, and trite, compared to the other topic. While it is true, I am saying that it is not what Jesus was talking about. Compared to eternal life, which is what he was talking about, it is minor. The fact that the first Adam had breath in his nostrils, and physical life, is true, and somewhat important. The fact that the second Adam gives eternal life is of a higher order. The fact is that the Holy Spirit is active in the process (John 16; 1 Corinthians 6, 1 Corinthians 12, etc.). You will agree that a person can be physically alive and yet spiritually dead. For example, “She that liveth in pleasure is dead while she liveth“ (1 Timothy 5) and “He has made you alive, who were once dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked (Ephesians 2). But how do we know which kind of life Jesus was talking about? Context. Context. Context. It is what he had been talking about in verses 40, 47, and 54. Eternal life. This is the will of him who sent me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes on him should have everlasting life (v. 40). Truly, truly, I say to you, He who believes on me has everlasting life (v. 47). Whoever partakes of my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life (v. 54). We do not suppose that he has lowered the level of discourse and is referring to physical life in verse 63. That is apparently why many translators have him saying: “It is the Spirit that gives life“. But we may also entertain the possibility of a double entendre here, in the fact that the Spirit (1 Corinthians 2:12) also gives life (Hebrews 4:12) to the word of God. You may understand better now why I asked the question in the first place? It is the Spirit who must bring these words to life and help us to understand what that scripture means. As The Message puts it, “Sheer muscle and willpower don't make anything happen“. These fingers acting on these keys will profit nothing. The Spirit of God must reveal the meaning hidden in the word of God. I was about to post this when I noticed what our brother Hank has written, concerning your health. I wanted to join him in wishing you well and in praying for you. In that moment, I wondered whether all of this discussion was important at all, compared to your health. But I recalled a meeting I had recently with one brother whose cancer was in remission and another in whom it was spreading. One of them is saved, and a pastor, while the other has no memory of a conversion experience, as he told me later. I felt I should rather thank the Lord for your salvation. It reminded me to pray for the man who is healthy but unsaved, and to trust he takes in the gospel that he took home that day. But I will pray for you and for that pastor also. Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be healthy, even as your soul prospers. |
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2 | It is the (s)Spirit that gives life?Both | John 6:63 | Ray | 150663 | ||
Hi Aixen7z4, The context of John 6 is the value of bread and whether this Jesus is truly the Prophet--He who is to come into the world. Is He the bread of life, the son of Joseph? Is the bread of God that which comes down out of heaven or is the Bread He who comes down out of heaven and gives life to the world? Are we to eat bread or Bread? John 6:54. Does the spirit give life or the Spirit? I think that both are involved in obtaining eternal life. We have to hear the word(s) of God in order to be able to know the Word. I believe that the Spirit abides in the communicant believer; John 6:58. And for me, I interpret John 6:58 thus: "This is the Bread which came down out of heaven; not as the fathers ate, and died, he who eats this Bread will live forever." 59 These things He said in the synagogue, as He taught in Capernaum. 60 Many therefore of His disciples, when they heard this said, "This is a difficult statement; who can listen to it?"" 1) So another question we can ask concerns John 6:61. Is Jesus conscious in His spirit that the disciples were grumbling, or did He know in Himself that His disciples were grumbling? John 6:61, NASB, "But Jesus, conscious that His discples grumbled at this, said to them, "Does this cause you to stumble?" John 6:61, NKJ, "When Jesus knew in Himself that His disciples complained about this, He said to them, "Does this offend you?"" How many nouns and pronouns of Deity do you see in John 6:61? From the heart, Ray |
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3 | It is the (s)Spirit that gives life?Both | John 6:63 | Aixen7z4 | 150709 | ||
The context of John 6 is the entire Gospel of John. The context of John 6:63 may be a part of the chapter, not necessarily the entire chapter. The chapter, of course, is an arbitrary division of the book, as are the verses. There are times when a chapter contains more than one topic, and there are times when one idea may run over several verses. I hope this is not confusing. When we speak of the context of a passage we are looking for what is around it, what led to it, what is semantically related, how it fits into the whole event. The context consists of the who, what, when, where, why, that are related to the passage in question; the part of a text or statement that surrounds the particular passage and determines its meaning. As for that other verse (v. 61) there is no way to know grammatically what words refer to deity. We determine that from the context. From the context it is clear what words refer to Jesus. As far as his awareness is concerned, we must remember that Jesus was (and is) God in a human body, and could do what other humans could do, and more. Because of his omniscience, he knew everything. However, it would not have taken that ability to overhear what the people were saying. From what I read, Jesus knew for himself. In other words, no one told him. Whether he was listening to their words or reading their thoughts, we do not know. He could have done both, adding what they were thinking to what they were saying. To ask whether a word such as “himself” refers to his human nature or his divine nature is futile, I think, and unnecessary. In any case, I know of no way to determine that. But we can face that fact that Jesus is God, and that he knows us through and through. According to John 2:25, he knows human beings and is not surprised by what they think. According to Matthew (12:25) and Luke (6:8), he knows our thoughts. As the writer to the Hebrews would say (4:15) all things are naked and open before him. With all that he still marvels at unbelief (Mark 6) and he still asks why (John 8:46) even though he knows the answer (John 8). But David would not be surprised that he knows our thoughts. He would be glad that he searches our hearts (Psalm 139). Even as he asks about it, and asks us to show it, (John 21) aren’t you glad he knows we love him? And these things we are talking about, about him, and no one needs to ask, “What things?” (Luke 24) he knows, and he is keeping a record (Malachi 3). So let us say the right thing about him. He did not judge them for their current, errant thoughts. Rather, he was offering then a guide, the Holy Spirit, who would help them to understand his words and lead them into truth. |
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