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NASB | John 1:12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | John 1:12 But to as many as did receive and welcome Him, He gave the right [the authority, the privilege] to become children of God, that is, to those who believe in (adhere to, trust in, and rely on) His name-- [Is 56:5] |
Subject: "even" is confusing. |
Bible Note: Beg to differ with jg8ball on his statemenet (reference John 1:12) which reads "When you believe in His name, you will receive him. The New Testament cites instances in which someone believed but did not receive Jesus, i.e. did not receive Him as the Savior and Lord of their lives. Satan is the premier example. The rich ruler of Luke 18. King Agrippa came close in Acts 26. The sense of the passage is that he believed, came close to receiving, but didn't. One can taste without swallowing. One can believe without receiving. Belief in Jesus is the first step toward receiving him, but it does not necessarily lead to receiving him as the Lord and Savior of our lives. Ask a hundred people, "Do you believe in Jesus?" Chances are you will get some form of "yes" in the majority of cases. Ask the same one hundred, "Have you received Jesus in your heart as your Savior?" The number of positive responses will likely dwindle -- unless, of course, your sampling is made up solely of pastors or Baptist deacons! If I'm all wet on this point, please do feel free to enlighten me. Even though I am past the half-century mark, I have yet to attain either infinite wisdom or infallibility. |