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• Question: Christ as Mediator and Advocate
  • In this time of grace that we now live why would a saved person need an advocate or mediator since Christ's death on the cross has paid the debt for sin and we no longer need to be tried. We have forgiveness of sins now and forever.
• Answer: (click here to see the answer)
  1. Randy,
  2. You are right, we do not need a mediator other than Christ. He did the mediating for us already as shown in 1 Ti 2:5-7: "For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time, 7 for which I was appointed a preacher and an apostle-I am speaking the truth in Christ and not lying-a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth." I don't need a Savior either since Christ lready saved me, but He still is my Savior as well as mediator.
  3. In Christ, Bob
• Question: communion & foot washing
  • Hi, my sister-n-law is having a difficult time in understanding communion and foot washing. She stated "communion is doing nothing but crucifying Jesus all over again." Even though we have given her scripture after scripture. She also says that it was only for Jesus' disciples, not for us. We also explained to her NOT to partake in communion if she has not fully examined herself. She believes that everyone is wrong in partaking in communion and now she is condemning footwashing. She is using John 13:1-17, that it is only appropriate immediately preceding the communion service. She also states "It doesn't make much biblical or liturgical sense to have foot-washing unless communion immediately follows."
  • She is very argumentative and we are all wrong!! I don't know what else to tell her. Do you have any suggestions and scripture that might could help?
  • Thanks,
  • Martha
• Answer: (click here to see the answer)
  1. Dear Martha,
  2. I believe that our fellowship can be based on the finished work of Christ, as I'm sure you do. I would emphasize the things that you agree with your sister-in-law on. Make your fellowship on books of the Bible like Philippians, Titus and Colossians.
  3. I do not find that Christ commands us through Paul, the Apostle of the Gentiles, to wash each others feet. Therefore, I wouldn't argue about that idea, either.
  4. Keep trying to fellowship with her rather than having her argue with you.
  5. In Christ,
  6. Bob Hill
• Question: Did Jesus Pre-exist as the Arch Angel
  • Help!!!! I have been studying the Bible with a Jehovah Witness, and by myself. I feel many of the witness answers are accurate; but I have been getting so mixed up, reading on the computer, all the different ideas proclaimed. I know Jesus was born of Mary, Gods son, he was Jesus then, did he pre-exist and help in creation? Was he arch angel Michael before he was boen Jesus? I was raised as a baptist, and married a catholic. I have been reading so many different ideas I am totally confused. I am a shut-in primarily. I do not drive or go out unless someone can take me, and that is rare. Please enlighten me, to a web page that is true. I use the King James revised edition, and the NIV. Any help you can give me would be so appreciated. Thank you, and God Bless, G*
• Answer: (click here to see the answer)
  1. Dear Gay,
  2. I must admit that the Bible clearly shows us repeatedly that there is only one God. 1 Co 8:6 says, "yet for us there is one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we for Him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, through whom are all things, and through whom we live." This verse is showing God as He is worshipped and as He redeems. But it also seems to show that there is only one God and another person, Jesus Christ.
  3. Who is Jesus Christ, the Word, the Son? Is He God? There are a number of reasons why we must say, yes, He is God. The first is found in John 1:1. "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." However, the New World Translation of the Jehovah's Witnesses says, "and the Word was a god." Charles T. Russell, their founder wrote "the Logos was a God." He continued, "This is the literal translation of the Greek, as can be readily confirmed by anyone, whether a Greek scholar or not. The Greek article ho precedes the first word 'God,' in this verse, and does not precede the second word 'God.' . . . The entire verse therefore reads - 'In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with [ho theos] the God, and the Word was [theos] a God. The same was in the beginning with [ho theos] the God.'"
  4. Now, is this an accurate statement? Does the absence of the article make it a god rather than God as he and they say? The answer is no! I have been teaching Greek for over 40 years.
  5. For instance, in 2 Co 4:4 it says: "whose minds the god [ho theos] of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them." It may say the god [ho theos], but that god is not almighty God, it is satan.
  6. We must look at the rest of John 1 and see how [theos], God, is handled. I will translate each passage literally. If it has the article in any of its forms with any noun, I will translate it, the. If it does not have the article, I will translate it, a. The articles, in the masculine singular forms are, ho, tou, tw (w stands for omega, a long o), or ton. So for [ho], I will translate it the God. If it does not have the [ho], I will translate it a god. Verse 2, "He was in a beginning with the God (ton theon)." Verse 13, "not of a will of a man but of a god (theou), they were born." Verse 18, "No one has seen a god (theon), ever."
  7. As you can see, John does not use the definite article in its different forms, ho, tou, tw or ton every time he speaks about almighty God. That great Greek scholar, A.T. Robertson wrote this about John 1:1: "As already explained, the article is not essential to speech. It is, however, invaluable as a means of gaining precision, e.g. theos ayn ho logos [the word was God]. As a rule the predicate is without the article, even when the subject uses it. Cf. Mk. 9:50; Lu. 7:8. This is in strict accord with the ancient idiom. . . . the rule holds wherever the subject has the article and the predicate does not. . . . The word with the article is then the subject, whatever the order may be. So in Jo. 1:1, theos ayn ho logos, the subject is perfectly clear." In the same idiom, we do not say the Word became a flesh (ho logos sarx egeneto) in John 1:14.
  8. The Jehovah's Witnesses say, "If the Word is God, and the Spirit is God, and since we cannot scientifically calculate that 1 God (the Father) + 1 God (the Son) + 1 God (the Holy Ghost) = 1 God; then we must say 1/3 God + 1/3 God + 1/3 God = 3/3 God or 1 God." But this is not even close to what we say.
  9. Just as a man can manifest himself as a father to his children, a husband to his wife, and a son to his parents in a consistent way, God manifests Himself even more consistently and supernaturally as God the Father, Son, and Spirit.
  10. In fact, He says in Mat 28:19, "baptizing them in the name [singular] of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit."
  11. Furthermore, if John 1:1 said that the Word was a god rather than God, there would be two Gods even if one were inferior to the other. The Bible clearly states that this is not the case. Isaiah 44 & 45 repeatedly say there is only one God! For example Isaiah 44:24 says, "Thus says the LORD [Jehovah], your Redeemer, and He who formed you from the womb: 'I am the LORD, who makes all things, Who stretches out the heavens all alone, Who spreads abroad the earth by Myself.'"
  12. If the Word were not God, then John 1:1-3 and Col 1:16 would contradict this statement because they show that "by Him all things were created . . . through Him and for Him." Because He is God, these Scriptures do not contradict Isaiah.
  13. When He, the Son, came and talked to Abraham in Genesis 18:1, He appeared to Abraham as a man. The two angels went down to Sodom (18:16-19:1). What did Jehovah the Son do? The LORD [Jehovah] went His way as soon as He had finished speaking with Abraham" (18:33). "Then the LORD rained brimstone and fire on Sodom and Gomorrah, from the LORD out of the heavens" (19:24).
  14. Here, we have two manifestations of Jehovah at the same time. The first, Jehovah the Son, refers to the one who was seen by Abraham. He rained down brimstone and fire from Jehovah, the Father, out of heaven. The first Jehovah was actually seen by men! Jehovah the Son was seen.
  15. But do we have the right to say this? Let's look at this more carefully. In Phi 2:6-8, it gives us information about the Son: "Who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, 7 but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a servant, and coming in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.
  16. Notice, He was in the form of God. He was God. The form belonged to God. He then left that form and took another form. Yet, He was still God according to John 20:28, "And Thomas answered and said to Him, "My Lord and my God!" (ho kurios mou kai ho theos mou) It is interesting that both Lord and God have the article here. Also, why didn't Christ correct Thomas if he was wrong in calling Him God?
  17. Considering the word "form" as found here, and in Gen 1:26, He made man in the likeness of that form which belonged to God. He made "man in Our [plural] image, according to Our [plural] likeness." This was the likeness or image that God (the Son) first created according to Col 1:15, "He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation." This image was also called, "the beginning of the creation of God" (Rev 3:14).
  18. He, God (as the Son), then indwelled this image that belonged to Him and created everything else (Col 1:16). Then, He made man in the likeness of this image. When God was in this image, apparently man could see Him without fear of being destroyed. When it says that no one has ever seen God, we see from Scripture (John 6:46) that it means the Father can't be seen.
  19. The Son shows and explains the Father (John 14:9; 1:18). All they could see of the invisible God (the Father) was shown in Jesus Christ the Son.
  20. We find that the Word who is God, was not only seen by Abraham and the apostles, but He was also seen by Moses. In Ex 24:9-11, we see that they saw God and lived to tell about it. Ex 33:20 says, "You cannot see My face; for no man shall see Me, and live." Therefore, the God whom they saw in Ex 24 must have been God the Son. No one has seen the Father except God the Son, "He who is from God; He has seen the Father" (John 6:46).
  21. Christ said, "Abraham rejoiced to see My day" (John 8:56). The Jews said He wasn't even "fifty years old, and have You seen Abraham" (8:57)? Christ answered in 8:58, "Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM." Then, they wanted to stone Him. Why? Because He was referring to Himself as God. The words "I AM" were the same words which the Septuagint (the Greek translation of the Hebrew OT) used to translate the first "I AM" from the Hebrew of Ex 3:14.
  22. God continued in verse 15, "Thus you shall say to the children of Israel: 'The LORD God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you. This is My name forever, and this is My memorial to all generations.'"
  23. Christ said it more pointedly than the translation shows. Literally John 8:58 is "Before Abraham came into existence (genesthai), I Am." The Jews knew He said He was God.
  24. Later, John quoted Christ: "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last." This is used of God the Father as well as God the Son. Notice what it says in Rev 1:8,17; 2:8 "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End," says the Lord, "who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty." 17 And when I saw Him [Christ], I fell at His feet as dead. But He laid His right hand on me, saying to me, "Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last." 2:8 And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write, "These things says the First and the Last [Christ], who was dead, and came to life."
  25. These same words were used by Jehovah in Isaiah 44:6-8,24 "Thus says the LORD, the King of Israel, and his Redeemer, the LORD of hosts: 'I am the First and I am the Last; besides Me there is no God. 8 Do not fear, nor be afraid; Have I not told you from that time, and declared it? You are My witnesses. Is there a God besides Me? Indeed there is no other Rock; I know not one.' 24 Thus says the LORD, your Redeemer, and He who formed you from the womb: 'I am the LORD, who makes all things, Who stretches out the heavens all alone, Who spreads abroad the earth by Myself.'"
  26. But who does it say spread the heavens in the NT? Christ (John 1:3; Col 1:16,17)! Who is the Savior? Christ (Isa 45:5,6,18,21,22)!
  27. When we look at another aspect of God, His knowledge, we know that He knows things infinitely. God alone knows everything. When the Son says, "As the Father knows Me," how does the Father know the Son? In an infinite, complete way. Then He says, "even so I know the Father" (John 10:15). Christ knows the Father in the same way, infinitely, because He is God. The New World Translation mistranslates this passage. In fact, it doesn't even make any sense. They translate it this way: 14 "I am the fine shepherd, and I know my sheep and my sheep know me, 15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I surrender my soul in behalf of the sheep." From Greek syntax we can see that this should be two sentences. Verse 15 is a new sentence.
  28. There is only one God. But He manifests Himself in three ways - Father, Son, and Spirit. To show how true this is, let's look at John 14. Christ is speaking. In verse 7 He says, "If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; and from now on you know Him and have seen Him." How can man see God and still live? We say that it was only as He manifested Himself as the Son (John 1:18; Heb 1:2-8). Then He said something almost incomprehensible. He said, verse 10, "Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak on My own authority; but the Father who dwells in Me does the works." He not only has the Father in Him, but He is in the Father! As we look further in this chapter, we see either a great confusion on John's part or a blurring of the persons of the Godhead in the unity of God. Since this is inspired by the Holy Spirit, I don't think John is confused. Notice verses John 14:17-26: "the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you." According to this, the Holy Spirit will come to them. 18 "I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you." But, according to this, the Son will come. 23 "Jesus answered and said to him, 'If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him.'" According to this verse, the Father is coming. Let me repeat that, "We will come to him and make Our home with him." At least two of the trinity will come. 26 "But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you."
  29. Who dwelled with them (17)? Christ, but He says the Spirit. Who will come? The Spirit, but Christ says He will come (18). Who is coming? The Father, and the Son (23), and the Spirit (26). God is coming (came)! The trinity came! It seems confusing. Who really was to come according to John 14? All we can say is God was coming in every way - Father, Son, and Spirit.
  30. The Holy Spirit comes when both the Father and the Son come. This is why Christ said in John 10:30, "I and My Father are one." So from this, we must say again, the Son is God. That's why the Father says in Heb 1:8, "But to the Son He says: 'Your throne, O God, is forever and ever; a scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your Kingdom."
  31. When God manifests Himself as Father, Son, and Spirit, all three manifestations have different functions. The Father is highest and is the one who is mainly worshipped. John 14:28 reports this: "You have heard Me say to you, 'I am going away and coming back to you.' If you loved Me, you would rejoice because I said, 'I am going to the Father,' for My Father is greater than I." But the Son is worshipped also, for the Father tells all the angels to worship Him. Heb 1:6, "But when He again brings the firstborn into the world, He says: 'Let all the angels of God worship Him.'" Every knee shall bow to Him. Phi 2:9-10, "Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth."
  32. This was prophesied in Isa 45:23: "I have sworn by Myself. The word has gone out of My mouth in righteousness and shall not return, that to Me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall take an oath." Here we see again that Jehovah is equated to Christ.
  33. The Son is always subject to the Father in function (John 14:28; 1 Co 15:28), but as deity He is equally God. In His humanity, He was human (1 Ti 2:5) so He can redeem man (Heb 2:14-18). Remember who the only Savior was back in Isaiah. It was Jehovah. Therefore, we can see again, Christ, the Savior, is Jehovah.
  34. Further, we find that God the Father raised Christ from the dead. (Acts 2:24,32; 3:15,26; Rom 4:24; 6:4; 8:11; Col 2;12) But we find Christ saying that He would raise Himself (John 10:17,18), "I will raise it up . . . But He was speaking of the temple of His body" (John 2:19,21). But it also says He was made alive by the Spirit. Therefore, we see the trinity in action in His resurrection.
  35. Therefore, we must admit that God is beyond our finite comprehension, but shows us all that can be known about Him in His word and Jesus Christ. God became a man not only to redeem us but to show us who God is. We can look at Christ and see God's attributes of love, passion, mercy, and readiness to change when man repents.
  36. In Christ,
  37. Bob Hill
• Question: Did Christ have free will?
  • did judas have free will not to fullfill his appointed destiny, if he did then christ also was free to follow satan and not to die on the cross and adam had free will not to eat of the tree, yet all these things seem to work out for the good of man. like god was operating all tothe counsel of his will.
• Answer: (click here to see the answer)
  1. When we look at the narrative of Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane, we see that Christ freely made the decision to drink of the cup. Mat 26:36-46 Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and said to the disciples, "Sit here while I go and pray over there." 37 And He took with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and He began to be sorrowful and deeply distressed. 38 Then He said to them, "My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch with Me." 39 He went a little farther and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, "O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will." 40 Then He came to the disciples and found them asleep, and said to Peter, "What? Could you not watch with Me one hour? 41 "Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak." 42 Again, a second time, He went away and prayed, saying, "O My Father, if this cup cannot pass away from Me unless I drink it, Your will be done." 43 And He came and found them asleep again, for their eyes were heavy. 44 So He left them, went away again, and prayed the third time, saying the same words. 45 Then He came to His disciples and said to them, "Are you still sleeping and resting? Behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners. 46 Rise, let us be going. See, My betrayer is at hand."
  2. Christ was delivered "by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God", according to Acts 2:22,23 "Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a Man attested by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs which God did through Him in your midst, as you yourselves also know-- 23 Him, being delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by lawless hands, have crucified, and put to death."
  3. We find in Acts 4:27,28, that "Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel" "For truly against Your holy Servant Jesus, whom You anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, were gathered together [This word [sunaycthaysan] is the normal phrase used when groups gather themselves together to do something. See the verses right after this verse.] 28 to do whatever Your hand and Your purpose determined before [predestined] to be done.
  4. Mat 13:2 And great multitudes were gathered [sunaycthaysan] together to Him, so that He got into a boat and sat; and the whole multitude stood on the shore.
  5. Mat 22:34 But when the Pharisees heard that He had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together [sunaycthaysan].
  6. Mat 27:62 On the next day, which followed the Day of Preparation, the chief priests and Pharisees gathered together [sunaycthaysan] to Pilate
  7. Mk 2:2 Immediately many gathered together [sunaycthaysan]
  8. Acts 4:26 The kings of the earth took their stand, and the rulers were gathered together [sunaycthaysan] against the LORD and against His Christ.
  9. The way they were to execute Christ was determined, but it doesn't say Christ was determined. God predestined the way Christ was to be executed, but they did it with "lawless hands". Even Christ had free will. Remember how He conformed His will to the Father's, in the garden.
  10. Acts 3:17-18 Yet now, brethren, I know that you did it in ignorance, as did also your rulers. 18 But those things which God foretold by the mouth of all His prophets, that the Christ would suffer, He has thus fulfilled.
  11. Christ freely fulfilled them.
  12. In Christ,
  13. Bob Hill
• Question: Christ's temple stones prophecy wrong?
  • Dear Bob,
  • I have been reading Clark Pinnock's book Most Moved Mover and I came across a place in the book where Mr. Pinnock mentions Christ's prophecy of the temple's destruction leaving no stone on top of each other as being partially unfulfilled. He states that there were some stones left standing on top of others. This is quite a hard pill for me to swallow because it was Jesus himself that said it and I find nothing in the passage that gives me any reason to think that this is a conditional prophecy. Perhaps there might be a problem with my English Bible's translation of this text. I would love to hear your take on this.
  • I would also like to know if the eleven audio sermons found in your web pages archives are the only web based audio sermons you have available. Are there any radio stations that I could tune into to hear your sermons? I live in South Carolina; however, if a radio station that plays your sermons is broadcasting over the web I should be able to pick it up over the internet. Thank you for your assistance.
  • Sincerly,
  • Michael
• Answer: (click here to see the answer)
  1. Dear Michael,
  2. Dr. Pinnock has been a great defender of the Open View. However, he has tended towards a more liberal position on the inerrancy of the word of God.
  3. I don't know where he got his information, but the temple has been completely destroyed except for the wailing wall, a foundation of the temple.
  4. There is a slight change in the translation as I read the underlying Greek text. I would translate Mat 24:2 this way: "And Jesus said to them, 'Do you not see all these things? Assuredly, I say to you, not a stone shall be left here upon another, which shall not be thrown down.'"
  5. Those stones that may have been on top of another stone, would have been thrown down from a higher place in the temple building.
  6. But, again, archeologically we have no evidence that this did not happen the way Christ said.
  7. We do have audio tapes of most of my sermons I preach on Sunday mornings and radio shows we used to do. We charge $2 for each tape. Each tape has 2 sermons or one whole program. We pay the postage for 5 or more tapes. If you have any special topics you would like, let me know.
  8. In Christ,
  9. Bob Hill
• Question: What were Christ's limitations?
  • Bob,
  • There has been a recent surge in theology to explore the human nature of Christ and this has resulted in questions about Jesus' worldview. So, how do you think we should understand the humanity of Jesus? What were his limitations as a human? What does it mean to be human?
• Answer: (click here to see the answer)
  1. Christ came to relate to us, understand us as a human, and die for our sins. he was tested in all things, but in His case, as a human, He was without sin. He emptied Himself of the attributes of deity, and, I believe He kept only the ability of absolute determination, to take back His dieity. He did not do that, though. Instead, He did what Phi 2:5-8 said.
  2. Phil 2:5-8 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, 7 but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.
  3. Here is what Christ Himself said about Himself in the following Scripture passages.
  4. John 5:19 Then Jesus answered and said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner.
  5. John 5:30 I can of Myself do nothing. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is righteous, because I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me.
  6. John 8:28 Then Jesus said to them, “When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He, and that I do nothing of Myself; but as My Father taught Me, I speak these things.
  7. In Christ,
  8. Bob Hill
• Question: What did Jesus mean by the two statements in Mat 21:43 & Lk 12:32?
  • Dear Bob,
  • What did Jesus mean by these two statements?
  • Jesus said to the "chief priests and elders of the [Jewish] people": Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a nation bearing the fruits of it. Matt. 21:43
  • Jesus said to His disciples: Do not fear, little flock, for it is the Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Luke 12:32
• Answer: (click here to see the answer)
  1. Dear atomnext,
  2. You put your finger on the answer by grouping these 2 statements together.
  3. Many think the other sheep of John 10:16 are the Gentiles. This statement would then refer to the church, the body of Christ, and would mean the mystery was prophesied long before it was revealed to the Apostle Paul. This would negate Ephesians 3:1-9 and Colossians 1:26. Christ called His disciples His "little flock," in contrast to the rebellious nation. An understanding of the little flock and the other sheep is essential to understand the statements Christ made in the gospels.
  4. Christ had two works. This is clear from two accounts in John. One is in the account of Christ's crucifixion, in John 19:28-30: Jesus, knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, said, "I thirst!" Now a vessel full of sour wine was sitting there; and they filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on hyssop, and put it to His mouth. So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, "It is finished!" And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit.
  5. When He said, "It is finished!" in 19:30, Christ meant the work of redemption had been finished.
  6. But, what did He mean in John 17:4 when He said, "I have finished the work which You have given Me to do."? Let's read the context, John 17:1-5: Jesus spoke these words, lifted up His eyes to heaven, and said: "Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son also may glorify You, as You have given Him authority over all flesh, that He should give eternal life to as many as You have given Him. And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. 4 I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished the work which You have given Me to do. 5 And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was."
  7. What work did He finish in John 17:4? Obviously, that work was different from the work of John 19:30 accomplished on the cross. I believe the answer to this question clears up many problems. Notice, in John 17:2, Jesus quoted a recurring theme first found in Isaiah 8:13-18: The LORD of hosts, Him you shall hallow. Let Him be your fear, and let Him be your dread. He will be as a sanctuary, but a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense to both the houses of Israel, as a trap and a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 15 And many among them shall stumble; They shall fall and be broken, be snared and taken. 16 Bind up the testimony, seal the law among my disciples. 17 And I will wait on the LORD, who hides His face from the house of Jacob. And I will hope in Him. 18 Here am I and the children whom the LORD has given me! We are for signs and wonders in Israel From the LORD of hosts who dwells in Mount Zion.
  8. Notice, the children whom the Lord gave Him would produce signs. Those signs were demonstrated by the apostles when Christ sent them out in Matthew 10. He also promised signs would follow those who believe in Mark 16.
  9. The first reference to the work of Christ is in John 5:16,17. One group, the Jews, made a choice. They did not believe. "For this reason the Jews persecuted Jesus, and sought to kill Him, because He had done these things on the Sabbath. 17 But Jesus answered them, 'My Father has been working until now, and I have been working.'" In John 5:37-47, He showed why the Jews were unbelievers. They didn't want to come to Christ: And the Father Himself, who sent Me, has testified of Me. You have neither heard His voice at any time, nor seen His form. 38 But you do not have His word abiding in you, because whom He sent, Him you do not believe. 39 You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me. 40 But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life. 41 I do not receive honor from men. 42 But I know you, that you do not have the love of God in you. 43 I have come in My Father's name, and you do not receive Me; if another comes in his own name, him you will receive. 44 How can you believe, who receive honor from one another, and do not seek the honor that comes from the only God? 45 Do not think that I shall accuse you to the Father; there is one who accuses you; Moses, in whom you trust. 46 For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me; for he wrote about Me. 47 But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe My words?
  10. Christ was showing the apostate nation that they were not His sheep because they were unwilling to come to Him for eternal life. In Matthew 8:12, He told them of their fate: "But the sons of the kingdom will be cast out into outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth." In contrast, the little flock would sit on twelve thrones, judging Israel, and others would inherit the kingdom. However these promises were conditional according to the italicized words in Matthew 19:27-30: Then Peter answered and said to Him, "See, we have left all and followed You. Therefore what shall we have?" 28 So Jesus said to them, "Assuredly I say to you, that in the regeneration, when the Son of Man sits on the throne of His glory, you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 29 And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My name's sake, shall receive a hundredfold, and inherit eternal life. 30 But many who are first will be last, and the last first."
  11. Many Old Testament passages refer to Israel and her obstinacy. One of the most enlightening is in Ezekiel 34:20-31: Therefore thus says the Lord GOD to them: "Behold, I Myself will judge between the fat and the lean sheep. 21 Because you have pushed with side and shoulder, butted all the weak ones with your horns, and scattered them abroad, 22 therefore I will save My flock, and they shall no longer be a prey; and I will judge between sheep and sheep. 23 I will establish one shepherd over them, and he shall feed them; My servant David. He shall feed them and be their shepherd. 24 And I, the LORD, will be their God, and My servant David a prince among them; I, the LORD, have spoken. . . . 30 Thus they shall know that I, the LORD their God, am with them, and they, the house of Israel, are My people," says the Lord GOD. 31 "You are My flock, the flock of My pasture; you are men, and I am your God," says the Lord GOD.
  12. Who was this "flock of My pasture" of verse 31? At the beginning, they were just the twelve, the little flock. When He said "I will judge between sheep and sheep," He judged between the apostate nation and the little flock. In Matthew 21:43, it says, "Therefore I say to you [the chief priests and the elders of the people, vs. 23], the kingdom of God will be taken from you [For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him; but tax collectors and harlots believed him; and when you saw it, you did not afterward relent and believe him, vs. 32] and given to a nation bearing the fruits of it." At first this nation was just a little flock, the twelve disciples. They were not even a nation. Moses predicted in Deuteronomy 32:21, "They have provoked Me to jealousy by what is not God. They have moved Me to anger by their foolish idols. But I will provoke them to jealousy by those who are not a nation. I will move them to anger by a foolish nation." In Isaiah 8:18 when it said, "Here am I and the children whom the LORD has given me! We are for signs and wonders in Israel From the LORD of hosts who dwells in Mount Zion," who were those children? How did the Lord give them? Was that a prophecy of the coming Messiah and His people? As we examine the Scriptures, we'll see that Jesus, the Messiah, quotes this passage repeatedly when referring to the little flock.
  13. Notice further what it says in Hebrews 2:9-13: But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone. 10 For it was fitting for Him [the Father], for whom are all things and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings. 11 For both He who sanctifies and those who are being sanctified are all of one, for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren, 12 saying: "I will declare Your name to My brethren; In the midst of the assembly I will sing praise to You." 13 And again: "I will put My trust in Him." And again: "Here am I and the children whom God has given Me." If the Father gave Christ some children, then we can understand why Christ had a two-fold job to do. He had the job of preparing the little flock for their future work. He completed this part of the work in John 17:2-4. The other work, redemption, was finished on the cross.
  14. How did He accomplish the first work? Let's look closely at John 6:33-45. Christ was talking with the five thousand He had fed (John 6:26): "For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world." 34 Then they said to Him, "Lord, give us this bread always." 35 And Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst. 36 But I said to you that you have seen Me and yet do not believe."
  15. John 17:12 ends, "that the Scripture might be fulfilled." When I said that one, Judas, did not continue in belief, implying that he was a believer, I based that on the inspired statement of John in John 2:11, "This beginning of signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and manifested His glory; and His disciples believed in Him." When it says His disciples believed in Him, this would include Judas. Matthew 13:16 shows they were all blessed by Him. "But blessed are your eyes for they see, and your ears for they hear." So, they all were blessed by Him. They all believed in Him. Remember, Christ promised they would all sit in judgment on Israel in Matthew 19:28. So Jesus said to them, "Assuredly I say to you, that in the regeneration, when the Son of Man sits on the throne of His glory, you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel." Of course Judas didn't follow Him all the way. Therefore, he will not sit on one of the twelve thrones.
  16. Let's continue reading John 6:37-39.
  17. All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out. 38 For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. 39 This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day.
  18. When He says, "This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing," this "all" refers to the apostles. Notice how John 17:6 and 18:9 substantiate this. John 17:6 "I have manifested Your name to the men whom You have given Me out of the world. They were Yours, You gave them to Me, and they have kept Your word." John 18:8-9 Jesus answered, "I have told you that I am He. Therefore , if you seek Me, let these go their way," 9 that the saying might be fulfilled which He spoke, "Of those whom You gave Me (He is quoting John 6:37-40 and 10:29.) I have lost none." This group of apostles is the little flock of Luke 12:22,32.
  19. At that time, Judas was included. "Then He said to His disciples, 'Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; nor about the body, what you will put on... 32 Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.'" Was He referring to Matthew 19:28, "you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel"? There is a strong condition. In Luke 22:3,4, Judas had already left. "Then Satan entered Judas, surnamed Iscariot, who was numbered among the twelve. 4 So he went his way and conferred with the chief priests and captains, how he might betray Him to them." Then, Christ spoke to the remaining disciples in verses 28-30, [In contrast to Judas,] "you are those who have continued with Me in My trials. 29 And I bestow upon you a kingdom, just as My Father bestowed one upon Me, 30 that you may eat and drink at My table in My kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel." The twelve are apostles of the circumcision with the earthly hope of the kingdom which was promised to David. Our hope is heavenly.
  20. Later, Peter wrote to the extended little flock. He told them about the prophecy of Exodus 19:5-6: "Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people; for all the earth is Mine. 6 And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. These are the words which you shall speak to the children of Israel." Peter wrote In 1 Peter 2:8-10, that Jesus was "A stone of stumbling and a rock of offense. They stumble, being disobedient to the word, to which they also were appointed." Notice! "Their disobedience is not ordained; the penalty of their disobedience is." In verse 9, he wrote to these circumcision believers who expected the kingdom, "But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; 10 who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy" (Cf. Hos 1:9,10; 2:23).
  21. Therefore, God took the kingdom from the apostate nation and gave it to the little flock. This little flock grew into a great multitude. But, because of continued unbelief (Rom 11) the nation was set aside and a new program was begun with Paul. However, in the tribulation the little flock will become united with the other sheep and grow into a great nation. According to Zechariah 13:8,9, the unbelievers will be purged out: "And it shall come to pass in all the land," says the LORD, "that two-thirds in it shall be cut off and die, but one-third shall be left in it: 9 I will bring the one-third through the fire, will refine them as silver is refined, and test them as gold is tested. They will call on My name, and I will answer them. I will say, 'This is My people'; and each one will say, 'The LORD is my God.'" This unification of the little flock with the other sheep to become a great united flock is a recurring theme in the Old Testament. It's in Ezekiel 34:23,30,32, and we will see it again in other passages, but especially in Ezekiel 37:19-24. Christ pointed this out in the "other sheep" statement in John 10:11-18: I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep. 12 But a hireling, he who is not the shepherd, one who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees; and the wolf catches the sheep and scatters them. 13 The hireling flees because he is a hireling and does not care about the sheep. 14 I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own. 15 As the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep. 16 And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice; and there will be one flock and one shepherd. 17 Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again. 18 No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This command I have received from My Father. These "other sheep" are the circumcision believers, the sheep of the dispersion. Peter, James, and John wrote to them (Jam 1:1; 1 Pet 1:1; Rev 1:9). That the "other sheep" refers to the dispersion is established from Old Testament material.
  22. It's important for us to realize that when Christ was on earth, His ministry was not to us Gentiles. His ministry at that time was only to Israel. Christ showed this in Matthew 10:5,6 when it said, "These twelve Jesus sent out and commanded them, saying: Do not go into the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter a city of the Samaritans. 6 But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." He states it even more explicitly in Matthew 15:24, "But He answered and said, I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." Even that wicked high priest, Caiaphas was moved into the picture by God when he said in John 11:49-52: You know nothing at all, 50 nor do you consider that it is expedient for us that one man should die for the people [Israel], and not that the whole nation [Israel] should perish. 51 Now this he did not say on his own authority; but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation, 52 and not for that [the] nation only, but also that He would gather together in [into] one the children of God [Israel] who were scattered abroad.
  23. Israel and her tribes will have a new city. It will come down from heaven for them. Christ's under shepherds, the twelve apostles, will have their names on the foundations of the city and will sit on twelve thrones judging them. Revelation 21:12-14 shows us this wonderful sight: Also she had a great and high wall with twelve gates, and twelve angels at the gates, and names written on them, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel: 13 three gates on the east, three gates on the north, three gates on the south, and three gates on the west. 14 Now the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.
  24. Therefore, we must conclude that the other sheep are those of the dispersion who will believe. They are not Gentiles. They will be joined with the little flock. The one flock will be the true Israel of God. They will inherit the kingdom promised to David. They will have one Shepherd. At first, the little flock was the twelve. But soon thousands of Jews believed. After the body of Christ is raptured and the tribulation purifies the nation, they will receive their long awaited kingdom.
  25. In Christ,
  26. Bob Hill
• Question: Was Jesus predestined?
  • Was Jesus predestined to die for man before man was created? I've studied a little about the gospel message written in the stars. Stars were created before the fall of man right so was Jesus destined to die before the fall?
  • In Christ,
  • Mrs. Michael Thompson
• Answer: (click here to see the answer)
  1. Dear Mrs. Thompson,
  2. That is a very good question. I have enjoyed Bullinger's Witness of the Stars. I agree with much of what is written in it. However, there has been a critique of Bullinger's book and others who have agreed with the idea. The critique is by Charles Strohmer. There are enough questionable things in the Christian zodiac theories that I would not want to form any theology from it.
  3. When we read God's word, we see from 1 Peter 1:20,21, "He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you 21 who through Him believe in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God." (NKJV) However, a better translation is: "foreknown, indeed, before the foundation of the world, and manifested in the last times because of you", from Young's Literal Translation. Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1997. The underlying Greek text should be translated, "foreknown".
  4. From Acts 2:23, we see that Christ was delivered by God's determined counsel and foreknowledge, but it does not say when this counsel was determined. "Him, being delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by lawless hands, have crucified, and put to death". (NKJV) In Acts 4:27,28 it says: "For truly against Your holy Servant Jesus, whom You anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, were gathered together (This word, sunaycthaysan, is used to describe when armies are gathered together to do battle.) 28 to do whatever Your hand and Your purpose determined before to be done. (NKJV) I see no evidence that Christ was predestined to die before the foundation of the world, but I do see that He was foreknown. Christ did offer Himself up willingly. That aspect of His crucifixion was not predestined.
  5. In Christ,
  6. Bob Hill
• Question: Do you know any good material on the parables?
  • Bob, do you know of any good reading material on the parables of jesus?
  • have you written anything on them?
  • Thanks
  • Danny
• Answer: (click here to see the answer)
  1. Dear Danny,
  2. The books I have on just the parables are Trench, Notes on the Parables, Habershon, The Study of the Parables, and Ogilvie, Autobiography of God.
  3. All three of these are good. There are probably many more out there. You might want to ask Bob@biblicalanswers.com if we have any others that are good.
  4. In Christ,
  5. Bob Hill
• Question: The Pharisees Jesus' sheep?
  • I was just wondering what your response was to the verse in John's gospel where Jesus says the Pharisee's did not believe because they were not his sheep. It would seem that the text should say the opposite. What is your view?
  • Thanks,
  • Keith
• Answer: (click here to see the answer)
  1. Dear Keith,
  2. I see your point, but, no, the Pharisees were not Christ's sheep because they had resisted Christ's message of salvation.
  3. When we look at the context, we can see that the sheep are believing Israel, John 10:24-29, Then the Jews surrounded Him and said to Him, "How long do You keep us in doubt? If You are the Christ, tell us plainly." 25 Jesus answered them, "I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in My Father's name, they bear witness of Me. 26 But you do not believe, because you are not of My sheep, as I said to you. 27 My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. 28 And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father's hand."
  4. Further, Luke 12:32 shows us that the Apostles are the little flock, "Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Are the sheep, sheep because they were elected or predestined to be sheep, or are they sheep for some other reason?
  5. We must ask, whom did the Father give to Christ? Christ said in John 6:37, "All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out." Further, He said in John 10:26, "But you do not believe, because you are not of My sheep." Is this saying others couldn't believe because they were not of the elect? According to these and other statements, many believe there are two groups of people in the world, the elect and those not elected. They use these portions to prove that belief. And, because they are His sheep, does that mean they cannot be lost?
  6. Christ called His disciples His "little flock," in contrast to the rebellious nation. Christ had two works. This is clear from two accounts in John. One is in the description of Christ's crucifixion, in John 19:28-30, Jesus, knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, said, "I thirst!" Now a vessel full of sour wine was sitting there; and they filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on hyssop, and put it to His mouth. So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, "It is finished!" And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit.
  7. When He said, "It is finished!" in 19:30, Christ meant the work of redemption had been finished. But, what did He mean in John 17:4 when He said, "I have finished the work which You have given Me to do."? Let's read the context, John 17:1-5, Jesus spoke these words, lifted up His eyes to heaven, and said: "Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son also may glorify You, 2 as You have given Him authority over all flesh, that He should give eternal life to as many as You have given Him.
  8. Now, who are these that the Father has given Him? Are they elect or predestined to be His sheep and given to Christ because they are elect? My answer is no! As we search further, we will find that they are the 12, but not all of the 12 remained saved. Don't forget Judas. Christ continued in verse 3, And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. 4 I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished the work which You have given Me to do. 5 And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was."
  9. We must ask, what work did He finish in John 17:4? Obviously, that work was different from the work of John 19:30 accomplished on the cross. Notice, in John 17:2, Jesus quoted a recurring theme first found in Isaiah 8:13-18, "The LORD of hosts, Him you shall hallow. Let Him be your fear, and let Him be your dread. He will be as a sanctuary, but a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense to both the houses of Israel, as a trap and a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 15 And many among them shall stumble; They shall fall and be broken, be snared and taken. 16 Bind up the testimony, seal the law among my disciples. 17 And I will wait on the LORD, who hides His face from the house of Jacob. And I will hope in Him. 18 Here am I and the children whom the LORD has given me! We are for signs and wonders in Israel From the LORD of hosts who dwells in Mount Zion.
  10. The children whom the Lord gave Him would produce signs. Those signs were demonstrated by the apostles when Christ sent them out in Matthew 10. He also promised that signs would follow them in Mark 16.
  11. The first reference to the work of Christ is in John 5:16,17. One group, the Jews, made a choice. They did not believe. "For this reason the Jews persecuted Jesus, and sought to kill Him, because He had done these things on the Sabbath. 17 But Jesus answered them, 'My Father has been working until now, and I have been working.'" In John 5:37-47, He showed why the Jews were unbelievers [And thus not His sheep]. They didn't want to come to Christ.
  12. And the Father Himself, who sent Me, has testified of Me. You have neither heard His voice at any time, nor seen His form. 38 But you do not have His word abiding in you, [Why?] because whom He sent, Him you do not believe. 39 You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me. 40 But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life. 41 I do not receive honor from men. 42 But I know you, that you do not have the love of God in you. 43 I have come in My Father's name, and you do not receive Me; if another comes in his own name, him you will receive. 44 How can you believe, who receive honor from one another, and do not seek the honor that comes from the only God? 45 Do not think that I shall accuse you to the Father; there is one who accuses you; Moses, in whom you trust. 46 For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me; for he wrote about Me. 47 But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe My words?
  13. Christ was showing the apostate nation that they were not His sheep because they were unwilling to come to Him for eternal life. In Mat 8:12, He told them of their fate, "But the sons of the kingdom [unbelievers in the elect nation] will be cast out into outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth." In contrast, the little flock would sit on twelve thrones, judging Israel, and the rest of redeemed Israel would inherit the kingdom. However these promises were conditional. According to the words in Mat 19:27-29, they had to follow Him.
  14. Then Peter answered and said to Him, "See, we have left all and followed You. Therefore what shall we have?" 28 So Jesus said to them, "Assuredly I say to you, that in the regeneration, when the Son of Man sits on the throne of His glory, you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 29 And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My name's sake, shall receive a hundredfold, and inherit eternal life."
  15. Let's look at Ezekiel 34:20-31 with this little flock in mind: Therefore thus says the Lord GOD to them: "Behold, I Myself will judge between the fat and the lean sheep. 21 Because you have pushed with side and shoulder, butted all the weak ones with your horns, and scattered them abroad, 22 therefore I will save My flock, and they shall no longer be a prey; and I will judge between sheep and sheep [believing and unbelieving]. 23 I will establish one shepherd over them, and he shall feed them; My servant David. He shall feed them and be their shepherd. 24 And I, the LORD, will be their God, and My servant David a prince among them; I, the LORD, have spoken. . . 30 Thus they shall know that I, the LORD their God, am with them, and they, the house of Israel, are My people," says the Lord GOD. 31 "You are My flock, the flock of My pasture; you are men, and I am your God," says the Lord GOD.
  16. Who was this "flock of My pasture" of verse 31? At the beginning, they were just the twelve, the little flock. When He said "I will judge between sheep and sheep," He judged between the apostate nation and the little flock. In Matthew 21:43, it says, "Therefore I say to you [the chief priests and the elders of the people according to vs. 23], the kingdom of God will be taken from you [According to vs. 32, For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him; but tax collectors and harlots believed him; and when you saw it, you did not afterward relent and believe him] [now back to verse 43] the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a nation bearing the fruits of it." At first this nation was just a little flock, the twelve disciples. They were not even a nation. Moses predicted in Deuteronomy 32:21, "They have provoked Me to jealousy by what is not God. They have moved Me to anger by their foolish idols. But I will provoke them to jealousy by those who are not a nation. I will move them to anger by a foolish nation." In Isaiah 8:18 when it said, "Here am I and the children whom the LORD has given me! We are for signs and wonders in Israel From the LORD of hosts who dwells in Mount Zion," who were those children? How did the Lord give them? Was that a prophecy of the coming Messiah and His people?
  17. As we examine the Scriptures, we'll see that Jesus, the Messiah, quotes this passage, Isaiah 8:18, "Here am I and the children whom the LORD has given me!", repeatedly when referring to the little flock. Notice further what it says in Hebrews 2:9-13,
  18. But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone. 10 For it was fitting for Him [the Father], for whom are all things and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings. 11 For both He who sanctifies and those who are being sanctified are all of one, for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren, 12 saying: "I will declare Your name to My brethren; In the midst of the assembly I will sing praise to You." 13 And again: "I will put My trust in Him." And again: "Here am I and the children whom God has given Me."
  19. If the Father gave Christ some children, then we can understand why Christ had a two-fold job to do. He had the job of preparing the little flock for their future work. He completed this part of the work in John 17:2-4. The other work, redemption, was finished on the cross.
  20. How did He accomplish the first work? Let's look closely at John 6:33-45, since Christ was talking with the ones He fed in John 6:26: "For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world." 34 Then they said to Him, "Lord, give us this bread always." 35 And Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst. 36 But I said to you that you have seen Me and yet do not believe."
  21. By this unbelief, they put themselves into the apostate nation. Then, in verse 37, He said, "All [pan]" - The extent of this all [pan] depends. The Father gives all those of verses 44,45, everyone who hears and learned. But not those of verses 64,65, who do not believe. Further, according to John 17:12, one of the chosen doesn't continue in belief. "While I was with them in the world, I kept them in Your name. Those whom You gave Me I have kept; and none of them is lost except the son of perdition." Judas was one of "those whom You gave Me." But he did not continue and was lost. Compare this with the potential loss of salvation in John 15:6.
  22. John 17:12 ends, "that the Scripture might be fulfilled."[Many expositors say this should be translated, "that the Scripture might be illustrated."] When I said that one, Judas, did not continue in belief, implying that he was a believer, I based that on the inspired statement of John in John 2:11, "This beginning of signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and manifested His glory; and His disciples believed in Him." When it says His disciples believed in Him, this would include Judas. Mat 13:16 shows they were all blessed by Him. "But blessed are your eyes for they see, and your ears for they hear." So, they all were blessed by Him. They all believed in Him. Remember, Christ promised they would all sit in judgment on Israel in Mat 19:28, So Jesus said to them, "Assuredly I say to you, that in the regeneration, when the Son of Man sits on the throne of His glory, you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel." Of course Judas didn't follow Him all the way. Therefore, he will not sit on one of the twelve thrones. Let's continue reading John 6:37-39, All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out. 38 For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. 39 This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day.
  23. When He says, "This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing," this "all" referred to the apostles. Notice how John 17:6 and 18:9 substantiate this. John 17:6 "I have manifested Your name to the men whom You have given Me out of the world. They were Yours, You gave them to Me, and they have kept Your word." John 18:8-9 Jesus answered, "I have told you that I am He. Therefore , if you seek Me, let these go their way," 9 that the saying might be fulfilled which He spoke, "Of those whom You gave Me I have lost none."
  24. He is quoting John 6:37-40 and 10:29, which we have already read. What does "Of those whom You gave Me", mean? John 6:44 says, "No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws [elkush/ drags] him." Yet John 12:32 says, "And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, [will draw, drag, all to Myself, pavnta" elkusw pro" emauton]." The way the Father draws them is by teaching, because John 6:45 says, "It is written in the prophets, 'And they shall all be taught by God.' Therefore everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to Me." If, and it's a big if, they will listen and learn from God, they will be drawn by the Father. Once they are drawn, they will be given to the Son by the Father. This group of apostles is the little flock of Luke 12:22&32. At that time, Judas was included.
  25. Then He said to His disciples, "Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; nor about the body, what you will put on . . . 32 Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom."
  26. Was He referring to Mat 19:28, "you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel"? Yes He was, because there was a strong condition. In Luke 22:3,4, Judas had already left to betray Christ. "Then Satan entered Judas, surnamed Iscariot, who was numbered among the twelve. 4 So he went his way and conferred with the chief priests and captains, how he might betray Him to them." Then, Christ spoke to the remaining disciples in verses 28-30, [In contrast to Judas,] "you are those who have continued with Me in My trials. 29 And I bestow upon you a kingdom, just as My Father bestowed one upon Me, 30 that you may eat and drink at My table in My kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel." The twelve are apostles of the circumcision with the earthly hope of the kingdom which was promised to David. Our hope is heavenly.
  27. Later, Peter wrote to the extended little flock. He told them about the prophecy of Ex 19:5-6, which said, "Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people; for all the earth is Mine. 6 And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. These are the words which you shall speak to the children of Israel."
  28. In 1 Pe 2:8-10, he wrote that Jesus was "A stone of stumbling and a rock of offense. They stumble, being disobedient to the word, to which they also were appointed." Notice! According to the Greek syntax, they were appointed to stumble when they were disobedient to the word. Instead of believing it they stumbled. They refused to believe. But in fulfillment of Ex 19:5,6, he wrote in 1 Pe 2:9, to these circumcision believers who expected the kingdom,
  29. But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; 10 who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy (Cf. Hos 1:9,10; 2:23).
  30. They are the nation. The apostate nation has been rejected. The kingdom was taken from the apostate nation and given to the little flock which has grown into the Israel of God.
  31. Remember, in 1 Ti 2:4, God "desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth." John 7:17 shows who will know the Lord. "If anyone wants [qelei, is willing] to do His will [to qelhma autou, the will of Him], he shall know concerning the doctrine, whether it is from God or whether I speak on My own authority."
  32. John 6:40-45 shows who will know Him: "And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees [o qewrwn] the Son and believes [pisteuwn] in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day." 41 The Jews then complained about Him, because He said, "I am the bread which came down from heaven." 42 And they said, "Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How is it then that He says, 'I have come down from heaven'? 43 Jesus therefore answered and said to them, "Do not murmur among yourselves. 44 No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day. 45 It is written in the prophets, And they shall all be taught by God. Therefore everyone who has heard [Therefore everyone who is hearing, pa" oun oJ ajkouvwn The Majority Text supports this reading contra Nestle-Aland, Scriveners, and TR.] and learned [kai maqwn] from the Father comes to Me.
  33. And John 5:38-40 shows it negatively: "But you do not have His word abiding in you, because whom He sent, Him you do not believe. 39 You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me. 40 But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life."
  34. Now we know how it was granted by the Father. Everyone who was willing to hear and learned was granted by the father in John 6:61-65 to come to Christ.
  35. When Jesus knew in Himself that His disciples complained about this, He said to them, "Does this offend you? 62 What then if you should see the Son of Man ascend where He was before? 63 It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life. 64 But there are some of you who do not believe." For Jesus knew from the beginning [The beginning of their unbelief.] who they were who did not believe, and who would betray Him. 65 And He said, "Therefore I have said to you that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted to him by My Father."
  36. All are able to believe the gospel, but according to 2 Pe 1:5-11 their salvation is conditional. They must make their election sure: "But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, 6 to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, 7 to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. 8 For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins. 10 Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble; 11 for so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ."
  37. Therefore, my conclusion is, God took the kingdom from the apostate nation of Israel and gave it to the little flock. This little flock grew into a great multitude. But, because of continued unbelief (Rom 11) the nation was set aside and a new program was begun with Paul. However, in the tribulation the little flock will grow and eventually become united with the other sheep of John 10:16, and grow into a great nation. They will have one Shepherd. The little flock was, at first, the twelve. But it grew to be thousands of Jews who willingly believed before God set aside His program for Israel and raised up the Apostle Paul with a new stewardship and the message of grace. After the rapture and the tribulation, they will receive their long awaited kingdom.
  38. In Christ,
  39. Bob Hill
• Question: John 10:26 People don't come because they are not His sheep.
  • Dear Bob,
  • My question again was, there is a section in Johns gospel that is brief but, Jesus says to the Jews(I was thinking Pharisees last time for some reason. Sorry) that they don't believe because they are not his sheep, if they were his sheep they would believe(John 10:26). In listening and reading Piper, I know this is a big verse for him.
  • What do you think?
  • Thanks
  • Keith
• Answer: (click here to see the answer)
  1. Dear Keith,
  2. John 10:26 would be one of Piper's favorites. Here's what I believe the answer is.
  3. First, whom did the Father give to Christ? Christ said in John 6:37, "All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out. Further, He said in our verse, John 10:26, "But you do not believe, because you are not of My sheep." Is this saying others couldn't believe because they were not of the elect? John Piper believes there are two groups of people, the elect and those not elected.
  4. Christ had two works. This is clear from two accounts in John. One is in the account of Christ's crucifixion. When Christ said, "It is finished!" in John 19:30, Christ meant the work of redemption had been finished. But, what did He mean in John 17:4 when He said, "I have finished the work which You have given Me to do."? Let's read John 17:1-5: Jesus spoke these words, lifted up His eyes to heaven, and said: "Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son also may glorify You, 2 as You have given Him authority over all flesh, that He should give eternal life to as many as You have given Him. 3 And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. 4 I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished the work which You have given Me to do. 5 And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was."
  5. What work did He finish in John 17:4? Obviously, that work was different from the work of John 19:30 accomplished on the cross. I believe the answer to this question clears up many problems. Notice, in John 17:2, Jesus quoted a recurring theme first found in Isa 8:13-18: The LORD of hosts, Him you shall hallow. Let Him be your fear, and let Him be your dread. He will be as a sanctuary, but a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense to both the houses of Israel, as a trap and a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 15 And many among them shall stumble; They shall fall and be broken, be snared and taken. 16 Bind up the testimony, seal the law among my disciples. 17 And I will wait on the LORD, who hides His face from the house of Jacob. And I will hope in Him. 18 Here am I and the children whom the LORD has given me! We are for signs and wonders in Israel From the LORD of hosts who dwells in Mount Zion.
  6. Notice, the children whom the Lord gave Him would produce signs. Those signs were demonstrated by the apostles when Christ sent them out in Matthew 10. He also promised signs would follow those who believe in Mark 16.
  7. The first reference to the work of Christ is in John 5:16,17. One group, the Jews, made a choice. They did not believe. "For this reason the Jews persecuted Jesus, and sought to kill Him, because He had done these things on the Sabbath. 17 But Jesus answered them, 'My Father has been working until now, and I have been working.'" In John 5:37-47, He showed why the Jews were unbelievers. They didn't want to come to Christ. John 5:37-47: And the Father Himself, who sent Me, has testified of Me. You have neither heard His voice at any time, nor seen His form. 38 But you do not have His word abiding in you, because whom He sent, Him you do not believe. 39 You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me. 40 But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life. 41 I do not receive honor from men. 42 But I know you, that you do not have the love of God in you. 43 I have come in My Father's name, and you do not receive Me; if another comes in his own name, him you will receive. 44 How can you believe, who receive honor from one another, and do not seek the honor that comes from the only God? 45 Do not think that I shall accuse you to the Father; there is one who accuses you; Moses, in whom you trust. 46 For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me; for he wrote about Me. 47 But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe My words?
  8. Christ was showing the apostate nation that they were not His sheep because they were unwilling to come to Him for eternal life. In Matthew 8:12, He told them of their fate: "But the sons of the kingdom will be cast out into outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth." In contrast, the little flock would sit on twelve thrones, judging Israel, and others would inherit the kingdom. However these promises were conditional according to the italicized words in Matthew 19:27-30: Then Peter answered and said to Him, "See, we have left all and followed You. Therefore what shall we have?" 28 So Jesus said to them, "Assuredly I say to you, that in the regeneration, when the Son of Man sits on the throne of His glory, you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 29 And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My name's sake, shall receive a hundredfold, and inherit eternal life. 30 But many who are first will be last, and the last first."
  9. Many Old Testament passages refer to Israel and her obstinacy. One of the most enlightening is in Ezekiel 34:20-31: Therefore thus says the Lord GOD to them: "Behold, I Myself will judge between the fat and the lean sheep. 21 Because you have pushed with side and shoulder, butted all the weak ones with your horns, and scattered them abroad, 22 therefore I will save My flock, and they shall no longer be a prey; and I will judge between sheep and sheep. 23 I will establish one shepherd over them, and he shall feed them; My servant David. He shall feed them and be their shepherd. 24 And I, the LORD, will be their God, and My servant David a prince among them; I, the LORD, have spoken. . . . 30 Thus they shall know that I, the LORD their God, am with them, and they, the house of Israel, are My people," says the Lord GOD. 31 "You are My flock, the flock of My pasture; you are men, and I am your God," says the Lord GOD.
  10. Who was this "flock of My pasture" of verse 31? At the beginning, they were just the twelve, the little flock. When He said "I will judge between sheep and sheep," He judged between the apostate nation and the little flock. In Matthew 21:43, it says, "Therefore I say to you [the chief priests and the elders of the people, vs. 23], the kingdom of God will be taken from you [For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him; but tax collectors and harlots believed him; and when you saw it, you did not afterward relent and believe him, vs. 32] and given to a nation bearing the fruits of it." At first this nation was just a little flock, the twelve disciples. They were not even a nation. Moses predicted in Deuteronomy 32:21, "They have provoked Me to jealousy by what is not God. They have moved Me to anger by their foolish idols. But I will provoke them to jealousy by those who are not a nation. I will move them to anger by a foolish nation." In Isaiah 8:18 when it said, "Here am I and the children whom the LORD has given me! We are for signs and wonders in Israel From the LORD of hosts who dwells in Mount Zion," who were those children? How did the Lord give them? Was that a prophecy of the coming Messiah and His people?
  11. As we examine the Scriptures, we'll see that Jesus, the Messiah, quotes this passage repeatedly when referring to the little flock. Notice further what it says in Hebrews 2:9-13: But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone. 10 For it was fitting for Him [the Father], for whom are all things and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings. 11 For both He who sanctifies and those who are being sanctified are all of one, for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren, 12 saying: "I will declare Your name to My brethren; In the midst of the assembly I will sing praise to You." 13 And again: "I will put My trust in Him." And again: "Here am I and the children whom God has given Me."
  12. If the Father gave Christ some children, then we can understand why Christ had a two-fold job to do. He had the job of preparing the little flock for their future work. He completed this part of the work in John 17:2-4. How did He accomplish the first work? Let's look closely at John 6:33-45. Christ was talking with the five thousand He had fed (John 6:26): "For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world." 34 Then they said to Him, "Lord, give us this bread always." 35 And Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst. 36 But I said to you that you have seen Me and yet do not believe."
  13. By this unbelief, they put themselves into the apostate nation. Then, in verse 37, He said, "All [pan]" - The extent of this all [pan] depends. The Father gives all those of verses 44,45, everyone who hears and learned. But not those of verses 64,65, who do not believe. Further, according to John 17:12, one of the chosen doesn't continue in belief. "While I was with them in the world, I kept them in Your name. Those whom You gave Me I have kept; and none of them is lost except the son of perdition." Judas was one of "those whom You gave Me." But he did not continue and was lost. Compare this with John 15:6: If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. John 17:12 ends, "that the Scripture might be fulfilled." [Many expositors say this should be translated, "that the Scripture might be illustrated."]
  14. When I said that one, Judas, did not continue in belief, implying that he was a believer, I based that on the inspired statement of John in John 2:11, "This beginning of signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and manifested His glory; and His disciples believed in Him." When it says His disciples believed in Him, this would include Judas. Matthew 13:16 shows they were all blessed by Him. "But blessed are your eyes for they see, and your ears for they hear." So, they all were blessed by Him. They all believed in Him. Remember, Christ promised they would all sit in judgment on Israel in Mat 19:28: So Jesus said to them, "Assuredly I say to you, that in the regeneration, when the Son of Man sits on the throne of His glory, you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel." Of course Judas didn't follow Him all the way. Therefore, he will not sit on one of the twelve thrones.
  15. Let's continue reading John 6:37-39: "All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out. 38 For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. 39 This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day." When He says, "This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing," this "all" refers to the apostles. Notice how John 17:6 and 18:9 substantiate this. John 17:6 "I have manifested Your name to the men whom You have given Me out of the world. They were Yours, You gave them to Me, and they have kept Your word." John 18:8-9 Jesus answered, "I have told you that I am He. Therefore , if you seek Me, let these go their way," 9 that the saying might be fulfilled which He spoke, "Of those whom You gave Me [He is quoting John 6:37-40 and 10:29.] I have lost none." This group of apostles is the little flock of Luke 12:22,32.
  16. Further, what does "those whom You gave Me" mean? John 6:44 says, "No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws [helkusay/ drags] him." Yet John 12:32 says, "And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, [will draw, drag, all to Myself, pantas helkusw pros emauton]." The way the Father draws them is by teaching, because John 6:45 says, "It is written in the prophets, 'And they shall all be taught by God.' Therefore everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to Me." If they will listen and learn from God, they will be drawn by the Father. Once they are drawn, they will be given to the Son.
  17. Also, remember, in 1 Ti 2:4, God "wills all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth." John 7:17 shows who will know the Lord. "If anyone wants [thelei, is willing] to do His will [to thelayma autou, the will of Him], he shall know concerning the doctrine, whether it is from God or whether I speak on My own authority." John 6:40-45 shows who will know Him: "And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day." 41 The Jews then complained about Him, because He said, "I am the bread which came down from heaven." 42 And they said, "Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How is it then that He says, 'I have come down from heaven'? 43 Jesus therefore answered and said to them, "Do not murmur among yourselves. 44 No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day. 45 It is written in the prophets, And they shall all be taught by God. Therefore everyone who has heard [Therefore everyone who is hearing, and learned from the Father comes to Me.
  18. John 5:38-40 shows it negatively: "But you do not have His word abiding in you, because whom He sent, Him you do not believe. 39 You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me. 40 But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life." Now, I think we know how it was granted by the Father. Everyone who was willing to hear and learned was granted by the father in John 6:61-65 to come to Christ: When Jesus knew in Himself that His disciples complained about this, He said to them, "Does this offend you? 62 What then if you should see the Son of Man ascend where He was before? 63 It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life. 64 But there are some of you who do not believe." For Jesus knew from the beginning [The beginning of their unbelief.] who they were who did not believe, and who would betray Him. 65 And He said, "Therefore I have said to you that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted to him by My Father."
  19. Second Peter 3:9 shows what God counsels for all. Counsel [boulomai] is the strongest term for will. "The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is long-suffering toward us, not willing [may boulomenos - counseling] that any should perish but that all should come to repentance [tinas apolesthai any to perish], [alla pantas eis metanoian cwraysai - but counseling all to have room for repentance]." This means all are able to believe the gospel. Of course, according to 2 Pe 1:5-11 their salvation is conditional. They must make their election sure: "But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, 6 to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, 7 to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. 8 For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins. 10 Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble; 11 for so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ."
  20. Therefore, God took the kingdom from the apostate nation and gave it to the little flock. This little flock grew into a great multitude. But, because of continued unbelief (Rom 11) the nation was set aside and a new program was begun with Paul. However, in the tribulation the little flock will become united with the other sheep and grow into a great nation. According to Zech 13:8,9, the unbelievers will be purged out.: "And it shall come to pass in all the land," says the LORD, "that two-thirds in it shall be cut off and die, but one-third shall be left in it: 9 I will bring the one-third through the fire, will refine them as silver is refined, and test them as gold is tested. They will call on My name, and I will answer them. I will say, 'This is My people'; and each one will say, 'The LORD is my God.'"
  21. Unfortunately, many are the called but few are the elect.
  22. In Christ,
  23. Bob Hill
• Question: Why did Christ deal with Samaritans?
  • How do you deal with John 4? It talks about samaritines..and him abiding with them a few days and many believing on Him.
• Answer: (click here to see the answer)
  1. Dear Shadowx,
  2. I would deal with them as being in the blood line of Abraham and his descendants according to the Harper's Bible Dictionary, which has quite a lot of info about Samaritans. The important concept is "one learns that the Jews and Samaritans shared a common heritage ('our father Jacob,' John 4:12) but differed from one another radically in regard to the relative sanctity of Jerusalem/Zion and Mt. Gerizim ('Our fathers worshiped on this mountain; and you say that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship,' John 4:20). They also had different legal traditions regarding the cleanliness of vessels and, in general, they avoided contact with one another (John 4:7-10). The negative attitude of the Jews towards the Samaritans is reflected in Jesus' statement in Matt. 10:5, in which Samaritans are linked with Gentiles in contrast to 'the house of Israel' (cf. Acts 1:8, in which Samaria occupies a median position between Jerusalem/Judea and the gentile world) and in John 8:48, in which the adversaries of Jesus refer to him contemptuously as 'a Samaritan'-and demon-possessed as well. The itinerary of Jesus in Mark (10:1; it is followed in Matt. 19:1 but altered somewhat in Luke) seems to reflect a standard Jewish practice of avoiding Samaria in pilgrimages to Jerusalem.
  3. Basically, the Jews regarded the Samaritans as a people foreign to themselves, in spite of an obviously shared heritage: the term 'foreigner' used by Jesus of the thankful Samaritan leper in Luke 17:18 (Gk. allogeneµs) is the term used in the Jerusalem Temple inscription excluding non-Jews from the court of Israel. (The historian Josephus relates that the Samaritans were excluded from the Jerusalem Temple by formal edict, not because of nationality but due to acts of mischief they allegedly perpetrated there). It was the alien nature of the Samaritans, as commonly perceived, that gave the ironic sting to the story of the grateful leper and to the parable of the good Samaritan: only one out of ten returned to express thanks, and 'he was a Samaritan'; the Samaritan stranger was the good neighbor, not the priest or the Levite!
  4. As a religious sect, the Samaritans are a strict, Torah-observing party with a resolute pride in their religious heritage. They maintain that they and not the Jews are the bearers of the true faith of ancient Israel as expounded by Moses and as practiced at Mt. Gerizim in ancient times. The name by which they call themselves is Shamerim, 'observers [of the Torah].' They understand themselves to be the descendants of the Joseph tribes of ancient Israel, as Jews are descendants of the tribe of Judah. Judaism as a heresy is traced to the priest Eli, who is said to have established a rival sanctuary at Shiloh. Thus, for them, the history of the Israelite faith as traced in the second and third divisions of the Jewish Bible is not of sacred but of apostate history. The Samaritans have for Scripture only the Pentateuch, and that in their own distinctive redaction. The chief error of the Jews, according to the Samaritans, is in having edited the Torah to minimize the importance of Gerizim and in having erected a Temple in Jerusalem. In addition to Eli and Solomon, Samaritans cite also Ezra and Hillel for having led the Jews astray: Ezra for having corrupted the text of the Pentateuch and Hillel for having introduced deviant legal and calendrical interpretations. As a priestly dominated community at odds with Pharisaic interpretations, the Samaritans invite comparison with the Sadducees of NT times and with the Karaites of later times. Comparisons have also been made with the Essenes and with the type of early Christianity represented in the Gospel of John. Indeed, recent studies of early Samaritan traditions reveal early Samaritanism as but one of a greater complex of disparate religious movements and ideologies within Judaism (broadly defined) prior to the destruction of the Jerusalem Temple in A.D. 70."
  5. Christ treated them as potential believers under the gospel of the circumcision. Luke 9:51-56 "Now it came to pass, when the time had come for Him to be received up, that He steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem, 52 and sent messengers before His face. And as they went, they entered a village of the Samaritans, to prepare for Him. 53 But they did not receive Him, because His face was set for the journey to Jerusalem. 54 And when His disciples James and John saw this, they said, "Lord, do You want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them, just as Elijah did?" 55 But He turned and rebuked them, and said, "You do not know what manner of spirit you are of. 56 For the Son of Man did not come to destroy men's lives but to save them." And they went to another village. (NKJV)
  6. Remember when He talked about the good Samaritan? There is also an account about the 10 lepers in Luk 17:15-19, "And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, returned, and with a loud voice glorified God, 16 and fell down on his face at His feet, giving Him thanks. And he was a Samaritan. 17 So Jesus answered and said, "Were there not ten cleansed? But where are the nine? 18 Were there not any found who returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?" 19 And He said to him, "Arise, go your way. Your faith has made you well." (NKJV)
  7. However, the clincher, in my mind, is the Samaritan woman. John 4:5-42 So He came to a city of Samaria which is called Sychar, near the plot of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. 6 Now Jacob's well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied from His journey, sat thus by the well. It was about the sixth hour. 7 A woman of Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, "Give Me a drink." 8 For His disciples had gone away into the city to buy food. 9 Then the woman of Samaria said to Him, "How is it that You, being a Jew, ask a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?" For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans. 10 Jesus answered and said to her, "If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, 'Give Me a drink,' you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water." 11 The woman said to Him, "Sir, You have nothing to draw with, and the well is deep. Where then do You get that living water? 12 Are You greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well, and drank from it himself, as well as his sons and his livestock?" 13 Jesus answered and said to her, "Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, 14 but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life." 15 The woman said to Him, "Sir, give me this water, that I may not thirst, nor come here to draw." 16 Jesus said to her, "Go, call your husband, and come here." 17 The woman answered and said, "I have no husband." Jesus said to her, "You have well said, 'I have no husband,' 18 for you have had five husbands, and the one whom you now have is not your husband; in that you spoke truly." 19 The woman said to Him, "Sir, I perceive that You are a prophet. 20 Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, and you Jews say that in Jerusalem is the place where one ought to worship." 21 Jesus said to her, "Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father. 22 You worship what you do not know; we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews. 23 But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. 24 God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth." 25 The woman said to Him, "I know that Messiah is coming" (who is called Christ). "When He comes, He will tell us all things." 26 Jesus said to her, "I who speak to you am He." 27 And at this point His disciples came, and they marveled that He talked with a woman; yet no one said, "What do You seek?" or, "Why are You talking with her?" 28 The woman then left her waterpot, went her way into the city, and said to the men, 29 "Come, see a Man who told me all things that I ever did. Could this be the Christ?" 30 Then they went out of the city and came to Him. 31 In the meantime His disciples urged Him, saying, "Rabbi, eat." 32 But He said to them, "I have food to eat of which you do not know." 33 Therefore the disciples said to one another, "Has anyone brought Him anything to eat?" 34 Jesus said to them, "My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work. 35 Do you not say, 'There are still four months and then comes the harvest'? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest! 36 And he who reaps receives wages, and gathers fruit for eternal life, that both he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together. 37 For in this the saying is true: 'One sows and another reaps.' 38 I sent you to reap that for which you have not labored; others have labored, and you have entered into their labors." 39 And many of the Samaritans of that city believed in Him because of the word of the woman who testified, "He told me all that I ever did." 40 So when the Samaritans had come to Him, they urged Him to stay with them; and He stayed there two days. 41 And many more believed because of His own word. 42 Then they said to the woman, "Now we believe, not because of what you said, for we ourselves have heard Him and we know that this is indeed the Christ, the Savior of the world." (NKJV)
  8. Christ preached the kingdom gospel to them. They believed He was Christ, the Savior of the world. Therefore, I see no problem with Samaritans. The gospel of the kingdom was preached to them, not the gospel of Grace.
  9. In Christ,
  10. Bob
• Question: Questions about the temptation of Christ
  • Dear Bob,
  • Thanks for the opportunity to be able to ask spiritual questions in this format. I have been puzzled every time I read of the temptation of Jesus. Although the account is brief, it is packed with spiritual lessons. Could you please assist me in revealing the full spiritual message?
  • a) What is the spiritual significance of the 40 days and forty nights, (also the time period of the flood)?
  • b) The type of hunger that is referred to is beyond physical hunger, isn't it?
• Answer: (click here to see the answer)
  1. Dear Connie,
  2. When we look at the number of times the number 40 is used in the Bible and the situations in which 40 was used, we can see that it was used as a time of testing. Two examples are Deu 8:1-5 & Ps 95:7-11.
  3. Deu 8:1-5 is the text that displays this idea at the beginning of the nation's existence. "Every commandment which I command you today you must be careful to observe, that you may live and multiply, and go in and possess the land of which the LORD swore to your fathers. 2 And you shall remember that the LORD your God led you all the way these forty years in the wilderness, to humble you and test you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not. 3 So He humbled you, allowed you to hunger, and fed you with manna which you did not know nor did your fathers know, that He might make you know that man shall not live by bread alone; but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the LORD. 4 Your garments did not wear out on you, nor did your foot swell these forty years. 5 You should know in your heart that as a man chastens his son, so the LORD your God chastens you."
  4. Ps 95:7-11 For He is our God, and we are the people of His pasture, and the sheep of His hand. Today, if you will hear His voice: 8 Do not harden your hearts, as in the rebellion, as in the day of trial in the wilderness, 9 When your fathers tested Me; They tried Me, though they saw My work. 10 For forty years I was grieved with that generation, and said, "It is a people who go astray in their hearts, and they do not know My ways." 11 So I swore in My wrath, "They shall not enter My rest."
  5. Similarly, Jesus was tempted by the devil for 40 days in Mat 4:1,2: Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2 And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry. Mk 1:12,13 Immediately the Spirit drove Him into the wilderness. 13 And He was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan, and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered to Him. Lk 4:1-10 Then Jesus, being filled with the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, 2 being tempted for forty days by the devil. And in those days He ate nothing, and afterward, when they had ended, He was hungry. 3 And the devil said to Him, "If You are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread." 4 But Jesus answered him, saying, "It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.'" 5 Then the devil, taking Him up on a high mountain, showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. 6 And the devil said to Him, "All this authority I will give You, and their glory; for this has been delivered to me, and I give it to whomever I wish. 7 Therefore, if You will worship before me, all will be Yours." 8 And Jesus answered and said to him, "Get behind Me, Satan! For it is written, 'You shall worship the LORD your God, and Him only you shall serve.'" 9 Then he brought Him to Jerusalem, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, "If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down from here. 10 For it is written: 'He shall give His angels charge over you'".
• Question: Who are the sheep that Christ died for, and who are the other sheep?
  • Bob, the sheep jesus talks about "dieing" for.. who are they? im sure you have heard the Calvanist charge "He died for the sheep not the goats"
  • He says HIS sheep hear his voice and he gives his life for them...
  • i was thinking its those that had "learned" of the father..those that already knew God from the ot
  • would recognize the "times" and would know and see God IN Christ..."those that believed moses"
  • do you have an overview of this topic?
  • 25. Jesus answered them, I told you, and ye believed not: the works that I do in my Father's name, they bear witness of me. 26. But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you.
  • <--im assuming the sheep are those that believed "moses"
  • 27. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: 28. And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.
  • <--is he talking about the 1/3..does this have anything to do with the tribulation period?
  • 29. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand.
  • <--who are those sheep that the father gives to the son? that he says he dies for?
  • Lost sheep of the house of israel who will believe?
  • Danny
• Answer: (click here to see the answer)
  1. Dear Danny,
  2. Basically you are asking, who are the sheep and who are the other sheep? Most evangelical scholars say the other sheep are Gentiles. Let's look at the context of John 10:16. We can see that the sheep are believing Israel in John 10:24-29, "Then the Jews surrounded Him and said to Him, 'How long do You keep us in doubt? If You are the Christ, tell us plainly.' 25 Jesus answered them, 'I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in My Father's name, they bear witness of Me. 26 But you do not believe, because you are not of My sheep, as I said to you. 27 My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. 28 And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father's hand.'"
  3. Further, Luke 12:32 shows us that the Apostles are the little flock, "Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom." But, we're not dealing with just one issue here. We must see that we are dealing with at least 2 big issues. Are the other sheep Jews or Gentiles? Are the sheep, sheep because they were elected or predestined to be sheep, or are they sheep for some other reason?
  4. It is difficult to deal with two issues like this at once, but the biblical material fits together so well that I'm going to try it. As I said before, many evangelicals think the other sheep of John 10:16 are the Gentiles. They think this statement would then refer to the church, the body of Christ, and would mean the mystery was prophesied long before it was revealed to the Apostle Paul. But this would contradict Ephesians 3:1-9 and Colossians 1:26, where it says the mystery "has been hidden in God from the ages."
  5. We must ask, whom did the Father give to Christ? Christ said in John 6:37, "All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out." Further, He said in John 10:26, "But you do not believe, because you are not of My sheep." Is this saying others couldn't believe because they were not of the elect? According to these and other statements, Calvinists believe there are two groups of people in the world, the elect and those not elected. They use these portions as well as other portions of Scripture to prove that belief.
  6. Christ called His disciples His "little flock," in contrast to the rebellious nation. Christ had two works. This is clear from two accounts in John. One is in the description of Christ's crucifixion, in John 19:28-30: "Jesus, knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, said, 'I thirst!' Now a vessel full of sour wine was sitting there; and they filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on hyssop, and put it to His mouth. So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, 'It is finished!' And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit.
  7. When He said, "It is finished!" in 19:30, Christ meant the work of redemption had been finished. But, what did He mean in John 17:4 when He said, "I have finished the work which You have given Me to do."? Let's read the context, John 17:1-5 "Jesus spoke these words, lifted up His eyes to heaven, and said: 'Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son also may glorify You, 2 as You have given Him authority over all flesh, that He should give eternal life to as many as You have given Him.
  8. Now, who are these that the Father has given Him? Are they elect or predestined to be His sheep and given to Christ because they are elect? My answer is no!
  9. He continued in verse 3 And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. 4 I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished the work which You have given Me to do. 5 And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was.
  10. What work did He finish in John 17:4? Obviously, that work was different from the work of John 19:30 accomplished on the cross. Notice, in John 17:2, Jesus quoted a recurring theme first found in Isaiah 8:13-18: The LORD of hosts, Him you shall hallow. Let Him be your fear, and let Him be your dread. He will be as a sanctuary, but a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense to both the houses of Israel, as a trap and a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 15 And many among them shall stumble; They shall fall and be broken, be snared and taken. 16 Bind up the testimony, seal the law among my disciples. 17 And I will wait on the LORD, who hides His face from the house of Jacob. And I will hope in Him. 18 Here am I and the children whom the LORD has given me! We are for signs and wonders in Israel From the LORD of hosts who dwells in Mount Zion.
  11. Notice, the children whom the Lord gave Him would produce signs. Those signs were demonstrated by the apostles when Christ sent them out in Mat 10. He also promised that signs would follow them in Mark 16.
  12. The first reference to the work of Christ is in John 5:16,17. One group, the Jews, made a choice. They did not believe. "For this reason the Jews persecuted Jesus, and sought to kill Him, because He had done these things on the Sabbath. 17 But Jesus answered them, 'My Father has been working until now, and I have been working.'"
  13. In John 5:37-47, He showed why the Jews were unbelievers [And thus not His sheep] . They didn't want to come to Christ: "And the Father Himself, who sent Me, has testified of Me. You have neither heard His voice at any time, nor seen His form. 38 But you do not have His word abiding in you, [Why?] because whom He sent, Him you do not believe. 39 You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me. 40 But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life. 41 I do not receive honor from men. 42 But I know you, that you do not have the love of God in you. 43 I have come in My Father's name, and you do not receive Me; if another comes in his own name, him you will receive. 44 How can you believe, who receive honor from one another, and do not seek the honor that comes from the only God? 45 Do not think that I shall accuse you to the Father; there is one who accuses you; Moses, in whom you trust. 46 For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me; for he wrote about Me. 47 But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe My words?
  14. Christ was showing the apostate nation that they were not His sheep because they were unwilling to come to Him for eternal life. In Mat 8:12, He told them of their fate: "But the sons of the kingdom [unbelievers in the elect nation] will be cast out into outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth."
  15. In contrast, the little flock would sit on twelve thrones, judging Israel, and the rest of redeemed Israel would inherit the kingdom. However these promises were conditional. According to the words in Matthew 19:27-29, they had to follow Him: Then Peter answered and said to Him, "See, we have left all and followed You. Therefore what shall we have?" 28 So Jesus said to them, "Assuredly I say to you, that in the regeneration, when the Son of Man sits on the throne of His glory, you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 29 And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My name's sake, shall receive a hundredfold, and inherit eternal life."
  16. Let's look at Ezekiel 34:20-31 with this little flock in mind. Therefore thus says the Lord GOD to them: "Behold, I Myself will judge between the fat and the lean sheep. 21 Because you have pushed with side and shoulder, butted all the weak ones with your horns, and scattered them abroad, 22 therefore I will save My flock, and they shall no longer be a prey; and I will judge between sheep and sheep [believing and unbelieving] . 23 I will establish one shepherd over them, and he shall feed them; My servant David. He shall feed them and be their shepherd. 24 And I, the LORD, will be their God, and My servant David a prince among them; I, the LORD, have spoken. . . 30 Thus they shall know that I, the LORD their God, am with them, and they, the house of Israel, are My people," says the Lord GOD. 31 "You are My flock, the flock of My pasture; you are men, and I am your God," says the Lord GOD.
  17. Again, who was this "flock of My pasture" of verse 31? At the beginning, they were just the twelve, the little flock. When He said "I will judge between sheep and sheep," He judged between the apostate nation and the little flock. In Mat 21:43, it says, "Therefore I say to you [the chief priests and the elders of the people according to Mat 21:23], the kingdom of God will be taken from you [Mat 21:32, For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him; but tax collectors and harlots believed him; and when you saw it, you did not afterward relent and believe him] [now back to verse 43] the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a nation bearing the fruits of it."
  18. At first this nation was just a little flock, the twelve disciples. They were not even a nation. Moses predicted in Deu 32:21, "They have provoked Me to jealousy by what is not God. They have moved Me to anger by their foolish idols. But I will provoke them to jealousy by those who are not a nation. I will move them to anger by a foolish nation." In Isa 8:18 when it said, "Here am I and the children whom the LORD has given me! We are for signs and wonders in Israel From the LORD of hosts who dwells in Mount Zion.", who were those children? How did the Lord give them? Was that a prophecy of the coming Messiah and His people?
  19. As we examine the Scriptures, we'll see that Jesus, the Messiah, quotes this passage, Isa 8:18, "Here am I and the children whom the LORD has given me!", repeatedly when referring to the little flock.
  20. Notice further what it says in Heb 2:9-13: But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone. 10 For it was fitting for Him [the Father], for whom are all things and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings. 11 For both He who sanctifies and those who are being sanctified are all of one, for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren, 12 saying: "I will declare Your name to My brethren; In the midst of the assembly I will sing praise to You." 13 And again: "I will put My trust in Him." And again: "Here am I and the children whom God has given Me."
  21. If the Father gave Christ some children, then we can understand why Christ had a two-fold job to do. He had the job of preparing the little flock for their future work. He completed this part of the work in John 17:2-4. The other work, redemption, was finished on the cross.
  22. How did He accomplish the first work? Let's look closely at John 6:33-45. Christ was talking with the ones He fed according to John 6:26. John 6:33-36: For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world." 34 Then they said to Him, "Lord, give us this bread always." 35 And Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst. 36 But I said to you that you have seen Me and yet do not believe."
  23. By this unbelief, they put themselves into the apostate nation. Then, in John 6:37, He said, "All" - The extent of this all depends. The Father gives all those of verses 44,45, everyone who hears and learned. But not those of verses 64,65, who do not believe. Further, according to John 17:12, one of the chosen doesn't continue in belief. "While I was with them in the world, I kept them in Your name. Those whom You gave Me I have kept; and none of them is lost except the son of perdition." Judas was one of "those whom You gave Me." But he did not continue and was lost. Compare this with the potential loss of salvation in John 15:6.
  24. John 17:12 ends, "that the Scripture might be fulfilled."[Many expositors say this should be translated, "that the Scripture might be illustrated."] When I said that one, Judas, did not continue in belief, implying that he was a believer, I based that on the inspired statement of John in John 2:11, "This beginning of signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and manifested His glory; and His disciples believed in Him. " When it says His disciples believed in Him, this would include Judas. Mat 13:16 shows they were all blessed by Him. "But blessed are your eyes for they see, and your ears for they hear." So, they all were blessed by Him. They all believed in Him. Remember, Christ promised they would all sit in judgment on Israel in Mat 19:28, So Jesus said to them, "Assuredly I say to you, that in the regeneration, when the Son of Man sits on the throne of His glory, you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel."
  25. Since Judas didn't follow Him all the way, he will not sit on one of the twelve thrones. Let's continue reading John 6:37-39: All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out. 38 For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. 39 This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day.
  26. When He says, "This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing," this "all" referred to the apostles. Notice how John 17:6 and 18:9 substantiate this. John 17:6 "I have manifested Your name to the men whom You have given Me out of the world. They were Yours, You gave them to Me, and they have kept Your word."
  27. John 18:8-9 Jesus answered, "I have told you that I am He. Therefore , if you seek Me, let these go their way," 9 that the saying might be fulfilled which He spoke, "Of those whom You gave Me I have lost none."
  28. He is quoting John 6:37-40 and 10:29, which we have already read. What does "Of those whom You gave Me", mean? John 6:44 says, "No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws [drags] him." Yet John 12:32 says, "And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, [will draw, drag, all to Myself]." The way the Father draws them is by teaching, because John 6:45 says, "It is written in the prophets, 'And they shall all be taught by God.' Therefore everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to Me. "
  29. If, and it's a big if, they will listen and learn from God, they will be drawn by the Father. Once they are drawn, they will be given to the Son by the Father. This group of apostles is the little flock of Luke 12:22&32. At that time, Judas was included. Then He said to His disciples, "Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; nor about the body, what you will put on . . . 32 Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom."
  30. Was He referring to Mat 19:28, "you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel"? Yes He was, because there was a strong condition. In Luke 22:3,4, Judas had already left to betray Christ. "Then Satan entered Judas, surnamed Iscariot, who was numbered among the twelve. 4 So he went his way and conferred with the chief priests and captains, how he might betray Him to them." Then, Christ spoke to the remaining disciples in verses 28-30, [In contrast to Judas] "you are those who have continued with Me in My trials. 29 And I bestow upon you a kingdom, just as My Father bestowed one upon Me, 30 that you may eat and drink at My table in My kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel." The twelve are apostles of the circumcision with the earthly hope of the kingdom which was promised to David. Our hope is heavenly.
  31. Later, Peter wrote to the extended little flock. He told them about the prophecy of Ex 19:5-6, which said: Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people; for all the earth is Mine. 6 And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. These are the words which you shall speak to the children of Israel.
  32. In 1 Pe 2:8-10, Peter wrote that Jesus was "A stone of stumbling and a rock of offense. They stumble, being disobedient to the word, to which they also were appointed." Notice! According to the Greek syntax, they were appointed to stumble when they were disobedient to the word. Instead of believing it they stumbled. They refused to believe. But in fulfillment of Exodus 19:5,6, he wrote in 1 Pe 2:9, to these circumcision believers who expected the kingdom: "But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; 10 who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy
  33. They are the nation. The apostate nation has been rejected. The kingdom was taken from the apostate nation and given to the little flock which has grown into the Israel of God.
  34. Remember, in 1 Ti 2:4, God "desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth." John 7:17 shows who will know the Lord. "If anyone wants [is willing] to do His will [the will of Him], he shall know concerning the doctrine, whether it is from God or whether I speak on My own authority." John 6:40-45 shows who will know Him. John 6:40-45: "And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day." 41 The Jews then complained about Him, because He said, "I am the bread which came down from heaven." 42 And they said, "Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How is it then that He says, 'I have come down from heaven'? 43 Jesus therefore answered and said to them, "Do not murmur among yourselves. 44 No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day. 45 It is written in the prophets, And they shall all be taught by God. Therefore everyone who has heard [Therefore everyone who is hearing] and learned from the Father comes to Me.
  35. And John 5:38-40 shows it negatively: "But you do not have His word abiding in you, because whom He sent, Him you do not believe. 39 You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me. 40 But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life."
  36. Now we know how it was granted by the Father. Everyone who was willing to hear and learned was granted by the father in John 6:61-65 to come to Christ. When Jesus knew in Himself that His disciples complained about this, He said to them, "Does this offend you? 62 What then if you should see the Son of Man ascend where He was before? 63 It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life. 64 But there are some of you who do not believe." For Jesus knew from the beginning [The beginning of their unbelief.] who