14 But when it was now the middle of the feast Jesus went up into the temple, and began to teach. 15 The Jews then were marveling, saying, “How has this man become learned, not having been educated?” 16 So Jesus answered them and said, “My teaching is not Mine, but from Him who sent Me. 17 If anyone is willing to do His will, he will know about the teaching, whether it is of God or I speak from Myself. 18 He who speaks from himself seeks his own glory; but He who is seeking the glory of the One who sent Him, He is true, and there is no unrighteousness in Him.
19 “Did not Moses give you the Law? And yet none of you does the Law. Why do you seek to kill Me?” 20 The crowd answered, “You have a demon! Who seeks to kill You?” 21 Jesus answered them, “I did one work, and you all marvel. 22 For this reason Moses has given you circumcision (not because it is from Moses, but from the fathers), and on the Sabbath you circumcise a man. 23 If a man receives circumcision on the Sabbath so that the Law of Moses will not be broken, are you angry with Me because I made an entire man well on the Sabbath? 24 Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment.” John 7: 14-24 LSB
John 7: 14-24
V. 14 But when it was now the middle of the feast Jesus went up into the temple, and began to teach - He didn't go when His brothers thought He should, and He went to the temple and taught, which is interesting considering His knowledge of the religious leaders wanting to kill Him. He has more right than any to be there, it is His Father's house after all. It is also interesting that it is His words that have put Him in disfavor with the Jews, yet He continues to teach. The miracles only verify the speaker, bring veracity to His claims. He was on God's time table, and so when the time was right to go to the feast of Booths, He appears, and is undeterred from the duties of His preaching ministry.
12Then Jesus entered the temple courts and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those selling doves. 13And He declared to them, “It is written: ‘My house will be called a house of prayer.’ But you are making it ‘a den of robbers.’” 14The blind and the lame came to Him at the temple, and He healed them.… Matthew 21: 12-14
…46He declared to them, “It is written: ‘My house will be a house of prayer.’ But you have made it ‘a den of robbers.’ ” 47 Jesus was teaching at the temple every day, but the chief priests, scribes, and leaders of the people were intent on killing Him. 48Yet they could not find a way to do so, because all the people hung on His words.… Luke 19: 46-48
V. 15 How has this man become learned, not having been educated - He doesn't have a degree from one of the finer schools. I hear a lot of that in this day. Someone can tell the truth while others complain that they are not qualified to do so. Those schools in my country that are most revered, like Harvard, Yale, and others, mostly throw red flags for me, for many come out of our colleges today not being able to answer some of life's more simpler questions, like was it wrong for Hamas to kidnap, rape and kill civilians recently in Israel, what is a woman, should men be aloud to fight women in women's sports just because they want something to be considered true? Does wanting something to be true make it so? They are astonished with His teaching because it with authority and knowledge of the whole counsel of God. He only cares to say what God is saying. I have said this many times before, but having a DR., PHD, Pastor, Psychologists or any other formal title in front of your name does not make what comes out of your mouth true. The truth is what God says it is, and a thing has to be true before you say it, and someone without a degree can tell the truth, it doesn't become less true because Jesus wasn't educated by them. In fact, He spent much time correcting their Scribes and bad doctrine. A similar comparison at my work is that I have had to work with, train or direct people who have degrees and I myself did not finish mine. Some of them realized that it was a piece of paper and that they still needed to learn the job, prove themselves. The paper did not give any integrity or work ethic, so some were satisfied with just the paper itself, that that was enough to receive the paycheck, but did not want to push themselves to continue learning, take correction or meet deadlines. We need to judge by more than outward show or appearance. Bill Maher recently called out Neil Degrasse Tyson for taking the path of least resistance. Neil has a lot of degrees and respect from many, but he likes the crowd, he loves being adored so will continue to try and suspend reality in order to be a pop culture icon or at least darling.
…42Woe to you Pharisees! You pay tithes of mint, rue, and every herb, but you disregard justice and the love of God. You should have practiced the latter without neglecting the former. 43Woe to you Pharisees! You love the chief seats in the synagogues and the greetings in the marketplaces. 44Woe to you! For you are like unmarked graves, which men walk over without even noticing.”… Luke 11: 42-44
…14“I was not a prophet,” Amos replied, “nor was I the son of a prophet; rather, I was a herdsman and a tender of sycamore-fig trees. 15But the LORD took me from following the flock and said to me, ‘Go, prophesy to My people Israel.’ 16Now, therefore, hear the word of the LORD. You say: ‘Do not prophesy against Israel; do not preach against the house of Isaac.’… Amos 7: 14-16
How has this man become learned (gramma), having never been educated (manthano in perfect tense - past completed action, present, abiding effect or result) - The KJV is more literal = "How knoweth (eido) this man letters (gramma)." NET = "How does this man know so much when he has never had formal instruction?" MIT = "In consideration of the fact that he has not been to rabbinic school?" They are asking this question not so much to Jesus but to the multitude around Him. And notice they again refer to Jesus in a derisive manner as "this Man!" ("Where is He?" in Jn 7:11, cf Jn 18:17,29) The Jews were astonished but not admonished as they should have been by His teaching! They knew He had not set under a famous rabbi (See Shammaite and Hillelite interpretations of Jewish Law) and yet He still rightly divided the Word of God. They were also likely astonished that such a Man could He have such a command of the Scripture? (The irony of course is that He Himself was "The Word," "The Word of God" - Jn 1:1, Rev 19:13). And so they attacked Him on grounds that He lacked the proper credentials (or authority) for a teacher, having received no formal training in the rabbinical schools. Or as we might say today, how can that man teach with such authority since he has never even been to seminary! They could question His credentials but not His content!
Carson points out that "About a year later, Peter and John similarly confounded the religious authorities, who were compelled to observe that although they were ‘unschooled (agrammatoi), ordinary men’ (Acts 4:13), they had been with Jesus and apparently drew their knowledge and authority from that exposure."
Lenski - Their question charges Jesus with incompetency, with utter lack of proper qualifications for being a great religious teacher. The purpose of the rulers is to discredit Jesus before his audience. The force of their question is: “This fellow does not know what he is talking about because he has never studied in any of our Jewish schools.” (BORROW The Interpretation of St. John's Gospel)
V. 16 My teaching is not Mine, but from Him Who sent Me - Their teachings came from a long lineage of Rabbinical traditions and additions taught by their Scribes and passed down through the Rabbinical schools. They held these so high that they took precedents over God's own words which caused them to fall into error and everyone who followed after them as well. He does not back down from His claims of being from the Father, does not alter the message to suit them or fit in. His acceptance is from the Father, and our acceptance can only be found through Him. It will do neither any good if He changes the message since God does not change. He stays with the authority of origin, that it's God's and that He comes from God.
…27They did not understand that He was telling them about the Father. 28So Jesus said, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He, and that I do nothing on My own, but speak exactly what the Father has taught Me. 29He who sent Me is with Me. He has not left Me alone, because I always do what pleases Him.”… John 8: 27-29
… 15Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You traverse land and sea to win a single convert, and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as you are. 16Woe to you, blind guides! You say, ‘If anyone swears by the temple, it means nothing; but if anyone swears by the gold of the temple, he is bound by his oath.’… Matthew 23: 15-16
V. 17 If anyone is willing to do His will - He is about to give them a great example of this. Most ignorance is found in their desire for other than God's will, following their appetites and emotions rather than God's word. There are things that are so plainly taught in Scripture that even many heathens would attest to their validity, like thou shalt not steal, but these people are mad because Jesus is saying they are worse than heathens because of the light they have been given but refuse to follow. They have the Scriptures that testify about Him, the works He would do, born of a virgin, and even being the Holy Sacrifice of God to cleanse the sins of those who believe.
J C Ryle - The difficulty of finding out “what is truth” in religion is a common subject of complaint among men. They point to the many differences which prevail among Christians on matters of doctrine, and profess to be unable to decide who is right. In thousands of cases this professed inability to find out truth becomes an excuse for living without any religion at all. The saying of our Lord before us is one that demands the serious attention of persons in this state of mind. It supplies an argument whose edge and point they will find it hard to evade. It teaches that one secret of getting the key of knowledge is to practise honestly what we know, and that if we conscientiously use the light that we now have, we shall soon find more light coming down into our minds.—In short, there is a sense in which it is true, that by doing we shall come to knowing. There is a mine of truth in this principle. Well would it be for men if they would act upon it. Instead of saying, as some do,—“I must first know everything clearly, and then I will act,”—we should say,—“I will diligently use such knowledge as I possess, and believe that in the using fresh knowledge will be given to me.” How many mysteries this simple plan would solve! How many hard thing would soon become plain if men would honestly live up to their light, and “follow on to know the Lord!” (Hosea 6:3.) It should never be forgotten that God deals with us as moral beings, and not as beasts or stones. He loves to encourage us to self-exertion and diligent use of such means as we have in our hands. The plain things in religion are undeniably very many. Let a man honestly attend to them, and he shall be taught the deep things of God. Whatever some may say about their inability to find out truth, you will rarely find one of them who does not know better than he practises. Then if he is sincere, let him begin here at once. Let him humbly use what little knowledge he has got, and God will soon give him more.—“If thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.” (Matt. 6:22.).... We are taught that clear knowledge depends greatly on honest obedience, and that distinct views of Divine truth cannot be expected, unless we try to practise such things as we know. Living up to our light we shall have more light. We learn from these words how greatly they err who profess to be waiting till their mental difficulties are removed before they become decided Christians. They must change their plan. They must understand that knowledge comes through humble obedience as well as through the intellect. Let them begin by honestly doing God’s will as far as they know that will, and in so doing they will find their minds enlightened. (John 7 Commentary)
Bishop Hall thus paraphrases the text: “If any man shall, with a simple and honest heart, yield himself over to do the will of my Father, according to the measure of that he knows, God shall encourage and bless that man with further light; so as he shall fully know whether my doctrine be of God, or of myself.” - Precept Austin
10As soon as night had fallen, the brothers sent Paul and Silas away to Berea. On arriving there, they went into the Jewish synagogue. 11Now the Bereans were more noble-minded than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if these teachings were true. 12As a result, many of them believed, along with quite a few prominent Greek women and men.… Acts 17: 10-12
V. 18 He who speaks from himself seeks his own glory - That should rule out almost every tv evangelist out there. They are always about themselves, getting a following, getting accolades and getting paid. They stomp around on stages in arrogance, trying to develop a persona. The messengers of God always come to deliver the message of God, carefully handling the word of truth. The real messengers are always about the message, not about themselves; they are about God's honor, His glory, so let my honor be that God was glorified, that I didn't twist the message or point to myself.
…28Joshua son of Nun, the attendant to Moses since youth, spoke up and said, “Moses, my lord, stop them!” 29But Moses replied, “Are you jealous on my account? I wish that all the LORD’s people were prophets and that the LORD would place His Spirit on them!” 30Then Moses returned to the camp, along with the elders of Israel.… Numbers 11: 28-30
…26Like a muddied spring or a polluted well is a righteous man who gives way to the wicked. 27It is not good to eat too much honey or to search out one’s own glory. 28Like a city whose walls are broken down is a man who does not control his temper.… Proverbs 25: 26-28
V. 19 Did not Moses give you the law - Wow, Jesus would not fit into today's pulpits; He is going to make them angrier still. They boast in Moses, having his writings, and they think themselves keepers of the law, yet Christ says, "And yet none of you does the law."
…12All who sin apart from the law will also perish apart from the law, and all who sin under the law will be judged by the law. 13For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but it is the doers of the law who will be declared righteous. 14Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature what the law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the law.… Romans 2: 12-14
…12Honor your father and mother, so that your days may be long in the land that the LORD your God is giving you. 13You shall not murder. 14You shall not commit adultery.… Exodus 20: 12-14
V. 19c Why do you seek to kill Me - That seems like a law that even heathen gentiles would find serious to break, at least in some circumstances. Here is another work that supports His claims to deity; He sees their hearts, and this is where God measures us, this is the place and root of sin. They had an outward religion that was towards people and sought to be honored by men, but God is going to hold you accountable in a much deeper way than that, you can't fool Him.
27You have heard that it was said, ‘Do not commit adultery.’ 28But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman to lust after her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.… Matthew 5: 27-29
20For I tell you that unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 21You have heard that it was said to the ancients, ‘Do not murder’ and ‘Anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ 22But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to his brother, ‘Raca,’ will be subject to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be subject to the fire of hell.… Matthew 5: 20-22
V. 20 You have a demon - They never own up, the fault is always somehow with Him, even though they are the ones seeking to kill Him. Even when He does miracles, a sign that He is quite otherly, they contribute that to demons.
…26If Satan drives out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then can his kingdom stand? 27And if I drive out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons drive them out? So then, they will be your judges. 28But if I drive out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.… Matthew 12: 26-28
V. 21 I did one deed and you marvel - This is referring back to His healing of the paralytic in John 5.
Jesus answered them, "I did (poieo) one deed (ergon), and you all (present tense - continually) marvel (thaumazo) - While Jesus is addressing the whole crowd, He is especially targeting the Jewish leaders. Jesus had performed many deeds, but (from the following context Jn 7:22, 23) the deed that had stirred the hatred of Jewish leaders was his healing of the lame man on the Sabbath day (Jn 5:1-9+). Recall that instead of believing Jesus was the Messiah, the leaders were persecuting Him and "seeking all the more to kill Him, because He not only was breaking the Sabbath, but also was calling God His own Father, making Himself equal with God." (ED: TANTAMOUNT TO BLASPHEMY TO THEM) (Jn 5:18)
Rodney Whitacre on marvel - They had been astonished, not in the sense of giving God glory, but in the sense that they were scandalized, some to the point of seeking his death (Jn 5:16–18). This response is unjustified even on the basis of the law, as Jesus now demonstrates in good rabbinic fashion. - Precept Austin
V. 23 If a man receives circumcision on the Sabbath so that the law of Moses isn't broken - Baby boys were to be circumcised on the eighth day which sometimes fell on the Sabbath. No one viewed it in sound teaching to be violating the Sabbath to perform works of necessity or mercy. It is gross on so many levels that they want to kill Him, but that they can find no better reason to do so than this. They never deny the miracles though, not in the gospels and not in the extrabiblical teachings of His enemies either. They always associate the miracles that they obviously witnessed and knew to happen with the satanic.
…4But they remained silent. Then Jesus took hold of the man, healed him, and sent him on his way. 5And He asked them, “Which of you whose son or ox falls into a pit on the Sabbath day will not immediately pull him out?” 6And they were unable to answer these questions.… Luke 14: 4-6
V. 24 Judge with righteous judgement - He tells them to judge because they should be discerning, but do so righteously, and this will show them Who He is. They were quick to pass judgement but it wasn't fair or true, so it was bad judgement, a lack of discernment and against the Spirit of the Law.
John MacArthur concludes "In the context, Jesus was urging His hearers to abandon their misconceptions regarding Him and judge His claims with righteous judgment. Those who do so will find Him to be exactly who He claimed to be, just as He promised they would (John 7:17). (See John Commentary)
J C Ryle on Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment - The sense of this verse must be sought in connection with the subject of which our Lord has just been speaking. The Jews had condemned our Lord and denounced Him as a sinner against the fourth commandment, because He had done a work on the Sabbath day. Our Lord refers to this and says,—“Judge not the deed I did according to the appearance. I did a work on the Sabbath unquestionably. But what kind of a work was it? It was an act of necessity and mercy, and therefore an act as lawful to be done as circumcision, which you yourselves perform on the Sabbath day. In appearance the Sabbath was broken. In reality it was not broken at all. Judge fair and just and righteous judgment. Do not hastily condemn an action, such as this, without looking below the surface.”..... - Precept Austin
0 comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.