03/17/2023 – Gospel of John – Chapter 1 – Commentary
I am dating this post forward to Day One of our twenty-one day study of the Gospel of John, one chapter per day. We will post our daily discussions as comments on the original posts, which will be prior year dates for chapters: 2; and, 7 through 21, if my memory is correct. Contact me at my administrator email: semikkah7@protonmail.com, if you need a logon and initial WordPress generated password, so that you can read and post comments. We can set up a mutually good time to talk over the phone, in order to expedite the process if you have any questions, both in start-up and going forward. Join us!
For starters , I would like to share with you Matthew Henry’s commentary on Chapter 1, first the concise version then the long version. Here is the link, a website that has all chapter summaries that are in the Bible:
https://www.christianity.com/bible/commentary/matthew-henry-concise/john/1
https://www.biblestudytools.com/commentaries/matthew-henry-complete/john/1.html
And, off the truthforlife.org site, I pulled off a full chapter one Alistair Begg sermon titled: “The Life and Light of Men”, dated back to 1985.:
https://www.truthforlife.org/resources/sermon/life-and-light-of-men-the/
whoa, 1985, 38 years ago, Alistair submits that “darkness is orthodoxy”.
Or, an Alistair sermon dated 10/16/91, that covers just chapter one, verse one: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was God.”
https://www.truthforlife.org/resources/sermon/check-small-print-identity-jesus-christ/
Check this out!:
John Gill’s commentary to just chapter one, verse one:
https://bibleportal.com/commentary/section/john-gill/27194
- FYI here and going forward: In our Semikkah7 read the Bible in a year plan, Day 211 cover the Gospel of John, Chapter one and Chapter two. So, If you use the search tool on “Day 211”, you will see all the posts over two past cycles. I think there are at least six different posts. Back to 1:1; that verse is so critical because it separates His truth from the Arianist heresy denominations that do not accept Jesus Christ as co-equal and co-eternal with the Father. One of the Day 211, explains one of those denomination’s interpretation, the Mormons. I had much interface with Mormons growing up in Colorado. And as a young adult in Houston, Texas, I was the only non-Mormon on a church softball league. FYI: They prefer to be called the “Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints”. Out of respect, and if I ever have a witness opportunity, I will use that term.
- And if you want to go way back, check out Athanasius’ book titled: “On the Incarnation of the Word of God”, written back in the fourth century, A.D. Athanasius was God’s warrior messenger , that was instrumental in turning back the heretical tide of Arianism. Without his role, it could very well have gone the other way theologically; of course the Lord wasn’t going to let that happen. Here is a description of the book:
- https://ccel.org/ccel/athanasius/incarnation/
- Here are our current questions for the Gospel of John:
- What does the text reveal about God’s character?
- How has this reading generated prayer for you and/or us?
- What themes stand out to you in this bible study?
- How does our reading fit into the bigger picture (creation, the fall, restoration, etc.)?
- What verse(s) jumped out at you like never before? Is it explainable at this point?
- Do you have any questions you would like to put before the group as to how to interpret any particular verse(s) in our reading. Let scripture testify to scripture: Share with us where you sense contradiction between passages elsewhere in the Bible.
- What did you find convicting and inspiring at the same time? Share with us how the Spirit of God is working within you as a messenger, both within and outside of our fellowship group.
- Share with the group how our study is calling or confirming to you a new mission to glorify God in our times.
- This is not a test haha, so you don’t have to share your comments on each one, nor are we limited in our discussion fellowship.
- Soli Deo Gloria!
- Your brother in Christ,
- Jimmy