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John 6
Aug 26, 2007 19:35:19 GMT -8
Post by Josh on Aug 26, 2007 19:35:19 GMT -8
Post your comments/ questions/ discussion starters about John chapter 6 as replies here.
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John 6
Aug 28, 2007 19:49:06 GMT -8
Post by Josh on Aug 28, 2007 19:49:06 GMT -8
Some thoughts on the first half of John 6 (man, this chapters in John are way too chock full of stuff):
Did you guys know that there's a parallel passage to this in 2 Kings 4:42-44 where Elisha feeds 100?
One reason Jesus may have performed this miracle of feeding 5000 may have been to demonstrate his supremacy over even one of the greatest of prophets.
John 6:15 Jesus, knowing that they intended to come and make him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain by himself.
I've always dug this vignette and what is says about Jesus...
John 6:12 When they had all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples, "Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted."
Alex, this made me think of your comments about the communion elements. Any bright solutions?
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John 6
Aug 28, 2007 20:50:16 GMT -8
Post by Josh on Aug 28, 2007 20:50:16 GMT -8
John 6:37 All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away.
This is a resassuring verse included by one of the NT author who elsewhere discusses the existence of some kind of unforgiveable sin (1 John 5:16). This is part of the reason why I've come to see the 'unforgiveable sin' as simply a refusal to run to Christ- a consistant refusal to repent. It's unforgiveful because it refuses forgiveness, but it ceases to be unforgiveable when a person runs to Christ. Therefore, if we doubt our salvation, we just need to remember this verse, that no matter what we've done, he will not refuse our desire to be forgiven*.
*The only real danger then is to sear our conscience so badly after prolonged and increasingly sustained unrepentance that we no longer even care to run to Christ. This touches on the question of eternal security, which I realize there are and respect a variety of opinions on. It's my take that if it is possible to 'lose one's salvation', then this (the above statement) would be how it happens, and not simply by committing some special sin.
Also, interestingly, though John elsewhere seems to hold out the possibility of losing one's salvation, this passage (John 6) is one of the most frequently cited chapters in support of eternal security (the impossibility of the truly saved losing their salvation).
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John 6
Sept 7, 2007 22:35:33 GMT -8
Post by Josh on Sept 7, 2007 22:35:33 GMT -8
66From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him.
67"You do not want to leave too, do you?" Jesus asked the Twelve.
68Simon Peter answered him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.
I think this is one of the most achingly (and humanly) beautiful verses about Christ in the whole Bible. I mean, He's just wearing His heart on His sleeve here. It's amazing to think of God in the Flesh condescending so far down to our level as to actually feel lonely and partially forsaken by his closest friends.
Also, I have often felt like Peter. Even when I felt like jumping ship, where else would I really go?
Philip Yancey once said that the two things that keep him a Christian are: 1. the lack of better alternatives and 2. the person of Jesus.
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