 Introduction to a Verse by Verse Bible Study
Beginning today November 1, 2006 I will be going through the book of John a verse at a time.
Let me begin with some background information on the Bible itself.
The word "Bible" does not appear in the original manuscripts in which the different authors wrote.The word Bible is an anglicized form of the Greek word "book". So you will know, we are not wrong in calling God's word, the "Bible". The collection of the Holy Scriptures was referred to in different ways;
1. The Scriptures
2. The Holy Scriptures
3. The Word
4. The Word of Truth
5. The Law and the Prophets
6. The Old and New Testaments
The Jews called the Old Testament - "The Law", "The Prophets", "The Writings".
The following is a list of translations of the Bible into various languages.
1. The Septuagint - meaning 70 because of the seventy men who translated the Hebrew Old Testament into Greek in 285 B.C.
( which was all there was back then since the New Testament had not been written yet)
2. The Peshito - which means literal, was a translation of both the Old and New Testaments for the Syrian christians in the 2nd century after Christ.
3. The Vulgate - a translation into Latin of both the Old and New Testaments around the year 400 A.D.and was used by the Catholic church.
4. The Authorized version - also known as the King James Bible was a translation into English in 1607 A.D. The translation began in 1607 and then was first published in 1611.
5. The Revised Version - a revision of the 1611 King James version was published in 1881.
6. The Red Letter Bible - a New Testament red letter edition done by Dr. Louis Klopsch in 1899, was published in 1901.
In 1250 A.D. the Scriptures were divided into chapters by Cardinal Hugo de Sancto Caro.The division into verses was done around the year 1550 A.D. by Robert Stevens, a printer in Paris, who did this while making a horseback journey from Lyons to Paris. In 1557 the first versified New Testament was published in English. This was followed in 1560 by the publication of the entire Bible in versified form.Since then there has been more translations into newer English versions.
Read: Which Bible Should We Read ?
A very interesting note here... the name " Jesus " is in both the first and the last verses of the New Testament.Jesus is literally the New Testament, and in Him the fulfilment of the Old Testament.The main reason John wrote his book, is to direct our faith to Jesus who is the central focus of John's book.
This is why John said;
"And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book:
But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name. " John 20:30-31
While it is uncertain exactly when John wrote his book we can assume it was anywhere from 80-95 A.D.
While some Bible commentators feel the need to consult external sources of historic information in regard to what motivated John to write his book, some theologians attributing it to a request by 1st century church leaders to John to write his book in response to a Jew named Cerinthus who was spreading heresy questioning the deity of Jesus.While this historic conjecture is entertaining I prefer to stay within the Biblical realm and accept what the Bible says;
" For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man:
but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. "
2 Peter 1:21
And;
" All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine,
for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:" 2 Timothy 3:16
The Lord intended for there to be a New Testament written as well as the Old and it did not come about from someone coaxing or twisting someone's arm into writing it. Nor did the author write his book to get it on the best sellers list.
The Greek manuscripts do not have "The Gospel According to Saint John". The words" The Gospel" and "Saint" were added by the translators. The original Greek title of John's book is "Kata Johann" which transliterated means "according to John". Calling John, Peter, James and Paul " Saint " was a title given to them by the Roman Catholic church. Nowhere in the Bible did any of the born again christians address themselves as Saint Paul, Saint Peter, Saint Jude, etc... When it says "saints" in Scripture it is a general reference to all born again christians... it is not meant to be a 'divine title' given to any of them raising them to the level of deity, as the Catholic church does. In addition to this, Jesus Himself warned us against addressing anyone as "Father" - but yet the Catholic church does this anyway.
The Greek word for saint is not capitalized as a title to be given to anyone. The Greek word agios is another term for the word christian in which we as born again believers are all christians and saints. So, consequently this is why John did not identify himself at the beginning of his book as Saint John but rather "John" - and actually he entitled his book literally " according to ( me ) John ". See how humble these christians were back then? This is to be a lesson for us today. If we get off on being called reverend or pastor or teacher or doctor or whatever ( certainly not late for dinner ), then we better think twice about our pride.
Let's continue on...
" In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
The same was in the beginning with God. " John 1:1-2
The Greek word for beginning means - origin, beginning, elementary principles, original conviction, first cause.
What is indicated here is John's reference back to why God got things started the way He did. It means more than just at the start or beginning of time, it means cause and reason for why God started things the way He did.
The original reason being was to save us from eternal hell.
The phrase - "and the Word was God ". John 1:1 is translated this way because in the Greek the subject has the article, and the predicate does not. The Greek word logos translated " Word " can have a two-fold usage, one referring to one speaking and the other thinking. While there is controversy among Bible critics over the usage of the Greek word 'logos' in this verse, since Hebrews 1:1-3 declares to us that God did more than merely 'think to us' it is logical to conclude that the intended usage of John's selected Greek word " logos " in John 1:1 is to be understood to refer to the Son of God, Jesus Himself. Since Hebrews says that God spoke to us through His Son Jesus and also that Jesus was with God creating the universe, then it is quite clear that the Greek word John uses 'logos' was intended to mean Jesus.
So this verse in John 1:1 means literally- In the beginning God had a cause, a reason to plan to save us through Jesus His Son who was with God, and most assuredly was God.
John 1:2 - " The same was in the beginning with God. " - here John reinforces the fact that Jesus is the one who was the reason, the cause, the plan with God to save us.
Join me next week as we look at more of this chapter.
Wayne Brown |