Soglio

Soglio
Village of Soglio Hiking in the Swiss Alps - John 6:3    And Jesus went up into a mountain, and there he sat with his disciples.

Thursday, April 9, 2015

Brief asides.....

A few years ago the question about Jesus' teachings about turning from sin came up in a discussion.

In reflecting on John 8 today we have this verse:

Joh 8:11  She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.


Someone made the comment something along the lines of Jesus' didn't always exhort that to people, implying that it wasn't wide doctrinal teaching, but limited. At the time I didn't have a good response, but looking back, perhaps we can see that though it was explicitly true in the case of the woman caught in adultery, it also implies generally.

We might ask how often does the Bible need to say something to make it a truth?

The best answer is just once!

That is if it is the word of God....and if not then it really doesn't matter how many times.
Of course it is always useful to check the doctrine we infer from scripture against other scriptures to confirm we have the intended meaning right.

In this case we can just go back to...

Joh 5:14  Afterward Jesus findeth him in the temple, and said unto him, Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee.


So now we have two people Jesus told this to.


And a whole lot of teaching about repentance and following God's commands, and turning away from many evil ways, taught elsewhere in both the New Testament and Old.

And by the way, I can't recall seeing the contradictory doctrine of "go and sin some more"!

Paul even explicitly teaches against that idea.

Rom 6:1  What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?

Rom 6:2  God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?


As a second brief aside, in yestarday's reading Bethlehem, appeared in my first two chapters, again showing the integration of all scripture. This was interesting having just celebrated Christ's resurrection and reflecting back on his birth.


Micah 5:2   (KJV)

2  But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.


Mat 2:1  Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem,

Mat 2:2  Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.

Mat 2:3  When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.

Mat 2:4  And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born.

Mat 2:5  And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus it is written by the prophet,

Mat 2:6  And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel.

Mat 2:7  Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men, enquired of them diligently what time the star appeared.

Mat 2:8  And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search diligently for the young child; and when ye have found him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also.


It's interesting this is so pivotal in the Jews rejecting Jesus.


Joh 7:40  Many of the people therefore, when they heard this saying, said, Of a truth this is the Prophet.

Joh 7:41  Others said, This is the Christ. But some said, Shall Christ come out of Galilee?

Joh 7:42  Hath not the scripture said, That Christ cometh of the seed of David, and out of the town of Bethlehem, where David was?

Joh 7:43  So there was a division among the people because of him.


 

Gen 48:3  And Jacob said unto Joseph, God Almighty appeared unto me at Luz in the land of Canaan, and blessed me,

Gen 48:4  And said unto me, Behold, I will make thee fruitful, and multiply thee, and I will make of thee a multitude of people; and will give this land to thy seed after thee for an everlasting possession.

Gen 48:5  And now thy two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, which were born unto thee in the land of Egypt before I came unto thee into Egypt, are mine; as Reuben and Simeon, they shall be mine.

Gen 48:6  And thy issue, which thou begettest after them, shall be thine, and shall be called after the name of their brethren in their inheritance.

Gen 48:7  And as for me, when I came from Padan, Rachel died by me in the land of Canaan in the way, when yet there was but a little way to come unto Ephrath: and I buried her there in the way of Ephrath; the same is Bethlehem.



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