Notes

The parents of a friend of mine valued education fairly high. This was fine with my friend until there came a season when he failed tests and the teacher requested signatures from his parents on the failed test-papers. My friend hid those tests in his closet but faced his mother's discipline when she discovered them in the closet. This was a turning point in his relationship with his mother. She couldn't rely anymore on what her son was telling her, at least when it came to his grades. How do you know who to trust? In the short-term, I look for consistency in what a person communicates. But in the long-term, which is of higher value, I look for a personal record with that person of honesty, integrity, loyalty, humility, fairness, and sound judgment. As for me, I found the long-term characteristics all in Jesus Christ. As a Spanish catchphrase says: "I would put my hand in the fire for him", that is, I trust Him completely. God cannot fail, whereas I fail often. Now I'll be learning from Him as long as I have breath in my fallen body. In this passage, Jesus testified of his divine identity and left the choice to accept Him with the Jews. His evidence for the certainty of His identity was the testimony of John the Baptist, His very own deeds, the testimony of God the Father, and prophecy about Him in Scripture. John wrote this so that anyone hearing about Jesus Christ would believe (John 20:31). I did it at the age of 12 and now I'm in the process of growing in a relationship with him for 19 years. How about you? Do you believe Him yet? Raw study material Theme Study thus far The theme of "Salvation" : 1st mentions: 3:14-20 Saved from the judgment of God for man's rebellion. In context, Israel did not believe God's promise to provide for them and complained which drew God's judgment in the form of poisonous snakes among them. The Israelites who believed God looked to the lifted bronze-snake and lived ( Num 21:9 ). But those who did not believe God tried to survive in their own way and died. 2nd meniton= 5:34 Saved from the judgment of God because they loved their evil deeds and hence rejected Jesus Christ because He exposed those deeds ( 3:19-20 ). The Jewish leader's pride did not allow them to be humbled by reality. The only reasonable way for them to save their faces was to discredit Jesus as lier in their minds and eventually get rid of Him. The theme of “witnessing” : Who witnesses? About who? The Word about the light, that is the identity of God. ( 1:7 ) God about His identity ( 3:11 ) John the Baptist about the identity of Jesus Christ ( 1:15 , 19 , 32 , 34 ) The Woman at the well about the identity of Jesus Christ ( 4:39 ) Jesus Christ about His identity. 11x in John 5 Facts: John the Baptist about Him ( 5:33 ) His works ( 5:36 ) His Father in heaven ( 5:37 ) The scriptures ( 5:39 ) The theme of “faith in Jesus Christ” : Purpose of witnesses: That they might believe through Him ( 1:7 ) The outcome of faith in Christ: Transformation to children of God ( 1:12 ) Record of Nathanael: He witnessed the omniscience of Jesus and believed Record of disciples: They witnessed Jesus omnipotence in His signs and believed ( 2:11 ) The disciples believed because they found Jesus to be trustworthy ( 2:22 ) People rejected the obvious truth of Jesus. If they didn't believe the obvious, they wouldn't believe the intangible heavenly truth either. ( 3:12 ) Purpose of believing in Jesus: That they have eternal life ( 3:15 , 16 , 36 , 5:24 ) Many believed because of His signs. ( 3:23 ) Jesus desired to see the woman at the well to know the truth and wanted her to believe Him. ( 4:21 ) Many Samaritans believed in Jesus because of the woman's testimony. ( 4:39 ) A greater number of Samaritans believed in Jesus when they hear Him speak. ( 4:41-42 ) Some required a sign to believe in Jesus ( 4:48 ) An official saw his son healed and believed in Jesus ( 4:50 , 53 ) Some Jews did not know God because they did not believe Jesus ( 5:38 ) They loved the praise of men and tried to fit in with others by rejecting Jesus. They were unable to believe with such a disposition. ( 5:44 ) They appeared to believe Moses, yet they didn't. Because they would otherwise believe in Jesus too. ( 5:46,47 ) Comments 5:31 = "My witness is not true" - How could anything be false of who the all-knowing God witnesses or testifies about if He is also no lier? - It is impossible. So, Jesus speaks from a Jewish legal perspective. He refutes the charge of blasphemy on the hand of two witnesses as required by Jewish la w ( Deut 19:15 ). The other side of the coin is that Jesus confirms in the following verses that He is human and God, proving it from the viewpoint of His humanity based on Jewish law. 5:34-40 = Jesus argues for the good of the people who doubted Him. He wanted them to be saved and presented four sources that were to validate His identity. The sources are John, His works, the Father, and the scriptures. 5:41 = The five-fold argument of His identity could lead one to think that Jesus wanted the approval of men. Yet, that is not the case because He has the approval from One who is greater than all humanity together and does not need the approval of man. What He said is for the good of men to bring them back into a right relationship with God. 5:41-44 = Important lesson of where to seek honor or acceptance. 5:43 = Who is the person that they will receive?

notes

Main point summary

Jesus wants the Jews to be saved. That's why he reasons with them to show that He truly is there to save those who receive Him.

Bracket

editing

NT

John 5:31-47

nkjv

ngu2011

mine

“If I bear witness of Myself,

»Wenn ich keinen anderen Zeugen hätte als mich selbst,

If I had no witness beside Myself,

My witness is not true.

dann wäre das, was ich über mich sage, nicht glaubwürdig.

then My witness would not count according to Jewish law.

conditional

There is another who bears witness of Me, and I know that the witness which He witnesses of Me is true.

Nun gibt es aber einen anderen, der mein Zeuge ist, und ich weiß, dass das, was er über mich sagt, wahr ist.

Yet , there is a witness beside Myself and I know that his testimony about Me is true.

concessive

You have sent to John, and he has borne witness to the truth.

Ihr habt eure Leute zu Johannes geschickt, und er hat euch die Wahrheit klar bezeugt.

That witness is John the Baptist who clearly testified about Me and you even sent to him to inquire the truth.

ideaexplanation

Yet I do not receive testimony from man,

Nicht, dass ich auf die Aussage eines Menschen angewiesen wäre;

Having said that, I'm not depended on a witness of a human being,

but I say these things

ich sage das nur,

but I say this

that you may be saved .

weil ich möchte, dass ihr gerettet werdet.

so that you may be saved. I want you to be saved.

actionpurpose

He was the burning and shining lamp,

Johannes war eine brennende Lampe, die einen hellen Schein gab;

Therefore, (1) John was a burning and shining Lamp,

and you were willing for a time to rejoice in his light.

aber alles, was ihr wolltet, war, euch eine Zeit lang an ihrem Licht zu begeistern.

yet you only rejoiced in his light for a time.

But I have a greater witness than John’s;

Doch ich habe etwas, was noch mehr für mich spricht als das, was Johannes über mich ausgesagt hat:

(2) But I have even a better witness than the testimony of John about me, (1:32-34)

for the works which the Father has given Me to finish—the very works that I do—bear witness of Me, that the Father has sent Me.

Es sind die Dinge, die ich tue, um den Auftrag zu erfüllen, den der Vater mir gegeben hat. Sie zeugen davon, dass er es ist, der mich gesandt hat.

and that testimony are my very works. I do the things my Father has assigned me to complete and these works testify that the Father has sent me.

And the Father Himself, who sent Me, has testified of Me.

Und auch der Vater selbst, der mich gesandt hat, hat als mein Zeuge gesprochen.

(3) Furthermore , the Father, who send me has audibly testified of Me when John baptized me. (Lu 3:21-22)

You have neither heard His voice at any time, nor seen His form.

Aber ihr habt seine Stimme nie gehört und seine Gestalt nie gesehen.

But you have neither heard His voice at any time, nor seen His form,

But you do not have His word abiding in you ,

Und ihr verschließt euch seinem Wort gegenüber; es bleibt nicht in euch.

and you have rejected His word which does therefore not abide in you,

because whom He sent, Him you do not believe .

Sonst würdet ihr dem glauben, den er gesandt hat.

otherwise you would believe Him whom He sent.

ground

progression

You search the Scriptures,

Ihr forscht in der Schrift,

(4) You search the Scriptures,

for in them you think you have eternal life ;

weil ihr meint, durch sie das ewige Leben zu finden.

because you think to find eternal life through them,

and these are they which testify of Me.

Aber gerade die Schrift weist auf mich hin.

however even the scriptures point to Me and testify of who I claim to be.

But you are not willing to come to Me

Und doch wollt ihr nicht zu mir kommen,

And yet, you do not want to come to Me,

that you may have life .

obwohl ihr bei mir das Leben finden würdet.

though you could have eternal life by trusting Me.

“I do not receive honor from men.

Ich bin nicht darauf aus, von Menschen Anerkennung zu bekommen.

I'm loved and accepted by my Father in heaven and don't need nor do I crave to receive the acceptance of people.

But I know you,

Aber ´bei euch ist es anders`. Ich kenne euch und weiß,

But, I know that it is different with you

that you do not have the love of God in you .

dass ihr der Liebe zu Gott keinen Raum in eurem Leben gebt.

that is you do not give room for the love of God in your lives.

alternative

I have come in My Father’s name,

Ich bin im Namen meines Vaters gekommen,

And these are the implications: First, I have come in My Father's name,

and you do not receive Me;

und ihr lehnt mich ab.

and you reject Me;

situationresponse

if another comes in his own name,

Doch wenn jemand anders in seinem eigenen Namen kommt,

yet if another comes in his own name,

him you will receive .

werdet ihr ihn mit offenen Armen aufnehmen.

you will be deceived and receive him. (Mt 24:5)

How can you believe ,

Wie solltet ihr auch glauben können?

Second, you cannot receive and believe

who receive honor from one another,

Bei euch ist jeder darauf aus, von den anderen Anerkennung zu bekommen;

because you crave the praise and acceptance of other people,

and do not seek the honor that comes from the only God?

nur die Anerkennung bei dem einen, wahren Gott sucht ihr nicht.

and you do not seek to be accepted by the one and only true God.

negativepositive

series

inference

Do not think that I shall accuse you to the Father;

Denkt nicht, dass ich euch beim Vater anklagen werde.

Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father;

there is one who accuses you—Moses, in whom you trust.

Mose wird euch anklagen – er, auf den ihr eure Hoffnung gesetzt habt.

because Moses, the one in whom you put your trust, will accuse you.

For if you believed Moses,

Denn wenn ihr Mose wirklich glauben würdet,

Because if you believed Moses,

you would believe Me;

würdet ihr auch mir glauben;

then you would believe Me;

for he wrote about Me.

er hat ja über mich geschrieben.

because he wrote about Me.

But if you do not believe his writings,

Wenn ihr aber dem nicht glaubt, was Mose geschrieben hat,

Nevertheless , since you do not believe his writings,

how will you believe My words?”

wie wollt ihr dann dem glauben, was ich euch sage?«

you also do not believe My words.

discourse