For the past few months I have been reading a new study Bible called, "The Mirror." The Mirror, because it takes the approach of the gospel from a renewed mind, and as a reflection of our Father's character refreshed within our being. It is from this approach that, like the religious leaders of Jesus' day, they did understand him and did not get Him or his mission of Genesis 3:15 and Deuteronomy 18:15-22, with that of the Psalms and Prophets as there appointed conclusion or completeness in him. I will begin with chapter 4 of John's gospel through maybe 9 or 10, who knows. In my opening I will draw first from John Gill's Commentary and the opening notes for the chapter on John's synoptic Gospel, of The Mirror's writer.
John Gill's Bible Commentary: "When therefore our Lord knew,.... Or Jesus, as some copies, as the Vulgate Latin, Syriac, Arabic, and Persic versions read; who is LORD of all, Lord of lords, the one and only LORD of Saints (*the family name of the Father of spirits, the Father of life, light and love): and who knew all things as God; every man, and what is in man; who would believe him, and believe in him (*as he put faith in the Father's faithfulness, of the I am-ness of Jesus, the Christ of our humanity), and who not, and who would betray him; he knew his adversaries, what they thought, said, or did; what was told them, and how it operated in them; and what were the secret motions of their hearts, and their most private counsels and designs; for this is not merely to be understood of his knowledge as man, which he might have by private intelligence from others; though what is here said, might be true also in this sense: how the Pharisees; the inveterate and implacable enemies of Christ, and particularly those that dwelt at Jerusalem, and were of the great Sanhedrin, or council of the nation: had heard; either by their spies, which they constantly kept about Christ; or by John's disciples, who, through envy, might apply to the Sanhedrin, to put a stop to, or check upon the baptism and ministry of Christ; or by common fame."(those items within these brackets are my words*)
The Mirror Study Bible: "John's encounter with Jesus; Sixty years after he last saw Jesus in the flesh, John, now in his nineties, reflects on the mystery that was revealed which transformed his life from an illiterate fisherman to a Saint. He spent most of the latter part of his life (about 30 years) living in Asia Minor and more specifically at Ephesus; much of Paul's emphasis in teaching therefore reflects in John's writings. This he did both in exile. (Compare Colossians 1:15-17, John 1:1-3, 16-17 and 1John 5:20, "He has given us understanding to know him who is true and we are in him who is true!")
None of the other disciples better captured the conclusion of the mission of Christ in Jesus than did John, "In that day you will know that just as I am in my Father, you are in me and I am in you!" John 14:20
He has no desire to outwit the others in giving an even more accurate historic account of Christ! The life that was manifest within his sacred gaze is now tangibly embraced in a fellowship of the highest order! He must write; he must extend this reality to his immediate audience as well as the next generations!"I am writing this to complete your joy!" 1John 1:4
Unlike Matthew and Luke who wrote 30 tears prior to him, John did not bother to locate Jesus in the setting of his natural lineage. Instead he declares, "In the beginning was the Word!" Before history was ever recorded the Word was!
Humanity pre-existed in the Logic of GOD! He understood that the Word was both the eternal source and destiny of all things and that nothing could ever reduce separate or confine the Word to an isolated island experience, neither could the Word be trapped in human doctrine or traditions of man. No inferior translation or interpretation could compromise GOD's original intent. The authentic integrity of GOD's thought would forever be preserved and celebrated in the incarnation; human life would be the uninterrupted future of the Word.
Notice how often John uses the word, egeneto, (Strong's G1079) from ginomai,(Strong's G1096) meaning birth or origin in the first chapter: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was face to face towards GOD, and the Word was GOD. All things into being [G1096] (ginomai, from genos, to give birth to) through him; and nothing has any authentic existence outside of their origin (ginomai) in him,"
In him was life and the life was the light of men. The light shone in the darkness, and the darkness could not comprehend (G2638) it (kata+lambano, to seize upon, to grasp). The true light that enlightens everyone has come into the world. The world was made (ginomai) through him, yet the world knew him not; he came to his own, and his own received (G3880) him not (para+lambano, to grasp, associate with).
But in everyone who by faith comprehends (received, G2983) him to be their true origin (lambano, comprehend, grasp, identify with), in them he sanctions (gave, G1325) the integrity of their sonship (didomi, in this case to give something to someone that already belongs to them, thus to return), the fact that they already are his own, born from above, they have their beginning and their being in him (eksousia, integrity, legality, authority, legal grounds)! Jesus has come to reveal humanity's true sonship; he vindicated our origin and design.
"And the Word became (was made, G1096 ginomai) flesh and now tabernacles in (en) us!" Not 'among us' as many translations would suggest! John 1:1-14."
Now from this base I will, the LORD willing, move on to chapter 4 to begin our study of some truly amazing things. And I will make use of the KJV and ESV and The Mirror, as a means of comparison.
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