#gospelofjohn — Public Fediverse posts

Morgan Opens $100K Political Stakes as Biblical Text Circulates

John Morgan launches a $100,000 Florida political contest. Interest also rises in Gospel of John chapter 1. See who is affected and why.

#FloridaPolitics, #JohnMorgan, #PoliticalContest, #GospelOfJohn, #May21

https://newsletter.tf/florida-100k-political-contest-john-gospel-interest/

Florida lawyer John Morgan is offering $100,000 for a political contest. This comes as searches for the Bible's Gospel of John chapter 1 have also increased.

#FloridaPolitics, #JohnMorgan, #PoliticalContest, #GospelOfJohn, #May21
https://newsletter.tf/florida-100k-political-contest-john-gospel-interest/

Archangel Raphael

The name Raphael comes from the Hebrew Rafa’el, meaning “God has healed” or “Medicine of God.”

He’s not mentioned in the Tanakh/Old Testament or the New Testament; he’s definitely in the Book of Tobit. The Book of Tobit is a deuterocanonical work recognized by Catholic & Orthodox churches. He’s also mentioned in 1 Enoch, both books date from around the 3rd & 2nd centuries BC.

In later Jewish tradition(s), he became identified as 1 of the 3 heavenly visitors entertained by Abraham at the Oak of Mamre. While the Bible doesn’t name him, Midrashic tradition identifies Raphael as 1 sent to heal Abraham’s pain after his circumcision.

Later Christian tradition(s) identified him with healing & as the angel who stirred the waters at the Pool of Bethesda in John 5:2-4. But he isn’t specifically named in this passage.

In Islam, his name is Israfil. He’s understood to be the unnamed angel of Quran 6:73. In this passage, he’s standing with a trumpet to his lips eternally, ready to announce the Day of Judgment.

In Gnostic tradition(s), Raphael is represented on the Ophite Diagram. This diagram is/are a ritual & esoteric diagram used by the Ophite sect of Gnosticism.

In the Book of Tobit, Raphael takes the human form of a man named Azarias. He serves as a protector for young Tobias on a perilous journey to Media. Azarias instructs Tobias on how to use the heart, liver, & gall of a giant fish to create medicinal ointments. These are used to drive away a demon (Asmodeus) & to cure the blindness of Tobias’ dad, Tobit.

Because Raphael safely guided Tobias across vast distances, he became the patron saint of travelers, pilgrims, & even modern-day hitchhikers.

His name comes from the Hebrew meaning “to heal,” & can be translated as “God has healed.” In Tobit, he goes by the name Azariah while in disguise as a man. In the book, he acts like a doctor/physician & expels, uses an extraordinary fish to heal Tobit’s eyes, & binds the demon Asmodeus. While in 1 Enoch, he’s “set over all disease & every wound of the children of the people.” He also binds the armies of Azazel & throws them into the valley of fire.

According to the Babylonian Talmud, Raphael was 1 of 3 angels who appeared to Abraham in the Oak Grove (Oak wood/trees have been used for millennia in spiritual traditions) of Mamre, in the Hebron region.

Michael walked in the middle because he was the “greatest,” with Gabriel on his right & Raphael on his left. Each had a specific mission they were commanded to carry out: Gabriel’s was to destroy Sodom; Michael’s was to tell Sarah that she was going to have Isaac; & Raphael’s was to heal Abraham from his recent circumcision & to save Lot. Now, the healing of the circumcision is HUGE in this context. Because Abraham was the 1st Hebrew/Jew to get a circumcision. AND he was a grown old man when he got it. He wasn’t a baby who’d “forget” the pain & healed up in a couple of days.

In the Midrash Konen, it’s revealed that Raphael was originally named Libbiel (“God is my heart”). In the Midrash, God takes counsel with His angels before He creates Adam, the 1st man. The angels weren’t all of 1 opinion, with differing views & reasons.

The Angel of Love & Angel of Justice both were in favor of Man’s creation as he (humans) would be affectionate & loving, alongside practicing Justice. The Angel of Truth & the Angel of Peace opposed Man’s creation, as he (humans) would be full of lies & be quarrelsome.

To invalidate his protest, God cast the Angel of Truth down from Heaven to Earth. When the others cried out against the treatment of their companion, He said, “Truth will spring back out of the earth.” Before their objections, God had only told the Angels of the good that would be among the humans. But didn’t tell them of the evil, either.

Despite not knowing the whole truth, the angels were nevertheless prompted to cry out: “What is man, that Thou art mindful of him? And the son of man, that Thou visitest him?” God replied: “The fowl of the air & the fish of the sea, what were they created for? Of what avail a larder full of appetizing dainties, & no guest to enjoy them?” The angels couldn’t but exclaim: “O Lord, our Lord, how excellent is Thy name in all the Earth! Do as is pleasing in Thy sight.” For not a few of the angels, their opposition bore fatal consequences.

When God summoned the band under the Archangel Michael & asked their opinion on the creation of man, they answered scornfully: “What in man, that Thou art mindful of him? And the son of man, that Thou visited him?” God stretched out his little finger, & all were consumed by fire except their Chief Michael. And the same fate befell under the leadership of the archangel Gabriel; he alone of all was saved from destruction.

The 3rd band consulted by the Archangel Libbiel. He learned from his predecessors’ horrible fate, so he warned his troops. “You’ve seen what misfortune overtook the angels who said, ‘What is man, that Thou art mindful of him? Let us have care not to do likewise, lest we suffer the same dire punishment. Gor God will not refrain from doing in the end what He has planned. Therefore, we should yield to His wishes.”

Having been warned, the angels spoke: “Lord of the world (Not the universe? Huh.), it’s well that Thou hast thought of creating man. Do Thou create him according to Thy will. And as for us, we’ll be his attendants & his minsters, & reveal unto him all our secrets.”

Thereupon, God changed Archangel Libbiel’s name to Raphael, the Rescuer, because his Host of Angels had been rescued by his sage advice. He was appointed the Angelic Prince of Healing, who has in his safekeeping all the celestial remedies, the types of medical remedies used on Earth.

In the Midrash Tanhuma (a.k.a. Yelammedenu, this is the name given to a homiletic Midrash on the ENTIRE Torah), Satan became envious of the righteous. R. Matthew bar Heresh, after seeing him sitting occupied in Torah study, without looking at anyone’s wife or any other woman.

Believing it to be impossible for a righteous man to exist in the world without sin, Satan asks God how He sees Rabbi Matthew; He sees him as completely righteous. Satan then asks for permission to test Rabbi Matthew (Is this starting to sound like the Job story to anyone else?), which God grants again.

So Satan transforms himself into a beautiful woman upon finding the rabbi studying the Torah. After seeing that Satan would continue to truly & tempt him from all sides. He (the Rabbi) used hot pins to blind himself, so his evil inclination prevailed. Satan trembles in dismay & goes back to report to God.

When God gets the report, He calls Raphael, Prince of the Healing Arts, commanding Raphael to go heal the rabbi’s eyes. When Raphael goes to the rabbi to heal him, Raphael reveals his identity & mission. Rabbi Matthew tells Raphael that he doesn’t want to be healed.

Raphael returns to God & tells God what the rabbi said. When hearing this, God commands Raphael to tell the rabbi not to fear, because his evil inclination will not prevail. When the rabbi heard this from Raphael’s mouth, the rabbi accepted the healing & wasn’t afraid.

In Rabbeinu Bahya, a commentary on the Torah written by Rabbi Bahya ben Asher (1255-1340), the Camp of Ephraim (situated to the west of the Tabernacle (Numbers 2:18)), corresponded to the celestial camp headed by the archangel Raphael, supported by the angels Zavdiel & Achziel.

It’s also said that this is the camp that Moses alluded to when he prayed that Miriam be asked from her tzaraath by saying “please God heal her” (Numbers 12:13). He appealed to the attribute represented by Raphael.

In the Beginning of Wisdom, an introduction to Kabbalistic thought composed by Rabbi Aharon Meir Altshuler (1835-1905) in Warsaw between 1887 and 1893. Raphael is said to be the Sephirah of Tiphereth (Beauty). He’s said to act as an intermediate conduit between Chesed (Kindness) corresponding to Michael, & Din (Judgment) corresponding to Gabriel. Uriel (a.k.a. Nuriel) is also said to act as an intermediate conductor alongside Raphael.

It’s explained that when he inclines to Chesed, he’s called Uriel. But when he inclines Din, he’s called Nuriel. In the same context, the Sefer Ha Bahir calls Raphael, the “Prince of Peace” (“Sar Salom”). The text states that the reconciliation between Michael (the prince of God’s right) & Gabriel (the prince of God’s left) is the meaning of the verse, “He imposes peace in His heights” (Job 23:2). With Raphael being the Archangel of Air that establishes peace between fire & water.

In Kabbalistic astrology, Raphael is most commonly associated with the Sun (alongside Michael) & Mercury (the planet). The Zohar associates him with the image of man in the tetramorph (A symbolic arrangement of 4 differing elements, or the combination of 4 disparate elements in 1 unit) of the Four Holy Living Creatures (these are a class of heavenly beings in Judaism, described in the 1st & 10th chapters of the Book of Ezekiel), alongside the zodiac sign of Aquarius, & in ration to the image of man; the Sephriah of Malkhuth (Kingdom) & the Earth.

As well as Tiphereth & Malkhuth, the Zohar also has Raphael corresponding to the Sephirah of Hod (Majesty), the Euphrates river, the left leg of the body, & the Israelite tribe of Ephraim.

It’s also customary in Judaism to invoke Raphael as 1 of the Four Archangels after 1 recites the Shema (This is a Jewish prayer that serves as a centerpiece of the Jewish morning & evening prayer services.) before going to bed; with Michael by your right side, Gabriel by your left side, Uriel before you, & Raphael behind you.

The New Testament only names 2 archangels (Michael & Gabriel, respectfully). But because of Raphael’s association with healing, he became identified with the unnamed angel of John 5:1-4, who periodically stirred up the Pool of Bethesda.

Because of his actions in the Book of Tobit & the Gospel of John, Raphael is considered a protector & healer. Thus, the patron of travelers, the blind, happy meetings, nurses, physicians, medical workers, matchmakers, Christian marriage, & Catholic studies.

He’s perhaps most seen in depictions of Tobias & the Angel, from the Book of Tobit, showing him walking with Tobias & his dog through a landscape. The subject became very popular in Italy from about 1450 for a century, as devotion to Raphael increased, at least partly through confraternities dedicated to him. A confraternity is generally a Christian voluntary association of laypeople created for the purpose of promoting special works of Christian charity or piety, & approved by the Church hierarchy.

In altarpieces & the like, Tobias, his fish, & his dog may be used as identifying attributes of Raphael.

Raphael is said to guard pilgrims on their journey, & when depicted as a single figure, is often depicted holding a staff. Also, he’s often pictured holding or standing on a fish, which alludes to his healing of Tobit with the fish’s gall. Early mosaics often show him & other archangels in the clothing of a Byzantine courtier.

The feast day of Raphael was included for the 1st time in the General Roman Calendar in 1921, on October 24. With the 1969 revision of the General Roman Calendar, the feast was transferred to September 29 for celebration together with the archangels Saints Michael & Gabriel.

Pope Benedict XVI’s Summorum Pontificum permitted, within certain limits for public use, the General Roman Calendar of 1960, which has October 24 as Raphael’s feast day. He’s commemorated in some Spanish dioceses on the old date & with a procession on May 7 in Cordoba, Spain.

In the Diocese of Warsaw-Praga, he’s commemorated on October 3 (with Michael & Gabriel). The feast was transferred from September 29 (Devotion of St. Florian’s Cathedral).

The archangel Raphael is commemorated by the Eastern Orthodox Church on November 8 in the Synaxis of the Archangel Michael & the Other Bodiless Powers.

In the Oriental Orthodox Churches, the dedication of the church of St. Raphael on the back of a whale is commemorated on August 26 (or 3 Pagumen, this is an intercalary month of the ancient Egyptian, Coptic, & Ethiopean calendars are a period of 5 days in common years & 6 days in leap years in addition to those calendars’ 12 standard months, sometimes reconned as their 13th month.).

The Coptic Orthodox Church celebrates Raphael’s feast on Kouji Nabot 3 & Koiak 13.

In the Antiochian Western Rite Vicariate, St. Raphael the Archangel is commemorated on October 24.

The Archangel Raphael is said to have appeared in Cordoba, Spain, during the 16th century. In response to the city’s appeal, Pope Innocent X allowed the local celebration of a feast in the Archangel’s honor on May 7, the date of the principal apparition.

St. John of God (founder of the Hospital order that bears his name) is also said to have received visitations from Saint Raphael, who encouraged & instructed him.

In tribute to this, many of the Brothers Hospitallers of St. John of God’s facilities are called “Raphael Centers” to this day. The 18th-century Neapolitan nun, St. Maria Francesca of the 5 Wounds, is also said to have seen apparitions of St. Raphael.

In the Mormon tradition, Doctrine & Covenants 128:21 (this is part of a letter dated Sept. 7, 1842) refers to an appearance or manifestation of Raphael to Joseph Smith as 1 of several angels who had appeared to him either together or separately.

Raphael is a venerated archangel, according to Islamic tradition. In Islam, he’s called Israfil. Israfil will blow the trumpet from a holy rock in Jerusalem to announce the Day of Judgment (Yawn al-Qiyamah). The trumpet is constantly poised at his lips, ready to go at Allah’s orders.

Certain Islamic sources indicate that, created at the beginning of time, Israfil has 4 wings, & is so tall as to be able to reach from the earth to the pillars of Heaven. A beautiful angel who is a master of music, Israfil sings praises to God in 1,000 different languages, the breath of which is used to inject life into hosts of angels who add to the songs themselves.

Further, he’s probably the highest angel, since he also mediates between God & other archangels, reading on the Preserved Tablet (al-lawh al-mahfooz) to transmit the commands of God. Although disputed, some reports assert he visited Muhammad prior to the archangel Gabriel.

According to Sufi traditions reported by Imam Rafa’il, the Ghawth or Qutb (‘perfect human being’) is someone who has a heart that resembles that of the archangel Israfil, signifying the loftiness of this angel. The next in are the saints who are known as the Umdah or Awtad, amongst whom the highest ones have their hearts resembling that of the archangel Mikhail (Michael), & the rest of the lower-ranking saints having the heart of Jibrail (Gabriel), & that of the previous prophets before the Islamic prophet Muhammad. The earth is believed to always have 1 of the Qutb.

In another account, Rafa’il is mentioned by name in the Islamic tradition narrated by Ath-Tha’labi from Ali. He’s said to have met Dhu al-Qarnayn, who’s mentioned in the last part of Sura 18 of the Quran, al-Kahf (“The Cave”). Dhu al-Qarnayn (The 2 Horned One) is believed by some to be Alexander the Great.

The angel told Dhu al-Qarnayn about the Water of Life (Ayn al-Hayat). Hearing that there was such a spring, Dhu al-Qarnayn wanted to drink the Water of Life. But the only 1 who had succeeded in drinking it was his cousin, Khidir. In Islamic tradition, Khidr is the mystical guide popularly quoted, especially in Sufi traditions, who has attained a long life & appears to have selected Islamic saints throughout the times.

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Was it the Apostle John, the "beloved disciple," or a dedicated community of his followers? While tradition credits John the son of Zebedee, modern scholars often point to a "Johannine Community" that compiled these deep theological reflections. Regardless of the scribe, its unique style and profound focus on the divinity of Jesus make it a cornerstone of faith. 🖋️🕊️
#GospelOfJohn #BibleHistory #ChristianFaith #wolink #freebiblestudyhub
https://www.freebiblestudyhub.com/archives/1430

Called by Name in the Garden

An Easter Homily

(Note: Sermons can be heard in audio format at https://millersburgmennonite.org/worship/sermon-audio/)

John 20:1–18

Introduction:

Easter morning begins in a garden.

That is not accidental. John is never careless with his details. He wants us to notice where we are. We are in a garden, on the first day of the week, at the dawning of something no one yet understands. And if we listen closely, we can hear old echoes stirring beneath the new story. We remember another garden. We remember another beginning. We remember the breath of God moving over creation. We remember humanity formed from the earth and called into life.

And now here, in another garden, at the edge of another beginning, Mary Magdalene stands weeping before a tomb.

This is Easter, according to John. Not brass and banners at first. Not certainty. Not a choir already at full voice. But a grieving woman in a garden, searching for the body of the one she loves.

And yet it is here, precisely this place, that the new creation begins.

John wants us to see that Easter is not simply a happy ending after a tragic Friday. Easter is the beginning of God making all things new. The resurrection of Jesus is not merely proof that life continues after death. It is the opening act of a renewed creation. The old world of violence, burial, empire, grief, and endings has not disappeared overnight. Mary still cries. The tomb is still real. The wounds in Jesus’ body have not been erased.

But something new has broken into the world. The Creator has begun again.

That is why the garden matters.

Let us pray,
May the Words of my mouth and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable in your sight, O God, our Rock and our Redeemer. Amen

Homily:

In Genesis, life begins in a garden. In John, new life begins in a garden. In Genesis, humanity loses its way among trees, shame, and fear. In John, a human being stands again among trees, tears, and confusion, and there encounters the living Christ. In Genesis, the ground is cursed by death. In John, the earth itself becomes the place from which resurrection life is announced.

And there is one detail so strange and so beautiful that it almost slips past us: Mary mistakes Jesus for the gardener.

She is wrong, and yet somehow, she is not wrong at all.

For if this is new creation, then who would Jesus be but the gardener of God’s renewed world? Who would he be but the one tending life where death had seemed to reign? Who would he be but the one bringing forth new growth from the scarred soil of human history?

I come to the garden alone,
While the dew is still on the roses;
And the voice I hear, falling on my ear,
The Son of God discloses.
And He walks with me, and He talks with me,
And He tells me I am His own,
And the joy we share as we tarry there,
None other has ever known.

Jesús es el jardinero del mundo.
The risen Christ is not less than the crucified one. He is the crucified one transformed, alive, and at work in the garden of the world. He is still bearing wounds, but now those wounds belong to a life death cannot master. He is the gardener of a new humanity, the keeper of a new creation, the tender of all that empire tried to uproot and bury.

And this matters because many of us still live as though the world is only a graveyard.

Many of us know what it is to stand among the remnants of what was, among memories, among losses, among plans that did not come to pass, among dreams buried too early. Many of us know what it is to look at the world and see only tombs: tombs of justice deferred, tombs of broken trust, tombs of worn-out institutions, tombs of relationships, tombs of hope. We know what it is to come to church carrying not celebration but sorrow.

Easter does not shame us for that.
Instead, Easter meets us in the garden and says: this is where God begins again.

Not somewhere else. Not after you become more cheerful. Not after all the evidence is in. Not after every grief has been resolved. Right here.

In the place where you came expecting only loss. In the place where you thought the best you could do was tend the dead. In the place where your tears are still warm on your face.

Aquí mismo, Dios ya está obrando para hacer nuevas todas las cosas. Right here, God is already at work making all things new.

But John does not stop with new creation. He also gives us one of the most personal moments in all of scripture.

Mary sees Jesus and does not know him.

She sees the angels and still does not understand. She sees Jesus himself and assumes he is the gardener. And perhaps that should comfort us. Because we often imagine that if only God would do something dramatic enough, obvious enough, dazzling enough, then we would finally believe without hesitation. But in this story, resurrection itself stands before Mary, and she still does not know.

Why?

Because resurrection, in John, is not simply something to be observed. La resurrección es alguien a quien encontrar. It is someone to be encountered.
Mary does not truly recognize Jesus until he speaks her name.

“Mary.”

That is the turning point of the whole passage. Not the empty tomb by itself. Not the folded grave clothes. Not even the sight of Jesus standing there. The turning point is that the risen Christ calls her by name.

And with one word, the whole world changes.

Mary is no longer simply a mourner at a grave. She is not simply a witness to an event. She is addressed. Known. Reached. Called into relationship again.

My friends, this is good news! The resurrection of Jesus is not only a doctrine to defend. It is not only an argument that death has been defeated, though it is surely that. It is also this: Cristo resucitado aún conoce nuestros nombres. The risen Christ knows us by name.

The one whom death could not hold is not distant, abstract, or vague. He is not merely the subject of our hymns and creeds. He is the living one who calls people personally, intimately, tenderly. He comes not only to humanity in general but to each beloved child of God in particular.

Jesus knows your name beneath all the names the world has placed on you. Beneath your titles, your failures, your roles, your pain, your reputation, your confusion, your grief. Beneath all the labels—ALL the labels —successful, unsuccessful, strong, weak, faithful, doubtful, useful, forgotten—Christ knows your true name.

And perhaps that is why the church gathers on Easter: because we need once more to hear ourselves called by the voice we know, the voice of the Good Shepherd, the voice that speaks not condemnation but life.

“Mary.”

And if you listen, perhaps you can hear your own name there too.

Yet even here, the story turns again in a surprising way. Just when Mary recognizes Jesus, just when she reaches toward him, just when she wants to hold onto what has been restored, Jesus says, “Do not hold on to me.”

It is one of the strangest lines in the resurrection stories. It sounds almost harsh at first. But it is not rejection.

Es una invitación a una relación transformada.
It is invitation into a changed relationship.

Mary wants, understandably, to keep Jesus as she knew him before. To stay in that moment. To cling to who or what has been found again. Who among us would not? When something lost is restored, when someone beloved is returned, our instinct is to hold tight. To keep it from slipping away. To preserve the moment before it changes again.

But resurrection is not a return to the old arrangement.

Jesus is alive, but not simply back. He is risen into a new reality, and his followers cannot relate to him as though nothing has changed. The relationship will continue, but it will be transformed. It will become a relationship carried not by physical nearness alone, but by trust, by Spirit, by witness, and by mission.

How often do we try to hold on to Jesus in ways that keep us from following the living Christ into newness? We cling to old forms, old certainties, old pictures of how God must act. We cling to past revelations, moments we cannot reproduce, seasons we cannot recover, churches as they used to be, lives as they once were, versions of ourselves that no longer fit the call before us in this present moment. We want resurrection to mean restoration of the familiar.

But sometimes Easter means letting go.

Sometimes the risen Christ says: do not cling to what you think I must be. Do not imprison me in yesterday’s forms. Do not reduce resurrection to nostalgia. I am alive, and because I am alive, Te estoy llevando a un lugar nuevo. I am leading you somewhere new.

That can be unsettling. But it is also liberating. Because faith is not about grasping a frozen sacred past. Faith is trusting the living Christ who is still moving today, still calling today, still sending today, still making all things new today.

And that leads us to the final wonder of this passage: the grieving one becomes the messenger.

Jesus says to Mary, “Go to my brothers and say to them…”

He sends her.

This too is astonishing. The first witness of the resurrection in John’s Gospel is not Peter. Not the beloved disciple. Not the most publicly powerful person. Not the one least marked by grief. It is Mary Magdalene, who came looking for the dead and found herself entrusted with the news of life.

The one who came weeping becomes the one who announces hope.

The one who came to tend a broken body becomes the one who bears a message of healing and hope.

The one who had been standing outside the tomb crying is now the first to say, “I have seen the Lord.”

And there is gospel in that for the church.

Because too often we imagine that the good news is entrusted only to the polished, the confident, the credentialed, the unshaken. But here the risen Christ places the message first into the mouth of one who has just been weeping. The first Easter preacher is one whose voice is still raw from grief.

So take heart, church. You do not need to have mastered every sorrow before you can bear witness. You do not need to have solved every mystery before you can testify. You do not need to stand above the world’s pain in order to speak hope into it.

Sometimes the most faithful witness is the one who doesn’t say, “I understand everything,” but simply,
“He visto al Señor.” “I have seen the Lord.”

That is enough.

That is the task of Easter People.

To live as those who have glimpsed new creation in the midst of the old world. To listen for the voice that calls us by name. To loosen our grip on what must pass, so that we may follow the living Christ into what is being born.

And to bear witness, even through tears, that death does not get the final word.

So today, in this garden of resurrection, hear the good news:
Christ is alive.
The gardener is at work.
Creation is beginning again.
Your name is known.
Your grief is not disqualifying.
Your clinging can become trust.
And your trembling voice may yet become the voice that tells the world,
“I have seen the Lord.”

What Makes Truth Valuable? Let's think about that and what we do with that -- tonight on Steadfast, we're exploring John 5:31-34. https://youtube.com/live/Dnu7hiTLTfI

#Christianity #Truth #GodsLove #Revelation #GospelOfJohn.

What Makes Truth Valuable? Let's think about that and what we do with that -- tonight on Steadfast, we're exploring John 5:31-34. https://youtube.com/live/Dnu7hiTLTfI

#Christianity #Truth #GodsLove #Revelation #GospelOfJohn.

What Makes Truth Valuable? Let's think about that and what we do with that -- tonight on Steadfast, we're exploring John 5:31-34. https://youtube.com/live/Dnu7hiTLTfI

#Christianity #Truth #GodsLove #Revelation #GospelOfJohn.

A quotation from The Bible

Whoever hasn’t sinned should throw the first stone.
 
[Ὁ ἀναμάρτητος ὑμῶν πρῶτος ἐπ᾽ αὐτὴν βαλέτω λίθον.]

The Bible (The New Testament) (AD 1st - 2nd C) Christian sacred scripture
John 8: 7 (Jesus) [CEB (2011)]

More info about (and translations of) this quote: wist.info/bible-nt/4570/

#quote #quotes #quotation #qotd #bible #bookofjohn #gospelofjohn #jesus #accusation #guilt #guiltyconscience #humannature #selfawareness #shame #sin #sinfulness #sinlessness

A quotation from The Bible

Whoever hasn’t sinned should throw the first stone.
 
[Ὁ ἀναμάρτητος ὑμῶν πρῶτος ἐπ᾽ αὐτὴν βαλέτω λίθον.]

The Bible (The New Testament) (AD 1st - 2nd C) Christian sacred scripture
John 8: 7 (Jesus) [CEB (2011)]

More info about (and translations of) this quote: wist.info/bible-nt/4570/

#quote #quotes #quotation #qotd #bible #bookofjohn #gospelofjohn #jesus #accusation #guilt #guiltyconscience #humannature #selfawareness #shame #sin #sinfulness #sinlessness

A quotation from The Bible

Whoever hasn’t sinned should throw the first stone.
 
[Ὁ ἀναμάρτητος ὑμῶν πρῶτος ἐπ᾽ αὐτὴν βαλέτω λίθον.]

The Bible (The New Testament) (AD 1st - 2nd C) Christian sacred scripture
John 8: 7 (Jesus) [CEB (2011)]

More info about (and translations of) this quote: wist.info/bible-nt/4570/

#quote #quotes #quotation #qotd #bible #bookofjohn #gospelofjohn #jesus #accusation #guilt #guiltyconscience #humannature #selfawareness #shame #sin #sinfulness #sinlessness

A quotation from The Bible

Whoever hasn’t sinned should throw the first stone.
 
[Ὁ ἀναμάρτητος ὑμῶν πρῶτος ἐπ᾽ αὐτὴν βαλέτω λίθον.]

The Bible (The New Testament) (AD 1st - 2nd C) Christian sacred scripture
John 8: 7 (Jesus) [CEB (2011)]

More info about (and translations of) this quote: wist.info/bible-nt/4570/

#quote #quotes #quotation #qotd #bible #bookofjohn #gospelofjohn #jesus #accusation #guilt #guiltyconscience #humannature #selfawareness #shame #sin #sinfulness #sinlessness

Do we view God's promises as a distant wafting smell of barbecue or a mouthwatering meal served up to us? Tonight we continue in John 5:25-26... https://youtube.com/live/ZwEnGilveLU

#Christianity #PromisesOfGod #Gospel #GospelOfJohn #EternalLife #Resurrection

Do we view God's promises as a distant wafting smell of barbecue or a mouthwatering meal served up to us? Tonight we continue in John 5:25-26... https://youtube.com/live/ZwEnGilveLU

#Christianity #PromisesOfGod #Gospel #GospelOfJohn #EternalLife #Resurrection

Do we view God's promises as a distant wafting smell of barbecue or a mouthwatering meal served up to us? Tonight we continue in John 5:25-26... https://youtube.com/live/ZwEnGilveLU

#Christianity #PromisesOfGod #Gospel #GospelOfJohn #EternalLife #Resurrection

What do we really need and what is just a stubbed toe? John 5 is going to help us direct our focus where it really matters in a brand new series that starts live at 7 (Central)... please hop on the journey with me! https://youtube.com/live/V-az0kb_o1o

#Gospel #GospelOfJohn #SpiritualHealing #Miracles #Christianity

What do we really need and what is just a stubbed toe? John 5 is going to help us direct our focus where it really matters in a brand new series that starts live at 7 (Central)... please hop on the journey with me! https://youtube.com/live/V-az0kb_o1o

#Gospel #GospelOfJohn #SpiritualHealing #Miracles #Christianity

What do we really need and what is just a stubbed toe? John 5 is going to help us direct our focus where it really matters in a brand new series that starts live at 7 (Central)... please hop on the journey with me! https://youtube.com/live/V-az0kb_o1o

#Gospel #GospelOfJohn #SpiritualHealing #Miracles #Christianity

The #GospelofJohn is #FakeHistory:
The Beloved #Disciple is Fictional!
Dr. Bartosz Adamczewski

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=izjOcF70lBU

#sundayschool #bible #religion #atheist #christian

The #GospelofJohn is #FakeHistory:
The Beloved #Disciple is Fictional!
Dr. Bartosz Adamczewski

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=izjOcF70lBU

#sundayschool #bible #religion #atheist #christian

The #GospelofJohn is #FakeHistory:
The Beloved #Disciple is Fictional!
Dr. Bartosz Adamczewski

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=izjOcF70lBU

#sundayschool #bible #religion #atheist #christian

The #GospelofJohn is #FakeHistory:
The Beloved #Disciple is Fictional!
Dr. Bartosz Adamczewski

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=izjOcF70lBU

#sundayschool #bible #religion #atheist #christian

The #GospelofJohn is #FakeHistory:
The Beloved #Disciple is Fictional!
Dr. Bartosz Adamczewski

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=izjOcF70lBU

#sundayschool #bible #religion #atheist #christian

Join us as we explore Peter and John's race to the tomb and Peter's subsequent investigation after the women's testimony. Discover the significance of their actions and the initial disbelief surrounding the resurrection story. A compelling journey into faith and doubt! #PeterAndJohn #ResurrectionStory #BiblicalNarrative #TombDiscovery #FaithAndDoubt #GospelOfJohn #EasterStory #ChristianHistory #BibleStudy #TheEmptyTomb

Join us for Divine Service at Holy Trinity this Sunday, May 11th.

Schedule:

8:15am - Worship (Livestream: https://holytrin.link/5e11w3)
9:30am - Bible Study/Sunday School
10:45am - Worship

Online Check-In: https://holytrin.link/HTLCCheckIn

Readings for the day:

Old Testament: Acts 20:17-35
Epistle: Revelation 7:9-17
Gospel: John 10:22-30

#HolyTrinity #SundayService #Worship #BibleStudy #RogersAR #ChristianFaith #Lectionary #Acts #Revelation #GospelOfJohn

Welcome to Divine Service at Holy Trinity, Sun 5/4!

Schedule:

* 8:15am Worship (Livestream: https://holytrin.link/5e04w3)
* 9:30am Bible Study/Sunday School (Adult, Women, Men, Children groups)
* 10:45am Worship

Online Check-In: https://holytrin.link/HTLCCheckIn)

Readings: Acts 9:1-22 (Saul's conversion), Revelation 5:1-14 (Worthy is the Lamb), John 21:1-19 (Jesus & the disciples).

#Church #SundayService #DivineService #BibleStudy #RogersAR #Lutheran #Christianity #Acts #Revelation #GospelOfJohn

Opening Prayers for the Second Sunday of Easter Year C (April 27 2025)

These opening prayers for Sunday worship take their inspiration from the Scripture readings of the Revised Common Lectionary. Worship leaders are welcome to use them for worship, but if you print or display any part of them, please credit the author. Comments welcome. The following prayers are for based on the readings for Easter 2C, April 27, 2025. NB The Psalm used is Psalm 150.

The congregation say the words in bold italics.

Call to Worship

Praise God in his sanctuary!
Let everything that breathes praise the Lord!

Psalm 150:1,6

Let us worship God.

Prayer of Approach and Confession

Let us pray.

God of life,
the source of all that is,
you are the Alpha and Omega,
the first and last of creation and eternity
the one who is, and was, and is to come
almighty beyond our imagining.

Yet you have sent Jesus Christ,
to bring us salvation.
In his resurrected body
his wounds remind us
of the costliness of Christ’s love
for each of us and all creation.

And now he has defeated death
freed us from sin
and made possible a new world-
your Kingdom of love and justice.
You have exalted him over all things-
to him be glory for ever and ever!

To your people
you promise the gift of the Holy Spirit
to strengthen our faith
to sustain us in our doubts
and to help us be
the disciples of Christ in the world.

Eternal God,
our Creator, Saviour and Sustainer,
we praise and worship you.

We confess, God of grace,
that we need the strength your Spirit brings.
We fail to be attentive
to the risen Christ’s presence among us.
We find his command to forgive those who sin against us
hard to put into practice.
We want certainty, when Christ asks for faith;
we demand to see what must remain mystery.
Forgive us, and by your Spirit,
strengthen our faith.

silence

By his death and resurrection
Christ has made possible the forgiveness of sins.
So receive the Holy Spirit,
and know that Christ is among us. Amen.

Sharing the Peace

When the Christ stood among the fearful disciples
he said, ‘Peace be with you’.
Christ is among us now
and so let us share the peace of Christ
with each other,
greeting one another with the words
‘Peace be with you’.

The congregation share the peace, saying

Peace be with you.

Like this? Buy me a coffee!

Featured image: The Incredulity of Saint Thomas- Caravaggio, 1573-1610. Neues Palais in Sanssouci, Potsdam, Germany. from Art in the Christian Tradition, a project of the Vanderbilt Divinity Library, Nashville, TN. https://diglib.library.vanderbilt.edu/act-imagelink.pl?RC=54170

#Christ #DoubtingThomas #Easter #GospelOfJohn #LectionaryPrayers

The #GospelofJohn is Fabricated: #FakeHistory Exposed! | Dr. Hugo Mendez

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jvqn5McIwXY

Through Mendez's expertise, the course offers a rare chance to uncover the historical truths and academic debates that shape our understanding of #Christianity’s origins.

#bible #gnostic #christian #counterapologetics

The #GospelofJohn is Fabricated: #FakeHistory Exposed! | Dr. Hugo Mendez

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jvqn5McIwXY

Through Mendez's expertise, the course offers a rare chance to uncover the historical truths and academic debates that shape our understanding of #Christianity’s origins.

#bible #gnostic #christian #counterapologetics

The #GospelofJohn is Fabricated: #FakeHistory Exposed! | Dr. Hugo Mendez

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jvqn5McIwXY

Through Mendez's expertise, the course offers a rare chance to uncover the historical truths and academic debates that shape our understanding of #Christianity’s origins.

#bible #gnostic #christian #counterapologetics

The #GospelofJohn is Fabricated: #FakeHistory Exposed! | Dr. Hugo Mendez

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jvqn5McIwXY

Through Mendez's expertise, the course offers a rare chance to uncover the historical truths and academic debates that shape our understanding of #Christianity’s origins.

#bible #gnostic #christian #counterapologetics

Esoterica: A discovery process which adds to breaking a set material reality created before we knew what they were up to. #FateApocrypha #Good #Matrix #History #Meta #Metaphysics #Feminism #GospelOfJohn #Monday #Mind #Mystery https://youtu.be/oHQ3H2D8JII?si=y7DdG2L-Q9w3T1qE

Esoterica: A discovery process which adds to breaking a set material reality created before we knew what they were up to. #FateApocrypha #Good #Matrix #History #Meta #Metaphysics #Feminism #GospelOfJohn #Monday #Mind #Mystery https://youtu.be/oHQ3H2D8JII?si=y7DdG2L-Q9w3T1qE

Esoterica: A discovery process which adds to breaking a set material reality created before we knew what they were up to. #FateApocrypha #Good #Matrix #History #Meta #Metaphysics #Feminism #GospelOfJohn #Monday #Mind #Mystery https://youtu.be/oHQ3H2D8JII?si=y7DdG2L-Q9w3T1qE

Esoterica: A discovery process which adds to breaking a set material reality created before we knew what they were up to. #FateApocrypha #Good #Matrix #History #Meta #Metaphysics #Feminism #GospelOfJohn #Monday #Mind #Mystery https://youtu.be/oHQ3H2D8JII?si=y7DdG2L-Q9w3T1qE

One of the most quoted #Bible verses is a forgery

youtube.com/watch?v=TdqROjwIre…

#gospelofjohn #womantakeninadultery #lethewhoiswithoutsin #gospels #danmcclellan #jesus #atheism #religion

The Unforgettable Legacy of #Paul the #Apostle | Dr. Robyn Faith Walsh

https://youtu.be/mn2-QESI5l8?si=tfZMCOJP5ySUqKaJ

#robynwalsh
#robynfaithwalsh
#newtestament
#academia
#academia
#gospelofmark
#gospelofmathew
#gospelofluke
#gospelofjohn
#paultheapostle

The Unforgettable Legacy of #Paul the #Apostle | Dr. Robyn Faith Walsh

https://youtu.be/mn2-QESI5l8?si=tfZMCOJP5ySUqKaJ

#robynwalsh
#robynfaithwalsh
#newtestament
#academia
#academia
#gospelofmark
#gospelofmathew
#gospelofluke
#gospelofjohn
#paultheapostle

The Unforgettable Legacy of #Paul the #Apostle | Dr. Robyn Faith Walsh

https://youtu.be/mn2-QESI5l8?si=tfZMCOJP5ySUqKaJ

#robynwalsh
#robynfaithwalsh
#newtestament
#academia
#academia
#gospelofmark
#gospelofmathew
#gospelofluke
#gospelofjohn
#paultheapostle

The Unforgettable Legacy of #Paul the #Apostle | Dr. Robyn Faith Walsh

https://youtu.be/mn2-QESI5l8?si=tfZMCOJP5ySUqKaJ

#robynwalsh
#robynfaithwalsh
#newtestament
#academia
#academia
#gospelofmark
#gospelofmathew
#gospelofluke
#gospelofjohn
#paultheapostle

The Unforgettable Legacy of #Paul the #Apostle | Dr. Robyn Faith Walsh

https://youtu.be/mn2-QESI5l8?si=tfZMCOJP5ySUqKaJ

#robynwalsh
#robynfaithwalsh
#newtestament
#academia
#academia
#gospelofmark
#gospelofmathew
#gospelofluke
#gospelofjohn
#paultheapostle

Who Really Wrote the #GospelofJohn?

https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5saWJzeW4uY29tLzQ0MTYxNS9yc3M/episode/NjRkMmI4OTYtNTkzZS00YmFmLTk1YzQtMWY3YTZiMTE4ZDIz?sa=X&ved=0CLUCEM-BB2oXChMI-KvInN2-gwMVAAAAAB0AAAAAEAE

Almost everyone assumes that #Jesus' #disciple, John the #SonofZebedee, wrote #theGospelofJohn. But is there any compelling reason to think so? In this episode we look into many of the issues that most people have never thought about. Most, for example, do not realize that the author of this book never mentions John, let alone calls himself John. There is a person called "The Disciple #Jesus loved."

#bible #apologetics #atheist

Who Really Wrote the #GospelofJohn?

https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5saWJzeW4uY29tLzQ0MTYxNS9yc3M/episode/NjRkMmI4OTYtNTkzZS00YmFmLTk1YzQtMWY3YTZiMTE4ZDIz?sa=X&ved=0CLUCEM-BB2oXChMI-KvInN2-gwMVAAAAAB0AAAAAEAE

Almost everyone assumes that #Jesus' #disciple, John the #SonofZebedee, wrote #theGospelofJohn. But is there any compelling reason to think so? In this episode we look into many of the issues that most people have never thought about. Most, for example, do not realize that the author of this book never mentions John, let alone calls himself John. There is a person called "The Disciple #Jesus loved."

#bible #apologetics #atheist

Who Really Wrote the #GospelofJohn?

https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5saWJzeW4uY29tLzQ0MTYxNS9yc3M/episode/NjRkMmI4OTYtNTkzZS00YmFmLTk1YzQtMWY3YTZiMTE4ZDIz?sa=X&ved=0CLUCEM-BB2oXChMI-KvInN2-gwMVAAAAAB0AAAAAEAE

Almost everyone assumes that #Jesus' #disciple, John the #SonofZebedee, wrote #theGospelofJohn. But is there any compelling reason to think so? In this episode we look into many of the issues that most people have never thought about. Most, for example, do not realize that the author of this book never mentions John, let alone calls himself John. There is a person called "The Disciple #Jesus loved."

#bible #apologetics #atheist

Who Really Wrote the #GospelofJohn?

https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5saWJzeW4uY29tLzQ0MTYxNS9yc3M/episode/NjRkMmI4OTYtNTkzZS00YmFmLTk1YzQtMWY3YTZiMTE4ZDIz?sa=X&ved=0CLUCEM-BB2oXChMI-KvInN2-gwMVAAAAAB0AAAAAEAE

Almost everyone assumes that #Jesus' #disciple, John the #SonofZebedee, wrote #theGospelofJohn. But is there any compelling reason to think so? In this episode we look into many of the issues that most people have never thought about. Most, for example, do not realize that the author of this book never mentions John, let alone calls himself John. There is a person called "The Disciple #Jesus loved."

#bible #apologetics #atheist

John 1:1 (Byz): Ἐν ἀρχῇ ἦν ὁ λόγος, καὶ ὁ λόγος ἦν πρὸς τὸν θεόν, καὶ θεὸς ἦν ὁ λόγος. #BibleStudy #GospelOfJohn

Is The #GospelofJohn #AntiSemitic?
https://www.stitcher.com/show/misquoting-jesus-with-bart-ehrman/episode/is-the-gospel-of-john-anti-semitic-303001786
The #Gospel of #John is one of the most puzzling books of the #NewTestament, especially when it comes to understanding its view of #Jews and #Judaism. How can one book so fully embrace Judaism and yet condemn it?
#christianity #theology #apologetics #atheism #bible #NT

Is The #GospelofJohn #AntiSemitic?
https://www.stitcher.com/show/misquoting-jesus-with-bart-ehrman/episode/is-the-gospel-of-john-anti-semitic-303001786
The #Gospel of #John is one of the most puzzling books of the #NewTestament, especially when it comes to understanding its view of #Jews and #Judaism. How can one book so fully embrace Judaism and yet condemn it?
#christianity #theology #apologetics #atheism #bible #NT

Is The #GospelofJohn #AntiSemitic?
https://www.stitcher.com/show/misquoting-jesus-with-bart-ehrman/episode/is-the-gospel-of-john-anti-semitic-303001786
The #Gospel of #John is one of the most puzzling books of the #NewTestament, especially when it comes to understanding its view of #Jews and #Judaism. How can one book so fully embrace Judaism and yet condemn it?
#christianity #theology #apologetics #atheism #bible #NT

Is The #GospelofJohn #AntiSemitic?
https://www.stitcher.com/show/misquoting-jesus-with-bart-ehrman/episode/is-the-gospel-of-john-anti-semitic-303001786
The #Gospel of #John is one of the most puzzling books of the #NewTestament, especially when it comes to understanding its view of #Jews and #Judaism. How can one book so fully embrace Judaism and yet condemn it?
#christianity #theology #apologetics #atheism #bible #NT

Jesus answered her, “If you had known the gift of God and who it is who said to you, ‘Give me some water to drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.” John 4.10 NET.

Why do we ask for lesser things when the water of eternal life is being offered?

#Bible #BibleVerse #GospelOfJohn #life

@JoeCool @multilingualchurch @royal

Hmm, it's hard to not allow #TheChosen to color my opinion of #Nicodemus, as Eric Avari's portrayal was so incredibly alive to me. The scene where he kissed Jesus' hand had me weeping openly, it was so powerful. I'm getting a little misty-eyed just thinking about it. "Kiss the Son, lest He be angry" ... "Blessed are those who put their trust in Him"

*phew* *exhale*

If we believe that version of Nicodemus as being canonical (which is admittedly quite a leap), then Nicodemus truly believed, but lacked the will to sell all and follow Jesus. We know from the #GospelOfJohn that he asked earnest questions of Jesus, and contributed expensive embalming spices to Jesus' followers, so it's not a stretch to say that he likely was a follower of Jesus, and died in faith.

BUT Mary did not have as much to surrender. If she had the devotion to surrender her time, I think she might have been "closer to the Kingdom of God" than Nicodemus, but I can't quite make that claim. The accounts in Mark and John don't quite agree on who's house Jesus was at, but since the woman with the spikenard wasn't named in Mark's gospel, it's reasonable to say that it was Mary, Martha's sister, like John says.

But first of all, we must define what being close to the kingdom of God really is. I'm not sure I have a good answer, except I can surmise that it entails having a value system and a lifestyle that is molded by and in hot pursuit of God's kingdom.

In that light, is the faith of a wizened teacher of the law who is engrossed by the person of Jesus but not yet mature enough (in faith, that is) to "sell all and follow" less "close to the Kingdom of God" than the child-like faith of a teenage girl who wants nothing more than to sit by the Master and hear His words (but has much less, at least socially, to give up for His kingdom)?

I'm not sure I have an answer to that. The comparison is made difficult by no only the relative paucity of details of the lives of both individuals (as is usual in biblical accounts, journalistic depth not generally being a goal), but also the great difference between the two individuals and their station.

I'd like to think that both had a vital role to play in His kingdom, and that both died in faith, ready to receive a Martyr's crown (understanding a Martyr to be a witness, and not necessarily someone who was murdered for their faith).

If you love #TheChosen, you really must check out the 2003 #GospelOfJohn movie.
It's not nearly as good as The Chosen in a lot of ways, BUT Henry Ian Cusick is actually quite a good Jesus, and it's literally the entire book of John (Good News Translation) set to a movie. Word for word. Very enjoyable, beautiful music and scenery, Christopher Plummer knocks the narration into the stratosphere, and I thought the disciple John was cast very well, as well. Peter, too.

It was strongly overshadowed by The Passion of the Christ (2004), but it's still one of my favorites. Listening to the soundtrack right now.

The entire (3 hour long) movie: https://yewtu.be/watch?v=lchB_CEg5VI

Wikipedia entry: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Gospel_of_John_(2003_film)

#History or Not In The #GospelofJohn | Dale C. Allison Jr PhD
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K99C7rh4ThM
#Gospel #mythvision #MythVisionPodcast #religion #gospels #mythology #jesus #Bible

#History or Not In The #GospelofJohn | Dale C. Allison Jr PhD
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K99C7rh4ThM
#Gospel #mythvision #MythVisionPodcast #religion #gospels #mythology #jesus #Bible

In this Sunday's gospel, we read that John the Baptist saw the Spirit come down from heaven and remain on Jesus; in a similar way, St Elizabeth of the Trinity begs the Spirit to come upon her and create "a kind of incarnation of the Word."

🙏🏾 Read her famous prayer to the Holy Trinity
http://carmelitequotes.blog/2023/01/14/liz-prayer/

#stelizabethofthetrinity #sunday #gospel #gospelofjohn #stjohnthebaptist #holyspirit #heaven #jesus #incarnation #eternalword #prayer #catholic #carmelite #quotes

In this Sunday's gospel, we read that John the Baptist saw the Spirit come down from heaven and remain on Jesus; in a similar way, St Elizabeth of the Trinity begs the Spirit to come upon her and create "a kind of incarnation of the Word."

🙏🏾 Read her famous prayer to the Holy Trinity
http://carmelitequotes.blog/2023/01/14/liz-prayer/

#stelizabethofthetrinity #sunday #gospel #gospelofjohn #stjohnthebaptist #holyspirit #heaven #jesus #incarnation #eternalword #prayer #catholic #carmelite #quotes

In this Sunday's gospel, we read that John the Baptist saw the Spirit come down from heaven and remain on Jesus; in a similar way, St Elizabeth of the Trinity begs the Spirit to come upon her and create "a kind of incarnation of the Word."

🙏🏾 Read her famous prayer to the Holy Trinity
http://carmelitequotes.blog/2023/01/14/liz-prayer/

#stelizabethofthetrinity #sunday #gospel #gospelofjohn #stjohnthebaptist #holyspirit #heaven #jesus #incarnation #eternalword #prayer #catholic #carmelite #quotes

Everything I have belongs to you, and everything you have belongs to me, and I have been glorified by them. John 17.10 NET.

Jesus prayed to the Father shortly before his betrayal. Even in the apostles’ slowness to understand him and his mission, they received his self-revelation and proclaimed it to others — as they continue to do today in the New Testament.

#Bible #GospelOfJohn #Jesus