First, let us first review that Jesus the Word became flesh. He came in order for us to get an abundant life. We also mention here that the Bible doesn’t record everything according to how Gospel John chose its materials. Secondly, we talk about His first miracle of water becoming wine, which is the change in essence. As Christians, we should believe that under the condition that we are willing, the Bible promises us that we can absolutely do such an inside out change to obtain an abundant life. Thirdly, we can see how His coming is the fulfillment of one prophecy of Isaiah, proclaiming the favorable year of the Lord. Finally, we through an example show how logics can be used correctly in the Bible study. By another example, we illustrate how logics can be wrongly used in such a study. We then explain why Apostle Peter is qualified to say that we shouldn’t distort the Scriptures.
The Bible clearly says that Jesus became flesh, and His coming completed the salvation [1]. We see that the purpose is said clearly in John 3:17, “For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.” Furthermore, we also get an abundant life [2].
The Bible is inspired by God [3], which is the absolute standard for Christians. But we can see also in John 20:30-31 that the Bible doesn’t record everything, and how it chose the materials, “Therefore many other signs Jesus also performed in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name.”
Let us now talk about His first miracle. Before that, let see why He performed miracles. In John 4:48, it says, “So Jesus said to him (a royal official whose son was sick to the point of death), “Unless you people see signs and wonders, you simply will not believe.”” His Apostle Paul also performed miracles to testify the word of His grace [4].
In John 2:1, it says, “On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there.” We know that it is where He performed the first miracle since the Bible says so in John 2:11, “This beginning of His signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, …”
Let now take a look what He did, which is stated in John 2:3-10 “When the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus said to Him, “They have no wine.” …His mother said to the servants, “Whatever He says to you, do it.” …When the headwaiter tasted the water which had become wine, and did not know where it came from (but the servants who had drawn the water knew), the headwaiter called the bridegroom, and said to him, “Every man serves the good wine first, and when the people have drunk freely, then he serves the poorer wine; but you have kept the good wine until now.””
Water becoming wine is the change in essence. If we as Christians believe that under the condition that we are willing, we can absolutely do such an inside out change to obtain an abundant life in Christ. We see that we had transferred to the kingdom of God’s beloved Son [5]. For whoever believes in God, one can absolutely achieve such a change [6]. Just be careful as Hebrews 3:12 says, “Take care, brethren, that there not be in any one of you an evil, unbelieving heart that falls away from the living God.” We must have faith.
Talking about the fulfillment of one prophecy of Isaiah, let us first be sure that the Spirit of God was in Jesus, since John 10:25-30 says, “Jesus answered them, ” …I and the Father are one.”” And in John 3:34, it says, “For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God; for He gives the Spirit without measure.” Therefore, in Luke 4:17-19, it says, “And the book of the prophet Isaiah was handed to Him. And He opened the book and found the place where it was written, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, Because He anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim release to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind, To set free those who are oppressed, To proclaim the favorable year of the Lord.””
We now see how Isaiah says in Isaiah 61:1-3, “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, Because the Lord has anointed me To bring good news to the afflicted; He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to captives And freedom to prisoners; To proclaim the favorable year of the Lord And the day of vengeance of our God; …” From these verses, we can not only see the fulfillment of this prophecy, but also an example of the consistency of the Bible, “For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.” (John 3:17) Therefore, that Jesus said didn’t include the words of “And the day of vengeance of our God.”
Finally, let us take look at how logics should be used in the Bible study correctly. Logics itself is just a tool, which has no problem in it. The problem comes so called human logics which will be defined later when describing logics used incorrectly in the Bible study.
First, let us give a correct example regarding how to use it correctly. That is, the Bible doesn’t say explicitly that Jesus performed miracles only after he was baptized. From verses and logics, we know that the statement is correct. Why? In John 1:32-34, it says, “John testified saying, “I have seen the Spirit descending as a dove out of heaven, and He remained upon Him. I did not recognize Him, but He who sent me to baptize in water said to me, ‘He upon whom you see the Spirit descending and remaining upon Him, this is the One who baptizes in the Holy Spirit.’ I myself have seen, and have testified that this is the Son of God.”” We can then ask when John the Baptist saw that Jesus was baptized in Holy Spirit? It is the time stated in Matthew 3:13-16, “Then Jesus arrived from Galilee at the Jordan coming to John, to be baptized by him. … After being baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove and lighting on Him.”
In John 2:1, it says, “On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there.” The third day is after Jesus was baptized, and “This beginning of His signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, …” (John 2:11) So, we know that Jesus performed miracles only after He was baptized.
Therefore, here in the Bible study we define the human logics is to use logics with hypothesis outside what the Bible states. Let us give one example to illustrate this. If you compute the timelines from Genesis 5, you’ll find that the day Methuselah died is the same day when flood came. Thus, someone said that the flood came immediately after he died. The other one said that he was killed in the flood. Which one is correct? We cannot get right conclusion through debate since the Bible doesn’t say one way or the other. We cannot simply assume what happened in events described in the Bible.
Someone says that this happened in one debate written in articles. One person said that I knew the original languages the Bible was written. The other one said that what I knew was from revelation. This is indeed what I don’t understand. Who knows the original languages should also know that the meaning of words sometimes cannot be decided uniquely, with a hundred percent. Can who said from revelation be a hundred percent sure about any of hypothesis outside the Bible? One can express one’s opinions in a discussion without any thinking to enforce one’s thought, which one cannot do so anyway due to free will. Why debate? Debating is not something which edifies people. Actually, the Bible often uses the edification as a way to decide if we should say something or not [7]. We should learn to think in the aspect of God. Although we are not God and it is impossible to think in the aspect of God in all things. But the Bible is inspired by God, we can at least follow the teaching of the Bible, which is indeed in the aspect of God. However, I find that it is easy to say but hard to do. It is so easy to view things in the aspect of human to insist own opinions. Really, we have to count on the power of Holy Spirit.
Maybe one would say, what should we follow since one person may say so and the other different? Apparently, I can’t answer this question. But we believe that God is faithful. From the Bible, I can see that He sometimes views things from different angles for the same event. But He never is ambiguous. It is the human who causes the problems. We can see this from what the Bible says. Apostle Peter says in 2 Peter 3:15-16 that we should not distort the Scriptures, “and regard the patience of our Lord as salvation; just as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given him, wrote to you, as also in all his letters, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which the untaught and unstable distort, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures, to their own destruction.” He is qualified to say so since in Luke 24:45, it says, “Then He (Jesus) opened their minds to understand the Scriptures.” Indeed, Jesus Himself made Peter among others to understand the Scriptures. Probably, we don’t ask what God wants to tell us often enough as the examples shown in “1012 The first appearance of Jesus after resurrection.” To study the Bible in this aspect, we can have different but correct viewpoints.
Some related verses
[1] John 1:14, “And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, …” John 19:28-30, “After this, Jesus, knowing that all things had already been accomplished, to fulfill the Scripture, … He said, “It is finished!” And He bowed His head and gave up His spirit.”
[2] John 10:10, “…I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.”
[3] 2 Timothy 3:16, “All Scripture is inspired by God …” Although the New Testament didn’t finish at the time Paul written so, Christians believe that the whole Bible is inspired by God. For example, Book Revelation had not yet started when Paul wrote so.
[4] Acts 14:3, “Therefore they (Paul and Barnabas) spent a long time there speaking boldly with reliance upon the Lord, who was testifying to the word of His grace, granting that signs and wonders be done by their hands.”
[5] Colossians 1:13-14, “For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.”
[6] Mark 9:23,”And Jesus said to him, ” ‘If You can?’ All things are possible to him who believes.”” Matthew 19:26, “And looking at them Jesus said to them, “With people this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”” Philippians 4:12-13, “I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.”
[7] In the Bible, there are quite a few verses talking about edification. Among them are these. 1 Corinthians 10:23, “All things are lawful, but not all things are profitable. All things are lawful, but not all things edify.” 1 Corinthians 8:1, “…Knowledge makes arrogant, but love edifies.” 1 Corinthians 14:26, “…Let all things be done for edification.” 2 Corinthians 13:10, “For this reason I am writing these things while absent, so that when present I need not use severity, in accordance with the authority which the Lord gave me for building up (H3619, edification) and not for tearing down.” Ephesians 4:29, “Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear.”
(Verses refer to those in NASB unless otherwise specified.)
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