James White Explains What Scholars Ignore

The Word Became Flesh and John’s Prologue

Interesting, because we went over a lot of this stuff. But this is really where the Muslim struggles terribly. Is right here. The word became flesh. They say no, that's just simply not a not a possibility.

So the prologue of John begins by establishing a lens that directly asserts the eternal nature of the Lagos his unique relationship to the father and the fact that he is monogamous the us. And so it's not overly surprising then that when you turn to the end of the book that we have the confession of Thomas at the resurrection, you know that Thomas was not present at the first appearance of the Lord and he has expressed his doubts.

Hence the phrase doubting Thomas. And so when Jesus appears again, the second time he says to Thomas stretch forth your your finger put here my side hands and do not be unbelieving but believe so Jesus gives evidence that he knew exactly what Thomas has said.

Hey, unless I you know, put my finger in the wounds so on.

So forth.

I won't leave by the way.

There's nothing in the text that says he ever did either.

Of those things.

He was invited to do so but there's nothing that says that.

He then did.

Instead when Jesus says and do not be unbelieving but believe Thomas answered and said to him now. We just emphasize the Greek term auto means to him. It is singular does not say to them. Why? Well, you'll see in a moment.

There's there's really only one way to try to escape the way this passage and it doesn't work. But it's tried all the time. Thomas and said to him how could he ask me?

Oh, hi. Hi.

They asked me. I could ask me.

Hi. Hi.

They asked me. Now there isn't a question about the text. It's not a matter of textual variation. You don't have some manuscripts say this a manuscript say that I I remember one Muslim apologist who argued that this reading was not reliable in light of the fact that it doesn't appear in a particular.

Manuscript of the Gospel of John was called p66. Well, the problem is a p66 is fragmentary and when you get into these last chapters as what happened in a lot of books the last beginning in the beginning of the end of the book could become damaged because those the those the outer pages it's fragmentary.

We don't have all the piece pieces. There's no reason to believe it didn't read this way and a and a what's called a lacuna a hole in the manuscript is not an argument against a reading at least not a scholarly argument against a reading and every other early papyri contains it.

So there's there's no there's no truly scholarly question about this reading. It says how could he ask me how they ask me my Lord and my God my Lord and my God that's what Thomas says. And again, I emphasize it says I pen out so and he said to him how could he ask me how they ask me there is no place.

There is no way to break this up into my Lord my God, but that's what people do you want to see an example of it go catch the video of the debate I did at the University of Johannesburg about four years ago, maybe with a Muslim apologist and that was his explanation of John 2028 is that we've got here is my Lord my God, but what would that mean?

He said my Lord to Jesus and then upwards to heaven or whatever else might be he says my God, but what did I emphasize the Greek term auto is singular? What was said was to Jesus and what was said was a courier awesome.

Okay, how they asked me because the next word is leg. I auto hi Jesus Jesus said to him so. The entire quotation of Thomas is how could he ask me? Okay, how they asked me? There's no way to break that up.

There's no way to say part of it was said. Jesus part was said somebody else. No one person was addressed. What he said was my Lord and my God and Jesus's response then was because you have seen me. Have you believed blessed the ones who though not seeing have also believed and so on any fair basis any fair basis of reading language interpretation exegesis what is said here is when Thomas says to Jesus my Lord and my God.

If Jesus was a Muslim prophet. Then he would have to rebuke Thomas and say no, no, no, no Thomas thumbs. No, no, if he was Michael the Archangel pretending to be in flesh because at this point in Jehovah's Witness theology Jesus's body has been put off and so he's only manifesting a body basically to fool his disciples.

Then likewise he could never accept this description as my Lord and my God. But Thomas identifies him as my Lord and my God and Jesus's response is blessed are you you you've believed he identifies Thomas's confession as an act of faith as an act of belief.

That's a highly significant reality. He does not rebuke him. He blesses him and says even more blessed are those who did not see you've believed because you've seen blessed are those who not seeing yet will believe is what Jesus says and so beginning and end of the gospel.

You have these clear references to the deity of Christ, but there is then a constant weaving of threads through the gospel of John. I've often likened it. That's one of the reasons I like like my coogies.

I love multi-colored stuff. Always have and it it lends itself to a neat illustration that I like of the fabrics the threads in a fabric that are woven together to create all these these beautiful patterns and you know in in my my vest here.

There's there's red and there's orange and there's blue and some of these threads come up over here and some of the blue disappear and and it will change emphasis and what color predominates but then that some of those threads will still continue on there just become somewhat muted.

When you look at God's truth as a whole and any individual book in a singular fashion you learn to identify the threads of meaning and topic as they're woven together. And this is certainly the case in in the gospel of John.

And if you want to see a particularly really cool aspect of this then let's go back to John chapter 8. I was tempted to pop into John chapter 6 for a while because just a few weeks ago. I led a Bible study on John chapter 6 on the shore of the Sea of Galilee at Capernaum only a matter of yards or meters depending on where you live away from where John 6 took place the synagogue at Capernaum and that would have been the very beach that Jesus and the disciples would have pulled the boat up onto after walking upon the water.

And that was a real blessed experience, but that's not the best place to go to establish this particular fact. So we will not go there. John chapter 8. There are a number of times in the gospel of John where John utilizes a particular phrase that we mentioned earlier.

I mentioned that in Exodus 3 14 of the burning bush Yahweh identifies himself to Moses as Ego Aimee HaOn. I am the one being I am that I am is how that ends up coming over into most English translation.

So that phrase Ego Aimee in a lot of your study Bibles, for example will be identified at least at John 8 58. Unfortunately, the other places that it's utilized in the gospel of John will often be not hidden but not brought out as clearly as they should be because of a concern for a stilted or uneven translation.

But the reality is that the Apostle John uses this phrase in a number of different contexts to point us to the connection to the Old Testament. And what do I mean by this? Well, look at John 8 24. John 8 24.

Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins for unless me pustuseta Hati Ego Aimee you will die in your sins. So unless you believe that's in what's called the subjunctive. So unless you believe Hati Ego Aimee that I am you will die in your sins.

The most translations will say that I am he and it'll put he in italics or something along those lines. But simply Hati Ego Aimee. You will die in your sins that we sort of need to know what that means because we don't want to die in our sins.

And so since dying in your sins sounds very very final to me. This is a non-negotiable. This is a definitional aspect of Christian truth that we are going to be looking at here and we are. So in verse 24.

We have the use of Ego Aimee. I am. Now if that's all we had you couldn't build a whole lot on it, but keep that in mind keep that in mind because. Only a few verses later. Verse 30 while while speaking these things many believed in him.

That's interesting that term believe there is in the aorist and that's not. The normal terminology that John uses for saving faith. He uses a present participle.

For real faith.

When he uses the aorist it's almost always false faith. It's a surface level faith and this becomes obvious because Jesus does then says to them if you continue my word you're my disciples indeed you should know the truth truth shall set you free and as soon as he intimates to them that they need to be set free that's offensive.

And so by the end of the chapter. These same Jews who believed in him are picking up stones to stone him. So much for true saving faith, but. Jesus in verse 56 has said that Abraham. Our father rejoiced to see my day.

Rejoiced to see my day and they're like, you're not yet 50 years old. How could Abraham a senior day and Jesus answered and said to them truly truly I say to you. Before Abraham was I am. For Abraham came to existence.

I am same phraseology. He used to verse 24. I am but now he's saying that before Abraham was I am. And what's the Jewish response? Therefore, they took up stones. They might cast upon him might stone him.

But Jesus hit himself and went out of the temple. So the Jews immediately understand exactly what he's claiming. He's claiming to be the I am to be before Abraham. Now, if you have John a 58 and they pick up stone stone him John 8 24 then says unless you believe that I am you will die in your sins.

So a Jesus who is less than the Jesus of the New Testament will of necessity not exist and therefore leave you in your sins.

Right? Right.

Now, you probably know one other fairly famous reference in the gospel of John to this issue of I am and it's found in chapter 18. Verses 5 and 6 and there at the arrest of Jesus. The soldiers come and Jesus says to them, who are you seeking.

And they answered him Jesus the Nazarene and he said to them.

Ago.

I me.

I go.

I mean same phrase they say. Ah, yeah, but he's just identifying himself. Hold on a go. I mean and there was standing with them Judas the one who is betraying him. Therefore when he said to them ago, I me they fell back upon the ground.

When Jesus said ago, I mean they fell over. They fell over now. I've heard some incredibly horrible excuses on the part of Unitarians be who denied the deity of Christ. It's more nation is whatever. Well, you know, the soldiers were just the soldiers were taken aback by his moral purity.

You see?

Yeah, soldiers fall over in the face of moral purity every day happens all the times. In fact, they've developed some special protectors for when they fall back in the place ridiculous. It's absurd. They fell back because Jesus said ago.

I me I am and the soldiers fell on the ground. You tie this together with John 8 58 John 8 24. You're starting to get the pattern. You're starting to see what's going on here. But this is where even good study Bibles that I haven't checked all of them.

I'm not a big study Bible person and I would imagine that it's probably it's in the Reformation study Bible. Maybe the ESV study, but I don't know. I've never looked but when most people talk about the I am things it pretty much just focus on John 8 58.

They don't tie in 8 24. They might talk about this one, maybe. But the one that cinches the deal that is so important is normally skipped over. And that is John chapter 13 John chapter 13 the night of Jesus's betrayal when Jesus is specifically stating that Judas's betrayal is going to fulfill scripture verse 18, but in order to the scripture might be fulfilled.

He's talking about Judas's betrayal of him. Then he says in verse 19 and this and it's because we're focused upon the betrayal of Judas and the whole story that we rarely see this yet. We should but from now on I'm telling you before it comes to pass in order that you may believe when it happens Hati ego I me that I am that I am now.

I've told the story many times for us. I'll be brief. I remember years ago. When I was in I think I was still in Bible College. Had my first computer compact portable weighed 35 pounds. Size of a singer sewing machine.

And six inch green screen.

It was great.

And but hey, you got to you got to have respect for us folks that work with those things. I remember and I don't remember whether I was looking at the Old Testament text or New Testament text. But when I when I looked at that phrase in order that you might believe when it comes to pass.

It's like I've seen this somewhere before this is ringing a bell and that night by the flickering lamp. It's one of those old lamps those bulbs that never quite seated right and so they they flicker on you.

Some of you don't know what that is, but some of you have only lived with LED bulbs. I made the connection. And realized and if I just looked over the side margin at least a new American, I'm sorry, that's the only text it gives the reference.

Jesus is quoting Old Testament text here again, and he's quoting with great irony the verse from which Jehovah's Witnesses get their name. This is the verse of Jehovah's Witnesses get their name from.

Isaiah 43 10, which most of us have memorized before me, there is no God for him. There should be none after me. But before it says that you are my witnesses declares Yahweh my servant whom I've chosen.

So you may know and believe and understand that I am he before.

Me.

There is no God for him.

There should be none after me.

When you look at that in the Greek Septuagint. Jesus is quoting it here. And the I me of Isaiah becomes the I me of John. That's where the connection is. That's where the link is broken. When you try to jump from John 8 58 back to Exodus 3 14.

You've missed the proper step. You got to stop in Isaiah first because that's what Jesus does. He makes the application quotes from the verse from which Jehovah's Witnesses get their name. You're my witnesses says Jehovah my servant who I've chosen.

That's where they get Jehovah's Witnesses Isaiah 43 10. So here and remember in Isaiah 43 the context of this is Yahweh revealing future events because he's in control of what happens in time. That's what makes him the true God over against the false gods.

And so that's what you have in Isaiah. Now in John Jesus is revealing the future event of Judas's betrayal. And in that context identifies himself as the I am. So now now that you see the John 13 you can trace 8 24 8 58 13 19 18 5 through 6.

Here is are the threads and they're not in every chapter. You know in in my my Coogee here. There's there's a there's a little bit of a red thread here but it's primarily blue in this area. But you know you get up here and the red just explodes out.

That's how you make material that has different patterns and yet comes together to make something glorious and that's what John's doing. 8 24 8 58 13 19 18 5 through 6 the I am passages being used.

Jesus.

Now again, you go into a Christian bookstore. And you look up commentaries and they may make some reference to this but you need to understand most of the commentaries being written today. Not all most of the commentaries being written today do not treat the Bible as a whole the New Testament as a whole the writings of a particular writer as a whole or even any particular book as a whole as being a self-consistent.

Woven tapestry of divine revelation. And so very often they will not make these connections or will argue against them.