What Does the Bible Say About John the Baptizer #5?

Arnie and Glenn begin this episode with a discussion of the preeminence of Christ because John was asked a number of times if he was the Christ, the Messiah. Glenn notes an interesting fact in the context of Colossians 3:18 which tells us of the preeminence of Christ. A discussion of this context ensues. We next note the problem of few receiving Christ even though John pointed to Him as the Messiah and His message was God given. We next talk about the fact that eternal life demands that one believes and obeys the Son. The meaning of the word believe as used in the Bible is explored. John the Baptizer provided testimony of Jesus to the religious elitists but by and large they rejected it. We discuss the other things they rejected concerning Jesus as well. Take about 30 -minutes to listen in on our discussion. Have your Bibe handy so you can verify what we are saying. There is a transcript of this Buzzsprout episode provided for your convenience. 

Transcript

Fred Gosnell: 0:00

This is a presentation of the Woodland church of Christ, meeting at 3370 Broad Street in Sumter, South Carolina. We meet for worship on Sunday at ten thirty am and five thirty pm. We meet for bible study at nine thirty am on Sunday and seven pm on Wednesday. If you have questions or comments on this lesson, you may email them to Fred Gosnell at fgosnell@ftc-i.net or to Arnie Granke at agranke44071,8@twc.com or to Glenn Landrum at scbamaboy2003@yahoo.com.

Arnie: 0:43

Good afternoon. This is Arnie Granke and Glenn Landrum and Fred Gosnell is working as our engineer. Glenn and I are going to be talking a little bit more about some things pertaining to John and Jesus, John the Baptist. and Jesus. Last week we were, we were looking at his mission in relation to Christ and the fact that he wanted to make it known that he was not the main attraction, that Christ was, was the one. And so we we looked at a number of verses in John chapter three, but we've also been talking about some things in Colossians chapter one. Glenn, you want to share that with us, please?

Glenn: 1:38

Yes. Of course we ended up last week reading John 3, 31 which we're we're saying that Christ is from above and John was from from Earth. And it compares those two in that way. So we're talking about the preeminence of Jesus, Christ, or the the royalty, if you want to put it that way, of Jesus, Christ. And one of the passages that we we looked at, and I'm going to begin with verse 13 of Colossians one. And there's a few points I'm going to make, and we're thinking about Christ's preeminence. But there's also some other points that I'm going to make about about this passage as well. He has delivered from us, from the power of darkness, and hath conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins. He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him, all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers, all things were created through Him and for Him, and He is before all things. And in Him, all things consist, and he is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead. That in all things, he may have preeminence. So we see that word, the last word in our passage here, was preeminence. But we see a lot of other things that are talking about Jesus and and him being more important or greater than anything else. In verse seven, seven says, That he's before all things in Him, all things consist. We back up to verse 13. One of the points I wanted to make is that we talk about being in the church or possibly being in the kingdom of Christ, and it tells here that He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of His Dear Son. Now pay attention to that, because this is past tense. It's saying that those who are saved have already been put into or conveyed into the kingdom of his dear son. In verse 18, it's mentioned that he is the head of the body the church. Well, if he's the head of the kingdom and he's already the king, and he's also the head of the church and head of the body, then those three terms, the kingdom, the body and the church are synonymous. You can interchange any one of those terms, Christ is the king. He's the head of the body. He's the head of the church. And those are all synonymous with one another. And he is greater than all other beings. He has preeminence.

Arnie: 4:55

I think this seems to be the only passage, really, that has all three of them together, showing that they're synonymous, isn't it?

Glenn: 5:04

It is.

Arnie: 5:05

So if you miss that passage, you'd be you could very easily miss a very important point with regard to who Jesus is and and what the power is that has been, has been bestowed upon him. So Glenn is exactly right. This is, this is something you want to pay, pay real close attention to. Now, we

Glenn: 5:30

Well Arnie, you, you taught me a new word. were talking last week a little bit about John, chapter three, and in verse 30, 31, John made the statement that he that cometh from above is above all. He that is of the earth is earthy. And speaketh of the earth. He that cometh from the heavens, from heaven, is above all. And then he says in in verse 32 and what he had seen and heard that he testifieth. And no man receiveth his testimony. He that hath received his testimony hath set to his seal that God is true. Now that's that's John the the apostle who's writing that, but he's speaking there with regard to John the Baptist. So that's another thing that you don't want to trip up over. Throughout the John chapter three, there are references back to to John the Baptist. So don't, don't overlook the fact that we're talking about two different Johns here. They're not the same, not the same individual. And very few, in fact, received Christ, or evincedconfidence in God, according to to John, chapter three and verses 32 and and, 33 and and, that's a that's a dangerous situation to be in. And, of course, all the Jews, of those of that day, or many of the Jews, there were very few really that obeyed the gospel when Peter and the other apostles preached. And tragically, that's the same situation among Judaism and, of course, among many other religions that profess to be about Christ as well.

Arnie: 7:49

What was that?

Glenn: 7:50

Evinced. I had looked that up when I first saw it in the in our guide here, you had the word evinced, e, v, i,n,c,e,d and so I had to hook that up. But it's basically just saying that expressed so there were a few that received Christ or expressed confidence in God. And that goes along along with Matthew 7, 3, and 14, where it's talking about the straight way and a wide and a wide way, that there would be few that that follow the straight and narrow way. So this, this falls right in with that. So Christ's message was God given, and we need to understand that, that it was God given, following on the the passages that we've been reading in John 3, 36 it says, He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life, and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him. So this, the the message, it was given by by by God. And I, I jumped ahead there a little bit, I think on the passage I read, I should have been reading 34 and 35 John 3, 34, and 35 and it says, For he whom God has sent speaketh the words of God. For God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him, The Father loveth the Son and hath given all things into his hand. So this message that Christ spoke, it was God given.

Arnie: 9:32

And and this is John the Apostle, writing about, again, about Christ. And so let's be careful not to get confused as to as to which John was speaking of. Uh, something else is is mentioned here, by the way, in verse, verse 36 and and tells us a little bit about believers and unbelievers. And so, so let's read verse 36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life. Now just keep in mind the everlasting life is yours, but remember the word believeth isn't just saying believes. It is indicating continuous action there. The belief is not a momentary thing. It's perpetual. And you don't you don't leave that that faith. So if you're faithful in your belief of Christ, then you have eternal life. But the he that believeth not, and that's an individual that continues not to believe. Suppose he learns the gospel late in life and and obeys the gospel and becomes a child of God. Well, that problem is removed there. He no longer disbelieveth. He now becomes the man, or one of the individuals there in in the first part of the passage, as having eternal life. But it's tragic if we don't ever obtain that faith and and we're the ones who decide when we read the Bible whether we believe it or not. We're the ones who really are making the decision whether eternal life, will it be ours or not.

Glenn: 11:44

You know, there's a couple of passages that come to mind for me that help us to understand this when we're talking about believing and not believing. So many people want to use this word believe as just simply, as Arnie was mentioning that is something that's in your mind, that you believe it, that you, that you, that you know it. But the belief is a little bit more in this sense than what, what just a, a thought, a knowledge. John 14, verse 15 tells us a little bit about that. It's a real short passage. It says, If you love Me, keep My commandments. So we can kind of correlate love, in this this sense, to believing, if we, if we believe God, we're going to keep His commandments. And if we wanted to read a longer passage, I'm not going to read the passage, but if you were to go to James, chapter two, verses 14 through 26 you'll see the the correlation there. And it gives the example of how Abraham expressed his belief, his faith in God. It's by putting it into action. So this belief that we're talking about is a little bit more than just a thought or some knowledge. It's actually putting your belief into action. Therefore, those that believe they keep God's commandments, those who do not believe they fail to keep the commandments. So we can move on. So Jesus also sought to avoid conflict among disciples. John four, verses one and three, one through three, says, When, when, therefore, the Lord knew how the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John, though Jesus himself baptized not, but his disciples. He left Judea and parted again into Galilee. So Jesus was always being confronted by those who wanted to try to trip him up and cause problems and somehow get him to say something that was not correct. But Jesus always found a way to either correct them or to avoid the situation.

Unknown: 14:20

And by the way, here in verse two, though Jesus himself baptized not but his disciples, I think that the point that John is making there is the fact that Jesus did baptize his disciples, but, but and, and probably referring there to the 12, but those were the only ones. They were the ones who were baptizing other people with John, with Jesus, supervision. He was with them. Uh, but they were the only ones that he himself physically had had baptized. So then, then the passage goes on to tell us that he left Judea departed again in the Galilee after, after that particular point. And it's, it's interesting that the Lord knew how the Pharisees there in in verse, verse one, that that had heard that Jesus made more and made, made and baptized more disciples than than John.Word got around and probably agitated the t,he yeah forgot what they were called,

Glenn: 16:00

The Pharisees,, the high priest.

Arnie: 16:04

Yeah, the high priest and the

Glenn: 16:06

Pharisees,

Arnie: 16:07

Yeah, and the Pharisees there. Every once in a while, an old man loses one of those words. But, but those individuals, of course, filled in and and picked up the picked up that job, and Jesus, of course, was, was the center of that attraction.

Glenn: 16:29

Yeah, it That's exactly right. Uh, now John's testimony of Jesus was rejected by the religious elitists. We just mentioned those religious elitists, the Pharisees, the priest, the high priest. Uh, along with Jesus word and works his miracles, the testimony of the Father, the scriptures and Moses. And we have a couple of passages to read uh in relation to this. John four, one through through three, When, therefore the Lord knew how the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John, though Jesus himself baptized not but his disciples. He left Judea and departed into Galilee. And I think Arnie just read that a moment ago. So I'll move on to John 5, 32, to 35; There is another that beareth witness of Me. And I know that the witness, which he been witnesses of me is true. You sent unto John, and he bear witness unto the truth. But I received not the testimony of man, but these things I say, that you might be saved. He was a burning and shining light, and you were willing, for a season, to rejoice in his life.

Arnie: 17:50

And and again, again. That's John the Apostle writing about John the Baptist there, who is under consideration. By the way, you know, we've used this word belief. And Glenn, you you also wanted to define that a little bit. Let me just look at it from the from the language that was original in the writing of the of the New Testament. And that was Koine Greek, a one of the varieties of of Greek. And the the word for believeth and and it's used in in a continuous, in the sense of being a continuous belief is pituo, pistuo. Rather, it's number 4100, if you want to look that up or go to the library, take a look at at a at a Greek New Testament. And and it actually means, it has several synonymous meanings. And I think it's important for us to understand that it not only means to believe, but it means to regard as to as true. You not only hear it and and say, Oh, well, that's so but, but you regard it to be true. It also means to be persuaded of and to credit and place confidence in. So when we're talking about faith, it's, it's not that somebody just kind of, they hear it, they say, Yeah, okay, alright, I'll buy that and and drop it at that point. This is a deep seated faith that that just does not go away. And the opposite of that is true in in the Greek. The the first. Letter of the alphabet often is put in front of of a verb to show that that that activity is not going to happen and so that that makes pistuo, a, it changes it to number 544, and it's apostuo, to disobey, to refuse to comply. And and so it's not just a a question about, Well, is it true? Maybe it is. Maybe it isn't. No, it's a totally disregard and disavow that meaning there. So when we're speaking about faith, we're not just talking about a ho hum belief. We're talking about a serious belief that remains with us and does not, does not vary and become something less.

Glenn: 21:04

And another, another point with scripture to to show that, and in relation to the the believing and believing not, first, Peter 4, 17 says, For the time has come that judgment must begin at the house of God, and if it first begin at us, what shall the end of them that obey not the gospel of God? So if I it's relation or relating here belief to obedience. So if one believes, they will obey. If some one believes not, then they've done. They do not obey. And I think that's important for us to to mention. We've been on this, this subject now for a few minutes now, I wasl speaking about a few minutes ago about this belief that it's more than just a thought, it's more than just something that's in your mind. It's something that has to do with how you show your belief, how you show your faith. So we now that's an important point for us to understand.

Arnie: 22:12

Can I butt in here ?

Glenn: 22:13

Absolutely.

Arnie: 22:14

And and just to point out you know that a lot of lot of the people that we know, we know, know them from where we work. We know them in our in our neighborhoods and and organizations that we belong to and all this. It's a common misunderstanding of this idea of belief and what that entails that many people say, Oh, he's a pretty good fellow. I think he'll go to heaven, you know. It has nothing to do with him just being a pretty good fellow. A lot of the people that you and I know are good fellows. We were probably good fellows when we were sinners and and before we even heard the the gospel. And the issues not was he, is he a nice guy? Is he a good fellow? Is he respectful to people? Does he do nice things, and, and, and all of that? It's, does he believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. If he does not believe what the Bible says, he is still lost, regardless of how we would like to see him be saved. What we need to do in that case then is, is make sure he gets the truth so that he can believe that and understand it and and be saved.

Glenn: 23:34

Well, I believe we've, we've, we've touched on that a good, bit. But it's in us an important point. And I think the points we've made during this, this lesson today, are ones that that are worthy of spending some time on and understanding these, these, these concepts. Many times we look at these concepts and we just gloss right over em and just take em, just for face value, rather than digging into them and really understanding what what they are. Well, John, John, we had mentioned a few moments ago about his testimony being rejected by the elitist.

Arnie: 24:20

And this is John the Baptist.

Glenn: 24:24

Right,

Arnie: 24:24

Yeah.

Glenn: 24:25

Right. So we haven't read John 5, 30, 36 to 47 which is relates to that as well. So I'll read that; But I have greater witness than of John for the works which the Father has given to me to finish, the same works that I do bear witness of Me, that the Father has sent me, and the Father Himself, which has sent me, hath born witness of Me. You have neither heard his voice at any time nor seen his shape. And. you have not His word abiding in you. For whom He has sent, him you believe not. Search the Scriptures for in them you think you have eternal life. And they are they which testify of me. And you will not come to me that you might have life, but I received not the honor of men. But I know you that you have not the love of God in you. I am come in my Father's name, and ye received me not. And another shall come in his own name, him you will receive. How can you believe he. How can you believe which receive honor, one of another and seek not the honor that cometh from God only? Do not think that I will accuse to you, to the Father. There is one that accuses you, even Moses, in whom you trust; for for had ye believed motiv, Moses, you would have believed me, for he wrote of me. But if you believe not his writings, how she; How shall you believe my words? Jesus was, was challenging the Pharisees and in this and letting them know that they they don't, they don't even believe the Father because they don't believe the one that the Father sent. They don't believe him because they didn't believe Moses, because they didn't, they didn't follow Moses' teachings. So Jesus is throwing everything right back at them.

Arnie: 26:48

That's absolutely true. And as a matter of fact, in verse 39 where it says, In the King James Version, it says, Search the Scriptures for in them you think you have eternal life, and they are there which testify of me. It's not, it's not a command that's being that's being given there. That's actually a present, active indicative term. And the word Ye, which is not inserted in the King James Version, should be before should precede the the word Search, it's a statement about what they are doing. Ye search the Scriptures. Why do you search the Scriptures? You're searching the scriptures because you think that in you think that in them, you have eternal life. But the problem is, you're not paying attention to em. These are they that testify of me. And they weren't catching that point. They were absolutely missing that and and tragically, how many generations have there been since then of the very people who had those scriptures for for hundreds of years now, 2000 more and and haven't abided by the things that the that the scriptures taught, it's a disaster.

Glenn: 28:16

You know, I think, think this passage that we just read here, even though it is sort of long and there's it's wordy, and there's a lot of things, it really sums up the things that we've talked about today. We've talked about some things that people have have some struggles with and do not completely understand. And that's what Jesus is telling them that even though they read the scriptures, they don't understand the Scriptures. And one of the things that proves that they don't understand scriptures, they don't obey the scriptures. So the two go hand in hand, when we believe we will obey or we will do what we are we're told to do that. We understand that in all walks of life, it's only when we come to the Scriptures that we have some difficulty in that. So I think we only have a little more than a minute left here. But the last point, or the next point that comes up is that John sent His disciples to Jesus, and that's in Matthew 11, two, two to 13. To reinforce his testimony, it says, Art thou he that should come or look we for another? So I don't think I've got enough time to read that, that whole passage there, unless you want me to go ahead and try.

Arnie: 29:45

Let, let's hold it for for next week, because we've got left less than a minute. But this is John sending some of his and John the Baptist. Sending some of his disciples to Jesus, not because John wanted to know the answer to the question. He wanted His disciples to see and return and tell him that they understand who Jesus was. Uh,, we'll talk about that, Glenn next, next Lord's Day afternoon. What do you say?

Glenn: 30:28

Sounds good.

Arnie: 30:29

Alright. And, and we hope that you'll tune in with us and and be with us at that point, and, and in the meanwhile, we we wish you a good week, and one that's especially good because you're seeking to obey the will of God.