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Witnesses of Christ


[PRINT HERE] John 5 (10-25-17) Lecture Notes

St. Joseph Missionary Baptist Church

Wed Night Bible Study

Dr. E.C. Gregory, PhD – Bible Facilitator                                10-25-17                            Dr. H.T. Rhim, Pastor

WITNESSES OF CHRIST

[John the Baptist]

John 5:31-35 (NLT) 
31  “If I were to testify on my own behalf, my testimony would not be valid.
32  But someone else is also testifying about me, and I assure you that everything he says about me is true.
33  In fact, you sent investigators to listen to John the Baptist, and his testimony about me was true.
34  Of course, I have no need of human witnesses, but I say these things so you might be saved.
35  John was like a burning and shining lamp, and you were excited for a while about his message.

5:31-32. The thought in these verses move from that of Jesus’ unity with the Father to that of the Father’s witness of Jesus. In 5:31, Jesus’ point was that if He bore witness of Himself, this witness would not be accepted by the Jewish authorities. They would see it as an arrogant claim of self-exaltation. Jesus affirmed that He did not seek an independent self-authentication. He was content to submit to the Father’s will and to let the Father authenticate Him.

5:33-34.  John the Baptist’s function was that of a witness. A good witness tells the truth as he knows it. John’s witness of Jesus had an abiding character. Jesus did not need human testimony, but John’s work helped people because in their darkness he pointed them to the light. John’s work was that you may be saved. His great popular movement was one that anticipated Jesus, in which he pointed to Jesus as the Lamb of God.

5:35. John was only a lamp, not the true Light (1:9). The Jewish nation for a short time was stirred by and rejoiced in his ministry. For a moment they thought the Messiah was about to come. Even though his preaching had some stinging rebukes, there was a great popular excitement about his message. The people thought that though Israel might be disciplined, their enemies would be destroyed.

The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures by Dallas Seminary Faculty.

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