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John: The reason for the season
by RS  admin@creationpie.com : 1024 x 640


1. John: The reason for the season

2. The reason for the season
What is the "reason for the season" at Christmas? Which of the following Gospels talk about the birth of Jesus?
 
Matthew
Mark
Luke
John
Which is more important or better? The day of birth or the day of death?

3. Day of birth and death
In Jewish culture, the day of one's death is more important than the day of one's birth. This is seen in Ecclesiastes 7:1.

Verse routeEcclesiastes 7:1 A good name is better than precious ointment; and the day of death than the day of one's birth. [kjv]
Verse routenomenmortisnativitatis [v]
Verse routeαγαθον ονομα υπερ ελαιον αγαθον και ημερα του θανατου υπερ ημεραν γενεσεως αυτου [lxx]

Information sign More: Naive about the nativity

4. Ecclesiastes 7:1

 All 
KJV: A good name is better than precious ointment; and the day of death than the day of one's birth.
Hebrew: טוב שם משמן טוב ויום המות מיום הולדו׃
Greek: αγαθον ονομα υπερ ελαιον αγαθον και ημερα του θανατου υπερ ημεραν γενεσεως αυτου
Latin: melius est nomen bonum quam unguenta pretiosa et dies mortis die nativitatis

5. Jesus says why he was born
Verse routeJohn 18:37 Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice. [kjv]
Verse routeειπεν ουν αυτω ο πιλατος ουκουν βασιλευς ει συ απεκριθη ο ιησους συ λεγεις οτι βασιλευς ειμι εγω εις τουτο γεγεννημαι και εις τουτο εληλυθα εις τον κοσμον ινα μαρτυρησω τη αληθεια πας ο ων εκ της αληθειας ακουει μου της φωνης [gnt]

Reality and deceptionOnly John tells us why Jesus was born. Jesus witnesses to Pilate.

Jesus tells Pilate why he was born in John 18:37. When Jesus talks of "truth", as in the Greek and Hebrew words for truth, he is talking about the truth of reality and not of a logical true-false truth system.


[philosophy courses, Aristotle final cause]

6. John 18:37
   John 18:37 
 All 
KJV: Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice.
Greek: ειπεν ουν αυτω ο πιλατος ουκουν βασιλευς ει συ απεκριθη ο ιησους συ λεγεις οτι βασιλευς ειμι εγω εγω εις τουτο γεγεννημαι και εις τουτο εληλυθα εις τον κοσμον ινα μαρτυρησω τη αληθεια πας ο ων εκ της αληθειας ακουει μου της φωνης
What is the world's typical response?

7. What is truth?
The world does not care about the truth of reality.

Verse routeJohn 18:38 Pilate saith unto him, What is truth? And when he had said this, he went out again unto the Jews, and saith unto them, I find in him no fault at all. [kjv]


Verse route8:32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. [kjv]
Verse routeκαι γνωσεσθε την αληθειαν και η αληθεια ελευθερωσει υμας [gnt]

Information sign More: Truth types: logic, reality, opinion
Information sign More: Greek truth as reality
Information sign More: Hebrew truth as reality
Is the world interested in truth?

8. John 18:38
   John 18:38 
 All 
KJV: Pilate saith unto him, What is truth? And when he had said this, he went out again unto the Jews, and saith unto them, I find in him no fault at all.
Greek: λεγει αυτω ο πιλατος τι εστιν αληθεια και τουτο ειπων παλιν εξηλθεν προς τους ιουδαιους και λεγει αυτοις εγω ουδεμιαν αιτιαν ευρισκω εν αυτω αιτιαν
Latin: dicit ei Pilatus quid est veritas et cum hoc dixisset iterum exivit ad Iudaeos et dicit eis ego nullam invenio in eo causam
Wessex: Þa cwaeð pilatus to hym. Hwaet ys soðfaestnysse; And þa he þis cwaeð; þa eode he eft ut to þam iudean & cwaeð to heom. Ne funde ich nenne gelt on þison men.

9. Hearing
Jesus is talking to Pilate.

Verse routeJohn 18:37 Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice. [kjv]
Verse routeειπεν ουν αυτω ο πιλατος ουκουν βασιλευς ει συ απεκριθη ο ιησους συ λεγεις οτι βασιλευς ειμι εγω εις τουτο γεγεννημαι και εις τουτο εληλυθα εις τον κοσμον ινα μαρτυρησω τη αληθεια πας ο ων εκ της αληθειας ακουει μου της φωνης [gnt]

The Greek for "hear" assumes an understanding.

Information sign More: Think after what you heard and repent
How does one "hear the voice"?

Information sign More: John 3 Born from the beginnings
Information sign More: A tongue in cheek model for Pentecost

10. Wind of the Spirit
In the context of being "born again" or "born from above" or "born from the beginning", Jesus tells Nicodemus the following.

Verse routeJohn 3:8 The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit. [kjv]
Verse routeτο πνευμα οπου θελει πνει και την φωνην αυτου ακουεις αλλ ουκ οιδας ποθεν ερχεται και που υπαγει ουτως εστιν πας ο γεγεννημενος εκ του πνευματος [gnt]

Paraphrase: The spirit speaks to who it desires, and those hear with understanding what the voice (light into the mind) says. They cannot determine from where it came or to where it is going. So is everyone who is born (comes into being) of the Spirit.

The "spirit" or "message" can "request" or "ask" whoever it "desires". When this "message" "asks", one may need a "loan".

Information sign More: Matthew 5:42 Do not loan shirk
Information sign More: John 3 Born from the beginnings

11. Mighty breath
Verse routeActs 2:2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. [kjv]
Verse routeκαι εγενετο αφνω εκ του ουρανου ηχος ωσπερ φερομενης πνοης βιαιας και επληρωσεν ολον τον οικον ου ησαν καθημενοι [gnt]

The "sound" might be more accurately described as a "voice". The "rushing mighty wind" might be more accurately described as a "forceful breath".

Jesus enabled others to speak and listen at PentecostParaphrase:: The Spirit speaks to selected believers and they hear and tell others what they have heard. Some listeners hear as if in their own language. Some do not hear at all. Those speakers (who speak) and listeners (who understand) appear to have been born (come into being) of the Spirit.

The speaking and listening appears to go much deeper than a superficial speaking in some arbitrary language.


Information sign More: A big breath from a wind bag
Information sign More: John 3 Born from the beginnings

12. Mighty breath
Verse routeActs 2:2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. [kjv]
Verse routeκαι εγενετο αφνω εκ του ουρανου ηχος ωσπερ φερομενης πνοης βιαιας και επληρωσεν ολον τον οικον ου ησαν καθημενοι [gnt]

The "mighty" is the same word used by Jesus to describe those who try to "take" or "rapture" (harpoon) the "Kingdom of Heaven" by "force" or "might" in Matthew 11:12.

Verse routeMatthew 11:12 And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force. [kjv]
Verse routeαπο δε των ημερων ιωαννου του βαπτιστου εως αρτι η βασιλεια των ουρανων βιαζεται και βιασται αρπαζουσιν αυτην [gnt]

Information sign More: Matthew 11:12-14 Exploring the Kingdom of Heaven
Information sign More: A tongue in cheek model for Pentecost

13. Word made flesh
Jesus tells Pilate he was "born". John tells us that the "word" became "flesh" - obviously at the "birth".

Verse routeJohn 1:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. [kjv]
Verse routeκαι ο λογος σαρξ εγενετο και εσκηνωσεν εν ημιν και εθεασαμεθα την δοξαν αυτου δοξαν ως μονογενους παρα πατρος πληρης χαριτος και αληθειας [gnt]
Verse route1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. [kjv]
Verse routeεν αρχη ην ο λογος και ο λογος ην προς τον θεον και θεος ην ο λογος [gnt]

The ancient Greek word "λόγος""word, logic, reasoning" has a long history in Greek philosophy and meant a logical reasoning or explanation.

14. John 1:14
   John 1:14 
 All 
KJV: And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
Greek: και ο λογος σαρξ εγενετο και εσκηνωσεν εν ημιν και εθεασαμεθα την δοξαν αυτου δοξαν ως μονογενους παρα πατρος πληρης χαριτος και αληθειας

15. John 1:1
   John 1:1 
 All 
KJV: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
Greek: εν αρχη ην ο λογος και ο λογος ην προς τον θεον και θεος ην ο λογος

16. Reflexive fixed point: Reasoning of reasoning
Verse routeJohn 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. [kjv]
Verse routeεν αρχη ην ο λογος και ο λογος ην προς τον θεον και θεος ην ο λογος [gnt]
Verse route1:2 The same was in the beginning with God. [kjv]
Verse routeουτος ην εν αρχη προς τον θεον [gnt]

Reflexive reasoning
  • 1. Goal: "reasoning" was "in the beginning" if
  • 2. Relation: "reasoning""God" if
  • 3. Equality: "reasoning""God".

Translating John 1:1 using "to" or "towards" is in line with a reflexive fixed point while the KJV (King James Version) changes the word to "with". The reasoning is top-down and backward-chaining.

Bottom-up thinking (most people): put equality first, then relation, then goal.
Top-down thinking (computer scientists, John): put goal first, then relation, then equality

Information sign More: Divide and conquer: Top-down and bottom-up
Information sign More: Top-down vs. bottom-up
Information sign More: Reflexive fixed points in the Bible

17. Jesus and change
Jesus did not come to change everything.

Verse routeMatthew 5:17 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. [kjv]
Verse route5:18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. [kjv]

One needs to do both of the following.

18. John: The reason for the season

Matthew and Luke tell us how Jesus was "born" according to a timeline of events with some hints in various places about reasons for and consequences of the birth.

John tells us directly, from the words of Jesus, why Jesus was "born".

Discuss: Which is more important?

19. Truth shall free you
Verse routeJohn 8:32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. [kjv]
Verse routeκαι γνωσεσθε την αληθειαν και η αληθεια ελευθερωσει υμας [gnt]

Play on words: You shall know the reality (Jesus) and that reality (Jesus) will (make) wheat/flour harvest (of) you.

Information sign More: John 8: The true reality of a free wheat harvest

20. End of page

by RS  admin@creationpie.com : 1024 x 640