I tried to log notes back in the CCCNY Bible study days. But I'll start fresh now. With Grace PCA and Pak Tong's notes.
I came across a very good Chinese summary of Tong's video series. Unfortunately, it only went as far as chapter 5.
Also another transcription of Pak Tong: http://blog.sina.com.cn/s/blog_628b1dcc0102vtfz.html
I must say, I'm almost halfway listening to Tong's John series and I recall Rev. Lin's statement to me once about not wanting to use this series because Tong had criticized too many people. So far, I have heard none of that sort. The only criticisms he made were against the Charismatics mostly, and some testimonies of here and there, but they all were on point, nor were any of them personal despite sharing his personal experience. So I must conclude, Rev. Lin either secretly sympathize with the Charismatics or she is as Tong said in #68: @1:18:20: love to escape from reality.
Chapter 2
Video 15
John 2:1-12
"Woman" in verse 4: This is not a son talking to his mother, but God talking to man.
Therefore, the church cannot be sponsored by a single person, but a whole congregant.
My hour has not yet come - theology of time. God's time. Kairos (schedule of God, heaven), not chronos (mechanical schedule of the world).
Ceremonial washing water jars - why your girlfriend put her saliva in your mouth you happy but others you slap them? God's way is supernatural.
v. 7: Filled to the brim - Jesus told His disciples to wait in Jerusalem until filled by the Holy Spirit.
Why first miracle in Cana during wedding. God honors marriage, the union of men. He was the first who matched Adam and Eve.
Video 16:
John 2:12-25
By what OT manner did Jesus get baptized? By the being washed with water (Exodus 40:12-13) and the anointing of the priests at 30 year old. To Show that Holy Spirit will descent upon Him.
So since birth, Jesus has abided by the Law.
Paolo Veronese's Wedding at Cana painting. veronese, one of the 3 great Venetian painters, the other two = Titian, Tintoretto.
Not only this shows God honors Wedding. Men should make God the center of wedding. Unfortunately, it is not so in churches, so most wedding ceremony sermons are the most useless speeches in the world.
Tong has one suggestion: pastor just have one special sermon for wedding use only, and no one else but the couple to listen, required, before sharing the bed.
Cleansing the Temple:
This is the first of all 4 times Jesus went through Jerusalem's Passovers.
Solomon used 7 years to build the temple, but 13 years to build his palace.
Tong's church waited for 12 years for permit, one supporter died of his son-in-law's murder, just after getting the news of permit approval.
Not by David's hand, but by Solomon's hand in time of peace, to build God's temple.
Solomon's temple was burned down within 400 years, after warned by Jeremiah.
First mention of House of God = Jacob. Genesis 28:17
When Solomon dedicated the house of God, while realizing how could he build something for God's abode on Earth? 1Ki 8:27, 2Ch 2:6, 2Ch 6:18 "天和天上的天"
Sinners think that House of God (or house of important king, ministers, etc.) is the one to be protected most.
After exile, the second temple is smaller, the young joyed, but the elders mourned and remembered Solomon's greater temple by Zerubbabel.
The second temple then "refurbished" by Herod, making it biggest in history.
When Jesus was born, Politics (Romans using Esau's seed against Israel) uses Religion 政治利用宗教; When He, Religion uses Politics 宗教利用政治.
Herod was an architect of many great achievements. In Jesus' time, Herod's temple hasn't finished building (46 years in progress), Herod did not see its completion.
The Bible doesn't limit the number of people who built Noah's ark. He could have had hired hands, even the fundametalist site AnswersInGenesis is open to it.
So is Herod's temple valid, why not?
3 times to the temple a year, it's a command in the Bible. Deut 16:16
Song of Ascents mentioned by Tong.
As grandeur as it is for Israel to see this great temple, it attracted many businesses in the temple.
Theology: Holiness has status and condition: Status = consecrated by God; Condition: to forget that your status have been corrupted by the world.
Tong got the name wrong on Queen Elizabeth's father: George V, should be George VI. (@1:25:30)
13 ton's garbage cleaned from Westminster Abbey, before the Queen's coronation. How much dirt should be taken out of our hearts for Jesus to be our king?
Tong didn't get why Jesus said. v.19, why make them even more confused. Absolutely nobody understood. Tong: but it is revealed in v.21. Realized by his disciples 3.5 years later.
Jesus is the temple, this is the house of God in Jacob's vision. The temple mediator between God and men. Those who hate him hate him, those who want his miracle, just tried to be nice to him. Like some Christian "supporters". v.24, Jesus would not entrust himself to them.
Video 17: John 2:23-25
No one know who Jesus was, only He knew He was the Son of God.
Cana was a small village with nominal believers, but Jerusalem lived many religious experts. They are known to be the town that dares to always kill prophets all the way to John the Baptist, using their own strong convictions. Was Jesus afraid of them? No, He performed miraculous signs, after 40 days of fasting, with no titles.
Before John the Baptist, the Maccabees struggled in battles ups and downs, but never truly triumph. Like Elijah who on Mt. Carmel revived the entire Israel nation, John also, revived the nation at Jordan river, people went out to him from Jerusalem and all Judea and the whole region of the Jordan (Matthew 3:5).
Tong claimed John the Baptist served 182 days, half a year.
Two degrees: That which God does Himself vs. that which God sent someone to do/speak. Original prophecy of God by God himself in Genesis: That the seed of the woman shall crush the seed of the serpent. All prophecies hang beneath this original one.
Jesus performs miracles as God, not as a mediator.
@29:20 Here Tong spoke of Jesus refusal to entrust himself to the people, their praises, their beliefs in His name, as comparison to our human desire for people's praises especially when we have no title, is contrary to Alex's accusation of Tong's heresy against the humanity of Jesus. Tong's understanding of dual nature of Christ is remarkable here. That's what amazes me.
One must know his own worth, against the waves of human supports.
Tong: You must discern why a person support you, do so clearly.
What is the true reason they believe Jesus here? Why do you believe?
John Stott: Religion is not seeking God, it is escaping from God.
on seeking miracles and signs: Augustine said "What they gain in their curiosity, will they lost in their pride"
@49:00 Tong: no one take photo with me along, better do group photo.
Psalm 139:23-24 Search me try my thoughts...God knows our heart, I want to know how God see us.
Many treat God's people, Christianity so cheaply today. They think they great inviting Tong to preach on TV for cheap rate. So many free Bible, but know you how great is the Bible papers? Thinnest and the print cannot go through.
Jesus will never because may not believe, therefore he would not perform miracles;
Also, he wouldn't because you believe him through his miracles, therefore he immediately receives you.
Because He has His own values.
We often fail when people of great statures come to us.
Tong shares of his experience with a high officer who came to his preaching without much respect, and he rebuked him. The next day, officers came to take Tong away for questionings.
Chapter 3
When touching on the verses John 3:15-21, I questioned if those were indeed those words Jesus spoke to Nicodemus. Pastor Christopher's response was like that of a fundamentalist's. That this sort of thing should only be discussed in seminaries, etc. I think Stephen also commented in support of the pastor's objection to the idea that John would not have just do such discontinuity like that, despite the fact that the pastor was willing to use such discontinuity of the evangelist in chapter 2 to proof his Jesus-only-cleansed-the-temple-one-time theory.
Here are some thorough investigations:
-The Bible Knowledge Commentary is aware of this.
-The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary is aware of this and argues against v16-21 not being said by Jesus: 1. no clear transition 2. Jesus wouldn't stop with Nicodemus half way like that.
-The Robertson's Word Pictures is aware of this and supported it, saing that 16-21 use past tenses and thus is reflection of John, unnatural for Jesus speaking. He further exampled: John 3:19, John 1:9-11. Came across someone who did similar research online. Wikipedia said he is a pro in Koine Greek.
Best answer for now-Vincent's Word Studies is aware of this and supported it.
The interview with Nicodemus closes with Joh 3:15; and the succeeding words are John's. This appears from the following facts: 1. The past tenses loved and gave, in Joh 3:16, better suit the later point of view from which John writes, after the atoning death of Christ was an accomplished historic fact, than the drift of the present discourse of Jesus before the full revelation of that work. 2. It is in John's manner to throw in explanatory comments of his own (Joh 1:16-18; Joh 12:37-41), and to do so abruptly. See Joh 1:15, Joh 1:16, and on and, Joh 1:16. 3. Joh 3:19 is in the same line of thought with Joh 1:9-11 in the Prologue; and the tone of that verse is historic, carrying the sense of past rejection, as loved darkness; were evil. 4. The phrase believe on the name is not used elsewhere by our Lord, but by John (Joh 1:12; Joh 2:23; 1Jo 5:13). 5. The phrase only-begotten son is not elsewhere used by Jesus of himself, but in every case by the Evangelist (Joh 1:14, Joh 1:18; 1Jo 4:9). 6. The phrase to do truth (Joh 3:21) occurs elsewhere only in 1Jo 1:6.
By D.A. Carson:
-Carson thinks they belong to John. Here is what he writes:
In two passages in this Gospel, both in this chapter (3:15–21 and 3:31–36), the words of a speaker (Jesus and John the Baptist respectively) are succeeded by the explanatory reflections of the Evangelist. Because the ancient texts did not use quotation marks or other orthographical equivalents, the exact point of transition is disputed. In the first incident, Nicholson (p. 89) thinks the dialogue ends at v. 10, with all of vv. 11–21 being the comment of the Evangelist. This is unlikely: the title ‘Son of Man’ is so characteristically reserved for Jesus’ lips as a form of self-identification that it is unthinkable that he ended before v. 15. The same problem attends the view of Beasley-Murray (p. 46), and others before him, that makes 3:12–21 structurally parallel to 3:31–36. Some argue that Jesus’ monologue extends to the end of v. 21. But vv. 16–21 read more plausibly as the Evangelist’s meditation. For instance, the expression ‘one and only’ (monogenēs) is a word used by the Evangelist (1:14, 18; cf. 1 Jn. 4:9), and is not elsewhere placed on the lips of Jesus or of anyone else in this Gospel. Nor does Jesus normally refer to God as ho theos (‘God’).15
D. A. Carson, The Gospel According to John, The Pillar New Testament Commentary (Leicester, England; Grand Rapids, MI: Inter-Varsity Press; W.B. Eerdmans, 1991), 203–204.
-Short Answer: Though it's difficult to say, the NIV is probably correct. It's the narrator, not Jesus, who is most likely speaking in John 3:16-21, or 13-21.
Here's why.
John appears to be establishing a chiasm between the first and second miracles at Cana. This third-person monologue (3:13-21) is paralleled with a similar monologue after the testimony of John the Baptist (3:31-36).
A - First Cana Miracle (2:1-12)
B - Temple Cleansing and events in Jerusalem (2:13-25)
C - Conversation with Jesus (3:1-12)
D - Third Person Monologue (3:13-21)
E - John the Baptist's Testimony (3:22-30)
D' - Third Person Monologue (3:31-36)
C' - Conversation with Jesus (4:1-19)
B' - Replaced Temples and events in Jerusalem (4:20-45)
A' - Second Cana Miracle (4:46-54)
Explanation of the Chiasm
A - A' First and Second Cana Miracles: More than simply linked by location and number, there's a common subject and sequence that ties these two stories together. (1) A mother implores Jesus, her son and a father implores Jesus concerning his son (2:3; 4:47). (2) Jesus rebuffs the request (2:4; 4:48). (3) Both mother and father continue to press (2:5;4:49). (3) Jesus commands action without evidence (2:8; 4:50). (4) The servants and the father obey the command (2:8; 4:50). (5) The miracle is revealed (2:9; 4:51). (6) The result is belief in Jesus (2:11; 4:53).
B - B' Events at the Temple in Jerusalem: In speaking to the authorities in John 2 Jesus refers not to the actual temple but rather His own body and to the woman Jesus declares all such earthly temples now superseded. Both conversations end with a brief summary of the crowds' response to Jesus' actions. The later also ends with a reminder of the formers events (4:45).
C - C' Conversations with Jesus: These are the only two sections in John where Jesus has a conversation with a single individual alone. Both conversations turn on the issue of water but antithetical parallels also abound: Time of Day (Night - Noon), Conversation starter (Nicodimus - Jesus), Gender (man - woman), Ethnicity (Jew - Samaritan), Identity (named - unnamed)... The list goes on.
D - D' The Third-Person Monologues: Both these monologues begin as narrative speeches in the first person and jump suddenly into the third person, making it difficult to tell weather or not the characters are still speaking or if the author has simply stepped in. In addition, these two discourses share a number of parallel phrases and related themes.
"No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven-the Son of Man. (3:13)." "The one who comes from above is above all (Jesus); the one who is from the earth belongs to the earth, and speaks as one from the earth (John the Baptist). The one who comes from heaven is above all (3:31-32)."
"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son. (3:16-18)." "Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on him." (3:36).
E John the Baptist's Testimony: Confined on either side by the third person monologues, John's testimony appears to represent this chiasm's pivot.
Chapter 3, by Stephen Tong
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
GCC Bible Study: John 5:1-21
Sabbath mentioned, I brought up reason for Japan attacking Pearl Harbor on a Sunday, not much reaction other than affirmation I received...so I'm guessing they still stick to the fundamentalist idea of the 4th commandment, obeying the Sabbath. They love their made up phrase: works of mercy (the only works allowed on a Sunday: farming, first responders, etc.) Though the pastor appeared to show understanding of some not able to do church worship on a Sunday and not having a big problem with it as long as some form of corporate worship is achieved.
E mentioned Seventh-Day Adventists' sabbath on Saturday, which did make me research further as not much information was given during the discussion. Their general idea is, according to their founder Ellen White, Saturday (7th day) is still the Sabbath and that the switch to Sunday was a human doing and not God's, perhaps by the Papacy. And eventually the world will be forced to worship on a Sunday, which is when those who do not follow will be counted God's children while the rest received the mark of the beast (Revelation 13:16–17) by the "Sunday Law". Basically, a legalistic approach, which I see very similar to the Fundamentalist's Sunday worship view as obeying the 4th commandment. I am with Pak Tong on this, that the 4th commandment does not apply to us because it is for the Jews and ON the 7th day (Saturday). And the traditional Sabbath is observed by Christians on Sunday because it is the day of our Lord's resurrection in the form of gracious blessing of the Lord and rejoicing in Him, not in the form of obeying the 4th commandment. It is relevant to the meaning of Sabbath in a minor way, but as for Sabbath, it is mainly about having peace of heart in Spirit in the Lord, not about obeying some commandment. For Sabbath is made for men, not the other way around.
Lastly, interestingly, C brought up the case in Lourdes, which Pak Tong also did in the same passage relating to the pool in Bethesda. Though I just realized that she was referring to the Lourdes Water, while Pak Tong added the blood-weeping statue of Mary in addition to the miraculous water. Seems like this Lourdes is a place of "wonder"...but nonetheless, a easy shift for men's heart to turn their dependence on God away, just like the pool of Bethesda, etc.
Following week: John 5:22-47
I got the chance to bring up Richard Niebuhr's note on the Jewish culture would have been destroyed had they let Jesus continue. I did not remember it was Niebuhr, except remembering that Pak Tong said it. So I looked it up again. Indeed, apparently in his book Christ and Culture, as Pak Tong mentioned, Niebuhr referred to Rabbi Joseph Krausner who defends the “repudiation of the Nazarene on the grounds that [Jesus] imperiled Jewish civilization.” Klausner’s complaint is that Jesus, thoroughly Jewish, endangered Jewish civilization by “abstracting religion and ethics from the rest of social life”. Jesus was a threat to Jewish culture. The pastor found this interesting. I did not get the chance to cite Niebuhr.
Tong's video: 35
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Thursday (GCC) Bible study: Pastor Chris mentioned that the some (i.e. NIV) indicated that the earliest and most reliable manuscripts and other ancient witnesses do not have John 7:53-8:11 is unlikely to be true because why would someone remove it? But the idea that this part being an addition seems to be overlooked. Sure, one could argue that no one would dare add to the Bible, but why not if under inspiration or having a better memory, before Rev. 22:18? Of course, in the end, it's not important to avoid the omission because it is not heretical and its acceptance is widely and long tested enough. This has been tackled before online.
Also, it was raised that KJV has in John 8:9 "...being convicted..." while most other versions do not.
I noticed that Augustine in his John 7:53 commentary indicated that he believed that the removal of the John 7:53-8:11 passage was to discourage their wives or women to commit adultery. I think that's funny. Calvin merely stated in John 8:3 that only the Greek Churches lack this passage but there's no reason to not apply it to our advantage as it is worthy and found in Latin Churches with old Greek manuscripts.
in Video series #61: Stephen Tong had interesting take in the conclusion of the adultery incident. First, he did not want to expound on what Jesus drew/wrote on the ground and even stated that he lost respect to a preacher at 14 who claimed that God told him that the words written on the ground were: "The Law condemns sinners while I come to save sinners", because "how would this preacher know that, very dangerous take on interpreting the Bible that way". While common view through tradition was that Jesus wrote their sins on the ground, if no declaring oblivion, my thoughts of what our Lord wrote were: Since his teaching was interrupted, he must have marked where he was interrupted on the ground; etc.
Tong also mentioned in the same video something brought up our Bible study, someone asked about why in verse 9, from eldest to youngest, was it because of experience. Tong's is similar, he implied that older folks likely to sin more, specifically in matters of adultery.
I wonder this: The reasons the younger ones went out last could only be two: That they learned slower than their elders; or that their foundation in the matter hangs only on the shoulder of their elders. If it is the latter, then it's likely this scheme is chiefly cooked up by the elders and the young follow as if students trying to support their masters at work.
As conclusion of that same video, Tong raised an important question: Socrates (likely Plato's Protagoras) mentioned two kinds of punishments (kolasis κόλασις G2851=to reform the criminal vs. timoria τιμωρία G5098=to satisfy the crime/retributive); while Jesus, as the only rightful judge of all, said to the adulterer, I (who is sinless) condemn you not either. It's a powerful take away.
Video 67: John 8:42-59
Augsburg Confession in Article XIX defeated (by Melancthon) the Roman Catholics' accusation against the reformation's notion of the sovereignty of God. John 8:44
Many mistaken: The source of sin is pride. But then what is the cause of pride? When given risky grace (beauty, health, etc.) we must return to God-self (source of all love, righteousness, etc.), if not, the desire for self is the cause of sin. Bible said, not pride, but desire/lust (ἐπιθυμίαe epithumia) is the beginning of sin: James 1:15
In anything:
God-centered: Righteousness
Self-centered: Sin
The Pharisees the more they study the Bible, the more they distance themselves from the Son.
Tong also mentioned the Christophany of Christ before Abraham during the visits of the 3 angels upon him.
The prayer at the end of video 67 is most apt:
We deeply ponder at the trials you suffered while you were on Earth, where they misunderstood you, disbelieved you, disobeyed your truth, conspired to kill you. Have mercy upon us, so that we look up to, rely on and obey you in our testimony on Earth as your witnesses before mankind. May the our words on Earth be submitted to the your mouth in heaven. Let us not hold onto our lives but sacrifice ourselves in your favor. For churches, for seminaries, for preachers, we pray...the revival of the church, for those hypocrites may the Lord forgive...humility in the students of seminaries so that they do not give to pride in their knowledge, not bounded by themselves, truly know Jesus Christ in person.
Chapter 9
Video: 68: John 9:1-12
Recap: Baptist John understood the Pre-existence of Christ very well: John 1:15,18. "He who comes after me, was before me"
v.1 Saw "a man"...not just saw a blind. Man is precious to God. How do we judge the imperfection, poor condition of others on first impression. Think about how their mothers think of their children's handicap when they were born. Handicap is not originally designed, God is perfect.
Problem (origin) of disaster/evil/calamity/misfortune, discussed here.
v.2: *@51:00 Tong explained how/why he started Q&A. 书到用时方恨少，only by doing Q&A, Tong realized how ill-equipped he was, despite theological knowledge. 找人难找因世太大；逃避人时却容易发现。20 years Tong investigated anthropology, in 1982, 赵天恩牧师 said: your Q&A style is Vantilian, Tong had no idea.
Francis Schaeffer: We must give honest answers to honest questioners.
Christ was such with the blind as well as his disciples' questions. Study how Christ did Q&A, see the work of Holy Spirit, see wisdom, even in Solomon's time.
Recall Job's truly kind friends, but...if someone keep advising you, it's likely he is not satisfy with you and use advise as a cover to "educate" you, at the end after failure in advising, he would shout loudly with a blessing to you. Proverbs 27:14. We have duality: don't want to criticize directly, but if not, hard to endure. Human relationship is hard.
We always have tendency to except faults in others, or else we are not satisfied. All of the sudden, they are concern with God's justice in verse 2.
Tong's talk with a dying rich student (opposite the greedy Charismatic pastor's way): Living and dying is natural, death is the wages of sin, are you saved? are you prepared?
The wife hated Tong at first and went to Pentecostal church after her husband's death, until she disliked that church and came back to Tong's because they said a widow's lost is due to her secret sins. Tong rebuked her that she's following her emotions. Worship God in Spirit and in Truth.
Tong known to be the pastor who "specializes" in sending people to heaven.
But many asked for Tong on their deathbed. Reformed Christians when in death, peaceful; opposite to the confident faith type Charismatics.
v3. Suffering does not necessarily come from your sin. Sometimes of sin, sometimes not of your sin.
Jesus' response: Neither - So do not feel satisfied at seeing others suffering.
Greatest response in human history on sin and suffering: So that the works of God might be displayed in him.
Can you see you shortcoming from others' failure?
Can you see the potential glory in the suffering of others?
Can you see God's active purpose in human relationships?
This spirit is the spirit that changes history;
This concept edifies human life;
This candor to face suffering, actively display God's glory.
Jesus: Do not add fuel to the fire. Correlation does not imply causation.
Not necessarily your sin. Could have God's good purpose. Do not look/be trapped in the past, look into the future. Pray for the fruit of the presence.
The problem with our suffering in life today is due to the fact that we do not accept the fact that it we are suffering.
存在主义的失败，就是发现存在 不存在 的意义。
为存在制造虚空，为虚空制造存在，变成变种的存在主义。把存在讲成虚空，把虚空讨论好像它存在，这叫存在主义。Being and Nothingness [Sartre] by Existentialists: Albert Camus, Jean-Paul Sartre, Martin Heidegger, Miguel de Unamuno, Karl Jaspers, Kierkegaard, Nietzsche. Their biggest problem: they do not accept the present existing reality with the word of God. They talk about the existence of nothingness: Where do I come from? How am I here as an undeniable existence of a chip of a block? 德国思想：存在与存在物必须分开。Dasein -> existence [Heidegger].
I know my existence exists; the table doesn't know of its existence.
挂虑 - not "worry" in Existentialism, but anxiety = totality of all worries. = 焦虑 = angst (German) = I exist now, but after death...angst, I worry that which I never experience - no one experienced death. Cannot explain by logic or anything known.
Some: Why think of that if still trying to figure out this existence. 悲观。
Jesus: This existence, yes. Already blind? Yes, any connection to sin? NO!
If you aren't pretty do you blame the ugliness of your mother?
Many whose eyes are bright shows their glory, God's glory is not shown. Look at the celebrities and models, walking, all their own glory, where is God's glory?
So how do the blinds show God's glory?
If God needs to heal all blind to show His power, your view of God's omnipotent is very ordinary. But God could make blind John Newton write great hymns (11 years after being blind), Beethoven's Violin Concerto 1806 (imitating knocking of sound when people knocked on his door for practicing too loud in his apartment) since deaf (1798). What have you done in your life? with your big eyes, big ears, what have you seen and heard? Not you to ask God, but the other way around. There's Helen Keller, Fanny Crosby, etc.
So if you see the blind and deaf, do not look down on them, but encourage them to be great.
Reflect on your own shortcoming, weakness, to thank God, not caused by my sin nor my parents, God allowed this me to glorify God.
Sing Fanny Crosby's At the Cross.
So from now on, when you see the blind, you see the person instead. When confronted with difficulties, "must be someone's sins", No! there is glory of God in it.
Video 69: John 9:1-12
We often use the easiest sign to identify others: That blind, that deaf, etc. (no names, no interest in where they come from) this reveals our sinfulness.
We often realize a man's wholeness in lacking. Lesson needed from experience sometimes.
Why some fail in evangelism? Because they always sympathize their subjects as sinners, looking down on them. Jesus saw the Samaritan woman as a true human, someone who could be witness of God. "Give me water to drink", equal status. Not judging by the cover. Treating both king and beggar with the same countenance. The higher the U.S. embassy wall raised, the further relationship between U.S. and other countries. The pride of America, is it the product of Christianity?
Why these Jews ask such questions? Because they cannot blame it on God. Either God is not all powerful or not all loving.
But since the beginning, the Bible has never used our concepts (i.e. either...or...)...neither...nor -> Kierkegaard started this study, those who master it, change the world.
v.3: When you face trouble, do not start to think who's to blame! Once they did not prepared Bible as instructed for Tong before his sermon, Tong calmly preached on, without blaming others, until after sermon he notified the staffs about it who were surprised by the absence of the Bible as well as the calmness of Tong.
A lot of God's work is seen when we face trouble (as long as it's not of our own making/sin).
Why Jesus used spit and mud? Tong doesn't know. Ask Jesus in Heaven. "see who ask first". There's a Muslim witch in Indonesia that heals people using spit, so Tong doesn't know what that's about. Leave it to God.
v.7 But the lesson here is first obey then talk/ask. Jordan river is first step in to the waters, then the split of the waters.
Same thing with Church missions - not ask finance first, etc.
1957, Jan 9 night, Tong submitted to God to be a preacher after tears. Accepting God's calling without tolerance. After 25 years of seminary teaching in Malang, moved to Jakarta, no salary for 2 years, using savings to feed 9 (7 family + 2 servants). History of his service briefly mentioned.
v.8 No longer a beggar. Some first plan to beg to become beggar. Tong shared how he helped one but backfired: "You think you helped me? Because of your new cloth I wouldn't get money for food"
v.9: I am that man - shows how courageous he was. Straight forward character. The following verses show how deeper he was than the Pharisees. Tong to WTS lecturers: "you are teaching the best minds in Indonesia." At least 4 of them agreed. Tong shared of some of WTS' president's comment and intent with him: including having special curriculum for Indonesian students in WTS for leadership.
My conclusion: The glory of chapter 9 is not just on the miracle healing, let the Charismatics talk about that, but the witness of the once blind man and the wisdom and theological thinking God endowed into him that's far more superior than the Pharisees.
Video 70: John 9:13-34
Martin Luther once said Reason is the Devil's greatest whore. [Martin Luther, Erlangen Edition v. 16, pp. 142-148] Not reliable, not faithful. The Devil's bride, Reason. [Martin Luther’s Last Sermon in Wittenberg … Second Sunday in Epiphany, 17 January 1546. Dr. Martin Luthers Werke: Kritische Gesamtausgabe. (Weimar: Herman Boehlaus Nachfolger, 1914), Band 51:126, Line 7ff]
Arthur Schopenhauer (same era of great minds of Germany til 1830, as Beethoven, Haydn, Hegel, favorite Buddhism, not Christianity. Post 1850, many anti-Christian thinkers: Nietzsche, Ludwig Feuerbach, Marx) in "The World as the phenomena of the will" 作为意表象的世界? ["The World as Will and Representation" or "The World as Will and Idea"]: All you see in the world is only on the surface, not the real thing.知人知面不知心；画虎画皮难画骨。Many fakes. Nietzsche found Schopenhauer's book from his storage and got influenced by it his entire life.
Hegelian Thesis-Antithesis-synthesis methology/model mentioned. Hegel thinks his philosophy is the best - Ultimately concluding to his highest synthesis. But 4 great philosophers went against him: Marx, Feuerbach, Nietzsche, Kierkegaard. Before his death. His era thus done. Hegel sola-rational, so Nietzsche anti-rational = ultimate will = to power!
孙中山 三民主义 doing very well in China, but Mao had to will to power or else he'll always be number 2. His "Superman" will become godlike, religion is no longer needed. Nietzsche is paving the way for this UberMensch (Superior man), like John the Baptist.
Tong mentioned Rich Warren's idea (fact checked: true, titled = 6 Convictions of the Church That Change the World) on having one single church if Jesus hasn't come for 1000 years. 华福神学failed at seeing through this problem. Maybe this was where Rev. Lin couldn't take it? I don't know, because if anything it's likely she heard it from someone, I doubt she would listen to anything so detail from Tong herself. Now Rick admitted he regret against LGBT. [I couldn't find this online, but the best I found was his interview with Chelsea Clinton in 2012, very bad, he just kept avoiding her question on gay marriage, making her looked so much smarter than her mother, and don't get me started on him blaming Jews for Jesus for calling themselves Jews].
Back to Schopenhauer: What your will decided is your direction/goal. What then is reason? Reason is the slave to the will that has set the goal. Reason has no position. He has a good point here.
v.13: Why brought him to the Pharisees? Jewish custom: boys 5-12 are forced to study the law in the synagogue. At 12, become Bar-Mitzvah. Therefore, the Jews hold strong to their authority in deciding these matters, rather than handing it to the Romans.
The blind in this chapter is better and more grateful than the lame in chapter 5.
Just like Schopenhauer's thought, learn from experience, because Jesus' act in Sabbath causing such chaos, many may not like Sabbath anymore.
Tong: If my friends hold 利害关系 (not honest, use all sorts of schemes to make ppl like them) more than right and wrong, I break away from them.
Jesus was treated as their enemy: How to deal with accusations from others: from you are crazy, possessed, illegitimate, 婊子生的 (Born of whore), etc. But again, Jesus in Chp. 9, did good work on Sabbath again, why? Because if not wrong, do not change it. Do not apologize. So we do well to do what is right despite not socially accepted, not for ourselves, but for God and others.
Nonetheless, Tong taught his children, Beware of those who do not apologize (离开从来不认错的，从来不肯离开罪恶), do not be their friends, for they do not repent; Beware of those (一天到晚认错-小人-要小心他们跟你做朋友）who love to apologize, for they love to be your friends.
Difference between Germany & Japan: German repented; Japan never admit fault in Nanking massacre.
[Although, it appears that Japan did apologize in 2013 by Former Japanese Prime Minister Hatoyama Yukio]
Tong shared when he was 28, had a dispute with his church: elder: Tong, you use only spiritual things, you are young, I forgive you in this matter. Tong: You don't have to forgive me in things I am right. If there's wrong, thank you for forgiving me. I know I am not wrong in what I said.
When they brought the blind for questioning, did they want to truly examine and learn from it? No. They have predetermined their verdict (John 11:53 ...商议要杀耶稣), and their questioning and reasoning are slaves to it, per Schopenhauer and Nietzsche's philosophy.
By using you erroneous and narrow mind to understand the Bible, the more you study, the further you distant yourself from God.
v.15: they asked how he had received his sight. That means they admitted and believed that he was blind and now he sees, which is by hearsay, like the Charismatics: Praise God, I am healed of cancer miraculously!!! Really? maybe the doctor had a hand in it.
Tong, look at how many members Charismatics have!
Tong: Just like as many as those who bought lottery. Many joined Charismatics, they are like those lottery players.
They asked because also they are curious. Also they couldn't stand that the healer was Jesus.
v.16: This man is not from God....the blind never said he was. Their verdict: He broke the Sabbath, therefore he is not from God. But Moses never give them this idea. They proved Schopenhauer. Same thing as someone who wears a cross necklace, doesn't mean he is no robber.
another (Pharisees) asked: How can a man who is a sinner perform such signs? This is the wisdom of Nicodemus. John 3:2.
V.17: He is a prophet - because many prophets done miracles in the OT. Moses, Elijah, Elisha, etc. So he must have concluded from his sunday schools.
v.20: The parents are representing most of us. "Just say don't know to stay out of trouble". "Play safe". little clever.
鲁迅：谈聪明人、傻子和"乞丐?"[奴才]
Jesus said, let your Yes, yes, No, no.
这种聪明人在教会里很可怕，because they are just good at praising, talking, they don't do anything.
v.22: Reasons to be put out of the synagogue:
1. Heresy
2. Do not believe God
3. Humiliate God
Don't know when this ritual started but it was still going on in the 17th Century. On whom? Baruch Spinoza. One of the 3 greatest rational thinkers (FR: Rene Descartes, GR: Leibniz) of 17th-18th century. Spinoza's god = the union of cosmos, nature. 12 reps from each tribe in Amsterdam synagogue gave Spinoza 12 chances to recant of his pantheism. 12 candles one by one blew out, completely shun from the Jews. Spinoza actually very kind person, no greed, work by rubbing glasses for living. Seriously abandoned by his own, very tough living. Everyone turned away from him, some even spit on him.
v.24: Kick out Jesus, welcome God. Who does that? the French Revolution. God and Jesus are not the same. The giants of French Revolutions: D’Alembert, "La Metrine?" [l'Abbé Maury/Jean-Sifrein Maury?], Diderot, Condorcet, Voltaire "chase away all of the Jesus cult, but we want God" => deism (自然神论: 有神，有神的创造，但没有耶稣的救赎，人是没有神性质的). 100 years later, Tübingen School in Germany turn it around: We don't want God, we want Jesus, a true historical moral man, not the divine, no lordship. 20th Century: Jesus is not eternal, Jesus is historical, separate that from the Jesus of the church, a religious make-up. The confusion of Christ's dual nature starts from this verse.
v.25: He is the lord of my grace. Great witness of the blind.
v.26: change topic.
v.27: rebuke - you don't listen, you want to be his disciple?
v.29: If you don't know where he comes from, why angry?
耶稣就是道，你不知道。把不知道的道当作不必知道，然后用你的不知道来拒绝道，这真的是胡说八道。
Tong shared and contrast those theologians who came to his house do not know Chinese culture based on their nonchalant attitude towards his arts display, except for one who knew.
[Reminds me of my fault once, when I knew not Prague, and someone mentioned it, and I despised it, lesson learned]
Just like Bach, Handel's works, no one appreciate them in their time. 245+ years later, no one write pipe organ pieces better than them.
This blind man different attitude than his parents.
v.30: The whole Bible, other than Jesus, John the Baptist, this guy dares to rebuke the Pharisees.
v.32: From the creation...he is a deep thinker. Must have asked his father: Has born-blind ever been healed? And his question may have been disappointed by others/rabbis.
Tong shared a 7 yr tomboy and him talked about her wanting to be a boy (big hope, asked Tong to pray the impossible for her). Tong worked with her parents, when she dressed skirts, praise her beauty, etc. 8 years later, she prefers to be lady. So this will and hope must have been in the blind man. Done his research.
v.31: Unlike the Bible study by Pastor Chris on Thursday, Tong did not find this verse wrong. Neither did I at the time. Not unless you took it too literally...that God does not hear sinners is not referring to us sinners, nor was it about the blind guy having no experience grace. The pastor knew enough that this was picked from Psalms, Psalm 66:18 to be exact (If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened") though I'm not sure how much he looked it up, so unfortunately, it seemed that his mind was already made up that there should be a flaw found in this blind man, so his reasoned so, and that the psalms were twisted - but was it? No. I guess Schopenhauer is right yet again.
Tong compared this to the Roman Catholics, in these 1500 years, their theology going down hill, but someone who's not a theologian/nor seminary graduate, John Calvin, wrote the greatest theological book: Institutes.
Tong said that Tim Keller and John Piper? [maybe John MacArthur] who dared to criticize the Charismatics strongly, were on Time Magazine as the 10 most influential idea (though this fact is hard to check, many links broken, etc.): ranked 3rd, as being New Calvinism.
v.34: Frank from our Bible study wondered well, that how did these Pharisees view their own sinful birth.
They then kicked him out -> Anathema - put out synagogue?
今天很多为真理，被羞辱，被逼迫，被杀害，被赶走的人。这些人是谁呢？世界不配有的人。
Video 71: John 9:32-41
This blind man's case is better than the lame in chapter 5. He even debated with Pharisees.
Letter kills...(2 Corinthians 3:6)
Pauline religion: liberating faith
Pharisee religion: closed faith
Pharisees obeyed the Sabbath without understanding its meaning, its mystery. Why God said Keep the Sabbath, and then also said I hate your Sabbath[Isa 1:13].
They entangled themselves in words and semantics and became God's enemies.
God said to Peter: What I consecrated, do not call it as unclean.
Peter didn't eat was right as it was the law, but God's power changed the unclean to be clean, Peter did not get. God did not change Himself, but He can change all things.
Neither Peter Nor God was wrong.
3 great sins they accused Jesus: 1. Doing good work on Sabbath, 2. Equate with God, 3. Calling God his Father.
Tong's mom asked 3 times: Aren't you worry for preaching so uniquely bold?
So, why after chapter 5's Sabbath risk, Jesus did it again in chapter 9? If no wrong, do not repent.
Why church cannot revive today? Too many false wisdom, play safe, no one willing to die for Christ, for their own selves, own peace, own marketing.
Bind to recovery is it the Witness of God's work? It is not seeing the completed work of God (不是从完美的现成的现象看), but to the realization of the potential hidden potential power (用隐藏的潜在能的对线看). Not to just turn blind into sight, but to begin in infants, that those who think themselves wise became fool. John Milton became totally 1652, wrote greatest literature Paradise Lost in 1667, and many more examples. What can we complain? What have we done?
v.31-32 The blind since birth, he never seen anything, but he understood those verses. Many have one great thing on the surface, but actually the opposite inside: Imagine a camera that takes the photo of your spirit, we would be embarrassed at the ugliness of it.
Didactic speech of the blind. He is twice (neither/nor) better than Nicodemus (either/or). Kierkegaard realized this 3,400 years later after Joshua's Neither/Nor incident.
Pharisees: Give Glory to God, not Him (Either God or Jesus, not the same)
Blind man: How about through Him glorify God. (Neither just God nor Just Jesus, but Jesus is FROM God)
1. Nicodemus (John 3:2...Unless God is WITH him) vs. blind man (John 9:33...if not FROM God, he could do nothing)
2. Nicodemus had to observe Jesus' work vs. Blind man couldn't see those.
Tong spoke of accreditation of seminary, that he/his seminaries never had accreditation, and when the time came for accreditation, the agency even claimed that his school's standards exceeded expectation.
Tong recalled Westminster gave him honorary degree, which he tater until they disbanded Peter Enns, and he told them so when he accepted. He rejected the other two degrees in the 80s.
v.34: If you didn't born in utter sins, how would you be blind. Because your parents were polite with us, except you, so must be you who are the sinner.
Happily left because he could see.
v.35: Jesus didn't go look for him. No need to quickly do follow up. Tong himself, nobody follow up with him when he believed.
Everyone wants Tong to live, so they can listen to his; rebuke: You should pick yourself up to do it yourself. Don't be selfish.
v.36: Psalm 2 already mentioned the Son of God - so this blind man should know as he did.
v.38: If Jesus accept worship, He's either God or false god/Satan. All other good agents of God refused worship (i.e. before Daniel, Paul & Barnabas, etc.)
Many times Jesus received worship: This blind man the first (Peter identified Christ but didn't worship), After calming the storm, Thomas worshipped, etc.
v.39: The only time in the bible: For judgment I came...another similar statement: Do not think I come for peace...Matthew 10:34 These two verses most pastors dare to preach on.
Tong shocked when first read Acts, Paul to Agrippa & Festus, spoke of Justice, temperance, the judgment to come. Because they are the worst in all these. Paul left "wisdom" out of this list of Greek virtues, for there's no need to talk about it.
叫不能看见的，可以看见；能看见的，反瞎了眼。Unique judgment.
v.41: All paradoxical. You think you know it all, so you are in sin. Dead in sin, without rebirth.
Would they discuss this? Repent? Nope. Getting worse as chapters progress. In chapter 10, Lazarus' resurrection, the greater the work of Jesus, the more they hated him.
Chapter 10
Video 72: John 10:1-10
Chapter 10: Answer to Chapter 9 - Are we blind?
独具慧眼 = India's Atman. Special sight. John 3:3 You shall "see" the Kingdom of God. 知识分子 = those who could see better than anyone else. First to respond emotionally than others. Either positive or negative. Those those who study in universities.
知识分子 vs. 先知: One from general revelation, the other includes special revelation. The latter understood God's heart.
No one else in NT except Paul said that he is Christ's slave.
Many educated envied others' talent, but do not show. Some envied and steal their credits.
1. Envied and not show - no response.
2. Envied and steal credit.
3. Envied and self learn. Not bad.
4. Envied and asked to learn. Good. Like Nicodemus.
5. Envied but publicly announce that that is nothing, useless. The lowest kind.
John 3:3-5 Jesus didn't rebuke Nicodemus a second time, but revealing the stages from SEEING to ENTERING the kingdom of God.
As the Pharisees' ears deafen and hearts harden, Chapter 10 shows who are the sheep of God.
Video 73: John 10:1-10
From OT to NT, Shepherd and sheep => God and men.
In NT, Jesus & Church:
1. Husband and Wife: Just like how Adam's rib was taken, thus like Eve, this is how the church comes.
2. Head and Body: Jesus is the leader
3. House and foundation
4. Sheep and shepherd
5. Tree and branches: when connected we are alive. And fruits do not produce on the trunk but on the branches.
In chapter 10:
Jesus is:
1. Shepherd
2. gate
3. His voice is recognized by His sheep
4. He is the Lord that leads men out
5. He is the one who leads by walking in front
We ought to:
1. have the heart to suffer; but not the feeling of suffering
2. have the heart to sacrifice; but not the feeling of sacrifice
3. have the love to help others; but not feeling we are good at helping others.
Or else, the cross is too heavy.
On Election - Two bad example of preaching/teaching: 1. very emotional but not rational; 2. very rational but no emotion.
Some rich guy bought an island to live there alone and have pastor delivered in to be his Sunday preacher. (bad example).
Some church in America asked a HK hired pastor to follow their ways, the pastor replied: Bible said only sheep follow the shepherd, not the other way around, and he left.
v.1: The false preachers always love to steal fat sheep - wealthy.
If Christ is the glory and head, don't care the rich, they can leave, but they usually don't leave in Tong's case.
Tong mentioned 2 Taiwanese preachers he respected got kicked out in Taiwan church because of their opposition to use Charismatics way: 方大林？ & 饶孝楫. What for? For the sheep, you cannot have them, they are mine!
Thief vs. Robber:
Thieves smarter but weaker and less bold than robbers.
Gate:
Those who are not orthodox in christology in preaching to bring sinners return to God through Christ in faith, are not proper preachers. Ungodly.
Examples: Christ is just a good example.
Ferdinand Christian Baur, founder of Tübingen School. 1850: Within 50 years, stopped talking about Jesus' divinity, Jesus' deliverance, Jesus' mediator in His dual natures, His blood on the cross, Salvation that defeated death.
What they talked about: Jesus' ethics, love, example, works, to change the world.
Those came after Baur:
Well Housen?
Adolf von Harnack
Wilhelm Herrmann
...and many more...
Harnack in 1899-1900 in Berlin, gave workshop: "What is Christianity?":
1. God is the revival of all mankind
2. All races, religions, men, are God's children
3. Human unlimited potential in continuous evolution.
Are the above correct? Wrong. Why?
1. Because they do not enter through the Gate. Any mention of Jesus? His death? His salvation?
2. No scriptural base. Bible says: those who believe His name, shall be given by him the authority to become sons and daughters.
After that, 14 years later, First World War in Germany - prime minister: Otto Von Bismarck. King: Kaiser Wilheim. Such golden age that they need to rule the world.
Karl Barth looked down on his teachers: Herrmann & Harnack, who signed to promote the war. Wrote against all these in his Expository in book of Romans.
In around 1970, German churches diminished in numbers.
In 1900s, Charismatics began with the fundamentalists view, back to the Apostles' faith, but no more than miracles and signs.
Jesus is Lord > Jesus has good moral
Jesus will tell them: Leave me!
Many fields of studies (medical doctors, lawyers, etc.) take many years; The charismatics preachers did as little as a few months, then sounding everywhere. Is this respecting or despising God?
So these are two cults: One called "Lord, Lord", the other do not want to call Jesus as Lord.
Tong noticed none of these liberal books has "Lord" in them for Jesus.
Paul said: If not by the Spirit, no one can call Jesus as Lord.
Those who call "Lord, Lord" and succeeded in miracles, Jesus still rejects.
What if what these extremists did were good works? Many just follow these false preachers, and do not study themselves.
Which is the master key of the Bible? Soteriology in Pauline Christology.
When Jesus told Peter he is to be crucified, Peter told him this will not happen (Matthew 16:22) - See Peter's Christology before, despite him calling Jesus the Christ.
True Christ = Died and resurrected.
Billy Graham's later years => problematic Christology = all are saved. Men can change. Follow Christ, not men.
The gate is narrow, road is narrow. Those who find it, are few. Matthew 7:14
Someone admired Tong: You are just like old time General - Front line. Modern generals, sit behind the controls sending commands.
v.9: 出入得草吃. Why believers keep surveying churches? No green pastures. Hunger.
Many churches worry the service wastes time of attendees, Tong: No matter how long or how short, if it be true sermon, truly needed, truly displaying God's will, they will come even if it's long.
v.10: Conclusion of Jesus: 盗贼来，无非要 1. 偷窃，2. 杀害 (living property - i.e. kills the rest to prevent future disturbance)，3. 毁坏 (because fail to steal, so rather destroy: orthodox doctrine, believers, truth, Biblical studies, etc.)
Tong criticized on Benny Hinn's wealth.
Tong shared a Charismatic pastor repented to him for not taking Tong's criticism against Charismatics well before, and Tong told him to pray to recover his flocks back to true path, despite his despair.
赵世光 would be sorrowful to see his 灵粮堂 now following Charismatics way.
计志文 would be sorrowful to see his 圣道堂 now following Charismatics way.
倪柝声 had 1700+ branches before his death, but because of his weak theology, his followers became heretical. 李常受 announced Jesus is created in 1968-69, their HK church in chaos, causing police to enter. 陈则信 vs 魏光禧。 陈则信 listened to Tong's sermon and wished to discuss with Tong but Tong had to fly unfortunately.
Giants of China:
王明道 - only in Beijing, did not do ministries outside of it.
倪柝声 - most branches record, but ended in chaos.
宋尚節 - only focus on evangelism, not building churches.
赵世光 & 计志文 - love using theaters for Sunday evangelism in Shanghai, and then in HK after 1949. 赵世光 once 150 days evangelism consecutively, broke Chinese record, then printed 圣经宝藏, but lots of theological errors due to rush.
40 years later after these greatly blessed ones, Chinese church has no more great revival, no strong theological background, no more great evangelists.
Tong sadly declared that he is the only Chinese doing Chinese evangelism ministry in the whole world.
What's our future.
Come back, through one gate, which is Christ who saves, died and resurrected. Die with Christ, live with Christ, and will glory with Him, be kings with Him.
v.10: Is our sermons making the sheep's spiritual life more abundant?
Tong is 70 at this time. Who could travel and preach like this at this age.
Great Prayer Summary: Only through You I come back to the house of the Father, You with your precious blood and death defeated Satan who had power over death, that I may have 又新又活的路 (a new and living way) (Heb 10:20), to enter the Father's house, I give thanks to you, your way is eternal, unchanging, You gave me life, help me be shine by your Spirit, renew me, guide me, bless my future path more than what I have received in the past, abundantly enjoying your Kingdom.
Video 74: John 10:11-18
Academic study is the slave of their conviction
Remnant: Only in Isaiah.
Because of Philip and the Eunuch, it's likely that Ethiopia's Christianity began with that Eunuch.
The veil in the Holy of Holies is the door, Christ.
All 3 temples, only the last one, Herod's, not built by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Although Herod's the greatest looking architecturally. The last Veil needs at least 300 people to carry up. So when it split, no possible done by a person.
Liberals and the extreme Charismatics are the thieves and robbers. The master key of discernment: Pauline Christology.
Liberals: No Lordship of Jesus in their books.
Charismatics: also no Lordship, except just calling "Lord Jesus" to get healed.
If your study of the Law does not see the death of Christ, you are distancing from God. You are thieves and robbers of the sheep.
No man can say that Jesus is the Lord, except by the Holy Ghost: 1 Corinthians 12:3
Not the same as "those who call Lord are moved by the Holy Ghost".
They call "Lord Lord" to get God to do things for them. Bypassing the suffering servant of God.
Paul: I know nothing but Jesus Christ and him crucified. (1Co 2:2)
Reflect on Romans 3:21-22
It is a battle to follow the narrow path, which is Christ. Reject those who would pay $ for all, blank checks, etc. The church only God is Lord, no one become boss.
No one come to help, contribute; We come to learn, serve, deny ourselves, sacrifice, please our Lord Jesus Christ.
教会是有雄心的人建起来；常常给野心的人偷过去。
Video 75: John 10:11-18
Door: creates in and out, and an open tunnel in between. It's a passage way. Distinguishing outside and inside. When door is closed, there is no more passage: protection, security, etc.
Reflect on "I am that I am".
Edith Schaeffer said: all the beauty we see in the world, natural, artificial, are all left-over beauty. The real beauty yet to come.
2 Corinthians 4:17, ESV: For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison
So, trouble not.
Like when the Sun comes out, the candle light is no longer needed.
When someone understood the hope of eternity, he would not block the glory of God and make the worldly glory as absolute in this world.
When God told Moses: I am that I am, has sent you...If Moses understood, he would not need to fear.
This is the reason for our hope, for our bravery.
The elderly always talk of the past, not of the future; The young always talk of the future, not of the past.
Problem with elderly, always talk about their own story, nobody cares, unless it's from a world renown one.
God has no such nature, I am that I am has no process.
Jesus: Joh 8:12 我是世界的光,
Joh 6:51 我是从天上降下来生命的粮
Joh 6:63 我对你们所说的话就是灵，就是生命。
Joh 10:7 我就是羊的门
Joh 10:9 我就是门
Joh 10:11 我是好牧人
This door is the right Christology. Those who do not accept this, do not enter through the door. The Soteriology in Pauline Christology. To enter the Holy Place of God.
The Liberals: Want only Jesus' moral; Their righteousness is the government finally learning what is righteousness; True righteousness can only be accomplished on the Cross.
The Charismatics: Want only God's miracles, but not the suffering cross.
Tong asked once when he was around 29, in Geneva, a special meeting which was heavily involved by the Post-Modernists, why the logo has no cross? The new age movement growing.
v.11: Good shepherd = lots of knowledge? nay.
Tong mentioned a liberal theologian (forgot the name, rewatch video) changed "the tree of knowledge of good and evil" to just the tree of knowledge. In possibly this video, or the one before.
v.12: Pastor vs. hireling. Those who love/care and those who do not. Today's churches have too many hireling, very few pastors.
Ezekiel 34: No one look after my sheep.
v.15: You don't care by just giving money to your family: 家庭责任因该加上爱情，甘心，体贴。
David was a great shepherd, even his soldiers love him. Carrying water from his home through enemy camps just because he longed for it (2Sam 23:15)
Undeniable proof of love between the upper & lower ranks.
王明道: 有困难时，你要走前头；有利益时，你要站在后头。
Tong shared a poor pastor in his church who financially helped a couple in the church to get marry when their parents did not support.
Video 76: John 10:11-21
属灵的言语 vs. 属世的知识。The babes understood. Wise become fool. Making wise the simple. Amsterdam's Free University, from most important Christian school to very liberal after 80 years. Simon J. Kistemaker Told Tong, Europe is done. Harvard started by great Christians/preachers, then after falling, the faithful came out to form Yale University, which also corrupted in 200 years. So, academic study is slave to convictions. Religious knowledge vs. Religious faith cannot easily be balanced.
The same thing with Pharisees!!! Who study study....
God just needs to allow them to harden their heart, despising God, to keep them away. 这人上了圈套了 （神的主权许可硬心的人灭亡的圈套). When the Lord came, the blind understood him, the scribes did not. Herod, high priests (Caiaphas, Ananias) in hell.
All churches failure begin from the pulpit. Message is not knowledge. Library gives you knowledge, a newspaper gives you message (信息). We studied a lot, but we do not know what God wants us to do. Matthew 16:3, Luke 12:56. 不但理性，也要悟性. 悟性祷告 (1co 14:14)
v.16: Not just about gentiles. But most importantly, the heart of mission (evangelism) 宣教的心志. World Vision. We just look at what's within the walls of our church. We leave the church not feeling connected to the world. Where are these outsiders? In temples, in communism countries, in Muslim countries, etc.
Cornelius was Greek, centurion in Roman military, must be very trustworthy. Bible said he is a devout man 虔诚人. Focus on 虔诚人 title in the NT, it's a special term - for the Greeks who abandoned their gods and submitted to the real (Jewish) God. Socrates came close - believed monotheism. Note: Hegel supported Socrates' death, must be because Hegel supported government more. Tong believed that Acts 10:3-4 Angel was Jesus, because Cornelius worshipped?! (no such record, but closest was he called the angel, lord κύριος, and that he fell to his feet before Peter Acts 10:25 and peter corrected him). I think it's not likely to be Jesus, because I don't see a record where Jesus made His elects go around a circle just to know him. He directly confronted Paul, but Cornelius as a mystery man in his vision? Although I could be wrong. But Tong's backing here that it's Jesus is based on the fact that Cornelius worshipped the angel which he didn't.
We should not be just satisfied with the numbers in our church.
Many churches do not allow their preachers preaching in other churches, we must love our church, but we must have a view of His kingdom in the world.
A church is full because of its 4 walls. Not just hard work at evangelism, God's blessing, etc. How to make a church full? build narrower walls.
v.16: Refers to those outside the 4 walls of the church.
Once 360 cars came to welcome Tong in Minado airport. Shook his car, waited for his autograph til 2am, which he refused to submit. In HK, Tong took bus.
Once Muslim terrorists in Indonesia got punished by God for attacking churches, repented by looking for the church's forgiveness, pastor said: pray to Jesus for forgiveness. How Muslim pray to Jesus? Some did.
"In the name of the people, I forbid...", response: "In the name of the creator God of all people, I tell you..."
Not by using knowledge...but by learning to boldly face strong enemies to march forward by leaning on God.
Who dared brought Paul into the first church the first time? Barnabas!
Video 77: John 10:17-21
By "I AM" alone, Christianity is obviously surpassing all other religions on Earth. Only God has the right to claim this. No prophets nor apostles claim this.
Jesus used this multiple times:
I am - the gate, good shepherd, the way, the truth, the life, the resurrection, the light, the light of the world. I am who I am, spoken by Jesus in John.
But did they know Jesus' "I AM" is from the perspective of God's I AM? They will just keep waiting, in spite of Jesus being in front of them.
From 2k years ago until now, the Jews do realize Jesus as Christ, not only do they admire Jesus speaking as if like God, they accuse him blasphemy.
In Minado, a Muslim asked Tong: Why do you worship a man? Just because of his miracles?
Tong replied using inversive religious method: Why do you keep treating God as man? You have already admitted that he has performed divine miracles, do you still treat him as man? Why is your heart so slow? Do you not see God has performed in Christ the work of God? You say Mohammed never performed miracles, to confirm that he is man, but Christ came as God to be man, and perform divine works as man. How can you treat God as man? (because you asked how can you treat man as God).
Cornelius Van Til: There is no common ground, between believers and nonbelievers. Cannot communicate, despite using same terms, but different meaning. So each to his own way.
Serve with fear, pray Holy Spirit shine in his heart, for common ground to happen from above, by the Holy Spirit.
Some told Tong: I need Jesus to heal my son, but I am still Muslim.
Tong repeated many times: My sheep hears my voice.
v.17: This kind of love: Do you want Father to love you? Do you submit to the Lord's dispatch? Those who claim calling by God, are you willing to sacrifice yourself? A leader should not keep complaining, bargaining for your own profit.
David's love for his soldiers, who also loved him enough to bring water to him. Jesus in Gethsemane told the soldiers to let the rest go. John 18:8.
We can learn from Verse 17. Don't be those who are not willing to lift a finger to move them. Matthew 23:4.
The Ethics of Christianity is:
- the ethics of motive
- (vserse 17,18) the ethics of proactive 主动伦理 (active, not passive, not because of want to go to heaven and Jesus' just a tool) Even if I do not go to heaven, I am still following Him, He is that great. Jesus hinted this, though never label it. Your proactiveness is due to yourself or God? Not forced. After touched by God's love, you turn from passive to proactive. It's the principle of turning the other cheek. Reflect and discern passive vs. active. If passive turn to active, then it is successful. We fail today because we do not completely submit.
- the ethics of self-sacrificing
- the ethics of only pleasing God
v.18: Power/Authority: 基督徒最重大的权柄就是放下权柄的权柄。- Have We No Right - Mabel Williamson (a required reading for China Inland Mission). Tong studied under her for 3 years. Tong shared his treat of her in Indonesia. The Greatest right a Christian can have is the right to give his own right.
Many do not understand this secret of the spirit. Argue, fight, making claims for self, for family first, etc.
Jesus is the best example in this: born in manger, etc.
Ultimately, all authority in God's hand: Jesus' response to Pilate.
How do we know Jesus' crucifixion was his proactiveness? The 7 sentences he said on the cross. Especially the last one. Unto thee I command my spirit.
Jesus does not need to go to the cross - So no thanks to Judas, who else could Judas betray had Jesus not come? Judas could only betray himself. It is exactly because of this kind of sin in us, that Jesus came.
Video 78: John 10:16-33
Two great works of God: Creation, Salvation
Third one: Revelation.
The Jews knew that every time Jesus said "I am..." is that He was imitating God.
Schleiermacher's (40 years after Paul Tillich in America): Absolute dependence - is religion = Tillich's "Ultimate Concern" = religion. Everyone can relax in any debate, but when it touches their "religion" they would not yield easily.
Nicodemus' conclusion: God is with you (still not enough, Jesus reacted accordingly - rebirth doctrine) (vs.) Pharisees' conclusion: You are sinner vs. the Blind's conclusion: You are from God
My note on Compatibilism: Was it Jesus' or the Jews' proactiveness to have Christ crucified?
Why Jesus came to die? To show that He is the victor over death.
v.24-25: Many blame God did not make them believe. Actually God already put the basic belief in them, but they suppressed it. Romans 1:19-20
Jesus' answer: I told you already.
Side note: The Butchart Gardens, one of greatest garden in the world, per Tong.
Observe the wonder of birds, of salmon, etc.
v.28-29: The doctrine of once saved, forever saved
We are save in Jesus' hand.
v.29: The Father's hand vs. Jesus' hand = double assurance, eternally secured, eternal unity, eternal protection => v.30: Conclusion: unison of Son and Father. Unless, you are not His sheep.
How do I know I am His? If you hear Him, obey, follow, securing His words in your heart, man live not by bread alone.
Reflect with Fanny Crosby's Safe in the Arms of Jesus
Video 79: John 10:28-42
Eden's two trees => 生死之道 （顺从范围） & 善恶之道 （知识范围）
顺从是信心的果子。以信求知。
The Western thoughts often explain: God does not want men to have knowledge. Nietzsche said so. Why then, we are rational beings?
Same reason, why we don't want kids to know boy girl relationship but still expect they grow to know. There's timing for everything.
If Adam ate the tree of life after also, then he would be condemned forever for he cannot die.
What does Satan want? That we do not decide from God's authority.
Election is not enough - Work of Christ & Ordo Salutis mentioned.
v.28: See John 17:1-2
v.29: Look at Psalms 2, last half.
The Catholics said baptism equals to saved. No such thing. They based on Titus 1? [Titus 3:5]
Unconditional faith (not by money, not by power, etc. Like Simon Magus the magician who left Philip to follow Peter), Tong's most admired example: the thief on the cross.
One time - 宋尚节的奋兴会，important fruit = many preachers listened to him and admitted that they were not reborn before.
v.30: same as John 5:17-18
v.33: Does God not know if someone offends God? Should the Jews worry and act as God's hand? God will punish them Himself, as shown in history:
Pharaoh, Nebuchadnezzar, Herod, world leaders today should know better.
But Jesus kept doing these "blasphemous" works, God did nothing to Him.
I think Tong once said: Superman is the cult 异端 of Nietzsche's Ubermensch.
Many like to pick and choose: We like your good works, we like some of your sermons/messages, New age/Liberal - We like your works, we don't accept you as Lord, 150 years later, nobody goes to their churches. Now the charismatics took over, new big crowd, full of emotions, experience, feelings, but no truth of God within. This verse already predicted that.
v.34: You are gods = Not the real God, but having the image and likeness of God, taken from Psa 82:6-7 Note verse 7: Like one of the princes (of the world 像王子中的一位), not sons from above, which would be referred to as angels.
Has Jesus ever said he is the Son of God? Not directly. John 3:16 not His direct words out of his mouth. So the Modernists love claim Jesus never claimed to be the son of God.
Where then? He kept saying "My Father" very often. More clarity is here in this verse: John 10:36, referring to himself in 3rd person (like in John 3:16 which was John's conclusion).
v.35: These being called gods - are faithful believers. [Mormons would love to twist this verse]
[It's interesting most preachers do not interpret this rightly. Because they've always put this "gods" in a negative meaning only. It was treated this way in GCC Bible study, and the FB post below as well. Calvin and Tong though slightly different, had this right. Calvin (Exo 22:9 - many English translated elohim here as judges, John 10:34-35 commentary): Gods = Kings and judges, which are special offices created by God, Tong: Gods = faithful believers with God's likeness and image. I would also piggy back from Calvin, that Jesus is showing gods from the lesser to the greater. The treatment is not they don't adhere to monotheism the way some such as the FB commentator puts it, but Jesus was showing monotheism in the context of the creature created in His image and likeness]
[My comment would go something like this: False preachers (mentioned above) aside. "Gods" in Psa 82, John 10, Exo 22, is not used in a derogatory way by either Christ or Scripture. Christ was correcting their understanding of monotheism which they accuse Christ of abandoning.]
v.37: Principle: 要相信那些行得出他所讲的道的人，要顺从要好好听他。如果行不出，不必信他，耶稣会同意你的。
父在我里面，我也在父里面 = v.30, beyond physical constrain.
Analogy: a swimmer took in water, water in him, and sunk, him in water. Still something wrong?
another: A guy loves a girl, she is in his heart, but she doesn't return the love, he is not in her heart. But if the love are mutual - each in each's heart. So this is not material matter. the union of position. The Spirit of Christ in union with the Spirit of the Father.
John 14:31 - Jesus did what the Father ordered, willingly.
So if "I did not, believe me not".
v.38: You can see the union of Christ and the Father by accepting/believing his works. Consider: John 3:32-33 (mystery of Trinity hinted) 印上印就是圣灵的印记！圣灵工作的时候，你会进入奥秘的合一，明白父子的光系，基督在历史上的显现，就是神儿子的显明。
Conclusion: Because Jesus is God, He could do miracles, these good works. But the Jews separated His works from His words.
All prophets did miracles rely on God with them, because they prayed to God for the works; Jesus did not do need to do that, he COMMANDED the miracles.
Liberals, Strauss: Why people think Jesus is God? Because he's just too good! so close to God, the only ultimate perfect man in history. 至上的人，所以人当他是神。
NO!!! He is God became Man!
凡是把基督的神性，与基督的德性分开的，都是信仰错误的。
They assume no one can be son of God. God has no son.
"All religions are the same" - narrow mindedness to not allow God acts specifically by sending His Son.
We are not just respecting/admiring 敬佩他 Him, we WORSHIP 敬拜他 Him!
Prayer: Lord, it by thy revelation and the shining light of thy truth that we have received such faith. I pray that you bless us a heart of submission 顺从的心, from the deepest of our heart, let our faith receive your implanted words, that we may digest 调和 your words through faith...hear our prayer Lord, grant us 温柔的心,不是抗拒，不是抵挡，不是怀疑, but truly under the light of the Holy Spirit, we are made meek, submissive, receiving your words.
Video 80: John 10:34-42
Friedrich Schleiermacher -> Albrecht Ritschl -> Higher Criticism -> Ferdinand Christian Baur -> Wilhelm Herrmann -> Adolf von Harnack -> 20th century liberal theologians, All said Jesus never claim to be son of God in the entire Bible. Why today Christians believed He is the Son of God? They said: Because Peter, John (Only Son), Paul, etc. corrupted the scripture, by calling him the Son of God => Their utmost honoring of the Nazarene mutated into worshipping Him and thus calling him Son of God.
Note: Jesus never refused such title given to Him. He's either Satan or under Satan's influence, because he's a creature. 不可接受李常受聖經恢復本. But did Jesus try to rob God of the right to be worshipped like Satan? No. The only other possibility is He is God.
Apologetics is not evidential. At best evidential is just natural theology.
Knowledge is not going to lead to you receive Jesus as Son of God, except God himself shows you. From faith to faith, not from reasoning to faith.
必然律：基督的主性是基督的德性的基礎；基督的神性是基督的行爲的基礎。To assume he's just a normal human, no divine nature, that he could from Adam evolved to be such a holy stage, this requires incredible faith to hold to.
So it's a matter with representation (not a personal/individual matter):
With Adam: From sin to sin
With Jesus: 由於信以至於信。
Liberal bio on Christ, 3 major authors for the Life of Jesus (Ecce homo = Behold the man):
French: Renan, German: Strauss (David?), unknown British: Ecce Homo => Jesus is not God, just the best of the best among all holy men. Strauss said, Jesus was so holy that his holiness was affecting us. Turning worship to mere admiring Jesus.
Hebrews 3:12 不信的恶心蔓延好像毒根一样。
And from 1930s -> this theology blew from Europe to America, the whole world gradually abandon the divinity of Christ.
V.36: Most important verse where Jesus claimed to be the Son of God:
父所分别为圣、又差到世间来的，他自称是神的儿子，你们还向他说『你说僭妄的话』吗？
(sent) From God to man, vs. John the Baptist (sent from man to prophet), very different.
Recognize the sign directly of God's work and the sign of man depending on God.
You see the sign, you know who...just like you see the foot print of lion, you don't say it's just a puppy's print.
In chapter 3, From the essence of God's word, you must recognize He is God. Man speak men's language, demon of demon language, How can you not tell the difference?
v.38: 你们纵然不信我，也当信这些事:
神， 神的儿子，能力， 作为，同在，记号，工作，生活，行为，是不能分开的。新派想把他们分开，不可能。
v.32-33 行善是可以的；但是不可以说你是上帝。如果你是男人，为什么不可以讲是男人？
The good of Christ is what Confucius, Kant were looking for, but couldn't find. Kant => man will reach the ultimate good = summum bonum. Kant Jesus is the role model example, but only human.
They study, study, not to blaspheme God, but when God came as man, they call Him blasphemy. Religion (also equivalent to the result of eating the tree of knowledge of good and evil without God's guidance) only makes people more evil.
v.39: if the bottle is covered, it can never be filled.
v.40: John the Baptist could have lived anywhere from caves to etc. Must have been stung by bees a lot.
If you graduated from seminar, don't just stop there, go to ancient preachers' tough preaching area to preach. Tong shared all his experience preaching in uncomfortable condition.
v.41-42: 使人信的秘诀:耶稣说：我常行父所喜悦的事，人就信了。不是因为行神迹。你要指着基督做真的见证，靠着基督行真理的事，真正讨上帝喜悦。
Video 81: John 11:1-16
10:10 - Not about true/false, good/evil, wisdom/folly, cool/dull, but life/death. No science or religion can achieve.
Van Til: the god that is studied since Aristotle to Aquinas until now, is not the true God, but merely the shadow image that God placed in mankind. Not from the revelation of God.
無神論動機就是假設沒有神。Unless God appears to us, there's no way we can know God truly, we know He exists, just don't know Him. Cufucius is most honest of all honest people: I taught only what I know - 信而好古。知之为知之 不知为不知 是知也. Just like Socrates - gnothi seauton.
启示论在东方没有。
On revelation: Compare this:
God spoke to prophets who spoke to men, so the message was indirect.
God spoke to prophets, the message was direct.
When Jesus spoke: God himself speaks, the one who reveals.
人说唐崇荣道论太罗嗦。唐崇荣：我是全中国道论专家：如果道论没搞清楚，你的正论是没根基的。
我是...我是... = eigo eimi starting from Chapter 4. => John 8:58
Which is higher? Peter listening to Jesus vs. Isaiah listening to God. Peter!
Here comes the problem: Jesus reveals His words from a bodily form, so this does not fit many's concept, especially the Jews. God is God because He has no physical form, so how can Jesus be? So Jesus: Before Abraham....
Therefore, what Jesus said, cannot be said from a mere prophet, but from God.
Chapter 6's feeding = evidence that Jesus was the creator of material.
E = MC^2 is about Mass to energy, that's to utilize.
M = E/C^2 is about energy to mass, that's to create. That's close to God's act.
How smelly would a truly dead person be? We couldn't even stand a homeless' smell.
Jesus purposely delayed.
v.11-12: Reasons to sleep:
1. tired
2. beaten by mother, crying to sleep
3. sickness/ill
They didn't understand him, (as if Jesus need them to tell him that a person will recover after sleep), they are always trapped by letters.
God/Jesus purposely delay sometimes, do not give up faith, do not give up praying, or else you give Satan an advantage, you must endure, depend on God.
If you do not see Jesus as God, you will never see Jesus' glory.
Video 82: John 11:1-32
In OT: Only Elijah (son of the widow of Zarephath 1 Kings 17:17-24) & Elisha done resurrection (Shunammite's Son 2 Kings 4:18-37, A dead body touched Elisha's dead bone and became alive - 2 Kings 13:21). But still qualitatively different. They both prayed to God before the miracles.
Jesus' 3 raising dead miracles are done by calling directly to the patients, to come forth/wake up: (third) Lazarus (John 11:17–44), (second) the son of the widow of Nain (Luke 7:11–17) & (first) Jairus’ daughter (Luke 8:40–56).
Romans 8:2 因为赐生命的圣灵的律，在基督耶稣里从罪和死的律中把你释放出来。耶稣透过圣灵赐我们生命。有了生命，我们就属主了。
耶稣是生命的主 only mentioned in Acts 3:15 - You killed Him that is Life (or life giver), which is impossible.
If Jesus did not die, we wouldn't know that Jesus cannot really die. To show that He is not defeated by death and victorious over Satan who has power over death and death, Rev. 1:18 - 我曾死过，现在又活了，直活到永永远远. Therefore, those who died and cannot resurrect themselves, is not Him, and those who do not die, do not have the right to say this. Those who have been resurrected before by the prayers of prophets, still different than this, because they did not live forever.
Peter and Paul each resurrected one. So total 8 raising of dead.
Two prophets in Revelation also been raised from the dead, so 10 cases. Rev. 11:1-4, yet to come.
Next is a group of people raised from the dead, which was after Jesus' crucifixion, great quakes, unknown number. Such is one of 7 great miracles during Jesus' 6 hours on the cross. Mat. 27: 52-53 (11 cases total, the group counted as 1 case)
Another is Ezekiel's vision: Ezekiel 37:1-14 (Fulfilled by Mat 27:52?)
Everyone else died even after raised from the dead, only Jesus resurrected forever. Thus, only Jesus is the Lord of Life - such is the point of John 11. Only this one, Lazarus was dead for 4 days, while the other two miracles were quick after their deaths.
The Gospel of John's miracles are getting harder and harder.
v.4 时间相对论。Happiness is fast (所以叫快乐), Suffering feels long. For those who sleep, time is very fast.
明白时间神学 - 难学。Systematic theology (Trinity, Christology, pneumatology/Holy Spirit, Ecclesiology, Human nature/Anthropology, sin, angels and demons, heaven/hell/hades) missed this, among many others: theology of history, suffering, temporal, cultural, aesthetic. All of which are in the Bible, but not major enough to be included in systematic theology.
时间神学：God's lesson for Moses - only served God for 40 years out of his 120 years. Despite Moses would have been willing much earlier. Teach sheep for 40 years.
1970 discovered great carvings by Bernini when he was 7. Two Kim's (Same birth hour, day and year 1931 - so, jokingly, you want genius kids, you two must be born the same minute) from Korea had a kid Kim Yong Hook? lectures multiple languages at 14 age. Indonesia married to U.S. had a 7 year old daughter in Virginia, poetry genius, world fame (BBC interviewed). There are many geniuses in various disciplines. Music: Mendelssohn 17 year old, Midsummer Night's Dream music - i.e. Wedding march. Mozart, his father wrote down the son's 3 year old compositions. Art genius? literature? architecture? Yes to all. How about young moral genius? no...5 year old said to sad old man: don't cry grandpa, this is life of human. Not even religious genius that is young. Mozart composed twinkle twinkle little stars at 5 [It's likely incorrect, because the tune has been known before and Mozart arranged it around 25, 1781-1782 Twelve Variations on "Ah vous dirai-je, Maman"]
Kierkegaard: 3 stages of human life:
1. Aesthetic stage
2. 20-50 Ethical stage
3. 60-70 Religious stage
Thomas Cole's The Voyage of Life paintings - (4 seasons of life) [Childhood, Youth, Manhood, Old Age]
Very few youth here today, why? Because don't want God. He has his own kingdom. Until old age, "father, I'm coming home", just like Cole's painting.
Spiritual matters, require long time to learn. Young kids do not usually realize. It cannot be obtained in a short time, therefore, many philosophy professors' children become a mess, while kampung grandma's children all grown up behaving well.
v.21 & v.32: Lord, you are wrong! You should have come earlier.
Similar cases: disciples asked "Lord, is it I?" actually meaning = how can it be me? Even Peter: I'm not like them, I will never betray you. Our Lord: cock crows 2 times, you will "crow" 3 times.
Jesus did not argue with them.
It also proves that this family already believe Jesus could perform these miracles.
Translator Raymond brought girls for Tong for approval, Tong waited until the right one after many failed ones. God's timing.
v.22 [From the last two Thurs Bible study at GCC: If I've not mistaken, I think Pastor Chris alluded to the fact that Martha did right by believe in God's power or that faith in God will listen to Jesus. I would rebut that with the fact that Martha did wrong even in that statement because Jesus never needed to ask such things of God. In fact, when Jesus replied: "Your brother will rise again", he is basically saying: "No, Martha, I AM GOD". And Martha didn't get it hence: "yea yea, I knew the prophecy God gave holy saints once, that we will see that grand resurrection", and Jesus' answer "I AM the Resurrection and the Life" => I Am God. Martha still didn't get it and concluded her "son of God" as secondary to God in her Christology. Calvin may be on point that when Martha reached out to Mary IN PRIVATE, she was trying to protect Jesus' identity for many sought to kill him - Mary was the one who listens after all. Calvin gave credit to Martha only to the extend of certain faith, but rebuked Martha's insubordinate and err in faith when she was sure that Jesus' presence would heal her brother - supplication vs. promise. In spite of her impiety on this matter, Jesus forgave her amazingly and graciously.]
v.25: I AM (like in chapter 10)...eigo eimi...again with the level of God's claim. Chinese translated slightly not good: 复活在我，生命也在我.
Subjectivity of the resurrection in person, 有位個的復活的主體
Subjectivity of the truth in person, 有位個的真理的主體
Key verse of this chapter: I am the life, I am the resurrection.
First proclaimed to Martha.
v.24: not truly understood what Jesus meant, based only on her own past learning.
Mary vs. Martha who loves to do lots of outward things:
有一種基督徒，不給他做他以爲你看不起他；如果做了他告訴你他比你更厲害。他總怪這個不做那個不做，有一天你告訴他你也不用做，他就氣死你。
3 Mary's: Mother of Jesus, Bethany (this one), of Magdelene who testify Jesus.
This Mary once anointed Jesus with her hair, which is a precious work.
Video 83: John 11:14-46
This is the third and last raising of the dead. Longest wait time in death.
我是 - 主体性的实质 = 如 in Buddhism = Tatha [truthfully] = Kant's Thing in itself (物自体).
John Locke: Two kinds of perceived things - Thing in itself vs. perceived thing.
An anecdote about King Solomon tell if the flowers were fake or not by having the bees to come discern them.
German: Ding an sich = Buddist's 物如 = thing in itself.
Tong's unique angle to view God:
上帝是主体性的自我存有，主体性的自我永恒，主体性的自我生命，主体性的自我悟性。
上帝是有位格的真理本体 有位格的生命，义，善，圣洁的本体。
Jesus - God came to introduce himself. I am...I am...
Ecc 3:11, God's timing.
v.27: We often think we know better.
v.25-26: 凡活著信我的人必永远不死 = 信的人必须一直活下去。
The death mentioned in Eden, was not referring to our normal death. But the relationship with God. Do not trap by the words, but learn the truth by Spirit.
Relativism begins in Genesis 3: Having choices doesn't necessarily mean you have freedom, because all choices but one could be false. This is allowed by God to test man, or else the submission of man to God is unreliable.
We are created by God and FOR God, so God is our direction, not Satan. When we equate both, we are not lifting up Satan, but actually bringing God down.
Don't feel happy for pluralism culture.
新儒家大学者先假设中国文化是最重要的，所以把其他宗教都当做是另外一个相对界里面等量齐观的东西。In Christianity, ALL Truth is God's truth. Anything not from God, is not truth. What God revealed first, will not be confused with a different revelation: God's words vs. Satan's words, etc.
Adam's fall/death: Living without relationship with the master of life. This death is not about an immediate physical death.
[v.33: Thurs Bible study at GCC, Chris re-emphasized that it was the wrongness of Death, that Christ wept, groan for. Partly true, as Calvin had it: Christ contemplated something higher, namely, the general misery of the whole human race...by tears, he shows that he is as much affected by our distresses as if he had endured them in his own person. Other than that, Dirk had it better previously in Sunday School from a different topic, saying that Christ wept for the stubbornness of the people as He did also when overlooking Jerusalem from the mount.]
v.35: Reasons for Jesus wept:
1. sad for them (normal)
2. sad for their hardened hearts (like Jesus cried before Jerusalem)
3 times Jesus cried: To Jerusalem, here, and Gethsemane.
Jesus' sad/cry is always for others, not for himself.
Jesus on his way to Gethsemane sang the psalm once: Psalm 118 - This is the day, I will rejoice!
v.39: 你们把石头挪开 - The life that is to receive grace, must be removed its obstacles.
v.44: 解开 - New life, remove all obstacles.
v.39: 现在必是臭了 - This is remarkable, for it is a rational statement, while in sorrow.
v.40: 信心有：理智，情感，意志。Often times one of these 3 is so strong it overshadows the others.
你若信，就必看见神的荣耀吗？ -> 信心在看见之先。
Reformed theology:
信心在知识之先，prior to reasoning
信心在看见之先，prior to vision
信心在经历之先，prior to experiment
信心在感受之先，prior to feeling
信心在证据之先, prior to evidence.
Why so? Fallen men turned the above statements upside down, all prior to faith.
我不是对你说过 = 上帝道！
Isaiah 7:9 你们若是不信，定然不得立稳 - 可翻译成：若不信，怎能知道呢？-> Augustine's theological conversion main focus.
民无信不立 ~ 孔子, Japanese Prime Minister: Takeo Fukuda 福田 赳夫 also wrote this out when he was elected.
Reflect Hebrews 11 on faith.
v.43-44:
1. Pre-evangelism (福音预工): remove obstacles (i.e. atheism, evolution, post-modernism, drunkenness, adultery, pride, etc.) Everyone has this rock in their cave.
2. Evangelism (福音正工): all sins revealed, resurrection, power of life, message of the Gospel, call him out by God. Saved but not freed yet.
3. Post-evangelism (福音后工): 自由释放，脱离原有的捆绑
Pre-evangelism: the more developed, knowledgeable the place, the harder to do. i.e. What John the Baptist did.
Post-evangelism: also hard, changing the habit of sinners (ie. quit drinking, etc.)
Salvation is not climbing out yourself, but called by God.
Pre-evangelism done by men (move the stone), Evangelism called out by God, Post-evangelism by men (解开).
计志文: Why Jesus didn't say: Come forth, you who are dead? Because if he's careless like that, the whole world's dead would come forth. So, salvation is individual, not by group, but by personal name. Not collective salvation.
v.48: Our Judaism is turning into Galilean religion. They really wanted to kill him, can no longer pretend they abide by the law. So, wherever Jesus was, hypocrisy is revealed, revealing the nature of man. His presence is as light.
Two Lazarus in the Bible never talked. Luke 16:19–31
3 kinds of Christians: 1. like Martha, always scolding people always busy; 2. like Mary, always listen to sermons, not much talk; 3. like Lazarus, no talk, just eat after resurrection. 教会有煮菜的，听道的，吃饭的。
Observe: the rich man asked Lazarus to be resurrected - miracle, then there will be believe - Abraham rebuked and rejected this charismatics way. Only By God's words=>repent, believe, saved.
The second Lazarus was raised from the dead, did they believe? No! They instead want to kill them. (John 11:53 + John 12:10)
Today the Charismatics are worse than the Muslims, because they need miracles to believe. Many who saw the miracles not only did not repent, but became even very proud. Augustine: Lord, what they gained in their curiosity (for miracles), will they lose in their pride (thinking they are better than others).
Paul said the Jews ask for miracles - but in reality, that is mere hypocrisy, as proven here. What they asked, is the kind of miracles that bring them benefits. Because they rejected Jesus as God, so no matter what He did, it is not miracles of God.
Prayer: May we follow You not because of miracles, but your Word! You have the word of eternal life, who else do we follow?
Video 84: John 11:14-46
v.39,41: There are those who submit absolutely to Jesus' command. There's no words of Jesus that has no power.
Pre-evangelism: Church need to do this. What John the Baptist did.
Isa 59:1 耶和华的膀臂并非缩短，不能拯救，耳朵并非发沉，不能听见，
If you did not sow, you have no right to rip the harvest.
v.43: One by one salvation. 耶稣的口不可以随便讲错话。
v.44: Noted already in John 5:25 时候将到，现在就是了，死人要听见神儿子的声音，听见的人就要活了。
God to live among man in humility => Proverbs 8: Wisdom himself spoke, only time Wisdom in first person. Not the same as Proverbs 1-7, 9+ (wisdom in third person).
In Prov 8, Wisdom proclaimed He was the engineer of the creation.
Distinction of Son of Man (humility) vs. Son of God.
Evangelism (福音正工): alive but could barely move freely...saved in Church but doesn't know how to pray, cannot sing hymns, etc.
Post-evangelism (福音后工): If all 3 stages of evangelism are done, this is a good church. If only the middle 正工 one is done, selfish church, want instant results. Like forcing pregnant wife to just give birth without effort, just give $. Baby cannot walk right away. He is not a cat, mouse, higher beings take longer time and effort to grow.
Without Pre-evangelism, there can be no evangelism. Without post-evangelism after evangelism, many will be stuck.
福音预工: can be in your own life example, can be in good literature works (unfortunately, Chinese has not much this heritage). Jesuits (Catholics) brought western philosophy, science, etc. China hated it at first. Ming Dynasty there's an official: "look they did not even want to marry and build family, these bishops gave up natural human living standard, do not trust them".
预工 very tough:
If you are fat, they call you greedy.
If you are skinny, they say God did not bless you.
If you smile, they call you not serious.
If you are serious, they think you have no happiness.
If you do not go home, they think you are rejected by your own.
If you always go home, they say you do not have heart.
Nonetheless, the Emperor 康熙 of China accepted them by God's providence. Welcomed Jesuit artists to court. learned French, Italian, Astronomy (compared accuracy with Chinese methods), despite oppositions. Made 郞世宁 taught over 3 generations.
Chinese artists on 郞世宁's & "JiangTingJian?" arts, 嗤之以鼻，中国画是要有意境，shadowless, floating like spirits in dreams, no 3D.
This is 福音预工
Unfortunately (Tong said it's a good thing, but did not want to elaborate here, my guess is Catholism) KangXi who almost became Christian (he even wrote a poem 基督死/十架颂):
功成十架血成溪，百丈恩流分自西。
身列四衙半夜路，徒方三背两番鸡。
五千鞭挞寸肤裂，六尺悬垂二盗齐。
惨恸八垓惊九品，七言一毕万灵啼。
wrote to Pope for permission for Chinese to worship their ancestors, but got rejected by the Pope after 2years 8 months (not email), and got angry. Yongzheng hated all these Christians, thanks also to his 士大夫 officials. 1840, Opium war, China failed, signed to free up many ports, many missionaries come in. At end of 19th century, Inland Mission active in many cities, when rejected by 士大夫 in the palace court, the missionaries started preaching to villagers. Until Timothy Richard 李提摩太, who aimed the Gospel at the intellectuals; while Inland Mission's Hudson Taylor focused on villagers/commoners. 李提摩太 translated many books of all fields into Chinese, introducing them to Chinese.
挪开(by men who love God)，出来(by God/Holy Spirit)，解开(by man who love God)
Video 85: John 11:47-57
many 预工 are very wasteful but used by God, just like Sun light wastefully shines everywhere not needed, so do not criticize this so easily.
Be patient in 后工: If you find life meaningless (girlfriend left you), struggle, you will pass the valley of the shadow of death, a one time thing.
v.47: Themselves admitted the works of Jesus. Unfortunately, though in the time and presence of JESUS, they failed.
Tong mentioned the history of Plato leaving Athens because of Socrates' death. Socrates did not want to escape, death and life the same, had one of his repay a cock for him to someone he owed. Plato's time with great mind was over. Plato: I do not want to let democracy kills another genius. Plato, Aristotle despised democracy. Democracy = decisions by many dummies. Do not give the authority of truth to those who are without knowledge, who are most civilians.
2nd victim of Democracy: Jesus (after Socrates). Sad that though Jesus is greater than Socrates, these Jews did not see what a blessing they were given. Their worship, their fear of God were fake: Kingdom of God not important, only I am important. Church leaders/preachers beware, not easy to accept advice from others.
v.53: They hate you because 你不像样 (你做坏事，他们多了一个朋友，喜欢你) or 太像样。Why nobody dare to touch Suharto who loved bribery? Because he cultivated 30+ years everyone to take bribe with him. When there's one who did not take bribe, everyone else hated him. Singapore almost avoided bribery: followed QianLong method (100 times salary to clean officials), dealing with 和珅 (everyone knows) 的贪污。JiaQing (QianLong's son) killed 和珅, and only good thing he did in his reign, did nothing else worthy, kingdom gone bad after that.
Why Indonesia, China 贪污? 薪水太少。天下乌鸦一般黑. Looked at Madoff: I also did not know why people are so easily cheated. Criminals because they were not caught, so they do crimes; Good people because being watched, kept being good. So these Pharisees, despite their skills in law, once met with Jesus, their true ugliness is revealed!!!. Know good, know bad, know it all. Do no evil, wickedness in your heart, be sons of light.
v.48: Losing our culture, our nation, our religion. Jesus must die, so we continue our thing and not causing trouble with the Romans whom we submit out of fear. 不共戴天. So they falsely prayed for Messiah faked their submission to Rome.
v.49: Not possible two high priests - Luke 3:2. They broke the law. There should only be one high priest to enter on day of atonement Yom Kippur/also known as the "Sabbath of Sabbaths" into the Holy of Holies on 7/10 (Tishrei 7th month) Annas the father-in-law of Caiaphas, nepotism.
v.51 Caiaphas' word became true though not of his own - compare this with the Pope's papal infallibility (教皇无误论), magisterial teaching, magisterium, there's connection.
v.52: John compared the irony of what the high priest said with what is actually meant in truth with those words - Salvation - substitutionary atonement. Sacrifice of redemption.
v.53: 借刀杀人，假设自己无罪。
耶稣生下时，政治利用宗教；
耶稣死时，宗教利用政治。
How can Herod rule Israel? Just like Republicans asked: How can Obama be America's president? check that his birth was really from Hawaii. In really, their hearts asked: How can a black man rule the Whites.
Herod was smart - I built you a greater than Solomon's temple. A remarkable temple.政治利用宗教
宗教利用政治, let Rome kill Jesus, our hands are clean. So did they really abide by the law - Thou shalt not kill? Hypocrisy.
v.54: Why not return to Galilee? no more time. Safer in the desert.
v.57: Scary - They are looking for where Jesus was, to kill him. Getting reports of Jesus' whereabouts here and there, with rewards.
Psalm 118:27 理当用绳索把祭牲拴住，牵到坛角那里。 was a must sing during Passover. Jesus sang Psa 118:24 when the time came (after last suppers. Only time He sang in the Bible (Mark 14:26). What did Jesus sing? This is the Day that the Lord has made ~ According to Pak Tong. The Egyptian Hallel (praise): Psalms 113-114 before Passover meal, Psalms 115-118 after the meal. This day actually means the day Jesus was crucified. God fixed Jesus' birth day as well as his death day.
Near His death, Jesus still considered the lives of others - set them free. John 18:8. Jesus could have easily avoided these by avoid miracles on Sabbath, but thus is why Jesus came.
They not only want to kill, but now plans HOW to kill Jesus. Jesus came willingly to let them kill him.
If there are those who hated Jesus so much, then let me ask: who truly loves Jesus? Is it you, I?
On Thursday Bible study of GCC:
Notable mention: G asked whether Lazarus is still alive today? Pastor affirmed two valid possibilities: that he died again or that he ascended (along with those others who were resurrected by God's power) with Christ on His ascension - reason being, one will die once and only once (Hebrews 9:27), which I think is not a strong support case because there will be those who have yet to die on judgment day, as well as Enoch & Elijah.
Although I would stick with Pak Tong's: Jesus would not have been the first resurrected to eternity, had there been others of such before him.
1Co 15:20 But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.
Chapter 12
Video 86: John 12:1-12
From Chapter 11, salvation is individually.
John 5:26, 因为父怎样在自己有生命，就赐给他儿子也照样在自己有生命， Why the Son who has, need the Father to give? The second person is not like the first, God became man, therefore as man, there's limitation.
It does not mean that the Son had no life before the Father giveth: Micah 5:2. John 3:34 (unlimited measure by the Spirit), Acts 10:38 (Father anointed Jesus with Holy Spirit and Power). Jesus received the Holy Spirit as man, not as God. God does not need that. Therefore the Father anointed the human nature of Jesus, not the divine one.
They saw, but actually they were blind, they saw with their created eyes. Paul was blinded by God the day he was saved, his heart could see, because of his birth of the Holy Spirit.
Starting from Chapter 5, they wanted to kill Jesus. And the more desire now. Now they need to discuss how to kill, why? Because the law forbid, so they do not wish to kill without being known as the killers. They also wanted to kill John the baptist, but why couldn't, if you have a great crowd, it's hard to kill you (same principle applies to politicians).
v.1 4th time (the last time) entering into Jerusalem. Therefore, Jesus served 3.5 years.
An excerpt on Jesus' human nature: 耶稣最有权柄叫希律王狐狸因为：
人是他造的，人是为他造的，人被造是为了他，每一个人被造透过他，所以基督是人性最原先的本质，我们按上帝形象样式造的，所以基督是每一个人的样式形象，我们的形象样式原版就是基督.
Many theologians treat Likeness & image the same thing, using these interchangeably. But Tong disagrees slightly:
形象是原本的状态，样式是终久学习应当达到的果效。
Jesus said, 你们要学我的样式 Matthew 11:29 - no mention of image. 所以，原先被造的潜在能是神的形象 (image)；被造之后生活的果效是样式(likeness)。
因为我们有神的形象，所以我们应当像神；因为基督到世界上成为我们的样式，所以我们应当效法他的样式。
Therefore IMAGE (human ALPHA) => more about potentiality. LIKENESS (human OMEGA) => more about the teleological effect.
Jean-Jacques Rousseau: We must learn from two great men in history: If Socrates' death - holy man, then Jesus' death - Son of God.
Jesus came to die - has prepared to die: Luk 13:32 耶稣说：「你们去告诉那个狐狸说：『今天、明天我赶鬼治病，第三天我的事就成全了。』
God became flesh, so he can die. He cannot die as spirit.
Greek: Soma Sema - our body is our prison We want to get out, Jesus came to live in. Here is the difference between Christianity view on human life vs. Greek's view. Jesus instead praised God for preparing Him the flesh.
@50:00 中文：
属肉体 - Self centered. Self peacefulness, etc. Immature Christians in the Bible.
属灵的 - By guidance of the Holy Spirit, everything, emotion, etc. been sanctified. Mature Christians in the Bible.
属血气 - 外邦人。
我们是肉身（神所创造的一部分）复活，我们不是肉体（不肯顺服圣灵，体贴自己的爱好的部分）复活。
肉身 vs. 肉体。@54:00
和合本也这样分类。
Body is temporal; Spirit is eternal
Because we are given a body, therefore we have the chance to be forgiven.
And be spared from eternal damnation in spirit.
爱惜肉身 Paul Gal 2:20.
Why Satan not forgiven? Eternal sin.
Hole in the ear made for sign as willingly to be eternal servant. Jesus chose this image. Image of the slave.
Israelites must sing/recite Psalm 118 on Passover: This is the day which the Lord has made, we must rejoice...
Jesus' team also sang this hymn when after last supper they gone to Kidron 汲沦溪. This is the day? which day? this day that Jesus was to die. Where was the last supper? At Mark's house in theory.
受苦的一天是喜乐的一天。为别人祷告，etc.
Therefore others testified at the cross: This must be the Son of God!
Jesus' death set by God - Romans 5:6 基督就按所定的日期为罪人死。
v.1: Where is Bethany? over at Mount Olive. Coming from Bethany, you can view the whole Jerusalem from the mount, coming down to Kidron. That's Martha/Mary/Lazarus lived. Jesus frequently stayed there.
Jesus didn't reveal to them this was the last time visit.
v.3: Therefore, treat others as if you treating them the last time, then you could treat them well.
Great feasts great crowd, friends of Martha, this family must be very good with their neighbors.
v.10: Jewish culture in danger.
v.3: Mary used great lot of ointment, not just little bit - some restaurant used the same lobster head shell to serve tables until a friend of Tong broken the shell, staffs' shock could be heard in the back. Tong criticized Americans offerings that can be tax deducted, encouraging bad motives.
A bottle of such ointment is a year's salary. Absolute offering (no desire for fame, payback, etc.)
No one has anointed Jesus thus far, even though he's King, Prophet and Priest. God also does not allow anyone anoint him.
v.4-6: How could Judas know the price of a woman's ointment? Not human. Doesn't help others, doesn't know scripture, all he knows is $.
and old lady: God is too good, the world is so evil and He's so patient not to kill them all.
七杀碑：天生万物与人，人无一物与天；鬼神明明，自思自量 杀杀杀杀杀杀杀
v.6: Tong: Jesus probably purposely gave the offering bag to Judas. What Judas didn't realize already known by John. Tong shared some American preachers offered very little money in Indonesia because they counted very few USD. [Though it may be true and very likely so that Tong was right, but I have always wondered if these USD were in addition to the Rupiah they also gave in offering], a missionary organization for China, got lots of $, but only 18% to China's mission, the rest are for the high salary of their CEOs. Tong shared people around him around the world took their ministry's money without a word, why? Judas' descendants.
v.8: deep meaning. 王明道's explanation (as a sad thing - 不要再流荡了,转回吧！不要让主伤心) Tong totally disagree. I think Tong's is same as mine, especially when I criticized the movie: The Fourth Wiseman. Tong: Go respect your parents now! you do not know how long they will be around.
For some reason I lost the last 6 minutes of this video. I searched heard, looks like everywhere online scrambled this part, not sure if it's on purpose or not, because it's where Tong criticized the HK ministry that stole the Indonesian offering from Canada. But that part was already mentioned, so I don't know why scrambled the explanation of this important verse. Maybe this was also why Rev. Lin didn't want to use this series, that she heard the HK or someone told her about such "slander".
I managed to grab as close from another video of Tong (Video 98: John 13:31-33):
耶稣就讲这一句话：“你们常有穷人和你们在一起,只是你们不常有我。”
这一段《圣经》王明道是解错了,我今天不多讲这个事情,不是王明道所讲耶稣基督不在他们中间那样,这里和十三章耶稣所讲的一样的：耶稣和他们在一起的时间只有一点点了，对犹大的回应，耶稣的意思是说："你们要赒济穷人机会多的很,这个人把香膏献给我是仅存的（一次）机会了,所以说你们不常有我，"而不是说你们聚集的时候我常常不在你们中间。
Also, the next video will cover this efficiently as well: Basically, it's about cease the time, when the crucial moment has past, you can only regret, you will have no part in it.
[Reflection: David Tong is not Stephen Tong, therefore, when people give offering under Stephen Tong's ministries, it's because they saw the love he has for God in truth as well as God's people around him. As for David Tong, based on my observation of his servitude, character, I fear that the "support" he feels around him were mere inheritance from his father, and he may not have the sensitivity to sense this, despite the fact that he no doubt would not intentionally use this to his advantage. If I were to treat him as Stephen Tong's son as gratitude to his father, I would need to be careful. I would need to consider the relationship of David and Mephibosheth, son of Jonathan. I guess is David has been catered by others in matters of people relationship that he is spoiled from having to seek out true believers to fellowship himself, therefore not having learned the struggle of finding who's real and who's fake the hard way, but accepting what's given the easy way with who better to work with, statistically speak, by recommendations. These I cannot trust myself to work with thoroughly, for one day they will change side, another day they come back to you when they hear something good about you from others.]
Video 87: John 12:7-22
v.7: Tong shared he had quietly prepared for today's works long time ago. (quality matters/arts/piano/etc. saved for the church in the future)
男人重前景；女人重回忆。
v.4: A "disciple" - John's was near 90 when he wrote this, but he still respectfully addressed the student whom the Lord picked. Not 那个死鬼.
v.7: Best response. Proverbs 25:11 - 一句话说得合宜，就如金苹果在银网子里.
An unwise lady preached to a widow with the right words, but not used in the right circumstances, the widow said, I rather go to hell to meet my dead husband.
Such defense is most needed for those who love the Lord and received insult for what they did for the Lord.
Mary's sensitivity to Jesus' preaching was higher than all disciples.
John the Baptist baptized Jesus, Mary anointed Jesus. That's it, only these two.
v.8: 王明道 （错了）：你们不常有我 = 你们在一起的时候没有我在中间。
Actual meaning: You have plenty of opportunity to help the poor, but my time with you is short. Think HK will sink tomorrow, you will have cancer tomorrow, how do you treat your time.
Compare tons of opportunity vs. rare chances.
Tong stopped offering opportunity for those who did not offer before the project was done. Even offering is an opportunity from God.
Tong shared something close to my view against gift matching:
When suggested tithing plan was encouraged, a rich guy said: I'll cover the remaining cost. While most pastors would rejoice, Tong stopped him, he asked why?
Answer:
1. Then it is to your credit, because you covered what's lacking.
2. If everyone else exceeded the required amount, then you don't have the opportunity to offer?
So, go write what you want after prayer, treat yourself same level as other members. It turns out he's the 5th, not the 1st largest offering. Tong's STEMI gave the most.
[Where Mary's heart was, where her treasures was. Matthew 6:21]
Tong to a pastor: You don't take church's salary, you have turned it upside down. Now you make yourself higher than everyone in the church, who is now owing you. Why do you have to first make $500,000 before becoming a preacher? (He answered: So no deacons be on my head). Tong: True, but that would mean that you above the deacons. You think only of yourself, not others. (He insisted his way). Tong's last words to him: When you decided to be a preacher, not necessarily God will give you that opportunity.
Few decades later, he's in a mess.
Tong discussed this with Fuller's Edwin Orr, asked him how he deals with this, he said:
That doesn't work. (Why?) If he go to do business, failure, he cannot come back, success, he is not willing to come back.
Tong: How you know?
Orr: I have so many students, many followed this path, never succeeded.
Serve God or mammon. When Tong was young, a great revival's offering total given to him, he spread them to all poor preachers => his principle with money given to him.
Video 88: John 12:12-29
Only one time, prophet anointed prophet: Elijah anointed Elisha. The rest, the Spirit of God directly anointed.
Priests are anointed by the previous priests.
Kings are anointed by priests.
Christ's Kingship, priesthood and prophet office are anointed by God.
On Earth, Christ was anointed by two: John the Baptist and Mary.
On Baptism: John's baptism on Jesus was according to the anointment of priesthood. Hence it's poured from above down. Not submersion. Holy Spirit descends.
Now touching Baptist's submersion, 3 keys:
1. Jesus came out of water. Not necessarily submersed. Act of God - Holy Spirit descends, not man's work by submersion.
2. Buried with Christ. Christ was dead in a cave, not underground.
3. Baptizo. 17 times mentioned in the NT but not all are referring to submersion.
After John's baptism/anointment, the 3 offices of Christ began.
v.14-15: Why? Donkey/Colt => peaceful sign. Horse => war. Not to steal the donkey, but the whole world is the Lord's. Tong on airplane seeing business class people "you are blocking my glory", I in my economy class: this is my Lord's plane, etc. You just seat there because you have more money. Because in the end days, God allow invention of planes, so you got the chance to seat on it. In Matthew 21:11, Clothing on the floor as carpet.
v.7: To sacrifice as Priest, sacrificing himself. Once sacrificed, all sacrifices will become useless. The whole world, only Mary got it. The disciples were still quarrelling who's the greater (Luk 22:24)
v.20: Foreigners wishing to invite Jesus perhaps for something great, but Jesus cared not.
Video 89: John 12:20-29
律法消极功能：叫人知罪
律法积极功能：到耶稣面前求赦罪
No specific tribes where a prophet should come from, it also needs no anointing.
However, Kings and Priests do need anointment.
God in Jesus' time ordained John the Baptist as the priest, to baptize Jesus as Messiah, king at age 30, on Earth.
And Mary of Bethany, anointed Jesus as Priest. His 4th time for Jerusalem's Passover observation. Hence 3.5 year service was up.
v.20: Greek vs. Hellenistic. Not the same.
Difference: Greek: Athens. Hellenistic: Macedon, Adriatic Sea, Aegean Sea, Cyprus, Crete, Ithaca, etc. Around but Athens => Pan-Greece, Greater Greece.
Comparison with Hong Kong (Victoria Harbor) and its surrounding (Kowloon, etc.)
Similarities: Greek language (post-Socrates), philosophy, religion, custom (rhetoric in the market places, debates, etc.)
Resulted in two extremes: Thinkers vs. traditionalists/religious/less educated.
Religion probably influenced by Palestine area: Baal, Ashtoreth (possibly -> Athena), etc. Like Buddhism's 觀音 was originally Indian male god, not female. In Hindu names, one can tell if it's male or female grammatically. Since Europe has no religion, so their Greek false gods were assimilated from Asia.
So the Hellenistic thinkers do not follow the less educated fake religions, they worship only one God, especially after learning from the Hebrews, who were zealous in preaching a monotheistic belief (Matthew 23:15).
These Greeks follow the Jews to Jerusalem for Passover. And so they heard of Jesus. Why looked for Jesus? Perhaps to invite Jesus to talk in Greece.
Transition from Hebrew to Greek: The Gospel of Matthew was probably translated from Aramaic.
But Jesus didn't respond to them, just as he did with Herod ("show me miracles"), despite not being received by the Jews he was talking to. He was not shaken by the circumstances around him. Give your life to God.
Greek Philosophy is rational, the theology of life and death is beyond such. A wheat's origin predates Adam, and reflect upon its prolific existence now. So Jesus rejected the admiration from the Greeks.
v.25: 孫中山（黃埔軍校）：你們不是來做學生，是來學怎樣死。你之死，使民族可以維持生。
Beginning with Jesus' death => Church gains life, generations.
This is only in John. Nothing like this in Matthew, Mark & Luke.
The more the church understood this, the more advance, or else, the more into darkness.
Video 90: John 12:23-36
Ancient India is the most important civilization in the East. In the West, there were Northern Greece and Southern Egypt.
But only the Greeks looked into logic and epistemology.
Before Socrates, two main books: On Nature, On Ethics.
The Greeks use reasons, the East use tradition, obedience.
Greek Logic = 孫中山的 “理哲學”
All Academy from Plato, constructed the whole student body and the brain of Aristotle, per Plato. But Plato => 唯心主義 idealism, objected by Aristotle: I love my teacher, but I have more love for truth.
v.28: Glory. Different than worldly glory = blessings. Biblical glory: God's glory rests upon His saints in suffering. 1 Peter 4:14.
Some preacher like Benny Hinn, cancelled his trip to Indonesia, rumor has it, that he demanded $250,000 before he would go, no money no go.
v.24-25: seed must die. Those who kept their voice, voice will not mature. 爲主獻上的，主必保留；為自己保留的，主必丟棄。Matthew 11:29, Carry my yoke, learn from me. When a Christian is lonely, it's in duo (God with him), not singular.
What's the similarity in book of Jonah and Nahum?
They both preached to Nineveh.
Nahum didn't go, God did not call him to go.
God called Jonah to go, Jonah didn't go, because of his nationalism. And then the best revival in the world history - King and beggars repented.
Jonah's attitude towards God about the shade and the worm, even nagging about dying, did not instill God's wrath like He did Herod, killing him with a worm.
Jonah's great because he is straightforward, honest, wrestled greatly with himself to accept God's precepts and wrote it down, regardless of being despised by others.
Unfortunately, Nineveh did not passed down their virtue to the next generations.
150 years later, no one in Nineveh believed. Nahum ordered to tell Nineveh that they were doomed. Destroyed, location forgotten, until 19th century.
Manado in Indonesia heading towards progressive Post-modernism.
A seed that does not die, remains single, like Nineveh, cared only for its own generation and the following generations became vain.
v.26: Jesus in prison, you will be there. Persecution, despised, before courts, will you be there?
我父必尊重他。- Scary, how unworthy am I. Tong: I am afraid to say. 事奉主的人的最大酬報。天父承認你的價值，重要。 怎樣尊重唐崇榮不知道。
Tong, why didn't you respond to those criticizing you on the internet?
1. God did not call me to answer for myself, why do beyond what is called.
2. no time to deal with those kinds.
3. Vengeance is God's.
4. Matthew 5:11-12 & 因为你们在天上的赏赐是大的 reflect from v.26.
Video 91: 12:30-36
v.27: 我现在心里忧愁，我说什麽才好呢？
Tong: Only Kierkegaard written something similar: Regarding Regina Olsen, whether to marry her or not for her beauty was too great for him to marry her. Thus, he became a philosopher.
The more suffering the more we are aware of our existence. But when things go well, we do not aware, taking it for granted.
Kierkegaard was one of the few (Tong: within 20 greats in history), that has the most original thoughts.
If you don't understand Jesus' sorrow, you are not possible to love him.
救我脱离这时候 - temporal kairos. 時間 vs 時刻. Your eyes don't smoothly sweep around the room because they have selective perception - focused on things of interest - red dress, etc. Unless you are retarded.
Nobody else said this "save me from this hour". We have "save me from that evil man", "save me from the chasing police", etc.
But...for this purpose I came to this hour. Amazing.
v.28: 受苦 & 榮耀. They have connection. 1Peter 4:14. 基督荣耀的灵常住在你们身上
When persecuted, Christian savor will come out 2 Corinthians 2:12-17
在苦難中記得這是神給你的機會，不要自愛自憐。
v.29-30 Only Jesus understood. Strange that this is for you, but you understand not; not for me, but I understood.
Just like Tong's Q&A experience - the wicked asked, Tong could have the opportunity to answer.
v.31: Who's the ruler of this world? Devil. The god of this world? Satan the devil.
Charismatics love to say we are the princes we are the sons of King. Which King? Jesus? We are not Jesus' (human nature) sons, He is our elder brother.
v.32-33: lifted = death. To be cursed. Like Mordecai hung Naiman. Esther 7:9-10
v.34: One of 4 Kinds of Messiah concepts in Jewish tradition: Messiah cannot die. So Jesus' 我若从地上被举起来, goes against this type of Messiah.
v.35-36: Temporal goal (blessing of God's presence) vs. eternal goal (crucifixion, salvation of men)
Video 92: John 12:30-43
Priests needs to be cleansed at 30 to symbolize cleansing of their sins, but Jesus was an exception.
Sacrificial matters: highest value for richest (cattle), lowest value for the poorest (doves).
Adam & Eve first sinned; but first death was the sacrificial animal for Adam's clothing. Prepared by God. Men sinned, could not solve the problem, God solved it. All religions: self-salvation. Only Christianity: God came.
A man cannot sacrifice without priests, which come from Aaron's line and eventually even narrowed to Zadok's (first high priest) line, which the more political and socially powerful Sadduccees derived their name from.
Why 1 year old lamb as sacrifice? Lord uses your best years, not when you're 60-70 years old.
No blemish...Offer to God your best, not otherwise.
v.34: two conflicts: If you are Christ, how are you going to die/lifted up? 2ndly, If you suffer how could you be the source of blessing?
True Christology vs. Judaism christology = through all ages vs. temporal victory over Rome, cannot suffer, perfect.
Church today cannot revive because everyone wants others to understand them, never want to understand others.
When did Jesus first said of his crucifixion? When Peter established true Christology - You are Christ, son of God. Jesus immediately gave 2 revelations: 1. I will build my church on proper Christology (per Apostle's Creed), 2: Son of Man will die, resurrected on 3rd day. Matthew 16:16,18,21
Why John the Baptist preached in the desert? If in synagogues, he would be kicked out immediately.
Tong mentioned why John the Baptist rebuked Herod, why not just keep his head low? @51:00
Korean saying: If you curse others, the curse began from your lips, it's with you first; and if he's not wrong, the curse bounces back to you.
Tong replacing curse to blessing back in Korean saying, better.
So why didn't John the Baptist do that? God's time is up.
If die before God's time, stupid. If after, coward.
v.38: From last part of Isaiah 52, to the first part of chapter 53 => Christology = The suffering servant of God. Singular, not plural as Judaism (paranoia) puts it. [My note: Isaiah 53:2 => Jesus was not handsome, not what Hollywood wants]
1860 began Zionism, founding father Theodor Herzl, in Vienna, same time as American Civil war, persuaded all Jews to strive to return to Israel.
1948, August, Britain approved, United Nations ok, Russia didn't object, Jews returned to Israel. In these decades since then, many amazing miracles: used to be quite dry in the past centuries but now rain season increasing year after year, Russia didn't object was also strange, land became fertilized, Arabs kept losing their wars against Israel, Nasser united Arab nations tried against them, failed.
By wisdom, Israelites dug their soil 5 meters deep to insert plastic covering before putting the soil back, to prevent rain water from escaping through the ground.
The Jews, they are so smart, most Nobel winners, but they got their Christology wrong.
Jews for Jesus mentioned, little effect.
By what confidence we refer this suffering singular servant in Isaiah 53 to Jesus? Because of one person = Philip: Acts 8:32
Tanks to Philip, Ethiopia became a Christian Nation.
Video 93: John 12:42-50
Muslims will not be converted based on 3 criteria:
1. Trinity - How can one be 3?
2. How can God be man?
3. How can someone's blood save the whole world?
Many Called, few chosen => Both of God's actions. Also shows even though God called, doesn't mean He will choose them.
Common grace, special grace. Arminians couldn't see God's action in the second stage (God chooses)
v.42: Rulers believed - important as they could manage the common people.
In the 20th century, Hudson Taylor's Inland Mission worked very hard in China.
In China, 1953 - all Inland Missionaries kicked out.
1960 - no more Western missionaries in China.
1966 - 文化大革命
1976 - Communism rejecting religion turned China into most barbaric of the world.
After 1979, many realized what was going on, many go overseas to study, including Deng Xiao Ping's son, studied Physics in University of Rochester, where in one Summer, he attended Bible study 5 times, until his people stopped him, even Tong tried to get him to come to rally but failed.
Tong (40 years old) answered some old Chinese (60+ years old) professors in Wisconsin once: Is evolution where Christian persecuted science?
Answer: Evolution's main text, Darwin's Origin of Species used so many IFs which is not scientific already, 2ndly, Entropy 熵. If so, evolution foundation is shaky. The professor said if I can solve this, I will believe Jesus regardless of persecution, because it is truth.
Tong: There is hope in China now.
In Boston once Tong was ordered to preach to a special group of elites of 30 ppl. No recording nor would they attend his rally due to privacy. Just like verse 42.
These are like: Nicodemus, Naaman, etc. Use wisdom, patience, to treat them. In faith they are very willing, in life, it's tough for them. They are weak in that. They play safe.
John's harsh conclusion for them:
v.43: for they loved the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God.
(At GCC, Pastor Chris kept on with this notion of there's no judgment for believers such that your sins will not be revealed, for this, I fear that if I were to ever work with him at holy level, I would need to confront him of this first, lest I warn and discipline in my evangelism and he suddenly becomes an obstacle)
事奉的攔阻，很多時候是你太注意人對你怎麽回應而來的。
不可分心，盡心盡力討主喜悅。
v.44: Search how many times Jesus CRIED OUT in Gospel of John. Compare to your own cry out how many times. Why in evangelism we don't usually cry out? only when we are angry, we cry out with all our will. Check why/when Jesus talk standing, sitting, shout loudly, then you will know where you are wrong spiritually, differ from Jesus in which.
This affect children in parenting as well. When parents shout in small matters, the child is confused, concluded wrongly. When he did wrong, the parent didn't discipline. All upside down.
The child never learn anything, only can copy the selfish anger attitude.
要知道小事小聲，大事大聲。
耶穌教訓人，終是坐下。
耶穌講道，站起來。
耶穌論神性人性中保地位，喊叫。這再一次 here. Also in John 7:28,37.
v.45: Know that I am God. Important doctrine, hence Jesus shouted.
John had to deal with Gnosticism, alone, because Peter, Paul had gone more than 20 years. Not surprising only John in this book using most of these special terms: Love, Light, Life, Logos, only Son.
v.46: against Gnostic's dualism in light vs. darkness.
不住在黑暗里。: hear but do not receive, 罪上加罪。
v.50: 我所讲的话正是照著父对我所说的: From God, not of Jesus his human self.
On Soul: Animal and man's soul are not the same:
Ecc 3:21 谁知道人的灵是往上升，兽的魂是下入地呢？
Wrong interpretation in Chinese, both 灵 and 魂 are the same word in Hebrew, spirit = 灵
Jehovah's Witnesses even view it this way: It's a question in the verse, nobody knows. They are wrong.
The question is indicative: Do you know this fact?
True meaning: 下 = buried in the Earth, finished, not judged; 上 = Return to Jehovah, see God, judged by God.
Animal/human soul/spirit: That which cannot be seen as material. For animal, basically spirit = life/life force.
上帝的形象樣式 = 跟永恆，道德，責任，審判，罪惡，思想，真理 有關聯的。
Look up Tong's book on 形象樣式
v.47-48 Jesus will return to judge, but not now.
v.49-50: Per the Father - 叫我说什麽，讲什麽。 神道裏有永生之命令之惡應許。講道的人要在傳聼的人看到在神的話語裏有永生的盼望，命令，應許。It's from God, completely according to His will, you will be judged accordingly. Done, no need to debate further.
對世界人的話講完了。13章開始，内部造就，對門徒的話。First half of John done.
Chapter 13
Video 94: John 13:1-11
@6:20
What is the key of Christian Faith/The criteria and standard of Christian belief = Soteriology in Pauline Christology
The Roman Catholics added more than that, that is unnecessary.
Post-Modernism threw away necessary parts.
Cults misinterpreted most important parts.
@18:34
v1: 他既然爱世间属自己的人，就爱他们到底 - Love but couldn't stay - like the husbands saying goodbyes to their wives and going to battlefields.
If you doubt Jesus' love from time to time for you, come back to this verse. When you're deserted, widowed, forgotten, abandoned by others, etc. Remember this verse.
@27:05
Washing of feet: humbling of Jesus. Eat normal dinner first, then supper after.
@28:14
Judas was involved in the first meal. Then Jesus sent Judas away, Judas had no part in the last supper.
OT: covenant founded on created blood.
NT: covenant founded by creator's God in flesh, 2nd person, the Son's blood. Founded in the last supper.
@35:41
v27: God doesn't need Judas in His plan, same thing as predestination, God doesn't need us to choose Him first. Satan enter his heart = Satan planted the desire, Judas bought it.
@45:58
Jesus as God doesn't need to inherit all things.
Psa 2 (ask of me...), 1Corinthians (all things under His feet...), John: All mentioned Father gives the Son all things.
The Jews do not see that.
@49:55
All authority given to the Son. We as believers have this right and authority as children of God. We should preach and command people to repent with such authority. We have the right to rid the demons, different than healing which is gift of God. A preacher's authority is higher than the authority of the whole world. Therefore, Jesus responded to Pilate's authority for freeing him. Jesus showed no miracles to Herod.
Such is the true spirit of Christians, preachers. Seminaries cannot teach you that.
@1:02:21
v6: Peter always love to talk. Sometimes go from best student (You are Christ!) to worst (Satan get behind me)
Peter was like John the Baptist: 你洗我的脚吗？
What Peter did not necessarily showing his love/faithful for Jesus, could actually be rude.
@1:06:58
v7: 我所做的，你如今不知道 Obey first. Don't think you must always understand everything before hand.
@1:18:10
v9: Peter very slick at talking.
v12: 我向你们所做的，你们明白吗？
彼此洗脚的道理。
Video 95: John 13:4-20
@4:05
Contrasting Matthew 5-7 with John 13-16
-Both were important words for His disciples.
-Beginning of the ministry 登山宝训(in Matthew), end of ministry, last words 临别赠言 (in John)
@6:05
v1: On Love of God
Tong: Couldn't find better words than Melanchthon: In heaven, my first question is to ask God: Why did you choose me?
Your first sentence shows who you are, where your wisdom lies. Young with young (what school?), adult with adult (how many kids?), old with old (what pills you take?)
@15:25
v6-10: Peter's response just like John.
@19:20
v8: 我若不洗你，你就与我无分了. Peter 問得很合理。耶穌回答：脫離你邏輯，傳統捆綁。
Peter wanted to be part of his idea of Messiah kingdom at all cost.
@21:11
v10: 脚代表行爲。身已經潔净了-耶穌已經潔净你了，以道潔净你(Joh 15:3 你们因我讲给你们的道，已经乾净了)
身的經潔净 表示 新生命成聖。
脚的經潔净 表示 新生活成聖。
@23:55
v11: Judas - feet clean (by Jesus) but his heart not clean. Like those who looks like Christians but not so in their hearts.
Many nonbelievers feel good about their good acts, and even look down on Christians who didn't do so.
@26:20
v12: What was Jesus asking?
行爲的問題。
They already have the orthodox knowledge of Christ. Giving Him the right title.
@29:54
v13: Chinese don't call their father by name. Americans call by name sometimes also shows intimacy.
If you are truly teacher, master, etc. don't fake humility. Own it.
@37:14
v14: 學習不要用詭詐來代替謙卑。如果人把該稱呼你的給你，“我本來就是！”，不要客氣。你一客氣，就是説謊。
Where did Jesus' title (Lord, teacher, etc.) come from? Not from men, from above.
Jesus: I'm from high above and do this to you...can you do it? 你们也当彼此洗脚。
@43:10
v15: Don' just look and listen without truly being moved to move. Where is the imitation of Christ?
Will you still preach at 70 years old like me ~Tong
v17: 你们既知道这事，若是去行就有福了。
你的霛性不在乎聼，知，信，講道有多少。在乎行道有多少。
v16: Students washing each others' feet is still not enough. Jesus' example is the higher level washing the feet of the lower level!
Kungfu masters only pass down 90% to students...eventually last student knows nothing.
Peter's death (sinner and died, etc.) vs. Christ's death (holy man and died, etc.) not the same. 仆人不能大於主人，差人也不能大於差他的人
v18: 同我吃饭的人 Indonesian idiom: enemies under the blanket. There are enemies within. musuh dalam selimut
Communism: There's no bad students, only bad teachers. <= Half correct. If so, Jesus failed Judas. Correction: 要应验经上的话 Jesus picked Judas not because of needing this task to be completed by him, but: To show that those even with given the best opportunity, may still be stubborn enough against repentance. Refute those who kept saying God did not given them opportunity to believe/repent.
The below 2 points stand against: God is either all powerful but not all good or He's all good but not all powerful.
1. When someone hardened his heart rejecting the Lord, it's useless despite of any opportunity.
2. So that those who are betrayed but yet truly serving God to not be disappointed. For such was what Christ faced.
v27: What you want, do it quickly
(Proves against "the last temptation of Christ")
This is not God's plan 計劃: the election of Judas.
神主權的任憑，不是主權的計劃。
計劃，安排，許可，任憑 - 上帝的四層主權。
@1:12:40
Jesus talks about his own death, they were not interested, only interested in the kingship.
只想聼應許的話，好話；不想聼受苦的話。
@1:14:15 - @1:15-13
禱告 Meditate on it.
Video 96: John 13:21-30
v1: 他既然爱世间属自己的人，就爱他们到底
In the beginning of this chapter, starting "love" in verse 1, 耶穌啓示人對他的愛，和他對人的愛，是完全不一樣的。
@4:29
No other religions, cultures, philosophy said this: God is Love.
These 3 only in Bible: God is Light. God is Love. God is Spirit.
@8:18
知所先后，则近道矣
John's sensitive to 先后问题. We love because he loves us first.
Biblical 先后问题 - 以神为本。
v20: 有人接待我所差遣的，就是接待我 = John 5:24, John 12:44
v20-21: 耶稣说了这话，心里忧愁.。。这话 = 我实实在在的告诉你们，有人接待我所差遣的，就是接待我；接待我，就是接待那差遣我的
Sending is active of from the Father. My love for God is passive first then active.
@16:45
Jesus was very 不满意 how men treated Him.
天生万物以养人，人无一物以报天。。。杀杀杀杀杀杀杀
@18:37
v21: 25 times "VERILY VERILY" in Gospel of John.
Since 20th century, when Money becomes commodity, our economy is in danger, human hearts become corrupt. Tong never play stocks, nor lottery, and not likely Credit Card.
2380 years ago Aristotle: money from sweat is valuable, money earned from using money is despicable.
Your descendants would only have: 有价钱观，没有价值观。 重价钱，轻价值。
钱当钱卖，合法但不合理。
犹大 = 把人当货物来卖。(First economy "genius" in history). Very innovative. Original creativity.
@37:40
v22: They really were clueless. Judas held this secret for 3.5 years about his betrayal/motive/heart.
@39:50
v23: John referring to himself - some scholars disagreed in error. Matthew wrote about himself in the same way Matthew 9:9-10 the "unnamed" one hosting a feast was Matthew. In the same way, Mark did the same: Mark 14:51-52 - the young man who fled naked. They all did not reveal their names.
@44:48
John's the youngest but also the hottest tempered. Peter is second. Luke 9:54 (James' involved as well). 最没有爱心，最想报仇的。
All kinds of disciples Jesus had, from John to Judas.
Therefore, John became the one who knew Love most => God is love. John 13:1, etc.
@51:50
当耶稣基督被抓的那一夜，约翰的紧紧跟随主，彼得的远远跟随主。约翰门徒里面最撒娇的。Dan Brown's Da Vinci Code got it wrong about John, with his wild creativity of John=Mary and Jesus' relationship. Leonardo Da Vinci also drew John and Jesus' spacing wrongly in The Last Supper.
@54:25
Peter and John probably thought - Once Jesus became King, they each would have special position (treasurer, minister of xyz, etc. Luke 22:24) until Jesus revealed his betrayal.
Da Vinci got it right with Peter holding a knife in the Last Supper. Peter has knife = must be a important person who is allowed such weapon in public.
Jesus did say sell your cloth to buy a knife - But He was referring to spiritual "knife".
v25: second time in Jesus' bosom. First time in v23. John listened to Jesus' answer in a secretive way, so unlikely the others heard it.
John was the one who truly knows who that was.
[Chrysostom: For had Christ made him known perhaps Peter would have killed him...But why didn’t John know? Because he could not conceive how a disciple could fall into such wickedness]
[Calvin and many didn't think John knew either, based on "No One Knew" I guess. Even I myself was open to the fact that John was clueless especially maybe he got distracted when Jesus said to Judas "do it quickly".] Tong however, could be right instead, that only John knew and "no one" refers to the rest of the folks, probably include Peter as well for there wasn't time for John to pass the answer back to Peter.
[Those on Tong's side on this interpretation that Only John knew: Albert Barnes, Believer's Bible Commentary, Baker's NT Commentary, John Gill, John Courson, Matthew Henry, etc.]
[I'm more on Tong's side now, I was wrong to slightly think otherwise. Those against usually use verse 28: 同席的人没有一个知道...but they forgot the last part "是为什麽对他说这话". All disciples perhaps including John, did not know what Jesus meant by "do it quickly", but it doesn't mean that John did not understand what Jesus told him - whom I dip...is the traitor.]
[I would also add that some believe that Judas TRULY thought he was doing the right thing, are invalid. Because if so, he wouldn't make it so secretive. He may have reasoned himself so, but he fooled himself, like many today, trying to serve two masters - God and Mammon, yet denying it - insisting that they serve only God, hence they could only entertain their greed in secret before the saints]
[Another issue is how to harmonize all 4 gospels on thisMatthew 26:20-27, Mark 14:18-23, Luke 22:1-23, John 13:18-13. Did Judas participate in the Last Supper? Because Luke's at odds with the rest: Matthew and Mark did not mention but based on John's clarification, one could assume Judas left between verses in Matthew and Mark's passage, didn't mention doesn't necessarily mean didn't happen. Judas likely was not present when the Last Supper was instituted. There's also the keyword: Guard the Last Supper - meaning not for the unregenerated/non-elect]
v27: 吃了 giving bread to a person is an act of intimacy. Since Jesus only gave it to him. It's unlikely He gave to everyone else. But Judas ate it to stubbornly show he and Jesus were on good terms.
God did not use Judas for this betrayal. "What you want...do..." instead of "What Father wants, you do".
Same as John 8:44: Sin from the sinner himself. God is not the cause.
(Roman Catholics love to attack the Reformation's study on God's grace, God's sovereignty, God's decree, must all be fulfilled: Your are making God the source of evil. The reason for Satan, for sins. Already solved by Melanchthon) God is neither the cause nor the source of evil.
Augustine's Romans 3:23 - Sin is not self existing by itself, it's not Gnosticism's dualism (Good and evil). God is ever existing, sin is not, sin is the lacking of God. Darkness is the lack of light, darkness is not self-existing.
Dualism 二元论 from 700BC from Persia, then to Gnostics, then to Mani, which Augustine fell for 10 years once.
v27: 撒但就入了他的心 - Search when Satan wishes to enter your heart. Judas ate in agreement to Satan = happy to do what God gave up him.
Pray with the fear of God - If God permit, don't be too happy too quickly.
Thank God for preachers rebuking you, using Law to prevent you, did not answer many of your prayers. Otherwise, go to seminary of prosperity gospel to die.
Video 97: John 13:29-35
v27: Judas lost his freedom completely because he gave into Satan who's waiting for this. We lost our will 主权 when we think we are our own lord 以为自己做主时.
v22: Is it I Lord? Those who worry, afraid if it were they, they could not easily commit such sin. Like those who with fear of height, would be careful not to fall. Only Judas asked last, cannot conceal himself in his words - Rabbi...is it I.
God does not allow the fake to completely imitate the real. The Lord was not in Judas' heart, Satan took advantage of it.
2 true relationships Jesus was to Judas: Creator and apostolic dispatcher.
Eastern Orthodox & Roman Catholics believe their mysticism 奥秘 exceed us. Orthodox focus on the mysterious supernatural relationship between Christ and us. We believe rationality exceeds theirs.
我在被造之中，蒙救赎，就免审判。
Eastern Orthodox: no sermons, no chairs. Pray, choir. Boy sing and holding smoke, leading priest. 不同的亲近上帝. Dark sanctuary.
@27:34
On Union with Christ:
Roman Catholics, solemn sanctuary matching architecture with their theology.
Protestants, easier to speak in sanctuary.
Charismatic, shout at God.
Lutheran church: congregants surrounding all 4 sides of preacher. (Christ in the center, fellowship...problem is some see the back of the preacher=imbalance fellowship)
Methodist: pulpit on the side. (direct view of cross, no one can be in the middle)
Presbyterian, Baptist: pulpit in the middle. (through the word)
What about churches where congregants sit higher than the pulpit.
@41:00
Christ and the Fine Arts book mentioned. Too bad only black & White.
Tong really wish to find this piece form the book, which is not in any public institutes: The Corruption of Judas - Hermann Prell.
[I saw it went for $2,500 on Ebay authenticity unknown]
When Judas took the bread, it's likely he heard Jesus' answer to John. [The only issue I guess, minor, but debatable, is if everyone heard Jesus' answer to John or just John]
v31: What's the connection: Judas' departure vs. 如今人子得了荣耀?
Many Christians cannot tell the difference between God and God's glory. Cannot connect glory to suffering, only glory and success.
Consider why Roman Catholics, Eastern Orthodox, believers remain the same number, while the protestants left Christianity.
When Holland's reformed affected by liberalism, many left Reformed and return to Catholics: Because forget rational thinking, go back to faith => Tong disappointed.
v32: Suffering connected to glory. This is not the only place in the Bible for such connection. Many from OT. Though the disciples did not get it yet.
Acts 4: Glory connected to persecution.
At the Cross Hymn.
@1:05:50 We are no better than Judas.
New Vid #103: @1:04:00
Many high learning seminaries are useless. Very deep analysis but very narrow minded. Doesn't even know how to deal with exorcism.
Tong started Q&A since 1961.
@1:07:00 Though we may not articulate in rich dialectical methodology（辩道学的方法论）, we may lack apologetic spirit (卫道精神）as good and precise (理论严谨）as those great theologians in high seminary training. So we do practical apologetics, Prof. Chen Li Wen from Oxford/Cambridge in our DC seminary, thanked Tong that though he taught one class, he learned two classes.
New Vid #105: @13:00
Tong once agreed to Ravi Zacharias' rally, but pulled out when realized he also invited a lot of charismatics figures. Many churches disappointed at Tong, they didn't know Tong also disappointed at them. It's not about the numbers: tolerating relativism 相对论, anti-absolutism 非绝对论, pluralism 多元论.
@31:00
Tong shared his born again moment through the revival of a reformed missionary who did work in China. Tong treated him as his spiritual mother, who claimed that he could determine if you are saved from the first 10 sentences: 词句，讲话，态度，含义. The Bible didn't reveal, Martin Luther mentioned that it's hard to tell, if we can tell if anyone is saved. We now know Judas is never saved.
@38:34
v30: When you leave a sermon in the midst after a couple of sentences you do not like, don't think you're rejecting God, it could be God rejecting you - that you will never listen to his Word.
Judas sold Jesus was not God's plan, it's what Judas wanted.
@42:36
On treasurer. Jesus gave Judas opportunity to show his wickedness. But this is not to look down on treasurers: manage well. [Money management is just like management of other aspects of life, money has more to do with credits, how we credit those who deserves and do not take credits where we do not deserve, etc.]
Don't let money overtake our plan. If need be, start from zero again.
Judas = greatest mind among economists = sold his own teacher.
New Vid #106: @42:36 Trick question: Which is better? Use our love to others to love God, or use our love to God to love others? Neither.
v34: Not as YOU have loved ME, that Ye also love one another. Our love to the Lord always changes, ulterior motives, not eternal.
Today John 12:13 "blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord"; Tomorrow "Crucify him!"
Chapter 14
On the Holy Spirit, Chapter 14 - 16
The only place, third person introduced by the 2nd person.
New Vid #107: @46:00
v6: Paul Tillich: The appearance of Jesus Christ in history stops all the search for religions in the world.
New Vid #108: @1:02:00 on Impeccability of Christ
The point of the Devil's temptation is for man to sin. Tong: If he couldn't sin, then all these victories are fake. Logically speaking, Jesus could sin; ontologically speaking, he is impeccable. [I think those denying peccability of Christ may tend to not understand or experience what these victories are, these spiritual battles of the servant of God depending only upon the Holy Spirit]
New Vid #111: @27:00 On Peace of Christ
Peace is just like a dead man. Tong mentioned internet scandals about him.
@30:00 Tong met a robber while trying to preach to his rickshaw driver - peacefully gave the robber the watch but playfully said "you know you are a sinner, not good to keep sinning, God loves sinners, you must repent, shouldn't keep doing that, etc.". Awkward for him, Tong sent him away with his watch. Opportunity to preach to both. Tong was 21, beginning of his ministry, full of peace. 心志的力量大過他雄心野心的力量。After which, the driver was shivering, preached to him also.
New Vid #111: @41:40 On Painting: Jesus' face looking upward peacefully, before crucifixion. B/W version.
Check The Christian Fine Arts book. Might be in there.
@45:30 We are sent as lamb into wolves. Not like today's American missions, work in poor area but American salary.
@51:50 Arts command the right (or wrong) emotion in worship, servitude of God. Painting of Christ's ascension - how did He look? Raffaello mentioned. His painting of Christ looking down full of mercy rather than looking up to heaven as He ascend.
v28: 你们若爱我。。。就必喜乐@1:03:04 Tong counseled widow who blamed God for her husband's death: couple too blessed, blame God when one taken; not too blessed, blame God for not taking the other away. Learn from Job, we're so used to what's given that when taken, we became disgruntle.
v30: @1:18:20 Temporarily, Jesus died not under AUTHORITY of death but its experience, territory. If under its Authority, how could He defeat the devil who had power over death?
Chapter 15
New Vid: #114
@23:35 Tong shared how he cut his own hair all these years.
@24:40 Fuzhounese idiom: 做别人的工 = 学自己的义。
New Vid: #117
@15:40 Error by Josh McDowell's book: 铁证待判 Evidence Demand a Verdict: God's truth set before sinners to judge. Should be reversed. Sinners are not judges of God's truth. God judges sinners.
Chapter 16
New Vid: #118
@21:00 Faith is prior to sight, experience, knowledge. John 11:40 你若信，就必看见神的荣耀
@29:00 Charismatics defined as: Don't want doctrine, just want grace and blessings => Prosperity theology.
@31:00 Two means of how the Holy Spirit brought Logos from Heaven to Earth: 1. Bible 2. Jesus Christ
v8:
@44:10 The Holy Spirit causes: One rebuking oneself for sin, righteousness and judgment. One who knows to laugh at himself is not prone to be crazy.
Chapter 17
v12-16
New Vid #126:
v12: 你所赐给我的名保守了他们
Who are the saved?
@11:40 Nelly "Dewort"? the Dutch missionary that made Tong (17 years old) to attend the retreat and converted, Who knows if someone is saved or not within 10 sentences of conversation.
v14: 不属世界
@30:00 一个国家的衰退：信仰破产 > 真理破产 > 伦理破产 (working morale breaking down) > 经济破产
@32:00 Tong criticized buy stock market/shares. Nobody wants to work hard. Like today's Greece, and then Spain. That's why Margaret Thatcher didn't want to join Eurozone (not the same as EU - European Union)
v15: 保守他们脱离那恶者
@36:00
Consider Lot's case. First time recorded in the Bible where someone is raped after drink's being spiked. Lot by his daughters.
Chapter 18
New vid. #132
v15: It is impressive that John is known by the high priest. This may have relevant as to why John's mother asked Jesus for the favor of sitting her sons on His left and right.
Chapter 19
New vid #135:
v.5: "Behold the man" = Ecce Homo
v.11: the foundation of Romans 13.
v.17: [Jesus carried His own cross out of His own will; while criminals carried their own instead of refusing to carry, out of fear of whipping, pain, torture]
New vid #136:
v.19: King of the Jews - Pilate purposely insult the Jews. Nazareth = from the root of David.
v.20: 3 languages = for the world
v.21: The Jewish leaders have no more authority.
New vid #137:
v.24: Therefore, Jesus was very likely completely naked.
v.25: why mostly women who came, where are all the men? Women are brave. John 18:16 - John brought Peter in, John must be quite well known.
v.26-27: I marked the address in Turkey for The House of the Virgin Mary. Why Jesus didn't ask his siblings to care for mother? Tong didn't mention. Some said they had yet to believe at the time.
v.28: dehydrated possibly through sweat, not because of heat, but the distress of the body.
v.29: He tasted but did not drink it (Matthew 27:34). Jesus accepts our care and love for Him, but he would not allow Himself to die in anesthetic (the effect and purpose of the vinegar) bliss.
v.30: (John didn't mention Jesus' last quote: Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit). The Death of Death in the Death of Christ - John Owen. Jesus was never under the power of death, but the other way around.
New Vid. #138
v.31: The bodies are not usually taken down the same day of crucifixion. Usually after 2-5 days, that the bodies truly were dead. Only Jesus could command His own last breath.
Jesus was on the cross from 9am to 3pm and died.
v.33: [One can tell from paintings of the piercing of Jesus, whether the other two's legs were broken already, and you'll know if the artists were careful in their Biblical study]
@44:30 Posse non peccare vs. non posse non peccare - Impeccability of Christ/ours mentioned. Tong was same as R.C. Sproul in that Jesus could sin, or else His obedience was irrelevant. Could Jesus' body be effected by cancer? Tong leaves it for us to think. He thinks it's Jesus would never be sick. 3rd question: Was Jesus' death same as us? (since his leg wasn't broken). So these 3 questions: Could Jesus sin? Could Jesus be sick? Could Jesus' body rot after death?
v.38: Pilate listened to Joseph of Arimathea but not the Jews (v.22)
v.41: No one had yet been laid. Very unique.
v.42: Some rich guy gave Tong a great place as tomb, Tong told him to remove it.
Jesus' crucifixion reveals everyone's secret faults - Pilate, the Jews.
Richard Pratt: Jesus is the one in history who holds nothing for himself.
@48:00 Tong mentioned again that Jesus' body was not created. This again touches on Jesus' dual natures.
New Vid#: 139:
v.38: man of wealth, disciple of Jesus, and a member of the Sanhedrim (Mat 27:57; Luk 23:50)
Many Reformed looked down on those not reformed, many evangelicals look down on those who do not dare to testify as witness. Don't do that. God used these. Peter, John couldn't do anything, but they prevented Jesus' body from corruption.
Tong spent some time talking about the robber that received salvation.
Jesus is both priest and king already shown in Zec 6:13 It is he who shall build the temple of the LORD and shall bear royal honor, and shall sit and rule on his throne. And there shall be a priest on his throne, and the counsel of peace shall be between them both."
I thou relationship not originally from Martin Buber, not from Kierkegaard, but from Bible: Between Jesus and the thief.
Chapter 20
New Vid#: 140 Chapter 20:1-13
v.8: Emphasis on "believe".
v.8-9: Believed Jesus' quote, but don't truly understand yet.
v11: Many women made idol of their emotion. They will not listen to anything else because her emotions are absolute truths to her.
@59:00 Kierkegaard: God is here, but we debate about Him as third person, as if he's not here. Mary treated the one who saved her from demons just as a normal human being, not the Lord from above. She saw only her own tears as her sufferings.
v15: What is the reason for cry (more important)? We are usually not interested in, we are interested in the feeling of crying. We value our own self-pity. Also reflect how how many times and why Jesus use the address "woman". You are mere human, I am God. Compare why Jesus cried with why we cried. Jesus cried before Lazarus' not because of his love for Lazarus and his death (it would not be consistent for the One who holds the authority of life and death to do so), but because the harden hearts that wish to kill Him after Lazarus' resurrection.
We are like that as well: We often see Jesus as someone to solve only our Earthly problem, in this temporal world.
New Vid#: 141 Chapter 20:14-18
v.8: 看见就信了。 From 3 kinds of faith: 1. See then believe (John's), 2. No need to see, already believe, 3. No need to see, don't want to believe.
Mary vs. the two guys: Women focus more on emotion, men more on rationality.
v.17: Just like how many grabbing religious relics.
Just like Napoleon's tomb in Les Invalides, the "church" that's built not for Christ's resurrection, but for Napoleon's memorial: Musée de l’Armée, or
Mark's body in St. Mark's Square in Venice [I can't believe I wasn't aware of it when I was there]
But God didn't allow Moses' body to be left in the world. Nor Jesus'.
Mary here needed a physical presence to be satisfied. So Jesus prevented her.
3 special different Mary's: 1. gave birth to Jesus, 2. anointed Jesus (Bethany), 3. told others of Jesus (Magdalene)
@26:00 Tong mentioned the decision in choosing young people (perhaps Michael Liu) to do some great things, to favor, did Jacob do wrong by loving Joseph? Many don't dare to blame God, so blamed Jacob, Joseph, etc.
To be continued @27:30...
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