1: After
this there was a feast of the Jews and Jesus went up to Jerusalem 2: Now
there is at Jerusalem by the sheep market a pool which is called in the Hebrew
tongue Bethesda having five porches 3:
In these lay a great multitude of sick blind crippled atrophied waiting for the
moving of the water 4: For an angel went down at a certain season into
the pool and troubled the water whoever then first after the troubling of the
water stepped in was made whole of whatever disease they had[1] [2] 5:
And a certain man was there which had an infirmity [weakness/sickness] thirty
and eight years 6: When Iesous saw him lie and knew that he
had been now a long time in that case he asked him Will you
be made whole 7: The sick man
answered him Sir I have no one when the water is troubled to put me into the
pool but while I am coming another steps down before me 8: Iesous
said to him Rise take up your bed
and walk 9: And immediately
the man was made whole and took up his bed and walked and on the same day was
the Sabbath 10: The Jews therefore said to him that was cured It is the Sabbath
day it is not lawful for you to carry your bed[3] 11:
He answered them He that made me whole the same said to me Take up your bed and
walk 12: Then asked they him What man is that who said to you Take up your
bed, and walk 13: And he that was healed knew not who it was for Iesous
had conveyed himself away a multitude being in that place 14: Afterward Iesous
found him in the temple and said to him Behold you
are made whole sin no more lest a worse thing come unto thee[4] 15: The man departed and told the Jews that
it was Iesous who had made him whole[5] 16:
And therefore did the Jews persecute Iesous and sought to kill him
because he had done these things on the Sabbath day 17: But Iesous
answered them My Father works till
now and I work 18: Therefore the
Jews sought the more to kill him because he not only had broken the Sabbath but
said also that Theos was his Father making himself equal with Theos[6]
19: Then answered Iesous and said to them Amen, amen I say to you The Son does not dynamai ou do poieo
any [thing] oudeis by himself [alone] but that which he sees the
Father bring forth For whatever it is [that] He does this also the Son does in
the [exact] same way[7]
20: For the Father loves the Son and shows him all things that he does
and he will show him greater works than these that you may marvel 21:
For as the Father raises up the dead and brings them to life even so the Son brings
to life whom he will 22: For the Father judges no one but has committed
all judgment to the Son 23: That all should honor the Son even as they
honor the Father [they that] honor not the Son honor not the Father who has
sent him 24: Amen amen I say to you [they that] hear my
word and believe on him that sent me have everlasting life and shall not come
into condemnation but are passed from death to life 25: Amen amen
I say to you The hour is coming and now is when the dead shall hear the voice
of the Son ho Theos and they that hear shall live 26: For as the Father has
life in himself likewise kai also houto(s) commits[8]
didomi to the Son to have life in himself 27: And commits didomi
[to him] authority to execute judgment also because he is the Son of Audawm 28: Marvel not at this for
the hour is coming in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice
29: And shall come forth they that have done good unto the resurrection
of life and they that have done evil unto the resurrection of damnation 30:
I can of mine own self do nothing[9]
as I hear I judge and my judgment is just because I seek not mine own will but
the will of the Father who has sent me 31: If I bear witness of myself
my witness is not true 32: There is another who bears witness of me and
I know that the witness which he witnesses of me is true 33: You sent to
John and he bore witness to the truth 34: But I receive not testimony
from audawm but these things I say
that you might be saved 35: He was a burning and a shining light and you
were willing for a season to rejoice in his light 36: But I have greater
witness than that of John for the works which the Father has committed to me to
finish the same works that I do bear witness of me that the Father has sent me 37:
And the Father himself who has sent me has borne witness of me You have neither
heard his voice at any time nor seen his shape 38: And you have not his
word abiding in you for whom he hath sent him you believe not 39: Search
the scriptures for in them you think you have eternal life and they are they
which testify of me[10]
40: And you will not come to me that you might have life 41: I
receive not honor from audawm 42:
But I have known you that the love ho
Theos you have not in yourselves 43:
I am come in my Father's name and you receive me not if another shall come in
his own name him you will receive 44: How can you believe which receive
honor one of another and seek not the honor that comes from the only God 45:
Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father there is one that accuses you
even Moses in whom you trust 46: For had you believed Moses you would
have believed me for he wrote of me Galatians 3:24 47: But if
you believe not his writings how shall you believe my words Luke 16:28-31
[1] The Bible is full of what this writer
calls out-of-the-box moments or
events. These are anomalies, if you will, that don’t fit with established
theology and are treated (for the most part) by traditional theologians as only
interesting stories. In reality, these are treasure troves of information about
the greatness and compassion of our God and give glimpses into the limitless
ways he provides for the needs of his creation. Why was only one person at a
time—only the first person to step in when the waters moved—healed? Could that
be an example to God’s people to unhesitatingly act when we understand God is
moving on our behalf? The pool of Bethesda
was an out-of-the-box example that presents more questions than answers to
those who belong to Christ but still has much to teach about faith, obedience,
and not limiting God by theology or our own finite understanding Proverbs
3:5
[2] It can be inferred from reading this
account that it was an absolute dependable fact that the first person to step
into the water while it was being stirred by the angel was going to be healed. This had obviously never failed. It was a fact
of faith. There is something to be learned in this account about how God
teaches his people to follow his leading in faith. Note that those who sought
healing at the Pool of Bethesda were
required to wait until the water was stirred up (moved) before stepping in.
This calls to mind the Israelites who were not permitted to break camp until
the Pillar of the Cloud moved Exodus 40:36-37. There was never any
explanation given as to why they had to encamp for up to two years at times before
moving on. It was simply a matter of
trust and obedience. In other scripture accounts, the armies of Israel were
required to wait until they received certain signs from the LORD before going
out to battle 1 Chronicles 14:15. All of these accounts had to do
with God’s timing and the faith and obedience of his people. Healing comes from
the Lord, and, according to many Bible promises, belongs to God’s people.
Christians have a scriptural right to ask for and to expect healings from God. Jesus said, healing is “the children’s
bread.” Christians are children of God. But all healings from God come in his
time and on his terms John 9:1-7. No one dictates to the Almighty
how he should perform his Word. There are no formulas or rituals involved in
petitioning God to meet our needs according to his promises. Our part in the
process is only to ask, believe, and obey. The Pool of Bethesda serves as an example and reminder of this.
[3] The Jews who objected to the man
carrying his bed on the Sabbath likely knew full well of the great miracle that
had just taken place. They had religion, but they did not have faith. True
religion would have rejoiced at what God had just done, but the religion
practiced by the Jewish sects of the Pharisees and the Sadducees prevented them
from rejoicing when God performed miracles. In fact, their religion caused them
to hate God even as they went around affecting piousness. James wrote that true
religion loved people and provided for their physical needs, but the false
religious piety of the Pharisees and the Sadducees (both sects were a
combination of both religious and political power) would have left this man
sick and afflicted for the rest of his life, whereas faith said, “You are made
whole” and lovingly warned, “Go and sin no more.”
[4] It is politically incorrect these days
to make any connection between sin and sickness, but Jesus did so, and he is
our ultimate authority on any subject. Is all sickness or physical
affliction/infirmity a result of a sinful lifestyle? No, Job is proof of that.
His afflictions were a direct result of a Satanic attack. The man born blind in
John chapter nine is also proof that all sickness is not caused by sinful
choices. When the disciples asked who had sinned, this man or his parents that
he was born blind, Jesus’ answer was, “Neither.” However, this was not the case
with the man at the Pool of Bethesda.
Jesus specifically associated his affliction with sin the man had personally
committed, and admonished him not to return to his old ways lest something even
worse that what he had endured for the past 38
years came on him. Yes, God forgives
sins. Yes, God heals the sick. But this man was required to suffer the
consequences of his sins for 38 long years.
Out-of-the-Box moment: It is notable that Jesus had mercy on
the man in spite of the reason for his sickness. He sought him out and met his
need for healing even before addressing the sin that caused the affliction in
the first place. Then, because of love, he sought him out again and warned of
the dire consequences if he returned to his old ways.
[5] The religious leaders of the Jews in
those days held fearful power over the lives of those in the Jewish community.
The woman set up to be caught in adultery and dragged before Jesus to be stoned
is proof enough of that. This man who was healed likely reported back to the
Jews out of fear more than anything else.
[6] Jesus not only claimed to be equal with
God by saying God was his father, but later, in John 8:28, he made a clear
statement claiming to be God. The “he” in John 8:28 is a translator addition and is not
found in the original. Jesus clearly claimed Jehovahistic identity when He
identified Himself as the “I AM” of the burning bush. The Jews had no
such oxymoronic issues as complementarian (female subordination) teachers have
with qualifying degrees of equality which do not exist. One cannot have
equality and hierarchy at the same time. The two concepts are mutually
exclusive.
[7] This was a statement of absolute unity
between the man Christ Jesus and The God Christ Jesus—who all of the fullness
of the Godhead dwelt in physical form Colossians 2:9—and is not be
taken as any declaration of subordinate status on the part of Messias
Iesous.
Early English Bible translators lived under monarchies which were in turn
controlled by Popes—essentially creating Roman Catholic theocracies. Thus, their
entire world view was comprehended through the lens of hierarchy. This
hierarchal bias was reflected in many of the word and phrase choices they made
during the course of their translating activities. Even
though many modern translators have never lived under a monarchy/theocracy,
they have failed to recognize and remove the ancient pre-suppositions of those
who did, and who inserted their views into the general understanding of the
Holy Scriptures, via both translation and commentary. Their ancient perceptions
were then passed down to the modern reader unchallenged. Aside from
translator bias—often unintentional but bias nonetheless—there are many textual
reasons this statement of Jesus should not be construed as alluding to a
hierarchal relationship within the Godhead, not the least of which is the fact
that Iesous
is YHWH—Jehovah God—Himself.
The hierarchal, and highly misleading theory, of the 1st , 2nd
, and 3rd persons of the Godhead (which has passed to modern
Christians through the false doctrines of Eternal Generation and Eternal
Procession) have unduly influenced virtually all Bible translators to support
the theory of hierarchy within the Godhead ever since John Wycliffe gave us the
first complete English translation of the Holy Scriptures. The Council on
Biblical Manhood and Womanhood (CBMW) rest their case for inequality between
women and men entirely on the alleged
hierarchy within the Godhead. In support of hierarchy between the sexes,
Charles Stanley wrote that if God the Father was not the leader of the Godhead,
then complementarians had no basis for teaching gender-based
subordination (A
Man’s Touch, Victor Books, Wheaton, ILL,
1988).
As there exists no
textual evidence (only easily refuted
gender-biased-English-translation-theology) that the Father is the leader
within the Godhead, this writer states that, unequivocally, complementarians
have no basis for teaching
gender-based subordination.
The London Confessions, issued by Baptists in the 17th
century sought to correct the Arian nature of earlier Church creeds, and after
three attempts, felt they had succeeded in their statement which left the
doctrine of the One, yet Triune, God intact while admitting to the
impossibility of any mortal to logically explain it: “1. The Lord our God is but one God, whose substance is in
Himself; whose essence cannot be comprehended by any but Himself; Who only hath
immortality, dwelling in the light, which no man can approach unto; Who is in
Himself most holy, every way infinite, in greatness, in wisdom, power, love,
merciful and gracious, long suffering and abundant in goodness and truth, Who
gives being, moving and preservation to all creatures. 2. In
this divine and infinite Being, there is the Father, the Word, and the Holy
Spirit, Each having the whole divine essence, yet the essence undivided; All
infinite without any beginning, therefore but one God, Who is not to be divided
in nature, and being, but distinguished by several peculiar relative
properties.” The London Confession, Final Edition, 1652
[8] Other than in his humanity, human flesh
which the Great God of Heaven condescended to assume when he came to earth to
redeem us by being born of a woman, Jesus is not subordinate to any power in the universe. And even in
his humanity—which, since his birth, death, and resurrection, is perpetual—all power in heaven and earth has been surrendered (not given [as in a gift] from the Father) to Jesus. At His
resurrection, the power of death was forced to surrender itself to the Son of Audawm who is also the Son of God.
[9] Even Jesus, in his humanity as the Son
of Audawm, depended upon his Father
for every aspect of his earthly
ministry. He condescended to became like us in every way, so that he could save
us, have compassion on us, intercede for us. This does not diminish the fact
that he is the Almighty. All the
fullness of the Godhead dwells in him in physical form.
[10] The scriptures of the Old Covenant
testify of Jesus! They were relevant then, they are relevant now, and they will
be relevant forever.
About the Author: Jocelyn
Andersen is best known for her book, Woman Submit! Christians & Domestic Violence. For more information about her work, visit her website at www.JocelynAndersen.com
Untranslated Words in this Chapter or
passage of the HHBC
Amen G281 When used at
the beginning of a discourse, it means truly or assuredly; When used at the end
of a discourse or prayer, it means so be it, let it be so: The word
"amen" is a most remarkable word. It was transliterated directly from
the Hebrew into the Greek of the New Testament, then into Latin and into
English and many other languages, so that it is practically a universal word.
It has been called the best known word in human speech. The word is directly
related — in fact, almost identical — to the Hebrew word for
"believe" (amam), or faithful. Thus, it came to mean "sure"
or "truly", an expression of absolute trust and confidence. — HMM
Audawm The phonetic
spelling and pronunciation of the Hebrew (H120) adam. In the HHBC, when H120 is used in reference to groups of both
females and males, or of the human race in general, the phonetic spelling of “audawm”
will be used. In both Old and New Testament commentary in place of androcentric
translation such as mankind or human race, the phonetic spelling
of audawm will be used.
The word “Adam” will be used only
when the text is specifically referencing the first male.
Ho G3588 definite
article corresponding to: the; this; that. Other usages include: of; etc.; who;
which
Iesous Pronounced
Ee-A-Soos G2424 translated Jesus: Yeshua
is the Hebrew name, and its English spelling is “Joshua.” Iesous is the Greek transliteration of the Hebrew name, and its
English spelling is “Jesus.” Thus, the names “Joshua” and “Jesus” are
essentially the same; both are English pronunciations of the Hebrew and Greek
names for our Lord. For examples of how the two names are interchangeable, see
Acts 7:45 and Hebrews 4:8 in the KJV. In both cases, the word Iesous refers to the Old Testament
character Joshua
Messias G3323 pronounced
Me-say-us or Me-sy-us: Messiah; Christ; Savior
Theos G2316 Deity; god; The reason the word, Theos, is largely left untranslated in
this commentary, is to put to rest erroneous teaching that the word must be
prefaced by the definite article, “ho,” in order to be referring to Yahweh. In fact, most New Testament
scripture references to Theos are not
introduced using the definite article, “ho,” but even so, it cannot be argued
when the Almighty is being referenced—especially in the case of John 1:1, where
John, a Jew who would never commit blasphemy by following anyone who was called
“A” god, calls Jesus God. John was specifically stating that Jesus is YHWH
[Yahweh].
YHWH H3068 (without vowels—Hebrew has no vowels) known as
the Tetragrammaton) Yahweh; Sometimes translated as Jehovah; The true name of
the name of the Almighty, known to scholars as the Tetragrammaton, the correct
pronunciation is, Yahveh.” This
pronunciation has never been lost, according to Jewish scholar, Kaufmann
Kohler. In the HHBC, any New Testament citing of the Hebrew Tetragrammaton from
an Old Covenant source will be treated as Hebrew. The letters YHWH will be used
in the verse in place of LORD.
Special Features of the HHBC
1. The main body of scripture text in this commentary is based on the Received Text (Textus Receptus) of the NT and the Ben Chayyim Masoretic text of the OT as found in the Original *Strong’s Concordance, 1894, by James Strong, and compared diligently with the work of respected scholars.
2. **Archaic language is updated in most cases, but The AV is followed unchanged where the language and sense of the translation is clear to the modern reader.
3. Where a Hebrew or Greek word has no good English equivalent, the original word is left untranslated, in italics, and, in some cases but not all, with the *Strong’s Greek [G] or Hebrew [H] reference number notated beside it (see list of untranslated words below).
4. Where the Old Covenant is quoted in the New Testament, the Hebrew words may be used and left untranslated
5. In New Testament quotes of Old Testament that include the word “Lord” in referring to Jehovah [YHWH], the word LORD will be capitalized
6. Proper names and the names of God are often left untranslated
7. The names and titles of God are in bold print
8. The words of Jesus are in bold print
9. Scripture cross-references are noted in line with the text
10. There is little punctuation used in the main body of the scripture-commentary text
11. Brackets [ ] indicate alternate rendering or short commentary
12. Longer commentary is located in footnotes
*20th Century editions of this work, such as, The New Updated Strong’s, and, The Strongest Strong’s, are not referenced in the HHBC as they do not correspond to the Textus Receptus or the Ben Chayyim Masoretic Text this commentary is based upon.
** Historically loved, poetic and extraordinarily beautiful, passages of the King James Version, such as portions of the Psalms and Beatitudes, etc., will be left largely unchanged except for where updating archaic language would not interrupt the poetic flow.
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