-By General Jim Green- 11/21/23
I want to follow up on Jesus’ statement, “If ye continue in My Word, then are ye My disciples indeed” – Jn. 8:31
As we’ve learned, the “if’ clause is the antecedent (anything logically preceding, logic the part of a conditional proposition that states the condition); the “then” clause is the consequent (anything that follows, a conditional proposition, following as a result of) John 8:31 is a typical “if”/ “then” clause.
The background of Jesus’ saying was the swift change from belief to vehement hostility. Within a few verses His “believers” are denounced, the ones who “believed in Him” (Jn. 8:30, 31), the very ones who later in the narrative “took up stones to throw at Him…” (v.59).
Prof. K.S. Wuests’ The New Testament, an expanded translation (Greek text) reads:
“Then Jesus was saying to the Jews who, having believed Him, were at the moment maintaining that attitude of faith, As for you, if you remain in the Word which is Mine, truly, My disciples you are. And you shall know the truth in an experimental way, and the truth shall make you free.” – Jn. 8:31, 32.
The very same “believers” said to Jesus that He had a demon (vv.48, 49).
A Little Greek for you
In. v.30 – “As He spoke these Words, many believed on Him (Greek, “πίστεψε σε Αυτόν”) mean “believed in Him.” In v.31 the literal translation is “Who had (past tense) believed Him” (που Τον είχαν πιστέψει). So, if we observe this distinction in meaning, the previous paragraph ends with the report that many of Jesus’ hearers put their faith in Him. The next paragraph refers to a section who had accepted His Words, but had not made full surrender of faith, these, like those disciples (Jn. 6:60, 66) who were REPELLED by a “hard saying” and withdrew from His company, failed to CONTINUE in [His] Word.
Try presenting Jesus as the “Lion” as opposed to the “Lamb” in today’s sin loving Church. See what kind of reaction you get! They too will call you (me) a devil!!!
Did you know that many who say, “I love Jesus,” are fakes, flakes, & snakes? They “love Jesus” as long as His “hard sayings” are kept silent. True discipleship involves constancy, i.e., “Continue,” as learners, & that gains the promise of knowledge of the TRUTH & FREEDOM. IF however, this distinction of meaning cannot be maintained, THEN we should have to assume that the “many” who believed in Him were easily shaken in their faith.
May I remind my readers of what Jesus says in Jn. 15:6, “If anyone does not ABIDE (continue) in Me, he is cast out as a branch & is withered; & they gather them & throw them into the fire, & they are burned!”
What does this tell us?
The allegory of the “vine” & the “branches” shows us the mystical union between Christ & the Christian. CONTINUED dependence upon Christ Jesus is the CONDITION not only for fruitful service, but even for CONTINUED life. Verse 6 harks back to v.2 – “Every branch in Me that beareth not fruit He taketh away (in a fairytale “Rapture”?): & every branch that beareth fruit, He purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.” In short, “no pain, no gain!”
What do we see? The vine dresser (Father) REMOVES the UNFRUITFUL & PRUNES (lit., “cleanses”) the rest to make them more fruitful.
Are we ready for the “Sword that Cuts & the fire that Burns?”
The original Greek (Jn. 15:6) reads:
“If anyone is not maintaining a living communion with Me, he is thrown outside as the branch is & was caused to wither. And they gather them & into the fire they throw them, & they are burned.” There are those who tenaciously hold to “once saved always saved,” meaning that once “in Christ always in Christ,” they can live like a devil in unbelief and still go to Heaven. Or “once in the vine (or a branch) always in the vine.” (one should read Greek N.T. like Maulton & Milligan (vocabulary of the Gk. Testament); Biblico–Theological Lexicon of N.T. Gk.; A Greek – English Lexicon of the N.T.; Liddell & Scatt’s Gk – Eng. Lexicon (classical) in ref. to the issue of “Hell Fire” (is it “eternal,” i.e., “never ending,” or a limited period of time: (Gk. “aion”/ “aiónios” (see also Grimm – Thayer N.T. Gk.) what did Jesus mean, “… and cast them into the fire, & they are burned.”? (Jn. 15:6).
Back to Jn. 8:31
Jesus distinguishes between the TRUE disciple & the FALSE disciple. He uses such words as (Gk.) στα αληθεια = “truly” & is parallel to the (Gk.) πράγματι = “indeed.”
How many “believers” have salvation (crossing the border – from the land of the damned – into the land to the living only to remain just across the border, never going on to possess the WHOLE land? Jesus makes it clear that we’re to CONTINUE on with Him… to press on to obtain the fulness, not remain a new born babe, but to grow up into the full stature of Christ (see Eph. 4:12-15 “… may grow up in all things into Him who is the head – Christ.,” v.15. There is NO WAY to “grow up” (mature) unless we CONTINUE in Him/with Him. Jesus uses the “if”/ “then” clause (Jn. 8:31), “If ye continue in My Word, then are ye my disciples indeed” (ἀληθῶς) (see Strong’s # (Gk.) 230 & 3689).
So, the “if”/ “then” clause is very important. If we love Him, then we will continue in/with Him.
The Gospel of Christ challenges those who are living in the land of the damned; likewise it challenges the believer to continue… finish his/her course. Are we half saved or wholly, totally saved?
Jesus died to set the captives FREE. Show me a sinner that is not a SLAVE. Goethe put it, “no one is more of a slave than he or she who thinks himself/herself free without being so.”
If we decide to sit on our butts and go no further, then we will risk our very salvation. Tell me what happened to those Jews who once believed in Him but threatened to kill Him after He exposed their disobedience? Ponder A.D. 70!