The Bible

 

John 1:12

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12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:

Commentary

 

Explanation of John 1:12

By Brian David

Christ washing the feet of the apostles.

In the Bible, someone’s name represents all of their qualities, their character and attributes as a whole. So people who "believe on the Lord’s name" are not just accepting that He is who He is; they are seeing Him as God, believing in what He taught and adopting it into their lives. And since Jesus represents the divine truth, or the deepest expression of the Lord’s love, it means that we today can become "sons of God" if we open ourselves to the Lord’s love and all it teaches us, and practice that love toward others.

And what is a "son of God"? It does not mean that we will be what Jesus was, but it does mean that we will be what the Lord hopes for us to be. The case is this: When we are born of our parents, we inherit a spectrum of spiritual weaknesses and challenges, places where we are subject to temptation. But if we open ourselves to the Lord and follow His teachings, we can eventually be "born" again, with the evil desires stripped away so that we can live in peacful, loving joy to etenity. This is what is meant here by "sons of God" – if we receive the Lord and follow him we can become angels, dwelling in eternal happiness.

(References: Arcana Coelestia 1608 [2], 2531 [4], 8409 [3], 9241, 9454; Teachings about the Lord 18 [5]; The Apocalypse Explained 151 [5], 745 [4])

Commentary

 

296 - The Nexus, Part 1 of 5: The Problem

By Jonathan S. Rose

Title: The Nexus, Part 1: The Problem

Topic: First Coming

Summary: How can the infinite be meaningfully connected with finite human beings?

Use the reference links below to follow along in the Bible as you watch.

References:
Genesis 46:31-34
Judges 14:1-3, 20; 16:4
Isaiah 53:3
Daniel 2:31-35
Matthew 8:18-20; 21:33-41
John 1:1-5, 10-12

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Spirit and Life Bible Study broadcast from 3/22/2017. The complete series is available at: www.spiritandlifebiblestudy.com