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John 4

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1 When therefore the Lord knew how the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John,

2 (Though Jesus himself baptized not, but his disciples,)

3 He left Judaea, and departed again into Galilee.

4 And he must needs go through Samaria.

5 Then cometh he to a city of Samaria, which is called Sychar, near to the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph.

6 Now Jacob's well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied with his journey, sat thus on the well: and it was about the sixth hour.

7 There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water: Jesus saith unto her, Give me to drink.

8 (For his disciples were gone away unto the city to buy meat.)

9 Then saith the woman of Samaria unto him, How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans.

10 Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.

11 The woman saith unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: from whence then hast thou that living water?

12 Art thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle?

13 Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again:

14 But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.

15 The woman saith unto him, Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw.

16 Jesus saith unto her, Go, call thy husband, and come hither.

17 The woman answered and said, I have no husband. Jesus said unto her, Thou hast well said, I have no husband:

18 For thou hast had five husbands; and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband: in that saidst thou truly.

19 The woman saith unto him, Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet.

20 Our fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship.

21 Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father.

22 Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews.

23 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.

24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in Spirit and in truth.

25 The woman saith unto him, I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things.

26 Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am he.

27 And upon this came his disciples, and marvelled that he talked with the woman: yet no man said, What seekest thou? or, Why talkest thou with her?

28 The woman then left her waterpot, and went her way into the city, and saith to the men,

29 Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ?

30 Then they went out of the city, and came unto him.

31 In the mean while his disciples prayed him, saying, Master, eat.

32 But he said unto them, I have meat to eat that ye know not of.

33 Therefore said the disciples one to another, Hath any man brought him ought to eat?

34 Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.

35 Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I Say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest.

36 And he that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal: that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together.

37 And herein is that saying true, One soweth, and another reapeth.

38 I sent you to reap that whereon ye bestowed no labour: other men laboured, and ye are entered into their labours.

39 And many of the Samaritans of that city believed on him for the saying of the woman, which testified, He told me all that ever I did.

40 So when the Samaritans were come unto him, they besought him that he would tarry with them: and he abode there two days.

41 And many more believed because of his own word;

42 And said unto the woman, Now we believe, not because of thy saying: for we have heard him ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world.

43 Now after two days he departed thence, and went into Galilee.

44 For Jesus himself testified, that a prophet hath no honour in his own country.

45 Then when he was come into Galilee, the Galilaeans received him, having seen all the things that he did at Jerusalem at the feast: for they also went unto the feast.

46 So Jesus came again into Cana of Galilee, where he made the water wine. And there was a certain nobleman, whose son was sick at Capernaum.

47 When he heard that Jesus was come out of Judaea into Galilee, he went unto him, and besought him that he would come down, and heal his son: for he was at the point of death.

48 Then said Jesus unto him, Except ye see signs and wonders, ye will not believe.

49 The nobleman saith unto him, Sir, come down ere my child die.

50 Jesus saith unto him, Go thy way; thy son liveth. And the man believed the word that Jesus had spoken unto him, and he went his way.

51 And as he was now going down, his servants met him, and told him, saying, Thy son liveth.

52 Then inquired he of them the hour when he began to amend. And they said unto him, Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him.

53 So the father knew that it was at the same hour, in the which Jesus said unto him, Thy son liveth: and himself believed, and his whole house.

54 This is again the second miracle that Jesus did, when he was come out of Judaea into Galilee.

   

Commentary

 

Explanation of John 4

By Rev. John Clowes M.A.

Explaining the Inner Meaning of John 4

Verses 4:1, 2, 3, 4. That the Lord perceived from his Divine principle in what manner the perverted church was offended at his teaching internal truths, and their prevalence over external, and that thus purification was effected by the truths derived from good, therefore he again applies himself to plant the church amongst the Gentiles.

Verses 4:5, 6. And first amongst those who are principled in interior truths, in connection with interior spiritual good, thus with the Word, from which instruction is given in the things of love and charity, after a state of spiritual labour.

Verses 4:7, 8. That on this occasion, they who are principled in the affection of good in that church seek instruction in truth, and this from divine dictate, to the intent that from the doctrine of truth they might appropriate good.

Verses 4:9, 10. They are therefore inquisitive concerning the divine dictate and its requirements, not being aware of the operation of such a dictate, and are accordingly instructed that it is from the Divine Humanity of the Lord, who is the source of every truth of good, and who imparts such truth to those who apply to him for it.

Verses 4:11, 12. This however appears incredible to those, who believe only in the letter of the Word, and who therefore do not see that all the Jewish patriarchs were representative of the Lord, and that all the instruction they received from the Word was in consequence of its connection with his Divine Humanity.

Verse 4:14. Therefore they are further instructed, that the truths of the Word can never become full and living and eternal truths in man, until they are seen and received as one with the divine truth, which is the same thing as the Lord's Divine Humanity.

Verse 4:15. And in consequence of this instruction, they are led earnestly to desire the knowledge of the interior truths of the Word.

Verses 4:16, 17, 18. But are further taught that such interior truths cannot be apprehended, until conjunction of good and truth be formed in the intellectual principle, which conjunction was at present not genuine or legitimate.

Verses 4:19, 20, 21, 22. 23. Hence they perceive that the Lord in his Divine Humanity is the source of all truth, and hence they are further instructed that representative worship is to cease, because it is a worship unattended with intellectual light, and that it is to be supplanted by a worship grounded in love, and enlightened by wisdom, which worship leads to conjunction with the Supreme Good.

Verse 4:24. Because God is divine love and wisdom in a human form, or in a Divine Humanity, and therefore none can worship him acceptably but from that love and according to that wisdom.

Verses 4:25, 26. That it is revealed to those of the church who are in the affection of good, that divine truth will be manifested on earth in a bodily form, to impart instruction, and they are further taught from the Word, that the Lord in his Divine Humanity is that truth, in union with the Divine Good.

Verse 4:27. That with those who are principled in truth, the establishment of the church amongst the Gentiles appears strange, and they are afraid to inquire into the purpose intended by it, or the manner of its accomplishment.

Verses 4:28, 29. But they who are in the affection of good, when they have received instruction in truth, form their lives accordingly, and testify by doctrine that the divine truth is manifested as a man, who is thus omniscient, and acquainted with all the purposes and thoughts of man.

Verse 4:30. Which testimony is received in the church, and thus the Lord is approached in his Divine Humanity.

Verses 4:31, 32, 33, 34. For to the end that he might be so approached, he from divine love glorified his Humanity, or made it divine, by submitting it to the government of the divine good in himself, until divine truth in himself became divine good.

Verses 4:35, 36. And thus a spiritual church was established which was in the affection of truth, and by virtue of that affection, in heaven, and thus conjoined with the Lord in his joy.

Verse 4:37. For the Lord dispenses truth and its affection, to the intent that the church may thereby attain to the heavenly good of love and charity.

Verse 4:38. And may thus appropriate to itself all the good things of heaven and of the Lord, himself.

Verses 4:39, 40. They therefore, who are principled in spiritual good, acknowledge the Lord in his Divine Humanity, from a belief in his omniscience, and Seek and attain conjunction of life with him.

Verses 4:41, 42. And are thus taught, not by external teaching only, but by the testimony of the divine good and truth in their own minds, that the Lord in his Divine Humanity was the predicted Redeemer and Saviour of mankind.

Verses 4:43, 44, 45. That the Gentiles are again instructed in the truth, which is rejected by those of the perverted church; and that they receive instruction, and become a church, being convinced of the omnipotence of truth.

Verse 4:46. And that thus their natural ideas of truth become spiritual, but as yet not fully conjoined with good.

Verse 4:47. Therefore supplication is made to the Lord in his Divine Humanity for assistance, and that they may be preserved from the influence of evil love.

Verses 4:48, 49, 50. This supplication, however, does not proceed from a genuine but from a miraculous faith, nevertheless it is granted, and thus a genuine faith is implanted.

Verses 4:51, 52, 53. And its conjunction with charity is acknowledged in all the lower principles of life, and seen to be the effect of the reception of the divine truth proceeding from the Lord's Divine Humanity, which is the source of genuine faith.

Verse 4:54. Thus the church amongst the Gentiles was confirmed in the faith, not only by observing that their natural ideas of truth were become spiritual, but by experiencing also the conjunction of truth with good, or of faith with charity, resulting from their belief in the Lord's Divine Humanity.

Commentary

 

#116 How does the lens through which we read Scripture affect our reading?

By Jonathan S. Rose

Title: How Do You Read? (Glasses)

Topic: Word

Summary: How does the lens through which we read Scripture affect our reading?

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

References:
Luke 10:25
Matthew 13:9, 13, 28, 23, 51; 15:10, 15; 16:9, 11, 22
Mark 7:8; 8:17-18, 21; 12:29, 32
Luke 24:45
John 12:39-40
Romans 1:21, 29, 31; 3:10
1 Corinthians 13:11; 14:20
2 Corinthians 4:3-6
Ephesians 1:16-17; 4:17-23
Colossians 1:9, 12, 14-15
1 Timothy 1:5
2 Timothy 2:6-7
Hebrews 11:1-3
2 Peter 2:12; 3:16
1 John 5:20
Revelation 13:18
1 Corinthians 2:13-14
John 3:16
Romans 3:28

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Spirit and Life Bible Study broadcast from 11/14/2012. The complete series is available at: www.spiritandlifebiblestudy.com