November 6, 2023 • 35 mins
Ready to embark on a fascinating journey through the scriptures? As your hosts, Ken and Steve, we promise an in-depth exploration of John 8:31-38, where Jesus engages with the Jews who believed in him. We discuss his teachings on discipleship and freedom, analyzing the reactions of the Jews and challenging you to ponder your own in their place. Plus, we mix things up with a playful critique of the movie, White Christmas!
Moving on to weightier matters, we dissect Jesus's daring claim of deity status, and his audacious response to the Jews who accuse him of being a Samaritan and demon-possessed. We delve into the profound implications of Jesus' statement "before Abraham was, I am", and illustrate how his assurance of eternal life refers to spiritual, not physical, death. As we wrap up, we throw down a Bible study gauntlet on John 9 for you. So, grab your Bible and gear up for an exhilarating exploration of these compelling scriptures!
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Episode Transcript
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Ken (00:08):
Hi, you are listening to the Regular Guys Bible Study
Podcast.
We are your host, Ken and Steve, and we are just Regular Guys
studying the Bible.
Steve (00:21):
Not theologians.
Ken (00:22):
That's right.
Hey, hey, hey, steve, hey Ken,hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey,
hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey,how you doing Regular Guys?
What's a really long intro.
Did you change it?
No, I didn't change it, I juststarted talking early.
Steve (00:33):
Oh, okay, so it kind of threw me off there, I noticed.
Ken (00:44):
I was yelling, trying to get over it.
Yeah, yeah, so, um, alright, sohere we are, we are doing John,
chapter eight, the second half.
What did he eat?
Steve (00:57):
the second half of.
Ken (01:04):
You know I'm really slow.
My brain is not active.
Okay, hold it Brain Activate.
Form of oh gosh, eagle.
Steve (01:18):
You know that cartoon is so old that I bet, I bet Ryan
doesn't even know what thatwould refer to.
Ken (01:28):
They don't know who Ryan is .
Steve (01:30):
No, but you do, yeah, and he's in his thirties, late
thirties, I don't know how oldhe is.
Ken (01:37):
But yes, you're right, a lot of people you know what,
though?
I think my kids know that, andmy kids are in their early
twenties.
Huh, I'm surprised.
Nope, I raised my kids theright way On eighties garbage,
exactly.
Um, if you are lost in this,just look up wonder twins.
(01:59):
Activate on any Google search.
And all makes sense.
I'm sorry, I meant to say Bingsearch or chat.
G, g, p.
Is it GPT or GTP?
Gpt, gpt what does it stand for?
Steve (02:17):
I knew you were going to ask that I have no idea.
Ken (02:20):
All right, well, let's go ahead and get started on John,
chapter eight, verse 31.
So Jesus has been talking inthe temple, he was in the
treasury, and the very lastthing that it says, as he was
saying these things, manybelieved in him.
All right, so that'sinteresting.
(02:42):
I want you to remember thatmany believed in him.
So let's see.
Steve, why don't you readthrough 38?
.
Well, just read until it makessense to stop.
Steve (02:58):
So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him this is
the many who believed.
Ken (03:04):
Yes.
Steve (03:05):
If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples and
you will know the truth, and thetruth will set you free.
They answered him.
We are offspring of Abraham andhave never been enslaved to
anyone.
How is it that you say you willbecome free?
Jesus answered them.
Truly.
Truly, I say to you everyonewho practice sin is a slave to
(03:27):
sin.
The slave does not remain inthe house forever.
The sun remains forever.
So if the sun sets you free,you will be free.
Indeed, I know that you areoffspring of Abraham, yet you
seek to kill me because my wordfinds no place in you.
I speak of what I have seenwith my father and you do what
(03:47):
you have heard from your father.
I think that's a good place tostop.
All right, we can stop there.
Ken (03:55):
I have several things.
Steve (03:56):
I want to point out All right, go ahead.
Ken (03:58):
Pointy head person.
Oh, that's so rude?
Steve (04:01):
Yeah, all right.
So, first of all, many believedin him and he's talking to the
Jews who had believed him andhe's saying in the second
paragraph there that they he'sbasically saying they aren't
(04:24):
really his disciples.
Ken (04:29):
Oh, he hasn't said that yet has he.
Steve (04:32):
Well, he says if you abide in my word, you are truly
my disciples and you will knowthe truth, and the truth will
set you free.
And then they go on to say well, we're not slaves, we're sons
of Abraham.
They seem to have forgottenabout Egypt.
Ken (04:45):
They also seem to have forgotten that they are not free
.
Steve (04:50):
I mean, they're not slaves but they're under the
Roman Empire right, which is whythey're looking for a Messiah
in the first place.
Ken (05:01):
Some people believe that the Messiah is going to set them
free from the Roman Empire.
Yes, so they were a verythey're very offended by this,
weren't they?
Steve (05:12):
They seem to be, which strikes me as weird, but I guess
I've heard this all set youfree from your sins, slave
things, all my life, so itdoesn't offend me.
Ken (05:24):
That's true.
So if we have some empathy forthese people, can we?
Is there any way we can thinkabout that in an empathetic way
and put ourselves in thatposition?
How would we consider?
What do you think we would?
How do you think we wouldrespond?
Steve (05:50):
Hmm, I'm trying to think of similar things without
offending anyone.
Listening to this, no one'sgoing to be listening oh good
point.
So one thought I had was if wewere compared to homeless people
(06:13):
, maybe we would take offensebecause we've never been
homeless, or maybe as drugies orsomething like that.
Ken (06:25):
Yeah, okay, the drugies would be our, something we did.
But homelessness can happen Topeople not on their own accord.
Steve (06:40):
And I see yours, because slavery, you don't choose to
become a slave.
Yeah, yeah, generally speaking,generally.
Ken (06:47):
Oh well, I mean there is the bond-servant thing, but
which can be a mutual agreement.
Steve (06:58):
Mutual, I'm sure.
Ken (07:00):
Hey, it's almost time for that.
That special movie that I loveso much White Christmas Is that
what that is?
Yeah, that's white Christmas,that is it All right, so so, um,
what else you said.
There were a couple of things.
Is there something else?
Steve (07:23):
um.
The other was, I think, thatthey forgot about Egypt and how
they were slaves or at leastthey're their parents between
them and Abraham were slaves inEgypt.
Ken (07:37):
Okay, they make a big deal about being, uh, offspring of
Abraham, don't they?
Um well, they go on into thenext part, Yep and we're gonna
see some of that again, um, butWell, I'll, I'll get to my other
question later.
Um, let's read the next sectionthen.
(07:58):
Uh, this is um, all right.
So he just um Said I speak ofwhat I've seen with my father
and you do what you have heardfrom your father, um, and
they're claiming their father'sAbraham and they answered him,
father.
Very good sort of I don't know.
(08:20):
All right, that's enough.
That's enough of that.
All right, I'm gonna startreading in verse 39 they
answered him Abraham is ourfather.
Jesus said to them if you wereAbraham's children, you would be
doing the works Abraham did.
(08:40):
But now you seek to kill me, aman who has told you the truth
that I heard from God this isnot what Abraham did.
You are doing the works yourfather did.
They said to him we were notborn of sexual immorality.
Okay, I want to stop rightthere.
Steve (08:59):
I don't see where how they made that leap.
That's like.
Ken (09:03):
What is that?
Is that because Abraham sleptwith um, his, uh, the wife's
maid?
Servant wife's maid servant.
Is that what that comes from?
You are doing the works yourfather did, but that makes?
Steve (09:31):
No, I don't think that that's it.
Ken (09:33):
Yeah, I don't either.
This is not what Abraham did.
Steve (09:35):
You were doing the works your father did.
Ken (09:39):
And they know, but they know who that, who that is.
Somehow they know that this isnot Abraham.
Steve (09:53):
Oh, you forgot to put do not disturb on your phone.
Ken (09:56):
I did forget to put do not disturb, but I silenced it
quickly.
Um so, somehow they took thisleap.
They said to him we were notborn of sexual immorality.
We have one father, even god.
(10:17):
Jesus said to them If god wereyour father, you would love me,
for I came from god and I amhere.
I came not of my own accord,but he sent me.
Why do you not understand what Isay?
It is because you cannot bearto hear my word.
You are of your father, thedevil, and your will is to do
(10:38):
your father's desires.
He was a murderer from thebeginning and does not stand in
the truth, because there is notruth in him.
When he lies, he speaks out ofhis own character, for he is a
liar and the father of lies.
But because I tell you thetruth, you do not believe me.
Which one of you convicts me ofsin?
(10:59):
If I tell the truth?
Why do you not believe me?
Whoever is of god?
Here's the words of god.
The reason why do you not, youdo not hear them, is that you
are not of god you sit on athrone of lies.
Steve (11:19):
Yes that's coming up too.
Ken (11:21):
That's true.
If you don't, yeah, if youdon't know, that's elf, that's
very good, steve.
Steve is really getting intothe spirit.
The holiday holiday spiritbecause it's the day after
Halloween.
When we're recording this, itis and oh, you know what's
(11:43):
interesting about Halloween?
I heard they had like things onthe news and talking to people
and people are saying, oh,halloween, it's my favorite
holiday, they're okay.
There's a couple of things withthat.
Steve (11:55):
first of all, it's not a holiday holiday comes from the
words Holy and day.
Ken (12:04):
Okay, even if you don't take it by the that literal
meaning, it's not a holiday, itis a.
I still got mail yesterday.
I got mail yesterday.
I had to go to work yesterday.
People go to work on Halloweenand it's.
(12:25):
It's does have a special day onthe calendar, but it's not a
holiday.
Yeah it's an event.
It's a yearly event.
All right for sharing that, soit just irritated me, I'm sorry.
Steve (12:42):
Okay, so let's get back to yeah okay.
Ken (12:45):
So Do you think?
When they said we were not bornof sexual immorality, they Knew
what he was going to say.
When he says you are the father, I mean you are of your father,
the devil.
He's saying the devil is theirfather.
Steve (13:06):
Yeah, but Even so, how did they make the leap to sexual
immorality?
Ken (13:15):
I do not know.
Steve (13:23):
Okay, so it was a really yesterday and today we're
closing out to another episode.
Thank you for watching.
Ken (13:35):
So he's saying you're not Abraham's children.
He's calling them a Samaritan.
Or he's saying you're callingus a Samaritan, and that's what.
Steve (13:49):
Oh see, I had a question about that, yes, and now it
makes sense.
To me it doesn't make sense.
Ken (13:53):
All right, there is something coming up where they
call Jesus a Samaritan.
Steve (14:00):
Okay, well, let's hold that then.
Ken (14:01):
All right, I think I understand a little bit better
now.
Steve (14:09):
So go ahead.
I was just saying what were theworks Abraham did.
Ken (14:17):
Abraham trusted God.
Steve (14:24):
And in Genesis 17,.
God gave Abraham his new namehe was Abraham before that and
the covenant of circumcision.
So I have to assume thatwhatever Jesus is asking of
these guys is way easier thancircumcision.
Ken (14:48):
Well, somewhere, I think it's talks about circumcision of
the heart.
Steve (15:00):
Yeah, but that doesn't involve a physical knife.
Ken (15:05):
Yeah, but I have to argue that physical pain is sometimes
much easier than the pain of theheart.
Steve (15:20):
If it goes away.
I agree with you.
Ken (15:23):
No, the physical pain.
Right, it's the foreskin.
It's floppy on the floor and itdoesn't even wiggle.
It's not like a dead fish, itdoesn't flop around.
Steve (15:36):
Or a chicken with its head cut off.
Ken (15:38):
No, it's not like that at all.
Steve (15:40):
So the rest of the chicken that runs around, not
the head that got cut off.
Ken (15:47):
Alrighty, never mind, I'm not, I'm not going to go there,
all right.
So now remember that thebeginning of this, Jesus is
talking to the people thatbelieved, these people who had
(16:08):
just started believing, right,so I haven't asked this question
in a while, but what does thistell us about Jesus?
Steve (16:27):
I would say it indicates to me that he sees straight
through to their heart, ratherthan what they claim externally.
I'll buy that, but clearly youhave a thought in mind and I'd
(16:48):
like to hear what that is.
Ken (16:50):
So it's kind of cheating, right, when I ask you a question
like that and I've alreadythought about it.
But that's what this is allabout.
It's about cheating, trying toone up the other person, and so
my thought is that Jesus here,he doesn't care about numbers.
(17:13):
It's not like he's looking foras many people to follow him as
possible, but it goes back toexactly what you said he cares
about the heart of the people,not about who you have got, I've
got.
Steve (17:29):
he doesn't want to put you where people follow in false
followers.
Ken (17:33):
Yeah, it's not.
He wants people following himfor who he is, and that is the
Christ, not because, oh great,good cough, steve, now I've got
to edit that out.
Okay, have fun with that.
I probably won't edit it,you'll just hear Steve cough,
(17:55):
it's because I'm lazy more thananything else.
All right, but at any rate, Ithink I think that's important
to realize that Jesus doesn'tcare about the number of people
following him.
It's all about the heart of thepeople who say they believe.
Steve (18:16):
Yep.
Ken (18:18):
All right, why don't you read this last section, steve?
Steve (18:22):
All right?
The Jews answered him.
Are we not right in saying thatyou are a Samaritan and have a
demon?
Jesus answered I do not have ademon, but I honor my father and
you dishonor me.
Yet I do not seek my own glory.
There is one who seeks it andhe is the judge.
Truly, truly, I say to you ifanyone keeps my word, he will
(18:46):
never see death.
The Jews said to him now weknow that you have a demon.
Abraham died, as did theprophets.
Yet you say if anyone keeps myword, he will never taste death.
Are you greater than our fatherAbraham, who died and the
prophets died?
Who do you make yourself out tobe?
Jesus answered if I glorifymyself, my glory is nothing.
(19:09):
It is my father who glorifiesme, of whom you say he is our
God, but you have not known him.
I know him.
If I were to say that I do notknow him, I would be a liar,
like you.
But I do know him and I keephis word.
Your father Abraham rejoicedthat he would see my day.
He saw it and was glad.
(19:29):
So the Jews said to him you arenot yet 50 years old and you
have seen Abraham.
Jesus said to them truly, truly, I say to you before Abraham
was, I am.
So they picked up stones tothrow at him, but Jesus hid
himself and went out of thetemple.
Ken (19:47):
Wow, that was a really good mocking voice you used there
Thanks.
I apologize.
Steve (19:55):
I didn't keep it throughout the whole thing,
though it's all right, you did.
Ken (20:00):
You know you did your best, steve, which you know it's not
great, but whatever.
Steve (20:08):
All right, and so now Samaritan thing.
Ken (20:10):
Yes, and I noticed something here when they accuse
him of being a Samaritan andhaving a demon because what does
Jesus answer?
Does he say I am not aSamaritan?
He does not.
He does not say I'm not aSamaritan, but he does say he's
(20:31):
not a demon.
He does.
He says I do not have a demon.
Why do you think he doesn't sayhe's not a Samaritan?
Steve (20:40):
Because he doesn't hold anything against Samaritans.
Ken (20:43):
I think that may be one reason.
I thought of another possiblereason I give up.
His father is not a Jew.
Steve (20:58):
Joseph's, not a Jew.
Ken (21:00):
It's not his father, that's his earthly father, but that's
he has no DNA from Joseph in him.
Steve (21:10):
True, but that wouldn't make him a Samaritan.
Ken (21:15):
I wouldn't, I think if a Jewish woman?
Okay, I need to look that up.
But if a Jewish woman has achild from a non-Samaritan
father, you mean a non-Jewishfather.
A non-Jewish father.
I don't know what that makesthe child.
Steve (21:37):
I don't think it's Samaritan.
Maybe not.
We looked up what Samaritanswere.
Yes.
Ken (21:44):
What did we find?
Stuff and things.
Steve (21:48):
You know it was people that intermarried with the other
people.
Ken (21:53):
That's right.
Yes, it was.
Steve (21:55):
You might be onto something there, but that would
make almost everyone Samaritan.
Ken (22:02):
Well, I guess only these days.
Steve (22:04):
Only half Jewish people would be Samaritan.
Ken (22:06):
Yes.
The rest would all be gentile,yes, but people can become Jews
and then marry.
True, but I just thought it wasinteresting because he didn't
say I'm not a Samaritan.
But I think you're right.
(22:27):
I think part of the reason isbecause he doesn't think that's
important.
Whether he's a Samaritan or not, it doesn't matter.
The only thing that matteredreally is that he doesn't have a
demon.
Ok, what else do you see inthis section?
Steve (22:54):
So the one place I had a note was on the Samaritan thing,
but I think for people that arenewer to the Bible, it's
important to point out that whenhe says truly, truly, I say to
you before Abraham was, I am, heessentially is claiming deity
status at that point, and theJews interpreted it as such and
(23:18):
that's why they tried to pick upstones and stone him.
Ken (23:22):
Yeah and yeah he did not.
This might be the first time,but it's definitely in the first
time in John where he says theI am statement.
We have not talked about thatbefore.
Steve (23:37):
He's made other claims of son of God status, but I don't
think he's done an I amstatement.
Yeah, I think the I am.
Ken (23:46):
What's interesting about this is that in this case he
uses the past tense beforeAbraham was and uses the present
tense I am, Because.
So that implies not only hedidn't say before Abraham was, I
(24:08):
was.
Steve (24:11):
It implies that he is and always was.
Ken (24:15):
Yes, which is what you were just saying.
That's right.
That's why it is deity status.
It's like not only was I, but Iam and I will be.
So yeah, I agree with all ofthat stuff, steve, thanks, all
(24:39):
right.
What about this?
Going back up into the to thesection he says truly, truly, I
say to you, if anyone keeps myword, he will never see death.
Steve (24:57):
Yeah, that's.
That's tough, because plenty ofpeople have died that believe
and trust in Christ.
But that's physical death.
I think here he's speaking ofspiritual death.
Ken (25:13):
Yeah, I think so too, and I think it's very obvious.
He even talks about his owndeath Before and now.
I mean, he doesn't talk aboutit right here, but he's already
talked about how he must die.
Let us, let me see if I glorifymyself.
(25:37):
My glory is nothing, and youknow, I think that's true for us
as well, even in daily living.
Well, no one likes a braggart.
Yeah, if you talk about howgreat you are.
Steve (25:55):
That's why no one likes you can.
Ken (25:59):
Huh, is that it?
Yeah, maybe I need to be evenbetter, yeah.
Steve (26:06):
Be so good that you don't have to point it out.
Ken (26:12):
I'll point that out.
Steve (26:15):
Ken's not a braggart.
Ken (26:17):
It's cuz I'm not that good.
Yeah, all right, shut up.
Steve (26:27):
I'm sure people love our banter.
Ken (26:28):
Yeah, that's great, all right.
So there I want to talk aboutverse 55, because I made a
comment, a couple of Biblestudies back, about Jesus when
he was going to the market no,the fair, or whatever his
(26:49):
brothers were.
They were asking if he wasgoing to the rodeo, and what did
Jesus say?
He said no.
He said he said no, now, I'mnot going.
And then he went and hisbrothers went off and then,
secretly, jesus went All right.
So and then verse 55 Hits hesays but you have not known him,
(27:14):
I know him.
If I were to say that I do notknow him, I would be a liar like
you, but I do know him and keephis word.
Your.
Oh Darn it.
That's not where it is.
Where is the liar and thefather of lies?
Steve (27:31):
Oh, was that in the previous section?
Ken (27:33):
Oh, darn it, I forgot to talk about that.
In verse 44.
Actually, he says you are ofyour father, the devil, and your
will is to do your father'sdesires.
He was a murderer from thebeginning and does not stand in
the truth, because there is notruth in him.
When he lies, he speaks out ofhis own character, for he is a
(27:56):
liar and the father of lies.
All right, so I claimed thatJesus Lied to his brothers when
he said he wasn't going to the,to the rodeo.
You did claim that, yeah, and Iclaim that it's not bad.
Steve (28:15):
You did claim that, but I'm not sure we recorded that
part.
Ken (28:18):
Yeah, we did.
Oh, we did so, and you know, Iknow that's controversial to say
, but you know, if you look, Iactually have since then looked
up what commentaries say aboutthat.
(28:38):
And there are words and stuffthere were words and stuff and
and I'm sorry but it's a bunchof excuses that I call malarkey
on their, their excuses and howthey get around.
What is a lie, sky it okay.
Steve (29:01):
Remember when Bill Clinton said Depends on what the
meaning of the word is, is yes.
Ken (29:10):
That's.
I felt like I was listening toBill Clinton explain.
The word is to me, so you know.
I don't really know how toexplain this, but I will say
this.
It is evident from All thatJesus says.
(29:31):
In fact he says, he says thisplainly Love the Lord with all
your heart.
That's the greatest commandment.
The second is like, like it,love your neighbor as yourself.
And then he says all the othercommandments, hang on these two
(29:51):
Yep.
So being a liar, that and andis different than telling a lie,
I agree, and if you you knowI'm not saying a white lie, or
(30:12):
you know I don't even know whatthat means.
Steve (30:14):
But there are times to lie where it.
It's better to lie than to notLike.
Think of the people that hidJews in the their attics, or
whatever like so.
Ken (30:29):
I've heard people say argue this so you don't think God
could have protected them ifthey didn't lie?
Steve (30:34):
I Think he could, but I don't think he would have so,
yeah, I there are I.
Ken (30:42):
I think it has to do with the heart.
I remember when my kids wereyoung and they would get caught
in a lie and I would have aserious talk with them about how
to lie right, no, about lying.
(31:03):
And the problem is, when youlie, you don't want to become a
liar and it it really has to dowith a heart that is a heart of
lying.
Steve (31:24):
It's also very difficult To lie all the time, because
then you got to tell lies tocover up your lie and you have
to keep track of all those liesand yeah, there's a veggie tale
about that.
Ken (31:37):
You didn't you know kids, so you didn't get to watch
veggie tales.
But you know what's?
What's funny is, a lot of thoseshows are actually really good
and I would have never had theopportunity to watch them.
But there's one about.
There's a veggie tales aboutlying, where the lie keeps
growing and growing and turnsinto a big monster.
(31:58):
I don't remember it well enough, but it was really good Anyway.
So I still maintain that Jesuslied, but not.
But I think he lied out of apure heart, just like.
Just like.
You know what, if I Werelooking for a new job, for
(32:22):
example, I'm not, but if I werelooking for a new job and my
boss were to come to me and sayand say, hey, are you looking
for a job?
You better not be looking for ajob.
Hey, I probably would just saynow, I'm not, I'm good, I've had
an employee.
Steve (32:37):
Tell me that before that he was that it that he wasn't oh
that he was, and then he quitand like Within a month, yeah,
yeah yeah, but it's, you know,there's wisdom.
Ken (32:50):
Jesus did not want to tell his brothers what did it say?
It said because it was not histime yet.
Yeah, and his brothers wouldhave said hey, jesus here, guys,
everybody, jesus is here, yeah,and so it would have been a big
To do hoopla.
(33:12):
Yeah, yeah, all right, allright.
So I stand by what I said aboutlying.
All right, so let's see.
I think that's it.
Steve (33:25):
We're.
I just realized, you likepoliticians.
Ken (33:31):
I I like politicians because they lie all the time.
No, I said the heart is whatmatters.
Oh and and, and.
Politicians I'm not sure theyhave an evil heart, I'm not sure
they have exactly.
(33:51):
We digress yes, yes, yes, allright.
Well, that's all we have fortoday, guys.
Next time we will be studyingJohn chapter 9, as always.
Remember, guys, you can studythe Bible on your own right.
You know, don't have to listento us, but I Do hope you come
(34:14):
back.
But what I would do, and whatwe haven't really been asking
you to do, I think you shouldread John chapter 9 before.
Steve (34:23):
You listen to our next.
Ken (34:24):
Bible study challenge.
Yeah, challenge challengeaccepted.
We do read it before no, I itwas, I was being them, I was, I
was the other people.
Yeah, that's that's why I saidyeah, let's see my voice went to
be other people the cool, thecool people voice instead of the
(34:47):
stupid people voice.
Challenge accepted See Alright.
Alright, well, thanks a lotguys.
That's all I sign off.
Hi, you are listening to the Regular Guys Bible Study
Podcast.
We are your host, Ken and Steve, and we are just Regular Guys
studying the Bible.
Steve (00:21):
Not theologians.
Ken (00:22):
That's right.
Hey, hey, hey, steve, hey Ken,hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey,
hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey,how you doing Regular Guys?
What's a really long intro.
Did you change it?
No, I didn't change it, I juststarted talking early.
Steve (00:33):
Oh, okay, so it kind of threw me off there, I noticed.
Ken (00:44):
I was yelling, trying to get over it.
Yeah, yeah, so, um, alright, sohere we are, we are doing John,
chapter eight, the second half.
What did he eat?
Steve (00:57):
the second half of.
Ken (01:04):
You know I'm really slow.
My brain is not active.
Okay, hold it Brain Activate.
Form of oh gosh, eagle.
Steve (01:18):
You know that cartoon is so old that I bet, I bet Ryan
doesn't even know what thatwould refer to.
Ken (01:28):
They don't know who Ryan is .
Steve (01:30):
No, but you do, yeah, and he's in his thirties, late
thirties, I don't know how oldhe is.
Ken (01:37):
But yes, you're right, a lot of people you know what,
though?
I think my kids know that, andmy kids are in their early
twenties.
Huh, I'm surprised.
Nope, I raised my kids theright way On eighties garbage,
exactly.
Um, if you are lost in this,just look up wonder twins.
(01:59):
Activate on any Google search.
And all makes sense.
I'm sorry, I meant to say Bingsearch or chat.
G, g, p.
Is it GPT or GTP?
Gpt, gpt what does it stand for?
Steve (02:17):
I knew you were going to ask that I have no idea.
Ken (02:20):
All right, well, let's go ahead and get started on John,
chapter eight, verse 31.
So Jesus has been talking inthe temple, he was in the
treasury, and the very lastthing that it says, as he was
saying these things, manybelieved in him.
All right, so that'sinteresting.
(02:42):
I want you to remember thatmany believed in him.
So let's see.
Steve, why don't you readthrough 38?
.
Well, just read until it makessense to stop.
Steve (02:58):
So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him this is
the many who believed.
Ken (03:04):
Yes.
Steve (03:05):
If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples and
you will know the truth, and thetruth will set you free.
They answered him.
We are offspring of Abraham andhave never been enslaved to
anyone.
How is it that you say you willbecome free?
Jesus answered them.
Truly.
Truly, I say to you everyonewho practice sin is a slave to
(03:27):
sin.
The slave does not remain inthe house forever.
The sun remains forever.
So if the sun sets you free,you will be free.
Indeed, I know that you areoffspring of Abraham, yet you
seek to kill me because my wordfinds no place in you.
I speak of what I have seenwith my father and you do what
(03:47):
you have heard from your father.
I think that's a good place tostop.
All right, we can stop there.
Ken (03:55):
I have several things.
Steve (03:56):
I want to point out All right, go ahead.
Ken (03:58):
Pointy head person.
Oh, that's so rude?
Steve (04:01):
Yeah, all right.
So, first of all, many believedin him and he's talking to the
Jews who had believed him andhe's saying in the second
paragraph there that they he'sbasically saying they aren't
(04:24):
really his disciples.
Ken (04:29):
Oh, he hasn't said that yet has he.
Steve (04:32):
Well, he says if you abide in my word, you are truly
my disciples and you will knowthe truth, and the truth will
set you free.
And then they go on to say well, we're not slaves, we're sons
of Abraham.
They seem to have forgottenabout Egypt.
Ken (04:45):
They also seem to have forgotten that they are not free
.
Steve (04:50):
I mean, they're not slaves but they're under the
Roman Empire right, which is whythey're looking for a Messiah
in the first place.
Ken (05:01):
Some people believe that the Messiah is going to set them
free from the Roman Empire.
Yes, so they were a verythey're very offended by this,
weren't they?
Steve (05:12):
They seem to be, which strikes me as weird, but I guess
I've heard this all set youfree from your sins, slave
things, all my life, so itdoesn't offend me.
Ken (05:24):
That's true.
So if we have some empathy forthese people, can we?
Is there any way we can thinkabout that in an empathetic way
and put ourselves in thatposition?
How would we consider?
What do you think we would?
How do you think we wouldrespond?
Steve (05:50):
Hmm, I'm trying to think of similar things without
offending anyone.
Listening to this, no one'sgoing to be listening oh good
point.
So one thought I had was if wewere compared to homeless people
(06:13):
, maybe we would take offensebecause we've never been
homeless, or maybe as drugies orsomething like that.
Ken (06:25):
Yeah, okay, the drugies would be our, something we did.
But homelessness can happen Topeople not on their own accord.
Steve (06:40):
And I see yours, because slavery, you don't choose to
become a slave.
Yeah, yeah, generally speaking,generally.
Ken (06:47):
Oh well, I mean there is the bond-servant thing, but
which can be a mutual agreement.
Steve (06:58):
Mutual, I'm sure.
Ken (07:00):
Hey, it's almost time for that.
That special movie that I loveso much White Christmas Is that
what that is?
Yeah, that's white Christmas,that is it All right, so so, um,
what else you said.
There were a couple of things.
Is there something else?
Steve (07:23):
um.
The other was, I think, thatthey forgot about Egypt and how
they were slaves or at leastthey're their parents between
them and Abraham were slaves inEgypt.
Ken (07:37):
Okay, they make a big deal about being, uh, offspring of
Abraham, don't they?
Um well, they go on into thenext part, Yep and we're gonna
see some of that again, um, butWell, I'll, I'll get to my other
question later.
Um, let's read the next sectionthen.
(07:58):
Uh, this is um, all right.
So he just um Said I speak ofwhat I've seen with my father
and you do what you have heardfrom your father, um, and
they're claiming their father'sAbraham and they answered him,
father.
Very good sort of I don't know.
(08:20):
All right, that's enough.
That's enough of that.
All right, I'm gonna startreading in verse 39 they
answered him Abraham is ourfather.
Jesus said to them if you wereAbraham's children, you would be
doing the works Abraham did.
(08:40):
But now you seek to kill me, aman who has told you the truth
that I heard from God this isnot what Abraham did.
You are doing the works yourfather did.
They said to him we were notborn of sexual immorality.
Okay, I want to stop rightthere.
Steve (08:59):
I don't see where how they made that leap.
That's like.
Ken (09:03):
What is that?
Is that because Abraham sleptwith um, his, uh, the wife's
maid?
Servant wife's maid servant.
Is that what that comes from?
You are doing the works yourfather did, but that makes?
Steve (09:31):
No, I don't think that that's it.
Ken (09:33):
Yeah, I don't either.
This is not what Abraham did.
Steve (09:35):
You were doing the works your father did.
Ken (09:39):
And they know, but they know who that, who that is.
Somehow they know that this isnot Abraham.
Steve (09:53):
Oh, you forgot to put do not disturb on your phone.
Ken (09:56):
I did forget to put do not disturb, but I silenced it
quickly.
Um so, somehow they took thisleap.
They said to him we were notborn of sexual immorality.
We have one father, even god.
(10:17):
Jesus said to them If god wereyour father, you would love me,
for I came from god and I amhere.
I came not of my own accord,but he sent me.
Why do you not understand what Isay?
It is because you cannot bearto hear my word.
You are of your father, thedevil, and your will is to do
(10:38):
your father's desires.
He was a murderer from thebeginning and does not stand in
the truth, because there is notruth in him.
When he lies, he speaks out ofhis own character, for he is a
liar and the father of lies.
But because I tell you thetruth, you do not believe me.
Which one of you convicts me ofsin?
(10:59):
If I tell the truth?
Why do you not believe me?
Whoever is of god?
Here's the words of god.
The reason why do you not, youdo not hear them, is that you
are not of god you sit on athrone of lies.
Steve (11:19):
Yes that's coming up too.
Ken (11:21):
That's true.
If you don't, yeah, if youdon't know, that's elf, that's
very good, steve.
Steve is really getting intothe spirit.
The holiday holiday spiritbecause it's the day after
Halloween.
When we're recording this, itis and oh, you know what's
(11:43):
interesting about Halloween?
I heard they had like things onthe news and talking to people
and people are saying, oh,halloween, it's my favorite
holiday, they're okay.
There's a couple of things withthat.
Steve (11:55):
first of all, it's not a holiday holiday comes from the
words Holy and day.
Ken (12:04):
Okay, even if you don't take it by the that literal
meaning, it's not a holiday, itis a.
I still got mail yesterday.
I got mail yesterday.
I had to go to work yesterday.
People go to work on Halloweenand it's.
(12:25):
It's does have a special day onthe calendar, but it's not a
holiday.
Yeah it's an event.
It's a yearly event.
All right for sharing that, soit just irritated me, I'm sorry.
Steve (12:42):
Okay, so let's get back to yeah okay.
Ken (12:45):
So Do you think?
When they said we were not bornof sexual immorality, they Knew
what he was going to say.
When he says you are the father, I mean you are of your father,
the devil.
He's saying the devil is theirfather.
Steve (13:06):
Yeah, but Even so, how did they make the leap to sexual
immorality?
Ken (13:15):
I do not know.
Steve (13:23):
Okay, so it was a really yesterday and today we're
closing out to another episode.
Thank you for watching.
Ken (13:35):
So he's saying you're not Abraham's children.
He's calling them a Samaritan.
Or he's saying you're callingus a Samaritan, and that's what.
Steve (13:49):
Oh see, I had a question about that, yes, and now it
makes sense.
To me it doesn't make sense.
Ken (13:53):
All right, there is something coming up where they
call Jesus a Samaritan.
Steve (14:00):
Okay, well, let's hold that then.
Ken (14:01):
All right, I think I understand a little bit better
now.
Steve (14:09):
So go ahead.
I was just saying what were theworks Abraham did.
Ken (14:17):
Abraham trusted God.
Steve (14:24):
And in Genesis 17,.
God gave Abraham his new namehe was Abraham before that and
the covenant of circumcision.
So I have to assume thatwhatever Jesus is asking of
these guys is way easier thancircumcision.
Ken (14:48):
Well, somewhere, I think it's talks about circumcision of
the heart.
Steve (15:00):
Yeah, but that doesn't involve a physical knife.
Ken (15:05):
Yeah, but I have to argue that physical pain is sometimes
much easier than the pain of theheart.
Steve (15:20):
If it goes away.
I agree with you.
Ken (15:23):
No, the physical pain.
Right, it's the foreskin.
It's floppy on the floor and itdoesn't even wiggle.
It's not like a dead fish, itdoesn't flop around.
Steve (15:36):
Or a chicken with its head cut off.
Ken (15:38):
No, it's not like that at all.
Steve (15:40):
So the rest of the chicken that runs around, not
the head that got cut off.
Ken (15:47):
Alrighty, never mind, I'm not, I'm not going to go there,
all right.
So now remember that thebeginning of this, Jesus is
talking to the people thatbelieved, these people who had
(16:08):
just started believing, right,so I haven't asked this question
in a while, but what does thistell us about Jesus?
Steve (16:27):
I would say it indicates to me that he sees straight
through to their heart, ratherthan what they claim externally.
I'll buy that, but clearly youhave a thought in mind and I'd
(16:48):
like to hear what that is.
Ken (16:50):
So it's kind of cheating, right, when I ask you a question
like that and I've alreadythought about it.
But that's what this is allabout.
It's about cheating, trying toone up the other person, and so
my thought is that Jesus here,he doesn't care about numbers.
(17:13):
It's not like he's looking foras many people to follow him as
possible, but it goes back toexactly what you said he cares
about the heart of the people,not about who you have got, I've
got.
Steve (17:29):
he doesn't want to put you where people follow in false
followers.
Ken (17:33):
Yeah, it's not.
He wants people following himfor who he is, and that is the
Christ, not because, oh great,good cough, steve, now I've got
to edit that out.
Okay, have fun with that.
I probably won't edit it,you'll just hear Steve cough,
(17:55):
it's because I'm lazy more thananything else.
All right, but at any rate, Ithink I think that's important
to realize that Jesus doesn'tcare about the number of people
following him.
It's all about the heart of thepeople who say they believe.
Steve (18:16):
Yep.
Ken (18:18):
All right, why don't you read this last section, steve?
Steve (18:22):
All right?
The Jews answered him.
Are we not right in saying thatyou are a Samaritan and have a
demon?
Jesus answered I do not have ademon, but I honor my father and
you dishonor me.
Yet I do not seek my own glory.
There is one who seeks it andhe is the judge.
Truly, truly, I say to you ifanyone keeps my word, he will
(18:46):
never see death.
The Jews said to him now weknow that you have a demon.
Abraham died, as did theprophets.
Yet you say if anyone keeps myword, he will never taste death.
Are you greater than our fatherAbraham, who died and the
prophets died?
Who do you make yourself out tobe?
Jesus answered if I glorifymyself, my glory is nothing.
(19:09):
It is my father who glorifiesme, of whom you say he is our
God, but you have not known him.
I know him.
If I were to say that I do notknow him, I would be a liar,
like you.
But I do know him and I keephis word.
Your father Abraham rejoicedthat he would see my day.
He saw it and was glad.
(19:29):
So the Jews said to him you arenot yet 50 years old and you
have seen Abraham.
Jesus said to them truly, truly, I say to you before Abraham
was, I am.
So they picked up stones tothrow at him, but Jesus hid
himself and went out of thetemple.
Ken (19:47):
Wow, that was a really good mocking voice you used there
Thanks.
I apologize.
Steve (19:55):
I didn't keep it throughout the whole thing,
though it's all right, you did.
Ken (20:00):
You know you did your best, steve, which you know it's not
great, but whatever.
Steve (20:08):
All right, and so now Samaritan thing.
Ken (20:10):
Yes, and I noticed something here when they accuse
him of being a Samaritan andhaving a demon because what does
Jesus answer?
Does he say I am not aSamaritan?
He does not.
He does not say I'm not aSamaritan, but he does say he's
(20:31):
not a demon.
He does.
He says I do not have a demon.
Why do you think he doesn't sayhe's not a Samaritan?
Steve (20:40):
Because he doesn't hold anything against Samaritans.
Ken (20:43):
I think that may be one reason.
I thought of another possiblereason I give up.
His father is not a Jew.
Steve (20:58):
Joseph's, not a Jew.
Ken (21:00):
It's not his father, that's his earthly father, but that's
he has no DNA from Joseph in him.
Steve (21:10):
True, but that wouldn't make him a Samaritan.
Ken (21:15):
I wouldn't, I think if a Jewish woman?
Okay, I need to look that up.
But if a Jewish woman has achild from a non-Samaritan
father, you mean a non-Jewishfather.
A non-Jewish father.
I don't know what that makesthe child.
Steve (21:37):
I don't think it's Samaritan.
Maybe not.
We looked up what Samaritanswere.
Yes.
Ken (21:44):
What did we find?
Stuff and things.
Steve (21:48):
You know it was people that intermarried with the other
people.
Ken (21:53):
That's right.
Yes, it was.
Steve (21:55):
You might be onto something there, but that would
make almost everyone Samaritan.
Ken (22:02):
Well, I guess only these days.
Steve (22:04):
Only half Jewish people would be Samaritan.
Ken (22:06):
Yes.
The rest would all be gentile,yes, but people can become Jews
and then marry.
True, but I just thought it wasinteresting because he didn't
say I'm not a Samaritan.
But I think you're right.
(22:27):
I think part of the reason isbecause he doesn't think that's
important.
Whether he's a Samaritan or not, it doesn't matter.
The only thing that matteredreally is that he doesn't have a
demon.
Ok, what else do you see inthis section?
Steve (22:54):
So the one place I had a note was on the Samaritan thing,
but I think for people that arenewer to the Bible, it's
important to point out that whenhe says truly, truly, I say to
you before Abraham was, I am, heessentially is claiming deity
status at that point, and theJews interpreted it as such and
(23:18):
that's why they tried to pick upstones and stone him.
Ken (23:22):
Yeah and yeah he did not.
This might be the first time,but it's definitely in the first
time in John where he says theI am statement.
We have not talked about thatbefore.
Steve (23:37):
He's made other claims of son of God status, but I don't
think he's done an I amstatement.
Yeah, I think the I am.
Ken (23:46):
What's interesting about this is that in this case he
uses the past tense beforeAbraham was and uses the present
tense I am, Because.
So that implies not only hedidn't say before Abraham was, I
(24:08):
was.
Steve (24:11):
It implies that he is and always was.
Ken (24:15):
Yes, which is what you were just saying.
That's right.
That's why it is deity status.
It's like not only was I, but Iam and I will be.
So yeah, I agree with all ofthat stuff, steve, thanks, all
(24:39):
right.
What about this?
Going back up into the to thesection he says truly, truly, I
say to you, if anyone keeps myword, he will never see death.
Steve (24:57):
Yeah, that's.
That's tough, because plenty ofpeople have died that believe
and trust in Christ.
But that's physical death.
I think here he's speaking ofspiritual death.
Ken (25:13):
Yeah, I think so too, and I think it's very obvious.
He even talks about his owndeath Before and now.
I mean, he doesn't talk aboutit right here, but he's already
talked about how he must die.
Let us, let me see if I glorifymyself.
(25:37):
My glory is nothing, and youknow, I think that's true for us
as well, even in daily living.
Well, no one likes a braggart.
Yeah, if you talk about howgreat you are.
Steve (25:55):
That's why no one likes you can.
Ken (25:59):
Huh, is that it?
Yeah, maybe I need to be evenbetter, yeah.
Steve (26:06):
Be so good that you don't have to point it out.
Ken (26:12):
I'll point that out.
Steve (26:15):
Ken's not a braggart.
Ken (26:17):
It's cuz I'm not that good.
Yeah, all right, shut up.
Steve (26:27):
I'm sure people love our banter.
Ken (26:28):
Yeah, that's great, all right.
So there I want to talk aboutverse 55, because I made a
comment, a couple of Biblestudies back, about Jesus when
he was going to the market no,the fair, or whatever his
(26:49):
brothers were.
They were asking if he wasgoing to the rodeo, and what did
Jesus say?
He said no.
He said he said no, now, I'mnot going.
And then he went and hisbrothers went off and then,
secretly, jesus went All right.
So and then verse 55 Hits hesays but you have not known him,
(27:14):
I know him.
If I were to say that I do notknow him, I would be a liar like
you, but I do know him and keephis word.
Your.
Oh Darn it.
That's not where it is.
Where is the liar and thefather of lies?
Steve (27:31):
Oh, was that in the previous section?
Ken (27:33):
Oh, darn it, I forgot to talk about that.
In verse 44.
Actually, he says you are ofyour father, the devil, and your
will is to do your father'sdesires.
He was a murderer from thebeginning and does not stand in
the truth, because there is notruth in him.
When he lies, he speaks out ofhis own character, for he is a
(27:56):
liar and the father of lies.
All right, so I claimed thatJesus Lied to his brothers when
he said he wasn't going to the,to the rodeo.
You did claim that, yeah, and Iclaim that it's not bad.
Steve (28:15):
You did claim that, but I'm not sure we recorded that
part.
Ken (28:18):
Yeah, we did.
Oh, we did so, and you know, Iknow that's controversial to say
, but you know, if you look, Iactually have since then looked
up what commentaries say aboutthat.
(28:38):
And there are words and stuffthere were words and stuff and
and I'm sorry but it's a bunchof excuses that I call malarkey
on their, their excuses and howthey get around.
What is a lie, sky it okay.
Steve (29:01):
Remember when Bill Clinton said Depends on what the
meaning of the word is, is yes.
Ken (29:10):
That's.
I felt like I was listening toBill Clinton explain.
The word is to me, so you know.
I don't really know how toexplain this, but I will say
this.
It is evident from All thatJesus says.
(29:31):
In fact he says, he says thisplainly Love the Lord with all
your heart.
That's the greatest commandment.
The second is like, like it,love your neighbor as yourself.
And then he says all the othercommandments, hang on these two
(29:51):
Yep.
So being a liar, that and andis different than telling a lie,
I agree, and if you you knowI'm not saying a white lie, or
(30:12):
you know I don't even know whatthat means.
Steve (30:14):
But there are times to lie where it.
It's better to lie than to notLike.
Think of the people that hidJews in the their attics, or
whatever like so.
Ken (30:29):
I've heard people say argue this so you don't think God
could have protected them ifthey didn't lie?
Steve (30:34):
I Think he could, but I don't think he would have so,
yeah, I there are I.
Ken (30:42):
I think it has to do with the heart.
I remember when my kids wereyoung and they would get caught
in a lie and I would have aserious talk with them about how
to lie right, no, about lying.
(31:03):
And the problem is, when youlie, you don't want to become a
liar and it it really has to dowith a heart that is a heart of
lying.
Steve (31:24):
It's also very difficult To lie all the time, because
then you got to tell lies tocover up your lie and you have
to keep track of all those liesand yeah, there's a veggie tale
about that.
Ken (31:37):
You didn't you know kids, so you didn't get to watch
veggie tales.
But you know what's?
What's funny is, a lot of thoseshows are actually really good
and I would have never had theopportunity to watch them.
But there's one about.
There's a veggie tales aboutlying, where the lie keeps
growing and growing and turnsinto a big monster.
(31:58):
I don't remember it well enough, but it was really good Anyway.
So I still maintain that Jesuslied, but not.
But I think he lied out of apure heart, just like.
Just like.
You know what, if I Werelooking for a new job, for
(32:22):
example, I'm not, but if I werelooking for a new job and my
boss were to come to me and sayand say, hey, are you looking
for a job?
You better not be looking for ajob.
Hey, I probably would just saynow, I'm not, I'm good, I've had
an employee.
Steve (32:37):
Tell me that before that he was that it that he wasn't oh
that he was, and then he quitand like Within a month, yeah,
yeah yeah, but it's, you know,there's wisdom.
Ken (32:50):
Jesus did not want to tell his brothers what did it say?
It said because it was not histime yet.
Yeah, and his brothers wouldhave said hey, jesus here, guys,
everybody, jesus is here, yeah,and so it would have been a big
To do hoopla.
(33:12):
Yeah, yeah, all right, allright.
So I stand by what I said aboutlying.
All right, so let's see.
I think that's it.
Steve (33:25):
We're.
I just realized, you likepoliticians.
Ken (33:31):
I I like politicians because they lie all the time.
No, I said the heart is whatmatters.
Oh and and, and.
Politicians I'm not sure theyhave an evil heart, I'm not sure
they have exactly.
(33:51):
We digress yes, yes, yes, allright.
Well, that's all we have fortoday, guys.
Next time we will be studyingJohn chapter 9, as always.
Remember, guys, you can studythe Bible on your own right.
You know, don't have to listento us, but I Do hope you come
(34:14):
back.
But what I would do, and whatwe haven't really been asking
you to do, I think you shouldread John chapter 9 before.
Steve (34:23):
You listen to our next.
Ken (34:24):
Bible study challenge.
Yeah, challenge challengeaccepted.
We do read it before no, I itwas, I was being them, I was, I
was the other people.
Yeah, that's that's why I saidyeah, let's see my voice went to
be other people the cool, thecool people voice instead of the
(34:47):
stupid people voice.
Challenge accepted See Alright.
Alright, well, thanks a lotguys.
That's all I sign off.
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