th1b.taylor
Member
Joh 3:1 Now there was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews:
Nicodemus would be a contemporary of Saul's in the Sanhedrin, a Teacher of Judaism. He would have been able to stand and to recite the first five books of the Old Testament. Then and now he would be considered a great and a learned man.
Joh 3:2 the same came unto him by night, and said to him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that thou doest, except God be with him.
Here in John 3:2 we find a beautiful illustration of manors, a forgotten art of the past. Nick came in praising Jesus for His knowledge of the scriptures when he calls the LORD, Rabbi. In the same sentence he acknowledges his interest in the things of God and his recognition of these things being performed by Jesus. Nick admits he is a man watching to see where God is at work and he comes to Jesus, seeking to get in on what God is doing.
These two verses, alone, are a great Life Application Lesson all of us must learn and yet I have seldom heard it taught. First there is the lessor lesson that, to some extent, is still taught in the Southern United States and that is humility and respect. Had I ever not included mam of sir on my yes and no answers, I and Mr. Switch would have been seen performing the Texas Jigaboo.
Manors demonstrates that one, even an adult, is willing to be taught as well as respect for the other person in the exchange. If you or anyone else is not willing to submit to others, regardless of age, is not submitting to God and you need to do a Spiritual Inventory to find yourself and correct the problem. This is best done with a read through of the scriptures, a simple way is to begin at the beginning, reading three chapters, or about fifteen minutes a day for one year. If you do this prayerfully and then think about what you have read that day (Meditate) in the quiet moments of your day, the Holy Spirit/God will show you wonderful things and the bad spots in need of change in your life.
Joh 3:3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except one be born anew, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
Joh 3:4 Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter a second time into his mother's womb, and be born?
Joh 3:5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except one be born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God!
Joh 3:6That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
Joh 3:7Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born anew.
Joh 3:8The wind bloweth where it will, and thou hearest the voice thereof, but knowest not whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.
Nick, an educated man of Spiritual Matters, completely missed what Jesus told Him because the LORD cut to the end of the chase went directly to the heart of the issue, Salvation. Jesus, as a man, was indwelt with the Holy Ghost a.k.a. the Holy Spirit who knows everything you have and what you will think or desire.
Though all of the Pharasees could recite the first five books of the Bible, they had not delved deeply into the Spiritually discerned Life Application Teaching of the Bible. Today we are a gifted people because we hold the Bible and added to it is the complete Life Application Commentary, authorized and dictated by God Himself, the New Testament.
No great Teacher had ever lead Nick into the spiritual applications until Jesus did. Todaythere is a lack of interest but there is much infighting over being born of the water and the Spirit. Some argue that one must be baptized and that then the Holy Spirit will indwell your body.
I refuse to debate this issue and to only stand on what Jesus told Nick coupled with what happened to me. I was saved better than two weeks before my Baptism. I had been stirred by the Spirit of God for better than a month to be saved and I had promised God that after one more New Years Gig I would yeilld to His leading but I really wanted to do this last performance.
I had purchased a Silver Leather KJV of the Bible but every trims I read the Old Testament and most of the NEW, It was gibberish!! But at fifteen minutes of twelve (midnight, bar time) I was singing Auld Lange Sine and the Holy Spirit came over me, telling me I was in the wrong place.
I picked up my gear and left that bar, then. After stowing my gear in my apartment, I sat down on the side of my bed, opened the Bible to Isaiah 53 and I knew this chapter was all about the Christ, Jesus. Everything I read that night made perfect sense to me. I was indwelt with the Holy Ghost and I knelt down, prayed the sinner's prayer and I knew I needed to make my public profession of faith through being baptized because I was to there after, serve God.
Joh 3:9 Nicodemus answered and said unto him, How can these things be?
Joh 3:10 Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou the teacher of Israel, and understandest not these things?
Joh 3:11Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that which we know, and bear witness of that which we have seen; and ye receive not our witness.
Joh 3:12If I told you earthly things and ye believe not, how shall ye believe if I tell you heavenly things?
Joh 3:13And no one hath ascended into heaven, but he that descended out of heaven, even the Son of man, who is in heaven.
Clearly, spiritual matters and earthly or natural matters are not alike and every one of us requires more study.
Nicodemus would be a contemporary of Saul's in the Sanhedrin, a Teacher of Judaism. He would have been able to stand and to recite the first five books of the Old Testament. Then and now he would be considered a great and a learned man.
Joh 3:2 the same came unto him by night, and said to him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that thou doest, except God be with him.
Here in John 3:2 we find a beautiful illustration of manors, a forgotten art of the past. Nick came in praising Jesus for His knowledge of the scriptures when he calls the LORD, Rabbi. In the same sentence he acknowledges his interest in the things of God and his recognition of these things being performed by Jesus. Nick admits he is a man watching to see where God is at work and he comes to Jesus, seeking to get in on what God is doing.
These two verses, alone, are a great Life Application Lesson all of us must learn and yet I have seldom heard it taught. First there is the lessor lesson that, to some extent, is still taught in the Southern United States and that is humility and respect. Had I ever not included mam of sir on my yes and no answers, I and Mr. Switch would have been seen performing the Texas Jigaboo.
Manors demonstrates that one, even an adult, is willing to be taught as well as respect for the other person in the exchange. If you or anyone else is not willing to submit to others, regardless of age, is not submitting to God and you need to do a Spiritual Inventory to find yourself and correct the problem. This is best done with a read through of the scriptures, a simple way is to begin at the beginning, reading three chapters, or about fifteen minutes a day for one year. If you do this prayerfully and then think about what you have read that day (Meditate) in the quiet moments of your day, the Holy Spirit/God will show you wonderful things and the bad spots in need of change in your life.
Joh 3:3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except one be born anew, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
Joh 3:4 Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter a second time into his mother's womb, and be born?
Joh 3:5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except one be born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God!
Joh 3:6That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
Joh 3:7Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born anew.
Joh 3:8The wind bloweth where it will, and thou hearest the voice thereof, but knowest not whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.
Nick, an educated man of Spiritual Matters, completely missed what Jesus told Him because the LORD cut to the end of the chase went directly to the heart of the issue, Salvation. Jesus, as a man, was indwelt with the Holy Ghost a.k.a. the Holy Spirit who knows everything you have and what you will think or desire.
Though all of the Pharasees could recite the first five books of the Bible, they had not delved deeply into the Spiritually discerned Life Application Teaching of the Bible. Today we are a gifted people because we hold the Bible and added to it is the complete Life Application Commentary, authorized and dictated by God Himself, the New Testament.
No great Teacher had ever lead Nick into the spiritual applications until Jesus did. Todaythere is a lack of interest but there is much infighting over being born of the water and the Spirit. Some argue that one must be baptized and that then the Holy Spirit will indwell your body.
I refuse to debate this issue and to only stand on what Jesus told Nick coupled with what happened to me. I was saved better than two weeks before my Baptism. I had been stirred by the Spirit of God for better than a month to be saved and I had promised God that after one more New Years Gig I would yeilld to His leading but I really wanted to do this last performance.
I had purchased a Silver Leather KJV of the Bible but every trims I read the Old Testament and most of the NEW, It was gibberish!! But at fifteen minutes of twelve (midnight, bar time) I was singing Auld Lange Sine and the Holy Spirit came over me, telling me I was in the wrong place.
I picked up my gear and left that bar, then. After stowing my gear in my apartment, I sat down on the side of my bed, opened the Bible to Isaiah 53 and I knew this chapter was all about the Christ, Jesus. Everything I read that night made perfect sense to me. I was indwelt with the Holy Ghost and I knelt down, prayed the sinner's prayer and I knew I needed to make my public profession of faith through being baptized because I was to there after, serve God.
Joh 3:9 Nicodemus answered and said unto him, How can these things be?
Joh 3:10 Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou the teacher of Israel, and understandest not these things?
Joh 3:11Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that which we know, and bear witness of that which we have seen; and ye receive not our witness.
Joh 3:12If I told you earthly things and ye believe not, how shall ye believe if I tell you heavenly things?
Joh 3:13And no one hath ascended into heaven, but he that descended out of heaven, even the Son of man, who is in heaven.
Clearly, spiritual matters and earthly or natural matters are not alike and every one of us requires more study.
There is a good deal of discussion that has been, is and is due verse five. There is one group that demands this verse be understood as being a requirement of both Baptism and of recieving the Holy Ghost.
Fishcatcherjim has a similar statement. He came up out of the water, and no one would go swimming in the pool (due to the things that he was involved in prior to salvation), they actually drained it and then refilled it before anyone would swim again.