John 3:16

• John 3:16 – What does “believes” mean? Does that exclude other obligations, like repentance and baptism? Could this be a synecdoche?
• John 3:14-15 is a synecdoche.
• John 12:32-33

What’s the evidence of synecdoche?

Context

• Numbers 21:4-9 – The bronze serpent
• People had to respond to be saved by the serpent.
• John 3:14-21

Harmony

• Mark 16:15-16
• Acts 3:19
• Romans 10:9-10
• James 2:14, 26, 19

Pattern

• Acts 2:44, 41 – They had done much more than just believe.
• Acts 16:29-34 – Belief included baptism here.
• Acts 18:8
• I Corinthians 1:14

Conclusion

• My suggestion is that John 3:16 is another instance of this sort of language (synecdoche), where “believes” is simply a shortened way of referring to everything that comes from that belief and is involved in salvation.

Learning the truth about Jesus

• Matthew 28:18-20 – Jesus sent the disciples everywhere to teach.
• Teaching in the book of Acts
  • Acts 2:14, 42
  • Acts 4:1, 17, 33
  • Acts 5:20, 25, 42
  • Acts 6:7-10
  • Acts 7:51-53
  • Acts 8:3
  • This was a spiritual revolution founded on information.
• Romans 1:16; 10:17 – The power of salvation was in the word of God.
• Acts 17:2, 11
• Don’t just go with your conscience.
  • Acts 23:1; 26:9-11

Introduction

• Romans 8:28-32 – God pulled out all the stops to bless us!

The help of fellow Christians

• James 5:15-16
• Romans 15:14 – Christians help admonish each other.
• Galatians 6:1
• I Thessalonians 5:11
• I John 4:11
• We must be good at both giving help and receiving it.

The Bible as a guide for our lives

• Romans 15:4
• II Timothy 3:14-15; 1:5; 3:16-17 – Timothy was evidently listening and understanding what his mother and grandmother were reading to him.
• The Bible is not just opinions – it is authoritative.

The troubles that mature us

• Hebrews 10:32-34
• Romans 5:3-4
• Matthew 5:10-12
• I Peter 1:7 – How do you find out if a Christian is really a Christian? Test him by fire.
• Revelation 2:8-10 – Be faithful even if it requires your life!
• God has not promised to take away our troubles, but H will give us what we need to get through them.

Matthew 18

• Matthew 18:1-5
  • See Mark 10:32-45.
  • I Peter 5:2-5 – Elders are to lead with humility and service.
  • James 4:1-3
  • Matthew 18:5 – Compare Mark 9:37.
• Matthew 18:6-10 – It is critical to Jesus that children be protected. Harming them or their faith must be avoided at all costs.
• Matthew 18:11-14 – Rejoicing over the lost sheep. Sheep can be infuriating to tend and they are easily led astray. We can be very much like them, yet God shows His love for us.
• Matthew 18:15-17 – Jesus shows the simple but difficult process of trying to save a brother in sin.

Truth over tradition – “Now there was a man of the Pharisees …”

• John 3:1
• The Pharisees were a conservative reaction to the encroaching Greek culture. The group likely started about 150 B.C. They were thought of as protectors of Judaism and had significant popular support.
• Acts 5:34-40
• Matthew 12:1-14 – The Pharisees clung to their perspective on the Law of Moses, not the Law of Moses itself. They had put guardrails around the law and were defending the guardrails instead of the Law itself.
• Matthew 15:1-9 – We must be careful about “teaching as doctrine the commandments of men.” God to the Bible and teach only that!

We don’t just need small changes

“You must be born again.”

• John 3:2-5
• Romans 6:3-4
• I Peter 1:22-25
• John 3:19
• Matthew 23:33

Dare to seek the truth

“this man came to Jesus by night”

• John 3:2 – This simple admission was much more than most Jews would admit.
• John 3:14-15
• John 9:22; 12:42
• John 7:40-44, 32, 45-52 – Nicodemus tries to gently stand up for Jesus.
• John 19:38-42 – Nicodemus comes to help bury Jesus’ body.
• Acts 17:11 – The Bible commends those who think for themselves.

I Peter: A letter about “the true grace of God”

• I Peter 5:12
• No contradiction:
  • I Peter 1:17 – judged according to works
  • I Peter 1:18-19 – redeemed with the blood of Christ
• Acts 2:37-38

The example of Jericho: Joshua 6

• Joshua 6:1-5 – God gave them the city.
• Joshua 6:20 – The people took the city.
• No contradiction:
  • Joshua 6:2 – “I have given Jericho into your hand”
  • Joshua 6:20 – “they took the city”
• Deuteronomy 9:6

• Hebrews 11:30 – “By faith …”
• Ephesians 2:8 – “For by grace you have been saved through faith …”

The example of Naaman: II Kings 5

• II Kings 5:1-4, 10-14
• God can choose His own methods to achieve what He wants to achieve. God sets the rules!