Fireside Studies

Tonight, as part of our gathering, we hope to introduce you to one of the most controversial books in history, the Bible. While some of you here are intimately familiar with it, others are not. It is indeed a book which has divided families and caused disagreement and dissension throughout the ages. It is however the only book I have found in my lifetime that offers a remedy for suffering, freedom from fear, and answers to the question, "Why am I here?"

Most of us approach the Bible with questions. Some of us are even fearful of it. Many of us have not read it in its entirety, yet all of us have an opinion about it. In fact, it is the one book people frequently speak authoritatively about, yet, almost remarkably, haven't thoroughly read. Some religions even forbid the private, individual study of the Bible. The Bible states, however, "...Faith comes by hearing, and hearing, by the word of God." (Romans 10:17)

If our churches do not teach us His word--and if we are prohibited from private study--how then do we determine God's will for us?

Our English Bibles have been divided into two sections called testaments--the Old Testament, and the New Testament. Why do you think that the word testament was chosen to represent what could just as easily have been referred to as "volume 1 and 2" or "The Old Story/New Story," or,
"Part 1 and Part 2"? How does this word "testament" then correspond to learning God's will?

In our society, in order for there to be a testament, what events have to occur?

There must first be a testator. A testator is one who declares which of his/her possessions are to be dispersed to others at (the testator's) death. This is done via a document which delineates all possessions to be dispersed, his/her "estate", and to whom--referred to as "beneficiaries." Many times such beneficiaries are in fact relatives, or heirs, to an estate. Then, in order for such a document to become legal, it must be signed by witnessed by two or more witnesses, not related to the testator. The aforementioned document, then, delineating the details of a testator's estate, is called a testament, or more specifically, a "Last Will and Testament."

The Greek word for "testament" in the Bible -- daitheke or daitheke--is also translated, "covenant," that is, "a binding agreement or document," (in this case, sealed in blood), "transferring property and/or privileges to legal 'heirs', upon the death of the testator."

We can therefore understand that the Bible is God's own Will and Testament to His heirs. And those who seek to know His will may be counted as heirs. Therefore, in order to learn His will we read His testaments.

Who were those witnesses, then, to God's testaments, enabling their legality? Well, from among them came 40 authors who wrote as witnesses to His will the sixty-six books collected together as Testaments, many of which were even signed.

One of the greatest witnesses to God's will for His heirs was the author of the book of John (in the New Testament). It is also one of the most unique books of the Bible. As we read its pages together, I believe you will see why this is one of my favorite biblical books, or letters--epistles. It is penned with all the love one human being could possess for another, and yet is imbued with the legal weightiness of a courtroom testimony. Within its chapters we can find answers to almost any questions we may have concerning the true nature and purpose of God. And John brings to bear both his love of the person of Jesus Christ, and his own testimony of just whom Jesus Christ truly was, within the opening verses of this amazing book. For John knew both to whom he wrote his testimony--and he understood precisely what he testified of. He also declares multiple witnesses to his own personal testimony. This gives his testimony more than ample legal weightiness, for at the time only two witnesses were requisite.

It is also my own opinion that, should we find ourselves unable to read any of the rest of the glorious books of the Bible, just about everything we need to know to ascertain God's will for us, His heirs, can be found within the pages of the incredible book of John. (At this point those who attended the first Fireside gathering contributed questions, which were saved for later, in hope that such questions might indeed be answered as suggested, by the time we finished reading this book).

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God,
and the Word was God; He was in the beginning with God."

Just as God revealed the Messiah's birth through shepherds 2000 years ago, the apostle John reveals the very truth of Jesus Christ as the Word incarnate (made flesh) in these opening verses of his book. And in an incredible way John demonstrates that in the least likely word of these two verses, God's own holy eternal name is revealed--just as the miraculous birth of Christ was revealed--not through kings or celebrities, but through lowly shepherds. And John also demonstrates that Jesus did not just suddenly appear in a manger in Bethlehem 2000 years ago, but, in fact, has existed since "In the beginning."

The Hebrew and Greek words for "beginning" mean "in the time of the origin of all things". So, in the time of the origin of all things was this "Word". The Greek word for WORD is LOGOS or LOGOS, meaning "thought or reasoning realized." First century Greeks had really popularized the term LOGOS, attributing it to several of their pagan deities. But the word LOGOS in this verse is notably singular in form, and masculine in gender, and not used carelessly here by John. His usage connotes a single, unique man.

John goes on to write, "and the Word was with God..." The Greek word for "with" is SUN or sun, a primary preposition denoting 'union', including completeness. It is the same word sometimes used in the Bible for "(to) know." This word however expresses a greater "knowing" than mere superficial knowledge. It refers to a deeper, intimate knowledge. "The Word was with God..." tells us that the Logos was deeply and intimately known to God.

Now within this tiny, unremarkable passive past tense verb "was," John reveals a most remarkable truth. The Greek word for "was" is the word EIMI or "EIMI", a unique form of a verb connoting ETERNAL existence. It is all tenses and one tense and a declaration of eternal existence. Past, present, future: i.e., "AM, have been, shall be," or "exists, have existed, shall exist." This word which connotes eternal existence, is part of the old Hebrew name for God, HWHY (English transliteration= YHVH, or "I AM"). In fact, John reveals God's holy eternal existent name through the tiny word "was" four times in this opening passage alone--that same sacred name which was uttered to Moses at Mt. Sinai (in the OT book of Exodus chapter 3, verse 14) --

In our English Bibles, God says to Moses, "I AM THAT I AM,"
and he said, "You shall tell the children of Yisra'el this: HWHY (I AM) has sent me to you."

The way we know that the Hebrew YHVH or "I AM" (HWHY) is the same as the Greek "EGO EIMI" , is that some 300 years before Jesus' birth, Alexander the Great mandated hellenization of all Jews (or Judahites) in Jerusalem, compelling them to rewrite their Torahs (the books of the Old Testament written in Hebrew) in Greek. So today when we view Exodus 3:14 by way of the Septuagint and the Torah, we find that EGO EIMI in Greek is translated HWHY in Hebrew. They are the same names, used in both Exodus and John, utilizing Jesus' revelation of "I AM" in John 8:58.

Remarkably, right from the beginning of his epistle, the "disciple whom Jesus loved" reveals Jesus to us as the Word and God using the same holy eternal existent name revealed to Moses on Mt. Sinai some 1500 years earlier. John shares with us the identity of the great I AM, and testifies that not only was the Logos a single special man known intimately by God ("...the Word was with God"), but that He was indeed God ("...and the Word was God"...EIMI), and had been since the beginning, "...The same was in the beginning with God,"just in case we didn't get it all the other ways he worded it.

So begins my personal favorite book of the Bible, written by the one apostle who humbly refers to himself not by name, but simply as "the disciple whom Jesus loved." And this John, son of Zebedee--Jesus' other cousin--proclaims Jesus Christ's deity HWHY, right from the beginning.

And for all of us heirs who desire to know what was left to us in His will, that is truth we can take to the bank.

Next month's FIRESIDE study will continue, beginning at John 1:3.
Grace and peace be with you all until then.