Life-Study of Johnpor Witness Lee
ISBN: 0-7363-0957-8
Copia impresa: Living Stream Ministry disponible en línea
ISBN: 0-7363-0957-8
Copia impresa: Living Stream Ministry disponible en línea
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The language of the Gospel of John is simple and brief, but this book is actually the most profound book in the Bible. Consider, as an example, the first clause of the whole book: “In the beginning was the Word.” Although the language of this clause is very simple, the depths of its meaning cannot be fathomed. What is the beginning? Do you understand what the beginning is? When was the beginning? How difficult it is to answer. Furthermore, what is the Word? If you say that the Word is Christ, I would ask you why Christ is designated as the Word in this verse. Why is He not designated otherwise? That such a term as “the Word” is used to designate Christ is very meaningful. Although this clause is exceedingly deep, let us try to understand it.
The Bible begins with the words, “In the beginning.” However, what Genesis 1:1 says is different from John 1:1. It says, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” Although two books, Genesis and John, start with the same phrase, the meaning of each is absolutely different. The phrase, “In the beginning,” in Genesis denotes the beginning of time, for it refers to God’s creation. Therefore Genesis 1:1 refers to the beginning of time in which God created all things. The meaning of this phrase in John 1:1 is different, for it refers to eternity in the past without a beginning. The beginning in Genesis 1 starts from the time of creation, but the beginning in John 1 is before the time of creation. In other words, the beginning in Genesis 1 is the beginning of time, and the beginning in John is the beginning before time existed; it refers to eternity past without a beginning.
As we pointed out in the last message, John’s ministry was a mending ministry. Mending means that something has been in existence for a length of time, that it has been damaged, broken, or hurt, and that it now requires mending. Mending always restores a situation to the condition which was present at the beginning. For example, I have had a particular jacket for seven years. At times, a part of this jacket has been torn, and my wife has had to mend it for me. After she mended the broken places, the jacket was restored to its original condition. Likewise, the church has been in existence since the day of Pentecost. However, not too long after its beginning, the church was damaged and injured by many different thoughts, opinions, concepts, philosophies, ideas, teachings, and doctrines. If you carefully read the New Testament along with church history, you will learn that many injurious concepts crept into the church through Judaism. These ideas damaged the ancient church. Moreover, in the early days, even in the first century, Gnosticism, a blend of Greek, Egyptian, and Babylonian philosophy, also crept into the church, causing considerable harm. Thus, the early church was damaged by both Jewish religious concepts and Greek philosophical ideas, all of which produced numerous doctrines and teachings and injured the church, making many holes in the spiritual net.
The largest hole in the church net was caused by some so-called Christians who, in their philosophical concepts, did not recognize that Christ was God incarnated to be a man. They claimed to be Christians, but did not believe that Christ, the Son of God, had come in the flesh. These were called antichrists by John (1 John 2:18, 22). Thus, 1 John 4:1-3 says that we may test the genuineness of a spirit by asking it whether or not it recognizes that Christ has come in the flesh, for “every spirit that confesses not that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God.” Furthermore, in his second epistle John warned the believers about antichrist, a person who claims to be a Christian, but who does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh (v. 7). Those who preach Christianity without believing that Christ was God incarnated to be a man caused a large hole in the net. Thus, by His sovereignty, God prepared a mending ministry to patch up all the holes. John’s ministry fulfilled this task, testifying that Christ, the very God incarnated, came in the flesh (John 1:1, 14).
In principle, we face the same situation today as John faced in the first century. The spiritual net is broken and full of large holes because of many doctrines, teachings, concepts, and ideas. We must be brought back to the beginning. What was in the beginning? In the beginning was only one thing—life. “In the beginning was the Word...and the Word was God...In Him was life.” The Gospel of John does not say, “In Him were many doctrines.” The way to mend the holes in the spiritual net is by life. We should not discuss doctrine; we should enjoy life. If you come to me for the purpose of arguing doctrine, I would say, “O Lord Jesus! Christ is so lovable, sweet, and dear. Let us call on Him. Dear brother, let us enjoy the Lord. As long as we have the Lord Jesus as our enjoyment, everything is wonderful. Let us forget doctrine and enjoy Him.” The mending ministry is accomplished by life, for life brings us back to the beginning. In the beginning there was nothing but life.
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