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Did Jesus come to condemn or not? Did He contradict Himself?
John 3:17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn (judge) the world, but to save the world through Him.
John 9:39 Jesus said, "For judgement (condemnation) I have come into this world, so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind."
What do you think?
John 9:39 Jesus said, "For judgement (condemnation) I have come into this world, so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind."
What do you think?
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Joe-Gil on
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Very good question,
I think what has happened here is that since there was so much judgement and condemnation before our Savior came to save us,Jesus had to come to change a few things to open the eyes of the blind and to blind those that already have seen and know the truth. If the world was without sin(condemnation) Jesus would have never been needed to save us..We would have been perfect already..
Great question gave me something to think about..
One Love in Christ
Joseph
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Permalink Reply by Bill on
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Actually, what seems to look like a contradiction, is not. You have to look at context and purpose. John 3:16-17 For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him (CONTEXT). John 9:39 Jesus said, "For judgement I have come into this world, so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind(PURPOSE).
The consequence of saving the world (John 3:17), is judging the world (John 9:39).
There is no contradiction.
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Permalink Reply by ScribeD on
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Bill, it is important when reading an apparent contradiction, not to immediately assume that the Bible is contradicting itself. Often, there are going to be things which appear to be contradictory when you are reading a translation. Especially, with a book as complex as one written over 1500 years, in 66 different volumes, by 40 people, in 3 languages and on 3 continents, such as the Bible is.
These two words, in the original language are different words, in different contexts. The second word for "judgment" means to sort out, as in determining the true from the false (Gr:Kreemah). It is in fact saying that Jesus has come to bring differentiating judgment - or discernment "so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind". The apostles explained this, as did Jesus, that those who are "ever seeing but never perceiving, are never willing to come to the knowledge of the truth" will experience the condemnation of God; while the humble who are willing to trust God's word will be saved.
The immediate context comes with the fall of Jerusalem, where those who believed Jesus fled the city in obedience to his advance warnings, when the first Roman Legions surrounded the city in 66 AD. Those who rather ascribed to the radical zealotry and hard hearted Phariseeism, were destroyed or taken captive by Rome - dispersed into the empire with great suffering. That series of events over the subsequent 4 years changed the people of Israel and their view on Judaism radically for two millenium. Until the last two decades, the term Jew was usually synonymous with "wandering" as in the phrase "wandering Jew".
The first term you site (condemnation) in John 3:17, although similar to the "judgement" used in John 9:39, carries a different meaning: that is "condemnation with punishment" (Gr:Kreeno) as in "I'm here to save the lost, not to condemn or punish them.
This is actually in keeping with the statement of the second verse you site "so that the blind will see".
In my experience, I have encountered many who are like the pharisees that do not want to accept that they can never earn salvation. And it is often those who know they could never earn God's favor who come to accept Christ more readily - because they know they need a savior. In fact, when Jesus said he was like a physician who came for the sick, the pharisees did not believe that included them - yet the sickest mind is the one that denies his own sin, as John says in his first epistle.
So, there is no contradiction. In fact, the two verses compliment and validate each other. But, as with any literature, you must consider the context.
- Scribe
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For we must all appear before the JUDGMENT seat of CHRIST, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad. 2 Corinthians 5:10 (emphasis mine)
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I'm curious, did you read the whole blog? I thought I explained how there is no contradiction between
John 3:16 and John 9:39. Let me state catagorically, that I believe in the unerrant word of God given to us, in the Holy Bible.
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Permalink Reply by Dave on
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Now that I am beginning my reading and studying of the bible, I have had a LOT of questions. What I have found helpful are the, literally, THOUSANDS, of websites dedicated to teaching us and helping us learn more about the word of God.
I am reading the King James version of the bible, and when I have questions (because the language is sometimes difficult to follow in this day and age) I look it up. I re-read the context of the words in several different versions (NIV, new KJV, etc) and usually find a clearer understanding. If i have trouble understanding a CONCEPT, I look that up too, even in the dictionary and other resources.
I believe that GOD endowed us all with abilities, and those who created the internet where fulfilling God's plan even if they did not know that's what they where doing. Look at all the great resources we all have because a few guys wanted to link their computers together! Although as with all things created by man, sin will always be present, and the internet is no exception.
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Permalink Reply by maggie hancox on
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Picking one scripture out and using it to contradict another is easy and dangerous.
I will not reply with scripture after scripture, I will simply say read Galations and for that matter all of Pauls letters.
Because of Jesus Christ we are under a new covenant with God, a new understanding.
The law was given to Moses for us to show us how guilty we are, I beleive to show us WHY we felt so guilty.
Because it was written on our conciences right from wrong.
The law was given to help us to know what was making us guilty, what was making us unfavourable to God, so that we could avoid harming each other in so many different ways and offending God, the law was given to us to keep us safe until Jesus came.
When Jesus came he created by his death a new covenant with him.
Salvation is now not through the law (for all have fallen short of the glory of God) but through his son Jesus Christ whom by his blood has purchased our salvation,we only need call apon his name, and believe in him.
A gift that we are simply incapable of earning by our works but given freely and undeservedly to us.
The love and forgiveness of God is beyond all human comprehension for such a gift.
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Permalink Reply by felixpadua on
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hi bill, this one is from jeff, not an original one but a story full of spiritual lesson. i am passing it to you.
WET PANTS
Come with me to a third grade classroom..... There is a nine-year-old kid sitting at his desk and all of a sudden, there is a puddle between his feet and the front of his pants are wet. He thinks his heart is going to stop because he cannot possibly imagine how this has happened. It's never happened before, and he knows that when the boys find out he will never hear the end of it. When the girls find out, they'll never speak to him again as long as he lives.
The boy believes his heart is going to stop; he puts his head down and prays this prayer, 'Dear God, this is an emergency! I need help now! Five minutes from now I'm dead meat.'
He looks up from his prayer and here comes the teacher with a look in her eyes that says he has been discovered.
As the teacher is walking toward him, a classmate named Susie is carrying a goldfish bowl that is filled with water. Susie trips in front of the teacher and inexplicably dumps the bowl of water in the boy's lap.
The boy pretends to be angry, but all the while is saying to himself, 'Thank you, Lord! Thank you, Lord!'
Now all of a sudden, instead of being the object of ridicule, the boy is the object of sympathy. The teacher rushes him downstairs and gives him gym shorts to put on while his pants dry out. All the other children are on their hands and knees cleaning up around his desk. The sympathy is wonderful. But as life would have it, the ridicule that should have been his has been transferred to someone else - Susie.
She tries to help, but they tell her to get out. You've done enough, you klutz!'
Finally at the end of the day, as they are waiting for the bus, the boy walks over to Susie and whispers, 'You did that on purpose, didn't you?' Susie whispers back, 'I wet my pants once too.'
May God help us see the opportunities that are always around us to do good.
Remember -Just going to church doesn't make you a Christian any more than standing in your garage makes you a car.
Each and everyone one of us is going through tough times right now, but God is getting ready to bless you in a way that only He can. Keep the faith.
My instructions were to pick four (4) people that I wanted God to bless, and I picked you. Please pass this to at least four (4) people you want to be blessed and a copy back to me.
This prayer is powerful, and prayer is one of the best gifts we receive. There is no cost but a lot of rewards. Let's continue to pray for one another.
The Prayer:
Father, I ask You to bless my friends, relatives and those that I care deeply for, who are reading this right now. Show them a new revelation of Your love and power. Holy Spirit, I ask You to minister to their spirit at this very moment. Where there is pain, give them Your peace and mercy. Where there is self-doubt, release a renewed confidence through Your grace. Where there is need, I ask you to fulfill their needs. Bless their homes, families, finances, their goings and their comings. Amen.
If the Lord lays upon your heart to send this to more than four '4' people, you are truly blessed)
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Oh wow! that is such a wonderful story!!!
Just as Jesus stands between us and condemnation as if to say "NO this one is holy and blameless before God, washed clean by my blood"
What a wonderful story of compassion to share.
Thank you :)
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Permalink Reply by Mercy777 on
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Hello Bill, great discussion!
The verdict for our condemnation was already in place so there was no need to condemn. Jesus' mission was to save us. All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. The penalty for sin is death. Jesus bore our sins on the cross and conquered death by His resurrection. The Lamb without blemish (sin) was the only sacrifice the Father would accept as payment for our sins. For the blood of animals, lambs, bulls and goats only atoned for sin, it did not take the sin away. Jesus came to do away with our sins of yesterday, today and tomorrow.
God loved us so much, He sent His One and Only Son to die in our place.
Would we send our only child to the cross to save the world? We are so loved. Thank you Father and bless the King!
John 3:18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son.
19 This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. 20 Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. 21But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God."
God Bless You,
Mercy
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I often thing of the horrors that God would wish us to kill something to please him...but after some thought I realized that he was asking for the best of the best, essentially our favorite! I imagine that as your favorite animal you would care for it a great deal, the fact that in those days if one sheep was lost they would leave the flock to find it testifies that they had more then an interest in the animals, they LOVED them as dear pets.
In a sense is was to show our true sacrifice, much like God showed ULTIMATE sacrifice which made our sacrifice to him megre.
It truely showed the length and bredth of sacrifice he would go to at our expence, what a price to pay!
It is funny how difficult it is to have 'faith' or trust in God's true loving nature and destiny for us even though he has gone as far as is even possible to show us just how much he loves us.
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