THOUGHTS, COMMENTARIES, EXPOSITIONS AND STUDIES ON SCRIPTURE

We are told in the book of John that Judas Iscariot's father's name is Simon.

He spake of Judas Iscariot the son of Simon: for he it was that should betray him, being one of the twelve.

John 6:71

I believe this same Simon is the one whom Jesus visited when Mary anointed the feet of Jesus with the precious oil of spikenard.

And being in Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he sat at meat, there came a woman having an alabaster box of ointment of spikenard very precious; and she brake the box, and poured it on his head.

Mark 14:3

And when she had done this, this is how Judas replied:

Then saith one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, which should betray him,
Why was not this ointment sold for three hundred pence, and given to the poor?
This he said, not that he cared for the poor; but because he was a thief, and had the bag, and bare what was put therein.

John 12:4-6

We see here that one of Judas' sins was trafficking, because he took wealth and goods that did not belong to him.

If we go back to 2 Kings 5, we read the miraculous story of the healing of Naaman the leper by the prophet Elisha. Naaman tried to give Elisha gifts in return, but Elisha sent him away in peace, refusing to take those gifts. But Elisha's servant, Gehazi, was not pleased that Elisha refused the gifts, and wanted to get something from Naaman.

But Gehazi, the servant of Elisha the man of God, said, Behold, my master hath spared Naaman this Syrian, in not receiving at his hands that which he brought: but, as the Lord liveth, I will run after him, and take somewhat of him.

2 Kings 5:20

So Gehazi ran after Naaman and lied that Elisha had just met two visitors, and he needed some money and changes of garments for them. So Naaman gave him some goods, and Gehazi took it home. Then Elisha, as a prophet, knew Gehazi had been up to no good, and he asks him this question.
But he went in, and stood before his master. And Elisha said unto him, Whence comest thou, Gehazi? And he said, Thy servant went no whither.
And he said unto him, Went not mine heart with thee, when the man turned again from his chariot to meet thee? Is it a time to receive money, and to receive garments, and oliveyards, and vineyards, and sheep, and oxen, and menservants, and maidservants?

2 Kings 5:25-26

Gehazi lied not only to Naaman, but also to Elisha. And this is what Elisha says to Gehazi as the consequence:

The leprosy therefore of Naaman shall cleave unto thee, and unto thy seed for ever. And he went out from his presence a leper as white as snow.

2 Kings 5:27

So Gehazi's sin was greed, trafficking, and lying, just like Judas. And Gehazi became a leper (leprosy is a picture of sin). And if Simon the leper was Judas' father, perhaps Gehazi was their ancestor. Thus, we can see how the leprosy clave to Gehazi and his seed forever.

Trafficking is also a sin of Satan, as we read in Ezekiel 28.

By the multitude of thy merchandise they have filled the midst of thee with violence, and thou hast sinned: therefore I will cast thee as profane out of the mountain of God: and I will destroy thee, O covering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire.
Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty, thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness: I will cast thee to the ground, I will lay thee before kings, that they may behold thee.
Thou hast defiled thy sanctuaries by the multitude of thine iniquities, by the iniquity of thy traffick; therefore will I bring forth a fire from the midst of thee, it shall devour thee, and I will bring thee to ashes upon the earth in the sight of all them that behold thee.

Ezekiel 28:16-18

Satan is also a liar.

Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.

John 8:44

It is also interesting to note that Gehazi went out from the man of God's presence "a leper as white as snow." White as a color suggests light and purity.

And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.

2 Corinthians 11:14

Both Gehazi and Satan were asked "Whence comest thou?"

But he went in, and stood before his master. And Elisha said unto him, Whence comest thou, Gehazi? And he said, Thy servant went no whither. (2 Kings 5:25)

And the Lord said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered the Lord, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it. (Job 1:7)

Additionally, Simon the leper questioned Jesus' authority when he observed the woman anointing Jesus with the precious oil.

Now when the Pharisee which had bidden him saw it, he spake within himself, saying, This man, if he were a prophet, would have known who and what manner of woman this is that toucheth him: for she is a sinner.

And Jesus answering said unto him, Simon, I have somewhat to say unto thee. And he saith, Master, say on.

Luke 7:39-40

Simon did not see Jesus as Lord, but only Master. This is also the title Judas calls him by when he betrays him with a kiss.

And forthwith he came to Jesus, and said, Hail, master; and kissed him.

Matthew 26:49

Thus, I believe Simon the leper is the father of Judas Iscariot, and Gehazi is their ancestor.

-By Veronica

Why does time pass so slowly for children, and so quickly for adults? It seems to go on faster and faster the older we get. Time is a precious commodity, as they say.

When we think about the word "forever" or "an eternity," that refers to something that has always been. As you've probably heard a thousand times, kids naively say "this is taking forever" when they get impatient, and we have that tendency as well. Obviously, something that's truly been around "forever," has been around since way before us. Revelation 11:16-17 says:

16 And the four and twenty elders, which sat before God on their seats, fell upon their faces, and worshipped God, 17 Saying, We give thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty, which art, and wast, and art to come; because thou hast taken to thee thy great power, and hast reigned.

It's established throughout the bible that God has been here since before the beginning of time. As for us, the Lord asks Job in chapter 38:4,

Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if thou hast understanding.

When the Lord asks a question, it's not because he doesn't know the answer (he knows everything), but because he wants us to really think about something.

How can a child grasp "eternity?" To them, "forever" has been a mere 5 years, 7 years, 10 years, 13 years. In the scope of eternity, ten minutes seems like a very long time.

For an elderly man who has lived 80 some years, the same 10 minutes is not very long in the scope of eternity. It seems we perceive time as a fraction of eternity, in our limited understanding. But really, eternity to us only feels like the length of time we've ever lived. The longer we've lived, the faster time seems to go because we consider it as a fraction of our whole lives.

But in God's infinite understanding, not only is a thousand years as one day, but a day is as a thousand years. 2 Peter 3:8 says:

But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.

How? It's because he can do an unlimited number of things in a day. So it's like time goes in slow motion as he fits millions upon millions of events into one day, for everybody and everything. But it also goes quickly for him, because he's existed forever. Time goes slowly and quickly for God.

For us, a day cannot seem like a thousand years because we simply can do so little in the days that we have, compared to the Lord. James 4:13-17 says:

13  Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain: 14  Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. 15  For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that. 16  But now ye rejoice in your boastings: all such rejoicing is evil. 17  Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.

The Lord calls us to occupy till he comes (talked about in the parable of the pounds in Luke 19). Let's make the most of our days. By the grace of God, we can teach kids about eternity. Here's one last thought from Matthew 6:19-21:

19 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:

20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:

21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

-By Veronica

But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.
Matthew 6:6

At the time the KJV was written, a closet simply meant a small private space. It could also be a storage space for utensils, furniture, or curious/valuable things (see Webster's 1828). 

However, I believe God, knowing that the word in this Laodicean age would primarily come to refer to a place for storing clothes and getting dressed, specifically chose this verse in relation to Revelation 3:18. When we come into the presence of God, we are also to put on our white raiment. Thus, even though we enter our closet and pray secretly, our sanctification will be recognized by others after we come out of the closet.

I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.
Revelation 3:18

-By Veronica

While he spake these things unto them, behold, there came a certain ruler, and worshipped him, saying, My daughter is even now dead: but come and lay thy hand upon her, and she shall live. (Matthew 9:18)

Parallel passage:

And, behold, there cometh one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name; and when he saw him, he fell at his feet, And besought him greatly, saying, My little daughter lieth at the point of death: I pray thee, come and lay thy hands on her, that she may be healed; and she shall live. (Mark 5:22-23)

So, was she dead, or near death at the particular moment Jairus approached Jesus? That's not important. What matters is that she may as well have been dead. To her father, she was dead. And as we read on, we see that she was in fact dead by the time Jesus got to her. But her father trusted that Jesus would give her life.

This is quite similar to the circumstances of Abraham when he was offering up Isaac (Genesis 22:2). Why was Abraham so willing to offer up Isaac? Because he believed God would raise Isaac up from the dead! As it says in Hebrews 11:17-19:

By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, Of whom it was said, That in Isaac shall thy seed be called: Accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead; from whence also he received him in a figure.

And in Hebrews 11:12 it says this of Isaac:

Therefore sprang there even of one, and him as good as dead, so many as the stars of the sky in multitude, and as the sand which is by the sea shore innumerable.

Like Isaac, Jairus' daughter was as good as dead. Yet her father prayed Jesus, and Jesus took her by the hand, and she arose and lived.

If you know anyone who is as good as dead, pray for them now, no matter how far gone they are, no matter how bad it seems. They only need Jesus to come lay his hands upon them, and they shall live. They need only touch the hem of his garment (Matthew 9:20-21), and they shall be whole!

-By Veronica

Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.  

Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseeth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God:  

And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.  

1 John 4:1-3

For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist. 

Look to yourselves, that we lose not those things which we have wrought, but that we receive a full reward.  

2 John 1:7-8

I.

A cursory reading of these passages written by John might make the meaning seem obvious. To be a Christian, one must believe that Jesus Christ is indeed both Son of God and Son of man (Romans 1:3-4). If one does not confess that Jesus, the anointed one, the son of God, did not come to be born of a virgin and walk the earth as a man, this is a grave error of the spirit of antichrist. I will not further elaborate on this point, as there exists a nearly inexhaustible supply of commentary on this key doctrinal principle.  

However, I am obligated to offer two further interpretations of this scripture which work in tandem with the aforementioned doctrine.

II.

The second interpretation is as follows: many deceivers confess not that Jesus in the flesh is Christ. Allow me to explain. There is some doctrine out there which propagates that the earthly ministry of Jesus falls under a different dispensation (specifically that of the law). As such, they say, the teachings of Christ do not directly apply to us, but to the Jews of the past and of the end times, so we are not obligated to follow his teachings because we are under the "age of grace." Some even go so far as to say that, if we preach doctrine according to the gospel of Matthew, Mark, or Luke, we are accursed according to Galatians 1:8-9. God forbid—what a grievous error! Does not such a doctrine suggest that Jesus Christ in the flesh is not our Lord? Nay, brethren, Jesus Christ is come in the flesh! To embrace Christ as Lord is to pledge all our loyalties, yea, our very being, to him. Therefore we must listen to, submit to, and obey everything he has to say. (See "They say, the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke are not to be taught for salvation to Gentiles" for further exposition.)

Before anyone asks, I am not suggesting that we are under the Mosaic law (see Galatians 3:10-14). We are justified by faith, without the works of the law (Romans 3:28-31). Note, Paul even poses the question in Romans 3:29: "Is he the God of the Jews only? Is he not also of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also." Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law (Galatians 3:13); however, he did not void the law (Matthew 5:17-20). But how do I know which commandments I should follow? The Lord says the two great commandments are this: Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind; and love your neighbor as yourself (Matthew 22:37-40). Love is the fulfilling of the law (Romans 13:10). He also says our bodies are the temple of the Holy Ghost (1 Corinthians 3:16-17, 1 Corinthians 6:19). All scripture—yes, all—is inspired of God, and is profitable for doctrine, reproof, correction, and instruction in righteousness (2 Timothy 3:16). Do I need to offer up a lamb without blemish? No, Christ was the perfect and spotless Lamb, and his blood atones for our sins (1 John 1:7). Do I need to abstain from pork because the law declared it unclean? No, Jesus declared all meats clean unto us (Acts 10:13-15). Can I steal? No, that is not how we love our neighbor.

How do I know which commandments to keep? In Acts 15, we see some converted Pharisees compelling the Gentile Christians to keep the law of Moses (Acts 15:5). Barnabas and Paul answered thus:  

Wherefore my sentence is, that we trouble not them, which from among the Gentiles are turned to God: but that we write unto them, that they abstain from pollutions of idols, and from fornication, and from things strangled, and from blood.  

Acts 15:19-20

But, in our world today, there are so many things, so many issues, the Bible does not address! How can I know what God would have me do regarding these things which the Bible does not provide explicit instruction on? My friend, the Holy Spirit shall reveal these things unto you, if you quench him not (Philippians 3:15; 1 Thessalonians 5:19).  

Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. Abstain from all appearance of evil.  

1 Thessalonians 5:21-22 

What do you suppose Jesus would say if he saw you doing that which you are considering to do? Would he be pleased? Would you still do it if he were in this very room, sitting next to you?  I attest to you that he is watching even now (Proverbs 15:3, Hebrews 4:13). Use your conscience, and be considerate of your brother's conscience (Romans 14:14-23). When in doubt, throw it out!

And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment.  

1 John 3:23

By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.  

1 John 5:2-3

Here is the conclusion of the matter: Jesus Christ is the Word of God, so we are to heed every word he says. We are to follow after that which is good, for our sanctification. We are to love God, love our neighbors, and keep the temple of the Holy Ghost clean and undefiled. And speaking of this temple, which is our body, this brings us to our third point.

III.

The third interpretation is this: many deceivers confess not that Jesus Christ is come into our flesh.

All who call upon the name of the Lord in truth receive the Spirit of the Lord, which is promised of the Father. And you cannot be Christ's without the Spirit of Christ, as is proclaimed here:

But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.  

Romans 8:9-11

But wait a moment—can Christ verily come into our flesh? Does not Romans 8:9-11 state that we believers are not in the flesh, and the body is dead because of sin? Indeed, to live after the flesh—that is, carnally—is death (Romans 8:5-6). However, the "flesh" can also refer to our bodies. As Paul sits in a lamentable state of imprisonment, he declares:  

For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better: Nevertheless, to abide in the flesh is more needful for you.  

Philippians 1:23-24

Within the context, Paul cannot possibly be saying that it is needful for him to abide in carnality. No, without a doubt he is speaking of "the flesh" as his body. It wasn't quite the time for him to be absent from the body and present with the Lord (2 Corinthians 5:6-8).

Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.  

1 Corinthians 3:16-17

What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?  

1 Corinthians 6:19

Excuse me, but what Christian in his right mind would deny that the Holy Spirit abides in the believer's body? You'd be surprised. Many, I'm afraid, deny the very power and presence of the Holy Ghost working in you and through you, and I pray that this is in most cases done out of ignorance. You see, some today would insist that the gifts of the Spirit which we would deem "supernatural" have ceased in this present age. Perhaps this has been you; I judge you not, for I was there also. Yet there is no biblical evidence to suggest that the gifts of the Spirit have ceased, for God has not ceased to give us his Spirit (see "They Say the Gifts Ceased" for further exposition). By the Holy Spirit, God imparts both spiritual gifts and spiritual fruits to the believer. You may read about the gifts of the Spirit in 1 Corinthians 12, Romans 12:1-8, and Ephesians 4:7-16.

But why can I not heal? Why can I not work miracles? Why can I not speak in or interpret tongues? Perhaps these simply are not part of your gifting. 1 Corinthians 12:7 says that the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal, so be assured that the Spirit will be manifest in your life one way or another. Verse 11 of the same chapter says that the Spirit divides to every man several gifts according to the will of God (1 Corinthians 12:11). You are not a "worse" Christian if you receive not those gifts which men would account miraculous or supernatural. Neither are you the better. Some may say that, because we walk by faith and not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7), we have no need of miracles, so we don't even want them. Be careful we are not letting the things of God slip. Consider Hebrews 2:1-4, and read it carefully:

Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip.  

For if the word spoken by angels was stedfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward;  

How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him;  

God also bearing them witness, both with signs and wonders, and with divers miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost, according to his own will?

If we reject the gifts of the Holy Ghost, are we not neglecting our salvation? Worse still, we may stand in danger of blaspheming against the Holy Ghost, if we go so far as to attribute the works of God to the devices of the devil (Mark 3:22-30).

Why doesn't anyone in my church exhibit these miraculous gifts?

And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.  

Matthew 17:20

We are quenching the Spirit, if we are quenching the workings of the Spirit through our unbelief. How much more would be possible for us if we truly believed that God has gifted us with the power of his Holy Ghost, and endued us with power from on high (Luke 24:49; Acts 1:8)? For with God all things are possible (Mark 10:27). What is the remedy, then? In Matthew 17, Jesus told his disciples they could not cast out the unclean spirit because of their unbelief. Mark 9:23-24 gives us further insight from this dialogue:

Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth. And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.  

Mark 9:23-24

Likewise, we must pray: Lord, I believe; help me with my unbelief!

Yet there is another side to the coin. There is a teaching out there that the Spirit of Christ does not dwell in you, except you speak in tongues at least once in your lifetime. This is another way to deny that Christ is come into the flesh. How many great men of the faith died without once exhibiting the gift of tongues? Do we dare declare these are not in heaven? Without the Spirit of Christ, we are none of his (Romans 8:9)! Yet some assert that a believer is not saved unless he has spoken in tongues. You may have fervent daily communion with God, you may have received much wisdom and knowledge from the word of God, you may have prophesied, you may have even healed some people. But, according to their doctrine, you still do not have the Holy Ghost abiding in you if you haven't broken out in tongues! (See "The Gift of Tongues and Salvation - the Truth" for further exposition.)

The Holy Spirit is like fire, like cloven tongues, like a dove, and like water. But he cannot be reduced to any such items, else we rob him of his glory. What, is every member of the body a tongue? Is every member a foot? Is every member a hand, or an eye, or a nose? Some have the gift of tongues, some the gift of evangelism, some the gift of ministry, and some the gift of discerning of spirits. In 1 Corinthians 12, Paul ascertains the absurdity of forcing every member of the body of Christ to conform to identical functions.

Never feel pressured to conform to the spiritual gift that seems to be most prominent in your church. If your church is full of hands-on volunteers, do not grudgingly offer your service because you feel as if you are lacking faithfulness by not participating in ministry. If your church is full of people who exhibit tongues, do not fake it to fit in. Consider the example of Ananias and Sapphira. In Acts 4:32-37, we see that the believers were so united in heart and soul that they sold their possessions and laid them down at the apostles feet so they could distribute to everyone according to their need. The early church was blessed almost universally with the gift of giving, which is a spiritual gift according to Romans 12:8.  In Acts 5:1-2, Ananias and Sapphira forced themselves to conform to this gift in pretense, selling a possession, keeping back part of the price, and laying part of the price at the apostles' feet. Peter, by the power of the Holy Spirit, sees right through their act, and says Satan filled their heart to lie to the Holy Ghost (Acts 5:3-4). And both Ananias and Sapphira fell down and gave up the ghost. What does Satan have to do with this? He is the original trafficker of the glory of God (Ezekiel 28:12-18). So if we attempt to fake a gift, at best we are like clouds and wind without rain (Proverbs 25:14). At worse, we are traffickers like Satan, stealing glory from God for ourselves.

In closing, be not discouraged. We have a most blessed hope in Christ.

For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:  

Romans 8:3

Christ condemned sin while he was in the flesh, and he condemned the presence of sin in our flesh. Hence, we are accounted sinless. 

 We must confess that Christ is come in the flesh. He was in the flesh and now he is in our flesh! And we are hid with him in God. Not to be after that carnal flesh—the old man—but through the Spirit to mortify the deeds of the body and be renewed in the spirit of our mind, as we are the temple of the Holy Ghost—in the body of Christ.

Hallelujah!

-By Veronica