PerryDox – BeJustAChristian

Biblical truth standing on its spiritual head to get our eternal attention.

The GOSPEL in John 3:16

| December 19, 2024

The GOSPEL in John 3:16 The word “gospel” is not found in John 3:16 which says, “For God so loved the world that He gave His Only begotten Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.” But now notice how the word “GOSPEL” is found in John 3:16: G – […]

John 3:8

| November 21, 2024

John 3 is is commonly known for teaching about being born again. One segment has always baffled me, and so we have this Thought Exercise. That segment is verse 8 (CSB) “The wind blows where it pleases, and you hear its sound, but you don’t know where it comes from or where it is going. […]

Helping Those Who Misuse Our Help

| September 24, 2024

Helping Those Who Misuse Our Help Ever wonder if we should give money to those who might wrongly use it for alcohol or drugs? Besides God causing it to rain on the righteous and unrighteous (Matthew5:45), let’s consider another example. Sometimes helping others, doing them favors, and such, backfires. Despite us doing them a favor […]

Is There Only One Way?

| September 19, 2024

Is there only one way to God? Contrary to popular thought, and recent comments made by the head of the Catholic Church, Jesus is the only way. But do we understand deeply what that means? Jesus is called the Way (John 14:6) and Jesus’s followers were so identified with their Lord that, what we call […]

An Ethical Dilemma Before There Was An Ethical Dilemma

| August 31, 2024

An ethical dilemma is commonly presented to college students. A runaway train is on course to collide with and kill 5 people down the track, but a bystander can intervene and divert the train resulting in killing just one person on a different track. What choice should be made? 1. Do nothing and let 5 […]

John 3 – Jesus Explains What He Preaches

| March 1, 2024

Jesus Explains What He Preaches Heard an argument that born of water (John 3:5) cannot mean water baptism because there is no precedent for Nicodemus to connect Jesus’s words to. Well, if that is true, and I don’t grant that (3:10), then connect Jesus’s words to his follow-up actions: John 3:22 – After this (i.e., […]

Reading Past John 3:16

| March 1, 2024

Reading Past John 3:16 Do we sometimes miss a powerful point because we stop reading? John 3:16 is so well-known that people stop reading. What happens if we keep reading? Notice these contrasts: “For God loved the world” (John 3:16) vs. “People loved the darkness” (John 3:19) “He gave his one and only Son” (John […]

John 2 – Does Jesus Turning Water into Wine Condone Drinking?

| January 25, 2024

Does Jesus Turning Water Into Wine Condone Drinking Alcohol? I am biased against alcohol. It bothers me when people cite Jesus turning water into “wine” as evidence that drinking alcohol is acceptable. It also bothers me that I cannot find a scripture which says all and any alcohol is forbidden. So what should we do […]

John 1:14 – The Incarnation, Trinity, and Temple

| January 23, 2024

Does the Israelite Temple and Tabernacle foreshadow the Trinity to prepare God’s people? 1. The temple/tabernacle is where Yahweh would “put His name” and “rest”. 2. The temple/tabernacle was a physical dwelling of God among His people. 3. The temple/tabernacle was filled with the Shekinah or Glory of Yahweh. Then Jesus appears: 1. Jesus is […]

John 3 – What Does It Mean to be Born Again?

| August 22, 2023

What does it mean to be born again? To be born again is language from John 3. Some invoke Ezekiel as the background that this teacher should have known, as Jesus rebukes Nicodemus. I think the background is Genesis 1-2.   Born of water and the Spirit is how creation begins. The Spirit hovered over […]