JOHN 9:22 WHO MUST CONFESS?

[Doug]

John 9:22 These words spake his parents, because they feared the Jews: for the Jews had agreed already, that if any man did confess that he was Christ, he should be put out of the synagogue.

9:35 Jesus heard that they had cast him out; and when he had found him, he said unto him, Dost thou believe on the Son of God?

9:36 He answered and said, Who is he, Lord, that I might believe on him?

9:37 And Jesus said unto him, Thou hast both seen him, and it is he that talketh with thee.

9:38 And he said, Lord, I believe. And he worshipped him.

Jesus healed a blind man who was brought to the Pharisees. The Pharisees questioned his parents in regard to the healing. The parents feared the Jews and would not answer that Jesus had healed him.

To have eternal life the Jews had to believe on Jesus as the Son of God (John 9:35 John 20:31).

Many Jews believed on Jesus to eternal life but did not publicly confess him as Christ, the Son of God for fear (John 9:22 John 12:42).

Jesus elicited a response from the blind man in John 9:35 as to who he believed Jesus to be; the blind man confessed Jesus to be the Son of God in John 9:38.

1 John 4:15 Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God.

1 John is written to Israel, not the body of Christ; Israel is to confess Jesus as the Son of God.

Matthew 10:32 Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven.

10:33 But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.

Jesus, in the above verses, is speaking to Israel. If Israel confessed Jesus as their Christ, the Son of God before men then Jesus would confess them before the Father, otherwise they would be denied before the Father.

Revelation 3:5 He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.

Revelation 3:5 conveys that Jesus will confess the name of those who overcome. Those who will overcome are the believing remnant of Israel who believe Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God (1 John 5:5).

Romans 10:9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

10:10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

I am of the opinion that the above verses are directed to Jews. Salvation for Israel was not in the law but faith in the risen Jesus.

In the following verse the topic is Israel's salvation.

Romans 10:1 Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved.

While Romans 10:9-10 may be good verses to use for salvation, technically, in Romans 10:1 it is evident Paul is dealing with Israel in this chapter and in the subsequent verses.

The following verses below are from Romans; Paul is speaking of the righteousness of faith in Jesus Christ;

Romans 10:6 But the righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise, Say not in thine heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? (that is, to bring Christ down from above: )

10:7 Or, Who shall descend into the deep? (that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead.)

10:8 But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach;

It can be seen that the verses above are related to the verses from Deuteronomy below. These following verses from Deuteronomy, incorporated in Paul's epistle, were spoken to Israel.

Deuteronomy 30:11 For this commandment which I command thee this day, it is not hidden from thee, neither is it far off.

30:12 It is not in heaven, that thou shouldest say, Who shall go up for us to heaven, and bring it unto us, that we may hear it, and do it?

30:13 Neither is it beyond the sea, that thou shouldest say, Who shall go over the sea for us, and bring it unto us, that we may hear it, and do it?

30:14 But the word is very nigh unto thee, in thy mouth, and in thy heart, that thou mayest do it.

Confession of Jesus as the Christ, the Messiah, and the Son of God for Israel followed faith and trust in him. This is similar to what we find in Romans 10:10

 

[MennoSota]

Salvation comes from no one except God. Confession doesn't save a person (as though it were a magical incantation). God saves whom He wills by His gracious choice.
Your assertions are misguided about the Jews belief in the gospels. Your contention that 1 John is for the Jews only is false.
To understand salvation you should focus specifically on Ephesians 2:4-9.
"But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast."
Here we see the great work of God in saving sinners. Unless God makes us alive with Christ our confession is empty mimicking of the children of God. Dead men will not confess. This is precisely what we see when people claim they are "walking away from the faith." They thought their own willful confession saved them and they think their own willful recanting unsaves them. That's just foolish ignorance on their part.
God tells us that he chooses and wills people to be His children. He promises His children that He will never leave them nor forsake them. He gives His children faith and His children persevere to the end. They persevere because God wills them to persevere.
It is the ignorant person who thinks they control their relationship with the Creator and the Creator is some passive being who doesn't have supremacy in all things.

 

[Doug]

Salvation comes from no one except God. Confession doesn't save a person (as though it were a magical incantation). God saves whom He wills by His gracious choice.
Your assertions are misguided about the Jews belief in the gospels. Your contention that 1 John is for the Jews only is false.
To understand salvation you should focus specifically on Ephesians 2:4-9.
"But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast."
Here we see the great work of God in saving sinners. Unless God makes us alive with Christ our confession is empty mimicking of the children of God. Dead men will not confess. This is precisely what we see when people claim they are "walking away from the faith." They thought their own willful confession saved them and they think their own willful recanting unsaves them. That's just foolish ignorance on their part.
God tells us that he chooses and wills people to be His children. He promises His children that He will never leave them nor forsake them. He gives His children faith and His children persevere to the end. They persevere because God wills them to persevere.
It is the ignorant person who thinks they control their relationship with the Creator and the Creator is some passive being who doesn't have supremacy in all things.

Hello
I totally agree that confession saves no one.
I totally agree that salvation is through faith in Christ and his blood and is found as you say expressed in Ephesians 2, however, that was revealed to Paul and this is a different dispensation of grace.
In John Jesus came to Israel to confirm their promises. The Jews were not saved by their confession, but rather by believing on Jesus. They had to believe in his name, that he is Messiah, the Son of God. Confession was required to be saved to enter the kingdom on earth.
1 John is written to Israel for the last days (1 John 2:18)

 

[MennoSota]

Hello
I totally agree that confession saves no one.
I totally agree that salvation is through faith in Christ and his blood and is found as you say expressed in Ephesians 2, however, that was revealed to Paul and this is a different dispensation of grace.
In John Jesus came to Israel to confirm their promises. The Jews were not saved by their confession, but rather by believing on Jesus. They had to believe in his name, that he is Messiah, the Son of God. Confession was required to be saved to enter the kingdom on earth.
1 John is written to Israel for the last days (1 John 2:18)

You have created a false concept of dispensations. God has always saved by grace through faith. God has always chosen/elected who will have faith. God has always accomplished exactly what he wills.

 

[Doug]

You have created a false concept of dispensations. God has always saved by grace through faith. God has always chosen/elected who will have faith. God has always accomplished exactly what he wills.

Hello
I do not think it is creating a false concept of dispensations when Paul states he was given one (1 Corinthians 9:17 Ephesians 3:2 Colossians 1:25) and in this dispensation the Gentiles are being dealt with and Israel has been temporarily been cast away (Romans 11:15).
Yes God has always saved by grace through faith but what do you mean God choses who will have faith?

 

[MennoSota]

Hello
I do not think it is creating a false concept of dispensations when Paul states he was given one (1 Corinthians 9:17 Ephesians 3:2 Colossians 1:25) and in this dispensation the Gentiles are being dealt with and Israel has been temporarily been cast away (Romans 11:15).
Yes God has always saved by grace through faith but what do you mean God choses who will have faith?

So, I looked at the text you claim for your position, but I see nothing about dispensations.
1 Corinthians 9:17 For if I do this of my own will, I have a reward, but if not of my own will, I am still entrusted with a stewardship.
Ephesians 3:1-3 For this reason I, Paul, a prisoner for Christ Jesus on behalf of you Gentiles— assuming that you have heard of the stewardship of God’s grace that was given to me for you, how the mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I have written briefly.
Colossians 1:24-26 Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church, of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God that was given to me for you, to make the word of God fully known, the mystery hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to his saints.
Romans 11:13-16 Now I am speaking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch then as I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry in order somehow to make my fellow Jews jealous, and thus save some of them. For if their rejection means the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance mean but life from the dead? If the dough offered as firstfruits is holy, so is the whole lump, and if the root is holy, so are the branches.

God has always chosen his children according to his supreme and gracious will with no explanation as to why he chose one and not the other. He is the Supreme King. He doesn't have to give us an answer.

 

[Doug]

So, I looked at the text you claim for your position, but I see nothing about dispensations.
1 Corinthians 9:17 For if I do this of my own will, I have a reward, but if not of my own will, I am still entrusted with a stewardship.
Ephesians 3:1-3 For this reason I, Paul, a prisoner for Christ Jesus on behalf of you Gentiles— assuming that you have heard of the stewardship of God’s grace that was given to me for you, how the mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I have written briefly.
Colossians 1:24-26 Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church, of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God that was given to me for you, to make the word of God fully known, the mystery hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to his saints.
Romans 11:13-16 Now I am speaking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch then as I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry in order somehow to make my fellow Jews jealous, and thus save some of them. For if their rejection means the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance mean but life from the dead? If the dough offered as firstfruits is holy, so is the whole lump, and if the root is holy, so are the branches.

God has always chosen his children according to his supreme and gracious will with no explanation as to why he chose one and not the other. He is the Supreme King. He doesn't have to give us an answer.

Hello
Dispensation is found in the King James

So are you saying God picks who will believe in Jesus and who will believe the gospel to be saved unto eternal life?

 

[MennoSota]

Hello
Dispensation is found in the King James

So are you saying God picks who will believe in Jesus and who will believe the gospel to be saved unto eternal life?

That is exactly what I am saying. God chooses, from the vast pool of sinners, who will receive faith. God shares the good news to the elect through the saints He has already redeemed. The saints do not know who will respond so the saints share a universal message of reconciliation to God. Those who will be saved will respond. Those who will not be saved will find the message of reconciliation foolish and offensive to their pride.
God tells us over and over about His choosing. (John 6, John 10 and John 17 are good starts) The Apostles tell us about God choosing, about election and about predestination. We see God's supremacy in selecting who receives His gracious favor right after the fall. We then see it throughout the Hebrew scriptures as well as the Christian scriptures.
God's supremacy and royal authority to do as He wills is a cornerstone to knowing God.

 

[Doug]

That is exactly what I am saying. God chooses, from the vast pool of sinners, who will receive faith. God shares the good news to the elect through the saints He has already redeemed. The saints do not know who will respond so the saints share a universal message of reconciliation to God. Those who will be saved will respond. Those who will not be saved will find the message of reconciliation foolish and offensive to their pride.
God tells us over and over about His choosing. (John 6, John 10 and John 17 are good starts) The Apostles tell us about God choosing, about election and about predestination. We see God's supremacy in selecting who receives His gracious favor right after the fall. We then see it throughout the Hebrew scriptures as well as the Christian scriptures.
God's supremacy and royal authority to do as He wills is a cornerstone to knowing God.

Hello
Looking at this scripture your viewpoint does not hold up:

John 6:64 But there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should betray him.

God did not select who would believe otherwise there would not be the need to state that he would have knowledge of who would believe or not, would not he have determined that?

 

[Doug]

That is exactly what I am saying. God chooses, from the vast pool of sinners, who will receive faith. God shares the good news to the elect through the saints He has already redeemed. The saints do not know who will respond so the saints share a universal message of reconciliation to God. Those who will be saved will respond. Those who will not be saved will find the message of reconciliation foolish and offensive to their pride.
God tells us over and over about His choosing. (John 6, John 10 and John 17 are good starts) The Apostles tell us about God choosing, about election and about predestination. We see God's supremacy in selecting who receives His gracious favor right after the fall. We then see it throughout the Hebrew scriptures as well as the Christian scriptures.
God's supremacy and royal authority to do as He wills is a cornerstone to knowing God.

Hello

John 6:64 But there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should betray him.

The other thing about this verse to question your view is the fact that some believed not shows volition on their part in choosing not to believe.