In this episode, heartfelt testimonies reveal how systematic Bible study transforms lives. Through the teachings of Dr. McGee, listeners uncover deeper layers of biblical wisdom that many traditional studies may overlook. We also discuss the critical role of understanding divine truth and the importance of standing vigilant against false teachings. Engage with us as we bring light to these timeless biblical truths.
00:21:12 Living with the Anointing and Anticipating Christ’s Return
00:24:07 Conclusion and Transition to 1 John Chapter 3
00:25:02 Closing Remarks and Reading Schedule Promotion
SPEAKER 03 :
The foundation, ye saints of the Lord, is laid for your faith. Welcome to Through the Bible. Someone once asked Dr. McGee what he thought were the ten greatest chapters in the Bible, and his answer might surprise you. What chapters or verses would you nominate? Well, as the Bible bus travels through 1 John, I’d like to suggest 1 John 2 for that list. That certainly ranks in my top ten. And in just a few short verses, we’re going to hear about the amazing love of God, the blood of Jesus that continually cleanses us from sin, and God’s forgiveness that clears the way for us to be with him for eternity. It doesn’t get much better than that. So open to 1 John 2. And while you do, Greg’s here, so I want to ask him the same question. Greg, what passage would you nominate to be on the list of the ten greats?
SPEAKER 02 :
Well, since we’ve been friends so long, I know I’m going to nominate a passage that I know is on your top ten, and that’s Romans chapter 8. Yeah. Amen. Incredible. No condemnation, no separation. Nothing can separate us from the love of Christ. Amen. It’s just such an epic chapter. But we study the whole Bible, Steve. And what I love about Through the Bible is there are many passages that many Christians know, Psalm 23, Psalm 119, John 3, so many great chapters, chapters out of Ephesians. But I love how Dr. McGee not only takes us through these mountaintop passages, but in the ones that are tougher, he helps us see Jesus. Yeah.
SPEAKER 03 :
Yep, absolutely. And that’s the advantage of spending time with us. Through the Bible for five years, you’re going to go through every great chapter of the Bible, and you’re going to be able to hopefully build your own top ten list.
SPEAKER 02 :
Exactly. And I’m all for reading through the Bible in a year. Please don’t misunderstand me. I know when I try to do that, I often focus too much on getting through the four or so chapters a day. And this five-year journey, we really can actually get into the Word. And you look back, even in one year, sometimes we look back and go, wow, look at all the books of the Bible we studied. So please come with us. We’d love that.
SPEAKER 03 :
Yes, now here’s a testimony from Rachel in New York that I think would be an encouragement to you. I just wanted to share how valuable J. Vernon McGee’s Bible teachings have been for me through the years. I first stumbled across the program a few years ago when I was looking for a deeper, more comprehensive Bible teaching. Many Bible studies are a bit too surface level in my opinion. But by following along with Through the Bible, I get so much out of each one. Dr. McGee will spend a whole program on just a few verses of scripture, uncovering the meaning of the Hebrew word of the original text, the cultural nuances that are lost on us today, and then highlighting scriptural verses that foreshadow or reinforce things from the Old Testament that are found in the New Testament. I’ve gotten more out of a few minutes of Through the Bible’s programs than in a Bible study class at my church.
SPEAKER 02 :
Wow. Now, here’s another great note we got from Brittany. I was recently saved as a direct result of Dr. McGee’s teaching of Hebrews. Thank you for providing these resources to purely teach the Word of God. I follow along daily on my commute to work, but I cannot get enough of God’s Word, so I have started at the beginning as well. I’m thinking of starting a small group Bible study with Dr. McGee’s teachings, if that is permitted. Well, Steve? Of course it’s permitted.
SPEAKER 03 :
What are you thinking? Invite your friends, get the 10 pack online if you want to buy those or just download them for free. Exactly.
SPEAKER 02 :
And he’s referring to our Bible companions, which are actually designed for small group study.
SPEAKER 03 :
Yeah. And there’s questions at the end. It’s super easy to lead. I’m in one myself with a small group and several other groups in my church do that as well.
SPEAKER 02 :
So let us know how that goes, Brittany, after you started that group. Now, she goes on to finish her letter. Again, thank you for providing the message that allowed me to understand who God is so that I could come to him with a childlike belief and learn to follow him in all that I do.
SPEAKER 03 :
Such an encouragement. Here’s one from Rose in Washington State. I’ve been a listener since 2007. I now have Dr. McGee’s commentaries. We have a Bible study on Sundays, and currently we’re in the book of Daniel. I have my Bible on my right and my commentary on my left. The only part that I frown on is when Dr. McGee skips some of the verses. But that’s okay. The best commentary on the Bible is the Bible. Great. Way to go. Greg, why don’t you pray for us?
SPEAKER 02 :
Father, our hearts are warmed as we just listen to what your word is doing in people’s lives. And we trust and believe that as we continue to fling the seed around the world, you will continue to honor your word and change people’s lives. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
SPEAKER 03 :
Open now to 1 John 2 as we make our way through the Bible with Dr. J. Vernon McGee.
SPEAKER 01 :
Now today, friends, as we’ve indicated, I’d like to just take a backward look at this chapter that we’ve come through, 1 John, the second chapter, because it’s one of the great chapters of the Bible. A student in a seminary wrote me some time ago and asked me to submit what I thought was the 10 greatest chapters in the Bible. Well, I didn’t answer the young fellow’s letter by giving him 10 chapters. I answered him by telling him that there were quite a few chapters that would have to be left out if you just picked 10. And it would be impossible to pick the 10 greatest chapters because as I go through the Bible, it seems to me like every chapter becomes the greatest chapter. And I’d have to include 1 John, the second chapter. as one of the great chapters of the Bible. But there’s so many others, you just couldn’t put it in 10 at all. Now, the important thing that we have seen in this chapter 2 here, as we got down in it, is that God is love. And he made it very clear at first that we can know that we’re God’s children. We can have fellowship with him, spite of the fact that we’re his feeble, frail, faltering, falling little children. We can still have fellowship with him because the blood of Jesus Christ God’s Son just keeps on cleansing us from all sin. And we have an advocate up there with the Father, and He’s for us. He’s on our side today. Then we saw beginning in chapter 2 at verse 3 that God is love. And this is the very heart of this epistle, that God is love. In fact, the matter it’s mentioned here, I think about 33 times. And it’s very important to note this, and it divides something like this, how the dear children may have fellowship with each other. And that is a very important thing, and of course, that’s by walking in love. In other words, the little children must recognize that they are called today to live a different kind of a life. They’ve now been given a new nature. They now can live for God. And this is the test. Obedience is the test of life, whether we really have it or not. And if we keep his commandments, and John made it very clear about that. And not only his commandments, but his word. And his word means we’re willing to go even farther than anything that he has commanded. And obedience is therefore the test of life. Now, there’s a difference between law and grace that’s brought out here. The law said, if a man will do, he shall live. But grace is the opposite of that. It says if a man lives, he will do. That is, he must have a life from God alone. before he can live for God. And he can’t, by the old nature, live for God. Therefore, this is the radical difference between law and grace. The law says, do, do. But grace says, believe and live. And it’s different approach. They’re the same goal, of course. And the only problem is law never did work for man because of the old nature. It’s impossible to please God. We all come short of the glory of God. And the real test was, do I delight in the will of God? Do I love his commandment? And if you are a child of God, you’ve got a new nature. Now you want to please him. And it’s been put in this little jingle, something like this. My old companions, fare you well. I cannot go with you to hell. I mean with Jesus Christ to dwell. I will go with him and tell. Well, may I say that that may be a very poor piece of poetry, but it certainly expresses it as it really is. You cannot today talk about having fellowship with God and with other believers and live in sin. The writer of the Proverbs made it very clear in Proverbs 28, 13. He says, “…he that covereth his sins shall not prosper, but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.” And though we know that the blood of Christ does indeed cover us from all sin, you and I can’t walk and live in sin and have fellowship with God and have fellowship with other believers. And if you and I have a life that commands the gospel, it’s another assurance that’s given to us. And I personally don’t think you can have real assurance. That is down deep in the heart. unless you are obedient unto God. And I believe that you can know beyond the peradventure of a doubt that you are a child of God. And it’s not presumptuous. It’s not audacious. You’re not being arrogant. It’s not effrontery. It’s not a gratuitous assumption. It’s not overconfidence. It’s not self-deception. It’s not wild boasting. It’s not self-assertive. In fact, it’s true humility. Knowing that you are saved and eternal security of the believer are not the same. They’re not synonymous, though they are related. The Lord Jesus said, “‘My sheep hear my voice, and if you are his sheep, you’ll hear his voice.'” And you’re not boasting, you see, when you say that you know you’re saved. What you’re saying is, I have a wonderful shepherd. You’re not saying you are wonderful. You’re saying your shepherd is wonderful. And that is the important thing. And he says that my sheep shall never, never perish. What a wonderful truth that is that we have. Now, as we move through this particular section here, and I’m anxious to dwell a little on the last part of it, he makes the statement in verse 21, “…I have not written unto you because ye know not the truth, but because ye know it, and that no lie is of the truth.” He’s not writing something new for these folks. That is the thing that he’s saying here in verse 21. It’s not to give them something new. They knew the gospel. What he’s doing is writing to them, I think, for twofold purpose. One is to encourage them and another to warn them because there was false teaching going about in that day. Because the very next verse makes it clear. He says… Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? And the language here is much stronger than I gave it the other day. Who is the liar? In other words, all lies are summed up in the one who is the prince of liars, and that’s the devil. But there is coming a man, that’s Satan’s man, and he is the liar. And how do you identify him? Who is the liar? But he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ. He is Antichrist that denieth the Father and the Son. And the mark of the Antichrist is one that denies the Father and the Son. That is the Mark Ovin. I want to make this statement, and I don’t like always to quote like this, but many years ago, Dr. William E. Hawking, who was a professor of philosophy at Harvard University, wrote The Living Religions and a World Faith. And he was chairman of that layman’s committee, which a great many call a betrayal committee, years ago. That was way before many of you that are listening were, I suppose, old enough to remember. And he made this statement, and I’m quoting him now, God is in his world. But Buddha, Jesus, Muhammad are in their little private closets, and we shall thank them, but never return to them. Now, you can see here that this is just a direct rank denial of the deity of Christ. And when he denies the Son, he denies the Father. Because the next verse, verse 23, John says, “…whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father. He that confesseth the Son hath the Father also.” You can’t deny Jesus Christ. And then accept God. Say, yes, I believe in God. You can’t do that. The Word of God won’t let you do it at all. And that was my reason for making some strong statements about men of the past. In the great Riverside Church in New York City, when Dr. Harry Emerson Fosdick was the pastor, here was the cover page of a bulletin at that time. And I’m quoting now. Whoever you are that worship here, in whatever household of faith you were born, whatever creed you now profess, if you come to this sanctuary to seek the God in whom you may believe, or to rededicate yourself to the God in whom you do believe, you’re welcome. And then it goes on with a lot about peace and the fatherhood of God, which I’m nauseated when I read this far, so I just don’t read the rest of it. May I say to you, it sounds sweet and flowery, and it appeals to the natural man. But that’s the whole point of John. John says, beware of this. This is Antichrist. And who is the liar? Well, the one that denies the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the Antichrist that denieth the Father and the Son. And when you deny one, you deny the other. And he makes that very clear. Now, we’re going to talk a little later on about the Antichrist because there are two other references to him that we have in John. And John is the only one that uses the term Antichrist. Now, will you listen as we move on again? Verse 24, “…let that therefore abide in you which ye have heard from the beginning.” That is, that which they heard from the very beginning when the apostles began to preach the gospel. If that which ye have heard from the beginning shall remain in you, ye also shall continue in the Son and in the Father. Now, that’s the reason I read this testimony from this man who heard our radio program 20 years ago. And I’m not going to tell you about his life before then. But he heard it down in San Diego, and right there and then he accepted Christ as his Savior. And God has put him head of the Servicemen’s Center, and it’s one of the finest in the country, in fact, in the world today. And he has been responsible to lead just literally thousands of sailor boys and soldier boys to the Lord down through the years. And I thank God for that, friends, because that’s the real test. John says if you abide in him, then that is the evidence that you’re a child of God. Now he says, verse 25, and this is the promise that he has promised us. even eternal life. And by the way, the only kind of life that God offers is eternal life. And if you lose it tomorrow, next week, or next year, it wasn’t eternal life that you got. It’s some other kind, but not eternal, because it just falls short of that. Now he says here, verse 26, verse These things have I written unto you concerning them that seduce you. And that means actually to lead you astray, to lead you from the truth, if you please. And I like the word seduce. I think that’s as good as any, because it applies another way in the physical realm, and it’s the exact thing in the spiritual realm. That is that you absolutely lead a person to commit spiritual adultery when you lead them away from the truth. Verse 27, But the anointing which you received of him abideth in you. Now, since I made the broadcast the last time, I’ve been doing some study of this word anointing. And it is the Greek word charisma. We speak of a certain speaker today or a certain person, a certain preacher that he has charisma. And if he doesn’t have it, he doesn’t get very far today. I’ll have to admit that. But the word literally means, and I went back to my classical dictionary, and I must say I was shocked and disappointed. It means to smear on. It means to take an ointment and just smear it on. Actually, when you take Vicksav or mentholatum and put it on your nose or your chest at night, you’re anointing yourself. You just smear it on, you know. And that’s the word. Charisma. And it means that, and that literally. And by the way, I’ve checked with Dr. Trench and Dr. Vinson, two outstanding Greek scholars, and they come up with the same meaning, the old classical meaning of smear on. And that is really what it is. Now, what does it mean, though, for us today as believers? Well, Israel, back in the Old Testament, God had the priests anointed with oil. And that anointing indicated in a physical way that they were specially endued by the Holy Spirit to perform a certain function. Now, that is the same thing that it means here today. But the anointing which you’ve received of him, that is, you and I have received an anointing of God. When you’re saved of God, one of the things that the Spirit of God does for you, he anoints and he anoints you to understand divine truth, which you couldn’t understand before. But the anointing which you’ve received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you, but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and his truth, and his no lie, and even as it hath taught ye, ye shall abide in him.” Now, that means that there has been given to you an anointing whereby you are unable to understand all truth because the natural man doesn’t receive the things of the Spirit of God, their foolishness unto him, neither can he know them. And eye has not seen, ear hasn’t heard, it hasn’t entered into the heart of man the things that God has prepared for them to love it. But God hath revealed them unto us by His Spirit. And that’s the anointing of the Holy Spirit for a believer. And that’s one reason that we’re encouraging folk on the radio to get into the Word of God themselves and study it. And I read a letter from this dear lady. She listens to the… tape that she made of our program again and again. She reads it, and all of a sudden, her eyes are open, and she sees the Lord Jesus in a new way. What’s happened? She’s had an anointing. Now, I believe in that kind of an anointing, but I don’t believe in a lot of the silly stuff that’s going on today that’s purely emotional. If it doesn’t enlighten to understand the Word of God and to love it and to love the Lord Jesus. Friend, I don’t care how much whoopee you put into your religion. You can just whoop it up and have all kinds of emotion. But that’s no good. It’s enlightenment that we need today. Now, he goes on here and he says, verse 28, “…and now little children,” and I love that, “…now little children abide in him.” And it’s not really the imperative here. It’s really the indicative. You are abiding in him that when he shall appear, we may have confidence and not be ashamed before him at his coming. And that’s a good translation. However, actually, it’s if he appear. And the if there is not one of doubt. In other words, the if here hasn’t anything in the world to do with the fact. It’s not a doubt of the fact, it is the uncertainty as to the circumstances. In other words, all the way through, it’s made very clear that although we may have an anointing, you don’t know when Jesus is coming. That’s one thing that he’s reserved for himself. And why? Well, he says this, that when he shall appear, we may have confidence and not be ashamed before him at his coming. And I think a Christian ought to live in the light of the imminent coming of Christ. If he might come today, right at this moment, Well, if he comes at this moment, he’ll catch me making a tape, and that’ll be fine. I hope he’ll come at a time like that. Well, I don’t know. But there are times that maybe when I get behind that driver that won’t let me around, and I tell her what I think of her, and he came at that moment, I might be ashamed at his appearing. So you and I need to be living in the light of this all the time. Now he says, “…if we know that he is righteous…” Ye know that everyone that doeth righteousness is born of him. In other words, God’s children look like the Father. They take after the Father. And if they don’t take after the father, they must not be the father’s children. And it’s just as simple as that. Now, I’ve had this recapitulation today of chapter 2, because I felt before we left this great chapter, and now we come to chapter 3. And as we come here to chapter 3, we’ve come to another great section. And here we have the father’s love for his children. in the first three verses. And it’s quite wonderful. It’s so wonderful that we just don’t have time to talk about it today. We have to get off the air. But we’ll come back next time right with chapter 3 of 1 John. So until then, may God richly bless you, my beloved.
SPEAKER 03 :
Why not take some time to read chapter 3 and get your heart and mind ready for our next study? If you’re on our mailing list, you already have the best resource for keeping up with each study. That’s our reading schedule bookmark. Get yours at ttb.org or call 1-800-65-BIBLE and we’ll send one to you. And if you want to automatically get one every month, that’s super easy too. You can just sign up for our mailing list. I’m Steve Schwetz, and I’ll see you here on the Bible Bus next time. Our journey on the Bible bus today is supported by the prayers and gifts of fellow passengers as we travel through the Bible.
