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| 1 When therefore the Lord knew how the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John, |
Jesus made – At the hands of his disciples. R4130:2
Jesus and his disciples practised John's baptism among the Jews. R5964:4
Baptized – A similar work to John, using immersion as a token or sign of the putting away of sin by the repentant one. R444:6, 5964:4; F428; NS48:4; HG264:3
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| 2 (Though Jesus himself baptized not, but his disciples,) |
Baptized not – Even as Paul baptized few, being an abler preacher than others, while many could baptize as well as he. R1540:6
But his disciples – James and John, as Jesus' representatives, had been baptizing multitudes in water, "unto repentance and remission of sins"-- John's baptism. F442; NS53:2
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| 3 He left Judaea, and departed again into Galilee. |
He left Judea – "He would not walk in Jewry, because the Jews sought to kill him." ( John 7:1) Thereafter we hear little of Jesus being in Jerusalem except on festival occasions. R4130:2
In this he illustrated his instruction to his disciples, "When they shall persecute you in one city, flee ye to another." Matt. 10:23 R3494:2[R3494]
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| 4 And he must needs go through Samaria. |
He must needs go through – It was a difficult matter to avoid the Samaritans, for the district called Samaria lay between Judea proper and Galilee. R2423:2[R2423:3], 2574:1
Samaria – A stretch of country lying between Judea and Galilee. We might call it a county, and say that its chief city, of the same name, was its county seat. R2574:1[R2574]
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| 5 Then cometh he to a city of Samaria, which is called Sychar, near to the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. |
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| 6 Now Jacob's well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied with his journey, sat thus on the well: and it was about the sixth hour. |
Jacob's well – 75 feet deep. It's mouth was so walled up as to form a circular seat at its top. R4130:5
Jacob's well had a great reputation throughout that region because of the purity of its waters. Most water was brackish, but Jacob's well struck a crevice in the rock, which yielded a large supply of desirable water. R2574:3
Dug 14 centuries before our Lord's time. A remarkably good well, deep and abundantly supplied with water, well curbed at the top, with a small mouth about 14 inches in diameter. R3495:6
Being wearied – His weakness was not the result of inherited blemish or sin, nor the weakness of imperfection, but of sacrifice. The gift which costs nothing cannot be so highly esteemed as that which costs much. R4138:2
Sat thus – When Christ was weary, he rested; when he was hungry, he partook of food, and never, in any case, worked a miracle for his own present benefit, nor for his disciples. R1754:6, 379:1; F650
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| 7 There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water: Jesus saith unto her, Give me to drink.
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A woman of Samaria – The Lord's principal communications all through the Gospel age have been with the humble. R3496:1, 2574:4, 2424:2
It is remarkable that on so many occasions our Lord said remarkable things to not very remarkable people under not very remarkable circumstances. R3495:6
Unto her – Our Lord was quite willing to mingle with any class. He shunned no opportunity for doing good to any, either publicans or sinners. He reproved and rebuked the scribes and Pharisees for their aloofness. R4130:5
The opportunity of speaking to one earnest listener should be esteemed far greater than that of addressing a thousand inattentive ones. R4132:1
Had there been a company of Jews to whom the Lord could have talked at this time, we are bound to suppose he would have, to the neglect of this disreputable Samaritan. But their being none of the "children" to be "fed," he let some of the crumbs of knowledge and blessing fall to the Samaritans. R2574:5, 2423:5
"Do good unto all men as we have opportunity, especially to the household of faith." (Gal. 6:10) R2574:5
We should serve the household of faith wherever possible, but when this is impossible, and an opportunity offers, we should seek to do some good to others--to speak words which may help them by and by. R2423:5
Give me to drink – A gift of water or of food, extended or received at that time, signified fellowship, a covenant of good will. R4130:5
It was evidently with less of a desire for the water for his own comfort, than from a desire to teach the woman, that our Lord asked her for a drink. R2423:3
Thus putting himself in a measure under obligation to her. In one sentence he broke down the icy barrier which had always existed between the Jews and the Samaritans. R3496:1
This is one of the best methods of approaching all--condescension and an expression of confidence in their generosity, with the implication which it gives of willingness to return the favor in some manner. R2574:5
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| 8 (For his disciples were gone away unto the city to buy meat.) |
To buy meat – He would not command stones to become bread to satisfy his hunger, but rather sent his disciples to a village to buy meat. R379:1
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| 9 Then saith the woman of Samaria unto him, How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? (for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans.) |
How is it – Her question has in it the element of boldness, which is explained later on by her acknowledgment that she was not a virtuous woman. R2574:3
This woman was a sinful woman, and a type of thousands of others, men and women, who would act very differently if they only knew. R1712:1
Being a Jew – At once recognizing each other's nationality, not merely by facial lineaments, but also by distinctive features of dress--the Jews having a white fringe in their garments, while the Samaritans used blue. R2574:3
Askest drink of me – She probably thought of him as one willing to receive a favor in his extremity, but at other times regarding her and her people as too far beneath him to have any dealings with her. R1711:6
Had she known and been able to appreciate her privilege of giving a cup of cold water to the only begotten and well-beloved Son of God, how gladly would she have rendered the service requested. R1711:6
Have no dealings – Not that the Samaritans were averse to having fellowship with the Jews, but that the Jews, imbued with the thought that the promises of God were to the seed of Abraham exclusively, would "have no dealings with the Samaritans." R2423:4
While dealing with them commercially, the Jews would have no intercourse with them socially and religiously. R2574:1
Never eat with them, nor marry, nor have any dealings with them. R2604:2, 1000:3, 284:1; HG385:6
The Jews were right in not acknowledging the Samaritans. This was not a matter of bigotry, but of divine regulation and prohibition. (Deut. 7:1-6) R2574:2
Our Lord distinctly set the seal of approval to this course, saying, "Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not; for I am not sent save to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." (Matt. 10:5) R2574:2, 2069:3
There was a greater religious antipathy existing between Samaria and the Jews than between the Jews and other heathen people because the Samaritan faith came closer to the Jewish faith and was therefore more competitive than the heathen faiths. R3495:3
The Samaritans – A mixed people whom the Jews despised, and with whom they would have no dealings. R3804:3
Being of mixed blood, Jewish and Gentile, they were counted by the Jews as though they were Gentiles. R2960:3, 2069:3
Descendants of those heathen people planted in Palestine by the Babylonian government when the Israelites were deported to the countries of Babylon. R4130:2, 3495:3, 2574:1, 2423:2
Galilee had been settled by Gentile emigrants. Subsequently these Gentiles gathered more particularly in the vicinity of the city of Samaria and became known as Samaritans. Noting the hopes of the Israelites, they were inclined to claim a certain share in the blessings belonging to the people into whose lands they had been introduced. R3468:3
Some of the careless, ignorant and vicious amongst the Jews, disregarding the divine law, intermarried with the Samaritans. Thus an element of Jewish blood was intermingled amongst them. R4130:3, 2423:6
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| 10 Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.
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Jesus answered – While probably thirsty, Jesus was more anxious to give the word of truth than to receive the natural water. R3496:1
Although weary, he was ready to sacrifice his own convenience that he might be helpful to another, even to a social outcast. R2574:5
If thou knewest – Displaying great tact by not answering her query but directing her attention to a deeper truth. Some mistakenly believe they must use no tact, that to do so would be dishonest. Such should note, here and elsewhere, our Lord's tactfulness. R4130:6
Similarly, let us in all the affairs of life try to turn the attention of those with whom we have contact towards the heavenly, the spiritual things. R4130:6
Observe the simple condescension of the Lord in thus endeavoring to make plain the way of life to one who had strayed far from the path of rectitude. R1702:6
The gift of God – The very words customarily used by the water-carriers, who, with water-skins filled with water from such wells, went about the cities crying out in their own language, The gift of God! The gift of God! R3496:2
Thou wouldest have asked – While physically he was weary, and needed the natural water, yet in a higher sense the woman was the weary one, heavy-laden with sin, who needed the invigorating water of life of which our Lord himself is the fountain. R2423:5
Let us offer the water of life to all as opportunities may present themselves. R1712:4
He would have given – Hungry and thirsty, yet dispensing living bread. R1063:2*
Living water – Flowing water, not stagnant, always fresh. R2574:6, 2423:6
Not the holy Spirit, for this is distinctly termed the gift of the Father, and is symbolized by the anointing oil. The water of life is the truth, which both cleanses and refreshes. R2423:6
Water is a symbol of truth. The invitation is to accept or partake of the favor of everlasting life through obedience to the truth. R1363:3, 1878:3
The truth which brings to us the privilege of manifesting faith and obedience, and thus "laying hold on eternal life," is called the "water of life" and the "bread of life." E386[E386]
The river of water of life does not flow at the present time; it cannot flow out to the "nations" until all the Little Flock as well-springs shall be brought together in the Kingdom. R2424:4; HG410:5
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| 11 The woman saith unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: from whence then hast thou that living water? |
Thou hast nothing – The woman's slowness of comprehension is striking. Our Lord's patience as a teacher, with a congregation of only one, and that one a woman of a low caste, should be a lesson to all of his followers who seek to distribute to others a taste of the water of life. R2424:1
She perceived that our Lord was not provided with the necessary bucket and cord. R4103:6
The well is deep – The well from which our Lord gives us to drink is deep, nor have we anything to draw with. Under the new dispensation of the holy Spirit we are abundantly supplied--"The spirit searcheth all things, yea the deep things of God." (1 Cor. 2:10) R2575:2
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| 12 Art thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle? |
Our father Jacob – Notwithstanding their rejection by the Jews from heritage in the Abrahamic Covenant, they nevertheless trusted in some blessing. R2423:6
These Gentiles, through contact with the Jews, and through intermarriage with certain renegade Jews, obtained a smattering of knowledge of the Jewish hopes and worship, combining these to some extent with false ideas of their own. R2574:1
Their belief in God, and the fact that they worshipped the true God, did not constitute them proper subjects for the Gospel call. R2423:2
Israelites, mixed and mingled with the Gentiles, abandoning the sign of circumcision in the flesh, ceased to be Israelites, being as much strangers to the Covenant as any other Gentiles. R2423:6
Thus, from our Lord's treatment of the Samaritans, we can readily see the baselessness of the expectation of some who style themselves "Anglo-Israelites" and claim to be descendants of deported Israelites who abandoned circumcision. R2424:1
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| 13 Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again:
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Jesus answered – Again our Lord tactfully ignored the question in the woman's interest--not to deceive her or take advantage of her, but for her benefit, leading her mind from the natural water to the spiritual. R4131:1, 2474:6
Shall thirst again – Errors, falsities, may satisfy temporarily the craving of those who have never yet tasted of the truth, the water of life. R2424:2
Thirst is desire, craving, longing. Physical thirst is said to be much more painful than physical hunger. There is also a soul-thirst and a water of life which alone can satisfy it. R2574:6
As our physical systems call for water continually and cannot do without it, so we have longings and ambitions and thirsts of a higher intellectual order. These the world is endeavoring to satisfy, but the thirst for wealth, influence and power is insatiable. R3496:3
A man's greatness is measured (1) by the number of his thirsts; (2) by the character or quality of those thirsts; (3) by the capacity and intensity of those thirsts. R2574:6
Alexander the Great wept that there were no more worlds that he might conquer. Solomon, after having tasted of all the streams of pleasure and novelty, cried out, Vanity of vanities, all is vanity! (Eccl. 1:2) R3496:3
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| 14 But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.
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Shall never thirst – Nothing can give permanent, lasting satisfaction, except the truth. R2424:2
Those who drink of it have no cravings for the vain philosophies of men which make void the Word of God. We are still drinking, but we shall soon be satisfied--when we awake in his likeness in the first resurrection. R1703:4
The lesson of life is not that we should be without desires and plenty of them, but that these desires should be transformed from sinful desires to righteous desires. R2575:1
Improper longings are to be resisted, controlled, rooted out, while proper longings are to be built up, cultivated, to be supplied and to be enjoyed forever. R2575:1
What the whole world is seeking for and failing to get, our Lord Jesus gives to his people--water of life, satisfaction. R3496:4
In him – Each believer. R2507:6
A well of water – Immortality. R5865:5
Fountains of truth for others. R2424:2
Water in its purity is a fit symbol of Christ our Life. Here at the laver, the new life of the Christian begins. R117:4, 5*
The laver of the Jewish age was but the brazen laver of the Tabernacle, and later Solomon's brazen sea; now in the Gospel age it is a well of water in each believer's heart, overflowing many times; then, in the Millennial age, this pure water of life will flow wide and deep from out of the city and over the world. R118:1*
The Bride is to become a "partaker of the divine nature." She is to have within her "a well of living water [life] springing up," while the rest of mankind may come to the fountain to drink. (Rev. 7:17) R252:4
God's grace, at the present time, is not comparable to a river, but a well of water springing up, and those Christians in whom God's grace is a fountain of life and refreshment are comparatively few. R2507:6
Each true follower of Jesus is a "well of water springing up unto everlasting life." By and by when these well-springs are all brought together and united with our Lord, then the Bride and Bridegroom will constitute the great river of life or water of life. (Rev. 22:1) Q750:2, 823:2; R3410:5, 1703:1; CR216:3
Springing up – A perennial well-spring continually rising up in her heart. R1703:1
The "water of life" is now in his followers a "spring" of truth, grace and everlasting life. The Father hath life in himself, and has granted unto the Son life in himself, that he might share this life with his disciples. R5088:6, 1642:4
You have a well-spring in your heart if you have the begetting of the holy Spirit. CR216:3
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| 15 The woman saith unto him, Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw. |
Give me this water – Evidencing by the quickness with which she grasped the presentation and her eagerness to get the living water that she was no ordinary woman. R4131:1
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| 16 Jesus saith unto her, Go, call thy husband, and come hither.
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Jesus saith – Again he turned the subject. It was necessary that the woman should appreciate the fact that she was a sinner and under the death sentence. R4131:1
Not answering her request for the true water of life (1) because the time had not yet come; (2) she was a Samaritan and could not receive divine favor until the appointed time; and (3) she was not yet in the condition of heart to receive the water of life. It was only necessary to explain the latter which she could the more readily understand. R2575:2
While he could not invite her, a Samaritan, to a place in the Kingdom, he could nevertheless appropriately give her some food for thought which later on might do her good and prepare her to have a hearing ear. R2423:3
Our Lord was willing to confer with her, though she was unprepared to receive the blessings (1) because he was making the fullest use of an opportunity; (2) despite her sinful course, he saw traits of honesty in her character; and (3) he might reasonably hope that six years later, when there was no restriction to Gentiles, she might inquire further. R2575:3
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| 17 The woman answered and said, I have no husband. Jesus said unto her, Thou hast well said, I have no husband:
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| 18 For thou hast had five husbands; and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband: in that saidst thou truly.
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Not thy husband – Many Christian people would utterly disdain to speak to such a woman because they have imbibed the spirit of their religious teachings, that God delivers such over to the devil. They need a clearer knowledge respecting God's attitude toward sinners. R2574:5
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| 19 The woman saith unto him, Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet. |
The woman saith – Shrewdly she led the conversation from matters too personal to herself, and our Lord did not follow up the subject, but left it. Many need to learn this lesson of first awakening a consciousness of sin, and then leaving it to work at greater leisure. It is not for us to break hearts, but to find those who are broken-hearted. R4131:2
Anxious to avoid any discussion of her own character and life, she skillfully turned the question to a theological one. Men and women today would rather discuss theological and denominational problems, than turn their glance inward and note the inconsistencies of their own lives. R2575:5
Yet she feared him not. She fled not from him. His kindliness, his gentleness, his willingness to talk to a Samaritan woman, indicated that she had found a friend. R4131:2
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| 20 Our fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship. |
Our fathers worshipped – They realized that the Jews had been God's favored people, but thought of them as rejected from divine favor and of themselves as having become their successors, not only in possessing the land of Samaria, but also in some degree successors in the blessing of Abraham, Isaac and Moses. R3495:3
In this mountain – Holding that the simplicity of worship observed by Abraham, Isaac and Jacob without tabernacle or temple, but in the mountain, was the proper method of approach to God. They apparently thought that Israel had drifted into a mere formalism of worship. R2069:5
The Samaritans, being excluded by the Jews, claimed that they had something better--the very mountain in which Jacob worshipped God. R4130:3
The Samaritans today [1887] think that they are now living in the age of "apostasy," which will only end with the appearance of Taheb, the Messiah, who will re-establish worship on Gerizim in its pristine purity. R906:5*
In Jerusalem – Pious Jews sought to come at least once every year to the Temple in Jerusalem to present themselves before the Lord for his blessing. R2069:3
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| 21 Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father.
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Jesus saith – Our Lord did not closely press the moral question. It is sufficient that attention be called to a wrong. This is more efficacious than if they be teased and angered and put on the defensive. R2575:5
The hour cometh – That hour began after the Jewish house had been left desolate, after the new dispensation had been inaugurated; and it still continues. R4131:3
Nor yet at Jerusalem – During past times he did indeed prescribe forms of worship and times and places, but now all that come unto the Father "in spirit and in truth" through Christ are accepted. R4131:4
Our Lord was not bent on making of her a Jewish proselyte. The time for that was past. The harvest time had come. R4131:3, 2070:2
While it is true that forms and ceremonies are not commanded, on the other hand some of the Lord's people fall through ignoring all regularity in prayer, with too little formality in approaching the throne of grace, without a sufficiency of humility and reverence. R4131:4, 2071:6
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| 22 Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews.
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Ye worship – While the Samaritans were not typical, we find in spiritual Israel some like the Samaritans--strangers from the covenants and promises because not of the same family, not begotten again of the holy Spirit. R4131:5
Ye know not what – Our Lord makes it clear that up to that time the Jews were right in their place and manner of worship. It was according to divine law; while the Samaritans were guided not by the divine Word, but by their own impressions. R2069:6
Not being of the stock of Israel they were in no sense of the word heirs of the Abrahamic Covenant. Not discerning this cardinal truth in its true light, they were confused as to every feature of the divine plan. R4131:5
Not one in ten of the members of the nominal church know what they believe or why they believe it. HG371:5
Undoubtedly, this is true of the majority of worshipers of all various sects and creeds. They exercise the organ of veneration, partly under the impulse of fear, but without particular desire to become acquainted with Jehovah. SM79:2
In our conversation on religious subjects with those corresponding to the Samaritans, it may not be using wisdom to say, "Ye worship ye know not what," even though this be strictly true. R4131:6
Rejection of the doctrine of eternal torment as the punishment for sin, and the supposition that that doctrine is taught in the Scriptures, is the foundation for the skepticism which has spread so far as to undermine their entire faith. R3905:3
We know – Making clear that up to that time the Jews were right in their place and manner of worship. R2069:6, 5321:5
The Temple at Jerusalem was called the house of God, and the people went up to the Temple to pray. Apparently it was generally understood that they might not pray anywhere and everywhere. Jesus here intimates that the Jews were right in this claim. R5200:3
The Jews. R3468:3, 2684:2
The Jews understood that they were the natural seed of Abraham, and that from them must come the great Messiah. R4131:5
"We Jews may worship God because, under the divine covenant made with our nation, we have the privilege of coming to God in prayer, and of having God hear and answer prayer. We are worshipping according to God's directions." R5321:5
Salvation – The blessing of mankind through an opportunity of a deliverance from the curse by the promised seed of Abraham. R2069:6
Of the Jews – He did not say, For the Jews, nor, To the Jews exclusively. It was of them in the sense that the Master was of that nation according to the flesh, the Messiah could not have been born of any other nation. R4131:5
Christ, his apostles, and all the remnant were Jews. They received the holy Spirit and became the light beams to the Gentiles. R66:1*
The Jewish "remnant" were the nucleus around which the gospel Church was afterward gathered. R25:1*
In order that his special typical dealings with them as a people should work them no injury, for the Jew was under a special law and its special condemnation. R970:4
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| 23 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.
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The hour cometh – The hour came with Pentecost, and the time has continued for the past eighteen centuries, in which these sons of God have been permitted to worship God in spirit and in truth. R2071:1
A great dispensational change was imminent, in which all distinctions and barriers of place and manner would pass away. R2575:5
Worship the Father – Worship is that outward manifestation of reverence for holy things which is pleasing to God, if done in a proper manner and from the right motive. But it is possible to assume the attitude of worship, and yet not offer worship that would be acceptable to God. R5321:1
Not simply prayer, praise, supplication and thanksgiving, but rather a life of worship--a life in which, through the begetting of the spirit and knowledge of the divine plan, the individual becomes so at-one with God that it is his meat and drink to do the Father's will. R2071:6, 5480:1
When praying, we must come only in the name of Christ; and we must come thoughtfully and earnestly. R5835:3, 5480:1
In spirit – The new dispensation will be a spirit dispensation, and those who in that dispensation will draw near to God and be accepted of him must worship him in spirit and in truth. R2070:2
Those who delight to do God's will, to serve his cause, even at the cost of sacrifice to earthly interests. R4715:6
We might have the truth, but if we did not go to him in spirit--in the right attitude of heart--our worship would not be acceptable, no matter how much we might know. R5321:2
Those who are appreciative of God's character should desire to have this character-likeness. R5082:4
Those to whom God wishes to grant eternal life are those who will gladly obey his laws. R4991:5
He would not compel our loyalty; he seeketh not the worship of slaves, or any compulsory work or service. R2287:2, 4400:3, 770:2
The Christian learns to love his God and to wish to do the Father's will only. Nothing is acceptable in the nature of a sacrifice that is not prompted by that love. R4841:5
It would be contrary to this principle to define prayer as a duty, and to stipulate a set time or place or a formal manner. R4984:4, 799:3
Church buildings of today are more for pride and show than to glorify God. Let us not be deceived with vain pretensions of earthly glory; but, shunning these things, let us remember that wherever two or three are met together in the Lord's name, that is the house of the Lord. (Matt. 18:20) R2010:5
Whatever is given to the Lord's service should be given with a free hand and a ready heart. It is a privilege to give to the Lord and his cause; for the Almighty is not poor, that he should need our gifts. R5781:3, 2511:2
Take for instance, Nathanael. Notice how the Lord addressed him as an Israelite indeed in whom was no guile. ( John 1:47) R2071:1
And in truth – Intelligently. R5082:4
A knowledge of the truth is essential before we can worship in spirit and in truth. As a spirit of worship without the truth is not sufficient or accepted, much more a knowledge of truth is not sufficient or acceptable without a spirit of worship. R2191:5
A man might be a heathen and yet have a great deal of the spirit of worship, but he could not render acceptable worship unless he had the truth. R5321:2
Cornelius had the right heart intention to come near to God, but God did not accept him at that time because he did not have the truth. R5321:2
He had neither the truth nor the spirit of the truth which would have permitted him to offer any higher worship than that of fear and obedience. R2071:4
The truth which was sent to Cornelius is the essential thing we must all have to come near to God and be acceptable--that, though he was a sinner, God had provided in Jesus a Redeemer, a sanctification for sin. R5321:2
"In vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men." (Matt. 15:9) R2079:1
God's creatures need to know him well and truly in order to appreciate him and in order to have confidence in his gracious promises. Such a knowledge is necessary to a true worship such as the Lord appreciates. NS503:5
Seeketh such – For joint-heirship with their Redeemer in the Kingdom. HG447:6
The whole mission of the Gospel may be properly understood to be for the purpose of seeking out from amongst mankind in general these true worshipers. R2071:5
Any who will not worship from this motive shall eventually be destroyed. R5429:5
The call is not to an outward gloss of morality, nor to an earthly church membership, but a call to saintship, to a full consecration of heart and life to the Lord. R3899:4
Not such as are moved by fear or dread; on the contrary, such as worship from a heart appreciation of his glorious character and wonderful plan of salvation through Jesus. NS344:4
Those who delight to do his will, those who delight to serve his cause, even at the cost of sacrifice to earthly interests. Q553:5
In the end, even with the world, only such will be finally approved and be granted life eternal beyond the Millennial age. R4410:6; CR431:2
Such as both love and trust him. F147
To worship him – There is undoubtedly danger that some might render too much honor to human instruments whom God is pleased to use in connection with the service of the truth--a danger of man-worship. (Rev. 22:9) R2079:5
We want no homage or reverence for ourselves or our writings, nor do we wish that any should be called by our name, nor would we have our writings reverenced or regarded as infallible, or on a par with the holy Scriptures. R2080:4
Let us resolve that we will worship only the Lord our God--that we will neither worship nor serve sectarianism in any of its many forms, nor mammon with its many enticements and rewards, nor fame, nor friends, nor self. R2497:4
Thus the Apostle Paul's ministry was summed up by his accusers: "This fellow persuadeth men to worship God contrary to the Law." (Acts 18:13) R2071:5
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| 24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.
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God is a Spirit – A spirit being of unlimited power, who can read the very thoughts and intents of our heart. R4410:6
A spirit being; invisible to men, mighty, powerful, and influential. He is an intelligent power. CR398:2
The Scriptures distinctly tell us that a spirit has not flesh and blood, as we have; but they as distinctly inform us of the divine personality, and use the members and qualities of the human body to bring the Creator within range of our apprehension. SM623:1; OV2:4
Intellectuals are accepting the thought of an impersonal God. From our standpoint this is tantamount to saying, "There is no living and true God." SM621:3; OV1:2
To have no personal God must eventually signify to the reasoning mind no law-giver, no judge, no justice, no love, no mercy, no personal relationship as between father and child. Thus would be lost the very basis of Christian faith and doctrine. SM624:1; OV2:6
The Bible makes no attempt to describe heaven itself, or its inhabitants, merely saying that "God is a Spirit." Men must discern God in his works, the noblest of which is perfect man, made in his moral likeness, on the earthly plane. R4966:4
God has not implanted a spark of this spirit, or immortal divinity, in man through their first parents, but man was created a fleshly likeness of his Creator, who is a spirit being. E310
In spirit – Honest-hearted. R4410:6
Any who do not desire at heart to have communion with God would not be welcome at the throne of grace. Any who merely pray in a formalistic manner are not heard at all, and might better not pray at all. NS675:1; R3805:2
With the heart, sincerely. R2575:5
While men might be deceived with outward pretensions, God looks upon the heart, and accepts only the soul's desires. NS673:1
It is only with your mind that you can worship God in a way he will be pleased with. Many people worship God in an outward form, and their hearts are far from him. CR398:3
And in truth – In harmony with the divine arrangement, in the true way--through Christ. R2575:5
No one can possess the spirit of the truth without having considerable of the letter of the truth upon fundamental principles. R2079:4
Every error hides some truth; every misunderstanding of the character of God or of the fundamental features of his plan is so much to hinder men from becoming to the fullest extent possible worshippers of God. R2079:3
Not such as could not do otherwise, and not such as would do so under constraint, but such who do so voluntarily, from love and appreciation of his principles of righteousness, and of himself, which these represent. E468; R5758:1
Not those who need to be forced; we are to work to the best of our ability. R5119:1
And not such as are frightened into his service. B30; SM65:2
Can we "worship in spirit and truth" the God who the creeds tell us arranged for all to be born damned, either to purgatory or to eternal torment? Could we respect his honesty if he labeled this "good tidings of great joy to all people"? (Luke 2:10) ; NS862:4; R2079:2
Although they might bow the knee in fear and submission, they would find it impossible to bow down their hearts in full acquiescence. R2079:3
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| 25 The woman saith unto him, I know that Messiah cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things. |
Messias cometh – Her people accepted the five books of Moses, and from them drew their hope of a coming Messiah. R906:2*
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| 26 Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am he.
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Am he – Showing clearly that our Lord was the Messiah, the long-promised seed of Abraham. R5300:5
Our Lord expressed to her more plainly, perhaps, than to any other person during his ministry, the great fact that he was the Messiah. R4132:1
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| 27 And upon this came his disciples, and marvelled that he talked with the woman: yet no man said, What seekest thou? or, Why talkest thou with her? |
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| 28 The woman then left her waterpot, and went her way into the city, and saith to the men, |
Saith to the men – The selfish spirit which would have bidden her to keep the information to herself, or the slothful spirit which would not bestir itself to inform others--either one would have marked the woman as unworthy of the Lord's favor. R4132:2
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| 29 Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ? |
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| 30 Then they went out of the city, and came unto him. |
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| 31 In the mean while his disciples prayed him, saying, Master, eat. |
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| 32 But he said unto them, I have meat to eat that ye know not of.
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I have meat – "The hidden manna." (Rev. 2:17) R1820:6, 1957:6
The same kind of spiritual food which Mary appreciated more than Martha, when Jesus said "Mary hath chosen that good part." NS86:4
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| 33 Therefore said the disciples one to another, Hath any man brought him ought to eat? |
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| 34 Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.
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My meat – As the burnt-offering represents the value of Christ's work in the Father's estimation, so the meat offering sets forth his perfect human character and conduct. R84:1*
"Man shall not live by bread alone." Our meat is to do the will of God. To ask to be relieved from the legitimate effects of that course would be out of harmony with the very spirit of sacrifice. R1689:6
To do the will – Though tempted in all points like as we are, he ignored his own will and all suggestions from others contrary to God's plan and obeyed God implicitly. Therein lay the secret of his success. R1125:5; HG292:6
The supreme principle upon which we have to run our lives is to adhere, through good report and ill, through temptation, prosperity and adversity, to the will of God, wherever that may lead us. R2694:3*
That was his life, and if we partake of his life on earth, we shall be partakers of his resurrection life. R327:6*
Him that sent me – The title of the Son of God officially applied to the man Christ Jesus before his birth, and this title he continually approved. NS256:6
The Son claims no higher honor than to be the Father's agent and messenger. HG297:2
The Son never attempted to diminish the Father's glory, but always to add to it. R920:4
To finish his work – The finishing work was the harvest, and, so far as related to the Jews, in favor, it ended when Jesus had left their house desolate and said, "It is finished." ( John 19:30) R27:1*
He was superintending a finishing work, which he calls reaping or harvest. R114:6*
Later he says, "I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do." ( John 17:4) R116:4*
God is the great master workman and Jesus is the great chief agent in doing all the work God intended should be done. CR346:3
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| 35 Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest.
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Say not ye – Jesus is again due to be present; say not now that there are yet many years and then cometh harvest. R600:2
Then cometh harvest – Greek, therismos, reaping harvest. R223:1*
A time of reaping rather than of sowing, a time of testing, of reckoning, of settlement and of rewarding. C135
Each dispensation ends, not only with an advent of Christ, but with a harvest. HG52:2
The harvest of the Jewish age being a type of the harvest of this age, observation and comparison of the various features of that harvest afford very clear ideas concerning the work to be accomplished in the present harvest. C135
I say unto you – He directs through the Word by opening the understanding to discern the times and seasons there indicated, and the work to be accomplished therein. R600:3
The fields – The seed of which had been sown by Moses and the prophets. B233
They are white – Truths, as harvest sunshine, are warm and strong, and tend to ripen the wheat. They also lead, through a clearer knowledge of the truth, to a separation between the wheat and the tares. R1073:6
If the sowing has been a general one with a view to the gathering of the Lord's Little Flock from every nation, people, kindred and tongue, we must expect the harvest work to be similarly broad, widely extended. R4000:2
Already to harvest – To the Jewish house Jesus presented himself as Reaper; to the Christian house he does the same. B238
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| 36 And he that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal: that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together.
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He that reapeth – Our Lord's special teachings were such as to gather the wheat, who were such already, and to separate the chaff of the Jewish nation from the wheat. C135
All of the Lord's people filled with his spirit must be engaged in harvest work in some manner--using their abilities and opportunities. R2490:5
Being already in the "harvest" time, harvest work should engage the time, service and thoughts of the Lord's servants, who now, like the disciples at the first advent, are to do the reaping work. B365
Let us fear lest having an opportunity of laboring in the harvest field any of us should miss that opportunity through any disinterestedness. CR309:5
Each one desiring to reap should first see what lies nearest to his hand and in which department of the service he could most effectively and most economically enlist his talents. R3985:5
The separation of the true wheat from the mere professors, the tares, goes on as quietly but as surely as a similar separation did in the end of the Jewish age. R1073:6
Receiveth wages – Every day. Everyone who is doing any service ought to look for his wages every day and see that he gets them before he goes to bed--the blessing and joy of the Lord in his heart, the wages of his favor and an appreciation of the fact that they are near to him. CR63:6
Even our smallest services are sure to be blessed and owned by our loving Lord. R2457:5
Whoever would serve the Lord would be intent on serving the brethren; and the more their need, the better the opportunity; and the greater our zeal the greater our results for others, and the greater the blessing for ourselves. R5824:1
Let us fear that if we don't reap enough, we cannot get as much wages as we hope to get. CR309:5
Unto life eternal – To the glory, honor and immortality to which we have been called. NS713:6
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| 37 And herein is that saying true, One soweth, and another reapeth.
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Another reapeth – Many laborers, though anxious to be at work, seem not to know whether to sow or reap. Perhaps they want to sow and reap at the same time. Failing to comprehend God's plan, they work haphazardly, as they suppose God is doing. R628:4*
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| 38 I sent you to reap that whereon ye bestowed no labour: other men laboured, and ye are entered into their labours.
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I sent you – The work done by Jesus and his apostles amongst the Jews eighteen centuries ago was a harvesting work. R4968:3
The Lord at the present time is the great reaper and supervisor of this harvest. NS713:5
To reap – The harvest of the fruitage of the Jewish age. R4968:3
To reap the fruits of those centuries of effort, and to test the people by the message, "The Kingdom of heaven is at hand" (Matt. 10:7), and the King is present. C136
Our chief work is where the Gospel has already been proclaimed, this being the harvest of the Gospel age. R4360:2
Ye bestowed no labor – The plowing and sowing connected with the Jewish dispensation was in the far past: the Egyptian bondage served to do a plowing work; the giving of the Law and the exhortation of their prophets, all constituted a seed-sowing, harrowing and cultivating experience. SM185:2
Other men – The patriarchs, prophets and other holy men of old. C136; R4891:3, 628:4*, 580:2, 263:5, 19:6
Other saints have labored faithfully in the past, sowing the precious seed which we are now privileged to help in harvesting. R877:1
After his resurrection, Christ sent his disciples into all the world to preach the gospel of the Kingdom--a sowing work. R628:4*
Into their labors – Whether it was at the beginning, or now at the close of the age--the time of the reaping--it is all one work, and there is one purpose being served, the gathering of the elect. R5302:2
While the Lord's work was that of reaping, he blended it with a sowing. R5018:3, 4891:3; C135
As reapers of the fruitage of others' toil. NS626:3; R4360:2
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| 39 And many of the Samaritans of that city believed on him for the saying of the woman, which testified, He told me all that ever I did. |
The saying of the woman – Women, as well as men, are accountable to God for the use of the talents in the Church, be they many or be they few. R1549:2
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| 40 So when the Samaritans were come unto him, they besought him that he would tarry with them: and he abode there two days. |
He abode there – In Acts 8 and 9:31 we have clear indication that the work of grace flourished amongst the Samaritans after the door of opportunity was open to them. No doubt this later fruitage developed from the words of grace and truth which our Lord dropped on the occasion of the visit here referred to. R4132:3
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| 41 And many more believed because of his own word;
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| 42 And said unto the woman, Now we believe, not because of thy saying: for we have heard him ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world. |
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| 43 Now after two days he departed thence, and went into Galilee. |
Into Galilee – In one sense a better field for labor than Judea because the people, while outwardly less religious, were more ready to receive the Lord, being less shackled with sectarianism and the burdens of the law imposed by the teachings of the Pharisees. R4132:3
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| 44 For Jesus himself testified, that a prophet hath no honour in his own country. |
Hath no honor – It may have been in recognition of this proverb that our Lord commenced his ministry at Jerusalem rather than in Galilee. R3494:2
It is a trait of human nature to lightly esteem things with which we are intimately acquainted. "Distance lends enchantment to the view." R2424:3, 3494:2
When a hero or saint is seen to be like an ordinary man--weak where others are strong or ignorant of some things that others know--it is almost impossible to recognize him as a hero or saint. The Lord's people must look over these things and recognize the relationship to the Lord before we can "love as brethren." R3494:3
Our Lord did not begin his ministry in Nazareth where almost 28 years of his life had been spent and where consequently, he was well-known to the people. R2579:1
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| 45 Then when he was come into Galilee, the Galilaeans received him, having seen all the things that he did at Jerusalem at the feast: for they also went unto the feast. |
Received him – He had honor amongst his own countrymen because of his fame in Judea, and hence they received him more respectfully than they otherwise might have done. R3494:2
Things that he did – It seems probable that after his first miracle at Cana he was in Judea for the feast of the Passover, and at that time performed many notable miracles, on account of which his fame went abroad. R2424:3, 3494:1
For instance, Julius Caesar, who by all the world is acknowledged to have been a great man, was lightly esteemed by Cassius, his intimate friend and servant. His closeness hindered him from seeing the greatness which others, less close, could readily discern. R2424:6
At Jerusalem – Jerusalem was the representative city of that nation, and properly enough our Lord's principle miracles and teachings would thence reach the whole people better than from any other location. R3494:2
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| 46 So Jesus came again into Cana of Galilee, where he made the water wine. And there was a certain nobleman, whose son was sick at Capernaum. |
A certain nobleman – The word rendered "nobleman" in this text might more literally be rendered "king's officer," and the supposition of some is that this was Chuza, Herod's steward, whose wife, Joanna, was one of the women who subsequently ministered to Jesus. R4132:6
Jairus, an influential man and a ruler in the synagogue, was no doubt acquainted with this nobleman. His knowledge of this case no doubt helped to increase his own faith in the Lord's power manifested in the healing of his daughter. (Mark 5:22-24, 35-43) R2617:1
At Capernaum – About twenty miles distant from Cana. R2425:1
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| 47 When he heard that Jesus was come out of Judaea into Galilee, he went unto him, and besought him that he would come down, and heal his son: for he was at the point of death. |
He went unto him – Faith must grow, and before it can grow it must lead to some kind of works. Chuza's primary faith led to his journey to our Lord, by which he attested his faith. But generally there must be a necessity, as in Chuza's case--his son's illness. R4133:3
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| 48 Then said Jesus unto him, Except ye see signs and wonders, ye will not believe.
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Except ye see – Testing his faith. Evidently this was a refusal of the nobleman's request, and had his faith been slight, he probably would have accepted it thus. R3494:4, 4132:6, 2425:1
Often the Lord does not answer our prayers immediately, but, delaying the answer, tests our faith. He is pleased to have us hold on to him by faith. R3494:5
Will not believe – Implying that the highest order of faith would be that which would not require such ocular demonstrations of divine power, that could trust the Lord without the proofs of miracles. R3495:5
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| 49 The nobleman saith unto him, Sir, come down ere my child die. |
Ere my child die – "Don't, please don't, wait to discuss a matter of faith. Realize my position as a father and my interest in the subject--do come now." R4133:1
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| 50 Jesus saith unto him, Go thy way; thy son liveth.
And the man believed the word that Jesus had spoken unto him, and he went his way. |
Thy son liveth – Having tested his faith and made it stronger, our Lord answered the request and healed the son, but in a manner calculated to still further strengthen his faith. R3494:5
When the Lord does grant our requests, the blessings frequently come to us through a different channel or in a different manner from what we had in mind. R3494:5
Our Lord did not heal all the sick nor awaken all the dead. That great work belongs to the future, to the Millennial Kingdom. What he did do in these directions was merely to illustrate his power. R3494:6
It is part and parcel of the laws of nature that the will should control and direct the human system. Likewise the divine mind or will has control, not only of the divine being, but also of all things in the universe. R3495:2
The man believed – His faith brought him a still greater blessing than the physical recovery of his son's health, for it made him and his family "believers" in the Messiah, and thus brought them within reach of the great privilege of sonship and joint-heirship. R2425:2
And he went – The nobleman received the blessing through faith, and his faith was attested by his conduct. So must it be with all who would be acceptable to God. R2425:4, 3494:5
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| 51 And as he was now going down, his servants met him, and told him, saying, Thy son liveth. |
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| 52 Then inquired he of them the hour when he began to amend. And they said unto him, Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him. |
Yesterday – It may be assumed that Chuza came the 25 miles on horseback that very morning in great haste. He might have returned the same evening at the same speed, but he does not arrive at home until the next day, evidently taking the journey leisurely. R4133:2
The seventh hour – 1:00 p.m. R4133:2
The fever – Quite probably there were many others in Capernaum similarly afflicted, as the city was built near low, marshy ground, and is noted in history as a malarial locality, unhealthful. R2425:2
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| 53 So the father knew that it was at the same hour, in the which Jesus said unto him, Thy son liveth:
and himself believed, and his whole house. |
Himself believed – Did he not believe before, when he started to see the Master, when he was speaking with him, when he accepted his reply and started home? Yes, but it led to a belief in the Lord of a still higher and still deeper kind--not only that Jesus was able to work miracles, but that he was the Messiah. R4133:2
And his whole house – No doubt it was as a result of this that his wife, Joanna, in harmony with his wishes, became one of the active supporters of our Lord's ministry. R4133:2
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| 54 This is again the second miracle that Jesus did, when he was come out of Judaea into Galilee. |
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