 |  |
idea in this passage. Rather is it an expansion of the truth of salvation offered to all who
believe in Christ, not the service of those already saved:
". . . . . He that heareth My word, and believeth on Him that sent Me, hath everlasting
life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life" (5: 24).
The careful reader will note that the regenerate is guaranteed that he will not come into
condemnation or judgment. Therefore the resurrection unto judgment of those who
practiced evil cannot apply only to the saved otherwise we have a direct contradiction.
Moreover, ALL that are in the graves must be universal, and therefore unbelievers must
be included. The word krisis translated `damnation' (A.V.) or `judgment' (R.V.) occurs
five times in John 5:, namely verses 22, 24, 27, 29 and 30, and these should be studied
carefully.
Mr. Welch continues:
This, however, is not all. There is but one occurrence of krisis written in John's
Gospel before this fifth chapter and that is John 3: 19, "This is the condemnation", and
it is of the utmost importance because it contains not only the word krisis, but the only
other occurrence in the four Gospels of the words translated "done evil". These words
are in the original hoi ta phaula praxantes (John 5: 29), and pas ho phaula prasson
(John 3: 19), the one reading, "those that evil things having practiced", the other reading
"every one who practices evil things". Nowhere else does John use the verb prasso
(practice) throughout his writings than in John 3: 20 and John 5: 29. Nowhere else
does John use phaulos (evil) than in these self-same passages. The conclusion is
irresistible. John 5: is a continuation and expansion of John 3:, and if John 3: deals
with two classes, the saved and the lost, John 5: deals with them also. If John 3: deals
with one class, the saved, which are divided into two companies, then John 5: will teach
the same. Let us, therefore, turn to John 3:, and examine this passage afresh.
The section commences with verse 14 and ends with verse 21. Two classes and two
classes only are envisaged in the passage where Moses lifted up the serpent in the
wilderness. Those who lived, and those who perished, and these alternatives are clearly
stated in verse 16. At the close of the chapter, the testimony of John 3: 14-21 is
summed up:
"He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son
shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him" (36).
They that have done good--the resurrection of LIFE.
They that have practiced evil--the resurrection of judgment, condemnation and wrath.
"This is the condemnation." Such hate the light and will not come to it, lest their evil
deeds be exposed. Those who enter the resurrection of life are said to have done `truth',
and that their deeds are `wrought in God'. John 3: 36 contains the only reference in
this Gospel to the wrath of God. His other references, namely Rev. 6: 16, 17; 11: 18;
14: 10; 16: 19 and 19: 15, cannot possibly speak of the redeemed.