O Fools and Slow of Heart to Believe All that the Prophets Have Spoken – Part Three – The Gospel of John and the Inner Man of the Heart
By Minister Christopher Robert Holder
Testimony of God Ministries Inc.
Dated November 26, 2024
Preface to Part Three
Appendix Three (at the end) explains the objectives and primary audiences of the four Gospels. In view of those objectives, the Gospel of John is unique because it emphasizes that Jesus is God who became man to fulfill the Promise first announced to Abraham (Genesis
12:3; 22:18).
Genesis 12:3
“And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.”
Genesis 22:18
“And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice.”
John presents Jesus as the eternal Word (Logos) who became flesh for our salvation.
1. Opening Thanksgiving and Prayer (Ephesians 3)
Before we continue, let us give thanks and pray Paul’s prayer for the Church:
Ephesians 3:14–21
“For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man;
That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.
Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,
Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.”
2. The Logos: Jesus the Eternal Word
John 1:1
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”
In the Hebrew–Greek Key Word Study Bible, “Word” is indexed as #3056, Logos: divine expression, reason, intent, plan—revealing the pre-existent and fully divine nature of Christ.
Question — What did Apostle John interpret about Genesis 1:1-3?
John unveils what Moses wrote by the Spirit using figures of speech.
Genesis 1:1–3 (KJV)
“In the beginning God created the “heaven” and the “earth.”
And the earth was without form, and void; and “darkness” was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.”
And God said, let there be “light:” and there was “light.”
Read in the light of John, we understand: the Logos—who is God—was the divine expression, reason, intent, plan, purpose for humanity on earth.
Therefore, the first three verses of Genesis are the prologue/prelude to the entire Scriptures of the Old Testament from Genesis to Malachi. Verse 1 – In the beginning God created Divinity in humanity/God in man/Salvation. Verse 2 – God who knew the end from the beginning saw the darkness of man’s disobedient heart without light. Verse 3 – God established Salvation which is Christ Jesus/the Light.
The first three verses were figures of speech not literal language. See Appendix 3.
John 1:14
“And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.”
Here is the Incarnation: the eternal Word became man—God with us—fulfilling the Promise to bless all nations (Salvation).
John learned from Jesus the Master Teacher, the Incarnate and Resurrected Lord, and was fully equipped for ministry:
3. The “Inner Man of the Heart”
To grasp John’s emphasis on the inner life, we define God and the heart from Scripture.
1) Who is God?
Colossians 1:15
“Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature.”
1 Timothy 1:17
“Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen.”
Deuteronomy 4:12
“And the LORD spake unto you out of the midst of the fire: ye heard the voice of the words, but saw no similitude; only ye heard a voice.”God is Spirit—personal, self-existent, infinite, eternal, and unchangeable in His being, wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness, and truth.
2) What is the “heart”?
From biblical usage (Heb. lēb, #3820; Gk. kardia, #2588), the heart is the inner man—seat of thought, will, affections, motives—the center of the person. Hence Paul prays according to Ephesians 3:16 (KJV):
“That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man.”
4. Jesus Interprets the Scriptures (Luke and Isaiah)
Jesus warned against reading isolated verses out of context. He interpreted Scripture with Scripture, revealing the fullness of God’s plan.
Luke 4:18–19 (Jesus reading Isaiah)
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the broken-hearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord.”
Jesus drew from Isaiah 49:8–9 and Isaiah 61:1–2:
Isaiah 49:8–9
“Thus saith the LORD, In an acceptable time have I heard thee, and in a day of salvation have I helped thee: and I will preserve thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, to establish the earth, to cause to inherit the desolate heritages;
That thou mayest say to the prisoners, Go forth; to them that are in darkness, Shew yourselves…”
Isaiah 61:1–2
“The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD…”
And after His resurrection, He reaffirmed the same theory and methodology of interpretation of the scriptures.
Luke 24:44–45
“And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me.
Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures.”
Thus, the inner man is strengthened as Christ opens the Scriptures and dwells in our hearts by faith.
6. The Purpose of John’s Gospel
John’s Gospel magnifies Christ’s deity, calls for faith, and promises life:
John 20:31
“But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.”
In John, the Logos (1:1), the Lamb of God (1:29), the I AM (e.g., 8:58; 10:11), and the Risen Lord (20) reveal the glory of the One who fulfills the Promise of Salvation to bless all nations.
To Be Continued — Part Four
Part Four will continue with how to read every passage in full context, so that believers are not bound by partial readings but liberated by Jesus’ own method of interpretation.”
Appendix Three
The Synoptic Gospels & John: Objectives and Audiences
Why “Synoptic” (Matthew, Mark, Luke)?
“Synoptic” means “seen together.” These three share common material, sequence, and viewpoint—miracles, parables, Passion narrative—often with parallel wording. They likely drew on shared oral traditions.
How John Differs:
John emphasizes Jesus’ divinity, features long discourses and “I AM” statements, and arranges material theologically rather than strictly chronologically.
Matthew
Who was Matthew?
A tax collector turned apostle (Matt. 9:9; Luke 5:27–29), witness of Jesus’ ministry, death, and resurrection.
Primary Audience:
Largely Jewish. He cites the OT frequently, shows Jesus as Messiah and Son of David, and assumes knowledge of Jewish customs.
Purpose:
To prove Jesus is the promised King and Messiah, then widen the mission to all nations (Matt. 28:19–20).
Mark
Who was Mark?
John Mark, companion of Paul and Barnabas, closely associated with Peter (Acts 12–15; 1 Pet. 5:13). His Gospel likely reflects Peter’s eyewitness preaching.
Primary Audience:
Gentile/Roman believers—explains Jewish customs, uses Latinisms, emphasizes action and authority, and strengthens saints facing suffering.
Purpose:
To proclaim Jesus as the Son of God (Mark 1:1), whose suffering is central to God’s redemptive plan; to call disciples to faithful endurance.
Luke
Who was Luke?
A physician (Col. 4:14), learned historian, and companion of Paul (see Acts). He investigated and wrote an orderly account (Luke 1:1–4).
Primary Audience:
Addressed to Theophilus yet aimed at a broader Gentile readership. Emphasizes salvation for all people, explains some Jewish customs, highlights inclusion of the marginalized.
Purpose:
To assure readers of the reliability of the Gospel and present Jesus as the Savior of the world; to form compassionate, practical disciples.
John
Who was John?
The apostle, son of Zebedee, of Jesus’ inner circle; traditionally “the disciple whom Jesus loved.” Later wrote the Gospel, three epistles, and Revelation.
Primary Audience:
Universal—Jews and Gentiles, believers and seekers—using concepts (like Logos) intelligible to Hellenistic minds.
Purpose:
“That ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing ye might have life through His name” (John 20:31). John accents Jesus’ deity, the call to faith, and the promise of eternal life.
FIGURES OF SPEECH
E.W. Bullinger – Note on Figures in General (Summary)
1. What is a Figure of Speech?
- A figure is a word or phrase used in a manner different from its ordinary usage in order to give it more force, beauty, or emphasis.
- Figures are not accidents of language; they are deliberate, designed devices of communication.
2. Why Figures Are Needed
- Ordinary, plain speech often lacks the power to express the depth of feeling, emotion, or truth.
- Figures of speech “clothe” language with strength, making ideas more vivid, striking, and memorable.
- In the Bible, figures often mark the most important parts of a passage — they are signals that something vital is being emphasized.
3. Figures Do Not Weaken Truth — They Strengthen It
- A figure of speech is not meant to “water down” or weaken the sense; rather, it intensifies the literal truth.
- For example:
- Literal: “God is strong.”
- Figurative: “The LORD is my rock” (Psalm 18:2).
- The figure expresses the truth more forcefully than a plain statement could.
4. Figures vs. Literal Sense
- Every passage of Scripture has one true sense: either literal or figurative.
- If a passage is figurative, the figure always points to a literal reality behind it.
- Rule: “When the literal makes good sense, seek no other sense. But when the literal does not make sense, we are compelled to recognize a figure of speech.”
5. Figures Reveal God’s Emphasis
- The presence of a figure is like God’s underline or exclamation mark.
- They are not used randomly; they highlight truths that God wants us to notice.
- Therefore, figures are not obstacles but aids to understanding Scripture.
6. The Value of Studying Figures
- Misinterpretations often arise when readers insist on a woodenly literal sense where the inspired writer used a figure.
- By recognizing figures of speech, we come closer to the author’s intended meaning.
- They remind us that the Bible is not only divinely inspired but also a masterpiece of literature, using the richest forms of expression.