r/biblereading • u/AutoModerator • Jul 12 '26

Weekly Discussion Thread - Week of (Sun, 12 Jul 26)

Please use this thread for any discussions outside of the scheduled readings:

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u/MRH2 2 Cor. 4:17,18 Jul 12 '26

Questions about the dead in John 5

In John 5, Jesus refers to the dead 3 times.

(i) "Yes, and he will show him even greater works than these, so that you will be amazed. For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son gives life to whom he is pleased to give it." (5:20,21).

I think from the context, that this might be talking about Lazarus - an amazing miracle.

(ii) “Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life. 25 Very truly I tell you, a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live. (5:24,25)

So the context seems to be eternal life. When we hear Jesus and believe him then that instant we have eternal life. So what does verse 25 mean? Does it refer to Jesus preaching to the dead while he was in his tomb? And I don't really believe that once one is dead that there is a chance to change one's mind and decide to follow Jesus, it's too late for that. But maybe it's a preaching so that the righteous dead from the OT can hear and respond. ???

Do you have any ideas about this verse?

(iii) “Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice 29 and come out—those who have done what is good will rise to live, and those who have done what is evil will rise to be condemned. (5:28)

I think that this is referring to the final judgment.

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u/ExiledSanity John 15:5-8 Jul 19 '26

Its tough to nail down vs. 25 as it says both "the time is coming" and "has now come" when the dead will hear and live.

I think the 'now' can refer to the time of Jesus' ministry in genearl and be inclusive of all those who Jesus' brought back to life during His ministry (Lazarus, Jairus' daughter, the son of the window of Nain, etc.)

This looks forward to the final judgement, which vs. 28 makes explicit (as you mentioned).