EVENING SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR
6/27/2026 8:46 PM
My
Worship Time Focus: PT-2
“John’s Commitment to Love”
In this evening’s Spiritual Diary I
desire to complete what John MacArthur has written in his commentary on the
Apostle John. I have to say that John is
my favorite apostle, and I suppose the reason for that is that John is the author
of my favorite book in the Bible, “The Revelation of Jesus Christ.” I have mentioned in earlier SD’s that the
Lord used end time prophecy’s to open my heart to accept the forgiveness that I
have through Jesus Christ my Savior and Lord.
That was 52 years ago this past January 26th.
John MacArthur writes “John’s life
after the close of the gospel accounts reflects his continuing commitment to
both truth and love. As was the case in
the Gospels, he was closely connected with Peter in the book of Acts (Acts
3:1-11; 4:13-20; 8:14-25) in proclaiming the truth—so much so that Paul
referred to him as one of the pillars of the Jerusalem church (Gal. 2:9).
(Acts 3:1-11; 4:13-20; 8:14-25)
“1
¶ Now Peter and John were going up to
the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour. 2 And a man lame from birth was being carried,
whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple that is called the Beautiful
Gate to ask alms of those entering the temple. 3 Seeing Peter and John about to go into the
temple, he asked to receive alms. 4 And
Peter directed his gaze at him, as did John, and said, “Look at us.” 5 And he fixed his attention on them, expecting
to receive something from them. 6 But Peter
said, “I have no silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you. In the name
of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk!” 7 And he took him by the right hand and raised
him up, and immediately his feet and ankles were made strong. 8 And leaping up he and began to walk, and
entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God. 9 And all the people saw him walking and
praising God, 10 and recognized him as
the one who sat at the Beautiful Gate of the temple, asking for alms. And they
were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him. 11 While he clung to Peter and John, all the
people, utterly astounded, ran together to them in the portico called
Solomon’s.”
“13 Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and
John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were
astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus. 14 But seeing the man who was healed standing
beside them, they had nothing to say in opposition. 15 ¶
But when they had commanded them to leave the council, they conferred
with one another, 16 saying, "What
shall we do with these men? For that a notable sign has been performed through
them is evident to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it.
17 But in order that it may spread no
further among the people, let us warn them to speak no more to anyone in this
name." 18 So they called them and charged
them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. 19 But Peter and John answered them,
"Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to
God, you must judge, 20 for we cannot
but speak of what we have seen and heard.’”
“14
¶ Now when the apostles at Jerusalem
heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent to them Peter and
John, 15 who came down and prayed for
them that they might receive the Holy Spirit, 16 for he had not yet fallen on any of them, but
they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 17 Then they laid their hands on them and they
received the Holy Spirit. 18 Now when
Simon saw that the Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles’
hands, he offered them money, 19 saying,
“Give me this power also, so that anyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the
Holy Spirit.” 20 But Peter said to him,
"May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could obtain the
gift of God with money! 21 You have neither
part nor lot in this matter, for your heart is not right before God. 22 Repent, therefore, of this wickedness of
yours, and pray to the Lord that, if possible, the intent of your heart may be
forgiven you. 23 For I see that you are
in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity." 24 And Simon answered, “Pray for me to the Lord,
that nothing of what you have said may come upon me.” 25 Now when they had testified and spoken the
word of the Lord, they returned to Jerusalem, preaching the gospel to many
villages of the Samaritans.”
“John’s
unwavering, unceasing preaching of the truth eventually led to his exile to the
rocky, barren island of Patmos, off the coast of Asia Minor. It was there that he received the amazing,
incomparable series of visions that comprise the book of Revelation (Rev. 1:1,
4, 9; 22:8).
“According to early Christian
writers, John spent the last decades of his life in Ephesus, overseeing the
churches in that region (Clement of Alexandria, Who Is the Rich Man that
Shall Be Saved?, 42). According to
Irenaeus (Against Heresies, 3.3.4), John lived until the time of the
emperor Trajan (A.D. 98-117). He was the
last of the apostles to die. Two
vignettes from his years at Ephesus reveal that the apostle of love had lost
none of his zeal for the truth.
According to Polycarp, the second-century bishop of Smyrna who had been
a disciple of the apostle John, ‘John, the disciple of the Lord, going to bathe
at Ephesus, and perceiving [the heretic] Cerinthus within, rushed out of the
bath-house without bathing exclaiming, ‘Let us fly, lest even the bath-house
fall down, because Cerinthus, the enemy of the truth, is within’’ (Irenaeus, Against
Heresies, 3.3. 4). Clement of
Alexandria relates how at the risk of his own life John fearlessly entered the
camp of a band of robbers and led its captain, who had once professed faith in
Christ, to true repentance (Who Is the Rich Man that Shall Be Saved?,
42).
“But John also never ceased to
emphasize the importance of love.
Nearing the end of his life, the apostle became so weak that he could no
longer preach and had to be carried to church.
According to the fourth-century church father Jerome, he constantly
exhorted the congregation to love one another.
When they finally asked him why he kept repeating that John replied, ‘It
is the Lord’s command, and if only this be done, it is enough’ (Alfred Plummer,
The Epistles of St. John [Reprint; Grand Rapids; Baker, 1980], xxxv).
6/27/2026
9:09 PM
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