Today the Lord continues the long prophecy against Babylon.
https://www.bible.com/bible/116/jer.51.nlt
An important thing I didn’t mention before is that these proverbs represent principles, not promises. This particularly needs to be remembered for verses that talk about prosperity. There will be times, such as what Jeremiah experienced, when no amount of Godly living will bring us wealth.
https://www.bible.com/bible/116/pro.11
Yesterday I highlighted these verses from chapter 4 of 1 John:
16We [have come to] know how much God loves us, and we have [fully believed//put our trust] in his love.
God is love, and all who live in love live [joined in unity with/in] God, and God lives [joined in unity with/in] them. … 17And as we live [joined in unity with/in] God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face him with confidence because we live like Jesus here in this world.
18Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love.
Translation notes:
4For every child of God defeats this evil world, and we achieve this victory through our [fully believing/faith]. 5And who can win this battle against the world? Only those who believe that Jesus is the Son of God.
Note that keeping the word as ‘believing’ allows us to understand the cohesion here.
6 And Jesus Christ was revealed as God’s Son [through//by his baptism in] water and [through//by shedding] his blood on the cross —not by water only,
but by water and blood. And the Spirit, who is truth, confirms it with his testimony.
I believe that NLT takes the weaker interpretation here that John is speaking of Jesus’ baptism in water. I think it more likely that John is speaking of the blood and water that came from Jesus’ side when He was pierced with a Roman spear. I think this because of the way John highlights this in John 19:35. I believe that John saw a symbolic meaning in that event.
12Whoever [is joined together with the//has the] Son has life; whoever [is not joined together with//does not have] God’s Son does not have life.
13I have written this to you who believe in [Jesus,//the name of] the Son of God, so that you may know you have eternal life.
‘Name’ is used as a metonymy here, indicating the whole person of Christ. We don’t actually just believe in a magic name. That is not the intent here.
20And we know that the Son of God has come, and he has given us understanding so that we can know the true God.e And now we live in fellowship with the true God because we live in fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ. He [(Jesus)] is the [0/only] true God, and he is eternal life.
21Dear children, keep away from [idols, that is] anything that might take God’s place in your hearts.f
https://www.bible.com/bible/116/1jn.5
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