Who Was the Liar
and the Father of it?
Who Was a Man-killer,
From the Beginning?
By Jonathan Mitchell
This study will investigate the referent of the "father" of the Judeans, in Jn. 8:44
In Jn. 8:39a, the Pharisees (vs. 13), who had asked Jesus where His father was (vs. 19), replied to Jesus that their father was Abraham. In vss. 39b-40, Jesus challenged this claim, and in 41a told them that they do the deeds of their father. To this, they respond,
"We have one Father: God!"
Jesus replies that,
"If God were your Father, you would love me..." (vs. 42a).
Jesus continues on, through 42b and 43, and then we have our theme verse for this investigation, vs. 44:
"You folks, in particular, are (continue existing, being) from out of, and have your source in, the ancestor who cast [something] through [a human being] [cf Rom. 5:12, 14,17a, 18a]
(or: originate from the father who was that adversary, the one thrusting [a weapon] through [someone];
or: are [descended] from that father who was the one that thrusted-through another person),
and thus, you are habitually wanting (willing; intending; purposing) to be constantly doing your father's passionate cravings (full-rushing over-desires). That one was existing being a murderer (a killer of a human) from [the] beginning [cf vs. 40a, 41a, above; vs. 59a, below]
(or: from [the] start; off from [the] origin; or: from headship, chieftainhood, and rule), and he did not stand firm, and continued not taking a stand, centered within the Truth (or: in the sphere of, nor in union with, this Reality), because Truth is not (openness and reality do not exist) within him, nor centered in him, nor in the sphere of him. Whenever he would be speaking the Lie, he is continuing speaking from out of his own [thoughts; perceptions; disposition; desire] - because he is (or: continues existing being) a liar, and its father."
You may have noticed that in the first clause I did not render diabolos by the traditional English word, "devil." It seemed to be inappropriate for this context, as I trust will be shown in this investigation. That a human being can be a diabolos is attested by Paul in two places:
"without natural affection, unwilling to make a treaty (implacable; not open to an agreement), devils (adversarial slanderers; folks who throw or thrust something through people to hurt or cause divisions), without strength and powerless (without [self-]control), uncultivated (wild; untamed; ferocious; fierce), without fondness for expressions of good and uninterested in aspects of goodness, virtue or benefit (or: without affection for good people; unfriendly; averse to virtue)" (2 Tim. 3:3).
Therefore, at the start, we suggest that Jesus is not referring to a mythical spirit being, but rather to a human being,
"the ancestor who cast [something] through [a human being]."
The Greek word for "father" can also mean an "ancestor." In the two verses from Paul, quoted above, note the parenthetical expansions which define the word "devil," for the literal meaning of diabolos.
With these thoughts in mind, let us consider how Jesus countered these Judean claims as having Abraham as their father. He told them that, in fact, they were of a different genealogy, and had a different ancestor (or, father). He then proceeds, in vs. 44, to describe and define this ancestor:
a) this father/ancestor had passionate cravings (full-rushing over-desires);
b) he was existing being a murderer (a killer of a human) from [the] beginning;
c) he did not stand firm, and continued not taking a stand, centered within the Truth;
d) Truth is not (openness and reality do not exist) within him, nor centered in him, nor in the sphere of him;
e) Whenever he would be speaking the Lie, he is continuing speaking from out of his own [thoughts; perceptions; disposition; desire] - because he is (or: continues existing being) a liar, and its father.
This person was the complete opposite of Abraham, and was not in the image of, nor did he reflect the likeness of, God. He was an early portrait of the fallen, unregenerate human being who was "dead" (Rom. 5:12) in "trespasses and sins" (Eph. 2:1). Who was it that, in the times of "the beginning," killed a human being? That was Cain, who murdered his brother, Abel, in the beginning family of humanity, as described by the Genesis account. And did Cain not lie, when he told Yahweh that he did not know where Abel was (Gen. 4:9)? You see, Cain did not stand firm, centered within the Truth. Like the Pharisees whom Jesus was addressing, "Truth was not within him, nor centered in him, nor in the sphere of him." Cain did not think that it was his duty to be his brother's keeper - yet this was, in the early Israelite culture, the duty of the firstborn (thus did he receive a double portion of an inheritance). We see God's Firstborn Son fulfilling this duty by saving the rest of God's family.
As to "passionate cravings and full-rushing over-desires," let us recall what we read in Jas. 1:14-15,"Yet each person is repeatedly probed and put to the proof (tested and tried in an ordeal), being continuously dragged (or: drawn) out and entrapped under his own over-covering passion (by his own full longing, craving or lust; or: by what he sets his desires upon). Thereafter, with the over-covering passion conceiving (seizing together so as to become pregnant), it continuously gives birth to failure (or: repeatedly brings forth an offspring of missing the target; progressively bears deviation and sin). Now the failure (error; sin; missing of the target; deviation), being brought to full term (being finished off; being fully formed with all its parts; being brought to its goal) continues producing (keeps generating; from pregnancy progressively and repeatedly bears forth) death."
We can observe how this played out in the life of Cain (Gen. 4:1-8). In Gen. 4:16-24, we read the genealogy that descended from Cain - he became a father, and thus, an ancestor, and father, of a lineage.
But how can we tie this ancestry to the Judeans of Jesus' day? With both Jesus, and later, Paul, natural lineage was a metaphor that was used to characterize a person's spiritual condition. In Gal. 3:29
"Now since you folks belong to Christ (or: have [the] Anointing as your source and origin; or: So since you people have the qualities and character of Christ, and [are] that which is Christ), you are straightway and consequently Abraham's Seed: heirs (possessors and enjoyers of the distributed allotment), down from, corresponding to, and in the sphere of, Promise!"
In Gal. 4:22-31, Paul interprets the story of Sarah and Hagar as an allegory, echoing 3:29, contrasting the realms of the flesh with that of the Spirit (4:29), and concluding that we who are immersed into Christ (3:27) are children of Abraham and Sarah (the free woman). We suggest that Jesus did the same thing in Jn. 8:44; He spoke allegorically about these Judeans' ethical and spiritual lineage. They were liars and murderers.
Cain is obliquely brought up in Matt. 23, where Jesus speaks about the scribes and Pharisees:
34. "Because of this - look and consider! - I, Myself, am continuing in commissioning and sending off to you people prophets, wise people and scholars (scribes; theologians of the Law). Of them, [some] you folks will proceed to be killing, and [some] you will proceed to crucify (hang and put to death on stakes). Further, of them [some] you people will continue severely whipping (scourge; lash) within your synagogues, and then you, yourselves, will continue pursuing and persecuting [them] from city to city (or: town to town),
35. "with the result that upon YOU, yourselves, can (or: would; should) come all [the] just (equitable; rightwised) blood being continuously poured out (or: spilled) upon the (or: this) Land - from the blood of rightwised (just; fair; in-right-relationship; upright) Abel, until the blood of Zechariah, the son of Barachiah (or: Baruch; [Gospel of the Nazoreans reads: Jehoiada - 2 Chron. 24:20]), whom YOU people murdered between the Temple and the altar.
36. "Assuredly (Amen; Count on it), I am now saying to you people, it will progressively move toward this point, and then arrive - all these things! - upon THIS generation!"
That final generation of Israel, when the old covenant came to an end, was tied to the murder of Abel. This was not a literal lineage, but a metaphorical, spiritual lineage that characterized their entire people group as murderers and liars, in whom the Truth did not reside. Take note, in vs. 35b, that He said,
"whom YOU people murdered."
Cain was their ancestor, figuratively and ethically, just as the Jerusalem in Paul's day was
"the [then] present-day Jerusalem, [who] continued in slavery (or: functioning in bondage) with her children" (Gal. 4:25).
The claim of having a certain person, such as Abraham, as one's father was a statement of cultural and ethnic identity. The father represented, and stood for, the entire lineage that had sprung from him. We see Paul doing this with Adam, in Rom. 5:12-21. He does this again in 1 Cor. 15:20-23, and in 15:45-49, and then with Abraham and Sarah, in Gal. 3 and 4, as mentioned, above.
For another example of this ancient Jewish way of describing the character of a person, consider what Jesus called Jacob (James) and John:
"and [with] Jacob (James), the [son] of Zebedee, and John, the brother of Jacob (James), He also put upon (= added on) them [the] name ‘Boanerges' - which is (= means) ‘Sons of Thunder'" (Mk. 3:17).
Jesus described the scribes (Law scholars) and Pharisees with another metaphor, also in Mat. 23,
27. "Tragic will be the fate of you Law scholars and Pharisees - you who recite a front of your own opinions and answers (or: you overly-critical folks)! [It will be] because you continue closely resembling whitewashed (i.e., smeared or plastered with lime) tombs (sepulchers; grave sites), which indeed, from outside, continue being made to appear in the prime of beauty, for a time - yet inside they contain a full load of bones of dead folks [i.e., the prophets - vs. 35, above], as well as every uncleanness.
28. "In this way you, yourselves, also on the one hand are continually made to outwardly appear to the People [to be] just (fair, righteous, in right relationships, and in accord with the way pointed out) - yet inside you continuously exist being men glutted and distended, full of opinionated answers (or: perverse detail-oriented scholarship; hyper-criticism and judgmentalism; well-sifted, wicked interpretations) and lawlessness (= practice which is contrary to the Law [Torah]).
Whose were the bones of the dead folks to which He referred, in 27b? Were those the bones of the prophets whom their ancestors had killed, or were they the bones of the whole house of Israel, which Ezekiel saw (Ezk. 37:11)?
Recall that the Cain and Abel story was brought into the account of the faithful, in Heb. 11:4, Cain being a negative example. Then, Heb. 12:24 uses the murder of Abel as a contrast to the murder of Christ:
"[We have come to] Jesus, a Medium (or: an agency; an intervening substance; a middle state; one in a middle position; a go-between; an Umpire; a Mediator) of a new and fresh (young; recently-born) arrangement(covenant; settlement; a deposit throughout, in every direction; a placing through the midst; or: a will and testament), and to and in blood of sprinkling, and to One continuously speaking something superior to (or: stronger and better than) Abel."
This last clause is an echo of Gen. 4:10,
"A voice from the blood of your brother constantly cries out and implores toward (or: [The] sound of your brother's blood continually roars to) Me from out of the soil (or: dirt; ground; earth; Land)" (LXX, JM).
1 Jn. 3:12 brings up this incident once more.
We wonder if Jude 10-13 had these same Judeans in mind:
11. Alas (or: Tragic is the fate) for them, because they pass along by the way (or: traveled on the road) of Cain, and they are (or: were) poured out to the wandering (or: deception; error) of Balaam's wages [cf Nu. 22-24], and they lose and completely destroy (or: destroyed) themselves in Korah's contradiction (opposing idea; seditious and rebellious talk [cf Nu. 16:1-24]; anti-word; message in place of the Logos).
12. These folks are hidden, sharply-cleft portions of rocks (or: reefs; = menaces) in your love [relationships] (or: joined with the love-feasts and table fellowships of you people; in the sphere of these movements, from you folks, toward acceptance with the drive for reunion), repeatedly feasting well together among you, by habit fearlessly shepherding themselves. [They are] clouds without water, being swept along by winds; wasted autumnal trees - unfruitful, twice-died, uprooted;
13. wild waves of the sea, continuously foaming out (or: vomiting forth) their shames (or: disgraces). Wandering and deceived stars, in whom the gloom of darkness (or: for whom shadowy dimness; with whom, and by whom, obscurity void of Light) has been maintained (guarded; kept) and remains watched-over, unto an indefinite time period (or: on into the midst of [the] Age; or: for a life-time).
We suggest that in Jn. 8:44, Jesus was saying to those Judeans that their figurative, spiritual and ethical ancestor was Cain, rather than Abraham (who Paul holds up as a good example, in Rom. 4). He was comparing them with Cain.
Jonathan
PS: John Gavazzoni brought the following to the table:"All - as many as go before, or ahead of, Me (or: precede, in front of Me; or: came or went before Me) - are thieves and plunderers (continue being those who seize by violence, are brigands, or are insurrectionists)....The thief does not constantly come, except to the end that he may steal, slaughter (slay for food - as for a feast - or, for a sacrifice) and destroy (or: cause loss)..." (Jn. 10:8a, 10a)
Israel's spiritual leaders, who had killed the prophets, were of the spirit of Cain.
Who Was the Liar...? Part 2
In the first article on this topic, the focus was on the identity of the "father," or "ancestor" of the scribes and Pharisees who wanted to kill Jesus. In Jn. 8:44, He told them,
(or: originate from the father who was that adversary, the one thrusting [a weapon] through [someone];
or: are [descended] from that father who was the one that thrusted-through another person), and thus, you are habitually wanting (willing; intending; purposing) to be constantly doing your father's passionate cravings (full-rushing over-desires). That one was existing being a murderer (a killer of a human) from [the] beginning
(or: from [the] start; off from [the] origin; or: from headship, chieftainhood), and he did not stand firm, and continued not taking a stand, centered within the Truth (or: in the sphere of, nor in union with, this Reality), because Truth is not (openness and reality do not exist) within him, nor centered in him, nor in the sphere of him. Whenever he would be speaking the Lie, he is continuing speaking from out of his own [thoughts; perceptions; disposition; desire] - because he is (or: continues existing being) a liar, and its father."
Our conclusion, in that article, was that Jesus was referring to Cain (in Gen. 4), as contrasted to Abraham, whom they claimed as their "father." While this ancestry was true for them in the natural realm, we read Jesus as speaking metaphorically, just as Paul had done of Abraham in Gal. 3:29, and of Sarah in Gal. 4:22-31. We also noted that Paul spoke of people as potentially being "devils" in 1 Tim. 3:11, and 2 Tim. 3:3. The word commonly rendered "devil" means to cast or thrust something through someone.
We find Cain spoken of in 1 Jn. 3:12,
"not [living] like (or: not just as) Cain. He was existing, and continued being, from out of this misery-gushed condition and situation (or: person; or: thing; or: = influence) with this hard labor (or: the unprofitable attitude; the worthless mindset; the wicked intent; this toilsome situation; this sorry plight), and so he slaughtered his brother (killed by cutting his jugular vein; [comment: = made his brother to be the sacrifice; cf Lev. 1:5, LXX; Gen. 4:10; Mat. 23:35]). And on what score (or: for what pleasure) did he slaughter him? Because his works (actions) were gushed with misery and hard labor (were toilsome; were unprofitable and worthless), but those of his brother [were] ones in accord with the Way pointed out (just ones; upright or righteous ones; fair and equitable ones; rightwised ones)."
John takes his audience(s) back to the story of Adam's sons and the narrative of the conflict between the two brothers, Cain and Abel (Gen. 4). The point is that Cain personifies the extreme lack of love: the killing of another person. This is the dark backdrop to clearly show the Light of rightwised living and conduct that is fair and just: love and acceptance of one's neighbor.
Here John presumes that his audience knows the story by now. The adversarial issue was due to Cain's envy and animosity over what God wanted or accepted as a sacrifice, at that point of Israel's story of humanity. But John is using it as an example of those whose
"works (actions; = behavior and conduct; treatment of others) were gushed with misery and hard labor."
This adjective poneros was also used earlier in the verse to describe Cain's condition, situation, or that which was influencing him.
Unfortunately the dualism of pagan cosmologies has misguided the translation and interpretation of this word so as to personify it as
"the wicked or evil one."
Some bizarre teachings have been the result. But I think that we can understand John's meaning if we look back at the story of the judgment pronounced against Adam in Gen. 3:17-19 which tells of the gush of misery that was going to be the environment and condition of humanity's way of life. Cain was a farmer of the very ground that had come under the curse.
Not only this, the word poneros can be rendered: unprofitable attitude; worthless mindset; wicked intent; toilsome situation; sorry plight. All these conditions or situations are a result of humanity's predicament: the estrangement and alienation of death that came upon mankind by one man's disobedience (Rom. 5:12). And as we review the story in Gen. 4, we see that the slaughtering of Abel was the result of Cain's attitude and thinking.
Furthermore, in the last part of this verse, the contrasts of the works of the two brothers are used by John to contrast covenant living in the Way of Christ, and hard labor (the root meaning of ponēros) of religious works that are not what God desires. He desires proper treatment of our fellow human beings, not the mystical works or "spiritual experiences" of the Gnostics - which works and experiences are worthless and brought about a sorry plight on the practitioners.
With this background in mind, let us back up in 1 Jn.3, to the verses that preceded vs. 12, above, and consider who it was that "sinned from the beginning":
8. Yet the person habitually practicing the error (repeatedly doing this failure to hit the target or accomplish his purpose; or: progressively producing the sin, the mistake, or this deviation) is existing from out of the adversary, as a source, who thrusts something through the midst, [with a weapon, or with ill-intent], creating a wound or division (or: = is [operating] from [the influence of] this "devil"), because from primacy (or: moving away from [the; a] beginning; or: from [its; his; the] start; or: originally), this adversary (this one who thrusts-through) is (= has been) habitually sinning (or: repeatedly missing the target; continuously falling short of the goal; constantly deviating from his purpose). Into this [situation and sphere] was (or: is) God's Son manifested and made visible, to the end that He would unbind (loose; untie; destroy; disintegrate) the works, actions and deeds of the (or: this) adversary who casts things through the midst of folks. [cf 1 Tim. 3:11; Tit. 2:3; Jas. 4:7]
9. Everyone, who (or: All mankind, which) in having been given birth from out of the midst of God, as a source, and is thus now in the state of being a born-one of, and from, God, is not habitually practicing failure to hit the target (repeatedly doing sin; constantly producing error; continuing in deviation), because His Seed (sperm; = "germ of divine Life" - Wuest) is continuously remaining (dwelling; abiding; at home) within him (or: centered in, and in union with, Him), and he is not able (or: he has no power) to constantly fail to hit the target (repeatedly sin; continuously deviate; go on failing; continue in error), because he has been born forth from out of God, and is now in the state of being God’s born-one. [cf Phil. 2:13; 2 Pet. 1:4]
10. [Both] God's children and the adversary's children are constantly visible (apparent; manifest) within this [thing, situation; condition]: everyone, who (or: all mankind, which), in not normally producing eschatological deliverance (while not habitually doing justice; when not progressively constructing his life turned in the right direction to accord with the Way pointed out, or not being fair and equitable; by not presently being in [covenant] relationships) - as well as the one not continuously loving (unconditionally accepting and seeking union with) his brother (or: fellow) - is not existing out of God (= is not living with God being his source of life and direction),
11. because this is the message [other MSS: promise; or: complete announcement] which you heard (or: hear) from [the] beginning (or: originally heard) so that we are habitually (or: to the end that we would or could progressively be) loving (accepting and participating in; urging toward reunion with) one another -
Verse 10, above, gives us two kinds, or types, of children: those who are "God’s children," and those who are
"the adversary’s children."
From the last phrase of vs. 8, we see that this adversary is a person
"who casts things through the midst of folks."
In Jn. 8:39b, Jesus told them,
"If you folks are Abraham's children, be continually doing and performing Abraham's deeds (actions; works)."
Then, in Jn. 8:41a, He said,
"You folks habitually do your father's works (perform deeds and actions from your father)."
And then, in Jn. 8:42a, He explains,
"If God were your Father, you folks would have been, and continued, loving and urging toward union with (or: accepting and progressively giving yourselves fully to) Me."
Notice that Jesus associates "works" with the identity of a person's father. He is speaking metaphorically, in each of these cases. Even the word "love" (agape) means an inner action of accepting and giving one’s self to another. It is a life lived-out.
In the first article, we suggested that in Jn. 8:44 (see, above), Jesus was alluding to Cain. Observe that the passage of 1 Jn. 37-10, above, lead to a reference to Cain, in vs. 12. Next, 1 Jn. 3:14-15 unpack the metaphorical aspects of life and death, and even, murder:
15. Everyone, who (or: All humanity, which) in constantly hating (or: regarding with ill-will or detaching from) his brother, constantly exists being a person-slayer (a murderer; [cf vs. 12, above; Mat. 5:21-22, 27-28]), and you have seen so as to be aware that every person-slayer does not presently have (or: is not continuously holding, or at this point possessing) Life having its source in, or having the quality of, the Age (or: eonian life) presently remaining within him (or: continuously dwelling and abiding in union with him).
Although speaking figuratively, the inner thoughts, feelings and actions of a person will produce some kind of lived-out behavior, both in the natural realm and the spiritual realm.
In Jn. 8:42, Jesus spoke of love. Likewise, in 1 Jn. 3:10, 11, 14, and 16-18, we find the author speaking of love, as the opposite of hate and adversarial deeds (as in 3:8). In the thinking of the NT, a person's thoughts and actions were used to define the kind of person, as he or she was at any particular time. Remember that at one point Jesus spoke to Peter as being an adversary (satan). But 1 Jn. 3:14 proclaims that the followers of Christ
"have proceeded to change, pass over, and have stepped across so as to be separated from out of the sphere of the Death [and] into the midst of the sphere and realm of the Life."
This means that we have changed fathers, or ancestors, and we now belong to the lineage of Abraham and Christ.
Prior to his "road to Damascus" experience (Acts 9), Saul was living in the spiritual/emotional line of Cain. His encounter with the resurrected Jesus transferred him into the spiritual line of Abraham, and the Last Adam (the Second Humanity - 1 Cor. 15:45-49).
In the realm (kingdom and sphere) of God, natural lineage means nothing, for we must all be spiritually born back up, again (Jn. 3:3, 5-8). This is what 1 Jn. 3:9 is speaking about. It means passing from death (Eph. 2:1) into resurrected life (Eph. 2:6). Above, in 1 Jn. 3:8, we read that:
"God's Son manifested and made visible, to the end that He would unbind (loose; untie; destroy; disintegrate) the works, actions and deeds of the (or: this) adversary who casts things through the midst of folks."
That "unbinding (etc.)" is done within the hearts and spirits of folks whom others have wounded. It is other people (inspired by worthless spirits and attitudes) who cast objects or words through people, and wound or kill them. Christ came to heal us and make us whole again. He came to restore us to union with the Father, and impart His Life into us. His baptism of Fire and Holy Spirit burns up the influences (bad spirits and attitudes) that we have harbored in our thought processes, and thus He delivers, heals and restore us, while making us a part of the Second Humanity. All "Cain characteristics" will be scooped out of us as the pure Gold appears, during His smelting process (Mal. 3:1-3).
Jonathan
PS: John Gavazzoni added
The story of Cain killing Abel might teach us as an allegory. Considered allegorically, might part of its message be that each of us, existentially considered, are both murderer and murdered, predator and prey, victimizer and victim. We can't avoid that consistent thread throughout scripture of a tension that story represents archetypically....the flesh lusting against the spirit, and the spirit against the flesh; the willing spirit vs the weak flesh; the, "know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit" vs "who shall deliver me from the body of this death." The story reeks with resentment leading to rebellion, a veritably storm of the "inherent fervor of the flesh. Just a thought. Maybe the stories of Isaac vs Ishmael and Jacob vs Esau, viewed allegorically, has the same message.
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