Welcome to Habitable Life, the site where I share my notes about what I have learned about life.
John's Gospel feels different: it opens with poetry, it contains Jesus' teachings, and it contains signs that we might believe.
But who wrote it? And who was it for?
These questions matter. Not just for understanding the text, but for understanding its heart. This isn’t just a biography of Jesus. It is testimony. Someone who walked with Jesus wanted you to know what he saw.
John 6 has been one of the most difficult chapters for me to understand. It’s packed with signs, huge crowds, grumbling, confusion, and eventually, a lot of people walking away from Jesus. But what really made me stop and wrestle with it was how Jesus talks about the Father’s role in people coming to Him, and what that means for belief.
Early in the letter, Paul expresses his amazement at how quickly the churches in Galatia were turning to a different message (Galatians 1:6):
I am amazed how quickly you are deserting the One who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel.
This concern that the Galatians are turning from the true gospel to a different gospel is the central focus of the entire letter.
Paul tells us plainly why he wrote his letter to the Ephesians. In Ephesians 4:1, he writes:
I urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling you have received.
Paul is encouraging believers to live in a way that reflects the calling they received when they placed their faith in Jesus. He begins the letter by reminding them of all the blessings they received in Christ. Then he shifts to instructing them on how to live in response to those blessings. Much like James, Paul calls believers not only to believe but also to live out their faith in daily life.
At the beginning of his letter, James states his purpose clearly (James 1:2–4):
Consider it pure joy, my brothers, when you encounter trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Allow perseverance to finish its work, so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
John actually tells us, right near the end of his Gospel (John 20:30–31):
Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book. But these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in His name.
Once you’ve observed the text and interpreted its meaning, the final step in Bible study is application, asking, “So what?” This is where your study becomes personal. Without application, all your effort in understanding what the author said remains just head knowledge. It doesn’t benefit you or anyone else until it transforms how you live, think, and relate to God and others.
Once you've carefully observed a passage and come to terms with what the author is saying, the next step is interpretation, seeking to understand what the passage means. This involves uncovering the author's intent, argument, and main points. It's crucial during this stage to set aside your own opinions, assumptions, and theological preferences as much as possible. Let the author, both human and divine, speak for themselves.
The first step in studying the Bible is observation: carefully examining the text to understand what it says. This means spending time with the passage, reading it multiple times. Fifteen to 20 readings is a good target. Don’t rush. Let the text speak to you through repetition and familiarity.
In mathematics, foundational beliefs are called axioms. For example, one axiom says, “The shortest distance between two points is a straight line.” Mathematicians use axioms like these to build logical arguments and prove more complex ideas.
In the same way, we all bring certain assumptions, or presuppositions, when we read and study the Bible. It’s natural. But when it comes to Scripture, we should try to be aware of these presuppositions and limit them as much as possible. Otherwise, they can distort our understanding.