Conservative Friends Bible Study of The Gospel of John #9

John 8:21-59We continue our study of John's Gospel, focusing on chapter 8 where Jesus reveals himself as "the light of the world" and offers profound insights about spiritual freedom and his divine nature.• Examining the challenging declaration "I am the light of the world" and how it connects thematically to chapter 9• Understanding Jesus' confrontation with religious leaders who misunderstood his spiritual origin• Exploring the liberating concept that "you shall know the truth, and the truth will make you free"• Analyzing how sin enslaves and Christ liberates, connecting to the Greek concepts of redemption and salvation• Contemplating Jesus' climactic claim "Before Abraham was, I AM" and its implications for understanding Christ's eternal nature• Recognizing the importance of experiencing the inward, transformative power of Christ rather than focusing solely on historical accountsJoin us next time as we continue our journey through the Gospel of John.A complete list of our podcasts, organized into topics, is available on our website. To learn more about Ohio Yearly Meeting (Conservative) of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers), please visit ohioyearlymeeting.org. Those interested in exploring the distinctives of Conservative Friends waiting worship should consider checking out our many Zoom Online Worship opportunities during the week here. All are welcome! We also have several Zoom study groups. Check out the Online Study and Discussion Groups on our website. Advices read in these podcasts can be found on page 29 in our Book Of Dicipline. We welcome feedback on this and any of our other podcast episodes. Contact us through our website.

The painful second great schism of Ohio Yearly Meeting Conservative unfolds through a historical account of dividing tensions between Gurneyite and Wilburite Quakers from 1845-1874. This detailed historical narrative chronicles how theological differences surrounding Joseph John Gurney's theological interpretations of Quakerism fractured a once-united religious community.• Conflict began in 1845 when Ohio received competing epistles from two separate New England yearly meetings• Benjamin Hoyle, Ohio's clerk, openly favored the smaller Wilburite body, creating tensions• Representatives repeatedly failed to agree on new clerks, effectively freezing leadership• Traveling ministers increasingly identified as either Gurneyite or Wilburite, intensifying divisions• Local problems like rejected certificates, withheld ministry minutes, and unrecognized ministers worsened tensions• In 1853, the yearly meeting couldn't conduct business for four days due to objections over visiting Wilburites• The formal separation occurred in 1854, though groups didn't officially disown each other until 1864• Final division came in 1874 when courts granted the Gurneyite branch possession of the Mount Pleasant Boarding SchoolA complete list of our podcasts, organized into topics, is available on our website. To learn more about Ohio Yearly Meeting (Conservative) of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers), please visit ohioyearlymeeting.org. Those interested in exploring the distinctives of Conservative Friends waiting worship should consider checking out our many Zoom Online Worship opportunities during the week here. All are welcome! We also have several Zoom study groups. Check out the Online Study and Discussion Groups on our website. Advices read in these podcasts can be found on page 29 in our Book Of Dicipline. We welcome feedback on this and any of our other podcast episodes. Contact us through our website.

 John 7:53 - 8:20This Greek Bible study examines the powerful story of the woman caught in adultery and Jesus's transformative teaching about judgment, sin, and spiritual illumination.• Exploration of John 7:53-8:20, including the authenticity questions surrounding this passage in early manuscripts• Discussion of Jesus writing in the sand—one of the few references to his literacy in the Gospels• Analysis of Jesus's challenge to the woman's accusers about their own sinfulness• Context of how Jesus transforms understanding of sin from external rules to inward reflection• Examination of the Greek word "hamartia" (sin) and its theological implications• Jesus's declaration "I am the light of the world" and its connection to Quaker understanding of inner light• References to 2 Corinthians 4:6-7 about God shining in our hearts• Discussion of biblical support for Quaker beliefs and recommended resources for further studyA complete list of our podcasts, organized into topics, is available on our website. To learn more about Ohio Yearly Meeting (Conservative) of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers), please visit ohioyearlymeeting.org. Those interested in exploring the distinctives of Conservative Friends waiting worship should consider checking out our many Zoom Online Worship opportunities during the week here. All are welcome! We also have several Zoom study groups. Check out the Online Study and Discussion Groups on our website. Advices read in these podcasts can be found on page 29 in our Book Of Dicipline. We welcome feedback on this and any of our other podcast episodes. Contact us through our website.

Ohio Yearly Meeting takes another step in our journey through "The Eye of Faith," continuing William P. Taber Jr.'s history with Chapter 3, "Refining the Form: 1828-1845," which examines the theological tensions that nearly split our community.Orthodox Friends consolidated their community after the 1828 Hicksite separation by refining Quaker practices and strengthening biblical foundations. This period of reform would ultimately lead to new tensions between traditional and progressive elements in Ohio Yearly Meeting.• Two committees helped meetings navigate separation issues and coordinate with other Orthodox Yearly Meetings• Increased emphasis on Bible reading in families with committees ensuring every Quaker household owned a Bible• Friends established numerous schools under monthly meeting supervision to provide "guarded education" for youth• Mount Pleasant boarding school opened in 1837 after 23 years of planning• Growing tensions between those following Joseph John Gurney's evangelical approach and John Wilbur's traditional Quakerism• National Road brought economic opportunities and outside influences challenging Quaker insularity• Abolition movement created friction with traditional Quaker approaches to social reform• Leaders like Joseph Edgerton warned against "modified Quakerism" and "lifeless ministry"• Seeds were planted for the second Ohio separation that would occur in 1854A complete list of our podcasts, organized into topics, is available on our website. To learn more about Ohio Yearly Meeting (Conservative) of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers), please visit ohioyearlymeeting.org. Those interested in exploring the distinctives of Conservative Friends waiting worship should consider checking out our many Zoom Online Worship opportunities during the week here. All are welcome! We also have several Zoom study groups. Check out the Online Study and Discussion Groups on our website. Advices read in these podcasts can be found on page 29 in our Book Of Dicipline. We welcome feedback on this and any of our other podcast episodes. Contact us through our website.

 John 7:19 - 7:39We explore the concept of righteous judgment from John 7:24 and examine what it means to judge with Christ's guidance rather than by appearances.• Judging righteously requires consulting Christ within rather than relying on our own understanding• The distinction between worldly judgment that condemns and righteous discernment guided by the Spirit• When human laws contradict divine justice, Christians may need to stand against popular opinion• The challenge of loving enemies while preventing ongoing harm• Understanding the metaphor of "rivers of living water" as the Holy Spirit flowing through believers• The hunger and thirst for righteousness that only God can truly satisfy• The limitations of attempting to establish holiness through external laws alone• How Nicodemus represents someone quietly following Jesus while remaining in established religious structuresA complete list of our podcasts, organized into topics, is available on our website. To learn more about Ohio Yearly Meeting (Conservative) of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers), please visit ohioyearlymeeting.org. Those interested in exploring the distinctives of Conservative Friends waiting worship should consider checking out our many Zoom Online Worship opportunities during the week here. All are welcome! We also have several Zoom study groups. Check out the Online Study and Discussion Groups on our website. Advices read in these podcasts can be found on page 29 in our Book Of Dicipline. We welcome feedback on this and any of our other podcast episodes. Contact us through our website.

This episode continues reading Chapter 3, "Refining the Form: 1828-1845," which examines the theological tensions that nearly split our community.  Note that it was erroneously published before the start of chapter 3.• Elisha Bates, once a respected Quaker minister from Mount Pleasant, repudiates traditional Quaker views on spiritual inspiration and even receives water baptism• The Meeting for Sufferings responds with essays defending Quaker doctrines of "divine light, inwardly revealed" as the foundation of true religion• Joseph John Gurney's visits to Ohio in 1837 further polarizes Friends into two distinct theological camps• Differences emerge between "Gurneyite" Friends who emphasize the Bible as first rule of faith and "Wilburite" Friends who prioritize the inward Christ• The Gurneyites welcome intellectual study, activism, and cooperation with other Christians, while Wilburites fear any change that weakens Quaker distinctiveness• Joseph Edgerton's journal entries reveal deep concern about "a spirit which is weary of the plainness and simplicity of the truth"• Tensions escalate when Ohio ministers visiting New England are denied returning minutes after associating with John Wilbur• Ohio Yearly Meeting faces a decade of irreconcilable tensions over theological teachings and disciplinary procedures"Art thou in the darkness, mind it not, for if thou dost, it will feed thee more. But stand still and act not, and wait in patience till light arises out of darkness and leads thee." - James Naylor, 1659A complete list of our podcasts, organized into topics, is available on our website. To learn more about Ohio Yearly Meeting (Conservative) of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers), please visit ohioyearlymeeting.org. Those interested in exploring the distinctives of Conservative Friends waiting worship should consider checking out our many Zoom Online Worship opportunities during the week here. All are welcome! We also have several Zoom study groups. Check out the Online Study and Discussion Groups on our website. Advices read in these podcasts can be found on page 29 in our Book Of Dicipline. We welcome feedback on this and any of our other podcast episodes. Contact us through our website.

John 6:40 - 7:18We explore Jesus' challenging teaching about being "the bread of life" and what it means to eat his flesh and drink his blood, examining the Quaker understanding of spiritual nourishment beyond ritual.• Distinction between the two meanings of "Jews" in John's Gospel—either ethnic Jews or specifically those opposed to Jesus• Jesus' shocking language about eating his flesh and drinking his blood as a spiritual metaphor• The Quaker understanding that inward spiritual feeding matters more than outward rituals• Difference between physical symbols and the spiritual reality they represent• The meaning of "It is the Spirit that gives life; the flesh is useless"• How Jesus' teaching relates to communion/eucharist practices• The significance of Jesus' brothers not believing in him initially• The contrast between human language and spiritual realities• The divine drawing that brings people to spiritual understanding"Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If any man hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to him and will sup with him and he with me." Revelation 3:20A complete list of our podcasts, organized into topics, is available on our website. To learn more about Ohio Yearly Meeting (Conservative) of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers), please visit ohioyearlymeeting.org. Those interested in exploring the distinctives of Conservative Friends waiting worship should consider checking out our many Zoom Online Worship opportunities during the week here. All are welcome! We also have several Zoom study groups. Check out the Online Study and Discussion Groups on our website. Advices read in these podcasts can be found on page 29 in our Book Of Dicipline. We welcome feedback on this and any of our other podcast episodes. Contact us through our website.

 John 5:29 to 6:40We dive deep into John chapters 5-6 to explore Jesus' teachings about being the source of eternal life and spiritual nourishment.• Jesus models complete submission to God's will as an example for believers• The Greek word "dikaios" means righteous or just in God's eyes, not self-righteous• Jesus invites people to come to him for life, not just study scriptures about him• The story of feeding 5,000 demonstrates Jesus rejecting political kingship• Jesus declares "I am the bread of life" to shift focus from physical to spiritual nourishment• The Greek word for "see" in John 6:40 implies spiritual perception, not just physical sight• Spiritual communion involves perceiving Christ within and dining with him spiritually• Believers must "conquer" worldliness, cravings and addictions through repentance• Jesus repeatedly promises to "raise up" believers on the last day• Friends (Quakers) historically emphasized inward communion over outward ritualsA complete list of our podcasts, organized into topics, is available on our website. To learn more about Ohio Yearly Meeting (Conservative) of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers), please visit ohioyearlymeeting.org. Those interested in exploring the distinctives of Conservative Friends waiting worship should consider checking out our many Zoom Online Worship opportunities during the week here. All are welcome! We also have several Zoom study groups. Check out the Online Study and Discussion Groups on our website. Advices read in these podcasts can be found on page 29 in our Book Of Dicipline. We welcome feedback on this and any of our other podcast episodes. Contact us through our website.

John 4:46-5:29We examine the multi-layered interpretations of Jesus's parables and teachings, focusing on how true spiritual understanding goes beyond literal meaning to transform hearts and lives.• Three levels of biblical interpretation explored: literal, ethical, and spiritual-allegorical• The parable of the sower reveals how God implants divine seed in all humanity, but receptivity determines its growth• Royal official's healing story demonstrates faith as trust rather than mere belief• Healing at Bethsaida challenges religious conventions while revealing Jesus's compassion• Jesus's relationship with the Father shows divine unity working through him• Spiritual resurrection occurs when the spiritually dead hear Christ's voice within• Important distinction between the New Testament use of the word "Jews" as an ethnic group versus religious authorities opposing JesusA complete list of our podcasts, organized into topics, is available on our website. To learn more about Ohio Yearly Meeting (Conservative) of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers), please visit ohioyearlymeeting.org. Those interested in exploring the distinctives of Conservative Friends waiting worship should consider checking out our many Zoom Online Worship opportunities during the week here. All are welcome! We also have several Zoom study groups. Check out the Online Study and Discussion Groups on our website. Advices read in these podcasts can be found on page 29 in our Book Of Dicipline. We welcome feedback on this and any of our other podcast episodes. Contact us through our website.

John 4:14-45Jesus teaches that our spiritual life requires inward baptism and transformation beyond outward forms of worship.Understanding scripture requires seeking the spiritual sense behind the physical languageJesus breaks social barriers by speaking with a Samaritan woman at Jacob's wellThe woman recognizes Jesus as a prophet when he reveals knowledge of her complicated pastTrue worship happens "in spirit and truth" rather than at specific physical locationsJesus plainly declares "I am he" when the woman mentions the coming MessiahThe Samaritan woman becomes an evangelist, bringing her village to meet JesusBelievers ultimately testify: "We have heard for ourselves and know this is truly the Savior"Jesus teaches that his spiritual food is doing God's willThe fields are already "ripe for harvesting" as people come to believeThe hour is coming and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father seeks such as these to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.A complete list of our podcasts, organized into topics, is available on our website. To learn more about Ohio Yearly Meeting (Conservative) of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers), please visit ohioyearlymeeting.org. Those interested in exploring the distinctives of Conservative Friends waiting worship should consider checking out our many Zoom Online Worship opportunities during the week here. All are welcome! We also have several Zoom study groups. Check out the Online Study and Discussion Groups on our website. Advices read in these podcasts can be found on page 29 in our Book Of Dicipline. We welcome feedback on this and any of our other podcast episodes. Contact us through our website.