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Secret Believers

Text: John 12: 42-43

SECRET BELIEVERS

There were people who openly rejected Jesus. Some walked away from Him, never to return. Others followed Him but with the intention of fault-finding.

There were others who openly expressed faith in the Lord Jesus. There were both men and women followers. But there were some who may be called “secret believers”.

“Nevertheless even among the rulers many believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they did not confess Him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue; for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.”

John 12:42-43

1. “Nevertheless even among the rulers many believed in Him”

a. This was an observation that the Apostle John noted.

b. His family was quite well-connected.

c. He knew some of the rulers and thus he was able to make this statement.

d. There were “many (who) believed in Him”.

2. “But because of the Pharisees they did not confess Him”

a. The Pharisees was a powerful group of Jews.

b. They were influential.

c. They had been antagonistic toward Jesus.

d. They were openly critical of all that Jesus said and did.

3. “Lest they should be put out of the synagogue”

a. The Pharisees would use every means in their power to prevent people from believing in Jesus.

b. If anyone confessed faith in Jesus that person would not be allowed to attend the synagogue.

i. They would ostracise a person from society.

ii. They would make life very difficult for the follower of Jesus.

c. This would create:

i. Fear, and

ii. Friction within the family.

4. “For they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God”

a. John disclosed one of the reasons why the believers chose to remain silent about their faith.

b. They loved the praise from people.

c. They had not yet come to a mature faith where the praise of God would be deemed far better.

经文：约翰福音 12：42-43

隐蔽的信徒

有些人公开的拒绝耶稣。有些人远离祂，永远不再回来。也有一些人跟随祂，但怀着挑祂的毛病的动机。

还有一些人公然地表达了他们对耶稣的信心。这其中有男和女的随从者。然而也有些可能被称为“隐蔽的信徒”。

“虽然如此，官长中却有好些信他的，只因法利赛人的缘故，就不承认，恐怕被赶出会堂。 这是因他们爱人的荣耀过于爱神的荣耀。”

《约翰福音 12：42-43》

1. “虽然如此，官长中却有好些信他的”

a. 这是使徒约翰的观察

b. 他的家庭有相当广泛的人脉

c. 他忍识一些官长们，所以才能作出这个声明

d. 那里“却有好些信他的”

2. “只因法利赛人的缘故，就不承认”

a. 法利赛人是一群有势力的犹太人

b. 他们拥有影响力

c. 他们一直以来都很仇视耶稣

d. 他们公开地批评所有耶稣所说和做的事。

3. “恐怕被赶出会堂”

a. 法利赛人会尽一切所能阻止人们相信耶稣

b. 若有人承认在耶稣里的信心，那个人就不被允许进入会堂

i. 他们会把那个人赶出社群外

ii. 他们会为难使所有跟从耶稣的人

c. 这会造成：

i. 恐惧，和

ii. 家庭之中的摩擦

4．“这是因他们爱人的荣耀过于爱神的荣耀”

a. 约翰透露了信徒选择不公开他们的信心的其中原因之一

b. 他们爱人的荣耀

c．他们的信心还未成熟，导致他们不能够把爱神的荣耀视为更美好