Using Bullinger’s King James Version Companion bible (Kregel)
Zechariah [3:10] “In that day, saith the Lord of hosts, shall ye call every man his neighbour under the vine and under the fig tree.”
[ed: Neighbour – #H7453 ( an associate ), from #H7462 ( to tend a {flock} that {is} pasture it; intransitively to graze (literally or figuratively); generally to rule; by extension to associate with (as a friend) ).]
[ed: The first day of the Lord’s Day (the first day of the 1000 year day).
At some point in future time, the priests of God’s election (elect) will begin to teach, and it will be clearly known that ALL people will treat each other with neighborly respect and dignity.]
[ed: Below, the first documented incident where a man kills his own only
brother, then avoids responsibility for his grievous transgression. Cain avoids his soul’s Creator question, and even resents being asked with no care about Abel’s death. Note that Abel was “a keeper of sheep”
(see Gen [4:2]).]
Genesis [4:9] “And the Lord said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother?” And he said, “I know not: Am I my brother’s keeper?”
Genesis [4:10] “And He said, “What hast thou done? the voice of thy brother’s blood crieth unto Me from the ground.”
Psalms [121:5] “The Lord is thy keeper: The Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand.”
[ed: The word “keeper” used in Gen [4:9] and also in Psalm [121:5] is the
same Hebrew word:
#H8104 – “properly to hedge about (as with {thorns}) that {is} guard;
generally to {protect} attend {to} etc.”.
Here the Lord declares him to be a Keeper for the ones who beliee in Him and his living ways. What a terrific exemplary type to understand and follow.]
[ed: Below in Luke’s Gospel, we have a documented event where a scripture lawyer does ask Jesus about 1) how to obtain eternal life; 2) who is “my neighbor”. This lawyer is not really interested in obtaining knowledge, he thinks he knows the answer already. Jesus asks the lawyer back about how he himself perceives the law, being a scripture lawyer?]
Luke [10:25] “And, behold, a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted Him, saying, “Master, what shalI do to inherit eternal life?”
Luke [10:26] “He said unto him, “What is written in the law? how readest thou?”
Luke [10:27] “And he answering said, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself.”
[ed: Neighbour – #G4139 ( (adverb) close by; as noun a neighbor that is fellow (as man countryman Christian or friend) )
Luke [10:28] “And He said unto him, “Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live.”
[ed: True, that if a person can follow every part of the law without any transgression, you will certainly live forever for there is no sin. In reality, this is not possible and when a person breaks a single law, we they break them all – as said in James [2:10].]
James [2:10] “For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.”
[ed: The lawyer then asks Jesus who is the lawyer’s neighbor.]
Luke [10:29] “But he, willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, “And who is my neighbour?”
[ed: The scripture lawyer said “my neighbor”, inferring “who then should I love?”.]
Luke [10:30] “And Jesus answering said, “A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him and his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead.”
Luke [10:31] “And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side.”
Luke [10:32] “And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side,”
Luke [10:33] “But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him,”
Luke [10:34] “And went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him.”
Luke [10:35] “And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, `Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more,when I come again, I will repay thee.”
[ed: Next, Jesus will ask the lawyer who was the real neighbor for the victim in this story, the temple priest, the temple worker, or the Samaritan who assisted.
Typically, Samaritan people were despised by people in Judea.]
Luke [10:36] “Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves?”
Luke [10:37] “And he said, “He that shewed mercy on him.” Then said Jesus unto him, “Go, and do thou likewise.”
[ed: We can be a good neighbor to others regardless of their condition regardless of their natural heritage, even for those who may not even be Christian. Did the Samaritan first ask if the victim was a person he should respect accordingly?
No, the Samaritan simply provided all that he could to get him off the road and into shelter, got him food, and secured the victim with immediate help with clothing and treating his wounds.
The Samaritan even went to the next step to cover for further care by the innkeeper. We are being taught to be our “brother’s keeper.”
We should not treat people according to our own respect, see
James [2:8-9].]
James [2:8] “If ye fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself,” ye do well:”
James [2:9] “But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors.”
[ed: “convinced” is to be self convicted by our knowledge of our sins against the law.]
James [2:13] “For he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath shewed no mercy; and mercy rejoiceth against judgment.”
James [2:16] “And one of you say unto them, “Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled;” not withstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?”
James [2:17] “Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.”
James [1:27] “Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.”
[ed: You can see in the few verses above, that it is required to not only have the faith in God, but to actually live that faith in one’s actions. To avoid the trappings of this world’s way and untrue teachings, and to focus on the actual conditions of your fellow mankind, particularly the ones who are weakest and have little being provided to them in this world.]
[ed: We will see another example of how to be of the caring person that God so wished we would always follow in our lives. This is near the end of Christ’s Crucifixion scene.]
John 19:25] “Now there stood by the cross of Jesus His mother, and His mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalene.”
[ed: Salome was Jesus’ aunt, his mother Mary’s sister.]
John [19:26] “When Jesus therefore saw His mother, and the disciple standing by, whom He loved, He saith unto His mother, “Woman, behold thy son!”
[ed: John is a direct witness of this event, John is the son of Mary’s sister Salome, the nephew of Jesus’ mother Mary, and therefore he was a half-cousin of Jesus. Jesus on the cross is still teaching, although this would be the last lesson before death. Next, He will be offered a vinegar soaked rag, then will soon pass on to Heaven. He will resurrect in his body anew after 3 days in the tomb.
Jesus tells John to take care of His mother Mary as if it was his very own mother Salome. Likewise, Mary should care and regard John as if he were her own son.]
John [19:27] “Then saith He to the disciple, “Behold thy mother!” And from that hour that disciple took her unto his own home.”
John [19:38] “And after this Joseph of Arimathea, being a disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Jews, besought Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus: and Pilate gave him leave. He came therefore, and took the body of Jesus.”
Matthew [27:57] “When the even was come, there came a rich man of Arimathaea, named Joseph, who also himself was Jesus disciple:”
Mark [15:43] “Joseph of Arimathaea, an honourable counsellor, which also waited for the kingdom of God, came, and went in boldly unto Pilate, and craved the body of Jesus.”
[ed: Below, further verses regarding how to be a good neighbor, thus being a better person worthy of life eternal.]
Romans [13:9] “For this, “Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet;” and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, “Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy self.”
Romans [13:10] “Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the
fulfilling of the law.”
Galatians [5:14] “For all the law is fulfilled in one word even in this;
“Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.”
Mark [12:29] “And Jesus answered him, “The first of all the commandments is,’Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord:”
Mark [12:30] “And thou shalt love the Lord they God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength:’ this is the first commandment.”
Mark [12:31] “And the second is like, namely this, ‘Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.’ There is none other commandment greater than these.”
Matthew [19:16] “And, behold, one came and said unto Him, “Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?”
Matthew [19:17] “And He said unto him, “Why callest thou me good? there is none good but One, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.”
Matthew [19:18] “He saith unto Him, “which?” Jesus said, “thou shalt do no murder, thou shalt not commit adultery, thou shalt not steal, thou shalt not bear false witness.”
Matthew [19:19] “Honour thy father and thy mother: and, thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.”
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