The First Epistle Of John The Apostle
1John Intro:
Line Upon Line Study:1John 1:1 That which was from the beginning:
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Teachings From 1John:
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In our recovery of the true Church of Jesus Christ, we come to the first general epistle of John the Apostle. It would be most beneficial to read through its entirety in one sitting. Then prior to continuing in study, please ask the LORD to send His Spirit to give you understanding. As you read, please keep in mind the following facts.
Facts on 1 John:
John makes three main points in his epistle:
1) Jesus is the son of God: 21x
2) All who profess to follow Jesus must live righteous lives.
3) Those who are born of God will love the brethren.
John gives five reasons for his epistle:
1) " And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full " {1 John 1:4}.
2) " My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not " {1 John 2:1}.
3) " These things have I written unto you concerning them that seduce you " {1 John 2:26}.
4) " These things have I written unto you that ye may know that ye have eternal life " {1 John 5:13}.
5) " These things have I written unto you that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God " {5:13}.
John uses four key words in his epistle:
1) If
2) Fellowship
3) Know
4) Love
There is a total of 105 verses in the epistle of 1 John. Out of the 105 verses 58 of them are evidences that one is a bonafide believer. Below is a list of some of those evidences.
1) That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. {1 John 1:3}
2) And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. {1 John 2:3}
3) But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him. {1 John 2:5}
4) He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked. {1 John2:6}
5) Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. {1 John 2:15}
6) But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things. {1 John 2:20}
7) If ye know that he is righteous, ye know that every one that doeth righteousness is born of him. {1 John:29}
8) Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. {1 John 3:1}
9) Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him. {1 John 3:6}
10) Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous. {1 John 3:7}
Background:
The recipients of this letter are undesignated. There are no greetings or mention of persons, or events in the letter. The most likely explanation for this uncommon format is that John wrote from his residence from Ephesus to a number of churches in the province of Asia over which he had apostolic responsibility. Since the churches shared in a common problem and similar needs, John wrote this as a circular letter and dispatched it by a personal emissary with his verbal greetings. {Life In The Spirit Study Bible pg. 2018}
The foremost background issue in this letter is the problem of false teaching about salvation in Christ and its operation in the believer. Certain people, formerly associated with the readers, had left the congregations {2:19}, but the results of their false teaching were still distorting the gospel as to how they might "know" that they had eternal life. Doctrinally, their heresy denied that Jesus is the Christ {2:22} or that Christ came in the flesh {4:2-3}; ethically, they taught that obeying Christ's commands {2:3-4;5:3} and living holy lives separated from sin {3:7-12} and the world {2:15-17} were not necessary in the Christian life {1:6;5:4-5}. {Life In The Spirit Study Bible pg. 2018}
Purpose:
John's purpose in writing this letter was twofold: (1) to expose and repudiate the doctrinal and ethical errors of the false teachers, and (2) to exhort his spiritual children to pursue a life of holy fellowship with God in truth and righteousness, in the full joy {1:4} and assurance {5:13} of eternal life, through an obedient faith in Jesus as the Son of God{4:15;5:3-5,12}, and by the abiding presence of the Holy Spirit {2:20;4:4,13}. {Life In The Spirit Study Bible pg. 2018}
Survey:
The First Epistle of John was written to a christian community who faced the Gnostic heresy of the first century. John sought to encourage its members to live the kind of life consistent with fellowship with God and His Christ. It deals with such vital themes as righteousness, love, truth and assured knowledge. The author does not consider these merely as ethical requirements, but as religious realities based upon the Christian revelation of God and His Son, the LORD Jesus Christ. {Sword Bible pg.414}
Belief and behavior are inseparably woven together in this letter. The false teachers, whom John calls "antichrists" (2:18-22), were departing from the apostolic teaching about Christ and righteous living. John vigorously repudiates and condemns the false teachers (2:18-19,22-23,26; 4:1,3,5) with their destructive beliefs and behavior. {Life In The Spirit Study Bible pg. 2018}
On the positive side, 1 John sets forth the characteristics of true fellowship with God (1:3-2:2) and reveals five specific tests by which believers may know with assurance that they have eternal life: (1) the test of apostolic truth about Christ (1:1-3; 2:21-23; 4:2-3,15; 5:1,5,10,20); (2) the test of an obedient faith that keeps Christ commands (2:3-11; 5:3-4); (3) the test of holy living, i.e., turning from sin to fellowship with God (1:6-9; 2:3-6, 15-17, 29; 3:1-10; 5:2-3); (4) the test of love of God and other believers (2:9-11; 3:10-11, 14, 16-18; 4:7-12, 18-21); and (5) the test of the Spirits witness (2:2027; 4:13; 5:7-12). John concludes that people may know with confidence that they have eternal life (5:13) when the fruit of these five areas is evident in their lives. {Life In The Spirit Study Bible pg. 2018}
Facts on 1 John:
John makes three main points in his epistle:
1) Jesus is the son of God: 21x
2) All who profess to follow Jesus must live righteous lives.
3) Those who are born of God will love the brethren.
John gives five reasons for his epistle:
1) " And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full " {1 John 1:4}.
2) " My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not " {1 John 2:1}.
3) " These things have I written unto you concerning them that seduce you " {1 John 2:26}.
4) " These things have I written unto you that ye may know that ye have eternal life " {1 John 5:13}.
5) " These things have I written unto you that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God " {5:13}.
John uses four key words in his epistle:
1) If
2) Fellowship
3) Know
4) Love
There is a total of 105 verses in the epistle of 1 John. Out of the 105 verses 58 of them are evidences that one is a bonafide believer. Below is a list of some of those evidences.
1) That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. {1 John 1:3}
2) And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. {1 John 2:3}
3) But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him. {1 John 2:5}
4) He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked. {1 John2:6}
5) Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. {1 John 2:15}
6) But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things. {1 John 2:20}
7) If ye know that he is righteous, ye know that every one that doeth righteousness is born of him. {1 John:29}
8) Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. {1 John 3:1}
9) Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him. {1 John 3:6}
10) Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous. {1 John 3:7}
Background:
The recipients of this letter are undesignated. There are no greetings or mention of persons, or events in the letter. The most likely explanation for this uncommon format is that John wrote from his residence from Ephesus to a number of churches in the province of Asia over which he had apostolic responsibility. Since the churches shared in a common problem and similar needs, John wrote this as a circular letter and dispatched it by a personal emissary with his verbal greetings. {Life In The Spirit Study Bible pg. 2018}
The foremost background issue in this letter is the problem of false teaching about salvation in Christ and its operation in the believer. Certain people, formerly associated with the readers, had left the congregations {2:19}, but the results of their false teaching were still distorting the gospel as to how they might "know" that they had eternal life. Doctrinally, their heresy denied that Jesus is the Christ {2:22} or that Christ came in the flesh {4:2-3}; ethically, they taught that obeying Christ's commands {2:3-4;5:3} and living holy lives separated from sin {3:7-12} and the world {2:15-17} were not necessary in the Christian life {1:6;5:4-5}. {Life In The Spirit Study Bible pg. 2018}
Purpose:
John's purpose in writing this letter was twofold: (1) to expose and repudiate the doctrinal and ethical errors of the false teachers, and (2) to exhort his spiritual children to pursue a life of holy fellowship with God in truth and righteousness, in the full joy {1:4} and assurance {5:13} of eternal life, through an obedient faith in Jesus as the Son of God{4:15;5:3-5,12}, and by the abiding presence of the Holy Spirit {2:20;4:4,13}. {Life In The Spirit Study Bible pg. 2018}
Survey:
The First Epistle of John was written to a christian community who faced the Gnostic heresy of the first century. John sought to encourage its members to live the kind of life consistent with fellowship with God and His Christ. It deals with such vital themes as righteousness, love, truth and assured knowledge. The author does not consider these merely as ethical requirements, but as religious realities based upon the Christian revelation of God and His Son, the LORD Jesus Christ. {Sword Bible pg.414}
Belief and behavior are inseparably woven together in this letter. The false teachers, whom John calls "antichrists" (2:18-22), were departing from the apostolic teaching about Christ and righteous living. John vigorously repudiates and condemns the false teachers (2:18-19,22-23,26; 4:1,3,5) with their destructive beliefs and behavior. {Life In The Spirit Study Bible pg. 2018}
On the positive side, 1 John sets forth the characteristics of true fellowship with God (1:3-2:2) and reveals five specific tests by which believers may know with assurance that they have eternal life: (1) the test of apostolic truth about Christ (1:1-3; 2:21-23; 4:2-3,15; 5:1,5,10,20); (2) the test of an obedient faith that keeps Christ commands (2:3-11; 5:3-4); (3) the test of holy living, i.e., turning from sin to fellowship with God (1:6-9; 2:3-6, 15-17, 29; 3:1-10; 5:2-3); (4) the test of love of God and other believers (2:9-11; 3:10-11, 14, 16-18; 4:7-12, 18-21); and (5) the test of the Spirits witness (2:2027; 4:13; 5:7-12). John concludes that people may know with confidence that they have eternal life (5:13) when the fruit of these five areas is evident in their lives. {Life In The Spirit Study Bible pg. 2018}