FROM THE BEGINNING
Notes
Transcript
Handout
Please turn in your Bible to 1 John 1:1-5 as we look at FROM THE BEGINNING: AN INTRODUCTION TO 1 JOHN.
This week we begin a new series on the epistle of 1 John. Since I am new here you haven’t really had the opportunity to journey with me through a series. But today we start this journey together. I struggled with where to begin preaching here. I had considered continuing on in Colossians since I have preached at least three sermons from their already. But the Lord laid our present epistle upon my heart. While I have preached an occasional thematic message from this epistle before, I have never gone through this book verse by verse, chapter by chapter. So, this will be a new journey for all of us.
I have actually been preparing for this series since the beginning of the year. I had already decided on this being a good study to begin a new ministry, when I decided to work at memorizing this epistle. When I was younger I could have memorized this book in a couple of months. But I am not young anymore. I may have bit off more than I can chew. But I do plan to persevere in my goal. I would challenge you to consider memorizing this book too. If you want to know how to start memorizing a Bible passage, here are some of the things I do. I take one verse and break it down into phrases. Then I repeat a phrase as many times as their are words in the phrase. Each time I repeat it I emphasize a different word. Let’s practice this together with the first phrase of the first verse. We will emphasize the first word first, then the next time through the second word, etc.
That which was from the beginning,
So, now that you know you can do this, I challenge you to give it a try for the next month. It may mean that you only memorize one verse a week. But the key is to practice that verse multiple times every day.
As we go through this passage this morning we are going to look at the background to this epistle, we will make some identifications (or perhaps clarifications), then we will look at the twofold purpose which John states in this prologue — it was written for the purpose of fellowship and the secondary purpose of joy.
Let’s begin by reading our text together.
That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life—
the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us—
that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ.
And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete.
Let’s look at
The Background
The Background
As we look at the background we will look at author, date, occasion, and purpose.
The Author
The Author
This is one of only two epistles in the NT cannon in which the author is not named in the salutation. The other epistle is Hebrews. While Hebrews was traditionally ascribed to Paul, since he is not named, and there are many stylistic differences between Paul’s other epistles and Hebrews, most modern conservative scholars believe that he is not the writer. However, most modern conservative scholars believe that the Apostle John is the author of our current epistle.
Note that,
This Epistle is a Letter written by the Apostle John to Churches who were Struggling Against False Teachers
Why is it believe that John is the author, since he is not named? First of all, it is believed that John wrote this epistle, as well as the Gospel of John because tradition says that he did. Trusting in tradition can be tricky, but I believe that on this occasion it is trustworthy. John had a disciple named Polycarp, who went on to become a prominent church leader and martyr in the second century. And this man claimed that John, his former teacher, had written both the Gospel of John as well as our current epistle. Polycarp’s student, Irenaeus, quoted from this epistle toward the end of the second century, giving tribute to John as it’s author.
Another reason for believing that John wrote this letter is that the Gospel of John and this epistle have a strong similarity in style and terminology. Of course, John is not named in the Gospel of John either. For that matter, Matthew doesn’t name its author, nor does Mark or Luke. But it has been handed down by tradition that these men did write these books.
Some have argued that there was another man named John the Elder living in the same general vicinity as the Apostle John, and that he was the author. But the authoritative style of this letter argues for it being written by an apostle and not by an elder of a local church.
MacArthur wrote,
The MacArthur Bible Commentary Author and Date
The epistle does not identify the author; but the strong, consistent, and earliest testimony of the church ascribes it to John the disciple and apostle (cf.
Let’s move on to look at
The Date
The Date
While it is difficult to specify a date in which this epistle was written, most likely it was written during the last decades of the first century. Most likely it was written before John was exiled to Patmos, around A.D. 95, since there is no mention of the persecutions which occured under Domitian. So,
The Epistle was Probably Written between A.D. 90-95
By this time, all of the other apostles had passed away. It had been more than two decades since Jerusalem had been destroyed, and most Jews were dispersed from the area of Jerusalem. Tradition tells us that the Apostle John left the Jerusalem area and migrated to Asia minor, with Ephesus being his center of ministry. It appears that he was so wellknown throughout the area in which he exercised apostolic oversight over the churches of Asia minor, that he felt no need to identify himself.
Let’s look now at
The Occasion
The Occasion
False teachers were on the rise and were challenging sound, apostolic doctrine.
I write these things to you about those who are trying to deceive you.
Many scholars believe that the doctrinal errors being taught by these false teachers were an early form of Gnosticism.
From this epistle we learn about these false teachers in regards to the things about Jesus Christ which they denied.
They Denied that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of God
Who is the liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, he who denies the Father and the Son.
Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves whoever has been born of him.
Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?
They Denied that the Christ had Come in the Flesh
By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God,
They Denied the Authority of Jesus’ Commands
Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him,
They Denied their own Sinfulness
If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.
They Denied Salvation through the Work of Christ
He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.
They Denied the Absolute Demand that Believers Love one Another
Whoever says he is in the light and hates his brother is still in darkness.
They Denied Righteous Conduct as a Requirement of Fellowship with God
If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.
They Denied the Responsibility to Live as Jesus had Lived
Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him,
whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.
Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous.
They Denied the nature of the Company of Believers as a Community of Fellowship with the Father, with His Son, and with One Another
that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ.
But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.
They Denied the Authority of the Writer of the Epistles as the Proclaimer of the Message that had been from the Beginning
This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.
They Denied that the Members of the Community who did not Follow them Were in the Truth
But you have been anointed by the Holy One, and you all have knowledge. I write to you, not because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and because no lie is of the truth.
Now that we have looked at some of the background information regarding this epistle, let’s turn our attention to
Identifications & Clarifications
Identifications & Clarifications
Look at verse 1.
That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life—
Regarding identifications and clarifications, I am going to tackle the easier things first, and then move to the harder things.
As you may be able to see from the screen, I have underlined the terms we and our in this verse. Who is John referring to as we? Note that,
By “We” John is Referring to the Apostles, and Their Authoritative Message
We have already noted that the false teachers were challenging the authority of John and perhaps the other apostles as well. Some might have even said that this man named John was not the Apostle John, but another man named John. It’s possible that some may have said that since this man was so old, he was totally senile in his thinking, and cannot be trusted to speak the truth.
Let’s move on to tackle a slightly harder identification — or is it a clarification? Look at verse 1 again.
That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life—
What is the beginning of which John is writing about? Hopefully we are all familiar with the first verse of the Bible —
In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.
This is obviously a reference to when God began His creative work. I hope you are also familiar with another famous passage about beginnings.
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
This verse is focusing on Jesus — the Incarnate Word, being a part of the Creation process — in fact John went on to write that Jesus (the Word) was the Creator of all things.
With this in mind we might be tempted to conclude that John is once again referring to the beginning of time when God created the heavens and earth. And that is possibly true — I won’t argue with anyone who holds that view. However, it is also quite possible that John is here referring to the beginning of the Gospel Message. Look again at verse 1.
That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life—
As we move past that first phrase we see that John is referring to something concrete which he himself had experienced. Was John there when Jesus created the world? No he was not — not even Adam was there until six days later.
Zane Hodges wrote, “The apostle declared his subject to be that which was from the beginning. Many have thought that he referred here to an absolute beginning, such as described in Genesis 1:1 and John 1:1. This is possible, but in view of the epistle’s concern with the original message about Jesus Christ, it seems more likely that John referred to the beginning of the gospel proclamation. If so, the usage is similar to that found in 1 John 2:7, 24; and 3:11. The writer was then asserting that what he proclaimed was the truth about God’s Son that was originally witnessed by the apostles who had direct contact with Him.” (Zane C. Hodges, “1 John,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 2 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 883.)
Now for an even harder identification. Look at the last phrase of verse 1 — concerning the word of life. What does John mean by the word of life? Many modern translations capitalize the term “word” signifying that the editors believe that this is a reference to Jesus. This makes sense since in the prologue to his gospel account John emphasizes that Jesus is the Word who became flesh and dwelt among us. But is that what he is intending here? In verse two it seems that John is emphasizing the term life rather than word. Look at verse 2.
the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us—
The life which was made manifest is obviously a reference to Jesus. He is the One whom the apostles heard. They heard his authoritative teaching. They heard all of His sermons. They heard His rebukes — both of themselves and of those belonging to the religious establishment of Israel.
Not only did they hear Him, but they saw Him. They saw Him perform His many miracles. They saw Him calm the sea by the word of His mouth. They saw Him heal the sick. They saw Him raise the dead. They saw Him as He had compassion for those who were hurting.
Not only did they hear and see Him, but they studied Him — that is the sense of the term translated “looked upon” in verse 1. They say that the acorn doesn’t fall far from the tree, and by that they mean that children study and mimic their parents. That is what these twelve ordinary men did — they studied Jesus. By the way, that is what we should do as well. Thankfully the Holy Spirit provided us with the written word by which we can study Jesus as well.
Not only did they hear, see, and study Him, they also touched Him. Some of the false teachers were saying that Jesus was a spiritual manifestation and not an actual human being. But John knew better. He had most likely touched Jesus on many occasions. We know for sure that at the last Passover meal he leaned upon Jesus’ breast.
So we can say that
John had Hard-clad Evidence about Jesus and His Message
Let’s turn now from Identifications & Clarifications to
The Two-Fold Purpose
The Two-Fold Purpose
The epistle has a lot of statements regarding John’s purpose in writing this letter.
My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.
I am writing to you, little children, because your sins are forgiven for his name’s sake.
I am writing to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning. I am writing to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one. I write to you, children, because you know the Father.
I write to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning. I write to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one.
I write to you, not because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and because no lie is of the truth.
I write these things to you about those who are trying to deceive you.
I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life.
From these statements we get a sense of why John was writing this letter. These false teachers had swooped into the area and confused many of those who were true believers to the point that they questioned the assurance of their faith. And John was writing this to assure them of their genuine faith in Jesus. That is why I have titled this series BE ASSURED. Throughout this letter John gives several things which are intended to assure the believers of their genuine faith in Jesus Christ. Much of these things are objective in nature, but he also includes some subjective things as well.
In our text for today, John gave a two-pronged reason for what he had written in the prologue to this letter.
Note that,
John’s First Purpose in this Prologue Regards Christian Fellowship
Look at verse 3.
that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ.
In Greek verses 1-4 comprise one very long sentence. And the main verb of the sentence is found in verse 3 — we proclaim. Everything that John has written up to this point is headed to this statement — we proclaim. But why was John proclaiming this message which was heard from the beginning? So that his readers could have fellowship with the apostles.
What is true Christian fellowship? Is sharing food around a table? Is it some sort of meeting which takes place in the fellowship hall? The Greek term for fellowship is koinonia — which has to do with having things in common. And so, yes, sharing a meal is fellowship. But you don’t have to be a Christian to have that kind of fellowship.
Glen Barker wrote, “koinōnia, with its derivatives, occurs over sixty times in the NT in reference to the supernatural life that Christians share. This supernatural life is disclosed in the incarnate Christ. It is the eternal life that comes from the Father and becomes the life shared individually and corporately by the company of believers. It is what causes the oneness of faith.” (Glenn W. Barker, “1 John,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Hebrews through Revelation, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 12 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1981), 307.)
Note that,
True Christian Fellowship is Christ-Centered
Last week, when I was attending my first Wednesday Night service (do we call it prayer meeting or midweek service?) I was thinking to myself — with this passage in mind — this is true Christian fellowship. People were sharing their prayer requests with one another, and praying for one another, as well as sitting under the teaching of Pastor J. Then again on Saturday morning during the Men’s breakfast the same thing occured — that is true Christian fellowship, and I’m so happy that it is happening right here within this faith community.
But what does it mean to have fellowship with the apostles? I mean that is what John is referring to when he refers to “us.” In order to have fellowship with the apostles we must adhere to sound biblical, apostolic doctrine. By apostolic doctrine I am not referring to that Pentecostal denomination which calls themselves Apostolic. I think John would shudder at the idea that this group claims to apostolic authority since their doctrine is (in my mind) very questionable. True apostolic doctrine is that message which was handed down to the church from the apostles. In its broadest sense it is the New Testament since each book in the New Testament was accompanied by apostolic authority.
Writing to the Ephesians about the relationship between Jewish believers and Gentile believers, Paul stated,
For through him [Christ] we both [people groups] have access in one Spirit to the Father.
So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God,
built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone,
in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord.
The teaching of the apostles is foundational to the church.
The whole idea of having fellowship with the apostles is integrally tied to the fellowship which believers should have with one another. But wait, there’s more! Look at the last phrase of verse 3.
that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ.
Our fellowship with God is bound to our fellowship with the apostles. Anyone who calls themselves a Christian but does not embrace true doctrine about Jesus Christ is out of fellowship with God. Furthermore, it is questionable as to whether they have ever made a true profession of faith in Christ or not.
So, John’s first purpose, as stated in this prologue, was for his readers to have fellowship with the apostles. His second purpose is found in verse 4.
Note that,
The Knowledge that His Spiritual Children are Living in Obedience to the Revealed Word of God Bring the Apostle Great Joy
Look at verse 4.
And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete.
When I first started memorizing this passage it struck me as odd that John was writing for the purpose of his own joy, and not for the joy of his readers. There are some translations which translate it “that your joy may be complete,” but most scholars agree that John is writing about his own joy.
You know, they say that Scripture is the best interpreter of Scripture. With that in mind, a statement that John made in his third epistles may help us understand what he is saying here.
I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.
John is writing this epistle because he wants his spiritual children to walk in the truth. And the evidence that they are walking in truth brings him great joy.
Would the Apostle John be happy with our individual Christian walk? More importantly, is Christ happy with our walk? Are we walking in the truth of God’s Word? Are we living out this truth in our actions? Are we doers of the Word and not merely hearers?
It is possible that there are some here who have never embraced Jesus as their Lord and Savior. Know that Jesus is exactly what the Bible claims He is. He is the Eternal Son of God who became man so that He could save His people from their sins by dying on an old rugged cross. He was raised from the grave on the third day. He appeared to many of His followers over a course of forty days, and then ascended into heaven. He now sits at the right hand of the Father making intercession for His own. But there is coming a day in which He will return to this earth, conquer His enemies, and rule the world for a thousand years.
Jesus offers forgiveness to all who embrace Him as their Lord and Savior. If you have not called upon the name of the Lord, won’t you do so today?
Let’s pray.
Father,
I thank You for this time we have had to study Your Word. Your Word is more to be desired than gold. It is sweeter than honey from the honey comb. Through Your Word, we who belong to You are warned, and when we keep Your word there is great reward. Father, I pray that Your Holy Spirit would help us to keep Your word and obtain that great reward.
Lord, I pray for any who have never placed their faith and trust in Jesus as thie Lord and Savior. I pray that this would be the day in which Your Spirit moves them to call upon the name of Christ and be saved.
In Jesus’ name. Amen.
