1 John

Epistle Introduction

When?

Written by the Apostle John, most scholars have this epistle placed around 90 AD, while some have it dated earlier. Date is not entirely relevant, except to show the false teachings that he was encountering, which was an early form of spirituality that attached itself to Christ. These people would claim to be followers of Christ, but as it says in Matthew 15:8 “This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me;”

Who?

John writes this letter to a church (or group of churches) that he was close to. We can see this as John clearly states in it at times that there are certain things that he knows they know, and the overall tone is that he wants to assure them of their salvation.

It is generally accepted that those who John was writing to was in Ephesus, before his exile into Patmos.

Why?

The Apostle John is battling false teachers. It is a new (for this time) spirituality movement through the church (other than the Judaizers Paul faced, the battle of gnosticism and spirituality was one of the first battles of false teachings the Church Body faced) essentially that had completely spiritualized Christianity. This was a result of the Greek and Roman cultural influences on them.

We can see this was spreading to those in Ephesus as John vehemently defended the human nature of Jesus. He was not just a Spiritual body that was an illusion, but was God manifested to us in the flesh.

John tells us in 1 John 5:13 “These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.”

He writes this so that we may know of our assurance. This assurance comes from the promise of God in the Scriptures 1 John 2:25 “And this is the promise that he hath promised us, even eternal life.”

And we also assure ourselves by walking in obedience to the Lord.

Obedience

John will talk a lot of obedience. Throughout the Epistle, He sums up Obedience as believing in Jesus the Son of God, and walking in the Light of Jesus, and living out the love of God.

Obedience and Salvation

Obedience does not mean earning our salvation nor keeping it, but it is the result of salvation.

We are saved by the work of God. By believing in Jesus who paid the punishment for our sins and the Holy Spirit dwelling in us.

Salvation is not the endpoint of the Bible, it is a crossing over from death to life.

God saves us so that He can perform His work in us.

Just as in Genesis 1:26 “And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.” and Genesis 1:28 “And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.”

God had a specific work in mind for Adam and Eve, He has the same thing in mind for the Church today, which is Matthew 28:19 “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:”

John 14:12 “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.” Jesus intended for us to do good works.

This is also what Paul says in Ephesians 2:8–10 “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” We are not saved by works but for His works.

As John talks of Obedience throughout this epistle, remember, this is the result of being born again, and made a new creation with a new desire to serve God, which is made possible to us by the teaching and empowerment of the Holy Spirit.

When we see creation stray from what it was originally intended for, we see issues arise. This is what we see today with society that as it strays further from its Creator, it has more issues.

When a born-again Christian does not do what he or she was created for, we see issues again. T

Theme

This is a book that is heavy on Christological doctrine, defining Him as the Son of God and the substitution for our sins, and also on obedience towards Him.

Human Nature Of Jesus

At the root of Christian life is the fact that Jesus Christ the Messiah has come, and is God in the flesh. This is the substance and the root of our eternal life promised to Israel in the Old Testament, and revealed to the Gentiles in the New Testament.

John unites the themes of Christology and community as he exhorts the church that a right understand of Jesus should inform how we live together.

How does a proper understanding of Christ effect how the Church lives together?

Because it unites us in the 1 consistent truth, that we are all people with a testimony, sinners who have a past, and come together to glorify the Father and exalt the name of Jesus.

Jesus’s incarnation is the central doctrine of Christian faith. Embracing this historical Jesus and continuing to bear witness to Him (seeing/touching/hearing) should be at the center of our lives together. Jesus Christ as God-in-flesh cannot be marginalized.

Why is the incarnation of Christ as God in the flesh so important for us to understand?

The Hypostatic Union of Christ is one of the key doctrines that the Church is anchored in, and it is the most attacked part of the Church since her beginning at Pentecost. God come in the flesh is what separates us from the world.

This means it must be at the center of our new life. Though He be a scandal to the world, it’s in the fact that Jesus was 100% human and 100% God, God manifest in the flesh, that we have fellowship with God.

Mark 6:3 “Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James, and Joses, and of Juda, and Simon? and are not his sisters here with us? And they were offended at him.”

As Christ preached, it says that His own family members were offended. Ther word for offended comes from the word skandalon, which is where we get the word scandal from. This is how the world sees Jesus, as a scandal.

That is why we are called to be unashamed in Christ.

If Christ is going to be offensive do we continue in ministry and deny the central event in our faith? Or do we hold fast to the scandal of Jesus in which we affirm?

John would quickly say that there is no Christianity if Jesus Christ is not at the center. He makes things black and white, light and darkness, truth or lies, love or hate.

John obviously had a personal relationship with Christ, in which he experienced Him. What does it mean to see/touch/hear Jesus today?

I can not deny that people have experiences with Jesus today. In John 14:18 “I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.” and John 14:23 “Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.”

He made it quite clear that He will not leave us.

Often times today, we will see Him move through His people.

BUT, we also must weigh everything with the Word. The Word will always be our litmus test. Remember God can not and will not lie, and His Word is His full heart exposed to us, so He won’t contradict Himself with His Word.

How does knowing Jesus lived a life as fully human help our trust in Him as Savior?

Hebrews 4:14–16 “Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.”

Personal Fellowship with Jesus

Note the personal fellowship that John speaks about. “That which we have heard” “which we have seen” in 1 John 1:3 “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.”

“that which we have seen and we have heard declare we unto you”

The life and ministry of Jesus that John declared to have witnessed in verse 1, John is now saying he is going to declare it to us.

Meaning of Fellowship

The word fellowship which is koinōnia means partnership, or can be further broken down into something in common with.

Fellowship is used twice in verse 3, both times as a noun.

“may have fellowship”

echēte koinōnian

to obtain or lay hold of a partnership.

Present Active Subjunctive

This means that there is a condition that needs to be met in order to obtain that fellowship. In the sense of what John is saying is that we must take heed to the things that he is declaring about Jesus for us to be able to have that fellow ship

How to get the fellowship

John is witnessing because he wants the church and us to obtain the same fellowship that John has, and the same life change.

He expected the church to do this by listening to the things that he was declare to them in this.

Laying hold of fellowship does not mean that it is something we acquire, but it points to the fact that we must be willing to accept it. Fellowship with God is not something that we float into, but living a life devoted to following Him and His Word and walking in the Spirit is something that we seek.

John is says that what he declares is what he first heard and saw. How does this shape our understanding of Scripture as a means of fellowship with God?

By reading the Word of God, which is Himself being revealed to us, we learn of His wisdom and His promises made to us.

How can we move our fellowship with God through the Bible from just information, to participation.

By not just reading it, but seeking it. Desiring Him. Hebrews 4:12 “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”

The Word of God is not just words but it is a living Word that pierces straight to dividing point of soul and spirit. It is meant to bring us life change and to feed us spiritually.

1 Samuel 3:10 “And the Lord came, and stood, and called as at other times, Samuel, Samuel. Then Samuel answered, Speak; for thy servant heareth.”

Every time we read the Bible, whether it be 1 verse or 1 chapter, we should be in expectation to hear from God.

Can someone claim deep fellowship with God while remaining indifferent to God’s Word?

This study tracked 100,000+ participants of various ages and backgrounds over several years and analyzed the relationship between how often people engaged with Scripture (via reading, listening, reflecting, etc.) and different life factors. 

Researchers found that engaging with the Bible four or more times per week was a “tipping point” where many measures of spiritual growth, emotional well-being, and moral/behavioral outcomes shifted noticeably compared to those who engaged less frequently.

The Stats:

In regards to facing temptations

Drinking to excess: –62%

Viewing pornography: –59%

Having sex outside marriage: –59%

Gambling: –45%

Anger outbursts: –31%

Various emotional struggles (bitterness, discouragement, loneliness): generally reduced by ~30–40% 

More proactive with Spiritual Behaviors:

Giving financially to the church: +416%

Memorizing Scripture: +407%

Discipling others: +231%

Sharing faith with others: +228%

Giving to other causes: +218% 

This was from Engaging with scripture at least 4x/week.

What is the difference between engaging with scripture and just simply reading it?

Colossians 3:16 “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.”

To not just read but to meditate on it, to chew it.

To be actively reading, listening to, reflecting on, and responding to.

Should reading Scripture lead to fullness of joy, or a burden?

“our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.”

As we just read that fellowship was being described as something being obtained by taking heed to what the Bible declares, fellowship is used in a different sense.

Instead of fellowship being something we do, it moves into something that we share together.

What the fellowship is: it is a shared union with the Father and the Son first, and also with believers.

2 Peter 1:4 “Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.”

We moved from death to life, being rooted in Christ. Our fellowship is now with God, and no longer with the world.

What is the difference between fellowship with the world and with God?

Life and death; living a life in the light with God, or in darkness with the world.

What might this look like?

Walking in the light of God since He is described as light (1 John 1:5), and also showing the love of God since He is described as love (1 John 4:8) We become an extension of these things.

To walk in the light is to walk in the Spirit as Paul says, and to be actively bearing the fruit of the Holy Spirit by His work inside of you.

How can this fellowship with God lead to unity with other believers?

Because we have a shared life, being saved by Jesus, together. This makes us all pilgrims following on the same journey together, with the same mission which is to glorify the Father and exalt the name Jesus.

This cultivates a deep connection with each other, one that we don’t share with those in the world.

One result of being born-again is enjoying a fellowship with the believers. Church isn’t meant to be a hangout comparing ourselves to each other and social status, but that is what it turns into when the church leaves Christ.

It is living and experiencing the Father and the Son together as believers.

There is a distinguishable difference between a church body being rooted in Christ, and being rooted in the world.

Fellowship and Life Change

What was the nickname that was given to John and his brother?

sons of Thunder

What was this in reference to?

a reactionary temper

We see someone go from being known for having a hot temper, to a man writing about the love of God.

How can this happen?

In the same way we are continuously sanctified by the presence of Christ in us, molding and chiseling us.

How is fellowship different from just knowing the Father and the Son?

Fellowship describes a walking in union and obedience, a participation with.

If fellowship means participation, what exactly are we participating in?

We become an extension of His holy nature.

1 Peter 1:15–16 “But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.”

How does sharing in God’s holiness affect how we view sin?

The closer we came to God, the more repulsive sin and living for the world becomes to us. A love for the world got turned into abhorring it because by getting closer to God, we become more like Him.

Is transformation optional or inevitable if we share in his divine life? Why?

By participating in the holy nature of God, our fleshly nature becomes smaller and smaller and further away.

How does fellowship with each other help us grow in fellowship with the Father and the Son?

Proverbs 27:17 “Iron sharpeneth iron; So a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.”

We share the participation of working for God and glorifying Him together. We are on the same mission to build the Kingdom of Christ.

This leads to a sharpening of each other. Exhorting and teaching one another, building each other up at the lows and rejoicing with one another at the highs.

Acts 2:42–47 “And they continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers. And fear came upon every soul: and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles. And all that believed were together, and had all things common; And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need. And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart, Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.”

How does fellowship lead to “fullness of Joy” as we see in verse 4?