1John Introduction So Great a Salvation
Introduction
1 John
Essence of the Book in a Sentence: John wrote to clarify salvation, assurance of it and Christian living.
Essence of the Series in a Sentence: We can be sure of our salvation and know how we are to live it.
Author:
Who, then, was the author of these letters? Since they are anonymous, there is no a priori need to ascribe them to the apostle John or to any other John. Nevertheless, the external evidence is strongly in favor of this ascription, particularly in the case of the first letter.
– Stott, IVP, p17.
“From these citations it is clear that the tradition of the second century church fathers is that the apostle John was the author of 1John and the Gospel of John, and that he was a resident of Ephesus in his latter years.”
-- Broadman, p190
The clearest and most definite claim of the author of the first letter to be an eye witness is found in its opening words (1:1,3). He is announcing his particular emphasis. It consists not of ‘cleverly invented stories’ (2Peter 1:16), but of a historical revelation verified by the three highest of human senses: hearing, sight and touch.
– Stott, IVP, p30.
It is not until we reach Irenaeus of Lyons (130-200) that at least the first and second letters are clearly attributed to the John who was both the ‘disciple of the Lord’ and the author of the Fourth Gospel. In his Adversus Haereses (3. 16. 18) he quotes fully from 1John 2:18 – 22; 4:1– 3; 5:1 and 2John 7,8.
– Stott, IVP, p18.
Early Christian writers including Irenaeus, Clement of Alexandria, and Tertullian cited the epistle as John’s
– The Bible Knowledge Commentary, Libronix.
Anchor Bible Dictionary
...the son of Zebedee and the brother of James...
...a woman named Salome was a bystander at the crucifixion of Jesus (Mark 15:40)...the mother of the sons of Zebedee was one of the onlookers (Matt 27:56), leading to the plausible suggestion that Salome was the name of John’s mother.
....John was a fisherman (Matt 4:21; John 21:3), the trade of his father. The family business was moderately sucessful...because they had hired servants (Mark 1:20).
Probably lived in Capernaum (Mark 1:21)
His status within the disciples was immediately following Peter (Mark 3:16). This means he and his brother James were called early and were important because of it.
He and his brother were called boanerges, which means The Sons of Thunder (Mark 3:17).
– Matt. 20:20-28 & Mark 9:38-41: Go to Jesus and ask that He put them on his right and left hand (Matthew lets us know that their mother actually does this.)
– Luke 9:49-50: Right after Jesus talked of being humble and receiving Him in humility, John says he stopped someone else for casting out demons in the name of Jesus. John did this because the person did not run with the twelve.
– Luke 9:51-56: Jesus is heading to Jerusalem to be crucified. On the way he sends some disciples ahead to make arrangements for staying overnight in Samaria. The Samaritans rejected them, because Jews and Samaritans hated one another at that time. John comes back and says, “Should I call down fire from heaven to consume them?”
John’s extreme behavior was also shown in his extreme response to the call of Christ. In Matt. 4:18-22 John and James left their jobs to follow Christ immediately.
Peter, James and John were very special in the ministry of
Christ.
– Luke 5:1-11: Miraculous catch of fish.
– Mark 1:29: Healing of Peter’s mother in law.
– Mark 5:37: Saw Jairus’ daughter healed.
– Matt. 17:2-3: Transfiguration.
– Mark 13:5-37 Jesus’ answered ques. on end times.
– Matt. 26:37 With Jesus in inner area of Garden of Gethsemane.
Date of Writing:
“Evidence from the church fathers discussed above, combined with the similarities in language and style which tend to link the writings in a common authorship, indicate that the epistles of John, as well as the Gospel, were written in the last quarter of the first century.”
-- Broadman, p191
Purpose:
1. “John wrote to warn against false teachers whose twisted ideas concerning Jesus the Christ threatened to disrupt the koinonia, the fellowship.”
“The Gnostics taught that salvation was
achieved through gnosis, knowledge. Initiation into the higher realm of divine knowledge, they believed, won for them a place among the spiritually elite.”
-- Broadman, p191
2. Plummer sums up its (Gnosticism) two main principles as ‘the impurity of matter’ and ‘the supremacy of knowledge.’
As for the Christian’s body, it was fundamental to
their thought that the body was a base prison in which the rational or spiritual part of human beings was incarcerated, and from which it needed to be released by gnosis, knowledge. The better Gnostic systems of the second century combined these views of spiritual enlightenment and release with a strict asceticism; the worst systems asserted that evil could not harm the enlightened spirit, that morality was therefore a matter of indifference, and that the grossest forms of license were quite permissable.
– Stott, IVP, p49.
3. “John wrote for the sheer joy of sharing the marvelous experience he had known of personal association with Jesus. He was now an old man, but time has accentuated the memories of the wonderful days in Galilee and Judea with the Master.”
– Broadman, p193
4. A number of authors have argued that the letters of John are to be regarded rather as pastoral than as polemical writings. There is some truth in this assertion. For John certainly exhibits a tender, pastoral care for his readers. His first concern is not to confound the false teachers, whose activities form the background of the letters, but to protect his readers, his beloved ‘children’, and to establish them in their Christian faith and life.
– Stott, IVP, p44.
5. “John’s purpose in writing his first epistle was also to set forth some important tests of discipleship and thereby provide criteria upon which his readers might base assurance of their salvation and possession of eternal life. The tests are these:
a. walking in the light (1:7, 2:3-6)
b. keeping the all-important commandment to love the brethren (2:9-11, 3:10)
c. having faith in Jesus Christ as the Son of God (2:23; 4:15; 5:1,5)
d. living a life of victory over sin (3:4-10; 5:18)
e. recognizing the presence of God’s Spirit in the life (3:24; 4:13)
6. “In the light of the tremendous emphasis in 1John upon love (agape’) and the uniqueness of the statement “God is love”, it must have been within the scope of John’s purpose to leave as a legacy to posterity his interpretation of the love he had experienced in the life and teaching of Jesus.”
7. He (John) wrote the Gospel for unbelievers in order to arouse their faith (20:30-31), and the letter for believers in order to deepen their assurance (5:13). His desire for the readers of the Gospel was that through faith they might receive life; for the readers of the letter that they might know they already had it.
– Stott, IVP, p26.
8. The NEB rightly entitles the letter a ‘Recall to Fundamentals.’ John is not teaching new truths or issuing new commands; it is the heretics who are the innovators. John’s task is to recall them to what they already know and have. All this seems to presuppose on the part of the readers a knowledge of the Gospel, or at the very least of the body of doctrine contained in the Gospel. We may then agree that the letter is ‘a comment on the Gospel,’ “a sermon with the Gospel for its text.”
– Stott, IVP, p27
9. ...the context of his double mention of deceivers shows that their error was both theological (2:26) and ethical (3:7).
THEOLOGICAL: They denied that Jesus was
the Christ (2:22). What John’s opponents denied was
not the Messiahship, but the incarnation of Jesus.
ETHICAL: The three “if we claim” sentences of
1:6-10 are a denial either that sin exists in our nature, or that it has erupted in our behaviour, or that it interferes with our fellowship with God.
– Stott, IVP, p47.
Destination:
“It is not known to what church or churches 1John was directed. The author must have been on fairly intimate terms with the recipients because he addressed them as ‘My little children’ (2:1), ‘Beloved’ (2:7, 4:1,7,11), ‘little children’ (2:12,28), ‘children’ (2:18)
So Great a Salvation: Introducing 1John
INTRODUCTION:
In 1929 Alexander Flemin discovered penicilin. One medical
education web site, in discussing medical history, says, “The discovery, development and subsequent use of penicillin can be considered to be one of the most important breakthroughs in medical history.” People saw this as a permanent answer for many diseases and bacteria. Yet, by the 1990s a penicillin resistant strain of bacteria had grown, and scientists had to begin to develop new medicine.
This was just one historical event, among many, that claimed permanence, yet were really only temporal. How about the Roman Empire at the height of its power? It covered most of the known world, and people probably figured that the empire would be around forever. Yet...today, Rome still exists, but the empire is no more.
How many products claim permanence in advertising, but really only last a few years at best?
People desperately want things we can depend on. We want products, relationships, institutions, and philosophies we can count on. Yet, very few things allow us to have that kind of confidence. I can count on one hand the number of things I can bank my life on being permanent and trustworthy. One of those things is my salvation and eternal life. We can be sure of our salvation and how we are to live it.
I. Author
A. Written by John the disciple and apostle
B. About John
...the son of Zebedee and the brother of James...
...a woman named Salome was a bystander at the crucifixion of Jesus (Mark 15:40)...the mother of the sons of Zebedee was one of the onlookers (Matt 27:56), leading to the plausible suggestion that Salome was the name of John’s mother.
....John was a fisherman (Matt 4:21; John 21:3), the trade of his father. The family business was moderately sucessful...because they had hired servants (Mark 1:20).
Probably lived in Capernaum (Mark 1:21)
His status within the disciples was immediately following Peter (Mark 3:16). This means he and his brother James were called early and were important because of it.
He and his brother were called boanerges, which means The Sons of Thunder (Mark 3:17).
– Matt. 20:20-28 & Mark 9:38-41: Go to Jesus and ask that He put them on his right and left hand (Matthew lets us know that their mother actually does this.)
– Luke 9:49-50: Right after Jesus talked of being humble and receiving Him in humility, John says he stopped someone else for casting out demons in the name of Jesus. John did this because the person did not run with the twelve.
– Luke 9:51-56: Jesus is heading to Jerusalem to be crucified. On the way he sends some disciples ahead to make arrangements for staying overnight in Samaria. The Samaritans rejected them, because Jews and Samaritans hated one another at that time. John comes back and says, “Should I call down fire from heaven to consume them?”
John’s extreme behavior was also shown in his extreme response to the call of Christ. In Matt. 4:18-22 John and James left their jobs to follow Christ immediately.
Peter, James and John were very special in the ministry of
Christ.
– Luke 5:1-11: Miraculous catch of fish.rs
– Mark 1:29: Healing of Peter’s mother in law.
– Mark 5:37: Saw Jairus’ daughter healed.
– Matt. 17:2-3: Transfiguration.
– Mark 13:5-37 Jesus’ answered ques. on end times.
– Matt. 26:37 With Jesus in inner area of Garden of Gethsemane.
II. Date:
A. 70-75 A.D.
III. Setting: During reign of Nero when persecution was beginning.
IV. Purpose
A. Apostle’s Love for His People
The pastor of a local church is the undershepherd of the local body of Christ. In the N.T. the word shepherd is poimenos. A shepherd’s job is two-fold:
One, to love and care for his sheep.
Two, to fearlessly protect his sheep against enemies.
John does both of these things in his letter.
He shows his love by...
1. Preaching Assurance of Salvation:
1JN 5:13 – These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, in order that you may know that you have eternal life.
The culture generally sees the Christian claim of Christ as The Way as being offensive. The culture, and many Christian churches, are now insisting that there are many ways to God.
ILL: Two weeks ago Dr. Al Moehler, the president of
Southern Bapt. Seminary was on Donahue. I saw a quote from Donahue that said, “For Christians to say that there is only one way to God is arrogant and narrow minded.”
The fact that we see Christ as the only way to God or
heaven is not arrogant, because it is the only thing the Bible allows. Christ being the only way is not arrogant, but it is truth. We recognize diversity on a lot of areas, but not on how to get to God and to heaven. Christ being the only way is not dogmatism, but it is Truth.
ILL: In October I flew from Memphis to Atlantat. I was at
a preaching workshop w/ Dr. Stephen Olford. When I got on that Northwest Airlines plane, I wanted a pilot who was dogmatic about how to fly the plane. I don’t want to hear, “Well maybe we could fly it this way, or maybe we could fly this thing another way. I am not sure.” I want a dogmatic pilot who says, “We will fly the plane this way, because this is the best way to arrive safely in Atlanta.”
When dealing with matters of life and death, I want dogmatism. How much more do we want dogmatism when we are dealing with matters of eternity?
Here is a dogmatic statement. You can quote me and call me a dogmatist about it. JESUS CHRIST IS THE ONLY WAY TO GOD, TO HEAVEN, TO FORGIVENESS OF SINS AND TO ETERNAL LIFE.
In addition, because God is the most powerful being in the universe, when He saves us, no one can change that. JESUS IS THE ONLY WAY TO GOD. AND, ONCE HE HAS SAVED YOU, THERE IS NO POWER OR PRINCIPALITY GREAT ENOUGH TO CHANGE THAT.
2. Teaching Marks of Discipleship:
a. walking in the light (1:7)
b. love the believers (2:9-1)
c. have faith in Jesus Christ as the Son of God (4:15)
d. live a life of victory over sin (5:18)
We have come to a place in the church where we are concerned or timid about holding anyone accountable for anything. For instance...
– when is the last time you asked a good friend in this body, “How have you been doing on your quiet times
lately?”
– when is the last time you talked to someone lovingly
about open sin in their lives.
ILL: I have a friend of mine who saw some very disturbing patterns in the life of another friend. He went to the brother one on one, lovingly and with a spirit wanting to see the guy walk with Christ.
The guy he approached is now mad at my friend. His parents are mad at my friend. His sister is mad at my friend.
WHY? We are so unfamiliar in the church with holding anyone accountable to anything, when it does happen, we are disturbed. There are clear marks that reveal whether or not a person is walking with Christ.
B. Pastor’s Attack against Heresy:
1JN 2:26 – These things I have written to you concerning those who are trying to deceive you.
A good shepherd is not just one who
jovially dotes over his little sheep, but he is also a man who strikes out at any danger to the flock. The image of the pastor in the avg. Baptist church has increasingly been the picture of the good ole’ guy who preaches nice little messages and is everybody’s friend. But, I must say this, “If you try to come in and damage, divide or destroy this flock, then you are not my friend and I will not treat you like one.” The most loving thing a pastor can do sometimes is to strike out against false teaching, heresy and destructive behavior in the local church.
ILL: There have been plenty of times in
ministry where people have said things to or about that I have simply died to and went on. When I did this, it meant the things they said were a personal attack against me and had no damaging effect.
Yet, there was a time when I received a
phone call from a lady in our church who had not been saved a very long time. She was distraught. She said, “Pastor Johnny, I am really concerned. Someone called me and shared several things about you and the church that I cannot believe. But, if they are true, I cannot stay at this church.”
First of all I asked her who called. She
told me. Then I asked her what was said. She went down a list of four specific things that were said. Each of those things was really an attack at me. One of those things really got my attention, because it brought my integrity into serious question. It is one thing to come to me and make a snide remark or accusation. It is another thing entirely to get on the phone and begin causing division in the body of Christ.
At the time I was a co-pastor with
another guy, so I called him and told him we needed to meet that next day with the accuser. We met at my office, and I confronted him on every issue he had raised. He explained away everyone. Then, in my office and in love I rebuked him for potentially causing division and destruction in the Body of Christ. After that, I loved him, visited him and always spoke with him. He left the church about three months later.
APP: A pastor worth his salt as an
undershepherd will not tolerate false teaching, heresy and division in the body of Christ.
CONCLUSION
There are not very many things we can be sure about anymore.
-- Throughout the 90s the economy was growing incredibly, but now it is struggling.
– Increasingly, politicians have been exposed as liars, cheaters and adulterers.
– The sense that American soil had a protective hedge around it militarily was cracked on Sept. 11, 2001.
– Throughout the last 10-20 years many well-known religious leaders have been scandalized.
There are very few things we can really count on and be sure about anymore. Salvation is NOT one of those things. God has laid out his plan for salvation, and we can be sure of it.
So Great a Salvation: Introducing 1John
INTRODUCTION: In 1929 Alexander Flemin discovered penicilin. One medical education web site, in discussing medical history, says, “The discovery, development and subsequent use of penicillin can be considered to be one of the most important breakthroughs in medical history.” People saw this as a permanent answer....
This was just one historical event, among many, that claimed permanence, yet were really only temporal. How about the Roman Empire at the height of its power? It covered most of the... How many products claim permanence in advertising, but really only last a few years at best?
People desperately want things we can depend on. We want products, relationships, institutions, and philosophies we can count on. Yet, We can be sure of our salvation and how we are to live it.
I. Author
A. Written by John the disciple and apostle
** Probably lived in Capernaum (Mark 1:21)
** FATHER: ... Zebedee ...John was a fisherman (Matt 4:21; John 21:3), the trade of his father. Business was moderately sucessful...because they had hired servants (Mark 1:20).
** MOTHER: ...a woman named Salome was a bystander at crucifixion of Jesus (Mark 15:40)...the mother of the sons of Zebedee was one onlooker (Matt 27:56), was this Salome???
** BROTHER He and his brother were called boanerges, which means The Sons of Thunder (Mark 3:17).
– Matt. 20:20-28 & Mark 9:38-41: Go to Jesus and ask that He put them on his right and left hand (Matthew lets us know that their... – Luke 9:49-50: Right after Jesus talked of being humble ...John says he stopped someone else for casting out demons in the name of... – Luke 9:51-56: Jesus is heading to Jerusalem to be crucified. On the way he sends some disciples ahead to make arrangements...
** DISCIPLE: His status within the disciples was immediately following Peter (Mark 3:16)
Peter, James and John were very special in the ministry of
Christ.
– Luke 5:1-11: Miraculous catch of fish.rs
– Mark 1:29: Healing of Peter’s mother in law.
– Mark 5:37: Saw Jairus’ daughter healed.
– Matt. 17:2-3: Transfiguration.
– Mark 13:5-37 Jesus’ answered ques. on end times.
– Matt. 26:37 With Jesus in inner area of Garden of Gethsemane.
II. Date: 70-75 A.D.
III. Setting: During reign of Nero when persecution was.. beginning.
IV. Purpose
A. Apostle’s Love for His People
The pastor of a local church is the undershepherd of the local body of Christ. In the N.T. the word shepherd is poimenos. A shepherd’s job is two-fold:
One, to love and care for his sheep.
Two, to fearlessly protect his sheep against enemies.
John does both of these things in his letter.
He shows his love by...
1. Preaching Assurance of Salvation:
1JN 5:13 – These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, in order that you may know that you have eternal life.
The culture generally sees the Christian claim of Christ as The Way as being offensive. The culture, and many Christian churches, are now insisting that there are many ways to God.
ILL: Two weeks ago Dr. Al Moehler, the president of
Southern Bapt. Seminary was on Donahue. I saw a quote from Donahue that said, “For Christians to say that there is only one way to God is arrogant and narrow minded.”
The fact that we see Christ as the only way to God or
heaven is not arrogant, because it is the only thing the Bible allows. Christ being the only way is not arrogant, but it is truth. We recognize diversity on a lot of areas, but not on how to get to God and to heaven. Christ being the only way is not dogmatism, but it is Truth.
ILL: In October I flew from Memphis to Atlantat. I was at
a preaching workshop w/ Dr. Stephen Olford. When I got on that Northwest Airlines plane, I wanted a pilot who was dogmatic about how to fly the plane. I don’t want to hear, “Well maybe we could fly it this way, or maybe we could fly this thing another way. I am not sure.” I want a dogmatic pilot who says, “We will fly the plane this way, because this is the best way to arrive safely in Atlanta.”
When dealing with matters of life and death, I want dogmatism. How much more do we want dogmatism when we are dealing with matters of eternity?
Here is a dogmatic statement. You can quote me and call me a dogmatist about it. JESUS CHRIST IS THE ONLY WAY TO GOD, TO HEAVEN, TO FORGIVENESS OF SINS AND TO ETERNAL LIFE.
In addition, because God is the most powerful being in the universe, when He saves us, no one can change that. JESUS IS THE ONLY WAY TO GOD. AND, ONCE HE HAS SAVED YOU, THERE IS NO POWER OR PRINCIPALITY GREAT ENOUGH TO CHANGE THAT.
2. Teaching Marks of Discipleship:
a. walking in the light (1:7)
b. love the believers (2:9-1)
c. have faith in Jesus Christ as the Son of God (4:15)
d. live a life of victory over sin (5:18)
We have come to a place in the church where we are concerned or timid about holding anyone accountable for anything. For instance...
– when is the last time you asked a good friend in this body, “How have you been doing on your quiet times
lately?”
– when is the last time you talked to someone lovingly
about open sin in their lives.
ILL: I have a friend of mine who saw some very disturbing patterns in the life of another friend. He went to the brother one on one, lovingly and with a spirit wanting to see the guy walk with Christ.
The guy he approached is now mad at my friend. His parents are mad at my friend. His sister is mad at my friend.
WHY? We are so unfamiliar in the church with holding anyone accountable to anything, when it does happen, we are disturbed. There are clear marks that reveal whether or not a person is walking with Christ.
B. Pastor’s Attack against Heresy:
1JN 2:26 – These things I have written to you concerning those who are trying to deceive you.
A good shepherd is not just one who
jovially dotes over his little sheep, but he is also a man who strikes out at any danger to the flock. The image of the pastor in the avg. Baptist church has increasingly been the picture of the good ole’ guy who preaches nice little messages and is everybody’s friend. But, I must say this, “If you try to come in and damage, divide or destroy this flock, then you are not my friend and I will not treat you like one.” The most loving thing a pastor can do sometimes is to strike out against false teaching, heresy and destructive behavior in the local church.
ILL: There have been plenty of times in
ministry where people have said things to or about that I have simply died to and went on. When I did this, it meant the things they said were a personal attack against me and had no damaging effect.
Yet, there was a time when I received a
phone call from a lady in our church who had not been saved a very long time. She was distraught. She said, “Pastor Johnny, I am really concerned. Someone called me and shared several things about you and the church that I cannot believe. But, if they are true, I cannot stay at this church.”
First of all I asked her who called. She
told me. Then I asked her what was said. She went down a list of four specific things that were said. Each of those things was really an attack at me. One of those things really got my attention, because it brought my integrity into serious question. It is one thing to come to me and make a snide remark or accusation. It is another thing entirely to get on the phone and begin causing division in the body of Christ.
At the time I was a co-pastor with
another guy, so I called him and told him we needed to meet that next day with the accuser. We met at my office, and I confronted him on every issue he had raised. He explained away everyone. Then, in my office and in love I rebuked him for potentially causing division and destruction in the Body of Christ. After that, I loved him, visited him and always spoke with him. He left the church about three months later.
APP: A pastor worth his salt as an
undershepherd will not tolerate false teaching, heresy and division in the body of Christ.
CONCLUSION
There are not very many things we can be sure about anymore.
-- Throughout the 90s the economy was growing incredibly, but now it is struggling.
– Increasingly, politicians have been exposed as liars, cheaters and adulterers.
– The sense that American soil had a protective hedge around it militarily was cracked on Sept. 11, 2001.
– Throughout the last 10-20 years many well-known religious leaders have been scandalized.
There are very few things we can really count on and be sure about anymore. Salvation is NOT one of those things. God has laid out his plan for salvation, and we can be sure of it.