It's Biblical: 1 John 5

John McMann

It's Biblical • Sermon • Submitted 5 years ago

1 John 5:13–21

The Bible

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Scripture

1 John 5:13

1 John 5:13–21 NIV

I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life. This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him. If you see any brother or sister commit a sin that does not lead to death, you should pray and God will give them life. I refer to those whose sin does not lead to death. There is a sin that leads to death. I am not saying that you should pray about that. All wrongdoing is sin, and there is sin that does not lead to death. We know that anyone born of God does not continue to sin; the One who was born of God keeps them safe, and the evil one cannot harm them. We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one. We know also that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true. And we are in him who is true by being in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life. Dear children, keep yourselves from idols.

Background of Letter:

General Materials for the Epistle 1 John:

The content is Ideological in nature. This can be seen by the content and emphasis of teaching, affirming, correcting, and encouraging. The author appeals to the incarnation of Christ and focuses heavily on how the incarnation of Jesus in the world should instill “light” into the hearts of those that love Him and walk by the truth. There is little to no historical content found in this book as it is not geared towards historical reporting. Likewise, there is not any substantial focus on a person to deem this biographical in nature. While there is, of course, discussion of Christ and the impact He brings, this is not enough to deem the whole book as focusing on anything but ideological teaching. In fact, this book can be seen as a teaching letter that aims to correct some false ideas in a specific community.

Author, Intent and Date: John the Apostle?

The authorial intent can be found my paying attention to some of the specific themes the author chooses to address. One in particular seems to be a community that has experienced false teaching (4:1-6), and apostates walking away from the faith (chapter 2). The Epistle does not read like a letter but the fact that it does address some specific issues leads me to believe it was written like a letter (2 and 3 John). However, if the author wanted to communicate the ideological teaching he may have left the address broad so that it could be used in other churches through circulation. The date is speculated and too much for a discussion here. The debate on date of writing is centered around who the possible author is. If, in fact, the author is John the Apostle then this letter could be written around the end of the first century. Eusebius and other ancient historians have confirmed the apostle John’s existence in this time and his presence in the Asian churches. As a matter of fact Eusebius has mentioned Irenaeus and Clement who comment on John’s presence and the presence of heresy in Ephesus and Smyrna (Yarbrough, 17). This could also continue the argument onto potential authorship of Revelation.

Literary Structure and Relationships

3 Main structures in the book

A. Preparation/Realization

B. Reccurence

C. Comparison and Contrast: Truth/life/light vs. Darkness/Death

A. Preparation/ Realization

The Prologue (1:1-4) provides an introduction of sorts for what is to come in the rest of the Epistle. The introduction alludes to the incarnation (1:1), the validity of the eyewitness testimony (1:1-3), what the incarnation manifests (1:1-2), the truth and import of the incarnation (1:1-3), and the goal of the proclamation (1:3). This introduction provides the foundation and first taste for what is to come, rather than a framework or quick summary of the larger text…as many prologues might provide.

Much of this opening statement can be seen to parallels the opening of John’s gospel (1:1-18). Particularly the close of the first verse of the epistle that describes the “Word of Life,” seems to refer back to the opening of the gospel. More discussion on authorship later, but for now, it seems that the author of the epistle is at least referring back to the gospel and could be the same author. The “Word of Life” will be what drives this text, and this could be the gospel message (which the Greek does not infer in my opinion), of the “Word of Life” could point specifically to Jesus. Again, in parallel with John’s gospel, this interpretation makes more sense.

Why does the author choose to open the letter in this manner? What is the theological significance of this opening? Why does the author seem to write a letter but not address it as other authors in the NT?

B. Recurrence

There are many recurrences found in this Epistle, some may not be important to the overall communication, however repetition warrants close attention. For example the recurrence of the author in calling the audience of the Epistle “children” and “beloved” must be considered.

Calls his recipients Children: (2:1,28; 3:7,18; 4:4; 5:21)

Calls his recipients Beloved: (2:7; 3:2, 21; 4:1,7,11)

The following are possible points of emphasis made by the author unique to the division laid out in the chart.

First part (1:5-3:10):

· Fellowship - 1:3,7,9

· Joy - 1:4

· Light - 1:5,7; 2:8-10

Second Part (3:11-5:12):

· Spirit - 3:24; 4:2,6; 5:6, 8

What is the purpose of these recurrences? Why does the author choose to highlight some issues in the first part and focus on others in the second? What is the theological significance of children and beloved?

C. Comparison of Truth and Life, and Contrast of Truth/Life vs. Darkness/death

While this comparison takes place primarily in the opening of the Epistle (1:5-2:11), I would argue that the author is operating out of this tension for the bulk of the Epistle. There is an arugment in the opening chapters that presses the reader to develop and understanding of the relationship of “truth” and walking in the “light.” Furthermore these terms are held in contrast to walking in darkness and not being in the truth. The contrast continues as the author discusses the apostates and those that walk away from the faith. It is difficult to not approach interpretation at this time, but for now these relationships are at least noticeable to the reader.

What is the theological point that the author is trying to make? Why does the author spend time developing this relationship? Is there a disparity with the audience about who is in light and not in light? Walking in truth and not walking in truth?

Other Major Impressions

This epistle uses some of the most basic Greek in comparison to other writings in the NT. While the language is basic the letter is not so basic to the English reader. There are not the normal literary structures used by Paul (and John in other places, if he is the author of this Epistle). Now, with that said there may be some structure to the letter that the original audience would have picked up on. I tend to agree with Raymond Brown and his interpretation that this Epistle strongly parallels John’s gospel. We have already mentioned how the prologues are similar, and Brown argues that the major division of the gospel applies to the major division found in 3:10-11. focus on Jesus ministry to the whole world and in this section Jesus faces confrontation with the dissenters, there is a similar theme in 1:5-3:10 of the Epistle. In the gospel the confrontation is with the Jews, and in the Epistle it is with the apostates. The gospel’s second section, chapters 13-20 focus on the loving relationship and devotion of Jesus to the disciples and the second half of the Epistle carries a similar theme as well. Finally, as with the prologue, most scholars agree on a parallel in the closing of the Epistle (5:13-21) to the closing of John’s gospel in chapter 21 (namely, 21:24 in the gospel compared to 5:13).

With that being said this structure should not be binding as it may have been a literary framework but not necessarily a communicative one. There are other approaches laid out by scholars such as this thematic one from Robert Law:

• Prologue (1:1–4)

• First Cycle (1:5–2:28)—Walking in the light tested by righteousness, love, and belief

• Second Cycle (2:29–4:6)—Divine Sonship tested by righteousness, love, and belief

• Third Cycle (4:7–5:21)—Interrelations of love, belief, and righteousness

In my opinion, the letter does not give itself to neat categories. The author moves back and forth between teaching and exhortation.

What did you find?

1. Look for themes

2. Can you break it apart into thematic sections?

3. Repetition, comparison, other literary devices?

4. What questions do you have about the passage?

5. Journal a couple of paragraphs....anyone want to share?

Critical Statements:

Prayer:

Verse 14

5:14

1 John 5:14 NIV

This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.

1 John

The argument continues by expounding on the confidence that we can have for those that believe in the name of Jesus. This continuation is that anything we ask in alignment with his divine will, he will hear our prayers. The structure here, again, is important. The confidence we have is qualified as before him or toward him, then the sub clause; is anything we ask he hears us. Again, the sub clause is qualified by stating that anything we might ask need be according to his will. This differentiates from asking just anything and indicates the believer shall also be in fellowship with Christ in order to know his will. “According to his will” might be better understood by Jesus’ prayer model to pray “thy kingdom come, thy will be done, etc, see .[1]

Another important contingent in this verse is the presence of the conditional statement. “If we ask…” implies the necessity of supplication. Thus, apart from the supplication of the believer then it is impossible for Jesus to hear the prayer. Finally, the presence of “anything” denotes unequivocal possibilities for the prayers, while remaining in the will of the Father.

[1] Robert W. Yarbrough. 1-3 John (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2008), 299.

5:15

1 John 5:15 NIV

And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.

This verse provides a continuation of the previous assurance offered; that he will hear us. It is important to discuss the subject of the hearing of prayers; are the prayers directed towards Jesus or to God the Father? The subject is not made explicit but if we know that “no one comes to the father except through” () and the belief is explicitly in Jesus Christ (v. 13), then the differentiation is probably not necessary. The argument here in this verse is that if we know that he hears us then we know we have requests, which is interesting because it does not seem to guarantee the request is granted, see , think Yarbrough is correct with another possible interpretation: “John may understand prayer not primarily as communicating in order to acquire petitions or to somehow force God’s hand but as communing with God.”[1]

[1] Yarbrough, 1-3 John, 302.

No More Sin?

5:16-17

1 John 5:16–17 NIV

If you see any brother or sister commit a sin that does not lead to death, you should pray and God will give them life. I refer to those whose sin does not lead to death. There is a sin that leads to death. I am not saying that you should pray about that. All wrongdoing is sin, and there is sin that does not lead to death.

The structure of these verses are fairly straightforward and clear that there is a differentiation of the sin that can leads to life and the sin that leads to death. The former denotes a sin that is forgivable and is contingent here on the “brother” petitioning God on the sinner’s behalf. Interestingly, the primary player in this verse is not, in my opinion, the sinner but rather the believer witnessing the sin. So the force of the verse is to encourage the family of believers to watch for those brothers and sisters that stumble, or to testify of the potential of grace with those dead in sin. It also encourages the person to ask God for their forgiveness in order that they may have life. If this differentiation is true then the difference in the sin seems to be sin against an individual compared to, perhaps, God himself. For the forgivable sin there is hope found in repentance and this is made even more possible in a community that brings forth prayers for one another.

So what is the unforgiveable sin and why does the author state that we should not pray for them? Is it possible that the author is speaking of a sinner that is doomed to death no matter the intercession? One scholar declares the author’s intention is not to argue for a particular sin that leads to death: “While John acknowledges that there is this exception, a category of sin that leads to eternal death, he does not wish to focus on it because his purpose is to call believers to intercessory prayer.” This author uses the immediate context of intercessory prayer to spin this verse in a light that cannot be determined by even the ancient audience and posits unceasing intercessory prayer for the family of God.[1] However, I think he makes the mistake of not seeing these verses in the larger context of the book. seems to return to topics covered previously by the author. In my opinion, the sin that leads to death is the blatant and unrepentant denial of the person and deity of Jesus Christ. The secessionists addressed in the rest of the text have failed to understand Jesus properly, and do so even though they seemed to have witnessed the power of Jesus. comes to mind when Jesus differentiates between forgivable sin and the unforgivable sin against the Holy Spirit. The context of this passage is that Jesus has healed a blind, demon possessed man and the hard-hearted Pharisees still refuse to acknowledge the power of Jesus, see . This is similar to the “antichrists” in this letter and the “deceivers” addressed in 2 John, where the author is clear that believers are not to even keep company with them. While, these words are harsh, they are congruent with the context of 1 John and of the greater works of 1-3 John (if you hold these texts to be of the same author).

Finally, the author acknowledges that all sin is wrong and brokenness but it is not all doom. This concluding line ties together the previous statements by clarifying that no matter the sin, we are actively falling short of God and, again, there is hope because not all sin has to lead to death.

[1] Randall K J. Tan. “Should we pray for straying brethren?: John’s confidence in .” Journal of The Evangelical Theological Society 45, no. 4 (2002): 608. http://ezproxy.asburyseminary.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=rfh&AN=ATLA0001344569&site=eds-live.

Assurance

Assurance of hearing prayer but also assurance of faith, assurance of knowing Christ and eternal life. Verse 13 begins with....

1 John 5:13 NIV

I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.

and the word know is repeated 7 more times here. Assurance of faith is critical to Wesleyan Theology and this is a prominent text of that assurance. To have the testimony of the Spirit that you are a child of God...

Wesley Aldersgate:

He writes about that very personal Aldersgate experience: “I felt my heart strangely warmed. I felt I did trust in Christ, Christ alone for salvation, and an assurance was given me that he had taken away my sins, even mine, and saved me from the law of sin and death.”

Assurance serves as a foundation from which to further consecrate our lives to God.

Assurance provides a boldness from which to live the Christian life.

Assurance offers hope and peace that challenges the despair which marks our world.

Interpretation

Benjamin Merkle speaks to the purpose of 1 John when he says that “John’s purpose was both pastoral and polemical. He was writing to encourage believers and to warn them about the dangers of following the teachings of those who have left their community.”[1] As convoluted and circular as is much of the book, these closing verses continue a similar fleeting structure that makes it difficult for the interpreter to break apart distinct segments. The author here continues blending doctrinal exhortation with pastoral counseling in fluid fashion. While tracking arguments from beginning to end is challenging, the author speaks with passion and clarity on the assurance available to his audience found in Jesus Christ. is not a climactic statement in the truest sense, but it is a finale presenting tangible conclusions for the audience. In the subsequent section to the finale there are summative themes of assurance for a community facing doubts, familial guidance for the Community of believers, a refresher on the power of Christ over sin, and a final differentiation of those in God versus in the world. The crux of the author’s statements and greater presentation is that those that believe in the incarnation, the Son of the living God will have eternal life (5:13). Eternal life brings inheritance and responsibility. The eternal God actually hears his beloved and grants these petitions according to his will (5:13-14), but more importantly prayer becomes less about receiving answered requests and more about communal abiding with God (5:15). Consequently, the children of God are not left to isolated salvation but responsibility to witness to this eternal life and for those in sin there is the possibility of life through repentance (5:16-17). Individually, the children of God have been born again with the power to overcome the bondage of sin and there is protection from the evil one, not only in the life to come but in the present as well (5:18-19). Thus, the Son of the living God has come, opening our eyes to the death that surrounds and the life that is possible by bringing truth as we abide in Him, the truth. That is eternal life (5:20). How does the hearer continue to abide in the truth? Turn completely from idols. Turn from the worship of created stuff that distracts from the creator, and perhaps more urgently for this context, turn from the idol distraction of false teachers and those that attempt to rob the gospel of the eternal glory found in Jesus Christ.

[1] Benjamin Merkle. “What is the meaning of ‘idols’ in ?.” Bibliotheca Sarca 169, no. 675 (2012): 329. http://ezproxy.asburyseminary.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=rfh&AN=ATLA0001902770&site=eds-live.

Application:

What does this do for your tomorrow?

This closing section of the Epistle can provide corrective assurance for believers struggling to affirm the supernatural power of the gospel. The author does not leave room for gray areas in describing proper doctrine and understanding of Jesus Christ, nor does he leave room for marginal living. The concluding passage reminds believers of the confidence of eternal life and the immediate and future inheritance available for those that would put their faith in the name of Jesus Christ. Here the author calls on the believer to measure their faith in order to identify the state of the heart. Has there been real turning from sin? Is there confidence in prayer life? Does the believer witness to this eternal hope? Is there hope in the midst of a broken world? The context that the author is speaking to is not that far from potential struggles we face today. We have the opportunity to inspect our own lives and pray for that same “understanding” if we are found deficient.

One could possibly preach this section together or break it into three sermons centered on the assurance of faith. The first part would examine a confidence of prayer and closeness of God. The next sermon could discuss the implications the gospel brings to the family through witnessing of faith and forgiveness. Finally, the preacher could address the eternal hope that begins at a new birth, even in the midst of a world in the grasp of the evil one. With each of these topics verse 20 speaks of the premise of confidence: the Son of God has come, He has given us understanding of the truth, and we are born into Him who is the truth. This verse needs to be a running theme. Similarly, the closing imperative to turn from idols reminds the congregation of the nagging distraction that attempts to convince us that this confidence is simply wishful thinking.