Bible Study on 1 John
Notes
Transcript
Handout
Chapter 1
Chapter 1
Prologue 1 John 1:1-4
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.
Verse 1 echos back to the very beginning of the Word of God. Genesis 1:1:
In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.
John’s gospel also begins with:
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
One of major theological themes that John is laying out before us is that before anything was there was the pre-existing, self sustaining God who is the life giver to all.
This pre-existing creator has been revealed through the Word which became flesh (Jn 1:14). The John writes of this word incarnate that, “we have heard”, we have seen”, and “observed and touched”. This is important because it is an eyewitness account of the actions and words of Jesus. John was there with Jesus. He heard the words of Christ and even touched Jesus. Yet, this is also important because is shows that Jesus was not simply a Spirit being like some have thought throughout history. This is called Docetism. This also means that Jesus wouldn’t have suffered not died, but rather would have been light a hologram. But here John is saying, “we have seen this man and lived with Him. He ate with us and I even put my head on His chest.” Jesus took on flesh, lived the prefect life, died a horrible and painful death, and did something that no man could do, he rose from the grave. In Jesus deity and humanity come together.
This first verse is setting up a major theological theme and that is that Jesus is God. He didn’t become a “god”, because He has always been since the beginning, and it is this God who became flesh to redeem those who are fallen. John bears witness ot this. “In the beginning was the word… and the word was God… The word became Flesh.”
Jesus was at the beginning of Creation and Jesus is at the beginning of salvation. Both find their origin in Him.
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—
John restates that “we have seen it and testify.” John is really revealing Jesus’ deity and humanity in these first two verses.
That was from the beginning (God), We have observed and touched (Jesus). “The eternal life that was with the Father and was revealed to us.”
The word that John uses in these two verses is greek word archē; which not only points to a point at the beginning of time, but also refers to a beginning ruler. John is pointing to Jesus being that being in ruler, now revealing the Father.
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.
The gospel gets it origin in God. Just as God was at the beginning of the world and the world was made through, so the gospel gets it’s beginning in God.
The words that john is writing and the Gospel that is proclaimed are from Jesus, through His life (What we have seen), and His ministry (What we have heard).
This Gospel is from God’s proclaimed first proclaimed by God, in the law and the prophets:
You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me, yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life.
Jesus Christ then proclaimed this message to the fallen world which He came too. Now that gospel message, which began with God, is declared by those who have believed in Jesus, in order that more many believe and have fellowship wit the believers (with us)and fellowship with Christ and God the Father.
This is the mission of Christ’s ministry on earth and is now the mission of His church, and that is to bring other into fellowship with the Father.
And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete.
The term “Our joy” is pointing to the joy of the believers. It is the joy of the believer to do the will of the one who has sent them. To live lie this is to follow Christs example:
For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me.
Jesus did the will of the Father and it was His joy.
Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.
“Our Joy” is do to the will of the one who has sent us out, and our joy will be complete, just as Christ’s was, when our mission is complete and we are standing in God’s presence receive our eternal reward, and hear;
His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’
Fellowship with God 1 John1:5-15
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. If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.
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.
The message that has been proclaimed is not from man. It was the creative idea of any man, but the message came from God alone. “We have heard from Him(Jesus) and proclaim to you.”
“God is light” is a statement that points to the purity of God. There is no darkness nor corruption in any of His ways. John plays with a contrast between light and darkness. Jesus was the light of the world and came into a dark a fallen world. The world is in darkness and corrupt by sin, yet God is light and there is nor corruption in Him.
John writes describing Jesus:
In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
Jesus came to a world full of darkness, shining the light of life to all who were in darkness. Light is Pure, and has on corruption. god in all of His actions is pure and without corruption. There is no darkness in Him. his actions a pure, His will is pure, His deeds are pure, because He is pure.
If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.
Those who clam to have fellowship with God no longer walk in darkness. Jesus shows this in John 3:19-20 where He says:
And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed.
Those who say that they have fellowship with Jesus, yet still practice evil or walk in darkness, are simply lying to themselves. Jesus says, “You will know them by their fruit.”
But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.
There is a difference between those who simply says they have fellowship with God and those who walk with Him. those who truly have fellowship with Jesus and the Father walk in the light of God. To fellowship is to have relationship and be in close proximity. Fellowship is nearness to the Lord.
Jesus says in John chapter 15;
Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me.
Abiding in Christ is fellowship with Christ. John uses the greek word menō, which means remain staying. It is not simply a prayer, or reading your Bible once-a-while, but it is a continuously walking with Christ.
This relationship with God the Father and Christ the son is only because of the “blood of Jesus His son cleanses us from all sin.”
If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.
Everyone is a sinner.
for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
We are all sinners saved by God’s grace. We are not to deny our need for a savior, and think that we can walk out our faith on our own, but rather we are to humble ourselves and confess our sins to our savior. We have the opportunity to do this because our savior is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all of our unrighteousness.
The very means fo our ability to have fellowship with the Father and son, the blood of Jesus, is what also sustains our fellowship. It is the gospel:
We are not perfect. We all sin, yet God is faithful to forgive us all our sin!.