Introduction to 1 John
Sermon • Submitted
0 ratings
· 4 viewsNotes
Transcript
Sermon Tone Analysis
A
D
F
J
S
Emotion
A
C
T
Language
O
C
E
A
E
Social
1 John 1:1
1 John 1:1
There is no Xn virtue than the hope/assurance of your salvation. To know beyond doubt that you are saved and belong to the family of God is a wonderful blessing that comes from God. Who wouldn't want to be that thief on the cross next to Jesus and hear those comforting words "Truly I say to you that today you shall be with Me in paradise" (Lk 23:43)? I believe God wants His children to know that they have eternal life.
ASSURANCE, a-sho̅o̅rʹans: A term exceptionally rich in spiritual meaning. It signifies the joyous, unwavering confidence of an intelligent faith; the security of a fearless trust. The original words have to do with the heart of vital religion. בָּטַח, bāṭaḥ, “trust”; אָמַן, ’āman, “to prop,” “to support,” hence to confide in, to trust. Jesus repeatedly used this word “amen” to express the trustworthiness and abiding certainty of his sayings. πίστις, pístis, “faith”; πληροφορία, plērophoría, “full assurance.” The confidence of faith is based, not on “works of righteousness which we have done” (cf Titus 3:4, 5 AV) but on the high-priesthood and atoning sacrifice of Christ (He 10:21, 22; cf ver 19, “boldness to enter … by the blood of Jesus,” AV). Assurance is the soul’s apprehension of its complete emancipation from the power of evil and from consequent judgment, through the atoning grace of Christ. It is the exact opposite of self-confidence, being a joyous appropriation and experience of the fulness of Christ—a glad sense of security, freedom and eternal life in Him. This doctrine is of immeasurable importance to the life of the church and of the individual believer, as a life of spiritual doubt and uncertainty contradicts the ideal of liberty in Christ Jesus which is the natural and necessary fruitage of “the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit … shed on us abundantly, through Jesus Christ our Saviour.” Paul unhesitatingly said, “I know” (2 Tim 1:12)—a word which, oft-repeated in 1 Jn, furnishes the groundwork of glad assurance that runs through the entire epistle. For the classic passage on “full assurance” see Col 2:1–10.
DWIGHT M. PRATT
These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life.
1 Jn was written for this very purpose of assuring true believers of their eternal life. As we study this epistle, understand that God not only gives assurance to us but also practical tests to help us determine if we are of the faith-so we are called to self-examination so that we do not have a false assurance.
I. Who wrote the book?
Heb & 1 Jn are only NT letters that do not name their authors. Until the rise of destructive modem criticism, the early church nearly universally accepted the letter as written by the Apostle John.
External Evidence
External Evidence
1st direct quotation comes from Irenaeus-AD 180 ( disciple of Polycarp, John). Other authors whose writings are significant: Clement of Rome, Ignatius of Antioch, Justin Martyr, the Shepherd of Hermas & Polycarp. From the earliest times, John was understood to be the author of this letter. It was also included in the canon of Scripture-treated as such from the beginning.
Internal Evidence:
Number of indicators that helps focus on who the author is:
1) He is an eye witness of the truth he is proclaiming-I Jn 1:1-4 the author was an eye witness to the life of J.C. This narrows the list of possible authors to the few that were intimately acquainted with the life & ministry of Jesus.
2) Author wrote with an air of authority-
2:1 "my little children" 2:12,28 Gk-teknia suggests not only an elderly man but that the "children" recognize his authority in addressing them as such. He is expecting the recipients of this letter to hear him and obey-4:6
John R W Stott "There is nothing tentative or apologetic about what he writes. He does not hesitate to call certain classes of people liars, deceivers, or antichrists. He supplies tests by which everybody can be sorted into one or other of two categories. According to the relation to his tests they either have God or have not, have life or abide in death, walk in darkness or in the light, are children of God or children of the devil. This dogmatic authority of the writer is seen particularly in his statements and in his commands."
3) Well acquainted with the spiritual condition of recipients.
2:7, 20-21,24,27; 3:11
4) Remarkable similarities between 1 John and gospel of John
Both books use similar language "light, life, love, darkness." Eternal life is the present possession of believer in both books. Same designation of Christ as the logos. The contrasts which the author writes leave no room for middle ground or a 3rd option: light/darkness, life/death, love/hate, truth/lies, children of God/children of devil, loving God/world, to know God/to not know God, have eternal life/have not.
This evidence is nearly overwhelming supporting what the early church believed-Apostle John is the author.
2) Why did John write this letter?
Necessary to understand the culture at the end of 1st C. The Greco-Roman world was a babble of competing voices. Religiously, socially, philosophically, the world at that time was generally inclusive of everything. Further-there were many who wanted to syncretize (pull together) all religions and thoughts of the time.
Donald Burdick notes:
"Apart from the Judea-Christian sphere, the world was religiously inclusivistic. There was always room for a new religion, provided of course that it was not of an exclusive nature. Syncretism, however, did not merely express itself in a mood of tolerance toward other faiths. Its characteristic expression was in the combination of various ideas and beliefs from different sources to form new or aberrant religions. This was the age of the proliferation of Gnostic sects."
Especially true of Province of Asia (modem day Turkey). Because of its location, it served not only as a land bridge between Europe and Asia, it was a melting pot of religion, emperor and cultic worship.
Not only were there false religions on the outside but false teachers on the inside of the church. It was in the midst of this danger that John was confronting error in his letter. Most scholars agree that the error was an incipient form of Gnosticism Gust becoming apparent).
Gnosticism ( esp 2nd C) was a kaleidoscope of different ideas. The basic premise was "dualistic view" spirit is good and matter is evil. Those 2 stand perpetually opposed to the other. This dualism created a vast gulf between God and the material world. Gnosticism Gk "to know". Gnostics claimed to have superior knowledge which enabled them to rise above the material world in their pursuit of heavenly truth. To the Gnostic JC was not the redeemer or savior but he was a revealer.
2 forms of Gnosticism in John's time:
Docetism-taught the Jesus only seemed to have a body.
They insisted that a purely spiritual being could not take upon himself a body of matter b/c that was evil. So Jesus did not really have a physical body but only appeared or seemed to be one.
Cerinthus-perhaps more dangerous.
Barclay "Tradition tells us John and Cerinthus were sworn enemies. Eusebius tells the account of how John went to the public bathhouse in Ephesus to bathe. He saw Cerinthus inside and refused even to enter the building. "Let us flee" he said, "lest even the bathhouse fall, because Cerinthus the enemy of truth is within." Cerinthus taught that Jesus was a real man, born perfectly natural way and lived in special obedience to God. But the Christ did not come upon him until his baptism and it left Jesus before the crucifixion.
These teachings led to false living:
Acetcism-rigid control-fasting, celibacy even ill-treatment of the body.
Led to the abuse of liberty-focusing on sensuality and satisfying the desires of the flesh. They taught that if the body was evil and spirit was good then what happens in the body has no bearing on the spirit. So they would indulge themselves and even consider themselves to be without sin-1:8; 2:4
Led to a superiority complex-the Gnostic had to learn the secrets--only for a select few. There was a spirit of elitism and looking down upon those who did not have the "knowledge." To them John wrote 2:10;3:14-15;4:7
3) To whom did John write and when?
Tradition informs us that John was pastoring in Ephesus in the 80-90's. He would be well informed of the errors that were circulating in Asia minor during that time. Those churches that were established before John began ministering were largely made up of Gentile believers. They seem to be the predominant recipients as John makes not references to OT. Also, because there is no mention of the persecution that took place under Domitian, it had to be either before that time (85-90) or after his assassination (96).
4) Who is John?
John had a remarkable passion for truth. That is reflected in the way he writes and in his personality. To him, life and faith were black and white, absolute, certain terms. The balance he had between grace and truth, ambition and humility, suffering and glory came toward the end of his life.
Maturity is seen with Peter
and recognizing the grace that had been given to me, James and Cephas and John, who were reputed to be pillars, gave to me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship, so that we might go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised.
He had an amazing conversion experience along with his older brother James. Both fishermen-sons of Zebedee who was most likely a believer and well known to the church (8x in gospels they are called "sons of Zebedee"-no other disciple identified with parents.)
John was likely converted at an early age but he had several character flaws. MacArthur "He was rugged and hard-edged just like the rest of the fishermen-disciples ... every bit as intolerant, ambitions, zealous and explosive."
Some of those flaws:
1) John had a violent disposition:
Mark 3:17 Jesus nicknamed "Boanerges" "sons of thunder" Name means "hot-tempered" he lived up to this name.
2) John was prejudiced.
When the days were approaching for His ascension, He was determined to go to Jerusalem; and He sent messengers on ahead of Him, and they went and entered a village of the Samaritans to make arrangements for Him. But they did not receive Him, because He was traveling toward Jerusalem. When His disciples James and John saw this, they said, “Lord, do You want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them?” But He turned and rebuked them, and said, “You do not know what kind of spirit you are of; for the Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them.” And they went on to another village.
At times he acted like an extremist, even a bigot. He was a hard restless man whose zeal and ambition mirrored his older brother.
3) John was intolerant.
John lacked love and compassion for people.
John said to Him, “Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in Your name, and we tried to prevent him because he was not following us.” But Jesus said, “Do not hinder him, for there is no one who will perform a miracle in My name, and be able soon afterward to speak evil of Me. “For he who is not against us is for us.
4) John was self-centered
James and John, the two sons of Zebedee, came up to Jesus, saying, “Teacher, we want You to do for us whatever we ask of You.” And He said to them, “What do you want Me to do for you?” They said to Him, “Grant that we may sit, one on Your right and one on Your left, in Your glory.” But Jesus said to them, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or to be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?” They said to Him, “We are able.” And Jesus said to them, “The cup that I drink you shall drink; and you shall be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized. “But to sit on My right or on My left, this is not Mine to give; but it is for those for whom it has been prepared.”
A fiery spirit and competitive nature are not good bed-fellows. Both were displayed in John in his early years.
Jesus spent time with John (perhaps one of the reasons he was one of the 3 disciples who made up the innermost circle of Jesus' followers). Jesus spent considerable time instructing John and transforming him from a self-centered, fanatical, intolerant hot-head, into the apostle of love.
We see his transformation in his writings:
1) He became selfless-in John's gospel he does not even mention his name. Instead he speaks of himself in reference to Jesus. Instead of writing his own name which would bring the focus on him, he simply called himself the "disciple whom Jesus loved" giving glory to Christ.
2) He learned the balance of love and truth and became unprejudiced.
Now when the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent them Peter and John, who came down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit.
Instead of praying down fire to destroy, he prayed down the HS to bless.
John is an example to every believer how walking with the Lord, living in obedience to His commands brings remarkable transformation in that person's life.
By this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments. The one who says, “I have come to know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him; but whoever keeps His word, in him the love of God has truly been perfected. By this we know that we are in Him: the one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked.
Brings us back to the assurance that a believer should have of his or her eternal life. We can know beyond doubt that we are saved. A primary mark of every believer is their desire to obey Christ and live like him.
That is the transformation that was brought in John's life. Tradition tells us that he had been thrown into a cauldron of boiling oil in Rome but did not suffer injury. He was held in exile on the Island of Patmos where we received and wrote Revelation. Under the reign of Trajan, he returned to Ephesus to live out the remainder of his days and died about the age of 100.
John's love for the truth and his nature as a pastor enabled him to write with earnestness to confront the error that was threatening the church and to encourage believers to live like the Lord. We'll learn valuable lessons from 1 John.