Sermon Tone Analysis

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

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

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