1 John

I -- 1:1-4 – Prologue

• 1:1-4
  • This letter begins with a prologue in much the same way as John's gospel
  • There are obvious verbal connections between the two
  • "That which was from the beginning…" (John 1:1, Gen 1:1)
  • This "beginning" refers to the beginning of the Christian tradition
  • Four verbs refer to body parts – heard, seen, looked at, touched
  • This makes his witness very concrete
  • It also indicates that Jesus really came in the flesh; he was a human being
  • The life that appeared is now eternal and with the Father
  • These are all indications of Christ Jesus and his incarnation T
  • he Christ is not introduced until verse 3
  • There, it is in the context of fellowship – mutual indwelling with Christ and God
  • Those who oppose these teachings have put themselves outside this fellowship
  • The Elder's reason for writing is to "make our joy complete"
  • His writing is another way of proclaiming the message
  • Proclaiming the message gives him great joy

II – 1:5-2:28 – Walking in the Light in Relation to Sin and Obedience/Love

• 1:5-2:2
  • Walking in the light and the problem of sin
  • God is light
  • his describes the essence of God as well as his relation to humanity
  • Light stands for truth, empowering activity
  • God's light both shines upon us (blesses us) and illumines our way (guides us)
  • There is no darkness at all in God, not even any gray
  • Light and dark are antithetical
  • John's opponents claim to be in fellowship with God yet walk in darkness
  • If we do the same, we lie and do not live by the truth
  • To be in "fellowship" means to live in communion, be at peace, be in a right relationship
  • Our thinking cannot be at odds with God's essential nature (light)
  • If we walk in the light and are in that right relationship, we will also have fellowship with each other
  • Additionally, the blood of Jesus purifies us from all sin
  • The closer we get to God the more we will be aware of our sins
  • There we will find that God has already sent Jesus to atone for them
  • If we deny our sins, we deceive ourselves and "the truth is not in us"
  • Such self-understanding is false and suggests a denial of responsibility for our actions
  • If we, however, confess our sins, we will be forgiven them
  • In addition, we will be purified from all unrighteousness
  • God will act thusly because he is "faithful and just"
  • These are covenantal terms indicating God's care for his people
  • When people acknowledge their need of God, He responds
  • This suggests that humans cannot solve the problem of sin
  • It requires action by God – and He stands ready to do it
  • Apparently, the opponents declared they had not sinned and, therefore, didn't need any redemption 
  • That, of course, makes them liars but also blasphemers against God
  • They are, essentially, calling God a liar
  • In claiming no sin, they cut themselves off from what God has to offer
  • The word, the message of life, has no place in their lives
  • Obviously, no one wants to sin, but if someone does, it needs to be acknowledged
  • The solution lies with Jesus Christ, the Righteous One
  • He will intercede for us and speak in our defense
  • The Elder states that Jesus is the "atoning" sacrifice for our sins
  • Biblically speaking, atoning involves removing the offense of sin
  • "Sacrifice" links to the OT notion of sacrifice
  • The purpose of Jesus' death was for the reconciliation with God
  • His atoning sacrifice wasn't just for the benefit of Christians, but for everyone's sins – for the sins of the whole world
• 2:3-11
  • Walking in the light and the challenge of obedience
  • How will Christians know if they truly know Christ/God?
  • They will obey (keep) his commands
  • These commands are to have faith in Jesus and love for one another
  • One's beliefs must be validated by one's actions
  • The one who says "I know Him" but does not keep His commands is a liar
  • There is no truth in him
  • They claim one thing in words, but do not follow through in actions
  • The one who truly knows God is the one who keeps His word
  • That Christian will grow in love until that love is mature, complete
  • To know God is to grow in His love
  • And that love will be demonstrated by obeying His commands
  • This is "how we know that we are in him"
  • Those who claim to live in him must walk as Jesus did
  • "Live" means to abide or dwell, to be in an ongoing, personal relationship
  • The opponents do not walk as Jesus did because they do not keep
  • God's commands and they do not love as Jesus loved
  • The Elder addresses his readers as "dear friends/beloved"
  • They are truly loved -- by him, by Jesus, and by God
  • He reminds them this is not a new command, but one that they have had from the beginning
  • It is a founding principle of the Christian movement, based on the revelation of Jesus that has been passed on by the apostles
  • Ironically, this "old" command is also a "new" command
  • It is "new" in the sense that it was initiated by Jesus, but also represents the dawning of a "new" era, the era of grace and truth in the Christ
  • It is measured, no less, by the love that Christ has for them
  • As they allow the truth (light) to shine in their lives, the darkness will dissipate
  • Lastly, those who claim to be in the light but profess hatred for their brother remain in the dark
  • Being "in the light" means having fellowship, being in that right relationship with God
  • "Hatred" has no place in the light; therefore, those who hate are in darkness
  • Hatred here might refer to the schism in the church or a sense of superiority by those who claim to be spiritually superior
  • The differences between the opponents and true Christians are very pronounced
  • Those who love fellow Christians remain in the light
  • These Christians will not stumble, nor cause others to stumble
  • The opposite, of course, is those who hate
  • They live in the dark, stumble around in darkness, and are blinded by the dark
  • Because of this, they have absolutely no idea where they are going
  • (There is little middle ground in this section – old/new; light/dark; love/hate)
• 2:12-17
  • The faithful community will do God's will
  • The important point for believers to remember is that our sins have been forgiven
  • This forgiveness has come on "account of his name"
  • This refers to the atoning sacrifice
  • By his name we are forgiven, but his name is also the point of our faith
  • "Fathers" are addressed
  • Perhaps the "fathers" represent experienced leaders in the community
  • They are the authentic ones, not the opponents
  • They know "him who is from the beginning"
  • Next, the "young men" are addressed (women would have been included)
  • They have overcome the evil one (devil)
  • They have been victorious because of what Christ has done in the past
  • "Dear children" are also victorious because they have known the Father
  • They know him and follow his teachings
  • The address to "fathers" is repeated -- this adds intensity, emphasis
  • Another admonition to the "young men" repeats the previous stanzas
  • They are strong, have overcome the evil one, and the word of God lives in them
  • This is an obvious reference to their spiritual strength
  • Strengthened by God, they have been able to withstand the temptations of the devil
  • The Elder warns the believers against compromising with the world
  • The opponents obviously "love the world"
  • He clearly tells the believers, "Do not love the world"
  • "World" means Satan's domain; it is not referring to God's good creation
  • One must choose between loving God and loving the things of the world
  • This is again very black and white – no middle ground
  • "Everything in the world" is really comprised of three characteristics
  • Desire of the flesh; lust of his eyes; boasting of accomplishments
  • None of this comes from the Father, but is of the world
  • This is a very self-centered life
  • The best reason, though, for not loving the world is that it is very temporary
  • Everything about the world will eventually pass away
  • The one who does the will of God will live forever
  • This is life through the Son; those who reject Jesus cannot have this
  • Those who believe in Jesus already have eternal life
• 2:18-28
  • The Antichrist
  • The goal is to be faithful in view of the lies of the antichrist
  • The antichrists are the opponents, those who have left the movement
  • They deny the Christ, both humanly and divinely
  • The Elder announces that this is the "last hour" – the turning point
  • In this hour will be darkness and tribulations
  • They know this teaching – that in these final moments people will come who will deny Christ
  • Indeed, their very presence indicates that the "final hour" has arrived
  • At one point, these opponents were faithful believers
  • But they "went out from us"
  • It shows that they never did fully understand the teachings
  • If they had, they never would have left
  • They were not authentic Christians, but only claimed to be Christians
  • In contrast, true believers have been "anointed by the Holy Spirit" and know the truth
  • "Anointed" is perhaps a reference to their baptism
  • It is this Spirit that has shown them the truth
  • They do not have to be intimidated or tempted by the lies of the opponents
  • He's not writing this to inform them of this fact – they already know it well
  • He does, however, want to reassure them in the face of strong opposition
  • "No lie comes from the truth"
  • Their teachings do not have their source in the truth (i.e. Jesus)
  • "Who is the liar?" -- The one who denies Jesus as the Christ
  • (Obviously, the opponents, the secessionists, could not accept a fully human Jesus)
  • "Antichrist" means "in the place of", against, or false Christ
  • Those who deny Jesus deny the Father as well
  • The Father and the Son are a unity
  • Jesus repeatedly said that to know him was to know the Father
  • One must be in a right relationship with Jesus in order to be in a right relationship to the Father
  • The Elder urges them to remain in the teachings they have known from the beginning
  • As long as this teaching is in them, they will remain with the Father and the Son
  • There is a connection between being faithful to the gospel and being in a right relationship with God
  • The Christian who perseveres to the end also gets a promise – eternal life
  • This is a present blessing for believers; others can only hope for it
  • As always, however, there is a warning against being led astray
  • They are not alone in trying to remain steadfast
  • They have been anointed – that anointing remains in them
  • It teaches "all things," is "real, not counterfeit"
  • This is another reference to the Holy Spirit (paraclete in John's Gospel)
  • This anointing has a divine source
  • It will remain with them forever, empowering their lives
  • It will teach all things – they don't have to be persuaded by fast talking opponents
  • And it is real – they all had this spiritual experience
  • Therefore, they should remain loyal
  • Then they will have nothing to fear or to be ashamed of when he comes again

III – 2:29-4:6 – How the Righteous can be in Fellowship with God

• 2:29-3:10
  • Contrast between the children of God and the children of the devil
  • Whoever is like Christ is a righteous person
  • "Righteous" includes the idea of right relationship, setting things right, or just
  • Their actions will resemble Christ's
  • They can do this because they have "been born of him"
  • They are God's special children
  • The love which the Father has given us is celebrated
  • He claims us as His children! And that is what we are!
  • The word for love is in the perfect tense, signifying an ongoing process
  • He continues to lavish love upon us
  • The world hasn't figured this out yet; but the world also hated Jesus
  • So even though we know what we are now, we do not know what we will become
  • No one really knows what God has in store for those who love Him
  • Yet we know that when the Christ appears, we will be transformed like him
  • And we will see him as he really is
  • This is our hope, which is both comforting and assuring
  • Our part is to purify ourselves so we are ready – our model is Christ
  • In contrast, there are those who sin
  • Those who sin break the law; this is their way of life
  • They have no respect for God's will, His grace, or His standards
  • (Obviously, the antichrists are in mind)
  • This type of attitude, however, is completely against God's plan
  • Jesus' mission was to take away our sins
  • He had no sin in him
  • Those who live in fellowship with Jesus do not keep on sinning
  • Their words/beliefs are again confirmed by their conduct
  • Those who do keep on sinning obviously do not see or know Jesus
  • "Seeing" Jesus means to understand his purpose, which was to take away our sins
  • Those who sin have no real knowledge of God
  • Again, there is a choice
  • Either follow what is right and be righteous as he is righteous
  • Or do what is sinful and follow and be of the devil
  • The devil has been sinning a long time
  • Jesus came to "bind the strong man," to overcome the work of the devil
  • God's children cannot go on sinning, because they are born of God
  • His seed remains in them
  • That is how one knows who is of God and who is of the devil – by their conduct
  • To be a child of God, one must love God and love his brother
• 3:11-18
  • On loving one another
  • This teaching has been there from the beginning
  • They should love one another
  • Cain is offered as a negative example of what not to do
  • Cain was "from the evil one" and killed his brother
  • The Elder claims that Cain's actions were evil and his brother's were righteous
  • Cain stands over against God's children
  • The Elder again mentions how the world hates believers
  • The world remains in death; believers, however, have passed into life
  • There is nothing left to fear
  • Those who don't love remain in fear
  • It was hate for his brother that caused the death of Cain's brother
  • Obviously, the person who hates like that can never have eternal life abiding in him
  • In contrast, believers know what love really is
  • Just as Jesus laid down his life for others, so should they
  • Jesus is again the model for believers to follow
  • This kind of love fosters the well-being of others, builds them up
  • One example would be concerning material possessions
  • The one who sees his brother in need will have pity on him because the love of God is in him
  • "Love" is not expressed with words but with actions
  • This "love" has to be practical, active, and in truth
• 3:19-24
  • The need for assurance
  • Those who express this kind of love know that they "belong to the truth"
  • In this their hearts can be at rest in his presence
  • These aren't just comforting words; they indicate God is with them
  • He is the source of their strength and a witness of it
  • So when we doubt, when our "hearts condemn" us,
  • God knows us and is upholding us "God is greater than our hearts" – His word is true
  • We are His children; we are loved and saved; we have been forgiven
  • When our hearts do not condemn us, when we are not filled with doubt, we are confident before God and receive what we ask from Him
  • This is the prayer of faith 
  • But we also keep His commands and do what pleases Him
  • And what are His commands? -- to believe in the name of Christ and to love one another
  • "Believing" in Christ means to commit to him; his "name" is his character
  • Believing, then, involves an initial commitment as well as an ongoing one
  • Loving each other is what distinguishes them from the opponents
  • In summary, there is a mutual indwelling for those who obey God's commands
  • They abide in him, and he in them
  • We know this through the mediating work of the Spirit
  • This, the opponents do not have regardless of their claims
• 4:1-6
  • Are the Spirits from God?
  • How does someone know who is speaking the truth, whose doctrine is true?
  • The Elder says to "test the Spirits"
  • The OT has a long history of false prophets preaching messages not of God
  • The first century of Christianity was no different
  • Many claimed to be prophesying by the Spirit of God
  • Yet their messages were in conflict with the truth
  • How to know? – Do they preach Jesus Christ "has come in the flesh"?
  • Do they preach that the Word, the Son had become fully human?
  • Authentic preachers from God will preach that Jesus was fully human
  • His name is combined with his saving function
  • If they cannot confess Jesus, they do not come from God
  • Again, this is black and white; there is no middle ground
  • The one who rejects Jesus is not from God and has the spirit of the antichrist
  • This is not new information; they just recognize that it's happening
  • Satan is behind this whole conflict
  • True believers, however, are from God and have overcome the antichrists
  • They have successfully rejected the false doctrine because the Holy Spirit is in them
  • The Holy Spirit is stronger than the one that "is in the world"
  • Those who are from the world, speak to the world, and listen to the world
  • Those who are from God, speak the truth, and listen to the truth
  • These people know God
  • This is how anyone can distinguish between the Spirit of truth and the spirit of falsehood

IV – 4:7-5:12 – God's Love for Us as the Basis for Loving Another

• 4:7-12
  • Let us love one another
  • We are to love one another because love comes from God
  • Since God is the source of all love, if we belong to God, we should demonstrate our unity by loving one another
  • Those who love have been born of God and know God
  • These people are in relationship to each other
  • Again, there are only two groups of people
  • Those who love and know God; and those who don't
  • Those who love God are also concerned for the well-being and building up of others for God is love
  • The God who loved us sent His only Son into the world
  • This is how His love was demonstrated
  • The Son was sent so that we might live through him
  • "Through him" means because of him, for what he has done, and for who he is
  • This didn't happen because we loved God; rather it is because He loved us
  • Because He loved us, He sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice
  • Through this, we have passed from death to life
  • Because we have this great love from God, we should love one another
  • The model for loving comes from God's love for us
  • This would include both the style of loving and the intensity of loving
  • Indeed, loving one another is a Christian obligation
  • We are limited in that we can never see God
  • But if we love authentically, we can experience Him and His love is made complete in us
  • Our ability to love authentically will grow and mature
• 4:13-18
  • Confidence not fear
  • Obviously, the people to whom this letter was addressed needed these words of assurance regarding God's love for them. They were being confronted by those claiming a superior spirituality.
  • The Elder repeats that we "live in him and he in us"
  • It is the Holy Spirit that makes this possible
  • In addition, we have the satisfaction of knowing God sent His Son to save us
  • As Savior of the world, Jesus announced that the kingdom was at hand
  • Our confession that Jesus is God's Son means God lives in us and we in God
  • We have divine fellowship with God because we have confessed Jesus as Son
  • As a result, we can be confident of our relationship with God 
  • We have come to know the love that God has for us
  • This love is reliable and as we rely on it, we realize that "living in God" really means "living in love"
  • As we abide in God's love, it is made complete in us, perfected in us
  • This gives us confidence for the Day of Judgment
  • We have nothing to fear for we are already modeling Christ
  • We are "like him"
  • (We follow him; we are God's beloved children; we do not sin; we love one another; we are born of God)
  • Furthermore, fear has no part of love
  • Perfect love drives out fear
  • Fear has to do with punishment; we, on the other hand, are loved
  • If we are still fearful, it indicates that more work needs to be done in perfecting love
• 4:19-5:5
  • Summation involving love
  • Love professed is nothing if not practiced
  • And while assurance is essential, it still needs to be made practical in action
  • Loving one another is a Christian obligation
  • We have the ability to do this because God has first loved us
  • The opponents were perhaps professing to love God but not showing any love for their neighbors in their actions
  • The Elder writes that loving God but hating your brother is an impossibility
  • Again, this is very black and white, no middle ground The point is, however, that it's easier to love what's seen than what's not seen
  • Or, at least, it's easier to measure
  • It's hard to know what's truly in someone's heart
  • They can look devout but have ulterior motives 
  • Love for your brother involves going out of your way to put his/her interests first
  • Such behavior is measurable
  • Bottom line – whoever loves God must love his brother
  • In like manner, everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God
  • It logically follows that we should love everyone born of God
  • We can know that we are loving God's children by loving God and doing His commands
  • Our actions come from the heart and are obedient to God
  • These commands are not burdensome
  • He gives us the strength to be obedient
  • In so doing, we are able to overcome the world – withstand the hostile environment
  • Victory in overcoming the world belongs to the one who believes
  • Jesus is the Son of God
• 5:6-12
  • Having faith in the Son
  • The emphasis here, however, is on the human nature of Jesus
  • He is the one who came by water and blood
  • This may refer to his baptism and crucifixion
  • It is the Spirit who testifies to this and the Spirit is the truth
  • In essence all three of these testify to the Son – the Spirit, water, and blood
  • If water and blood signify the beginning and end of his ministry, it is the Spirit that bears witness to these historical events
  • Anyone who believes in the Son has this testimony from God
  • God's testimony surely has greater weight than any other
  • The one who doesn't believe God's testimony is essentially calling God a liar
  • People are either going to believe it or not
  • The people who do accept God's testimony believe that Jesus is the Son of God
  • The people who don't accept it are disbelieving of God as well as Jesus
  • And what is the essence of this testimony?
  • God has given us eternal life and this life is in His Son
  • For believers, this is a present spiritual reality
  • The converse is also true – those who do not have the Son do not have life

V – 5:13-21 – Conclusion

• 5:13-21
  • There are several aspects of the Christian life that are certain
  • One is that they will have eternal life
  • Next, they can be confident that prayers in accordance with God's will be heard
  • He gets even more specific – whatever we ask, will be heard
  • In fact, whatever we ask we can know that we already have
  • Our prayers, however, cannot be selfish
  • We should also pray for a sinning brother
  • A distinction is made between sins that lead to death and those that don't
  • There is, however, no clarification on what kind of sins lead to death
  • The obvious one is apostasy, not believing in what God has done in Jesus
  • The point is, however, that all sin is wrong and should be taken seriously
  • Yet, we know that Christians, those who are born of God, do not keep on sinning
  • They are kept safe by the one who was born of God (the Son of God)
  • Because of the Son the evil one, literally, cannot harm them
  • Regardless of how much evil is in the world, Christians are still assured of safety
  • We are safe because we have the understanding given by the Son of God
  • We know Him who is true and we abide in Him
  • Jesus enabled us to know God
  • God is the true God and eternal life
  • And lastly, "dear children, refrain from idols"
  • This seems to be unrelated to the previous discussion, but perhaps refers to the summation
  • The opposite of the true God is nothing but an idol!

The Elder ends his letter/sermon by restating "what we know." We know that God sent Jesus as an atoning sacrifice. We know that Jesus is the Christ and fully human. We know that God loves those who keep His commands. Because we are loved by God, we know we have to "pay it forward." It is essential that Christians love one another. At the core of this letter, then, are exhortations to express Christian love and truth.