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General Outlines of the First Epistle
of John
The Beginning
1. The
Word of life from the beginning (1:1);
2. The
old commandment which you have had from the beginning (2:7);
3. He
who is from the beginning (2:13-14);
4. That
you heard from the beginning (2:24);
5. The
devil has sinned from the beginning (3:8);
6. The
message that you heard from the beginning (3:11);
The Being of the Lord Jesus
1. The
Word of life from the beginning (1:1);
2. That eternal life which was
with the Father and was manifested to us
(1:2);
3. His
Son
the Son
the Son of God
the only begotten Son (1:3
7; 2:22-24; 3:8
23;
4:9
10
15; 5:5
9-13
20);
4. Christ
(1:3; 2:1
22; 3:23; 4:2; 5:1
6
20);
5. Advocate (2:1);
6. propitiation (2:2);
Little Children
1. Little
children
do not sin (1:1-2:6);
2. Little
children
do not love the world (2:7-17);
3. Little
children
it
is the last hour (2:18-27);
4. Little
children
abide in the Lord (2:28-3:6);
5. Little
children
let no one deceive you (3:7-24);
6. Little
children
you are of God and have overcome them (4:1-5:17);
7. Little
children
keep
yourselves from idols (5:18-21);
From Eternal Life to
Eternal Life
1. The
preachment and declaration of the eternal life:
a. Was
manifested: was manifested to us (1:2);
b. We
have heard; we have seen; we have touched (1:1-3
5);
c. Bear witness: declare to
you (1:2
5);
d. We might live through Him;
know that we have eternal life (4:9;
5:11-13);
2. The
effect of obtaining the eternal life:
a. Through
which we are enabled to have fellowship with God and be filled with joy
(1:3-4);
b. There
is the teaching of the anointing in the eternal life (2:25-27);
c. Through
which we can practice righteousness and do not sin and cannot sin (2:29; 3:9;
5:16
18);
d. Through
which we can love brothers and obtain love to love God and him who is begotten
of Him (3:14; 4:7; 5:1);
e. Through
which we are able to keep ourselves so that the wicked one cannot touch us
(5:18-19);
f. Through
which we get understanding to know the true One and abide in Him (5:20);
3. This
is the true God and eternal life (5:20);
The Relations of the Lord
Jesus with Believers
1. The eternal life which was
manifested to us (1:2);
2. Our fellowship is with the
Father and with His Son Jesus Christ
(1:3);
3. The blood of Jesus Christ
His Son cleanses us from all sin (1:7);
4. We have an Advocate with
the Father
Jesus Christ the righteous (2:1);
5. He Himself is the
propitiation for our sins (2:2; 4:10);
6. Let us keep His
commandments and His word (2:3
5);
7. Let us abide in Him and
walk just as He walked (2:6);
8. Our sins are forgiven for
the Lord’ name's sake (2:12);
9. He who acknowledges the Son
has the Father also (2:23);
10. when the Lord is revealed
we shall be like Him (3:2);
11. The Lord was manifested to
take away our sins (3:5);
12. The Lord laid down His life
for us (3:16);
13. God has sent His only
begotten Son into the world
that we might live through Him (4:9);
14. The Father has sent the Son
as Savior of the world (4:14);
15. Whoever believes that Jesus
is the Christ is born of God (5:1);
16. He who overcomes the world
is the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God (5:5);
17. He who believes in the Son
of God has the witness in himself
(5:10);
18. He who has the Son has life (5:12);
19. The Son of God has come and
has given us an understanding (5:20);
20. We are in Him who is true
in His Son Jesus Christ (5:20);
God is …
1. God
is light (1:5).
2. God
is righteous (2:29).
3. God
is love (3:7
16).
This is …
1. This is the message which
we have heard from Him and declare to you (1:5);
2. This
is the antichrist (2:22);
3. This is the message that
you heard from the beginning (3:11);
4. This is the spirit of the
Antichrist (4:3);
5. This is love (4:10);
6. This is what we have seen
and testify (4:14);
7. This is the commandment we
have from Him (4:21);
8. This is the love of God (5:3);
9. This is the confidence that
we have in Him (5:14);
10. This is the true God and
eternal life (5:20);
Seven Pair of Contrast
between Truth and Falsehood
1. The
contrast between light and darkness (1:5-2:11);
2. The
contrast between God the Father and the world (2:12-17);
3. The
contrast between the Christ and the antichrist (2:18-28);
4. The
contrast between practicing righteousness and committing sins (2:29-3:24);
5. The
contrast between the Spirit and the spirit of error (4:1-6);
6. The
contrast between true love and vain love (4:7-21);
7. The
contrast between he who is born of God and he who is born of man (5:1-21);
Truth
1. The
truth can be practiced (1:6);
2. The
truth is in the one who is true only (1:8; 2:4);
3. The
truth can be known (2:21);
4. No lie is of the truth (2:21);
5. They
who truly love one another are of the truth (3:19);
6. The
spirit of the truth abides in him who hears those who are of God (4:6);
Four Lies
1. He who says he has
fellowship with God walks in darkness
(1:6);
2. He
who says he knows the Lord does not keep the word of Him (2:4);
3. He
who denies Jesus is the Christ (2:22);
4. He
who says he loves God does not love his brothers (4:20);
Seven Trials
1. The
trial of being in light and in darkness (the trial of self-righteousness):
a. Confess
one’s sins or say one has no sin (1:6-9);
b. Love
brothers or hate brothers (2:8-11);
2. The
trial of knowing and not knowing God the Father (the trial of love):
a. Love
God or love the world (2:15);
b. Keep
the will of God and do worldly things (2:16-17);
3. The
trial of being of the Christ and of the antichrist (the trial of faith):
a. Be
with the apostle or go out (2:18-19);
b. Confess
or deny Jesus is the Christ (2:21-23);
c. Obey
or disobey the teaching of the anointing (2:27);
4. The
trial of practicing righteousness and committing sins (the trial of virtue):
a. Clean
oneself or commit lawlessness (3:3-4);
b. Love
one another or be merciless to brothers (3:11-18);
c. Our heart does not condemn
us
we have confidence toward God (3:20-21);
5. The
trial of the spirit of the truth and the spirit of error (the trial of
discernment):
a. Every
spirit that confesses or denies that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh
(4:2-3);
b. Hear
the apostles or false prophets (4:5-6);
6. The
trial of true love and vain love (the trial of heart):
a. Abide
or not abide in God (4:13-16);
b. Fear
or not fear the coming judgment of God (4:17-18);
7. The
trial of he who is born of God and he who is born of man (the trial of life):
a. Love
or not love the children of God (5:1-2);
b. Overcome
or be unable to overcome the world (5:4-5);
c. Believe
or disbelieve the testimony of God’s Son (5:6-11);
d. Commit
or not commit the sin leading to death (5:16-18);
Seven Trials of False
Performances
1. False
fellowship (1:6) ---- he who says he has fellowship with God walks in darkness
being unfaithful to men;
2. False
holiness (1:8) ---- he who says he has no sin deceives himself
being
unfaithful to oneself;
3. False
righteousness (1:10) ---- he who says he has never sinned makes God a liar
being unfaithful to God;
4. False
faithfulness (2:4) ---- he who says he knows the Lord does not keep His
commandment
being unfaithful to the Lord;
5. False
works (2:6) ---- he who says he abides in the Lord does not walk as He walked
being unfaithful to the Lord’s word;
6. False
spirituality (2:9) ---- he who says he is in light hates his brothers
being
unfaithful to the true light of God;
7. False
love to God (4:20) ---- he who says he loves God hates his brothers
being
unfaithful to God’s love;
Know Sin
1. Everyone
has sin;
a.
Everyone has sin ---- If we say that we have no sin
we
deceive ourselves (1:8);
b. Everyone has sins ---- If
we say that we have not sinned
we make Him a liar (1:10);
2. The
origin of sin ----
He who sins is of the devil
for the devil has sinned from the beginning (3:8);
3. The
definition of sin;
a.
Whoever
commits sin also commits lawlessness
and sin is lawlessness (3:4);
b. All unrighteousness is sin
(5:17);
4. The
redemption of sin;
a. If anyone sins
we have an
Advocate with the Father
Jesus Christ the righteous (2:1);
b. He Himself is the
propitiation for our sins (2:2; 4:10);
c. He was manifested to take
away our sins (3:5);
d. The blood of Jesus Christ
His Son cleanses us from all sin (1:7);
e. Our sins are forgiven you
for His name's sake (2:12);
5. What
shall believers do after sins?
a. If we confess our sins
He
is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all
unrighteousness (1:9);
b. If anyone sees his brother
sinning a sin which does not lead to death
he will ask
and He will give him
life for those who commit sin not leading to death (5:16);
6. How
can believers not commit sin?
a. Know
the Lord’s word ----
these things I write to you
so that you may not sin (2:1);
b. Abide
in the Lord ----
Whoever abides in Him does not sin
(3:6);
c. Live
by the seed of God in believers ---- whoever has been born of God does not sin
for His seed
remains in him (3:9; 5:18);
The Confidence of Believers
1.
If
we walk in the light as He is in the light
we have fellowship with one another
(1:7);
2.
If
we confess our sins
He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to
cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1:9);
3.
By
this we know that we know Him
if we keep His commandments (2:3);
4. Whoever keeps His word
truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him
(2:5);
5. He who loves his brother
abides in the light
and there is no cause for stumbling in him (2:10);
6. We know the truth and that
no lie is of the truth (2:21);
7.
If
what you heard from the beginning abides in you
you also will abide in the Son
(2:24);
8.
The
anointing teaches us concerning all things (2:27);
9.
Abide
in Him
that when He appears
we may have confidence (2:28);
10.
We
should be called children of God (3:1);
11.
We
know that when He is revealed
we shall be like Him
for we shall see Him as He
is (3:2);
12.
Whoever
abides in Him does not sin (3:6);
13.
Whoever
has been born of God does not sin
for His seed remains in him (3:9);
14.
We
know that we have passed from death to life
because we love the brethren
(3:14);
15.
Let
us not love in word or in tongue
but in deed and in truth. And by this we know
that we are of the truth (3:18-19);
16.
And
whatever we ask we receive from Him
because we keep His commandments and do
those things that are pleasing in His sight (3:22);
17.
Now
he who keeps His commandments abides in Him
and He in him (3:24);
18.
Every
spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God (4:2);
19.
Everyone
who loves is born of God (4:7);
20.
If
we love one another
God abides in us
and His love has been perfected in us
(4:12);
21.
We
have known and believed the love that God has for us (4:16);
22.
Whoever
believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God (5:1);
23.
Whatever
is born of God overcomes the world (5:4);
24.
He
who believes in the name of the Son of God knows that he has eternal life
(5:13);
25.
If
we ask anything according to His will
He hears us (5:14);
26.
We
know that whoever is born of God does not sin; but he who has been born of God
keeps himself (5:18);
True
1. True
new commandment (2:5);
2. True
light (2:5);
3. True
anointing (2:27);
4. True
children of God (3:1);
5. He
who is true (3:2);
6. The
spirit of truth (4:6; 5:7);
7. True
God (5:20);
Brotherly Love (Love One
Another)
1. The
definition of love;
a. The
love of God (2:5);
b. By this we know love
because the Lord laid down His life for us (3:16);
2. The
origin of love;
a. Love
is from God (4:7);
b. We
love Him
because He first loved us (4:19);
3. How
to love brothers?
a. Keep
the commandments of the Lord (2:7-8; 3:11);
b. The
fellowship of love ---- love one another (4:7
12);
c. By
the divine life ---- everyone
who loves is born of God (4:7);
d. Abide in love (4:16);
e. Love God ---- everyone who
loves Him who begot also loves him who is begotten of Him (5:1-2);
4. The
chief points of brotherly love;
a.
We
also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren (3:16);
b. Let us not love in word or
in tongue
but in deed and in truth (3:18);
5. The
profits of love;
a. He who loves his brother
abides in the light (2:10);
b. We know that we have passed
from death to life
because we love the brethren (3:14);
c. Love
has been perfected among us that we may have boldness in the day of judgment
and there is no fear in love (4:17-18);
Definitions
1. He
who love his brother abides in the light (2:10);
2. He is antichrist who denies
the Father and the Son (2:22);
3. Whoever commits sin also
commits lawlessness (3:4);
4. Sin is lawlessness (3:4);
5. Whoever hates his brother
is a murderer (3:15);
6. He who abides in love
abides in God (4:16);
7. This is the love of God
that we keep His commandments (5:3);
8. This is the victory that
has overcome the world--our faith
(5:4);
Believers and the World
1. The
world is enmity with God ---- if
anyone loves the world
the love of the Father is not in him (2:15);
2. Things
of the world ----
the lust of the flesh
the lust of the eyes
and the pride of life (2:16);
3. How
to overcome the world?
a. Do not love the world or
the things in the world (2:15);
b. Be
strong and let the word of God abide in us and overcome the wicked one
(2:13-14; see 5:19);
c. By
the life of God ----
whatever is born of God overcomes the world (5:
d. Faith
---- and this
is the victory that has overcome the world--our faith (5:4b)
Three Trials of the Normal
Christians’ Faith
1. The
trial of truth ---- confess Jesus is the Christ (2:18-23; 4:1-6);
2. The
trial of virtues ---- cleanse oneself (3:1-10);
3. The
trial of love ---- brotherly love (3:11-18);
He Who is Born of God
1. Everyone who practices
righteousness is born of Him (2:29);
2. Whoever has been born of
God does not sin
for His seed remains in him (3:9);
3. Everyone who loves is born
of God (4:7);
4. Whoever believes that Jesus
is the Christ is born of God (5:1);
5. Whatever is born of God
overcomes the world (5:4);
6. Whoever is born of God does
not sin
but he who has been born of God keeps himself (5:18);
──
Caleb Huang《Christian Digest Bible
Commentary Series》
Translated by Mary Zhou