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Introduction
to 1 John
This summary of the book of 1 John provides information about the
title
author(s)
date of writing
chronology
theme
theology
outline
a
brief overview
and the chapters of the Book of 1 John.
The author is John son of Zebedee (see Mk 1:19-20) -- the apostle and the author of the
Gospel of John and Revelation (see Introductions to both books: Author). He was
a fisherman
one of Jesus' inner circle (together with James and Peter)
and
"the disciple whom Jesus loved" (Jn
13:23; see note there). He may have been a first cousin of Jesus
(his mother may have been Salome
possibly a sister of Mary; cf. Mt 27:56; Mk
15:40 and note; 16:1;
Jn 19:25 -- this view assumes that "his
mother's sister" in Jn
19:25 refers to Salome; some further assume that "Mary the wife
of Clopas" there stands in apposition to "his mother's sister
"
which would mean that this Mary and Salome were one and the same person).
Unlike most NT letters
1 John does not tell us who its author is.
The earliest identification of him comes from the church fathers: Irenaeus (c.
a.d. 140-203)
Clement of Alexandria (c. 150-215)
Tertullian (c. 155-222) and
Origen (c. 185-253) all designated the writer as the apostle John. As far as we
know
no one else was suggested by the early church.
This traditional identification is confirmed by evidence in the
letter itself:
|
1 John |
Gospel of John |
The letter is difficult to date with precision
but factors such
as (1) evidence from early Christian writers (Irenaeus and Clement of
Alexandria)
(2) the early form of Gnosticism reflected in the denunciations of
the letter and (3) indications of the advanced age of John suggest the end of
the first century. Since the author of 1 John seems to build on concepts and
themes found in the fourth Gospel (1Jn 2:7-11)
it is reasonable to date the letter
somewhere between a.d. 85 and 95
after the writing of the Gospel
which may
have been written c. 85 (see Introduction to John: Date).
1Jn 2:12-14
19; 3:1;
5:13 make it clear that this letter was
addressed to believers. But the letter itself does not indicate who they were
or where they lived. The fact that it mentions no one by name suggests it was a
circular letter sent to Christians in a number of places. Evidence from early
Christian writers places the apostle John in Ephesus during most of his later
years (c. a.d. 70-100). The earliest confirmed use of 1 John was in the Roman
province of Asia (in modern Turkey)
where Ephesus was located. Clement of
Alexandria indicates that John ministered in the various churches scattered
throughout that province. It may be assumed
therefore
that 1 John was sent to
the churches of the province of Asia (see map No. 13 at the end of this study
Bible).
One of the most dangerous heresies of the first two centuries of
the church was Gnosticism. Its central teaching was that spirit is entirely
good and matter is entirely evil. From this unbiblical dualism flowed five
important errors:
The Gnosticism addressed in the NT was an early form of the
heresy
not the intricately developed system of the second and third centuries.
In addition to that seen in Colossians and in John's letters
acquaintance with
early Gnosticism is reflected in 1
2 Timothy
Titus
and 2 Peter and perhaps 1
Corinthians.
John's readers were confronted with an early form of Gnostic
teaching of the Cerinthian variety (see Gnosticism above). This heresy was also
libertine
throwing off all moral restraints.
Consequently
John wrote this letter with two basic purposes in
mind: (1) to expose false teachers (2:26
and note) and (2) to give believers assurance of salvation (5:13
and note). In keeping with his intention to combat Gnostic teachers
John
specifically struck at their total lack of morality (3:8-10); and by giving eyewitness testimony to
the incarnation
he sought to confirm his readers' belief in the incarnate
Christ (1:3). Success in this would give the writer joy
(1:4).
I.
Introduction: The Reality of the Incarnation (1:1-4)
A.
Ethical Tests of Fellowship (1:5;2:11)
III. The Christian
Life as Divine Sonship (2:29;4:6)
IV.
The Christian Life as an Integration of the Ethical and the
Christological (4:7;5:12)
V.
Conclusion: Great Christian Certainties (5:13-21)
──《New
International Version》
Introduction to 1 John
This epistle is a discourse upon the
principles of Christianity
in doctrine and practice. The design appears to be
to refute and guard against erroneous and unholy tenets
principles
and
practices
especially such as would lower the Godhead of Christ
and the
reality and power of his sufferings and death
as an atoning sacrifice; and
against the assertion that believers being saved by grace
are not required to
obey the commandments. This epistle also stirs up all who profess to know God
to have communion with him
and to believe in him
and that they walk in
holiness
not in sin
showing that a mere outward profession is nothing
without the evidence of a holy life and conduct. It also helps forward and
excites real Christians to communion with God and the Lord Jesus Christ
to
constancy in the true faith
and to purity of life.
── Matthew Henry《Concise Commentary on 1 John》
1 John General Review
INTRODUCTION
1. When Jesus to earth
He came not only to LIVE a life
but to GIVE life: "I have come that they may have life
and that they mayhave it more abundantly." - Jn 10:10
2. The GOSPEL of John was designed to produce faith so that we might have life - cf. Jn 20:30-31 3. However
it is the FIRST EPISTLE of John which discusses the nature of that life in greater detail - e.g.
1 Jn 3:14 4. That we might be sure to live the sort of life God offers through His Son Jesus Christ
a careful study of First John is in order [In this lesson
the first of several on First John
let's begin with some...] I. BACKGROUND INFORMATION
A. THE AUTHOR... 1. It will be assumed in the course of this study that the author is John
the beloved disciple of Jesus 2. Similarities between this epistle and the Gospel of John certainly suggests INTERNAL evidence for this conclusion 3. There is also EXTERNAL evidence that this John is the author: a. Polycarp
a close associate of John
appears to make reference to this epistle at the beginning of the second century
in a letter to the Philippians b. Irenaeus
a student of Polycarp
quoted from it and attributed it to John B. THE RECIPIENTS... 1. No one is specifically mentioned 2. John may have been in Ephesus general epistle to the Christians throughout Asia Minor 3. However
John's comments in 1 Jn 2:20
27 suggests that John may have been addressing a particular group of Christians possessing certain spiritual gifts C. DATE... 1. Estimations range from 60 A .D. to 100 A .D. 2. Most modern scholarship places it around 95 A .D.
but there are also good reasons for believing it was written prior to the destruction of Jerusalem 70 A .D. D. PURPOSE... 1. As declared by John throughout his epistle
he wrote it... a. "that your joy may be full" - 1 Jn 1:4 b. "that you may not sin" - 1 Jn 2:1 c. "that you may know that you have eternal life" - 1 Jn 5:13a d. "that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God" - 1 Jn 5:13b 2. While these reasons may state the "positive" side of John's purpose
it appears he was also responding to errors that were prevalent at the time - cf. 1 Jn 2:26 a. If not fully developed in John's day
there was at least a precursor to "Gnosticism" b. Those who came to be called "Gnostics"... 1) Claimed to have a superior knowledge (Grk. word for knowledge is "gnosis") 2) Believed all matter was evil a) Therefore God did not create or have anything to do with the material universe b) Therefore Christ could not have come in the flesh - cf. 1 Jn 4:1-3 1/ One branch of gnosticism
DOCETISM (dokein
"to seem")
said that Jesus only "seemed" to be physical - cf. 1 Jn 1:1 2/ CERINTHUS taught that "Jesus" was physical
but that the "Christ" came upon him at his baptism
and left before his death
so that the "Christ- spirit" never suffered - cf. 1 Jn 5:6 c. Their application to everyday living took two different directions; since all matter was thought to be evil... 1) Some thought one should abstain altogether from anything that would satisfy the flesh 2) Others claimed it did not matter what one did in the flesh (it was evil anyway)
and to have full knowledge it was proper to explore everything [Many of John's comments in this epistle appear to address these false teachings. With this brief background to the epistle
let's get right into the text by considering the first four verses. They appear to serve as a PROLOGUE
and reveal...]
－－《Executable
Outlines》