First, Second, and Third John, sometimes called the Epistles or Letters of John, are like trail mix -- concentrated, chewy, and nutritious. As I teach God's Word, I find myself returning again and again to First John.
When John writes these letters he is an elderly man. When he was young, he was Jesus'"beloved disciple."Now, when he is old, he is passing on the faith he learned at Jesus'feet.
He writes with great affection, but that doesn't mean he is soft. In these letters he:
Refutes enemies of Christ who are spreading false and dangerous doctrine.
Challenges believers to reject darkness and live in the light.
Calls for righteous living and assures believers of the forgiveness of God.
Proclaims love as the greatest commandment of Christ our Lord Jesus Christ.
These letters pack a punch to their first century readers as well as to readers in the twenty-first century.
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The conclusion or epilogue surveys teaching and letters to the Ephesian churches, summarizes John's letters, and observes that lack of love for God and one another plagued the Ephesus Church at the time of the Book of Revelation.
2nd and 3rd John follow epistle or letter formats. 2 John is to encourage love and warn of false teachers, antichrists, who teach that Jesus isn't God in the flesh. They aren't to welcome or show hospitality to the false prophets. 3 John encourages Gaius to show hospitality to Demetrius, a Christian missionary, and not to follow the example of self-centered leader Diotrephes.
John explains that if we love God we will obey Jesus. We have overcome and achieved victory over the world through our faith. The Spirit, water, and blood are witnesses to God's incarnation in Jesus Christ. The Spirit also testifies in our hearts to give us assurance.
John warns his readers to be alert for the heresy that Jesus isn't Christ in the flesh - the spirit of antichrist. He encourages them that the Spirit in them is greater. He concludes with the message that God is love. God desires this love to be perfected in us and take away our fear of judgment.
John discusses hatred and jealousy of Cain for Abel to illustrate the world's persecution of believers. True love requires us to lay down our lives for the brethren in acts of compassion. By this we have assurance of answered prayer through the Spirit.
John explains how our hope in the Second Coming of Christ should motivate us to purify our lives. Discusses the new birth, born again, and begetting/begotten. Explains that the essence of sin is lawlessness. Jesus came to destroy the devil's work and God's seed in us keeps us from habitual sin through the sanctifying work of the Spirit.
John explains that the false teachers who left the church are the spirit of antichrist. But true believers have an anointing of the Holy Spirit that helps them discern truth and teaches them. They remain or abide in the Father and the Son.
Jesus' command is to love one another, rather than hate your brother. John exhorts children, young men, and fathers, and says not to love the world -- its lusts, desires, and pride -- for it is passing away
The apostle introduces Jesus as the Word or Logos. Fellowship with the Father and Son depends upon confession of sin and walking in the light. But if we do sin, Jesus is our advocate and atoning sacrifice before the Father.
Provides a survey of John's epistles or letters, examining authorship, a history of St. John's life, provenance and date, situation, theological errors confronted, dualism and docetism, Cerinthus, ethical errors, themes, and structure.
