1 John Overview

1st John Introduction and Overview

I. The Penman – Apostle John – The Beloved

A. Writings:

1. Gospel of John (Saint John)

2. 1st John

3. 2nd John

4. 3rd John

5. Revelations -- Written around 95 AD

B. John – from Hebrew Johanan – Yahweh has been gracious

C. History:

1. Son of Zebedee (Mt. 4:21) & Salomme (Mt. 27:56 & Mark 15:4)

2. Convert of John the Baptist

a. then of Jesus (John 1:35-42)

b. Matt. 4:21 Fisher of men

3. Brother of James

a. James was first and older

b. Martyred Acts 12:1-3

4. Chosen as one of the twelve

5. One of the Inner Circle – Peter, James, and John

a. Jairus’ daughter Mk. 5:37

b. Transfiguration Matt. 17:1

6. Beloved disciple – Apostle of Love --- John13:23

7. Commissioned to care for Mary as his own mother – John19:25-27

8. Bishop of Ephesus (In modern day Turkey) Polycarp and Ignatius – Disciples

9. Persecution:

a. Under Domitian (Roman Emperor) – Thrown into boiling oil – no harm

b. Exiled to labor in a mines on Patmos

10. Death:

a. Natural – Only of 12

b. Around 100 AD – 93 to 94 yrs. Old

II. Written:

A. When? One source = 85-100 when John was 80

If John was aware of the fall of Jerusalem and

the destruction of the Jewish Temple (that occurred in 70AD), it makes

sense he would have included Jesus’ predictions in this regard as a point of emphasis. So probably prior to 70AD.

B. Where? Ephesus

C. To whom – The churches established by John in Asia Minor (Turkey)

D. Reasons for writing

1. I John 1:4 that your joy may be full.

2. I John 2:1 that you sin not

3. I John 2:12 because your sins are forgiven

4. I John 2:13-14 ye have know Him

5. I John 2:26 concerning them that seduce you have eternal life and that ye may

Believe

I just don’t feel like I’m saved. How are you supposed to feel when you are

saved? I know we do have some feelings that help us to describe and understand

the relief of sin, but I don’t know of specific feeling that we should have as being

among the saved.

III. Current Facts Concerning time of writing:

A. Christians now 2nd to 3rd generation after Christ

B. Excitement Fading

C. No Persecution but Seduction:

1. Many false prophets (Mt. 24:11 & 1 John 4:1)

2. Grievous wolves enter among you (Acts 20:29-30)

3. The Spirit of Anti-Christ

D. The Contemporary Philosophy – Gnosticism gnosis = knowledge

1. Only spirit is good

2. Matter is essentially evil

3. Liberate the spirit from the body by elaborate, secret, knowledge and ritual and

initiation which only the true Gnostic that can supply.

4. Real incarnation of God in man was impossible (Phil. 2). Good (spirit) cannot

take on flesh (evil).

a. Docetism – no physical body but purely spiritual.

b. Cerinthus – “enemy of truth” Drew a distinction between the human

Jesus and the divine Christ. He said Jesus was a man, born in a perfectly

natural way (Joseph biological father). Jesus lived in special obedience to

God, and after His baptism, the Christ in the shape of a dove descended

upon Him, from that power which is above all powers, and then Jesus

brought to men news of the Father who had been as yet unknown. Nor did

Cerinthus stop there. He said that at the end of Jesus’ life, the Christ again

withdrew from Him, and that the Christ never suffered at all, but that it

was the human Jesus who suffered, died, and rose again, while the divine

Christ remained absolutely incapable of suffering, and in purely spiritual

existence.

E. Consequences of Gnosticism:

1. Implication of Matter being Evil.

a. Body Evil -- Fasting, celibacy, rigid control, and even deliberate ill-

treatment of, sex identified with sin.

b. Since the body is evil, it does not matter, therefore, its appetites and its

lusts might be gratified without control and without limit.

c. True Gnostic is an altogether spiritual man; having released his spirit

from the bondage of matter. Such Gnostics held that they were

completely above sin; that sin for them had ceased to exist; that

they were so spiritual that they were above and beyond sin, and

that they had reached spiritual perfection (1 John 1:8-10).

2. Implications of Special Knowledge – Divided men into two classes:

a. psuchikoi [soulish men]—men who could never advance beyond the

principle of physical life, men who could never attain anything else

than what was to all intents and purposes animal living.

b. pneumatikoi [spiritual men] – those who were truly spiritual, and who

were truly akin to God.

3. Consequences:

a. Fellowship –only within society (clique)