I JOHN---FELLOWSHIP OF THE FAITHFUL
INTRODUCTION
1. John the apostle is the author of this epistle.
A. He outlived the other apostles, and was a very old man at the time of this writing.
B. He was one of the three most prominent disciples along with James and Peter.
C. He spent his later years as the overseer of the churches in the area of Ephesus.
D. He was banished to the island of Patmos where he received the Revelation.
E. He died near the close of the first century in his 90’s.
2. John writes the epistle as an eye-witness of the life and ministry of Christ. (1:1-4; 4:14)
DATE: 85-90 A.D.; probably nearer the earlier date, and prior to his exile on Patmos
PLACE OF WRITING: Ephesus
KEY WORDS
1. Know - 32 times (2:3, 5, 13, 14, 20, 21, 29; 3:2, 5, 14, 15, 19, 24)
2. Fellowship - 4 times (1:3, 6, 7)
KEY VERSES: 1:6-9
THEME: Fellowship
1. With each other
2. With Jesus Christ (1:3)
3. With the Father (1:3)
OCCASION OF THE LETTER
1. Some who had been teaching error had left the church. (2:18, 19)
2. There was a tendency among some of the believers toward worldliness. (2:15-17)
3. They were indifferent towards the needs of their brethren. (3:15-18)
4. They had not entered into the full assurance of their salvation. (5:13)
FURTHER REASONS FOR WRITING
1. “That your joy may be full” (1:4)
2. “That ye sin not” (2:1)
3. To remind them of their responsibility to love one another (2:7, 8; cf. 3:11)
4. To remind them of their relationship to God because “your sins are forgiven you” (2:12-14)
5. To reassure them that they have and know the truth because of the ministry of the Spirit in them (2:21)
6. To warn them against false teachers who would lead them astray (2:26)
7. To bring to them the full assurance of their salvation (5:13)
CONTRASTS MADE
1. “In his day, heresy had already made deep inroads. John’s epistle is characterized by sharp contrasts of black and white with no shades of gray in between. Things are either right or wrong, true or false, good or evil. It is either salvation or damnation, Christ or antichrist, with no middle or neutral ground.” --John Phillips
2. Seven contrasts
A. The Light versus the darkness (1:5-2:11)
B. The Father versus the world (2:12-17)
C. The Christ versus the antichrist (2:18-28)
D. Good works versus evil works (2:29-3:24)
E. The Holy Spirit versus error (4:1-6)
F. Love versus pious pretense (4:7-21)
G. The God-born versus others (5:1-21) ---J. S. Baxter
3. “All the way through this epistle there is a clear-seeing demarcation between the true and the false, and a clean-cutting decisiveness in dealing with them. John’s pen is a surgeon’s knife, not a philosopher’s quill. There is a down-right spiritual simplicity which sees things as they really are. White is white, and black is black; and they cannot be compromised into a middle gray. This moral clear-sightedness is always a mark of real spiritual maturity. No need for circuitous windings of arguments; the Spirit-illuminated inward eye sees vital moral distinctions immediately--often causing much annoyance to those who profess more loudly but see more dimly. What hazy seeing and parleyings with questionable practices there are among Christian believers today! Look through this Epistle of John again, and mark well the significant fact that this epistle which is distinctively that of Christian love is at the same time the epistle of NO COMPROMISE! This is something which needs special consideration today.” --J. S. Baxter
SPIRITUAL EXAMS
1. There are at least five tests whereby we can know that the new birth has actually taken place in our experience.
A. The test of spiritual desire (3:9)
B. The test of spiritual disposition (4:7)
C. The test of spiritual discernment (5:1)
D. The test of spiritual dynamic (5:4)
E. The test of spiritual deliverance (5:18) --John Phillips
2. J. Sidlow Baxter comments that there are seven tests of the born-again experience.
A. False fellowship (1:6)
B. False sanctity (1:8)
C. False righteousness (1:10)
D. False allegiance (2:4)
E. False behavior (2:6)
F. False spirituality (2:9)
G. False love of God (4:20)
OUTLINE OF THE BOOK
I. INTRODUCTION (1:1-4)
II. HOW THOSE WHO POSSESS ETERNAL LIFE WILL LIVE (1:5-5:12)
A. They will dwell in the light (1:5-2:28)
B. They will do righteousness (2:29-4:6)
C. They will live a life of love (4:7-5:3)
D. They will walk by faith (5:4-12)
III. WHAT THOSE WHO LIVE SUCH LIVES MAY KNOW (5:13-20)
A. That they have eternal life (v. 13)
B. That their prayers are answered (vs. 14-17)
C. That God’s people do not live in sin (vs. 18)
D. Their true relationship to God and Christ (v. 19-20)
IV. CONCLUSION (5:21)
Note the following outline made with the idea of the theme being “Fellowship with God”.
I. INTRODUCTION (1:1-4)
II. GOD IS LIGHT (1:5-2:28)
Our fellowship with Him depends upon our walking in the light.
III. GOD IS RIGHTEOUS (2:29-4:6)
Our fellowship with Him depends upon our doing righteousness.
IV. GOD IS LOVE (4:7-5:3)
Our fellowship with Him depends on our having and manifesting a spirit of love.
V. GOD IS FAITHFUL (5:4-12)
Our fellowship with Him depends upon our exercising faith in Him.
VI. CONCLUSION (5:13-21)