Introduction and chapter 1 of 1 John notes
Study of 1 John started November 5, 2023
1 John Introduction
The author- John was possibly born in Bethsaida (John 1:44) and was a son of Zebedee and Salome. It appears his mother helped with the financial support of Christ (Mark 15:40,41). He and his brother James were called “sons of thunder” Mk 3:17. John lived in Ephesus, the capital of the province of Asia Minor, the Roman proconsul resided there. John may have been battling against Gnosticism during his later years. It said that deity cannot unite itself with anything physical such as a body. It understood that knowledge is superior to virtue. John battled against this by saying that Christ came in the flesh. It is possible that 1 John may have been written around 90 A.D.
Wycliffe divides the book up into these sections
Fellowship’s conditions 1:5-10
Fellowship’s conduct 2:1-29
Fellowship’s characteristics 3:1-24
Fellowship’s cautions 4:1-21
Fellowship’s cause 5:1-21
1 John 1
John begins by saying that which was from the beginning. In other words, he was in existence already. Beginning is the word arche- which means- beginning or origin
John uses the word manifested twice in verse 2- phaneroo- to make manifest or visible or known what has been hidden or unknown. John is making it clear that he is an eyewitness. He has both handled, seen and heard and now bears witness. He says that he bears witness that they might have fellowship with us and that your joy may be full.
Fellowship- koinonia- fellowship, association, community, communion.
Joy- vs.4- chara- joy, gladness, the joy received from you, the cause or occasion of joy. Jesus mentioned joy in John 15:11, John 16:24 and John 17:13.
Guzik- “the idea of the Logos- of the Word- was important for John and the Greeks and Jewish worlds of his day. For the Jew, God was often referred to as the Word because they knew God perfectly revealed himself in his Word.””
John declares the message that they heard that God is light and in him is no darkness. Evidence that we know him is that we also walk in the light as he is in the light. John is not talking about what God does, but who he is. The principle idea is one of holiness. Wycliffe says that “the cleansing of Christians is a consequence of walking in the light”. Walking in the light makes us aware of our need to be cleansed. We need to confess our sins. If we do God has promised to forgive us and cleanse us of all unrighteousness. One of the evidences that we are not in the light is that we say we do not sin.
Guzik- “the word fellowship has in it not only the idea of relationship, but also of sharing a common life. When we have fellowship with Jesus, we will become more like Him.”
Vs.7 “we walk”- peripateo- to walk, to make one’s way, progress, to make due use of opportunities.
Vs.7 and 9 cleanseth- katharizo- to make clean, cleanse, can mean in a physical sense, but also in a moral sense, to purify from wickedness, to free from guilt of sin, to purify
Vs.8 we deceive- planao- to cause to stray, to lead astray, to go astray, to be led into error
Vs.9 we confess- homologeo- to concede, to agree with, assent, to profess.
Vs.9 faithful- pistos- trusty, faithful, that can be relied on.
Vs.9 forgive- aphiemmi- to send away, to bid going away or depart, to let go, give up a debt, to remit, go way from one.
Key words from vs.5-10 purify or cleanse and walk and light.
