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First John Chapter One

1. The epistle begins with John’s statement of his eye-witness ministry from the Word of Life (1st Jn. 1:1-4).
   1. The faithful ministry of the Word will promote fellowship with the Father and with the Son, through the filling of the Holy Spirit (1st Jn. 1:3).
   2. John’s joy is not completed by his own fellowship, but by the fellowship of his spiritual children (1st Jn. 1:4).
2. Fellowship is the absolute standard of walking in the light, or walking in darkness (1st Jn. 1:5-10).
   1. Walking in darkness is contrary to the very nature & essence of God (vv.5-6).  Volitionally, believers may choose to walk in darkness, but such a walk is obedient to the father of lies.
   2. Walking in light is consistent with the nature & essence of God, and permits His cleansing power to continuously cleanse us (v.7).  This walk is likewise a volitional choice.
   3. Denial of our sin nature is self-deception (v.8).
   4. Denial of our personal sins is to ascribe falsehood to God (v.10).  Both denials reflect a lack of God’s Word implanted within the soul (cf. Jas. 1:21).
   5. The only procedure given in Scripture for being experientially cleansed is the prayerful confession of sins to God (1st Jn. 1:9).

First John Chapter Two

1. John states a purpose in writing the epistle is to challenge believers to live the sin-free life (1st Jn. 2:1).
   1. It is best for us not to sin (v.1a).
   2. When we do sin, we have an Advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ the Righteous (v.1b).
2. Obedience to the Word of God, as a believer walks in the light, will produce an increasing intimacy (fellowship) with God (1st Jn. 2:3-6).
3. The simplicity of walking in the light is nothing new (1st Jn. 2:7), but is entirely new (1st Jn. 2:8) in the dispensation of the Church (1st Jn. 2:9-11).
4. Walking in the light is absolutely required for believers of all spiritual age-levels to have victory in the angelic conflict (1st Jn. 2:12-14).
5. Love for the κόσμος kosmos is a snare to the believer who desires to walk in the light (1st Jn. 2:15-17).
6. Walking in the light is absolutely required for believers of all spiritual age-levels to function in the last hour (1st Jn. 2:18-27).
   1. Antichrist is coming (2nd Thess. 2:3ff.).
   2. Many antichrists have come (1st Jn. 2:18).
      1. Antichrists deny that Jesus is the Christ.
      2. Antichrists deny the revelation of the Father through the Son (1st Jn. 2:22).

First John Chapter Three

1. As children of God, the love He bestows upon us becomes another motivation to purity (1st Jn. 3:1-3).
2. Children of God and children of the devil are obviously distinguished (1st Jn. 3:4-12).
   1. Believers can sin (1st Jn. 1:10; Jas. 3:2a), but when they do so, that sin does not come through their new Divine nature (1st Jn. 3:6-9).
   2. Believers become partakers of the Divine nature as they grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior (2nd Pet. 1:4; 3:18).
3. The κόσμος kosmos hates believers who have passed out of death into life.  The κόσμος kosmos system of hatred stands opposed to God’s system of love (1st Jn. 3:13-24).

First John Chapter Four

1. The κόσμος kosmos has a message of its own, speaking the message of the spirit of antichrist, spirit of error (1st Jn. 4:1-6).
   1. The Adversary is even now laying the groundwork for the revelation of his Antichrist.
   2. Believers today must depend upon the Spirit of Truth to discern the Truth from the lie.
2. The Spirit of Truth guides believers into the life of love (1st Jn. 4:7-21).
   1. The Christian’s life of love is possible because of our new nature as children of God (vv.7).
   2. The Christian’s life of love is possible because God initiated that love towards us (vv.10,19).
   3. The Christian’s life of love is directed towards their fellow believers (v.11).
   4. The Christian’s life of love is the means by which we can abide in God the Father.  Through this intimacy with the Father, we cast out fear (vv.16-18).

First John Chapter Five

1. The abiding love of the believer for God the Father empowers and motivates that believer’s love for the Son, and obedience to God’s commandments (1st Jn. 5:1-3).
2. The believer in Jesus Christ is an over-comer with respect to the κόσμος kosmos (1st Jn. 5:4-5) because Jesus Christ has overcome the κόσμος kosmos (Jn. 16:33).
3. The glory of Christ is summarized by the water and the blood (1st Jn. 5:6-8).
   1. The water baptism of Christ was necessary to fulfill all righteousness.  This event declared to the human & angelic realm the anointing of Jesus as the Christ.
   2. The blood was necessary to fulfill all righteousness.  This event declared to the human & angelic realm the finished work of the anointed Christ.
   3. The witness of the Holy Spirit is to both the water and the blood.

Note: The famous Comma Johanneum is the extended text of 1st Jn. 5:7-8, found in the King James Version.  These words are taken from translations of the Latin Vulgate after about 800AD, but have no credible support in any Greek manuscripts.  This verse, the Pericope de Adultera (John 7:53-8:11), and the long ending to Mark (16:9ff.) are the significant New Testament problem texts for modern translators & textual critics.

4. The testimony concerning the Son is the vital witness for eternal life (1st Jn. 5:9-13).
5. Life in Christ is a life of prayerful confidence (1st Jn. 5:14-15).
6. Life in Christ is a life of prayerful conflict (1st Jn. 5:16-21).

Second John

1. Like Peter (1st Pet. 5:1), the Apostle John calls himself the elder (2nd Jn. 1).
2. 2nd John is addressed to “the chosen lady and her children” (2nd Jn. 1).
   1. John loves her & her children in truth.
   2. All who know the Truth also love her children.
   3. The chosen lady had a chosen sister, whose children were with John, and greeted the chosen lady in the letter’s closing (2nd Jn. 1-3).
   4. The Truth abides in us, and will be with us forever (2nd Jn. 2; Jn. 15:4; Matt. 28:20).
3. John was thankful for the chosen lady’s children—some of whom were walking in truth (2nd Jn. 4-6).
4. John warns of the false teachers that have gone out into the κόσμος kosmos with their false message denying the humanity of Christ (2nd Jn. 7; 1st Jn. 2:18).
5. Believers who abide in the Word will have fellowship with the Father & Son, and will stand apart from the evil message of antichrist (2nd Jn. 7-11; 1st Jn. 1:3).
6. John closed the short epistle with his preference to speak face-to-face, and greetings from the chosen lady’s chosen sister’s children (2nd Jn. 12-13).
7. Pastor Bob considers plausible Chuck Missler’s consideration that the chosen lady is Mary the mother of Jesus.
   1. John was entrusted with her care (Jn. 19:27).
   2. John’s siblings were the children of Mary’s sister Salome (Jn. 19:25 cf. Matt. 27:56; Mk. 15:40).

Third John

1. 3rd John is addressed to “the beloved Gaius,” whom John loved in truth (3rd Jn. 1).
   1. “The Beloved.”  ἀγαπητός agapētos ^#27.
   2. “I love.” ἀγαπάω agapaō ^#25.
2. John prayed that Gaius’ financial prosperity and health prosperity may match his soul prosperity (3rd Jn. 2).
3. John rejoiced that Gaius was walking in the truth (3rd Jn. 3-4).
4. John encouraged Gaius in his ongoing ministry of hospitality (3rd Jn. 5-8).
5. Diotrephes was a leading man in Gaius’ church, who hindered every hospitality effort (3rd Jn. 9-10).
6. John urged Gaius to imitate good examples rather than the evil examples (3rd Jn. 11).
7. John recommended the ministry of Demetrius as a good example for imitation (3rd Jn. 12).
8. John closed the short epistle with his preference to speak face-to-face, and greetings to & from mutual friends (3rd Jn. 13-15).