As way of Book introductions I will be using www.gotquestions.org
This is not going to be extremely deep and scholarly but more like daily devotions.
" Author: 1, 2, and 3 John have from earliest times been attributed to the apostle John, who also wrote the Gospel of John. The content, style, and vocabulary seem to warrant the conclusion that these three epistles were addressed to the same readers as the Gospel of John.
Date of Writing: The Book of 1 John was likely written between A.D. 85-95.
Purpose of Writing: The Book of 1 John seems to be a summary that assumes the readers' knowledge of the gospel as written by John and offers certainty for their faith in Christ. The first epistle indicates that the readers were confronted with the error of gnosticism, which became a more serious problem in the second century. As a philosophy of religion it held that matter is evil and spirit is good. The solution to the tension between these two was knowledge, or gnosis, through which man rose from the mundane to the spiritual. In the gospel message, this led to two false theories concerning the person of Christ, Docetism—regarding the human Jesus as a ghost—and Cerinthianism—making Jesus a dual personality, at times human and at times divine. The key purpose of 1 John is to set boundaries on the content of faith and to give believers assurance of their salvation."
Date of Writing: The Book of 1 John was likely written between A.D. 85-95.
Purpose of Writing: The Book of 1 John seems to be a summary that assumes the readers' knowledge of the gospel as written by John and offers certainty for their faith in Christ. The first epistle indicates that the readers were confronted with the error of gnosticism, which became a more serious problem in the second century. As a philosophy of religion it held that matter is evil and spirit is good. The solution to the tension between these two was knowledge, or gnosis, through which man rose from the mundane to the spiritual. In the gospel message, this led to two false theories concerning the person of Christ, Docetism—regarding the human Jesus as a ghost—and Cerinthianism—making Jesus a dual personality, at times human and at times divine. The key purpose of 1 John is to set boundaries on the content of faith and to give believers assurance of their salvation."
http://www.gotquestions.org/Book-of-1-John.html
(1 John 1:1-4 ESV)
That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life—the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us—that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete.
Verse 1 The apostle John is making it clear that he was an eyewitness to many of these events concerning Jesus and that he had heard many of Jesus own teachings and had seen and touched him. He is driving home the point that Christ was a real physical being, and that he was not just some spirit floating around.
(1 John 1:1-4 ESV)
That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life—the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us—that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete.
Verse 1 The apostle John is making it clear that he was an eyewitness to many of these events concerning Jesus and that he had heard many of Jesus own teachings and had seen and touched him. He is driving home the point that Christ was a real physical being, and that he was not just some spirit floating around.
The Gnostic view is complicated but one of the beliefs was that matter was bad and spirit was good. John in his other writings made it clear that Jesus would be ressurected in a fully human body.
(John 2:18-22 ESV)
So the Jews said to him, “What sign do you show us for doing these things?” Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” The Jews then said, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will you raise it up in three days?” But he was speaking about the temple of his body. When therefore he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this, and they believed the Scripture and the word that Jesus had spoken.
(John 2:18-22 ESV)
So the Jews said to him, “What sign do you show us for doing these things?” Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” The Jews then said, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will you raise it up in three days?” But he was speaking about the temple of his body. When therefore he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this, and they believed the Scripture and the word that Jesus had spoken.
We have numerous other places where we see that Jesus was ressurected in a fully human body and even challenges Thomas to "touch him" (John 20:28)
Verse 2 Jesus was God manifested in the flesh. We read:
(Philippians 2:5-11 ESV)
Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."
Jesus did not come into existence at the virgin birth but rather has always existed from eternity (John 1:1, Colossians 1:15-17, Hebrews 1). We see in verse 2 that Jesus is the exact representation of the Father in his nature:
Verse 2 Jesus was God manifested in the flesh. We read:
(Philippians 2:5-11 ESV)
Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."
Jesus did not come into existence at the virgin birth but rather has always existed from eternity (John 1:1, Colossians 1:15-17, Hebrews 1). We see in verse 2 that Jesus is the exact representation of the Father in his nature:
(Hebrews 1:3 ESV)
"He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high"
We are told that it is Jesus Christ who is the Creator of the universe. This brings up numerous issues about the Trinity. Please take time to read this article which gives a basic understanding of the Christian position on the Trinity (http://carm.org/what-trinity)
The text tells us He was with the Father. We see a breathtaking passage in Hebrew 1 with the Father talking to the Son:
(Hebrews 1:5-9 ESV)
For to which of the angels did God ever say,“You are my Son,
today I have begotten you”?
Or again,
“I will be to him a father,
and he shall be to me a son”?
And again, when he brings the firstborn into the world, he says,
“Let all God's angels worship him.”
Of the angels he says,
“He makes his angels winds,
and his ministers a flame of fire.”
But of the Son he says,
“Your throne, O God, is forever and ever,
the scepter of uprightness is the scepter of your kingdom.
You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness;
therefore God, your God, has anointed you
with the oil of gladness beyond your companions.”
How awesome is it to be able to read these texts and have our minds blown! We are just beginning friends and I look forward to going through this book. Please feel free to post comments or questions and I will try and get to them.
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