1 John is not concerned with proclamation or conversion but with the lifestyle of a true follower of Christ. His purpose is the encourage those believing in Jesus in the face of various threats (1 Jn 5:13), especially the false teaching that Jesus is not the Son of God (also see 2 Jn 1:7). The rest of his discussion contrasts the difference between the true and false follower of Christ in terms of lifestyle with an encouragement for the true follower to remain true. 2 John briefly encourages the reader to be careful about welcoming false teachers, 3 John commends a certain Gaius for welcoming preachers.
We will examine each of these with a view towards comments about proclamation
and conversion.
| Text | Observations |
| 1JN 1:1 What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we beheld and our hands handled, concerning the Word of Life-- [2] and the life was manifested, and we have seen and bear witness and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was manifested to us-- [3] what we have seen and heard we proclaim to you also, that you also may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ. [4] And these things we write, so that our joy may be made complete. | The opening of 1 John shows that the gospel message was not just some speculative spiritual philosophy but rather it was rooted in the person of Jesus and the personal experience of the apostles who followed him. Thus, they proclaimed what they saw and heard. |
| 1JN 1:5 And this is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is light, and in Him there is no darkness at all. | John uses a synecdoche here, having a part of the message represet the entire message. The purity and sinlessness of God was a part of their message. |
| 1Jn 1:6 If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth; [7] but if we walk in the light as He Himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin. [8] If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves, and the truth is not in us. [9] If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. [10] If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us. | This text does not relate to conversion but to the lifestyle of those who would claim to follow Jesus. |
| 1JN 2:24 As for you, let that abide in you which you heard from the beginning. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, you also will abide in the Son and in the Father. | John urges the readers to hold fast to what they learned in the beginning. |
| 1JN 2:29 If you know that He is righteous, you know that
everyone also who practices righteousness is born of Him.
1JN 3:1 See how great a love the Father has bestowed upon us, that we should be called children of God; and such we are. For this reason the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. |
John makes mention of the fact that Christians are born of God and thus children of God. |
| 1JN 3:11 For this is the message which you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another; | Another element of the message from the beginning is the command to love one another. |
| 1JN 4:9 By this the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him. [10] In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. [11] Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. | John touches on the core of the gospel: Jesus became a sacrifice for sins because of God's love. Thus, God's love instructs the follower. Yet, the context is not speaking of proclamation or conversion. |
| 1JN 4:14 And we have beheld and bear witness that the
Father has sent the Son to be the Savior of the world. [15] Whoever confesses
that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God.
1JN 5:1 Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God; and whoever loves the Father loves the child born of Him. 1JN 5:5 And who is the one who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? |
Part of John's testimony was that the Father sent the
Son to be the Savior. Accordingly, part of the response is believing and
confessing that Jesus is the Son of God.
(This belief and confession have special relevance if John's audience is threatened by a gnosticism which denies Jesus could be the Son of God. John's purpose is to assure his readers-- see 5:13-- in the face of false teaching ) |
| 1JN 5:6 This is the one who came by water and blood, Jesus Christ; not with the water only, but with the water and with the blood. [7] And it is the Spirit who bears witness, because the Spirit is the truth. [8] For there are three that bear witness, the Spirit and the water and the blood; and the three are in agreement. | John cites three witnesses: The Spirit, the water and the blood. The Spirit's witness is seen in the miraculous gifts and proclamation of the gospel; the water testifies to Jesus' baptism and the blood to his death. These authenticate the claim of the gospel: Jesus Christ is the Son of God. |
| 2JN 1:7 For many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. This is the deceiver and the antichrist. [8] Watch yourselves, that you might not lose what we have accomplished, but that you may receive a full reward. [9] Anyone who goes too far and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God; the one who abides in the teaching, he has both the Father and the Son. [10] If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house, and do not give him a greeting; [11] for the one who gives him a greeting participates in his evil deeds. | False preachers were failing to remain in the teaching of Christ, not acknowledging Jesus as having come in the flesh. Thus, part of the true gospel is the human, historical nature of Jesus Christ. |
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