Author: drthomasclothier

“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— ² 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— ³ 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. ⁴ And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete.” (I John 1:1-4)

What does the Apostle John mean when he writes, “That which was from the beginning”? The pronoun “that” can also be translated “the One” or “Who.” This person was essentially existing from the beginning, which means a point in time in the past in which there was nothing. This person is none other than Jesus Christ.

The phrase “from the beginning” bears resemblance to not only Genesis 1:1 but also John 1:1. In effect, the incarnation of Jesus Christ was as significant an event as creation itself.

John, in speaking about Jesus Christ and His incarnation, indicates that He was a real human being while at the same time God. In other words, Jesus Christ was God in the flesh. John and the other disciples heard Him, they saw Him with their eyes and paid attention to Him, they observed what He did and they touched His physical body. Jesus Christ is the word of life, paralleling John 1:1-5 and John 1:14. John’s point is that Jesus Christ is real.

Dr. John Walvoord writes, “With these introductory words, the apostle directed his first shafts at the heresy with which he was concerned. The antichrists brought new ideas, not those which were “from the beginning” of the gospel era. Moreover, their denial of the reality of the incarnate life of Christ could be countered by the experiences of the eyewitnesses whose testimony was founded on actual hearing, seeing, and touching (cf. “look” and “touch” in Luke 24:39). John’s message is solidly based on a historical reality.”

John the Apostle continues by saying “— ² 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—.” Jesus Christ, living here on earth who is the source of all physical and spiritual life, was manifested or revealed by God the Father and God the Holy Spirit.  This manifestation was seen, understood by John and now declared and proclaimed to the recipients of John’s letter. John declares that Jesus Christ is the only source of eternal life. He was with God the Father from all eternity and then God the Father revealed Jesus Christ in time and space while He was on earth (Galatians 4:4). Jesus Christ is not only real but also revealed.

The reason John gives for sharing this information is so that the sinners will be converted and therefore have fellowship, not only with God but also with other believers. “3 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. ⁴ And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete.” John concludes that Jesus Christ is not only real, revealed but also relational.

Do you know Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior? Have you received His righteousness by grace alone, through faith alone in His person and work? If so, rejoice that you have fellowship with the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. If not, repent and receive Jesus today (John 1:12-13).

May the Lord’s truth and grace be found here?

Soli deo Gloria!

“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— ² 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— ³ 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. ⁴ And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete.” (I John 1:1-4)

When we begin to examine a text of Scripture, or in this case a book of the Bible, it is important to ask ourselves four significant questions and to keep them in mind as we study. These four questions are identified as The Interpretive Journey.

The four questions to ask are (1) What did the text mean to the original audience; (2) What are the differences (similarities) between the biblical audience and us; (3) What is (are) the theme(s) contained within the text; and (4) How is the text to be applied in our lives today?

As we noted in the introductory blogs, John’s audience of young believers in Christ were encountering false teaching and teachers within the church. Ultimately, the heretics were denying the person and work of Jesus Christ. In particular, it was denying Jesus’ incarnation (John 1:14; I John 4:1-3) as God in the flesh. Doing so was to deny Jesus substitutionary atonement on behalf of sinners (Hebrews 2:14-18).

One of the characteristics of John’s writing is that he makes clear distinctions between what is truth or false, good or bad, black or white, holy or unholy. There is no middle ground with John. There are no grey areas in obeying God’s commandments in his perspective.  

Dr. John MacArthur provides some helpful insight into this first epistle by the Apostle John. He writes, “The interpreter is also challenged by the rigidity of John’s theology. John presents the basics or fundamentals of the Christian life in absolute, not relative, terms. Unlike Paul, who presented exceptions and dealt so often with believers’ failures to meet the divine standard, John does not deal with the “what if I fail” issues. Only in 2:1–2 does he give some relief from the absolutes. The rest of the book presents truths in black and white rather than shades of gray, often through a stark contrast, e.g., light vs. darkness (1:5, 7; 2:8–11); truth vs. lies (2:21–22; 4:1); children of God vs. children of the devil (3:10).”

Dr. MacArthur concludes that, “Those who claim to be Christians must absolutely display the characteristics of genuine Christians: sound doctrine, obedience, and love. Those who are truly born again have been given a new nature, which gives evidence of itself. Those who do not display characteristics of the new nature don’t have it, so were never truly born again. The issues do not center (as much of Paul’s writing does) in maintaining temporal or daily fellowship with God but the application of basic tests in one’s life to confirm that salvation has truly occurred. Such absolute distinctions were also characteristic of John’s Gospel.”

May the Lord’s truth and grace be found here.

Soli deo Gloria!

Continuing our introduction of I John, an absence of self-sacrificial love of the will for fellow believers characterized the false teachers, especially when they reacted against anyone rejecting their thinking and doctrines (3:10–18). They separated their followers from the fellowship of those who remained faithful to apostolic teaching.  This led John to reply that such separation outwardly manifested that those who followed false teachers lacked genuine salvation (2:19). This tactic among false teachers remains so today.

This departure by some so-called believers left the other believers, who remained faithful to apostolic doctrine, emotionally shaken. Responding to this crisis, John wrote to reassure those remaining faithful and to combat this serious heresy in the church. As come commentator explains, “Since the false teaching was so dangerous and the time period was so critical for the church in danger of being overwhelmed by false teaching, John gently, lovingly, but with unquestionable apostolic authority, sent this letter to churches in his sphere of influence to stem this spreading plague of false doctrine.”

What are the predominant themes contained in I John? To begin with, the overall theme is a return to the fundamentals of the faith” or “back to the basics of Christianity.” The apostle deals with certainties, not opinions. He expresses the absolute character of Christianity in very simple terms; terms that are clear and unmistakable, leaving no doubt as to the fundamental nature of those truths. John’s epistle is a loving, conversational, and above all, tender intimate conversation a spiritual father is having with his children.

Second, I John is pastoral. It is written by a pastor from the heart of a pastor who has concern for his people. As a spiritual shepherd, John communicated to his flock some very basic, but vitally essential doctrines. He assured his audience of the basics of the faith. He desired that they have joy regarding the certainty of their faith rather than being upset by the false teaching and current defections of some (1:4).

Thirdly, I John is also critical and controversial. It is not positive but also negative. John refutes the heretics with sound doctrine. He has no tolerance for those who distort divine truth. He calls those departing from the truth as “false prophets” (4:1), “those who are trying to deceive” (2:26; 3:7), and “antichrists” (2:18). He pointedly identifies the ultimate source of all such defection from sound doctrine as demonic (4:1–7).

Finally, the epistle’s repetition of three sub-themes reinforces the overall theme regarding faithfulness to the basics of Christianity: happiness (1:4), holiness (2:1), and security (5:13). By faithfulness to the basics, John’s readers will experience these three results continually in their lives. These three results also reveal the key cycle of true spirituality in 1 John: a proper belief in Jesus produces obedience to his commands; obedience originates in a love for God and fellow believers (e.g., 3:23–24). When these three (sound faith, obedience, love) operate in concert together, the result is happiness, holiness, and assurance. They constitute the evidence, the litmus test, of a true, authentic Christian.

May the Lord’s truth and grace be found here.

Soli deo Gloria!

As we continue our introduction into the Epistle of I John, we previously indicated that the Apostle John was an elderly man when he wrote this letter. Regardless, John was still actively ministering to churches. He was the sole remaining apostle who had an intimate, eyewitness association with Jesus throughout his earthly ministry, death, resurrection, and ascension.

As one commentator notes, “The church Fathers (e.g., Justin Martyr, Irenaeus, Clement of Alexandria, Eusebius) indicate that after that time, John lived at Ephesus in Asia Minor, carrying out an extensive evangelistic program, overseeing many of the churches that had arisen, and conducting an extensive writing ministry (e.g., epistles, the Gospel of John, and Revelation). One church Father (Papias) who had direct contact with John described him as a “living and abiding voice.” As the last remaining apostle, John’s testimony was highly authoritative among the churches. Many eagerly sought to hear the one who had first-hand experience with the Lord Jesus.”

What do we know of the City of Ephesus? Ephesus (cf. Acts 19:10) was part of the intellectual center of Asia Minor. As predicted years before by the apostle Paul (Acts 20:28–31), false teachers arose within the church’s own ranks, and following the prevailing worldview of Naturalism, began infecting the church with false doctrine, perverting fundamental apostolic teaching. These false teachers advocated heresy that eventually became known as “Gnosticism” (from the Greek word “knowledge”).

Dr. John MacArthur writes, “After the Pauline battle for freedom from the law, Gnosticism was the most dangerous heresy that threatened the early church during the first three centuries. Most likely, John was combating the beginnings of this virulent heresy that threatened to destroy the fundamentals of the faith and the churches.”

What were the teachings of Gnosticism? Influenced by such philosophers as Plato, Gnosticism taught a dualism asserting that matter was inherently evil while spirit was good. As a result of this presupposition, these false teachers, although attributing some form of deity to Christ, denied his true humanity to preserve him from evil. Gnosticism also claimed elevated knowledge, a higher truth known only to those selectively initiated on the deeper things. Only the special few had the mystical knowledge of truth that was higher even than the Scripture.

Instead of God’s Word of divine revelation standing as judge over man’s ideas, man’s ideas judged God’s revelation (1 John 2:15–17). The heresy featured two basic forms. First, some asserted that Jesus’ physical body was not real but only “seemed” to be physical (known as “Docetism” from a Greek word that means “to appear”). John forcefully affirmed the physical reality of Jesus by reminding his readers that he was an eyewitness to him (“heard,” “seen,” “touched,” “Jesus Christ has come in the flesh”—1:1–4; 4:2–3). According to early tradition (Irenaeus), another form of this heresy that John may have attacked was led by a man named Cerinthus, who contended that the Christ’s “spirit” descended on the human Jesus at his baptism but left him just before his crucifixion. John wrote that the Jesus who was baptized at the beginning of his ministry was the same person who was crucified on the cross (5:6).

These heresies sought to destroy not only the true humanity of Jesus, but also the atonement, for Jesus must not only have been truly God, but also the truly human (and physically real) man who actually suffered and died upon the cross, in order to be the acceptable substitutionary sacrifice for sin (cf. Heb. 2:14–17). The biblical view of Jesus affirms his complete humanity as well as his complete deity. Jesus is the eternal God/Man.

John’s opponents concluded that sins committed in the physical body did not matter; absolute indulgence in immorality was permissible; one could deny sin even existed (1 John 1:8–10) and disregard God’s law (3:4). John emphasized the need for obedience to God’s laws, for he defined the true love of God as obedience to his commandments (John 14:15; I John 2:3; 5:3).

May the Lord’s truth and grace be found here.

Soli deo Gloria!

For the rest of the summer season, we are going to examine the Epistle of I John. I thought his would be a good idea in light of the fact that I am team teaching this biblical book in an Adult Bible Fellowship at the church where my wife Diana and I attend and are members.

I John is one of five New Testament books authored by John the Apostle. The others include the Gospel of John, the Epistles 2 & 3 John and the Book of Revelation.

The epistle’s title has always been “1 John.” It is the first and largest of John’s three epistles. John’s three epistles are classified as “general epistles” because John did not write to a particular church or individual. Another characteristic of I John is that it does not have a common epistle like structure, which includes an introduction, greeting, or concluding salutation. However, its intimate like content and tone classifies it as an “epistle.”

Even though the epistle is called I John, how do we know that the Apostle John wrote it? The epistle does not identify the author, but the strong, consistent and earliest testimony of the church ascribed it to John the apostle (cf. Luke 6:13–14). The logical conclusion being that only someone of John’s notoriety and preeminent status as an apostle would be able to write with such authority, therefore expecting complete obedience from his readers, without identifying himself (e.g., 1 John 4:6). He was well known to the readers, and he to them, so he didn’t need to mention his name.

What do we know about John? As Dr. John MacArthur explains, “John and James, his older brother (Acts 12:2), were known as “the sons of Zebedee” (Matt. 10:2–4), whom Jesus gave the name “Sons of Thunder” (Mark 3:17). John was one of the three most intimate associates of Jesus (along with Peter and James—cf. Matt. 17:1; 26:37), being an eyewitness to and participant in Jesus’ earthly ministry (1 John 1:1–4). In addition to the three epistles, John also authored the fourth Gospel, in which he identified himself as the disciple “whom Jesus loved” and as the one who reclined on Jesus’ breast at the Last Supper (John 13:23; 19:26; 20:2; 21:7, 20). He also wrote the book of Revelation (Rev. 1:1).”

The exact date of I John is difficult because no clear historical references in 1 John. Probably, John composed this letter in the latter part of the first century. Most biblical commentators conclude that John was old and living and actively writing during this time at Ephesus in Asia Minor. The tone of the epistle supports this evidence since the writer gives the impression that he is much older than his readers (e.g., “children”—2:1, 18, 28).

I John and John’s Gospel reflect similar vocabulary and manner of expression (John 1:1-14; I John 1:1-4). Such similarity causes many to date I, 2, and 3 John as occurring soon after he wrote his Gospel. Therefore, since many scholars date the Gospel of John as having been written during the latter part of the first century, they also prefer a similar date for the epistles.

Additionally, the false teaching John exposes most likely reflects the beginnings of Gnosticism which was in its early stages during the latter third of the first century. Since no mention is made of the persecution under the Emperor Domitian, which began about A.D. 95, it may have been written before that began. Therefore, a date for 1 John is c. A.D. 90–95. It was likely written from Ephesus to the churches of Asia Minor over which John exercised apostolic leadership and authority.

I encourage you to begin reading I John. Make it a part of your daily Bible reading during these summer days.

May the Lord’s truth and grace be found here.

Soli deo Gloria!