Verses about the Apostles' "TRAVELS and ACTS"

Part 27 - JOHN'S FIRST LETTER,
TO THE CHURCHES AROUND EPHESUS

Introduction to 1 John

Book 23 of 27 - FIRST LETTER OF JOHN

Writer: The apostle John, towards the end of his life;

Date: c AD90-100

Where written: Ephesus, on the west coast of Asia Minor (to where Paul wrote his Letter to the Ephesians in c AD62)

Readers: The church in Ephesus and throughout the province of Asia; also as a circular letter to the church at large

Why: A general letter on living the Christian life through faith in Jesus Christ, and in accordance with the Gospel they have been taught. He warns his readers about the ways of the world and false teachers, and proclaims the preeminence of love - God's love for us, and in response, our duty to love each other

According to Some Modern Scholarship: Written by a close companion of John, known as John the Elder

 

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GOD'S SON REALLY BECAME MAN; THROUGH HIM WE CAN LIVE IN GOD'S LIGHT

  27.1 JOHN WAS AN EYE-WITNESS TO JESUS THE MAN, IN THIS WORLD

1 John 1:1-4 - We are writing to you about something which has always existed yet which we ourselves actually saw and heard: something which we had an opportunity to observe closely and even to hold in our hands, and yet, as we know now, was something of the very Word of life himself! For it was life which appeared before us: we saw it, we are eye-witnesses of it, and are now writing to you about it. It was the very life of all ages, the life that has always existed with the Father (God), which actually became visible in person (as Jesus Christ) to us mortal men (the apostles). We repeat, we really saw and heard what we are now writing to you about (... as companions, eye-witnesses, and disciples of Jesus for three years). We want you to be with us in this - in this fellowship with the Father, and Jesus Christ his Son. We must write and tell you about it, because the more that fellowship extends the greater the joy it brings to us who are already in it.

 

1 John continues

in Part 57 with verses preaching the "Gospel of Jesus" 1:5-10 To really know God, live in his light and accept that you are sinners

then:

 TO KNOW GOD IS TO OBEY HIM AND LIVE CHRISTIAN LIVES

  27.2 WARNINGS AGAINST SINNING AND HATE

1 John 2:1a,7,9 - I write these things to you (may I call you "my children" - for that's how I think of you), to help you to avoid sin.

(Verse 7 ....) I am not really writing to tell you of any new command, brothers of mine. It is the old, original command which you had at the beginning; it is the old message which you have heard before..... (verse 9 .....) Anyone who claims to be "in the light" and hates his brother is, in fact, still in complete darkness.

 

27.3 REMINDERS TO CHURCH MEMBERS OF THE SPIRITUAL STRENGTH THEY HAVE IN JESUS

1 John 2:12-13a - I write this letter to you all, as my dear children, because your sins are forgiven for his name's sake. I write to you who are now fathers, because you have known him who has always existed. And to you vigorous young men I am writing because you have been strong in defeating the evil one.

   

27.4 WARNING AGAINST ANTI-CHRISTS

1 John 2:18-19 - Even now, dear children, we are getting near the end of things. You have heard, I expect, the prophecy about the coming of the anti-Christ. Believe me, there are anti-christs about already, which confirms my belief that we are near the end. These men (once members of the Church) went out from our company, it is true, but they never really belonged to it. If they had really belonged to us they would have stayed. In fact, their going proves beyond doubt that men like that were not "our men" at all.

   

27.5 KEEP TO WHAT YOU HAVE BEEN TAUGHT; DON'T BE LED ASTRAY

1 John 2:24-27 - For yourselves I beg you to stick to the original teaching. If you do, you will be living in fellowship with both the Father and the Son. And that means sharing his own life for ever, as he has promised.

It is true that I felt I had to write the above about men (... false teachers) who would dearly love to lead you astray. Yet I know that the touch of his Spirit never leaves you, and you don't really need a human teacher. You know that his (Holy) Spirit teaches you about all things, always telling you the truth and never telling you a lie. So, as he has taught you, live continually in him.

 

THE CHRISTIAN LIFE MEANS LIVING IN LOVE

  27.6 AN ENCOURAGEMENT TO LOVE IN PRACTICAL WAYS

1 John 3:18 - My children, let us not love merely in theory or in words - let us love in sincerity and in practice!

  GOD IS TRUTH AND LOVE

 27.7 WARNINGS ABOUT FALSE PROPHETS

1 John 4:1 - Don't trust every spirit, dear friends of mine, but test them to discover whether they come from God or not. For the world is full of false prophets.

27.8 ENCOURAGEMENTS TO LOVE ONE ANOTHER

1 John 4:7,11,16b - To you whom I love I say, let us go on loving one another, for love comes from God. Every man who truly loves is God's son and has some knowledge of him.

(Verse 11 ....) If God loved us as much as that (in "sending his only Son into the world"), surely we, in our turn, should love each other!

(Verse 16b ....) God is love, and the man whose life is lived in love does,in fact, live in God, and God does, in fact, live in him.

 

27.9 JOHN AS AN EYE-WITNESS TO JESUS

1 John 4:14 - We ourselves (as apostles) are eye-witnesses able and willing to testify to the fact that (God) the Father did send the Son (Jesus Christ) to save the world.

OUR CONFIDENCE AS CHRISTIANS

 27.10 REMINDERS ABOUT ETERNAL LIFE IN JESUS

1 John 5:13 - I have written (this letter) like this to you who already believe in the name of God's Son so that you may be quite sure that, here and now, you possess eternal life.

 27.11 FINAL WARNING AGAINST FALSE GODS

1 John 5:21 - But be on your guard, my dear children, against every false god!

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continuing the Apostle's "Travels and Acts", on to Part 28, 2 John OR back to Harmony of Jesus & Early Church