SHORTCUT TO WEEK 1: DAY 1 - DAY 2 - DAY 3 - DAY 4
WEEK 1 - DAY 1
BACKGROUND & CONTEXT
The book of 1 John was written by the apostle John, a man who spent three years with Jesus, witnessed His crucifixion, and then encountered Jesus after He had risen from the dead. This same John also wrote 2 John, 3 John, the Gospel of John, and the book of Revelation. John likely wrote 1 John to the churches of Asia Minor (modern day Turkey) while he was in Ephesus sometime between 80–95 A.D. Interestingly enough, the church at Ephesus was the first of seven churches addressed by Jesus in the book of Revelation.
1 John does not give us many specifics about the context John was addressing, though John does mention some who had left the church, presumably due to false teaching (2:18–19). Like a good pastor, John wanted to make sure that those who remained in the church weren’t carried away by similar errors. They, like us, needed to know the truth and to live in light of it.
PRIMARY PURPOSE & IMPORTANT THEMES
John has one primary objective in writing 1st John. The thesis of the book is 1st John 5:13, “I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life.”
In order to help us know that we possess eternal life, 1 John gives us evidences to look for in our lives. These evidences resurface throughout this book, and we can group them under three general headings:
1. A True Christian Knows Jesus Accurately. Those who have eternal life believe the Bible’s teaching about who Jesus is and what He has accomplished for our salvation.
2. A True Christian Obeys Jesus Authentically. Those who have eternal life obey God’s Word rather than living lives that are characterized by unrepentant sin.
3. A True Christian has Joy Abundantly. Those who have eternal life love and care for their brothers and sisters in Christ as a response to God’s love in Christ. This overwhelming and overflowing joy that God gives us will flow out of us into our brothers and sisters in Christ in action, not just in intentions.
No Christian will see these evidences as much as he or she would like. In fact, John recognizes that sin is an ongoing reality in the life of a Christian (1:8–10) and perfection shouldn’t be expected. Nevertheless, seeing these evidences, at least in some measure, should give us greater assurance that we have eternal life. And this assurance leads to greater joy and gratitude. Even in the face of doubts, suffering, and false teaching, we can rest secure in Christ and in the promises of God’s Word.
Because 1st John 5:13 is the thesis, we will commit to memorizing this one verse throughout our time in this study. If this verse is locked in to memory, any time you begin to doubt or possibly anyone wonders what the book of 1st John is about, you will have this answer!
“I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God,
that you may know that you have eternal life.” 1st John 5:13
QUESTIONS:
What do you hope to receive from this Bible study?
What are you most excited about?
What are you most nervous about?
If you could have one question answered for you through this study, what would it be?
Finish this sentence… “When I think about Jesus, I ________________.”