1 John Commentary Tod Kennedy Summer 2019

1 John Exposition, Summer, 2019

Tod Kennedy

Theme

John’s theme is the believer’s close relationship with God through Jesus Christ and what that relationship can produce in the lives of believers.

Summary

Fellowship with God and believers is based on the person and work of Jesus Christ. He is true deity and true humanity and was judged in our place for the sins of the entire world. John uses the words love, know, abide, and sin often. Loving God, keeping God’s commands, loving believers, rejecting antichrist teaching, and believing God highlight this letter. He uses three terms to develop our relationship with God through Jesus Christ: fellowship with God, knowing God, and abiding in God. They identify three aspects of a believer’s right relationship with God. The believer in this right relationship with God may—and should—experience love for God, obedience to his commands, love for believers, victory over sin, victory over the world, assurance of eternal life, and confidence in prayer.

Please note: John uses three terms—fellowship, abiding, and knowing God. They are within the same circle of meaning. Each has a little different emphasis. Fellowship refers to a close friendship; abiding refers to staying close in space to someone and depending on that person; knowing God refers to experiential and intimate knowledge of a person. Abiding and loving God flow out of fellowship. In this letter they all take place in the Christian life—the sanctification phase, not justification.

Fellowship κοινωνια (4x) 1 John 1.3,3,6,7
Abide μενω (22x) 1 John 2.6,10,14,17*,24,24,24,27,27,28; 1 John 3.6,9,14,15,17,24,24; 1 John 4.12,13,15,16.16.16
Know γινωσκω (24x), οιδα (10x) 1 John 2.3,3,4,5,11,13,14,14,18,20,21,21,29; 1 John 3.1,1,2,5,6,14,15,16,19,20*,24; 1 John 4.2,6,6,7,8,13,16; 1 John 5.2,13,15,15,18,19,20,20

Brief Summary: 1 John

Chapter 1. Jesus Christ, God’s nature, fellowship. The apostles knew Jesus intimately. They saw him, heard him, touched him, and had fellowship with him. He was a real person and also God. They spread the message about Jesus who was the word of Life and the eternal life so others may have fellowship with him and with each other. God is light and without sin. To have fellowship with God, a believer must not sin, or if he does sin, he needs to confess that sin to God, and God restores him to fellowship. It is wrong to claim you do not sin.

Chapter 2. Knowing God, worldliness, antichrists. Jesus is the believer’s advocate (he defends us from accusers) and propitiation (God the Father accepted his sacrifice) for the sins of the whole world. The believers who intimately know God and abide in him will love God, keep his commandments, and love believers. This is walking in God’s light. Hating a brother is a sign of walking in darkness or sin. If they hate, they do not love the Father. Little children, fathers, and young men are apparently different groups or stages of spirituality maturity. John gives two more warnings: do not love the world, and beware of antichrists. Love for the world contradicts love for God our Father. Antichrists, directed by false spirits, deny Jesus’ true humanity and deity. The indwelling Holy Spirit, through the apostles has taught them about Jesus Christ. John concludes this section by affirming that abiding in Christ—to be closely associated with him—is vital, both for the present time and to give us confidence for Jesus’ return.

Chapter 3. Children of God, God’s seed, God’s commandment. God the Father loves his children so much. When Jesus returns to earth we will see him and be changed to be like him. Awaiting this event should motivate believers to live righteously. Sin is contrary to Jesus’ character, and when we sin we are imitating the devil. One who abides in Jesus will not sin. God’s seed, the new Christ nature is in us, and that seed cannot sin. We sin when we chose to live from our sinful or Adam nature. We are to love the Christian brethren, not hate like Cain hated his brother. Love and righteousness go together. Love for the brethren includes what we say, what we do, and is the application of God’s truth in life. If you love rightly God knows, so do not condemn yourself for not doing enough. God’s summary command is to believe Jesus Christ and love one another. If we do, we abide in God and he in us.

Chapter 4. Test the spirits, God is love, abide. We are to test the spirits that speak through the prophet teachers to confirm that they agree that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh. Those who deny that Jesus is God in the flesh reject this. They are antichrists. Children of God have overcome these false teachers through the apostles’ teaching combined with the Holy Spirit inside them. We are to love other believers since we are spiritually born from God and God is love. When we do not love believers, we are also not abiding in God. What is godly love like? God demonstrated his love by sending Jesus Christ to be the savior of the world. Since God loved us, we should love one another. People cannot see God, but they see his love in us. Godly love indicates mutual abiding between God and the believer. Furthermore, godly love removes any fear and replaces that with confidence as we anticipate the Judgment Seat of Christ.

Chapter 5. Victory, assurance, prayer, sin. Faith begins this section: Believers in Jesus Christ are born of God people. We have positional victory over the world because of relationship with God by faith. We also can have day to day victory by faith over sin, fear, and the world with its values and temptations. Three witnesses testified that God sent Jesus to be the savior of the world: water—the baptism of Jesus, blood—his crucifixion, and the Holy Spirit descending on Jesus. God’s testimony about his Son is much greater than any other testimony. Whoever believes in God’s Son has believed God’s testimony for himself; it is part of him. God testified: God gave his Son; life is in his Son; he who has the Son has life. God wants everyone who believes in his Son to know that he possesses eternal life (assurance of salvation). Confidence in our salvation gives us confidence in our prayer life. John finishes his letter with three reminders and two warnings. He reminds us to pray for sinning believers, that our born again nature keeps us from sinning, and that Jesus Christ is the true God and eternal life. He warns against the sin unto death and idols. Ephesus was a center for idol production. John ends his letter as he began: Jesus Christ is God and eternal life—bookends.

So What? Application

Do you believe the biblical Christology? Christology is the doctrine of Jesus Christ. John writes about Jesus Christ and what he did? He is a true human being, a man. He is eternal God. He is the savior, the advocate, the propitiation. He is coming back to earth. Faith in him gives eternal life. We can have fellowship with him.
Do I have to sin? John says no. Our new nature cannot sin. When we sin—and we will—we have chosen to do so.
Is fellowship with God important to you? Sin breaks our fellowship or friendship with God. John wrote that if we confess our sins to God he will forgive us, cleanse us, and restore our fellowship.
Every believer ought to love God and obey God’s word. Without this, one does not intimately know God or abide in God (live close to and depend on). To love God is to have a single-minded loyalty, reverential respect, and to obey his word.
Every believer ought also to love other believers. This love begins as an attitude that reflects God’s love, and expresses itself in good manners, thoughtfulness, good behavior, good thoughts, responsibility, sacrifice, and protection.
What is required from you to gain eternal life? John wrote that God sent his son to be savior of the world. He who has the son has eternal life. Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ (the God and Man who died as the substitute sacrifice for one’s sins and rose from the dead) will be born of God and have eternal life. Are you convinced of this truth?
Are you confident that you have eternal life? If you believe in Jesus Christ God wants you to know you have eternal life.
Do you pray with confidence? John wrote that understanding the doctrine of salvation and assurance of salvation can give us confidence when we pray.
Summary of central lessons that John challenge his audience to apply? Fellowship, abide, know God; love God; love believers; obey God’s word, believe what Jesus Christ said; have assurance of salvation; pray with confidence; guard yourself against idolatry; live in your Christ nature, born again nature; do not love the world above God; walk in God’s light; Fellowship refers to a close friendship; abiding refers to staying close in space to someone and depending on that person; knowing God refers to experiential and intimate knowledge of a person.

I John Chapter Titles

Jesus Christ, God’s nature, fellowship
Knowing God, worldliness, antichrists
Children of God, God’s seed, God’s commandment.
Test spirits, God is love, abide
Victory, assurance, prayer, sin

Some repeated key words is 1 John

Abide is use 22 times.
Born is used 9 times.
Faith or believe is used 10 times.
Fellowship is mentioned 4 times, but it sets the tone for this epistle.
Jesus is referred to 12 times and Christ 8 times.
Keep God’s word or commandments is used 6 times.
Know is used 40 times.
Love is used 46 times.
Sin is used 26 times.

1 John 1 summary exposition

1 John 1.1-4. Christ always existed with God the Father and so always was and always is God. He is eternal life. Jesus Christ became true humanity and the apostles saw him, heard him speak, and touched him. He is both eternal life and true humanity; eternal son and incarnate man. Therefore any claim that Jesus was only a spirit and not a real man (gnosticism) was false.
1. 1 John 1.1-2. Their senses interacted with Jesus. He is the living word, the expression and revelation of God. He is the eternal life—he was (imperfect active indicative of ειμι eimi to be, exist) always with God the father in eternity past and was made known to the apostles. That Jesus is both God and man (Christology and hypostatic union) is foundational to justification (gaining forgiveness and eternal life), sanctification (growing in the Christian faith into Christ-likeness), and glorification (transformed, changed into our resurrection body).
2. 1 John 1.3-4. John announced to believers what the apostles saw and heard. He did this so that believers may have fellowship with them as they fellowship with the Father and the Son, and so we all may enjoy his same fellowship with the Father and Son, and with other believers—an intimate close friendship. This fellowship is possible, desirable, and practical. Knowing and passing on these truths to believers brings great joy to the apostle.
1 John 1.5-10. God is light (perfectly holy, righteous, and just) and to have fellowship with God a believer must walk or live in this same light which is to live a life in God’s presence. Though every believer commits sin during a normal life, God has a solution made possible by Christ Jesus’ death and resurrection—personal confession of sins to God. Spiritual growth brings more and more time walking in the light and less time walking in darkness by committing sin. A believer may claim to walk in the light when he is not doing so (1 John 1.5, 6, 8, 10).
1. Pattern in 1 John 1.5-10: the true principle is stated followed by what a believer may claim about himself that contradicts the previous true statement. v5 true—God is light; v6 one’s life contradicts one’s statement, v7 true—walking in the light one has fellowship; v8 one denies he has a sin problem; v9 true—If one does confess his sin he is forgiven and cleansed; v10 one claims that he does not sin so there is no need to confess..
2. When a believer confesses (`ομολογεω homolegeo) the sin, God forgives the sin and cleanses from all unrighteousness. He restores the believer to fellowship (1 John 1.9).
3. “If” in verses 1 John 1.6, 7, 8, 9, 10 indicate 3rd class conditions (εαν ean + subjunctive mood=3rd class if=a general condition or a future probable condition). It means if one thing happens then another thing will happen. See Matthew 15.14 and John 14.3 for illustrations.
4. Know, believe, and apply the Bible doctrines of Christology, God’s nature, hypostatic union, sin, eternal security, fellowship, and believer confession of personal sin.
5. Therefore, live under the Bible’s instruction and God’s nature (light), and be sensitive to God convicting of sin. At the same time do not be preoccupied with sin in your life. Let God’s light deal with sin. But when you recognize that you have sinned, confess that sin to God and he forgives and cleanses you of all sin. He can do this because Jesus Christ paid for that sin by his death in the cross. Our confession is our recognition of our need for God’s forgiveness and our faith that Jesus paid for that sin.

1 John 2 summary exposition

1 John 2.1-2. Jesus Christ supports and speaks for us as our advocate and propitiation before the Father when our faith is weak and when we sin. He is qualified to do so because Advocate (NASB) is the Greek word parakletos παρακλητος, one called to one’s aid, a legal assistant, an intercessor. See also John 14.16; 14.26; 15.26; 16.7 for its NT uses. What does this mean? It cannot mean to prevent the loss of our salvation (John 1.29; 1 John 3.1; Romans 8.33). But we do know that our faith is tested (1 Peter 1.6-9; James 1.2-3) and we can fail to believe God (2 Timothy 2.18) as illustrated by Peter in Luke 22.28-34 with Luke 22.54-62. Jesus prayed for Peter that his faith would not fail, that when he returned to his faithfulness he would strengthen his brothers—maintain his faith, come back to the Lord, and minister. Jesus as our advocate is praying for us when we go through testing. See Zane Hodges, The Epistles of John, pages 69-70.

1. Jesus Christ is our advocate, our parakletos. He prays to the Father for us when our faith is severely tested or fails. He prays for us that our CWL faith is strong. When you or I want to give up, or disbelieve that God will provide what is needed or work his will through us or use us in Christian service Jesus stands by us and prays for us. This should give us the courage to continue in the faith. We can come through the test. We can be productive.
2. Jesus Christ is qualified to support us because he is the propitiation `ιλασμος hilasmos for our sins and for the sins of the whole world (unlimited atonement). This is real and personal in contrast to the OT offering that was a ritual until the real event happened. Propitiation, Greek hilasmos (also 1 John 4:10), a sin offering. This word is related to the Greek word hilasterion found in Romans 3:25 and Hebrews 9.5, and also in the LXX translation of the Hebrew Bible in Leviticus 16.2 and Exodus 25.17 “mercy seat” where the blood was applied on the day of atonement, Hebrew kapporeth כַּפֹּ֫רֶת propitiatory, cover over sin. The mercy seat was made of gold and abut 45 inches by 27 inches. When a believer sins, that sin was covered by Jesus’ death for all of us. He also defends us against accusation by the enemy. Luke 18.13 uses a related word translated “be merciful” to me. That word is `λασκομαι to be favorably inclined, to conciliate, to propitiate, to wipe out. Also Hebrews 2.17, to make propitiation. He substituted himself for the sins of everyone and is therefore qualified to come to our aid.

1 John 2.3-6. Knowing God refers to a believer having good friendship, fellowship, and camaraderie with the Lord, also called abiding, while keeping God’s word shows that we love God. We have a parallel in 1 John 1.6 where a believer claims to have fellowship with God, and yet walks in darkness. In 1 John 2 one claims to know God on an intimate, friend to friend level, yet if he does not keep God’s commandments he is not being truthful. We all know of relationships between people where one does not really know the other person. “I guess I did not know him very well,” is expressed when one person does things that the other did not expect. See John 14.5-9 where Jesus, Thomas, and Philip are in view.
1. 1 John 2.3-5. We are confident that we know Jesus Christ well if we now keep his commandments. If we do not keep his commandments, we really do not know him very well. Furthermore, keeping God’s word demonstrates that the believer loves God and that his love for God has been perfected or become stronger and better. (God is an objective genitive; has been perfected is τελειοω to complete, to accomplish, perfect passive indicative which indicates a action that is completed with present results.)
2. Compare 1 John 1.6 which gives the same lesson from another view. If one claims to abide in Christ that one will live the way Christ lived. Abide μενω, is a favorite word of John. It refers to staying in a place, to remain. It refers to what John has already addressed in 1 John 1, fellowship or walking in the light. See John 15.
1 John 2.7-11. Love for a believer is Christ’s command and goes with walking in the light while hating the brother goes with walking in darkness. Jesus gave the old commandment in John 13.34-35, “that you love one another.”
1. 1 John 2.8. The new commandment is really a fresh approach to the old command. It is the same, but fresh, because Jesus has come and shown by his life what godly love is and how to love one another. Now believers can imitate him.
2. 1 John 2.9-11. Note the same ideas as in 1 John 1—walk, light, darkness. Walking in light does not produce hatred of his brother. Love is the expression of abiding in the light. Hatred is the expression of walking in darkness. The light of God’s word and Jesus’ life prevents stumbling (Psalm 119.65; John 8.12).
1 John 2.12-14. John is apparently viewing his readers by using three spiritual descriptions or strengths of people within the congregation. They may even overlap. They are children, fathers, and young men. Children are recent believers—either physical age, time as believers, or spiritual maturity. They especially treasure their forgiveness and have child-like trust in their heavenly Father. The fathers have been believers longest. They have more experience in fellowship with Jesus “him from the beginning,” 1 John 1.1-4. The young men are those who have spiritual and physical energy, and experience more dramatic spiritual victory.
1. Why do this? He seems to have characterized the various strengths of the congregation in order to teach them certain doctrines, to encourage them to continue to mature in the faith, and to more spiritual productivity. The action words forgiven, known, overcome, known, known, and overcome are perfect tenses which emphasize a completed action with present results.
1 John 2.15-17. John contrasts loving the world and all that is in it with loving our heavenly Father. We are not to love the world in the sense that it holds our attentions and loyalty.
1. The Greek words for love are agapao αγαπαω and agape αγαπη. These words emphasizes sacrifice, responsibility, protection, and spiritual welfare. See 1 Corinthians 13.4-7. Placing supreme value on the world instead of our heavenly Father is not only wrong, it is loving something that is only temporary. One who loves the Father will do the Father’s will and that kind of life and production lasts forever. The lust of the flesh is anything that flesh craves, such as any kind of addiction. The lust of the eyes is anything that the eyes see and must have, often called covetousness. The boastful pride of life is boastful arrogance about one’s self, possessions, ideas, or plans. Romans 12.1-2 adds Paul’s words about worldliness.
1 John 2.18-27. The acceptance of Jesus as God is the foundational truth. John’s audience has the anointing—the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit confirms in us that Jesus is Lord God. One who denies that Jesus is the Christ is against Christ “antichrist.” Let these truths abide is believers.
1. 1 John 2.18-23. The antichrist philosophy begins with denying that Jesus is Messiah God, a denial that he is undiminished deity and true humanity in one person forever (Hypostatic Union). People opposed to the doctrine of Christ left the congregation. They showed that they were not believers or that they had replaced Christology with anti-christology. They deny that Jesus is the Christ.
2. 1 John 2.24-25. John encourages his readers to hold to the doctrine of Christ. They know the doctrine of Christ correctly because they have been instructed through the Holy Spirit’s ministry combined with the apostles’ teaching. Finally, John makes the plea that this Christology truth continue to abide in them. Christology is foundational to the promise of eternal life that comes through Jesus Christ.
1 John 2.26-27. False teachers work to deceive those who hold the truth about Jesus Christ. But John knows that his audience knows the truth. The Holy Spirit anointed them, he lives in them, and according to John 14.26 and John 16.13, the Holy Spirit was given to teach them, and he does.
1. When John wrote in 1 John 2.27, ”that you have no need for anyone to teach you,” the subject in context is that Jesus is God. They understand the subject. They have learned it. John even spells it out in John 1 and 1 John 1. He is saying that the grasp of who Jesus is comes from the teaching of the Holy Spirit. John does not mean everyone is his own teacher so that no one needs to teach them about anything. That is forced into the context. And if that is his meaning (and it is not), that denies even this letter by John in which he is teaching them many truths. Also, what about all the Scripture that say gifted men teach others (1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, Titus, Ephesians 4, Hebrews 5. 11ff, and many others). He finishes 1 John 2.27 by emphasizing another truth that the anointing taught them: to abide (present active indicative of μενω meno, to remain, to abide, to stay) in Christ, which they do. This is an important topic of John. See John 15.
1 John 2.28-29. The final encouragement in the chapter is to abide in Christ (abide is the present active imperative of μενω meno) and to live righteously.
1. 1 John 2.28. Abiding ensures confidence when Christ returns for his church. Jesus, in John 15 taught that abiding in Christ is a relationship that depends on Christ. This ensures no shame when the Lord returns.
2. 1 John 2.28. Righteous living comes from being born from God. Righteousness is part of the new Christ nature.

1 John 3, summary exposition

1 John 3.1-3. The Father calls us his children. John addresses his audience as beloved and we. This indicates again that his audience is believers. We are called children of the Father (God the Father). The word for children is teknon τεκνον, which refers to a child, one who is a descendent, youngsters, or offspring. We are now our heavenly Father’s children. This word is also used in John 1:12. As children we need training.
1. 1 John 3.1. Present time. The world does not know us in the sense of understanding us. Consider 2 Corinthians 5:17 where right now as new creatures in Christ we have a new relationship with God, a new kind of life (eternal life in quality and length), a new capacity to know, grow, fellowship with, and serve God, and a new way and power for living. We are related to God with a different character, lifestyle, and purpose.
2. 1 John 3.2. But later, when Jesus appears (φανεροω to be visible, show, revealed, aorist passive) we will changed to be like (`ομοιος homoios same nature, like similar) him in resurrection body. This will happen when Jesus comes back to take his church to heaven. John recorded in John 14.1-3 that Jesus told the disciples he would go and prepare a place for them and come back and take them to heaven. Then we will be changed (Philippians 3.20-21; 1 Corinthians 15.51-54). We will see him just as he is. Theologically, this event is called the rapture.
3. 1 John 3.3. Purifies himself. This confident expectation will keep us focused on the Lord, and our desire to be like him—holy in life (αγνος pure, holy).
1 John 3.4-10. The argument. The new nature, God’s seed, cannot sin. If we sin it is from the old Adam nature. John writes to spiritual children (teknon τεκνον). This section of 1 John presents a wonderful truth, but it is often missed. The simple point is that we as believers in Christ, are new creations in Christ (2 Corinthians 5.17) and are the offspring of God (seed, 1 John 3.9, born of God).
1. 1 John 3.4-5. Sin and lawlessness are both violation of God’s character. Jesus came to remove the sin barrier through his death on the cross. Jesus the sin bearer was completely without sin. To redeem, one must be able and that means no sin in himself.
2. 1 John 3.6-7. 1. Therefore when a believer abides in Christ (μενω meno present active participle used as the subject) he does not sin (`αμαρτανω hamartano customary present active indicative indicating what does or does not happen). 2. One who abides is in a not sinning condition; and one who sins is in a not seeing or not knowing condition. 3. Therefore, do not let anyone deceive you by saying that God is not perfectly righteous and a little sin will not harm your fellowship with God. God is righteous and believers should do righteousness.
3. 1 John 3.8-10. Ultimately, all sin comes from Satan, the first sinner. All righteousness comes from God. From that perspective we are like our sinless parent, and so when we live from our new creation position we cannot and do not sin. Personal sin comes from the Adam man—the old man under the domination of the sinful nature.
4. Recall that every believer is also called or has the new man (Ephesians 4.24; Colossians 3.10), new creation (2 Corinthians 5.17, Galatians 6.15), partakers of the divine nature (2 Peter 1.4), and God’s seed remains in us (1 John 3.9).This develops into the “Christ formed in you” of Galatians 4.19 and the “put on the Lord Jesus Christ” man of Romans 13.14. Alternative interpretations include taking “does not sin” and “cannot sin” as progressive present tenses meaning continually sin, or meaning that the person is really not a believer. Neither of these fits the context of John’s writings nor other New Testament teachings. Also compare Romans 6-8. Specific points of doctrine here include: sin and lawlessness go together, Jesus Christ was sinless, he came to take away sin, believers do not sin when abiding in Christ, a believer who sins is acting like the devil, the devil is the first sinner, the born of God person living according to his see cannot sin (God nature does not sin), a believer who does not practice righteousness or who does not love his brother is not living according to his God nature.
1 John 3.11-13. Godly love is the standard Christian practice. Cain did not love Abel; instead he was jealous, self-centered, and angry leading to murder. The world has the same hateful attituded toward believers. Do not be amazed (θαυμαζω thaumazw, pres act imperative, to be extra impressed or disturbed, amazed) if (1 class if) the world (κοσμος kosmos) hates you who love other believers (John 15.18). They have a different standard, authority, relationship, and way of living.
1 John 3.14-24. Godly love for believers informs us that we have passed from death to life. Love is where we live.
1. 1 John 3.14. There is a contrast between passed (perfect act indicative μεταβαινω metabaino, to change place or state, here from unsaved to saved) and abide (present active indicative μενω meno). To not love shows we are abiding in death, or at that time experiencing the sphere of death, even though we have in position passed out of death and into life.
2. 1 John 3.15. Hatred of a believer is mental murder, and of course that believer is not experiencing his eternal life.
3. 1 John 3.16. Jesus demonstrated godly love by his sacrifice in death for us and we should be willing to do the same..
4. 1 John 3.17-20. We should love by what we do, not just by what we say. When we love in deed and truth we will know it, even if we might doubt that we are loving as God loved. God knows that we are loving correctly if we love in deed and truth—according to Jesus’ standard. God knows when we love others, so trust him to direct us.
5. 1 John 3.21-22. On the other hand, when we are confident about our love we pray with greater ease and expectation. Why? Because we keep his commandments, his word. We obey him. Our prayer life is more natural and more effective.
6. 1 John 3.23. God’s commandments are summarized into one command. God is pleased that we do what he says. First part—to believe the name of his son Jesus Christ. The second part—to love one another.
  1. “Believe the name” ἵνα πιστεύσωμεν τῷ ὀνόματι τοῦ Υἱοῦ αὐτοῦ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ. Τhe aorist subjunctive of πιστευω is difficult and probably the reference is to believers due to context and pronouns (though many say this this refers to the initial faith for justification). I conclude that it is constative aorist subjunctive referring to the entire life of a believer that is by faith in the Son on a regular basis, somewhat the same as Galatians 2.20, 2 Corinthians 5.7, Hebrews 12.2, and probably Hebrews 11.6. Then the present subjunctive of αγαπαω, probably customary present for the day to day regular action. Main point would be that every believer should follow Christ, focus on him by faith in him personally and his provision for the church (often called occupation with Christ, loving Christ, focus on Christ) and as outward expression of this have godly love for believers.
  2. 1 John 3.24. The first result—mutual abiding, we in God and God in us. That mutual fellowship that we have with God the Father. The second result—The Holy Spirit whom God sent to indwell us assures us of this mutual fellowship. The realization of this gives contentment, confidence, and renewed loyalty in our Christian lives.

1 John 4 points of emphasis summary exposition

1 John 4.1-3. Those who deny that Jesus is Messiah Christ in the flesh are false prophets and false spirits. John again brings up the controversy put forward by false prophets who are motivated by demons. They claim that Jesus is not God. Believers are to apply a test: the doctrine of Jesus Christ, Christology. The demons, through false prophets, deny the deity and humanity of Jesus Christ. These are ones who are of the anti-Christ faction.
1. I John 4.1. We are to test the spirits (δοκιμαζω dokimazo to put to the test, examine, present active imperative, 1 Corinthians 11.27; Galatians 6.4; Romans 2.18) because there are many false prophets in the world These are false spirits working through false prophets. To test means to listen and think about what is taught by supposed Bible teachers that attempt to instruct us about new or strange ideas. There are many false propjets (false teachers) propagating false ideas. Anti-Christ spirits speak through them. Some of the ideas are works salvation, sign gifts today, fake healers, excess authority, Jesus is not God, new revelation
2. 1 John 4.2. What was the primary test in John’s day? Do these prophets confess that Jesus Christ did come in the flesh—true deity and true humanity in one person? There is much meaning in this confession. In John’s terminology this meant the man Jesus is God in the flesh, God’s prophesied and anointed divine creator, redeemer, savior, and king of the world as he wrote in John 1.1-18, 29; 10.30; 20.19-31; 1 John 1.1-4; 1 Corinthians 1.2; 12.3; Romans 10.9; Philippians 2.11.See the doctrine of the hypostatic union.
3. 1 John 1.3. Those spirits directing the prophets to say that Jesus Christ did not come in the flesh are not from God.
  1. There were also false prophets and doctrines of demons (Matthew 7.15-20; Acts 20.29; 1 John 2.18; 2 John 7; 2 Peter 2.1; 1 Timothy 4.1; Ephesians 6.10-12).
  2. Acts 19.6, 21.10-11 tell us that the Holy Spirit spoke through true prophets in the first century.
4. John’s points: 1. we are to be careful to think biblically about what we see and hear, and therefore test the spirits in the world. 2. We must never waver from the doctrine of the hypostatic union—Jesus Christ is undiminished deity and true humanity in one person forever. 3. Christology, as John emphasized in chapter one is foundational to our Christian lives.
1 John 4.4-6. God’s children in John’s audience have overcome the false spirits because God’s Spirit lives in them and he is stronger than Satan, the false spirits, and their prophets. This can be true for all believers. The world listens to the false prophets (1 John 5.19). What is said is a matter of viewpoint—God’s biblical viewpoint versus the world’s viewpoint, also called the doctrine of demons. God’s apostles and teachers speak from God. Those who know God—know intimately as John has already written—pay attention to God’s message through his apostles and teachers. They are able to tell the difference between what the Holy Spirit teaches and what the false spirits teach through the false prophets. The Spirit of truth is the Holy Spirit in view of 1 John 4.2, 4. See 1 John 3.24, 4.13; Ephesians 2.2, 2; Corinthians 4.4.
1. 1 John 4.4. John calls his readers little children, a diminutive title for endearment here. They belong to God. Because they belong to God they have the Holy Spirit, the one in them, and because they have the Holy Spirit they have and they can overcome the false prophets working under the false spirits or demons (overcome, νικαω nikao in the perfect active indicative, probably intensive perfect for the readers at that time; to win, conquer, overcome). Since we have the Holy Spirit, as we listen to God’s word and believe it we are able to overcome false teachers’ message. We have that ability. The world refers to the viewpoint of the world in contrast to God’s viewpoint. See I John 5.19; John 12.31, 14.30, 15.19, 16.11, 17.14; 1 Corinthians 2.12; 2 Corinthians 4.4; Ephesians 2.12, 6.12; 1 John 2.15-17.
2. 1 John 4.5. They who revise God’s word are natives of the world and hold the world’s viewpoint. The world listens to them, not to God or believers.
3. 1 John 4.6.Those who know God listen to God’s apostles, and those who do not know God do not listen. So, this is one way to know who is a spirit of truth or error.
4. 1 John 4.7-8. Believers are to love one another with the love which God produces in believers. This is godly love, and is different in source and kind from human love. The natural condition of the one born from God is love. Like father like son. This love is that daily love (everyone who loves, present participle of αγαπαω agapao) that comes only from one born of God (perfect tense of γενναω gennao, to give birth) and who knows God intimately at that time (present tense of γινωσκω ginosko). “Does not know God” the person does not have intimate fellowship with God.
1 John 4.9-11. God made his love clear to us by sending his Son into the world so we might have eternal life. Love began with God. God’s love motivated the incarnation. Propitiation means God accepted the sacrifice of his Son for the sins of everyone. Think of the Old Testament mercy seat in the Holy of Holies. That is where God’s justice, mercy, and love joined for Israel’s benefit. Godly love, then, is sacrificial. The application for us is that we love other believers. God set the pattern for love (1 John 4.11). See the doctrine of removal of the sin barrier.
1 John 4.12-13. Even though no one has seen God (He is Spirit, John 4.24), when we love one another four things are true.
1. 1. The invisible God dwells in us. 2. God’s love (subjective genitive) is accomplished, made complete, perfected in us, 3. This love comes from the Holy Spirit, 4. so because God’s love (godly love) is accomplished in us at that time
2. we conclude that God actually abides in us and we in God.
3. That God abides is us and we abide in God is especially evident when God’s love is working through us to other believers. This is a mutual relationship between God and the believer. See John 15 and 1 John 1.7.
1 John 4.14-16. John repeats what he began with in chapter 1—that he and the apostles saw, heard, and touched the Jesus, the Son of God.
1. 1 John 4.14. the apostolic band physically experienced Jesus on earth. See 1 John 1.1-5. Jesus, the son of God is the savior of the world (doctrines: removal of the sin barrier, unlimited atonement. The incarnation and ministry of the Holy Spirit are central to John’s themes of Christology, abiding, and godly love (see John 3.16; 1 John 1.3-4).
2. 1 John 4.15.The person who confesses (`ομολογεω homologeo, admit acknowledge, confess, to assure, agree, profess, claim, in the present active subjunctive) that Jesus is the Son of God—possibly in association with other believers—is giving witness to the truth about Jesus who came into the world, the Messiah, in accord with John’s statements See John 1.29, 34, 36; 11.17-46; 20.30-31; 1 Corinthians 12.3.
3. 1 John 4.16. This band of believers experienced (know and believe, perfect tenses) God’s love personally. God is love. His nature is love. Whoever abides, dwells in Godly love must by necessity also abide-dwell in God and God in him.
1 John 4.17-21. God first loved us, and we are to love God and other believers. John mentions love 46 times in 1 John. We continue to learn that godly love (that which God produces in the believer through the Holy Spirit) is a 1. mark of a believer 2. a responsibility of a believer, and it 3. gives us confidence in our Christian life.
1. 1 John 4.17. Abiding in God brings with it abiding in love. Love produces confidence for the coming judgment seat of Christ. Love and confidence go t
2. ogether. Fear and confidence do not go together. Jesus loved. He did not fear. So when we have godly love working, we also do not fear judgment. And, we show God’s character the way we live in the world.
3. 1 John 4.18. Are we focusing on the Lord or on possible judgment? Godly love removes fear of judgment. Love is God’s nature. He does not fear nor does he face punishment. Love removes fear. One who is experiencing and expressing godly love is under God’s direction and so will not fear the judgment seat of Christ
4. 1 John 4.19. God initiated this love; it was sacrificial; it was known by God sending his son (1 John 4.9-10, 19). First John 4.11 teaches that it is also our responsibility to love. Even though no one has seen God because he is spirit, yet his existence and character become evident by our godly love for others (1 John 4.12-14). Biblical Christology (“confess that Jesus is the Son of God”) is inseparable from abiding in God (meno μενω, to remain, to continue, and in John’s context to remain in fellowship with God) and experiencing and expressing godly love (1 John 4.15-17).
5. 1 John 4.20-21. Furthermore, love of God and hate of a spiritual brother are not compatible. The conclusion is that if one loves God he should also love his spiritual brother.

1 John 5 summary exposition

1 John 5.1-3. These verses summarize John’s argument about faith and the new birth, about love, and about obedience to God in the Christian life. It answers who is a Christian, who we love and why? If we love God the Father we will also love God’s children. And God’s children are those who believe that Jesus is the Christ.
1. First John 5.1a explains who has eternal life—whoever believes that Jesus is the Messiah. Everyone believing (present active participle, used as the subject) that Jesus is the Christ (Messiah, God and Man, King, Savior) is born (it has already happened, perfect passive indicative) of God. That one is a Christian. See John 20.31 for John’s clear statement. This is the minimum gospel which is about the person and work of Jesus Christ (life, death, resurrection) and his offer of everlasting life gained by faith in him.
2. 1 John 5.1b. He goes on to say that the believer who loves the parent (God the Father) also loves the child (the one born). This is the normal expectation. Love for the Father—the Greek text has “the one who gave birth”—and love for God’s children go hand in hand. We cannot say that we love the Father when we do not love other believers
3. 1 John 5.2. The test: how do I know if I love God’s children? The answer, when I love God and do his commands. One of his commands is that I love other believers (1 John 3.23). So, when I love God and obey his word, I will also love believers, God’s children. Disobedience of God’s word is incompatible with love for God. The text: “everyone loving the one who gave birth (refers to God the Father) loves the one born from him,” a believer. Love for God and doing God’s word produces love for God’s children. Love for God will bring with it love for believers.
4. 1 John 5.3 clearly says that our love for God is defined by keeping God’s commandments; and his commandments are not burdensome (βαρος heavy, weighty, severe, burdensome). They are doable. His basic commands are to believe Jesus Christ and to love other believers. And, Every believer has the ability through the new nature and the Holy Spirit to love God, to love believers, and to keep God’s commands. See 1 John 3.23, 2 Corinthians 5.17, 1 John 3, Romans 6-8, and Galatians 5.
1 John 5.4-5. Faith and victory. Verse 1a presented faith at the point of eternal salvation (justification) Verses 4 and 5 start with this and say we continue to live by faith (sanctification).
1. In 1 John 5.4. “Whatever is born” refers to the principle of the new kind of person—a believer—and he overcomes the world in the past and present. Faith in Jesus as the Christ qualified us as victors over the world. Furthermore, verses 1-2 tell us that believing that Jesus is the Christ is the basis for loving the Father, loving believers, and keeping God’s commands. Since verse 3 says his commandments are not a burden, we know that John now includes Christian living in verse 4. Every believer overcomes in principle-position the world by his relationship to God (born of God), and every believer also overcomes the world in practice by each use of faith. “Which overcomes the world” indicates each point of victory. Our faith is the victory or that which gives victory. It is interesting to note that John says “our faith,” not “his faith.” “Our faith” goes back to “everyone having been born of God” at the beginning of 1 John 5.4. We start with faith. Then we continue with faith. This is a principle for every believer which is personalized in verse 5.
2. First John 5.5 Who can overcome the world? The one overcoming the world is the one believing that Jesus is the Son of God. The one who experiences victory now is the one who has been born of God through faith and regularly trusts Jesus, the Son of God a savior and leader. See Galatians 2.20, Hebrews 12.1-2, and 1 John 3.23.
1 John 5.6-9. The threefold testimony to Jesus Christ is water, blood, and the Holy Spirit. The testimony is conclusive. It was historical fact, and was given by revelation to prophets, apostles, and witnesses (as Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians, and Luke in Luke and Acts).
1. 1 John 5.6. Jesus came and was testified to by water (his baptism by John), by blood (his death on the cross), and by the identification by the Holy Spirit through the dove (Matthew 3.13-17; Mark 1.8-12; Luke 3.21-22). This is especially significant in view of the claim by the anit-christs (e.g. Cerinthis) who claimed that Jesus was not the Christ, not the son of God, and so his death was meaningless (1 John 2.22). The Holy Spirit is God and here stated to be true in what he does and says.
2. 1 John 5.7-8. There are three witnesses. They agree “For the one” means they agree. See Deuteronomy 19.15 for the requirement for three witnesses.
3. 1 John 3.9. If introduces a first class condition. We receive man’s testimony, we ought to receive God’s testimony because it is more accurate (greater). God has testified (μαρτυρεω martureo) about his son. We have heard what Jesus’ water baptism signified. We have learned what the Holy Spirit signified by the dove descending. We have learned what Jesus death meant.
1 John 5.10-13. Faith in God’s son brings eternal life and the factual inner witness of Scripture that one has eternal life. God wants everyone who believes in his Son to know that he possesses eternal life. When someone does not believe the testimony about God’s Son, that person says God is a liar. The witness (μαρτυρια, witness, testimony) is the objective truth revealed about God’s son by the water, the blood, and the Holy Spirit that God gave eternal life and it is in his son (1 John 5.11-12) The objective witness leads to the subjective assurance which comes by believing God’s statements about his Son (1 John 5.13).
1. 1 John 5.10. The phrases “the one who believes” and “the one who does not believe” are articular present active participles used as subjects; they are descriptive presents. The object is the Son of God and God’s testimony about his Son. The person who believes in the Son has (present active indicative) has the testimony in himself. God’s testimony is clear—the water, the blood, the Holy Spirit, and God’s statement. This person believes God’s testimony and so he has it for himself. God’s testimony has become his belief, and our own belief—that Jesus is God’s son and savior.
2. 1 John 5.11-12. What is the testimony? The testimony is about God’s Son. These verses expand on what the testimony is. God gave eternal life; this life is in God’s Son; whoever has the Son has eternal life. It is a gift. The life is in God’s Son—in no one else or in no other place. First, God gave us eternal life which is found only in his son, and second, whoever Has the son has this life See acts 4.12.
In 1 John 5.13-15, John writes so that his readers will know they have eternal life, and this knowledge give confidence about identity in Christ, confidence about heaven, and confidence in prayer.
1. 1 John 5.13. “These things I wrote to you so that you may know that you have eternal life.” Then he qualifies the people to whom he wrote, “to those who believe in the name of the Son of God.” What things did he write? 1 John 5.6-12: 1. the witnesses to Jesus Christ; 2. that God gave eternal life to us; 3. eternal life is in his son; 4. the one who has the son has eternal life. No question or uncertainty. If one believes in the name of God’s Son, that person possesses eternal life. The name identifies the person. John continues to emphasize the God-Man, Jesus the Christ, the Son of God. This teaches assurance of salvation for every believer.
2. 1 John 5.14-15. This knowledge of eternal life gives confidence in prayer. John, in this section, links a correct prayer life to one’s assurance of eternal salvation. When we are confident about our own eternal salvation we will also pray with greater confidence. If according to his will he hears us. If he hears us, we have the request.
  1. Prayer should be according to God’s will. Prayer is one of the basic techniques for Christian living (Colossians 4:2 and 1 Thessalonians 5.17). We all pray, yet often wonder about answers to our prayer. The prayer requests that we bring to our heavenly Father need to be according to his will—that is, prayer for what our heavenly Father wants us to pray. We find his will in the Scripture. So, our prayer life should be based in the Bible’s clear statements, implications, and applications. Our heavenly Father listens to these prayers and answers them in his best way. When we are in doubt about a request we explicitly or implicitly follow Jesus’ example found in Luke 22.42, “yet not my will, but yours be done.” The same author, John, wrote in John 15.6 that our abiding in Christ (fellowship and walking in the light) and God’s word abiding in us are necessary for a good prayer life. This ties in with 1 John 5.15-16—we know God’s will through God’s word and fellowship with him.
1 John 5.16-17. Sin in the life of a believer can be disastrous. Sin is an affront to all of God’s expressed will. And certain sins have potential for physical death as divine discipline. Personal confession of sin by each individual believer-priest to God is God’s will for us in order for temporal fellowship to be restored. Confession is easy for us to do, but sin can have very severe consequences for believers. One consequence of sin is physical death brought by God. This is the final discipline. The sin or sins that result in this discipline are not mentioned. We are simply warned in passing. John’s main point here is that we are to pray for other believers whom we see sinning that God will grant continued physical life and blessings to that person. The purpose of this prayer is that this person recover from whatever sin is in view and regain fellowship and Christian service. This kind of prayer fits in with the commands in 1 John to love believers. Recall the three stages of divine discipline: warning (Revelation 3.19-20), more severe discipline like pain, sickness, loss, uneasy conscience (Hebrews 12.4-11; 1 Corinthians 11.27-30), death (1 John 5.16-17; Acts 5.1-11; 1 Corinthians 11.27-30).
1 John 5.18-21. John’s final verses are themselves hard to understand. He writes comments and challenges about our 1. born of God nature, 2. guarded by God against the evil one, 3. the two spheres of life—God and the world, 4. knowing God and his Son Jesus Christ, 5. a strong statement about the deity of Jesus Christ, 6. and guard oneself against idols.
1. 1 John 5.18. Everyone born of God does not sin because he is new in Christ, and the new nature—new Christ person—does not sin (1 John 3.9; Ephesians 4.24; Colossians 3.10; 2 Corinthians 5.17). But he keeps him (Egyptian Text) or himself (Majority Text). There are many interpretations. The best seems to be that “no one who is born of God sins,” or literal “everyone born of God does not sin” (NASB) is the believer. The statement “but he who was born of God keeps him” (NASB) emphasizes the believer from his new in Christ nature, the seed of 1 John 3.9. This emphasizes the divine birth at salvation which makes the believer a unique new person and this new nature does not sin, though every believer does sin when operating from his old sinful nature. Of course, the believer may chose to follow Satan’s propaganda. Peter did this (Matthew 16.22-23). Below are the three different interpretations.
  1. The NET Bible favors the one born by God (believer) he (God) guards him. God guards the believer so the evil one, Satan, cannot touch or cling to him. Technically the commenters consider the second clause a nominative pendens in which a nominative is the logical subject, not syntactical subject. It makes good sense. Also see note 49, NET Bible, 1 John 5.18.
  2. Zane Hodges, “In saying that the regenerate inward person (cf. Rom 7:22) keeps himself, John is not saying that one’s inner self can somehow prevent all sin in the Christian life (cf. 1:5–10). What John means is that God’s “seed remains in” the regenerate inner self (cf. 3:9) as the controlling element of his born-again nature and is impervious to even the slightest contamination from the wicked one (The Grace NT Commentary, 1 John 5.18). Hodges accepts the Majority text pronoun himself instead of him. Both texts have good support.
  3. For another slightly different view See Henry Alford, The Greek Testament, 1 John 5.18, “but he that hath been born of God (γεννηθείς, aor. this time. The perf. part. expresses more the enduring abidance of his heavenly birth, and fits better the habitual οὐχ ἁμαρτάνει: the aor. part., calling attention to the historical fact of his having been born of God, fits better the fact that the wicked one toucheth him not, that divine birth.”
2. 1 John 5.19. The world of mankind lies or exists in the realm of the evil one Satan. Satan as the temporal ruler of the world sets the values, morality, religion, ethics—the world view (John 15.18-19; 17.15; Galatians 1.4). He works through religion, through culture fads, through political organization, through media, and even through demonic activity.
3. 1 John 5.20. Even though the world is under the influence of the evil one, we know that the Son of God has come and made it possible for us to understand God on a personal level. God is trustworthy, true, and genuine. We are in relationship with God and with his Son Jesus Christ. Both are genuine, the real thing. Jesus Christ is said to be the true God and eternal life. This is a clear statement of his deity. This statement, “this one is the true God and eternal life” pairs with opening of the book in 1 John 1.2 “the eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested to us.” John ends like he began, with the eternal Son of God, knowable by people.
4. 1 John 5.21. John’s closing remark warns against becoming entrapped by idolatry. An idol is anything that takes away from or takes the place of God (1 Corinthians 8.4; 1 Thessalonians 1.9; Ephesians 5.5). Idolatry is replacing God with something else. Ephesus was known for the Greek goddess Artemis (Roman, Diana) and the silversmiths who made idols to her (Acts 19.23-40).

So What? Application

Do you believe the biblical Christology? Christology is the doctrine of Jesus Christ. John writes about Jesus Christ and what he did? He is a true human being, a man. He is eternal God. He is the savior, the advocate, the propitiation. He is coming back to earth. Faith in him gives eternal life. We can have fellowship with him.
Do I have to sin? John says no. Our new nature cannot sin. When we sin—and we will—we have chosen to do so.
Is fellowship with God important to you? Sin breaks our fellowship or friendship with God. John wrote that if we confess our sins to God he will forgive us, cleanse us, and restore our fellowship.
Every believer ought to love God and obey God’s word. Without this, one does not intimately know God or abide in God (live close to and depend on). To love God is to have a single-minded loyalty, reverential respect, and to obey his word.
Every believer ought also to love other believers. This love begins as an attitude that reflects God’s love, and expresses itself in good manners, thoughtfulness, good behavior, good thoughts, responsibility, sacrifice, and protection.
What is required from you to gain eternal life? John wrote that God sent his son to be savior of the world. He who has the son has eternal life. Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ (the God and Man who died as the substitute sacrifice for one’s sins and rose from the dead) will be born of God and have eternal life. Are you convinced of this truth?
Are you confident that you have eternal life? If you believe in Jesus Christ God wants you to know you have eternal life.
Do you pray with confidence? John wrote that understanding the doctrine of salvation and assurance of salvation can give us confidence when we pray.
Summary of central lessons that John challenge his audience to apply? Fellowship, abide, know God; love God; love believers; obey God’s word, believe what Jesus Christ said; have assurance of salvation; pray with confidence; guard yourself against idolatry; live in your Christ nature, born again nature; do not love the world above God; walk in God’s light; Fellowship refers to a close friendship; abiding refers to staying close in space to someone and depending on that person; knowing God refers to experiential and intimate knowledge of a person.