1 JOHN CHAPTER ONE - Verse-by-verse
1 JOHN chapter one
JACK
prologue (verses 1-4): the word of life
SUMMARY VERSES 1-3
1. VERSES 1-4 CONSTITUTE THE PROLOGUE TO 1 JOHN AS JOHN 1:1-14 DID THE GOSPEL OF JOHN.
2. The first three and one-half verses form one long sentence in the Greek.
3. The Prologue features the eternal logos (i.e. the eternal Son of God) becoming manifest in the flesh as in the Prologue to John (JOHN 1:1 compare 1:14).
4. In 1 John the writer stresses His visible, physical appearing to those who were His disciples.
5. The writer has placed the object first for emphasis, and keeps us waiting for the subject and verb until verse three.
6. The object is the accusative neuter singular relative pronoun o[j (hos) and occurs five times in verse one and three (one time in verse three).
7. The object consists of a string of parallel clauses (five) and is expanded by a parenthesis in verse two.
8. The parenthesis expands on one of the elements in the object more fully.
9. The object is “that which was from the beginning.”
10. The beginning is the absolute beginning, namely, eternal past (compare
JOHN 1:1; if the readers were familiar with the Gospel of John, then they
would know what John was referrign to).
11. The wording differs from John 1:1 which has “in the beginning” (evn en avrc||a|/ arche) as compared to “from the beginning” (avp’ ap avrchj arches); only the emphasis differs. (The verb evimi [eimi] in the imperfect is the same.)
12. If the beginning is eternal past, then this must influence how we view the object “That which.”
13. The object is the eternal logos which is God the Son.
14. In the first instance o` (ho, the) refers to the Deity of God the Son before He became true humanity; to confine ho to humanity would make the first clause impossible as He existed eternally as absolute Deity, minus humanity.
15. The neuter gender is used, although logos is masculine; this emphasizes the abstract nature of the logos as both a person and a message.
16. John moves on quickly to what he and others have “heard.”
17. This confirms that that which had been with God had now come into the realm of human experience.
18. According to the Prologue of John, the Logos which was with God was God (JOHN 1:1).
19. The object in the second reference and following takes on a quality that made the Logos perceptible to men.
20. What these men heard was the voice of Jesus.
21. So far, the object could be simply a word or message, but now John adds that he and others have seen it with their eyes.
22. The expression leaves no doubt that literal seeing is meant.
23. The point is hammered home by the further statement that they had viewed the Logos in a contemplative manner as seen in the verb qeaomai (theaomai; to behold with attentive regard; that verb occurs in JOHN 1:14).
24. And had touched the humanity of Jesus with their hands.
25. John 20:24-29 records a graphic touching of Jesus’ post-resurrection humanity to confirm that His resurrected Person was true humanity.
26. The very for “touching” (yhlofizw pselophidzo, to feel) is used in
Luke 24:39 in the parallel synoptic account of John 20:24ff.
27. The tactual experience of believers is a polemic against the docetic teaching that denied a real physical incarnation of the Son of God.
28. This sensory perception cannot mean that the writer is thinking only of the message that is heard.
29. But why does the writer say this in such an ambiguous manner?
30. He is thinking of two things which are one.
31. He is thinking of both the Person and the message behind the Person who is called the Logos of Life, which He proclaimed.
32. Jesus is both the messenger with whom they had sensory contact and the embodiment of the message itself.
33. John tells us that he is describing the “Word of life”. (The phrase peri. peri tou/ tou lo,gou logou th/j tes zwh/j zoes is to be taken with the preceding relative clauses: what John has heard, seen, and touched concerining the Word of Life—that is what he proclaims.)
34. If we look at John 1:4, we see that “in Him” was life.
35. As God, Jesus possesses the attribute of eternal life.
36. As a result of His work as a man, eternal life is made available to man (compare 11:25; 14:6).
37. So this message and the One who is the subject of the message, conveys eternal life to men (ACTS 5:20; PHILIPPIANS 2:16; JOHN 3:16,36; compare LUKE 20:36).
38. In the parenthesis John makes it clear, beyond all possibility of mistake, that this life was revealed by God in the historical person of Jesus. (The awakwardness of the parenthesis calls attention to it.)
39. Its manifestation was the incarnation which John actually saw (aorists of fanero,w [phaneroo to be visible or manifest] and o`ra,w [horao, to see]).
40. John continues throughout his life to bear witness of what he had seen and heard.
41. His witness or testimony consists in a life of proclamation (2 verbs marture,w [martureo, to bear witness] and avpaggelw/ [apaggelo, to proclaim or declare]).
42. “The life” (as with the Logos) is a title for Jesus Christ (JOHN 14:6; 11:25; compare ACTS 5:20).
43. The life became visible in the incarnation (manifest).
44. The message declared the way to eternal life.
45. “The life” is said to be with the Father, a reference to Jesus’ pre-incarnate existence.
46. Yet again, John says it was manifested to believers who were with Him.
47. In verse three John tells them why they keep on proclaiming what they have seen (perfect) and heard (perfect).
48. So they may continue (present act subjunctive) having fellowship with John and his colleagues in the ministry.
49. The reason this fellowship is so important and desirable is because it is with the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ (the Logos, the life).
50. If they do not continue to believe the truth about the Person of Christ, fellowship with their teachers and with God will be broken (see COLOSSIANS 1:23).
51. Ph1 doctrine must be accepted in Ph2 is experiential fellowship is desired.
52. Mere acceptance of the Ph1 aspects of the Christian message is not enough to ensure Ph2 fellowship with God and with positive believers as verse four suggests (“these things”).
Summary verse 4
1. VERSE THREE HAS EXPRESSED THE WRITER’S PURPOSE IN PRESENTING THE TRUTH CONCERNING CHRIST.
2. Fellowship with the Godhead and with those who are positive demands a correct apprehension of who and what Jesus Christ is.
3. There can be no true fellowship apart from a common belief in the doctrine concerning Christ.
4. Since no one can enjoy a relationship with God apart from a relationship with Jesus (2:23), true Christian fellowship begins with belief in Him.
5. John now adds a subsidiary reason for writing.
6. He is writin this letter in order that his pastoral joy may be complete.
7. The news of their spiritual well-being after having received 1 John will fill up the pastoral joy.
8. John and his colleagues await the news of their response to 1 John.
9. There is a sense in which the pastor’s happiness is tied to knowing that royal family has responded favorably to the latest teaching.
10. A pastor joy or happiness is not complete (periphrastic present active subjunctive with the perfect passive participle plhro,w [pleroo, to be full or complete]) until right congregation, on the whole, (individuals come and go; compare 2:19) prevails over the current threat (testing) in the Angelic Conflict by adjusting to the doctrine made available.
11. From the time the pastor is made aware of the threat, until they prevail, his happiness is not complete.
12. This is not to say that he has no happiness, for happiness is one of the fruit of the Holy Spirit.
13. A pastor has +H from his own application of Bible doctrine under the filling of the Holy Spirit, but he will not experience that +H that comes from right congregation’s application until they respond.
14. As an example, not Paul's rejoicing over the news of the Corinthians’ positive response to 1 Corinthians (2 CORINTHIANS 7:5-7).
15. So a pastor cannot experience the full spectrum of +H so long as believers are not responding to the teaching.
the theological proposition concerning God
SUMMARY VERSE 5
1. IN THE PROLOGUE TO THE EPISTLE, JOHN DEALT WITH THE PROBLEM OF DOUBTS ABOUT THE HISTORICAL REVELATION OF GOD IN THE INCARNATION OF HIS SON, JESUS CHRIST.
2. His aim was that his readers might enjoy fellowship with himself, which demands they fully accept what he says about God and Jesus. (“If you want to have fellowship with us, you must accept what we say about the Father and His Son.”)
3. At this point, John's purpose is to show that there are conditions or barriers to fellowship with God.
4. There is the doctrinal condition already hinted at in the prologue (issue for believers and unbelievers).
5. Beyon the foundational doctrine to fellowship with God is a Ph2 issue for all believers.
6. This could be called a moral or ethical issue arising out of the character of God.
7. John begins his on-going discussion with a propositional statement about God. (“God is light.”)
8. He says he heard this from Jesus. (ap’ [ap, from, out from] auvtou/ [autou, Him])
9. This description is not found in the gospels in so many words, but this does not mean that Jesus didn’t say it (compare JOHN 21:25).
10. The coming of Jesus was a revelation of light (MATTHEW 4:16; LUKE 2:32; JOHN 1:4-9; 3:19-21) and Jesus so regarded Himself as the light of the world (JOHN 8:12; 9:5 compare 12:35 ff, 46).
11. He commanded His disciples to take up the same role (MATTHEW 5:14-16).
12. All this implies that God's character is light and that Jesus was the visible revelation of that light (JOHN 1:18).
13. Light is an Old Testament symbol for God and the word which He espouses (PSALM 104:2 where light is God's clothing; also 1 TIMOTHY 6:16; His word, based on His character, gives light; PSALM 119:105,130;
PROVERBS 6:23, etc.).
14. Light makes possible life and provides illumination in dark places and is, therefore, an appropriate symbol for God and His plan.
15. Light reveals what is there and the way we should go, symbolizing God's veracity.
16. Light also symbolizes God's +R, as light exposes what is there.
17. The comparison of good and evil with light and darkness is familiar and current in the ancient world. (It is typical of the Iranian religion—Zoroastrianism; and it was taken up by Gnosticism. In the rule of the Qumran sect, its members were to love all the sons of light and hate all the sons of darkness.).
18. John takes up this symbolism when he mentions light and darkness. (John likes to restate his propositions in negative form.)
19. The contrast between God and evil is made in the strongest possible terms.
20. God has in Him no darkness, not even an isolate area of His character.
21. To have any would be intolerable and we could not absolutely trust Him.
22. John does not take up the origin of evil of which darkness is the symbol. (God creates darkness and light, but not evil.)
three criticisms of positions against true fellowship
VERSES 6-10
SUMMARY VERSES 6,7
1. THE THEOLOGICAL PROPOSITION THAT GOD IS LIGHT IS FOLLOWED BY A SERIES (3) OF CRITICISMS OF POSITIONS WHICH CONTRADICT IT.
2. John takes up three claims which people make.
3. These claims were real statements made by people in the churches to which John was writing.
4. They were:
a. We have fellowship with God while they rejected the writer’s teaching.
b. We are without sin.
c. We have not sinned.
5. In each case, he labes the statement a lie and declares the individuals outside the truth.
6. Then he goes on to indicate the true basis for fellowship.
7. The first claim was by people who alledged to have a true relationship and fellowship with God, but refused to accept the Bible doctrine taught by John.
8. John says that people who make this statement and follow false teachings and unbiblical behavior are liars.
9. These individuals are believers who have heard the truth (light) and who have subsequently rejected it while still claiming to have fellowship with God.
10. In effect, they claim that their darkness is light.
11. This is not referring to believers who sin and know that it is wrong, but especially to those who call darkness light and claim to walk with God.
12. The darkness may be theological or moral (estab.).
13. There are those who walk in darkness who do not claim they have fellowship with God.
14. John deals with a believer who has rejected certain Bible teachings and walks in darkness.
15. He calls them liars as they deny the truth by failing to do it.
16. This activity must be distinguished from personal sins and failures due to the weakness of the STA.
17. A normal believer judges these things as sinful and uses rebound.
18. Believers, such as John cites, also self-deceived. (They have come to think they could have fellowship with God and do their own STA, human viewpoint, heretical thing.)
19. There is the option of not living like them, but rather to live in the light.
20. And so be as He Himself is in light.
21. The only way thatis possible is to be consistently responsive to Bible doctrine (in class, learning what is light).
22. Walking includes hearing and doing the truth.
23. Only then will we be as (o[j hos, like, as) He is.
24. We must be willing to submit all our thoughts and attitudes and ways to the light of Bible doctrine.
25. The result of such a walk is true Christian fellowship with like-minded believers.
26. Only where there is a common belief and practice is there true Christian fellowship.
27. The false teachers made a shambles of true Christian fellowship. (Elitism is an example of its breakdown.)
28. They left the church and those who cut themselves off from fellowship with positive believers do not have fellowship with God.
29. Those who walk in the light become conscious of their sins.
30. The light (Bible doctrine) shows up his personal sins which interrupt fellowship with God.
31. The positive believer takes advantage of the cleansing provided by the blood of Christ.
32. The blood of Christ is symbolic for the spiritual death of Christ on the cross.
33. Each and every sin a believer commits, Christ died for.
34. So His atonement continually makes possible cleansing and forgiveness from our sins.
35. Since sins are a barrier to fellowship, the one who walks in the light is one who consistently seeks forgiveness via confession.
36. The self-deceived STA driven believer remains unclean, unforgiven, out of fellowship, and in spiritual darkness.
37. The effect on men of Christ's blood is:
a. Personal sins are not a basis for eternal condemnation.
b. A person’s sins (pre-salvation) are not held against him after salvation (ACTS 15:9).
c. A believers sins are forgiven only as he confesses them in Ph2 (1:9).
Summary verse 8
1. AS AN EXAMPLE OF PEOPLE WHO WALKED IN DARKNESS, WERE THOSE WHO DEINED THE PRESENCE OF THE INDWELLING STA/OLD SIN NATURE.
2. They advocated the eradication of the STA, perhaps at salvation.
3. John says such individuals are self-deceived and the truth about the STA is not in them.
4. So truth (Bible doctrine) says the believer has an STA after salvation and as long as he lives.
Summary verse 9
1. AGAIN, AS IN VERSE SEVEN, JOHN PRESENTS THE CONTRARY AND CORRECT POSITION TO THAT IN VERSE EIGHT AND TEN.
2. Instead of making any claims to experiential sinlessness for believers, we ought to confess our sins.
3. The statement of rebound is presented as a conditional clause, recognizing human volition in the issue of sinning.
4. In addition, the statement has the force of an obligation or command.
5. The verb “confess” means to name, cite, or acknowledge, personal sins.
6. This verse is for believers, not unbelievers (JOHN 3:16 is for unbelievers).
7. We are then to confess our sins as we commit them.
8. This means we are to name our known sins to God, since we cannot name what we do not know is a sin.
9. If we do so, God's response in forgiving is described as faithful and righteous (just).
10. Faithful means that He is consistent with His character, doing the same thing each time we rebound.
11. In other words, He will not fail to forgive and cleanse on any occasion.
12. Further, He is not permissive by extending His mercy each time we sin.
13. Since the sin was judged at the cross, He is perfectly free to righteously forgive.
14. This is grace that we do not have to do penance, etc.
15. When we use rebound, we walk in the light and as verse seven says, Christ's work makes cleansing, and ultimately fellowship, possible.
16. When you name (acknowledge) your known sins, you are immdiately forgiven and cleansed from all unrighteousness.
17. Whatever sin got you our of fellowship (= unforgiven state), may be followed by acts of unrighteousness (other STA activity).
18. All this renders the believer unclean.
19. At the point of rebound, all sins, known and unknown, are forgotten, are forgiven, and you are cleansed.
20. The cleansing is made possible through the work of Christ on the cross (compare verse 7).
21. You might get our of fellowship via unknown sin and soon you will commit a known sin (when you name the known sin, the unknown sin is forgiven).
22. Some expressions that refer to the rebound technique in the New Testament.
a. Lay aside every weight (HEBREWS 12:2).
b. Laying aside all filthiness and the abundance of malice (JAMES 1:21).
c. Putting aside all malice and deceit (1 PETER 2:1).
d. Lay aside the old self (EPHESIANS 1:22 compare verses 25,31).
Doctrine of rebound
Summary verse 10
1. THE THIRD POSITION SOME WERE TAKING WAS A DENIAL THAT THEY PERSONALLY COMMITTED SINS.
2. In verse eight there was a denial of the presence of the indwelling old sin nature.
3. In verse eight there is the present active indicative of e;cw (echo, to have) with ouvk (ouk, no, not) plus the accusative singular of a`marti,a (hamartia, sin) for the sinful nature.
4. In verse ten there is the perfect active indicative of the verb to sin (a`marta,nw, harmatano, to miss the mark, to sin) with the negative, denying from some point in the past the practice of personal sin.
5. Certain believers were denying either the presence of the indwelling STA and/or the doing of personal sins.
6. John says three things about us if we hold to this view of the post-salvation believer:
a. We are self-deceived.
b. We call God a liar by saying that He is wrong when He says we sin after salvation.
c. Sound doctrine is not in us.
7. Some Scriptures on the universality of human sinfullness (1 KINGS 8:46; PSALM 14:3; JOB 4:17; 15:14-16; PROVERBS 20:9;
ECCLESIASTES 7:20; ROMANS 3:23).
8. Paul declares his post-salvation sinfulness in Romans 7.
9. Beware of anyone who denies the presence of the lust pattern or the existence of personal sinning.
the doctrine of the STA reviewed
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