1 John Part 1 (1:1 - 2:2)

By William R. Cunningham
November 1998

Introduction

This is a brief study of the book of 1 John. In this study we will take a look at Chapter 1 and the first two verses of chapter 2. I find that it is very helpful to know a little something about the early history of Christianity as well as other pertinent background information. These are included within the study where appropriate.

This study is part of a larger study called "Knowing Christianity." These series of studies is designed to familiarize you with Christianity so that you can more effectively share your faith with others and intelligently discuss Christian things with other Christians. 

Background

Author: Accepted since early church history that the author of this epistle is John the Apostle.

Date: Believed to be the latter part of the 1^st Century. John was the last of the disciples (apostles) living at this time.

There were many false teachers within the church during this time (1^st Century). These teachers introduced their own ideas of Christianity, which originated from the growing philosophical climate. A lack of love for fellow believers was also typical of false teachers.

• The false teachers separated those who deceivingly followed them from the true fellowship of believers.
• They were also harsh towards anyone who rejected their new teachings.

Confusion arose within the church regarding which teaching was correct. John, using his authority as an Apostle and eyewitness of Christ, wrote to settle the matter.

John may have been attacking the early stages of Gnosticism. Gnosticism held a dualistic approach to theology. They believed that:

• Matter is evil
• Sprit is good

The consequences of this is as follows:

The reconciliation of the humanity of Jesus Christ was compromised

• Jesus didn’t really have a physical body. He only appeared to have a body.
• The Christ spirit came upon Jesus immediately after his baptism and departed right before his death on the cross.

The consequences of Sin was compromised

• The body had to be treated harshly (asceticism). See Col 2:21-23. This introduced an alternate way of handling sin in a person’s life. Instead of relying on the forgiveness and transforming power of the Holy Spirit, the practitioners relied on religious acts to keep their flesh under control.
• Sin committed in the body didn’t matter since it was independent from the spirit, which was good.

Consider that it has been more than about fifty years since Jesus Christ walked on the Earth. The evidence of the reality of Jesus Christ, His teachings, and who He was rested in the testimony of the Apostles. It is important to realize that Christianity is a historical religion. It is based on historical facts and events. Therefore, the eyewitness testimonies of the apostles and others that witnessed Jesus Christ’s ministry on Earth were crucial for the establishment of the validity of the Christian faith. Without this historical component of Christianity, it would become another religion based on stories and the ideas and ideals of men.

Christianity was a very young religion at this time. It was being attacked from all sides and within (as it is even today). The social pressures from Rome and the gentile society effected the early Christians as well as the Jewish nation. Philosophical ways began to develop resulting in "alternate Christianity." This led to one of the greatest threat in early Christianity known as Gnosticism, which was based on a knowing or transcending knowledge.

Today’s Christian Perspective

Christians today who are content with normal daily activities and the rituals of going to church on Sundays, participating in church activities, and adhering to the teachings of the religious leaders within the church organization will have barely a clue as to what Christianity is all about. Until you experience the pressures of adhering to the Christian way of living or examine the history and events of those who have, you will not be able to conceptualize the impact of the heart of Christianity on everyday life.

Christianity is more than a religion or a set of rules and doctrines. It is much more than going to church on Sundays. The first century Christians met out of a need and desire to fellowship. Jesus Christ, through the teachings of the apostles, was at the center of their faith and activities. There were no chicken dinners, fashion shows, trips to amusement parks, and the like. Instead there were meetings in people’s homes (sometimes secret meetings), trips to the lions den, trips to prison, and the ultimate trip to death simply because of their Christian confession and loyalty.

The Core Of Early Christianity

The heart of early Christianity was the person of Jesus Christ. This included the deity of Jesus Christ as well as his humanity. The Christians held sacred the Hebrew Scriptures (our Old Testament) because of its prophecies of the Messiah and the link of Christians to the people of God. The early Christians also held sacred the epistles of Paul and eventually the canon (our New Testament). There were other extra-biblical writings as well.

However, at the center of Christianity were the person, teaching, ministry, activity, and validity of Jesus Christ. Christianity did not arise out of a new way of doing things or the development of a new God. Its core was the person of Jesus Christ. Before there was a standardized or established Christian theology, there was Jesus Christ. Christian Theology, for the most part, developed out of a need to defend the person of Jesus Christ from various pagan and inner-Christian attacks.

Therefore, Christianity without Christ is not Christianity at all. A life without Christ is not the life of a true Christian. One may attend church each day of the week but that doesn’t preclude the necessity of a life in Christ and knowledge of him. Christianity must include Jesus Christ at its center.

Questions

1. Is Christianity just a religion to you?
2. Do you consider Christianity valid based on historical data as you would any other historical event?
3. What is the core of your belief system? Is it Jesus Christ or is it adherence to your church’s doctrine?
4. Do you believe that Jesus actually existed on the earth? Why do you believe this?

THE DEITY of Jesus Christ (1:1-4)

It must be understood that there were many that opposed the fact that Jesus was indeed deity. There were disputes for centuries regarding the deity and the humanity of Jesus Christ. Many of these disputes or oppositions took the form of false teachings within the church. The History of Christianity and the church reveal that there were people who believed that:

1. Jesus was not really human in the strict sense
2. Jesus was not deity
3. Jesus Christ was an imaginary figure that the Christian religion was based on.

John establishes the deity of Jesus Christ by the following statements.

1. "Was from the beginning"
2. "Word of life"
3. "Was with the Father"

"Was in the beginning" in verse 1 can be interpreted two different ways.

1. It refers to the beginning of the preaching of the Gospel
2. It refers to the pre-existent Christ

It seems consistent among the sources that I have used regarding the above that "Was in the beginning" refers to the same "beginning" as in the Gospel of John 1:1. This eludes to the pre-existent Christ and thus his deity.

Questions

1. Can you confidently and with understanding declare that Jesus is deity?
2. Do you know what it means to say that Jesus is God?

The Humanity of Jesus Christ

Again it must be realized that the reality of the existence of Jesus Christ was frequently under attack. Was he a real person who actually walked on the Earth? Was he indeed a historical figure? These were the questions that many people had and that many false teachers fed upon in their errors concerning the reality of Jesus Christ. John declares that:

1. "We have heard"
2. "We have seen"
3. "Our hands have handled"

He basically gives evidence that Jesus was actually a living person on the Earth and not a fantasy or myth as some would suppose. The crucial thing is that they handled him (touched him).

John wants his preaching to result in people who would be in fellowship with himself who in turn is in fellowship with God and Jesus Christ. Note the inclusion of "His son" in verse 3. This further establishes the deity of Jesus and His relationship with God the Father.

Fellowship: Implies intimacy. It means communion, close relationship, participation, sharing.

Questions

1. Are you in fellowship with God or are you in fellowship with your church?
2. Is Jesus real to you or a myth?

Fellowship With God

How can we have fellowship with God? Here are some points to consider.

Know that God is light and that there is no darkness in Him. This establishes knowledge of the true character and WAY of God.

Walk in the light and not in darkness.

Light: Intellectually "light" means biblical truth. Morally it means holiness or purity in relation to God as the standard.

Darkness: Intellectually this means error or falsehood. Morally it means sin or wrongdoing.

Light may be thought of as the character of God and darkness as the character of sinful man. 

"Walking" and "To Be"

Walking implies a mode of living or a way of life. Walking upright for example implies that your way of life is upright or consistent with God’s ways.

"To be," means that you are a certain way by nature. John doesn’t say to be perfect or sinless in the absolute sense because that is impossible of humans. However, we can turn over a new WAY of life that is consistent with and according to God’s way--God’s character.

Therefore, our values, behavior, attitudes, commitments, outlook, and passions must be in line with God’s character—God’s way. God’s character and way are revealed in the Holy Bible by the inspired writing of men.

Walking in the light doesn’t mean a sinless life. Walking in the light means a way of life consistent with God’s way. Regarding sin, the blood of Christ has cleansed those who walk in the light.

Implications of true walking in the light as described above:

1. Righteousness by the law is negated
2. Religious actions and protocol prove inadequate
3. Works unto salvation proves inadequate because we cannot save ourselves

Walking in the light is not a set of rules and protocol that you have to follow. I can summarize it by saying that it involves being free in the Spirit of God so that the Holy Spirit guides you. You become so engrossed in the things of God and so sensitive to Him that He influences you in a great way. Your life is therefore consistent with His way, though you may slip and succumb to the desires of the flesh. However, as we said, walking in the Spirit is not a life of perfection.

Verse 9

Confession implies saying the same thing about sin as God does. It means to view sin the way God sees it. It implies fellowship and a mind consistent with godly things.

There were those who taught that Christians transcended sin. Denying sin implied a salvation independent of God. A realization of our sins meant a realization of the true salvation provided by God through Jesus Christ. We do not transcend sin. We need the savior. Without the blood of Jesus that cleanses us from sin, we remain in darkness and impure separated from God the Father.

Verse 2:1

The ideal way is not to sin. However we do not have a license to sin even though God has taken care of our sins through Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is the propitiation (appeasement, satisfaction) or our sins. Jesus has paid the price for our sins so that we can be righteous before God.

Verse 2:2

"The Whole World" This does not mean every individual in the world. This is a generic term that indicates that salvation is available to all in the world though all won’t accept this salvation. See John 3:16.

Summary

God is light and in him is no darkness or evil. Jesus Christ is the Son of God and deity. However, Jesus Christ was total humanity in that he was a man walking on the Earth. That doesn’t negate his divinity though. Fellowship with God means walking in the light. We walk in the light by governing our lives according to the "way" of God. God’s way can be discovered in his written Word—the Holy Bible.

No one is without sin. However, we are washed by the blood of Jesus Christ from all sins. We do not transcend sin being that sin does have a negative effect on our lives. We must confess our sins and God will forgive us our sins. Salvation is for all that would accept it.