Who wrote 1, 2, 3 John?
John the apostle. The son of Zebedee (Luke 5:10). He was at the transfiguration, the garden, the crucifixtion and an eye witness. Before this, he was a disciple of John the Baptist and a fisherman by trade. In Acts 12:1-2 it records his brother James as the first martyr put to death by Herod the Tetarch. John understands that to follow Jesus is costly. He wrote 5 books of the NT: John, 123 John, Revelation. He refers to himself as the disciple whom Jesus loved. Sons of thunder: Mark 3:17. Luke 9. A leader of the early Jerusalem church and later years lived in the area of Ephesus. He lives a long life. He is the last of the apostles.
To whom were they written?
1 John was written to several Gentile churches in the Asia province - within 100 mile of Ephesus where John lived. A circular letter meant to be read out loud. More like a sermon. It's said 2nd John was maybe a cover letter. This book was also written to all believers everywhere (to us as well).
When were they written?
A.D. 85 and A.D. 90. Death of Christ: A.D. 30 to 33. Destruction of temple in Jerusalem A.D. 70. John exiled around A.D. 100. A.D. 30-60 we begin to have the NT writings. The gospel expands through the Roman empire at this time. A.D. 68-100 a push toward doctrinal unification and ecclesial unification: what do we believe? What does it mean to be the church?
In what style were they written?
1 John: pastoral letter exhorts believers to right belief and living.
2 John and 3 John: one is addressed to a light/dark; sin/righteousness; repeated words/ideas. He will flow from one thought to the next - similar to John. It's not a linear argument like in the Epistles. 1 John 5:13: tells us he writes so that we may know we have eternal life. Written to give assurance to the early church.
What are the central themes of the letters?
1. The purity of the gospel: what are the things we have to agree on in order to be in fellowship.
2. Assurance of faith.
3. The historicity of Christ - that He was an actual person.
4. What does it mean to live an ethical life.
5. The hallmark of love as the primary manner among believers. He's going to address a false teaching that was beginning to emerge in the first century and comes into its own around 200 A.D.
A false teaching know as gnosticism. A sect that was teaching against or twisting the teachings of Christianity in a particular way. A gathering of belief systems all meshed together. A build-your-own spirituality (like today). John is going to work to clearly define Christian belief.
Gnosis - knowing and special knowledge. John will emphasize what we ALL can know to be true about God. John = community. Gnosticism = individualism (spirit over matter, anti-institutional, against the Lord's supper and baptism, a disregard for OT).
Corporate belief matters (creeds were good to have which speaks of what we believe). Brotherhood matters and fellowship matters according to John.
Next: Session 2 "A Credible Witness"
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