Reference: John, First Epistle of
Easton
the fourth of the catholic or "general" epistles. It was evidently written by John the evangelist, and probably also at Ephesus, and when the writer was in advanced age. The purpose of the apostle (1Jo 1:1-4) is to declare the Word of Life to those to whom he writes, in order that they might be united in fellowship with the Father and his Son Jesus Christ. He shows that the means of union with God are, (1) on the part of Christ, his atoning work (1Jo 1:7; 2:2; 3:5; 4:10,14; 5:11-12) and his advocacy (1Jo 2:1); and (2), on the part of man, holiness (1Jo 1:6), obedience (1Jo 2:3), purity (1Jo 3:3), faith (1Jo 3:23; 4:3; 5:5), and love (1Jo 2:7-8; 3:14; 4:7; 5:1).
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That which was from the beginning, which we have listened to, which we have seen with our own eyes, and our own hands have handled concerning the Word of Life-- the Life was manifested, and we have seen and bear witness, and we declare unto you the Life of the Ages which was with the Father and was manifested to us-- read more. that which we have seen and listened to we now announce to you also, in order that you also may have fellowship in it with us, and this fellowship with us is fellowship with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ. And we write these things in order that our joy may be made complete.
If, while we are living in darkness, we profess to have fellowship with Him, we speak falsely and are not adhering to the truth. But if we live in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, His Son, cleanses us from all sin.
Dear children, I write thus to you in order that you may not sin. If any one sins, we have an Advocate with the Father--Jesus Christ the righteous; and He is an atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world. read more. And by this we may know that we know Him--if we obey His commands.
My dearly-loved friends, it is no new command that I am now giving you, but an old command which you have had from the very beginning. By the old command I mean the teaching which you have already received. And yet I *am* giving you a new command, for such it really is, so far as both He and you are concerned: because the darkness is now passing away and the light, the true light, is already beginning to shine.
And every man who has this hope fixed on Him, purifies himself so as to be as pure as He is.
And you know that He appeared in order to take away sins; and in Him there is no sin.
As for us, we know that we have already passed out of death into Life--because we love our brother men. He who is destitute of love continues dead.
And this is His command--that we are to believe in His Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as He has commanded us to do.
and that no spirit is from God which does not acknowledge this about Jesus. Such is the spirit of the anti-Christ; of whose coming you have heard, and it is already in the world.
Dear friends, let us love one another; for love has its origin in God, and every one who loves has become a child of God and is beginning to know God.
This is love indeed--we did not love God, but He loved us and sent His Son to be an atoning sacrifice for our sins.
And we have seen and bear witness that the Father has sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world.
Every one who believes that Jesus is the Christ is a child of God; and every one who loves the Father loves also Him who is the Father's Child.
Who but the man that believes that Jesus is the Son of God overcomes the world?
And that testimony is to the effect that God has given us the Life of the Ages, and that this Life is in His Son. He who has the Son has the Life: he who has not the Son of God has not the Life.
Morish
This was doubtless written after the epistles of Peter and Paul. Morally John's writings have their place when the church as a testimony had failed, and the 'last time' had arrived. The three Epistles come in between the Gospel of John and the Revelation. The real remedy for the evils spoken of is the coming in of the Lord as the faithful witness.
Near the end of the first century the error had arisen that Christ had no real body
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But the man who had been cured did not know who it was; for Jesus had passed out unnoticed, there being a crowd in the place.
Dear children, I write thus to you in order that you may not sin. If any one sins, we have an Advocate with the Father--Jesus Christ the righteous;
I am writing to you, dear children, because for His sake your sins are forgiven you.
And now, dear children, continue in union with Him; so that, if He re-appears, we may have perfect confidence, and may not shrink away in shame from His presence at His Coming.
The man who obeys His commands continues in union with God, and God continues in union with him; and through His Spirit whom He has given us we can know that He continues in union with us.
We can know that we are continuing in union with Him and that He is continuing in union with us, by the fact that He has given us a portion of His Spirit.