Reference: John, The Epistles of
Fausets
FIRST EPISTLE. Genuineness. Polycarp, John's disciple (ad Philippians 7), quotes 1Jo 4:3. Eusebius (H. E., iii. 39) says of Papias, John's hearer, "he used testimonies from the first epistle of John." Irenaeus (Eusebius, H. E., v. 8) often quoted it; he quotes (Haeres. iii. 15, sections 5,8) from John by name 1Jo 2:18; and in 1Jo 3:16, section 7 he quotes 1Jo 4:1-3; 5:1; 2Jo 1:7-8. Clement Alex. (Strom. ii. 66, p. 664) refers to 1Jo 5:16 as in John's larger epistle; compare Strom. iii. 32,42; iv. 102. Tertullian adv. Marcion, vi. 16, refers to 1Jo 4:1; adv. Praxean xv to 1Jo 1:1; also 1Jo 1:10, and contra Gnost. 12. Cyprian (Ep. 28:24) quotes 1Jo 2:3-4 as John's; and, de Orat. Domini, 5, quotes 1Jo 2:15-17; De opere et Eleemos. quotes 1Jo 1:8; De bono Patientiae quotes 1Jo 2:6.
Muratori's Fragment on the Canon states "there are two (the Gospel and epistle) of John esteemed universal," quoting 1Jo 1:3. The Peshito Syriac has it. Origen (Eusebius vi. 25) designates the first epistle genuine, and "probably second and third epistles, though all do not recognize the latter two"; he quotes 1Jo 1:5 (tom. 13 vol. 2). Dionysius of Alexandria, Origen's scholar, cites this epistle's words as the evangelist John's. Eusebius (H. E., iii. 24) says John's first epistle and Gospel are "acknowledged without question by those of the present day, as well as by the ancients." So Jerome (Catalog. Ecclesiastes Script.). Marcion opposed it only because it was opposed to his heresies. The Gospel and the first epistle are alike in style, yet evidently not mere copies either of the other. The individual notices, it being a universal epistle, are fewer than in Paul's epistles; but what there are accord with John's position.
He implies his apostleship (1Jo 2:7,26), alludes to his Gospel (Joh 1:1, compare Joh 1:14; 20:27), and the affectionate He uniting him as an aged pastor to his spiritual "children" (1Jo 2:18-19). In 1Jo 4:1-3 he alludes to the false teachers as known to his readers; in 1Jo 5:21 he warns them against the idols of the world around. Docetism existed in germ already, though the Docete by name appear first in the second century (Col 1:15-18; 1Ti 3:16; Heb 1:1-3). Hence 1Jo 4:1-3 denounces as "not of God every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh" (compare Joh 2:22-23). Presciently the Spirit through John forearms the church against the coming heresy.
TO WHOM THE EPISTLES WERE ADDRESSED. Augustine (Quaest. Evang. 2:39) says it was addressed to the Parthians, i.e. the Christians beyond the Euphrates, outside the Roman empire, "the church at Babylon elected together with" (1Pe 5:13) the churches in the Ephesian region, where Peter sent his epistles (1Pe 1:1; Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, Bithynia). As Peter addressed the Asiatic flock tended first by Paul, then by John, so John, Peter's close companion, addresses the flock among whom Peter was when he wrote. Thus "the elect lady" (2Jo 1:1) answers to "the church elected together."
TIME AND PLACE. This epistle is subsequent to the Gospel, for it assumes the reader's acquaintance with the Gospel facts and Christ's speeches, and His aspect as the incarnate Word God manifest in the flesh, set forth in John's Gospel. His fatherly tone addressing his "little children" implies it was written in old age, perhaps A.D. 90. The rise of antichristian teachers he marks as a sign of "the last time" (1Jo 2:18), no other "age" or dispensation will be until Christ comes; for His coming the church is to be ever waiting; Heb 1:2, "these last days." The region of Ephesus, where Gnostic heresy sprang up, was probably the place, and the latter part of the apostolic age the time, of writing. Contents. Fellowship with the Father and the Son is the subject and object (1Jo 1:3). Two divisions occur:
(1) 1 John 1:5 - 2:28, God is light without darkness; consequently, to have fellowship with Him necessitates walking in the light. Confession and consequent forgiveness of sins, through Christ's propitiation for the world and advocacy for believers, are a necessary preliminary; a further step is positive keeping God's commandments, the sum of which is love as contrasted with hatred, the sum of disobedience. According to their several stages of spiritual growth, children, fathers, young men, as respectively forgiven, knowing the Father, and having overcome the wicked one, John exhorts them not to love the world, which is incompatible with the indwelling of the Father's love. This anointing love dwelling in us, and our continuing to abide in the Son and in the Father, is the antidote against the antichristian teachers in the world, who are of the world, not of the church, and therefore have gone out from it.
(2) 1 John 2:29 - 5:5 handles the opening thesis: "He is righteous," therefore "every one that doeth righteousness is born of Him." Sonship involves present self purification, first because we desire now to be like Him, "even as He is pure," secondly because we hope hereafter to be perfectly like Him, our sonship now hidden shall be manifested, and we shall be made like Him when He shall be manifested (answering to Paul's Colossians 3), for our then "seeing him as He is" involves transfiguration into His likeness (compare 2Co 3:18; Php 3:21). In contrast, the children of the devil hate; the children of God love. Love assures of acceptance with God for ourselves and our prayers, accompanied as they are with obedience to His commandment to "believe on Jesus Christ, and love one another"; the seal is "the Spirit given us" (1Jo 3:24). In contrast (as in the first division), denial of Christ and adherence to the world characterize the false spirits (1Jo 4:1-6). The essential feature of sonship or birth of God is unslavish love to God, because God first loved us and gave His Son to die for us (1Jo 4:18-19), and consequent love to the brethren as being God's sons like ourselves, and so victory over the world through belief in Jesus as the Son of God (1Jo 5:4-5).
(3) 1Jo 5:6-21. Finally, the truth on which our fellowship with God rests is, Christ came by water in His baptism, the blood of atonement, and the witnessing Spirit which is truth, which correspond to our baptism with water and the Spirit, and our receiving the atonement by His blood and the witness of His Spirit. In the opening he rested this truth on his apostolic witness of the eye, the ear, and the touch; so at the close on God's witness, which the believer accepts, and by rejecting which the unbeliever makes God a liar. He adds his reason for writing (1Jo 5:13), corresponding to 1Jo 1:4 at the beginning, namely, that "believers may know they have (already) eternal life," the spring of "joy" (compare Joh 20:31), and so may have "confidence" in their prayers being answered (1Jo 5:14-15; compare 1Jo 3:22 in the second part), e.g. their intercessions for a brother sinning, provided his sin be not unto death (1Jo 5:16). He sums up with stating our knowledge of Him that is true, through His gift, our being in Him by virtue of being in His Son Jesus Christ; being "born of God" we keep ourselves so that the wicked one toucheth us not, in contrast to the world lying in the wicked one; therefore still, "little children, keep yourselves from idols" literal and spiritual.
STYLE. Aphorism and repetition of his own phrases abound. The affectionate hortatory tone, and the Hebraistic form which delights in parallelism of clauses (as contrasted with Paul's logical Grecian style), and his own simplicity of spirit dwelling fondly on the one grand theme, produce this repetition of fundamental truths again and again, enlarged, applied, and condensed by turns. Contemplative rather than argumentative, he dwells on the inner rather than the outer Christian life. The thoughts do not move forward by progressive steps, as in Paul, but in circles round one central thought, viewed now under the positive now under the negative aspect. His Lord's contrasted phrases in the Gospel John adopts in his epistles, "flesh," "spirit," "light," "darkness," "life," "death," "abide in Him"; "fellowship with the Father and Son, and with one another" is a phrase not in the Gospel, but in Acts and Paul's e
See Verses Found in Dictionary
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was face to face with God, and the Word was God.
And the Word became flesh and tented with us. And we gazed on his glory??lory as of the Father's only Son??ull of grace and truth.
after he had been raised from the dead, they believed the Scripture and the word which Jesus had said. Now when he was in Jerusalem at the feast of the Passover, many believed in his name, when they beheld the signs which he did;
Then to Thomas he said: "Place your finger here, and see my hands; and place your hand here, and thrust it into my side, and become not unbelieving, but believing."
but these have been written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.
Gaius, my host, and the host of the church, salutes you. Erastus, the treasurer of the city, salutes you, and so does brother Quartus.
And we all, with unveiled faces, reflecting like a mirror the glory of the Lord, are ourselves continually being transformed into the same likeness, from glory to glory, as by the Lord, the Spirit.
who will change the fashion of the body of our abasement into the likeness of his glorious body by the energy with which he is able even to subject all things to himself.
in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of our sins. He is a visible image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation; read more. for in him was the universe created, things in heaven and on earth, the seen and the unseen, thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers; by him and for him all have been created; and HE IS before all, and in him all things subsist. He is the head of his Body, the Church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, in order that in all things he may become preeminent.
God, who in ancient days spoke to our ancestors in the prophets, at many different times and by various methods, has at the end of these days spoken to us in a Son whom he appointed heir of all things; through whom also he made the universe.
has at the end of these days spoken to us in a Son whom he appointed heir of all things; through whom also he made the universe. He being an emanation of God's glory and stamp of his substance, and upholding the universe by the utterances of his power, after by himself making purification of our sins, has taken his seat on the right hand of the Majesty on High.
Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the elect who are sojourners of the dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Roman Asia, and Bithynia,
Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the elect who are sojourners of the dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Roman Asia, and Bithynia, according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in the sanctification of the spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ; Grace and peace be multiplied to you.
Now to you who are presbyters I make this appeal; for I am myself a presbyter, and was a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory about to be revealed.
Your sister church in Babylon, elect with you, sends you salutations, and so does Marcus, my son.
Your sister church in Babylon, elect with you, sends you salutations, and so does Marcus, my son.
It is of what has existed from the beginning, of what we have listened to, of what we have seen with our own eyes, of what we have witnessed and touched with our own heads, it is concerning the Logos of Life that we are now writing.
It is what we have seen and heard that we are announcing to you, in order that you also may have partnership with us; and our partnership is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ.
It is what we have seen and heard that we are announcing to you, in order that you also may have partnership with us; and our partnership is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. And we are writing all this to you that our joy may be complete. read more. This, then, is the message that we have heard from him, and are announcing to you, that God is light, and no darkness what ever is in him.
If we say, "We have no sin," we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us.
If we say, "We have not sinned," we are making him a liar, and his word is not in us.
This is how we may know that we have come to know Him, by always keeping his commandments. He who says, "I know Him," but does no continue obeying his commandments, is a liar,
By who says he "remains in him" ought to spend his life as he spent his. Beloved, I am not writing a new commandment to you, nay, and old commandment, which you have had from the beginning. That old commandment is the message to which you have listened.
Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the proud glory of life, is not from the Father, but from the world; read more. and the world and its lusts are passing away, but he who ever does the will of God abides forever. My children, this is the last hour, and as you have heard that an antichrist was coming, and now many antichrists are already risen, whence we may know that it is the last hour.
My children, this is the last hour, and as you have heard that an antichrist was coming, and now many antichrists are already risen, whence we may know that it is the last hour.
My children, this is the last hour, and as you have heard that an antichrist was coming, and now many antichrists are already risen, whence we may know that it is the last hour. They came forth from us, but they did not belong to us. If they had belonged to us they would certainly have remained with us, but they went out that they might be manifest that they all are not of us.
I have written this to you concerning those who would lead you astray.
By this we learn to know love, because he laid down his life for us; so we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.
and whatever we ask we are receiving from him, because we are keeping his commandments and doing those things that are pleasing in his sight.
He who keeps his commandments is abiding in Him, and Christ in him. By this we know that Christ is abiding in us, by the Spirit which he has given us.
Do not believe every spirit, beloved, but test the spirits to see whether they are of God; for many false prophets are gone out into the world.
Do not believe every spirit, beloved, but test the spirits to see whether they are of God; for many false prophets are gone out into the world.
Do not believe every spirit, beloved, but test the spirits to see whether they are of God; for many false prophets are gone out into the world.
Do not believe every spirit, beloved, but test the spirits to see whether they are of God; for many false prophets are gone out into the world.
Do not believe every spirit, beloved, but test the spirits to see whether they are of God; for many false prophets are gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God; every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is from God;
By this you know the Spirit of God; every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is from God;
By this you know the Spirit of God; every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is from God;
By this you know the Spirit of God; every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is from God; and every spirit which confesses him not, is not from God. And this is that spirit of Antichrist of which you have heard that it is coming, and that now it is already in the world.
and every spirit which confesses him not, is not from God. And this is that spirit of Antichrist of which you have heard that it is coming, and that now it is already in the world.
and every spirit which confesses him not, is not from God. And this is that spirit of Antichrist of which you have heard that it is coming, and that now it is already in the world.
and every spirit which confesses him not, is not from God. And this is that spirit of Antichrist of which you have heard that it is coming, and that now it is already in the world.
and every spirit which confesses him not, is not from God. And this is that spirit of Antichrist of which you have heard that it is coming, and that now it is already in the world. My little children, you are of God and have conquered them; because he that is within you is greater than he that is in the world. read more. They are of the world, and for this reason they speak as of the world, and the world listens to them. But you are of God. He who is beginning to know God listens to us; he who is not of God does not listen to us. By this we may distinguish the spirit of truth from the spirit of error.
Fear does not exist in love; but love, when it is perfect, drives out fear. For fear has always torment, and he who has fear is not yet perfected in love. We love because He loved us first.
Every one who believes that Jesus is the Christ is a child of God; and every one who loves the Father, loves him also who is the Father's Child.
For whoever is a child of God is overcoming the world; and our faith is the victory that has overcome the world. And who it the one that is overcoming the world if not the man who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? read more. Jesus Christ is he who came by water and blood, not by the water only, but by the water and by the blood. The spirit is he who bears testimony, because the Spirit is the truth. For there are three who bear testimony, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood; and the three are one. If we accept men's testimony, the testimony of God is greater; for this is the testimony of God, that he has borne testimony concerning his Son. He who believes on the Son of God has the testimony in himself. He who does not believe God, has made him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God has borne concerning his Son. And the testimony is this, "God has given us eternal life, and 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. I have written these words to you so that you may know that you have eternal life, you who believe in the name of the Son of God.
I have written these words to you so that you may know that you have eternal life, you who believe in the name of the Son of God. Now the confidence which we have in him is this, that he listens to us whenever we ask anything that is in accordance with his will.
Now the confidence which we have in him is this, that he listens to us whenever we ask anything that is in accordance with his will. And if we know that he is listening to us in what ever we are asking, we know that we obtain the petitions which we have made to him.
And if we know that he is listening to us in what ever we are asking, we know that we obtain the petitions which we have made to him. If any one sees his brother committing a sin that is not deadly, he shall ask, and God will give him life, for any one who is not committing a deadly sin. There is a deadly sin; concerning that I do not say that he should pray.
If any one sees his brother committing a sin that is not deadly, he shall ask, and God will give him life, for any one who is not committing a deadly sin. There is a deadly sin; concerning that I do not say that he should pray.
If any one sees his brother committing a sin that is not deadly, he shall ask, and God will give him life, for any one who is not committing a deadly sin. There is a deadly sin; concerning that I do not say that he should pray. All unrighteousness is sin; and there is sin that is not deadly. read more. We know that whoever is a child of God is not habitually committing sin; but he who is God's child guards himself, and the Evil One never touches him. We know that we are of God, and the whole world is lying in the Evil One. And we know that the Son of God is come, and has granted us and understanding, so that we may come to know him who is true. And we are in him who is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and life eternal. My little children, guard yourselves from idols.
My little children, guard yourselves from idols.
The Elder to the Elect Lady and her children, whom I love in truth, and not only I, but also all those who have come to know the truth.
I say this because many deceivers are gone forth into the world, those who deny the coming of Jesus Christ in the flesh. This is the deceiver and the Antichrist.
If any one come to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house, nor give him any greeting.
If any one come to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house, nor give him any greeting.
If any one come to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house, nor give him any greeting. For the man who greets him shares in his wicked work.
For the man who greets him shares in his wicked work. I have many things to write to you, but I would not write them with paper and ink. I hope to come to you and to talk with you face to face, so that your joy may be full.
The Elder to the beloved Gaius, whom I love in the truth.
I have no greater joy than this, to hear that my children are passing their lives in the truth. You are acting faithfully, beloved, in whatever you are doing for the brothers and the strangers.