Lesson for May 8, 2024
The Book of I John
Writer: The Apostle John
Date: 90 A.D. (approximately)
Theme: Virtue-Love
John’s name means “whom Jehovah loves” and seems to be appropriate for this apostle. His experience with Christ corresponds to this meaning and he even calls himself “the apostle whom Jesus loved.” (John 13:23) John’s parents were Jewish believers. His mother followed Jesus and ministered to Him. His mother was at the Cross and was among those who went to anoint the body of Christ for burial. John was not a poor person, as some suppose, since his family owned a ship and were prosperous enough to hire servants. John was the youngest of the disciples that Jesus called, but was, nevertheless, a part of the “inner circle” of Christ.
John wrote five books of the New Testament: The Gospel of John, I, II, and III John and the Book of Revelation. John became a major influence in the life of the early Church as the pastor of the church at Jerusalem and later in Ephesus. He was a man of doctrine and wisdom. The theme of love is seen in all of his writing, but especially in the Gospel of John and the book of I John.
John began by teaching the doctrine of the Hypostatic Union of Christ, thereby refuting the false doctrine of Gnostic sects of his time. One sect of the Gnostics falsely taught that Christ was strictly a spiritual being that only seemed to be human. This sect, known as Docetism (derived from the Greek word “dokea” meaning to seem or to appear), taught that Christ did not suffer on the Cross (He only appeared to do so). The logic was that if Christ was divine, He could not suffer and if He suffered, He was therefore not divine. This false doctrine denies the Hypostatic Union of Christ. There was also a sect called the Arians that denied the deity of Christ, saying that He was merely a human being. The Bible teaches that Christ was both fully human and fully divine in one Person. John established this immediately in John 1:1 and I John 1:1. John reveals the true nature and character of God’s eternal attribute of love expressed in His Son, Jesus Christ.
I John 1:1-4
Verse 1
“What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched our hands, concerning the Word of Life…”
The Greek word for beginning is “arche,” which refers to the eternal existence of Christ. “Arche” means a beginning or the origin and is used in reference to the deity of Jesus Christ. Christ is co-equal and co-eternal with the Father and the Holy Spirit and has always existed (without beginning or end).
John continued to demonstrate that not only was Christ deity, but He was also humanity. John demonstrated this truth by relying on his personal experience. It was John and the other disciples who traveled with Christ and heard Him speak. They looked at Him with their own eyes and touched Him with their own hands. Jesus Christ was not merely a spiritual being; He was “flesh and blood.”
In Greek the Word is “logos” and means a communication, a thought, or an utterance. The inclusion of the definite article emphasizes the quality of communication. This is not just any utterance; it is a divine expression and Jesus Christ is the Divine Expression. He is the living Word. Jesus said, “If you have seen me, you have seen the Father.”
Jesus Christ is the Creator of all life. Apart from Jesus Christ life would not exist. (Colossians 1:15-16) He is the way, the truth, and the life. (John 14:6) It is by means of the Hypostatic Union that Jesus Christ can offer His eternal life to mankind and new life to those who believe in Him as Savior. (John 3:16) As true humanity, Christ has an affinity with man. As deity, Christ has an affinity with God. This unique union of human and divine is the only way that God’s plan of salvation could be carried out. Without sin of His own, Christ was qualified to make the payment for the sin that the justice of God demanded, which is spiritual death.
Verse 2
“…and the life was revealed, and we have seen and testify and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was revealed to us…”
The point in verse two is that Jesus Christ is the preexistent one, Who was with the Father in eternity, and has been revealed. Human eyes could gaze upon Him, He could be touched and could be heard as He spoke. And the apostle pointed out that this knowledge was gained through empirical experience and observation (John saw, heard, and touched Him). John was testifying of the historical Jesus, which refutes the Docetic doctrine denying the humanity of Christ. At the same time, he was refuting the false doctrine of the Arians, which denied the deity of Christ.
Even though John and the other apostles had empirical knowledge of the humanity of Christ and saw Him perform numerous miracles, they still had to accept by faith the fact that He was God. Believing this to be true, the apostles endured much hardship and suffering to bring this message to the world. John fully understood that his role as an apostle was to reveal the Person and Work of Christ to all mankind. (I Timothy 3:16)
Verse 3
“…what we have seen and heard we proclaim to you also, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed, our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ.”
In verse three, John gives a reason for revealing the facts of the Hypostatic Union, which he had been faithfully communicating to these fellow believers. His reason is that they would be able to enjoy things in common regarding the truth. Fellowship in the body of Christ is based on accurate Bible doctrine. True Christian fellowship is not social activity – it is believing common doctrinal truth.
If we come together in unity (fellowship), it must first be on the basis of faith alone in Christ alone for salvation. In the Christian life, we can also have unity (fellowship) as we study and learn accurate Bible doctrine together. Our fellowship as believers is totally dependent on our fellowship with God. Lack of fellowship with God means lack of genuine fellowship with our fellow believers. Fellowship with God is maintained by using the Rebound Technique found in I John 1:9 – acknowledging our personal sins directly to God.
Verse 4
“These things we write, so that our joy may be made complete.”
The second reason for John revealing the doctrine of the Hypostatic Union was so that his joy might be complete, knowing they are united in their beliefs. Joy is a synonym for happiness.
God’s happiness has always existed. There has never been a time when God was unhappy. Our failures do not make God unhappy. Even the rejection of Christ by unbelievers does not make God unhappy. The eternal happiness of God can be experienced only by those who are in union with Christ and living their spiritual lives on a consistent basis.
In these first four verses, the apostle John was laying the groundwork for the true theme of the book, which is virtue-love. Everything in the Christian Way of Life is based upon the Person and Work of Jesus Christ. Without the Hypostatic Union of Christ, there is no eternal salvation, and no Christian Way of Life.
John first presented his case for the truth of the humanity and deity of Jesus Christ, thus refuting the false doctrines of Gnosticism. John obviously felt, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, that there are some who needed to be convinced that Jesus Christ was the eternal Son of God and truly a human being in one Person before he could move on to the doctrine of virtue-love.