Expository Notes on the Bible (Constable)

• 1. The new commandment 13:31-35
  Jesus began His instructions with His disciples' most important responsibility.13:31-32 Judas' departure to meet with the chief priests signalled the beginning of the Son of Man's glorification, which John recorded Jesus as c...
• B. Spiritual warfare 6:10-20
  That this section is distinct from the five that precede it is evident from two facts. Paul introduced it differently, and the emphasis in it is on God's resources. Earlier Paul urged the strengthening and growth of the body ...
• Instructions Regarding Morality 13:1-6
  13:1 When love for Jesus Christ falters, love for the brethren normally flags as well (cf. Rom. 12:10; 1 Thess. 4:9-10; 1 Pet. 1:22; 2 Pet. 1:7; 1 John 2:9).13:2 Abraham entertained angels when he showed them hospitality (Gen...
• Message9
  If I were to boil down the message of this epistle into one sentence it would be this. Fellowship with God is the essence of eternal life.Both the Gospel of John and the First Epistle of John deal with eternal life. John wrot...
• Outline
  I. Introduction: the purpose of the epistle 1:1-4II. Living in the light 1:5-2:29A. God as light 1:5-7B. Conditions for living in the light 1:8-2:291. Renouncing sin 1:8-2:22. Obeying God 2:3-113. Rejecting worldliness 2:12-1...
• I. Introduction: THE PURPOSE OF THE EPISTLE 1:1-4
  "This writing begins without any of the formal features characteristic of a letter, such as we found in 2 John and 3 John. Since the conclusion also lacks any typical features of a letter, we must conclude that the writing is...
• II. Living in the light 1:5--2:29
  "The teaching of 1 John is concerned essentially with the conditions for true Christian discipleship. The two main divisions of the letter set out these conditions and exhort the readers to live in the light (1:5-2:29) as chi...
• A. God as Light 1:5-7
  John began his explanation of what it means to live in the light by emphasizing that God is light.1:5 This verse provides a basis for what follows in verses 6-10. It gives the standard against which the three following Christ...
• B. Conditions for living in the light 1:8-2:29
  John articulated four fundamental principles that underlie fellowship with God to facilitate his readers' experience of that fellowship. One must renounce sin (1:8-2:2), obey God (2:3-11), reject worldliness (2:12-17), and ke...
• 1. Renouncing sin 1:8-2:2
  John continued a structural pattern that he established in the previous section (vv. 6-7) in which he used pairs of clauses to present a false assertion followed by his correction.1:8 This second claim (cf. v. 6) is more seri...
• 2. Obeying God 2:3-11
  "The author is explaining to the members of his church, in answer to developing heretical tendencies, the nature of true Christian belief and practice, and the way in which these interact. To do this he first chooses as his t...
• 3. Rejecting worldliness 2:12-17
  John continued to urge his readers to cultivate intimate fellowship with God who is light. To do so they also needed to reject worldliness."The first part of the Epistle (1:5-2:11) involved untrue assertions made by the autho...
• The spiritual condition of the readers 2:12-14
  John reminded his readers of their spiritual blessings to motivate them to cultivate intimate fellowship with God."Because his readers are Christians and have in part experienced the power of their faith he moves them to nobl...
• The enticements of the world 2:15-17
  John next warned his readers of worldly dangers that face the Christian as he or she seeks to get to know God better. He did so to enable them to prepare for and to overcome these obstacles with God's help."As often in 1 John...
• 4. Keeping the Faith 2:18-29
  "Since 1:5 the author has been discussing the conditions for living as a Christian in the world. Starting from the leading statement of the good news that God is light' (1:5-7), John outlines four practical conditions whereby...
• Signs of the believer 2:20-23
  2:20-21 In contrast to the heterodox secessionists (v. 19), the faithful believers within the community were "keeping the faith."The "anointing"referred to is evidently the Holy Spirit whom Jesus gives to each believer at con...
• The importance of keeping the faith 2:26-27
  2:26 The "these things"in view probably refer to what John had just written (vv. 18-25)."The author concludes his attack on the false teachers with a warning and a word of encouragement for his followers."992:27 The "anointin...
• III. Living as children of God 3:1--5:13
  "In the second division of this document (3:1-5:13) John concentrates on the developing spiritual life of his followers, rather than sustaining his attack on the heretics, some of whom have already seceded from his church (2:...
• A. God as Father 3:1-3
  This section introduces John's recapitulation and expansion of his exposition of what is necessary for people to have fellowship with God. He changed his figure from God as light to God as the Father of the believer."John beg...
• 1. Renouncing sin reaffirmed 3:4-9
  "The present vv, 3:4-9, form six strophes, each of which divides . . . roughly into half. The two halves of the strophes balance one another; for the second part of the v provides a development of the first part (vv 4, 5, 7),...
• 4. Practicing love 4:7-5:4
  "By inserting this condition, John interrupts the symmetry which exists between the two halves of his letter . . .; for the idea of love' by itself is not given separate treatment in 1:5-2:29. However, the discussion of love ...
• The source of love 4:7-10
  4:7 Love, as well as faith (i.e., acknowledging the true doctrine of Christ, vv. 1-6), is a product of God's Spirit. The believer (one "born of God") who also "knows"God (i.e., has intimate fellowship with Him) loves (cf. 2:3...
• The practice of love 4:17-20
  4:17 Our love becomes complete in the sense that we can now have confidence as we anticipate our day of judgment (i.e., the evaluation of our works at Christ's judgment seat; 1 Cor. 3:12-15; 2 Cor. 5:10). The characteristic o...
• The command to love 4:21-5:4
  4:21 Furthermore, God commanded us to love both Himself and our brothers, not just Himself (2:3; 3:23-24; 5:3). Here is another false claim (cf. 1:6, 8, 10; 2:4, 6, 9, 22; 5:10)."Much verbal expression of devotion for the per...
• Bibliography
  Bailey, Mark L., and Thomas L. Constable. The New Testament Explorer. Nashville: Word Publishing Co., 1999.Baker's Dictionary of Theology, 1960. S.v. "Theophany,"by Wick Broomall.Barclay, William. The Letters of John and Jude...
• A. Practicing the Truth vv. 4-6
  John wrote this epistle to urge his readers to continue to be obedient to God by responding positively to the truth of His revelation. He also wanted them to resist the inroads of false teachers who sought to distort this tru...

Expositions Of Holy Scripture (Maclaren)

• III. 1 John 2:1-6 Is In Structure Analogous To The Preceding Section.
  As there, so here, the message' is summed up in one great fact,--Christ's work as advocate for believers and as propitiation for the world. As there, so here, two practical consequences follow, which are drawn out on correspo...
• The Commandment, Old Yet New
  I write no new commandment unto you, but an old commandment which ye had from the beginning … Again, a new commandment I write unto you, which thing is true in him and in you.'--1 John 2:7-8.THE simplest words may carry ...