Articles and Notes
1 John 1
What is heard, seen, and touched
[1Jo 1:1-10 NASB95] 1 What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the Word of Life 2 and the life was manifested, and we have seen and testify and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was manifested to us 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. 4 These things we write, so that our joy may be made complete.
Fellowship with Him and one another
5 This is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all. 6 If we say that we have fellowship with Him and [yet] walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth; 7 but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin. 8 If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us.
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Chapter One
John begins his first epistle like he does his gospel: with a prologue
regarding the Word of Life (Jesus Christ) who dwelt in the flesh among
men and made fellowship with the Father possible (1-4). Fellowship with
God is maintained as we walk in the light and confess our sins that we
might enjoy continual cleansing through the blood of Jesus (5-10).
POINTS TO PONDER
* The witness of John concerning the Word of Life
* The nature of the evidence for faith in Jesus
* The basis of our fellowship with God
REVIEW QUESTIONS
1) What are the main points of this chapter?
- Prologue: The Word of Life - 1Jn 1:1-4
- Fellowship with God - 1Jn 1:5-10
2) How is John’s beginning in this epistle similar to his gospel? (1-4,
cf. Jn 1:1-14)
- Both begin with a prologue regarding the Word who became flesh
3) How does John describe the preincarnation of Jesus? (1)
- As "that which was from the beginning"
4) What empirical evidence does John provide concerning the Word? (1)
- He has heard, seen with his eyes, handled with hands
5) What does John declare? What does he want to share? Why does he
write? (2-4)
- Eternal life; fellowship with the Father and His Son; that our joy
may be full
6) What message has John heard that he now declares to us? (5)
- That God is light and in Him there is no darkness at all
7) If we say we have fellowship with God but walk in darkness, what are
we? (6)
- Liars who do not practice the truth
8) What do we enjoy as we walk in the light together with God? (7)
- Cleansing of all sin by the blood of Christ
9) What if we say that we have no sin? (8,10)
- We deceive ourselves, make God a liar, His word and the truth are
not in us
10) What’s required to be forgiven of sin and cleansed of all
unrighteousness? (9)
- To confess our sins