As the apostle begins unfolding the good news about the eternal life and fellowship that we have in God he begins with the nature of God himself: “God is light”. God himself is the light of all life (John 1:4) and all his deeds consist of goodness, righteousness, and truth (Ephesians 5:9); his light drives …
Devoid of the Word: 1st John 1:10
Verse 10: Devoid of the Word 10 If we say, “We have not sinned,” we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. This verse unfolds the final antithetical statement that opposes the phrase “God is light”; if we have never sinned, God’s actions towards us are not love. If we have …
Confession and Sanctification: 1st John 1:9
Verse 9: Confession and Sanctification 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. This verse unfolds a positive reinforcement of verse five’s “God is Light” statement by emphasizing the point that there is no shadow of unforgiveness in God because …
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The Inward Deception: 1st John 1:8
Verse 8: The Inward Deception 8 If we say, “We have no sin,” we are deceiving ourselves, and the truth is not in us. This verse unfolds the second antithetical statement that runs contrary to verse five; the claim to “have no sin” is in direct and unequivocal opposition to the claim that “God is …
The Blood of Jesus: 1st John 1:7
Verse 7: The Blood of Jesus 7 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. This verse continues unfolding John’s topic of “life” and “fellowship” and completes his paradigm of “light and …
The Lie of Darkness: 1st John 1:6
Verse 6: The Lie 6 If we say, “We have fellowship with him,” and yet we walk in darkness, we are lying and are not practicing the truth. This verse is the first of three antithetical statements (v.6;v.8; v.10) to verse five’s claim that “God is light, and there is absolutely no darkness in him”; …
God is Light: 1st John 1:5
1st John 1:5 (CSB) This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light, and there is absolutely no darkness in him. Recall that John’s first epistle is all about “life”: “the life” (v.2), “the eternal life” (v.2), “the word of Life” (v.1). Therefore it is fitting that the …
Reflections on 1st John 1:1-4
1st John 1:1-4 (CSB) What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have observed and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life—2 that life was revealed, and we have seen it and we testify and declare to you the eternal life that …
Joy Complete: 1st John 1:4
Verse 4: Complete We are writing these things so that our joy may be complete. John’s prologue to his first epistle picks up where the epilogue to his gospel leaves off: John 21:24 (CSB) This is the disciple who testifies to these things and who wrote them down. We know that his testimony is true. …
Fellowship: 1st John 1:3
VERSE 3: FELLOWSHIP what we have seen and heard we also declare to you, so that you may also have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. John lays out the chief aims of his endeavor to unfold the eternal life that has been manifest …
