|
1John Chapter Two ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 1) For what reason did John write to the church, and if we do sin, who speaks to the Father in our defense, and who is our atoning sacrifice for our sins, and the sins of the whole world?
________________________________________________________________________________ John uses the address "dear children"
in a warm fatherly way. He is not talking down to his readers but is showing
affection for them. At this writing, John was a very old man. He had spent
almost all his life in ministry, and many of his readers were indeed his
spiritual children. 2) How do we know we have come to know Jesus Christ, who is a liar, and what is not found in him?
________________________________________________________________________________ How can you be sure that you belong to Christ? This passage gives two ways to know; if you do what Christ says and live as Christ wants. What does God tell us to do? "To believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another." True Christian faith results in loving behavior; that is why John says that the way we act can give us assurance that we belong to Christ. 3) If anyone obeys Jesus' word, what is truly made complete in him, and what must whoever claims to live in him do?
________________________________________________________________________________ To "walk as Jesus did" or living as Christ did doesn’t mean choosing 12 disciples, performing great miracles, and being crucified. We cannot merely copy Christ’s life-much of what Jesus did had to do with his identity as God’s Son, the fulfillment to his special role in dying for sin, and the cultural context of the first-century Roman world. To walk today as Christ did we must obey his teachings and follow his example of complete obedience to God and loving service to people. 4) What did John say he was writing, what is the old command, yet, what did John say he is writing to them, and why is the truth of this new command seen in him and you?
________________________________________________________________________________ The commandment to love others is both old and new, It is old because it comes from the Old Testament (Leviticus 19:18). It is new because Jesus interpreted it in a radically new way (John 13:34, 35). In the Christian church, love is not only expressed by showing respect; it is also expressed through self-sacrifice and servanthood (John 15:13). In fact, it can be defined as "selfless giving," reaching beyond friends to enemies and persecutors (Matthew 5:43-48). Love should be the unifying force and the identifying mark of the Christian community. Love is more than simply warm feelings; it is an attitude that reveals itself in action. Love is the key to walking in the light, because we cannot grow spiritually while we hate others. Our growing relationship with God will result in growing relationships with others. 5) Who is the one who is still in darkness, who lives in the light, what is not in the one who lives in the light, who is in darkness and walks around in the darkness, and why does he, who lives in darkness, not know where he is going?
________________________________________________________________________________ Does this mean that if you dislike someone you aren’t a Christian? These verses are not talking about disliking a disagreeable Christian brother or sister. There will always be people we will not like as well as others. John’s words focus on the attitude that causes us to ignore or despise others, to treat them as irritants, competitors, or enemies. Christian love is not a feeling but a choice. We can choose to be concerned with people’s well-being and treat them with respect, whether or not we feel affection toward them. If we choose to love others God will help us express our love. 6) Why did John write to the dear children, why did John write to the fathers, why did John write to the young men, why did John write to children, why did John write to the fathers, why did John write to the young men, what lives in the young men, and who have they overcome?
________________________________________________________________________________ John was writing to believers of all ages, his "dear children" who had experienced forgiveness through Jesus. The older men ("fathers") were mature in the faith and had a long-standing relationship with Christ. The young men had struggled with Satan’s temptations and had won. The boys and girls had learned about Christ and were just beginning their spiritual journey. Each stage of life in the Christian pilgrimage builds upon the other. As children we learn about Christ, they grow in their ability to win battles with temptation. As young adults move from victory to victory, they grow in their relationship with Christ. Older adults, having known Christ for years, have developed the wisdom needed to teach young people and start the cycle all over again. Has your Christian growth reached the maturity level appropriate for your stage in life? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Do Not Love the World ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 7) What does John tell us not to love, what is not in anyone who loves the world, what does not come from the Father, what will pass away, and who lives forever?
________________________________________________________________________________ Some people think that worldliness is limited to
external behavior-the people we associate with, the places we go, the activities
we enjoy. Worldliness is also internal because it begins in the heart and is
characterized by three attitudes: (1) the cravings of sinful man-preoccupation
with gratifying physical desires; (2) the lust of his eyes-craving and
accumulating things, bowing down to the god of materialism; and (3) boasting
of what he has and does-obsession with one’s status or importance. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Warning Against Antichrist ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 8) What hour did John say this was, even thought they have heard that the antichrist is coming, whom did John say has come, if they (the antichrists) had belonged to us (the believers), what would they do, and what did they show by their going?
________________________________________________________________________________ John is talking about the last days, the time between
Christ’s first and second comings. The first century readers of 1John lived in
the last days, and so do we. During this time, antichrists (false teachers who
pretend to be Christians and who lure weak members away from Christ) will
appear. Finally, just before the world ends one great antichrist will arise
(Revelation 13; 19:20; 20:10). We do not need to fear these evil people,
however. The Holy Spirit shows us their errors, so we will not be deceived.
However, we must teach God’s Word clearly and carefully to the peripheral, weak
members among us so that they won’t fall prey to these teachers who "come to you
in sheep clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves" (Matthew 7:15). ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Warning Against Antichrists ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 9) What do we (the believers) have, what does no lie come from, who is the liar, what is such a man, whom does he deny, and what does whoever acknowledges the Son have?
________________________________________________________________________________ Anointing usually refers to the pouring out of
special olive oil. Oil was used to consecrate kings and special servants for
service (1Samuel 16:1, 13), and also used by the church when someone was sick
(James 5:14). "You have an anointing from the Holy One" could read, ‘The Holy
Spirit has been given to you by the Father and the Son.’ 10) If what you have heard from the beginning remains in you, whom will you also remain in, and what did Jesus promise us?
________________________________________________________________________________ These Christians had heard the gospel, very likely from John
himself. They knew that Christ was God’s Son, that he died for their sins and
was raised to give them new life, and that he would return and establish his
kingdom in its fullness. But their fellowship was being infiltrated by teachers
who denied these basic doctrines of the Christian faith, and some of the
believers were in danger of succumbing to false arguments. John encouraged them
to hold on to the Christian truth they heard at the beginning of their walk with
Christ. 11) Who was John writing these things about, why did John say the church didn't need anyone to teach them, what does the anointing teach you, and whom does John tell the church to stay in? ________________________________________________________________________________ Christ had promised to send the Holy Spirit to teach his
followers and to remind them of all that Christ had taught. As a result,
Christians have the Holy Spirit within them ("the anointing") to keep them from
going astray. In addition, they have the God-inspired Scriptures, against which
they can test questionable teachings. To stay true to Christ, we must follow his
Word and his Spirit. Let the Holy Spirit help you discern truth from error. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ (2) God is love Children of God ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 12) For what reason does John tells the church to stay in him
(Jesus), and if you know he is righteous, what do we know about everybody that
does right? The visible proof of being a Christian is right behavior. Many people do good deeds, but don’t have faith in Jesus Christ. Others claim to have faith but rarely produce good deeds. A deficit in either their faith or right behavior will be a cause for shame when Christ returns. Because true faith always results in good deeds, those who claim to have faith and who consistently do what is right are true believers. Good deeds cannot produce salvation, but they are necessary proof that true faith is actually present. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Answers 1John Chapter Two ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 1) so that you will not sin...Jesus Christ...the
atoning sacrifice ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Taken from The NIV Life Application Stud Bible, Zondervan Publishers |