Second, although the word “propitiation” is used in biblical writings, it is nevertheless not used in precisely the same way it is used in pagan writings. In the pagan rituals the sacrifice was the means by which a man placated an offended deity. In Christianity it is never the man who takes the ini
The second term used by John of Jesus is "righteous." Indeed, it is this word rather than either "advocate" or "propitiation" which is emphasized. In what sense is it used?The second term used by John of Jesus is “righteous.” Indeed, it is this word rather than either “advocate” or “propitiation” wh
This is the principle of 1 John 2:1-2: forgiveness in advance for any sin that might ever come into our lives. This is God's promise, and it is given to us precisely that we might not sin. God is not shocked by human behavior, as we often are; for He sees it in advance, including the sins of Christi
Nothing that John has written thus far can be taken as an endorsement of sin. But it is possible that some might misunderstand his statements and thereby reach that conclusion. Has he not argued that all men sin? “Well,” they might argue, “if sin is inevitable, why struggle against it? You will sin,
The application of this section of John's letter must be to each man or woman individually. John has contrasted the nature of God ("God is light") with the nature of man; and he has begun to show the characteristics of those who walk in the light as opposed to those who walk in darkness. It is not e
In yesterday’s study we looked at the first result of walking in the light, which concerns fellowship with other Christians.Second, John says that the one walking in the light will find the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ available to him for continued cleansing. At first glance this seems a contradi
John's definition of God as light is followed by a denial of three false claims in which the reader is probably right in hearing an echo of the erroneous teachings of John's Gnostic opponents. These men claimed to have entered into a higher fellowship with God than was known by most other Christians
In biblical thought two special ideas are associated with the image of light, however. First, the image generally has ethical overtones. That is, it is a symbol of holiness or purity as well as of intelligence, vision, growth and other realities. This is apparent several times in John’s Gospel, as w
What is God? John answers: "God is light, and in him is no darkness at all." This statement is John's first great thesis, leading naturally into much of the material that follows. In this section of the letter John presents his thesis (both from a positive and negative perspective), deals with three
At the conclusion to yesterday’s study, we saw that the first word used to describe how the Gospel is shared is martyrein, which originally denoted the bearing of testimony in a court of law.Second, John says, we “proclaim” what we have seen and heard to you. On the surface this verb seems much like
The third channel through which John gained knowledge of Christ was touch, for he tells his readers that the apostles had “touched” Him, adding “with our hands.” This is the most intimate experience of all. Westcott says that “there can be no doubt that the exact word is used with a distinct referen
The second channel through which John gained knowledge of Christ was the eye, for the apostle says that he and other apostles “have seen” Him. Of all the sense words used by John in this preface—hear, see, look upon, and touch—this one was apparently the most important to John personally, for he rep
In yesterday’s study, we ended by drawing our attention to the phrase “the word of life” and mentioning the way this might be understood at first glance. We said that we would tend to interpret it as “the life-giving Word” or “Christ who gives life.” There are several reasons for questioning this f
A number of years ago, in preparation for a discussion period on a Christian radio program, an interviewer went onto the streets of Philadelphia to ask people this question: “What is Christianity?” The answers were surprising. Some said that Christianity was “the American way of life.” Others called
What, then, are the major emphases of John's first letter for ourselves and our contemporaries? There are five of them. The first message of John is his insistence upon the truth and value of the old message of the Gospel as opposed to new or modern alterations of it, such as would change its chara
The third purpose for the writing of 1 John is to explain or elaborate upon Christ’s new commandment: “A new commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another” (John 13:34). This verse, from the thirteenth chapter of John’s Gospel, is included in the midst of a narrative of the events that took
The second purpose that John had in writing his letter is related to the first one, but it is rightly considered a distinct purpose, in that by it John was dealing with a new and dangerous movement in his day and was warning Christians about it. The movement was what today we would call an early for
The first is the test of practical righteousness in the believer's life. It does not mean that the Christian must be without sin—indeed, John says that the one professing to be without sin deceives himself and makes God a liar (1:8, 10)—but it does mean that he must be progressing in righteousness s
I want to begin a brief but entirely new series of studies of 1 John. And to begin with I want to look at the purpose for which 1 John was written. It is possible to read a book without understanding the purpose for which it was written. Indeed, much reading is done on this level by many persons. Bu
Yesterday, we ended by wondering how the brothers might respond to the silver cup being found with Benjamin. How might they try to save themselves? What story would they perhaps make up to tell their father? Thanks to the work of God, none of these thoughts was now in the brothers’ minds. Years befo
In yesterday’s study, we concluded with the idea that before forgiveness and cleansing can occur, Jesus must first reveal to us the depth of our sin and the reality of our impending judgment. When a person is exposed to this divine logic for the first time, it sounds wrong. It sounds as if a person
Look at these men as the steward begins to search their sacks. Study their faces. Here is Judah, proud of his integrity. Here are Reuben and Levi, confident that their word will again be vindicated. See their confidence grow as the bundles are systematically opened beginning with the sack of the old
To understand Genesis 44 we must put ourselves in the brothers’ shoes as they started out from Egypt that final morning. They had gone to Egypt with gloomy apprehensions, fueled perhaps by the even gloomier apprehensions of their father. The last time they had been in Egypt, the prime minister had b
We have been looking at the work of God in the lives of Joseph's sin-hardened brothers. Twenty-two years before these events they had sold their innocent and unsuspecting brother into slavery, and all the years since then they had lived with their terrible secret. No one knew—not Jacob their father,
