Overall Question: How did John feel about Jesus?

Memory Text: 1 John 4:14 NKJV “And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son as Savior of the world.”

Sunday – Author and Recipients
1 John 1:1-3 NRSV “1 ¶ We declare to you 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 this life was revealed, and we have seen it and testify to it, and declare to you the eternal life that was with the Father and was revealed to us— 3 we declare to you what we have seen and heard so that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ.”
1 John 1:1 SDA BIBLE COMMENTARY In asserting that he is about to write concerning the One whom he and his associates have actually heard, John contests the claims of those who deny the reality of the incarnation. Thus he establishes the grounds of his authority and of his appeal to the readers. Who can doubt that there must have been precious memories in his mind as he thought of the beloved voice to which he had so earnestly listened, long ago, in Palestine!
1 John 2:1 NRSV “My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous;”
1 John 4:4 NRSV “Little children, you are from God, and have conquered them; for the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.”
2 John 1:1, 12 KJV “The elder unto the elect lady and her children, whom I love in the truth; and not I only, but also all they that have known the truth; 12 Having many things to write unto you, I would not [write] with paper and ink: but I trust to come unto you, and speak face to face, that our joy may be full.”
3 John 1:1, 13-14 BBE “1 I, a ruler in the church, send word to the well loved Gaius, for whom I have true love. 13 I had much to say to you, but it is not my purpose to put it all down with ink and pen: 14 But I am hoping to see you in a short time, and to have talk with you face to face. May you have peace. Your friends here send you their love. Give my love to our friends by name.”

Monday – Content of the Epistles
2 John 1:1-3 KJ21 “1 ¶ The Elder, Unto the elect lady and her children, whom I love in the truth, and not I only, but also all those who have known the truth; 2 for the truth’s sake, which dwelleth in us and shall be with us for ever: 3 Grace, mercy, and peace be with you from God the Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love.”
2 John 1:1 COMMENTARY BY ADAM CLARKE John the apostle, who was now a very old man, generally supposed to be about ninety, and therefore he uses the term presbyter or elder, not as the name of an office, but as designating his advanced age. He is allowed to have been the oldest of all the apostles, and to have been the only one who died a natural death.
2 John 1:4 KJ21 “4 I rejoiced greatly that I have found of thy children walking in truth, as we have received a commandment from the Father.”
2 John 1:5-6 KJ21 “5 ¶ And now I beseech thee, lady, not as though I wrote a new commandment unto thee, but that which we had from the beginning: that we love one another. 6 And this is love: that we walk according to His commandments. This is the commandment, that, as ye have heard from the beginning, ye should walk in it.”
2 John 1:7 KJ21 “7 ¶ For many deceivers have entered into the world who confess not that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist. 8 Look to yourselves, that we lose not those things which we have wrought, but that we may receive a full reward. 9 Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ hath both the Father and the Son. 10 ¶ If there come any unto you and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him Godspeed; 11 for he that biddeth him Godspeed is a partaker of his evil deeds.”
2 John 1:12-13 KJ21 “12 ¶ Having many things to write unto you, I would not write with paper and ink; but I trust to come unto you and speak face to face, that our joy may be full. 13 The children of thy elect sister greet thee. Amen.”
2 John 1:12 COMMENTARY BY ALBERT BARNES The word paper here conveys an idea which is not strictly correct. Paper, as that term is now understood, was not invented until long after this period. The material designated by the word used by John (carthv) was the Egyptian papyrus, and the particular thing denoted was a leaf made out of that plant. The sheets were made from membranes of the plant closely pressed together. This plant was found also in Syria and Babylon, but it was produced in greater abundance in Egypt, and that was the plant which was commonly used. It was so comparatively cheap, that it in a great measure superseded the earlier materials for writing--plates of lead, or stone, or the skins of animals. It is probable that the books of the New Testament were written on this species of paper.

Tuesday – Purpose of Writing These Letters
1 John 1:4 God’s Word to the Nations “We are writing this so that we can be completely filled with joy.”
1 John 1:4 COMMENTARY FAMILY BIBLE NOTES The religion of Christ is benevolent, leading all who enjoy its benefits to desire that others should enjoy them, and labor to extend them to all people.
1 John 2:12-14 God’s Word to the Nations “12 ¶ I’m writing to you, dear children, because your sins are forgiven through Christ. 13 I’m writing to you, fathers, because you know Christ who has existed from the beginning. I’m writing to you, young people, because you have won the victory over the evil one. 14 I’ve written to you, children, because you know the Father. I’ve written to you, fathers, because you know Christ, who has existed from the beginning. I’ve written to you, young people, because you are strong and God’s word lives in you. You have won the victory over the evil one.”
1 John 5:13 God’s Word to the Nations “I’ve written this to those who believe in the Son of God so that they will know that they have eternal life.”

Wednesday – Jesus in the Johannine Epistles
1 John 1:1 Contemporary English Version “1 ¶ The Word that gives life was from the beginning, and this is the one our message is about. Our ears have heard, our own eyes have seen, and our hands touched this Word.”
1 John 1:2 CEV “The one who gives life appeared! We saw it happen, and we are witnesses to what we have seen. Now we are telling you about this eternal life that was with the Father and appeared to us.”
1 John 5:20 CEV “We know that Jesus Christ the Son of God has come and has shown us the true God. And because of Jesus, we now belong to the true God who gives eternal life.”
1 John 1:3 CEV “We are telling you what we have seen and heard, so that you may share in this life with us. And we share in it with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ.”
1 John 4:15 CEV “God stays one with everyone who openly says that Jesus is the Son of God. That’s how we stay one with God”
1 John 2:1 English Standard Version “My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.”
1 John 2:8 ESV “At the same time, it is a new commandment that I am writing to you, which is true in him and in you, because the darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining.”
1 John 2:8 COMMENTARY ROBERTSON’S NT WORD PICTURES Old in teaching (as old as the story of Cain and Abel, 3:11), but new in practice.
1 John 2:22 ESV “Who is the liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, he who denies the Father and the Son.”
1 John 4:14 Modern King James Version “And we have seen and testify that the Father sent the Son [to be] the Savior of the world.”
1 John 5:20 MKJV “And we know that the Son of God has come, and [He] has given us an understanding so that we may know Him who is true. And we are in Him that is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and the everlasting life.”
1 John 5:20 SDA BIBLE COMMENTARY He who has been born again knows that Christ came and accomplished the work of redemption, for he has personally experienced forgiveness of sin and the power of the indwelling presence of the Saviour to keep him from sin.

Thursday – Jesus’ Ministry in John’s Epistles
1 John 1:7 Moffatt New Testament “but if we live and move within the light, as he is within the light, then we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from every sin.”
1 John 2:25 Holman Christian Standard Bible “And this is the promise that He Himself made to us: eternal life.”
1 John 2:28 Moffatt NT “Remain within him now, my dear children, so that when he appears, we may have confidence instead of shrinking from him in shame at his arrival.”
1 John 3:8 Moffatt NT “he who commits sin belongs to the devil, for the devil is a sinner from the very beginning. (This is why the Son of God appeared, to destroy the deeds of the devil.)”
1 John 3:8 SDA BIBLE COMMENTARY These “works” include all the evil Satan has ever wrought in the world and in God’s creation, but the particular reference here may be to the sins that the devil has fostered in men’s lives. Christ came to release men from bondage to sin, and thus to undo the work of the evil one.
1 John 3:16 Holman “This is how we have come to know love: He laid down His life for us. We should also lay down our lives for our brothers.”
1 John 5:18 Holman “We know that everyone who has been born of God does not sin, but the One who is born of God keeps him, and the evil one does not touch him.”
2 John 1:3 BBE “May grace, mercy, and peace be with us from God the Father, and from Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in all true love.”
2 John 1:3 COMMENTARY BY JAMIESON, FAUSSET, AND BROWN "Grace" covers the sins of men; "mercy," their miseries. Grace must first do away with man's guilt before his misery can be relieved by mercy. Therefore grace stands before mercy. Peace is the result of both, and therefore stands third in order. Casting all our care on the Lord, with thanksgiving, maintains this peace.
2 John 1:3 SDA BIBLE COMMENTARY When grace has awakened a desire for salvation and the heart seeks God for forgiveness and rebirth, then the Lord can give the second gift, “mercy,” or compassion, which would be wasted on one who did not realize his need (Luke 18:10–14). “Peace” comes when the forgiven sinner realizes that he has been reconciled to God and is no longer under the condemnation of the law, which he has broken.

John loved Jesus with ALL of his heart. Not just one seventh of it as so many today. I would dare to say, Jesus knew that John would be honored to follow up with His last request...taking care of His mom.

Agreed.

HEY ALL

THIS is an interesting poll


dgrimm60

This is an interesting question. Jesus was John's best friend, and John, Jesus' best friend. But I don't think that he wrote his books for 'friendship's' sake. When John wrote the Gospel of John, there was so much confusion regarding the nature of Christ, and folks were all confused about what Jesus said to Peter about John (John 21:20-22). Many understood Jesus' remarks on that occasion to mean that John would be alive when Jesus came again. It was a very popular theory. John wrote to clarify these, and other, issues. (Isn't that the kind of mistakes we make today?!)

There were three major dangers that threatened the very structure of Christianity at the time John wrote the Gospel John. One was waning piety; another was heresy, particularly Gnosticism, which denied the reality of the incarnation and spawned libertinism; and the last was persecution. (I reference the Bible Commentary in the Introduction section for this information).

There is no question that John loved Jesus, and that he (John) wanted that love reflected among Christians. This concept was much more reflected in the epistles of John. John was apparently 'old' (and Christianity had been progressing for quite a few years), when he wrote all his 'John' books, and the primary purpose of the epistles is pastoral - so that they could better live the Christian life, and the key note is 'love'. However the epistles also focused on heresies related to the nature of Christ that troubled the church and the false teachers who tried to subvert the faith. He wanted to make the Gospel so attractive that Christians would not be led into error!

Although I voted for the problem of too many gods, I don't see that as the answer either except as the early Christians made gods of their own theories!

HEY CONTENTED


these are some good points


dgrimm60

You are correct. John was an eyewitness as to the activities of Jesus. He knew the character of the Teacher and wanted to follow His instructions. To tell the whole earth.

[quote=contented] There is no question that John loved Jesus, and that he (John) wanted that love reflected among Christians. This concept was much more reflected in the epistles of John. John was apparently 'old' (and Christianity had been progressing for quite a few years), when he wrote all his 'John' books, and the primary purpose of the epistles is pastoral - so that they could better live the Christian life, and the key note is 'love'. However the epistles also focused on heresies related to the nature of Christ that troubled the church and the false teachers who tried to subvert the faith. He wanted to make the Gospel so attractive that Christians would not be led into error![/quoted]

Agreed with a hearty AMEN