1 John - Chapter 2

In this transcription, Julie Callier discusses chapter 2 of 1 John. She provides background information on John, the author of the letter, and his role as a disciple of Jesus. John's letter serves to encourage and warn the churches in Asia Minor against false teachers. He emphasizes the importance of fellowship with God and living in the light of truth. Julie also delves into the concept of Jesus as an advocate and the theological debate surrounding limited atonement. John stresses the commandment to love God and others, and warns against the darkness of hate. He addresses different groups within the church and cautions against loving the world over God. Finally, Julie mentions the mention of antichrists and the schism in the early church. I'm Julie Callier, your host, and thanks for taking time out of your busy schedule to tune in with me today. If, by chance, you want to contact me, you can do that at bab.bc.pc at gmail.com. Today we are covering chapter 2 of 1 John. So far in our study, we know that John saw himself as the disciple that Jesus loved. His writings are the last to be written somewhere around AD 90s. He has written the Gospel of John, these three general epistles, 1st, 2nd, and 3rd John, or letters written by someone other than Paul, and he wrote the only prophetic book of the New Testament, Revelation. He took care of Jesus' mother until she died around AD 70 when Jerusalem and the Temple fell, and then he moved to Ephesus. It is believed he was there when he wrote this letter to the churches in Asia Minor to encourage them in the faith and to warn against false teachers, both from outside the church and within. He started this letter in a similar fashion as he did his Gospel, reminding us that Jesus was from the beginning and that God had come in the flesh. They had seen, heard, and touched Jesus, who was the Word of Life. John spoke of fellowship with other believers, that is, with the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ. Chapter 1, verse 3, he also told us that God is light and there is absolutely no darkness in Him. Since God is light and Jesus is the light, people who believe in Him should walk in the light, and the way to do that is to live in truth of our sin and the acceptance that Jesus shed His blood for our sin. Now chapter 2, John starts, My little children, I am writing you these things so that you may not sin. The terminology that John used is about family. Now in this letter, he does not describe himself, but in 2 and 3 John, he calls himself the elder. Keep in mind, when this letter was written, it is very likely that John was the last living of the original 12 disciples. The generation of those who actually saw, heard, and felt Jesus are dying off. This is the next generation, and John reminded them that they are part of the family of God and he is passionate in his plea for them to continue in the faith. Now Edward A. McDowell said, John is careful with his tenses. Here he uses the oris, and the meaning is, so that you may not commit sin or fall into sin. This is not the present continuous action. Then John continued, but if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the Righteous One. The word for advocate is paraclete, and it could mean advocate, counselor, helper, comforter. According to Ken Easley, the term advocate means one who speaks in court on behalf of a defendant. Now in the Gospel of John chapter 14 verse 6 and verse 26 and then chapter 15 verse 26 and in chapter 16 verse 7, Jesus spoke of paraclete with reference to the Holy Spirit. Now in John chapter 14 verse 16, Jesus said, I will ask the Father and he will give you another helper or another paraclete that he may be with you forever. As he used the word another, he is also referencing himself as a paraclete, as John does here. Jesus is our defending attorney before God. And even more than verse 2 John said about Jesus, he himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not only for ours, but also for those of the whole world. The word propitiation is defined as appeasing a God, spirit, or person. Now I want to share with you a theological term and concept for you to ponder. There are people on both sides of this argument. It seems by this verse that Jesus died for all people and that his blood was for all people. But John also makes it clear that not all people accept the gift of Jesus' sacrifice. Some people hold to a view called limited atonement, who believe that Jesus died only for those who became saved. The problem is that only Jesus knows who believes or who will believe or who won't, and it's not our job to make that decision. I personally do not hold to the view of limited atonement, and I don't see his blood as wasted for those who did not accept it. I see it as a gift that just was not received. An early Christian writer named Ignatius wrote to Christians in Asia Minor, and he said, Pray continually for the rest of mankind as well, that they may find God, for there is in them a hope of repentance. Glenn W. Barker said, This statement asserts two things. Jesus' sacrifice is sufficient for all, and it is necessary for all. In verses 3 through 6, John explains that those who know Jesus keep his commands, walk in his ways, and the love of God is perfected in him. The one who claims to be saved but does not keep God's commandments is lying. Then verse 7 starts Adelphoi, which can be translated as dear friends, brothers, or beloved. The city of Philadelphia is the city of brotherly love. My favorite translation here is beloved, because John knew that he was loved, and he is reminding us that we are loved too. After we have read through the Old Testament this year, I really love verses 7 and 8 which say, Beloved, I am not writing you a new command, but an old command that you have had from the beginning. The old command is the message you have heard, yet I am writing you a new command, which is true in him and in you, because the darkness is passing away, and the true light is already shining. Do you remember when we covered the prophets and Dr. Bett said that there were two main points that the prophets covered? Do you remember what they were? We are to love God and love people. Then what did Jesus say was the most important commandment, and then what was the second? These are found in Matthew chapter 22, Mark chapter 12, and Luke chapter 10. Jesus said, You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind, and the second is like it. You shall love your neighbor as yourself. Then Jesus said, On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. So the message is the same in the Old Testament and the New Testament. John said this is not a new commandment, so what is the difference? What makes the new covenant? What is the new command? Jesus. The problem with the old covenant is we can't love God and love our neighbor the way we should because of our sin. But with Jesus who became the ultimate sacrifice for our sin and with his spirit within us, Jesus makes it so that we can love God and love our neighbors. Then John gave some strong words in verses 9 through 11. The one who says he is in the light but hates his brother is in the darkness until now. The one who loves his brother remains in the light and there is no cause for stumbling in him. But the one who hates his brother is in the darkness, walks in the darkness and doesn't know where he is going because the darkness has blinded his eyes. Do you see the repeated word of darkness and light? Ladies, I don't know about you, but this makes me go through a list of people that I don't like hanging around with too much. I need to assess what my heart is saying about them and if I need to forgive someone or address issues with someone or is there something I need to do to bring reconciliation? I don't want the darkness of hate to penetrate my heart. Then in verses 12 through 14, John addressed three groups of people that include all believers. Little children, fathers and young men. One thing to keep in mind that since most of the twelve disciples are gone, John wants the future leadership to stand strong but also for all believers to stand strong and since John is quote the elder, we are all his little children. In verses 12 and 13, John used the perfect tense where he wrote in the past and it continues into the future and then in verse 14, he addresses the same three groups but this time with the change of tenses, I have written to you. This may be for the purpose of emphasis. In verses 15 through 17, he warns his readers to not love the world and then he said we can't love both the world and God. Charles A. Ray Jr. said the Greek word translated world, kosmon, which is where we get the word cosmos, appears six times in verses 15 through 17 and it has a wide range of uses. John usually used the Greek word in one of three ways. The created universe, especially the earth. John chapter 1 verse 10 and John chapter 17 verse 5. Human beings who inhabited the earth. John 3.16, John 12.19 or an organized evil earthly system especially as it is opposed to God. John chapter 12 verse 31 and John chapter 15 verse 9. The focus in first John chapter 2 verse 15 is on the third use. The world as opposed and hostile to God and his purpose for the world. Jesus also said in the Sermon on the Mount, found in Matthew chapter 6 verses 24 through 26. No one can serve two masters for either he will hate the one and love the other or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money or possessions or fame or status or whatever is valued more than the Lord. With verses 18 and 19 of chapter 2 John wrote, little children it is the last hour. This is only mentioned in this passage. As you have heard antichrist is coming. Even now many antichrists have come. We know from this that it is the last hour. They went out from us but they did not belong to us for if they had belonged to us they would have remained with us. However they went out so that it might be made clear that none of them belonged to us. Ladies this is the first record of a schism or a split in the church. Now if you notice John said there are many antichrists that have come. The prefix anti means against or in the place of. The word antichrist appears in 1 John chapter 2 verse 18 verse 22 chapter 4 verse 3 and then in 2 John verse 7. Haley said in his Bible handbook, it occurs nowhere else in the Bible. It is commonly identified with the man of sin or the man of lawlessness in 2 Thessalonians chapter 2 and the beast in Revelation chapter 13. But the Bible itself does not make the identification. The language implies that John's readers have been taught to expect an antichrist in connection with the closing days of the Christian era verse 18. However John applies the word not to one person but to the whole group of antichristian teachers chapter 2 verse 18 and chapter 4 verse 3. John continued in verses 20 through 23 that the antichrist is one who denies Jesus is the Messiah and he denies the Father and the Son. In verses 24 and 25 John encouraged his readers to remain in their teaching which taught that when we abide in the Son and in the Father then his promise to us is eternal life. In verses 26 and 27 I have written these things to you about those who are trying to deceive you. The anointing you receive from him remains in you and you do not need anyone to teach you. Instead his anointing teaches you about all things and is true and is not a lie just as it has been taught you. Remain in him. Jesus told John and the apostles in the gospel of John chapter 14 verse 26 but the helper the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send in my name he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you. Jesus also taught John in chapter 16 verse 13 but when he the spirit of truth comes he will guide you into all truth for he will not speak on his own initiative but whatever he hears he will speak and he will disclose to you what is to come. Morris Baker commented the presence of the Holy Spirit in the Christian is the guarantee that God will bring the believer into the fullness of the stature of Christ. Ladies we are to test the spirits and we are to trust the Holy Spirit that is within us to guide us because there are leaders that are deceivers and we need to make sure their teaching lines up with the truth of scripture. Ladies we have a paraclete Jesus defends us before God because his blood covers our sin and has now made us a part of the family of God when we believe in him. We also have the Holy Spirit within us that will abide with us forever and he will also guide us into all truth. So let me ask you do you have hatred in your heart that you need to work through? The Holy Spirit will guide you through that process. Do you seek to obey God and his commandments? How well are you at loving God and loving your neighbor? How well do you abide in the Father and the Son? Are you walking in righteousness? Verse 28 reads now little children abide in him so that when he appears we may have confidence and not shrink away from him in shame at his coming. Are you confident or ashamed if Jesus came back today? If you heard his voice please don't harden your heart instead let's be women who hear and obey and can meet him with confidence because of the blood of Jesus Christ. Until next time and thanks so very much for listening.