Notes for the Study & Exposition of 1st John

Eric E. Kress

Kress Christian

Publications

Notes for the Study and Exposition of 1 John

Copyright © 2002 by Eric Kress

All Rights Reserved

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or any other—except for the appendix with proper acknowledgment of the author and publisher, or the oral presentation of the outline with proper acknowledgment of the author and publisher, or quotations embodied in critical articles or printed reviews, without prior written permission of the publisher.

Published by:

Kress Christian Publications

P.O. Box 132228

The Woodlands, TX 77393

Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®

© Copyright The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963,

1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977

Used by permission. (www.Lockman.org)

ISBN 0-9717568-0-5

Acknowledgments

The author would like to thankfully acknowledge Dr. Irv Busenitz of The Master’s Seminary, Dr. Bill Smallman of Baptist Mid-Missions, Dr. Gareth Cockerill of Wesley Biblical Seminary, Garry Knussman of Grace To You, as well as John Lewis and Chet Boyd of O.M. Literature for their encouragement and editorial suggestions.

Contents

1 —Introduction to 1 John

2 —The Big Picture

3 —An Overview Outline

4 —A Detailed Outline

SECTION I—Prologue (1 John 1:1–4)

5 —Partaking of Eternal Life (1 John 1:1–4)

SECTION II—God is Light (1 John 1:5–2:28)

6 —Walking in the Light (1 John 1:5–7)

7 —Confessing Sin (1 John 1:8–10)

8 —Having an Advocate (1 John 2:1–2)

9 —Obeying Christ’s Commandments (1 John 2:3–6)

10 —Loving the Brethren (1 John 2:7–11)

11 —Being Forgiven (1 John 2:12–14)

12 —Not Loving the World (1 John 2:15–17)

13 —Believing the Truth (1 John 2:18–28)

SECTION III—God is Righteous (1 John 2:29–4:6)

14 —Practicing Righteousness (1 John 2:29)

15 —Being Called a Son of God (1 John 3:1–3)

16 —Not Practicing Sin (1 John 3:4–10a)

17 —Loving One Another (1 John 3:10b-24)

18 —Discerning Truth from Error (1 John 4:1–4:6)

SECTION IV—God is Love (1 John 4:7–5:5)

19 —Being Born to Love (1 John 4:7–12)

20 —Being United with God (1 John 4:13–19)

21 —Overcoming the World (1 John 4:20–5:5)

SECTION V—God is Truth and Life (1 John 5:6–21)

22 —Believing God’s Testimony (1 John 5:6–12)

23 —Having Eternal Life and Answered Prayer (1 John 5:13–17)

24 —Having New Relationships (1 John 5:18–20)

25 —Guarding from Idols (1 John 5:21)

Bibliography

APPENDIX

Study Guide

Chapter 1

Introduction to 1 John

1. The Writer

The human author is not specifically named within the epistle itself.

A. The Internal Evidence.

1) He was an eyewitness of Christ and the events of the gospel (1:1–3).

2) He had definite, recognized authority among his readers (2:1, 7, 8, 15; 3:7, 18; 4:1–6).

3) He employed a very similar grammar, style and vocabulary as the author of the Gospel of John (cf. 1 John 1:4 and John 16:24; 1 John 4:6 and John 8:47; 1 John ...