Read 1 John 2:29-3:10.
What phrase or concept is repeated in this section?
Divide a piece of paper in half.
On the left side, write "children of God, born of God."
What phrase does John use in this section of his letter that contrasts with "children of God"?
Write that phrase on the right side of your chart.
Let's see what this section teaches us about each.
(2:29) Who practices righteousness (does what is right)? Write "practices righteousness" or "does what is right" under the correct heading.
(3:1) Upon whom has the Father bestowed such a great love? Write "the Father's great love" under the correct heading. For each question, place what they have or do or don't have under the correct heading.
(3:1) Who does not know God or His children?
(3:2) Who will eventually be like Him?
(3:3) Who purifies himself?
(3:4) Who practices sin and lawlessness?
(3:6) Who doesn't sin?
(3:6) Who doesn't see or know Him?
(3:7) Who practices righteousness or practices doing what is right?
(3:8) Who practices sin?
(3:9) Who doesn't practice sin?
(3:9) Who has God's seed or life or nature within them?
(3:10) Who does not practice righteousness?
(3:10) Who does not love his brother?
Read each of your lists. What stands out for you? What do you learn?
Does John believe that everyone who is born of God acts righteously 24/7?
How do you know that John doesn't believe that?
What has he previously said that shows he realizes that those born of God are capable of sinning?
See 1 John 1:8-10; 2:1.
From what John writes, it appears that the antichrists may have had a soft attitude toward sin. If you recall, they considered ignorance the sin from which you needed to be saved. John is pointing out the seriousness of sin. Sin is never a result of seeing and knowing God. It is not a part of the experience of abiding in Christ. Sin must be abnormal and unnatural for the believer. The focus of a believer's life must be away from sin and toward righteousness. A Christian, living on this earth, will always struggle with the flesh, but with the help of the indwelling Holy Spirit, he can overcome impulses that lead to sin. God's seed or nature is bestowed upon the believer at the time of his or her salvation. A Christian who sins is concealing who he or she truly is--a child of God.
Read Galatians 5:16-26.
Thursday, February 25, 2010
What Should Abide in the Believer?
Read 1 John 2:24-28 from a NASB, NIV, RSV, NLT, or KJV.
Is there one word that seems as if it's repeated a lot? Actually there's more than one word, but let's look at "abide." Of course, if you're not reading from the NASB version, you're going to have a different word or words that are synonyms for "abide." Perhaps, your version uses remain, continue, lives, or abideth. If you were to look up "abide," you would learn that it means "to remain stable or fixed in a state, to continue in a place."
Read verse 24 again.
What does John tell them they should let abide (remain faithful, live in, continue) in them?
What have they "heard from the beginning" (been taught from the beginning)?
If this phrase sounds familiar, it should. John used it previously in this letter. He's also expressed this thought in other words, such as "message," "proclaim," "testify," "shew," "declare," among others, depending on which version of the Bible you're reading. To quickly find all the places in John's letter where he used the phrase "ye have heard from the beginning" or "ye have heard," I looked up "heard" in Strong's and read through the list for 1 John to find these two phrases. If you like, you can do that now.
Let's list what John specifically stated these believers had heard and had heard from the beginning.
1 John 2:7 (also include verses 2:10 to help you remember what that old commandment is)
2:18
3:11
4:3
This phrase appears twice in the verse we just read--2:24--but it doesn't tell what it is that they've heard from the beginning, so we won't add that to our list.
Read each of those verses to see what John tells them they've heard from the beginning.
Write what they have heard next to each scripture reference.
Read through your list. What do you notice?
There seem to be two things that John has emphasized and wants them to remember. What are those two things? What relationship do you see between these two? How might one affect the outcome of the other?
Read verse 2:24 once more.
Why should they let what they have heard from the beginning abide in them?
Just before this section of verses--24-28--what had John been warning his readers/listeners about?
What are the antichrists trying to do?
How can John's readers/listeners keep from being led astray by these antichrists?
According to 2:25, if we abide with the Father and the Son, what do we have?
What does John tell his readers in verse 26?
From what you've previously read in this letter, who do you think is trying to deceive them (lead them astray)?
In verse 27, what does John say also abides in them?
What if you read this verse in a Bible that uses an unfamiliar term such as "the anointing"--how could you figure out what this term means?
You could look up pertinent cross-references. Or, you could read this verse in some other versions to see how they translate this word. Or, you could use Strong's and Vine's. Use one or more of those to figure out what John meant by "the anointing."
In verse 27, who does John say will teach his readers/listeners all things?
How does verse 27 relate to verse 26?
By remaining in Him, the believers could be confident that "His anointing" would continue to teach them. They didn't need the teaching of the antichrists. John wrote to assure these believers of the validity of their faith and to warn them against these antichrists who were trying to undermine it.
According to verse 28, why should they abide in Him?
What will they have at His coming or when He returns if they continue to abide in Him?
What kind of reaction to His coming or return would a person have who didn't abide in Him?
If we were to draw a linear picture of abiding, starting in verse 24 and going through verse 28,
how would it look?
Let what you have heard from the beginning abide in you-->then you abide in the Son and the Father-->and the anointing from Him abides in you-->and you will have confidence, instead of shame, at His coming.
What a wonderful promise!
Is there one word that seems as if it's repeated a lot? Actually there's more than one word, but let's look at "abide." Of course, if you're not reading from the NASB version, you're going to have a different word or words that are synonyms for "abide." Perhaps, your version uses remain, continue, lives, or abideth. If you were to look up "abide," you would learn that it means "to remain stable or fixed in a state, to continue in a place."
Read verse 24 again.
What does John tell them they should let abide (remain faithful, live in, continue) in them?
What have they "heard from the beginning" (been taught from the beginning)?
If this phrase sounds familiar, it should. John used it previously in this letter. He's also expressed this thought in other words, such as "message," "proclaim," "testify," "shew," "declare," among others, depending on which version of the Bible you're reading. To quickly find all the places in John's letter where he used the phrase "ye have heard from the beginning" or "ye have heard," I looked up "heard" in Strong's and read through the list for 1 John to find these two phrases. If you like, you can do that now.
Let's list what John specifically stated these believers had heard and had heard from the beginning.
1 John 2:7 (also include verses 2:10 to help you remember what that old commandment is)
2:18
3:11
4:3
This phrase appears twice in the verse we just read--2:24--but it doesn't tell what it is that they've heard from the beginning, so we won't add that to our list.
Read each of those verses to see what John tells them they've heard from the beginning.
Write what they have heard next to each scripture reference.
Read through your list. What do you notice?
There seem to be two things that John has emphasized and wants them to remember. What are those two things? What relationship do you see between these two? How might one affect the outcome of the other?
Read verse 2:24 once more.
Why should they let what they have heard from the beginning abide in them?
Just before this section of verses--24-28--what had John been warning his readers/listeners about?
What are the antichrists trying to do?
How can John's readers/listeners keep from being led astray by these antichrists?
According to 2:25, if we abide with the Father and the Son, what do we have?
What does John tell his readers in verse 26?
From what you've previously read in this letter, who do you think is trying to deceive them (lead them astray)?
In verse 27, what does John say also abides in them?
What if you read this verse in a Bible that uses an unfamiliar term such as "the anointing"--how could you figure out what this term means?
You could look up pertinent cross-references. Or, you could read this verse in some other versions to see how they translate this word. Or, you could use Strong's and Vine's. Use one or more of those to figure out what John meant by "the anointing."
In verse 27, who does John say will teach his readers/listeners all things?
How does verse 27 relate to verse 26?
By remaining in Him, the believers could be confident that "His anointing" would continue to teach them. They didn't need the teaching of the antichrists. John wrote to assure these believers of the validity of their faith and to warn them against these antichrists who were trying to undermine it.
According to verse 28, why should they abide in Him?
What will they have at His coming or when He returns if they continue to abide in Him?
What kind of reaction to His coming or return would a person have who didn't abide in Him?
If we were to draw a linear picture of abiding, starting in verse 24 and going through verse 28,
how would it look?
Let what you have heard from the beginning abide in you-->then you abide in the Son and the Father-->and the anointing from Him abides in you-->and you will have confidence, instead of shame, at His coming.
What a wonderful promise!
Remembering What We've Learned
Lately we've been studying smaller sections of John's letter. Every now and then, it's a good idea to step back and look at the whole letter. Reread 1 John 1:1-2:23.
As you read, did you think about John and the other apostles who first proclaimed this good news to the believers? Did you think about what they told these people about God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit? Did you think about what these believers have because they're in Christ? Did you notice John's warnings? How does John tell these believers they should be living? What should they avoid?
If you didn't think about these things, reread that section again and think about those things as you read. It's good to remember what you've learned.
As you read, did you think about John and the other apostles who first proclaimed this good news to the believers? Did you think about what they told these people about God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit? Did you think about what these believers have because they're in Christ? Did you notice John's warnings? How does John tell these believers they should be living? What should they avoid?
If you didn't think about these things, reread that section again and think about those things as you read. It's good to remember what you've learned.
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Antichrists
John has just warned his readers/listeners about the danger of getting involved with the world, which is passing away.
Read 1 John 2:18-23.
Who is John warning his readers about in these verses?
Use your Strongs and Vines to do a word study of "antichrist." www.tgm.org/bible.htm.
From your study, Whom does the antichrist(s) oppose?
Who might he or they try to take the place of? (Assume the guise of?)
What does John say that these antichrists did?
Whom does he say they came out from?
Who do you think "us" is?
Remember that this is John the Apostle speaking, one of the original members of Christ's church upon the earth. It's often thought, and I used to think this, that these antichrists, or false teachers, arose from out of these believers' churches, but if you look at some of the evidence, it well may be the case that these antichrists came from among the original early members of the Jerusalem church, so they would be looked upon by those they went out to as leaders, as authority figures, as those who could be listened to and trusted. They would be able to disguise themselves as leaders of the true church and would therefore be difficult for your these believers to recognize as a false teacher. What evidences caused me to change my mind? If these antichrists had arisen within the believers' churches and then left the church, why would they be dangerous to those believers--they're gone. However, if they had arisen within the original church along with John and Peter and James, etc., and they had gone out from that church, then they could be a threat to the believers to whom John is speaking. Also, notice that he's talking about "us" in verse 19. You would think that could mean John and these believers, but notice how the next verse, addressed to his readers, begins: But you . . . The But indicates a contrast, showing that the "us" must not have included the readers.
In contrast to those he just spoke about in verse 19, what do his readers have (according to verse 20)?
And what does this anointing from the Holy One give them the capacity to do?
Know what? Read verse 21. What do they know?
What isn't of the truth?
Who is the liar?
What does the liar do?
In verse 22, how does John define or describe the antichrist?
In verse 22, if a person denies that Jesus is the Christ, what else does he deny?
What contrast do you see in verse 23?
What is the opposite of deny?
If you deny the Son, what don't you have?
If you confess the Son, what do you have?
Read 1 John 1:6-10.
How do these verses relate to what you just read in 1 John 2:21-23?
What similar teaching do you see in these two passages?
On your light/dark chart, fill in any new information you learned from 1 John 2:20-23.
Read over 1 John 2:3-23.
What did we study today that struck you as something God would like you to think about? believe? apply to your life?
Read 1 John 2:18-23.
Who is John warning his readers about in these verses?
Use your Strongs and Vines to do a word study of "antichrist." www.tgm.org/bible.htm.
From your study, Whom does the antichrist(s) oppose?
Who might he or they try to take the place of? (Assume the guise of?)
What does John say that these antichrists did?
Whom does he say they came out from?
Who do you think "us" is?
Remember that this is John the Apostle speaking, one of the original members of Christ's church upon the earth. It's often thought, and I used to think this, that these antichrists, or false teachers, arose from out of these believers' churches, but if you look at some of the evidence, it well may be the case that these antichrists came from among the original early members of the Jerusalem church, so they would be looked upon by those they went out to as leaders, as authority figures, as those who could be listened to and trusted. They would be able to disguise themselves as leaders of the true church and would therefore be difficult for your these believers to recognize as a false teacher. What evidences caused me to change my mind? If these antichrists had arisen within the believers' churches and then left the church, why would they be dangerous to those believers--they're gone. However, if they had arisen within the original church along with John and Peter and James, etc., and they had gone out from that church, then they could be a threat to the believers to whom John is speaking. Also, notice that he's talking about "us" in verse 19. You would think that could mean John and these believers, but notice how the next verse, addressed to his readers, begins: But you . . . The But indicates a contrast, showing that the "us" must not have included the readers.
In contrast to those he just spoke about in verse 19, what do his readers have (according to verse 20)?
And what does this anointing from the Holy One give them the capacity to do?
Know what? Read verse 21. What do they know?
What isn't of the truth?
Who is the liar?
What does the liar do?
In verse 22, how does John define or describe the antichrist?
In verse 22, if a person denies that Jesus is the Christ, what else does he deny?
What contrast do you see in verse 23?
What is the opposite of deny?
If you deny the Son, what don't you have?
If you confess the Son, what do you have?
Read 1 John 1:6-10.
How do these verses relate to what you just read in 1 John 2:21-23?
What similar teaching do you see in these two passages?
On your light/dark chart, fill in any new information you learned from 1 John 2:20-23.
Read over 1 John 2:3-23.
What did we study today that struck you as something God would like you to think about? believe? apply to your life?
John's Readers and the World
John has just discussed the difference between those who walk in the light and those who stumble in the darkness.
Read 1 John 2:12-14. John is speaking to his readers/listeners. From what you read, are they walking in the light or stumbling in the dark?
What are some of the basic things that they know they have in Christ?
Are they all new Christians? mature Christians? inbetween?
Are they all young, old, middle-aged?
No matter what age they are or what their spiritual maturity, what are they all doing that's the same?
Yes, they're all walking in the light because of what Christ did for them.
Now read 1 John 2:15-17.
What is John warning his readers/listeners about in this section?
To whom did John address his message, the message you read at the start of this blog, about what his readers/listeners have from and in Christ because of their walking in the light? To whom is he addressing these warnings about the world? Is it the same audience? Do you think John believes that the world can tempt people away from walking with God no matter what their level of spiritual maturity or age? Why do you think that?
In verses 15 through 17, what does John tell believers not to love?
If a believer loves the world, what is not in him?
So, what does that indicate about the one who loves the world?
Earlier in this letter, when had John said that the love of God is in a believer?
What three things does John mention are in the world?
Who are these things not from?
What is passing away? What is passing away with it?
Who abides forever?
What kind of life does the one who does the will of God have?
Find your light/dark chart.
In verses 12-14, you have a list of items that would appear on the light side of your chart. Add them to that side.
In verses 15-17, you have a list of items that would appear on the dark side of your chart. Add the ones that belong on that side. If there's something that belongs on the light side, place it there.
What thoughts go through your mind and heart as you read through the items on both sides of this chart?
As you go through your day today, walk in the Light!
Read 1 John 2:12-14. John is speaking to his readers/listeners. From what you read, are they walking in the light or stumbling in the dark?
What are some of the basic things that they know they have in Christ?
Are they all new Christians? mature Christians? inbetween?
Are they all young, old, middle-aged?
No matter what age they are or what their spiritual maturity, what are they all doing that's the same?
Yes, they're all walking in the light because of what Christ did for them.
Now read 1 John 2:15-17.
What is John warning his readers/listeners about in this section?
To whom did John address his message, the message you read at the start of this blog, about what his readers/listeners have from and in Christ because of their walking in the light? To whom is he addressing these warnings about the world? Is it the same audience? Do you think John believes that the world can tempt people away from walking with God no matter what their level of spiritual maturity or age? Why do you think that?
In verses 15 through 17, what does John tell believers not to love?
If a believer loves the world, what is not in him?
So, what does that indicate about the one who loves the world?
Earlier in this letter, when had John said that the love of God is in a believer?
What three things does John mention are in the world?
Who are these things not from?
What is passing away? What is passing away with it?
Who abides forever?
What kind of life does the one who does the will of God have?
Find your light/dark chart.
In verses 12-14, you have a list of items that would appear on the light side of your chart. Add them to that side.
In verses 15-17, you have a list of items that would appear on the dark side of your chart. Add the ones that belong on that side. If there's something that belongs on the light side, place it there.
What thoughts go through your mind and heart as you read through the items on both sides of this chart?
As you go through your day today, walk in the Light!
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Who is in the Light? Who is in the Dark?
After reminding them of Jesus' new commandment, John talks in verse 9 about the one who says he's in the light, yet hates his brother. How does that remind you of verse 4? John said that the person in verse 4 is a liar and the truth is not in him. What does John tell us about the person in verse 9? What do you notice about what a person says and what a person does in these two verses?
Verses 8-11 have other information about light and dark. Add the information from verses 8-11 in the appropriate places on your light/dark chart.
Last time we saw that a proof that we are in Christ is that we walk in the same manner as He walked. Read through the entries on the light side of your chart. What characterizes a person who is walking like Christ walked?
Verses 8-11 have other information about light and dark. Add the information from verses 8-11 in the appropriate places on your light/dark chart.
Last time we saw that a proof that we are in Christ is that we walk in the same manner as He walked. Read through the entries on the light side of your chart. What characterizes a person who is walking like Christ walked?
Old Commandment/New Commandment
1 John 2:3 says that we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments. Today we're going to look at one of those commandments.
Read 1 John 2:7-11.
Verse 7 talks about a new commandment and an old commandment. From reading this section of verses, how would you summarize what this new and old commandment must be?
One of my cross-references for verse 7 is John 13:34. Read it.
What does Jesus say that He's giving?
What is that new commandment?
How much are we to love one another?
Does your Bible have cross-references for John 13:34? Which one is from the Old Testament? That would lead us to the old commandment from which this new commandment came.
My Bible lists Leviticus 19:18 as a cross-reference. Leviticus contains the Law that God gave to His people through Moses.
Read Leviticus 19:18. Use your table of contents if you're not sure where Leviticus is.
Which part of this verse seems familiar to you and relates to the new commandment Jesus gave in John 13:34?
What is God's old command concerning whom we should love and how we should love them?
What was the new command that Jesus gave?
How is this new command similar to the old one?
How is it different?
Which one do you think would be more difficult to do?
As believers, people who are abiding in Christ, what do they have that would make it possible for them to obey this new command? What has been perfected in believers according to verse 5?
According to the chart we started last time, what proof shows that we have come to know Him?
What is one of those commands?
How did Jesus love?
If we want to show that we abide in Him, how should we love?
Read 1 John 2:7-11.
Verse 7 talks about a new commandment and an old commandment. From reading this section of verses, how would you summarize what this new and old commandment must be?
One of my cross-references for verse 7 is John 13:34. Read it.
What does Jesus say that He's giving?
What is that new commandment?
How much are we to love one another?
Does your Bible have cross-references for John 13:34? Which one is from the Old Testament? That would lead us to the old commandment from which this new commandment came.
My Bible lists Leviticus 19:18 as a cross-reference. Leviticus contains the Law that God gave to His people through Moses.
Read Leviticus 19:18. Use your table of contents if you're not sure where Leviticus is.
Which part of this verse seems familiar to you and relates to the new commandment Jesus gave in John 13:34?
What is God's old command concerning whom we should love and how we should love them?
What was the new command that Jesus gave?
How is this new command similar to the old one?
How is it different?
Which one do you think would be more difficult to do?
As believers, people who are abiding in Christ, what do they have that would make it possible for them to obey this new command? What has been perfected in believers according to verse 5?
According to the chart we started last time, what proof shows that we have come to know Him?
What is one of those commands?
How did Jesus love?
If we want to show that we abide in Him, how should we love?
What we know/How we know it
Last time we explored the meaning of "know." This time we're going to begin noticing what John says that the believers know and how they know it.
Read 1 John 2:3. In this verse, John gives his readers a proof by which they can know that they know Jesus. What is that proof?
Let's make a chart. This will be a continuing chart, so put it someplace where you can find it in the future. Divide a piece of paper in half. On the top left, write: What we know. On the top right, write: How we know it.
What does 1 John 2:3 tell us that we know? Write 1 Jn 2:3 on the far left. Then write what this verse tells us that we know in the left column.
What's the proof that we have come to know Him? Write the answer to this question in the right column.
In his gospel, John recorded something that Jesus said about keeping His commandments. Let's read that to see what insights it might give us.
Read John 14:21-26.
Read 1 John 2:3. In this verse, John gives his readers a proof by which they can know that they know Jesus. What is that proof?
Let's make a chart. This will be a continuing chart, so put it someplace where you can find it in the future. Divide a piece of paper in half. On the top left, write: What we know. On the top right, write: How we know it.
What does 1 John 2:3 tell us that we know? Write 1 Jn 2:3 on the far left. Then write what this verse tells us that we know in the left column.
What's the proof that we have come to know Him? Write the answer to this question in the right column.
In his gospel, John recorded something that Jesus said about keeping His commandments. Let's read that to see what insights it might give us.
Read John 14:21-26.
- In verse 21, who does Jesus say loves Him? Whom does Jesus say the Father loves? What does Jesus say He will do for that person who keeps His commandments?
- In verse 23, what does Jesus say those who love Him will do? What will happen because of that? What word in 1 John 1:3 do you think of when you hear that the Father and Son will "make their abode with him" (him--the one who keeps His commandments)?
- In John 14:24, who does Jesus say does not love Him?
- In verse 26, Whom does Jesus say the Father will send in His name?
- What will the Holy Spirit do for those who keep the Lord's commands?
Place a bookmark in John, so you can easily find it again.
Read 1 John 2:4-6. Who is a liar? Why is he a liar? What verse does this remind you of in John 14?
What have we learned from these verses about knowing Christ and keeping His commands?
The first part of 1 John 2:5 in the NASB reads: but whoever keeps His word. What phrase in verse 4 is similar and means about the same thing? What does this verse say has happened in the person who keeps His word and commandments?
How does the passage from John 14 help us to better understand what John means in 1 Jn 2:5 when he writes: "in him the love of God has truly been perfected"? According to the passage in John 14 and these verses we just read, Who dwells in the person who keeps His commands? According to 1 John 4:16, what is God? If God is perfect, could there be anything wrong with this love? So, what could you say about this love? If God lives within the believer, then what kind of love dwells within the believer?
The end of verse five and the beginning of six, give us another addition for our chart. Write 1 Jn. 2:5-6 on the far left. What does the last part of verse 5 and the beginning part of verse 6 say that we know? Write that in the left column. What proof of that is given in the last part of verse 6? Write that in the right column.
So, if a person keeps His commandments and walks in the same manner as He walked, what does that prove about that person?
Since John wrote to warn believers about false teachers, what might be some ways that believers could recognize these teachers who aren't genuine believers?
Keep this chart in a safe place since we'll be adding more to it later.
Word Study of "Know"
From our overview of 1 John, we know that there were false teachers who were teaching things contrary to the gospel that John had previously taught. John wrote 1 John in order to warn the believers about these false teachers and to remind them of what he had previously taught them, so that the believers would be able to tell the difference between the truth and lies. And knowing what they had in Christ, they would be able to stand firm in their faith.
So, what is it that a false teacher would hope for, so that he or she could gain followers from the ranks of the believers? He or she would hope that the believers wouldn't be sure of what they know.
Here's 1 John 2:3 from the NASB:
And by this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments.
What does John mean by "know"? Let's do a word study. If you're using the Internet for this word study, follow the directions written in bold text. If you're using Strong's and/or Vine's, use the italicized directions.
Go to www.tgm.org/bible.htm.
Scroll down to "Strong's Number Search Tool" and in the white space, type: know.
In the concordance of Strong's Exhaustive Concordance, find "know."
Since there are so many scriptures in the Bible containing this word, they can't place them all on this page. Scroll down to the bottom where you can see the Bible subdivided. 1 John is partly contained in #28 and the other part is in #29. Scroll down to #28 and click on it.
Notice how many scripture passages contain this word! Keep working your way through the list until you find all the references in 1 John. While you're there, notice which related "know" words also are in 1 John. I found some under "knoweth" and "known." What do you notice about the numbers beside each of these "know" entries for 1 John?
Look at the numbers written after each red "know." Are they all the same number?
What two numbers do you see? Jot them down. Return to the home page with "Strong's Number Search" Tool. Type 1097 into the white space. Click on Greek because we're looking for a reference to this word in the New Testament, which is basically written in Greek. Click "search." Read the definition in Strong's. Jot down that which seems important in the definition. At the top of the page, click on "View Entry" under Vine's. You'll notice that "ginosko" can be translated into several different English words: can, feel, know, learn, perceive, resolve, understand. Read what is said under "know." What more do you learn about the meaning of this word? Jot it down.
Jot down the two numbers. Look up G1097 in the Greek dictionary. Jot down what it has to say. Then look up "know" in the New Testament portion of Vine's. Find #1097 under "know." What more do you learn about the meaning of this word? Jot it down.
Go through the same process for the other number you found.
How can understanding the fine differences in the meaning of "know" help us to better understand what John is writing? Let's look at 1 John 2:29 in the NASB.
If you know that He is righteous, you know that everyone also who practices righteousness is born of Him.
If you were to go back to Strong's, you would see that the first "know" corresponds to the Greek word for G1492, and the second "know" corresponds to the Greek word for G1097. From what you learned about the meaning of each, think about what John is saying by using these two different Greek words.
Did what you think match this word-by-word translation that Wuest wrote for this verse?
Wuest: If you know in an absolute manner that He is righteous, you know experientially that everyone who habitually does this aforementioned righteousness (which God is), out from Him has been born, with the present result that one is a born-one.
Here's that section from The Message:
Once you're convinced that He is right and righteous, you'll recognize that all who practice righteousness are God's true children.
Do you feel now as if you have a better grasp of "know"?
Read 1 John 2:3 once more. Each "know" in this verse corresponds to #G1097, ginosko. This is knowledge that we come to know and understand completely. It's knowledge that doesn't just come from our intellectual processes, but is a result of the Holy Spirit's operation within us, leading us into a fuller understanding of who we are in Christ. Our fellowship with the Father and His Son leads us into this knowledge.
What knowledge have you gained experientially through the activity of the Holy Spirit in your life? What do you know you have in Christ? How does knowing these things help you to stand firm in your faith?
So, what is it that a false teacher would hope for, so that he or she could gain followers from the ranks of the believers? He or she would hope that the believers wouldn't be sure of what they know.
Here's 1 John 2:3 from the NASB:
And by this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments.
What does John mean by "know"? Let's do a word study. If you're using the Internet for this word study, follow the directions written in bold text. If you're using Strong's and/or Vine's, use the italicized directions.
Go to www.tgm.org/bible.htm.
Scroll down to "Strong's Number Search Tool" and in the white space, type: know.
In the concordance of Strong's Exhaustive Concordance, find "know."
Since there are so many scriptures in the Bible containing this word, they can't place them all on this page. Scroll down to the bottom where you can see the Bible subdivided. 1 John is partly contained in #28 and the other part is in #29. Scroll down to #28 and click on it.
Notice how many scripture passages contain this word! Keep working your way through the list until you find all the references in 1 John. While you're there, notice which related "know" words also are in 1 John. I found some under "knoweth" and "known." What do you notice about the numbers beside each of these "know" entries for 1 John?
Look at the numbers written after each red "know." Are they all the same number?
What two numbers do you see? Jot them down. Return to the home page with "Strong's Number Search" Tool. Type 1097 into the white space. Click on Greek because we're looking for a reference to this word in the New Testament, which is basically written in Greek. Click "search." Read the definition in Strong's. Jot down that which seems important in the definition. At the top of the page, click on "View Entry" under Vine's. You'll notice that "ginosko" can be translated into several different English words: can, feel, know, learn, perceive, resolve, understand. Read what is said under "know." What more do you learn about the meaning of this word? Jot it down.
Jot down the two numbers. Look up G1097 in the Greek dictionary. Jot down what it has to say. Then look up "know" in the New Testament portion of Vine's. Find #1097 under "know." What more do you learn about the meaning of this word? Jot it down.
Go through the same process for the other number you found.
How can understanding the fine differences in the meaning of "know" help us to better understand what John is writing? Let's look at 1 John 2:29 in the NASB.
If you know that He is righteous, you know that everyone also who practices righteousness is born of Him.
If you were to go back to Strong's, you would see that the first "know" corresponds to the Greek word for G1492, and the second "know" corresponds to the Greek word for G1097. From what you learned about the meaning of each, think about what John is saying by using these two different Greek words.
Did what you think match this word-by-word translation that Wuest wrote for this verse?
Wuest: If you know in an absolute manner that He is righteous, you know experientially that everyone who habitually does this aforementioned righteousness (which God is), out from Him has been born, with the present result that one is a born-one.
Here's that section from The Message:
Once you're convinced that He is right and righteous, you'll recognize that all who practice righteousness are God's true children.
Do you feel now as if you have a better grasp of "know"?
Read 1 John 2:3 once more. Each "know" in this verse corresponds to #G1097, ginosko. This is knowledge that we come to know and understand completely. It's knowledge that doesn't just come from our intellectual processes, but is a result of the Holy Spirit's operation within us, leading us into a fuller understanding of who we are in Christ. Our fellowship with the Father and His Son leads us into this knowledge.
What knowledge have you gained experientially through the activity of the Holy Spirit in your life? What do you know you have in Christ? How does knowing these things help you to stand firm in your faith?
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Walk in the Light
What does it mean to "walk in the light"?
Read 1 John 1:5-7.
What truths is John reminding his readers of in this passage? What does he say about light? darkness? walking in the light?
Now, let's see what John said about these same things in his gospel. Read:
John 1:1-13.
Who was the light of men?
Where does the light shine?
What can't the darkness do to the light?
Who came to bear witness to the light?
Are you wondering if this John is the John who wrote this gospel and 1 John? If so, does your Bible have cross-references for John 1:6? If so, look them up and you'll find the answer to your question. If not, read Matthew 3:1-3. That's the cross reference that my Bible gives for this verse.
What kind of light was coming into the world, and what was it going to do?
What did this light do for those who received Him, who believed in His name?
Read John 3:16-21.
What does Jesus say came into the world, but was hated by those who deeds were evil?
What did those with the evil deeds love instead of the light?
Why do those who do evil deeds avoid the light?
Who is it who comes to the light?
What do we learn about the deeds of those who come to the light?
Read John 8:12.
What did Jesus call Himself in this verse?
What does He say that those who follow Him shall not do?
What does He say that those who follow Him shall have?
Read John 9:5.
What does Jesus call Himself?
Read John 11:9-10.
What does Jesus say about walking in the day?
What does Jesus say about walking in the night?
Read John 12:35-36.
From what Jesus is telling His disciples, Whom is He referring to as the light they have among them?
What does He tell them to do while they have the light?
Why does He tell them to do that?
What does He say about those who walk in the darkness?
What does He tell His disciples to believe in?
Why should they believe that? What will they become?
What basic truths is Jesus teaching His disciples about the light in these verses? How do these truths compare to those John is reminding the believers of in his letter?
When you think about walking in the light now, what additional truths will you think about? How has your understanding of this concept grown from reading these passages? What thoughts have come to you about your walk in the light? How might you be better able to reach out to those who are still walking in the darkness?
Read 1 John 1:5-7.
What truths is John reminding his readers of in this passage? What does he say about light? darkness? walking in the light?
Now, let's see what John said about these same things in his gospel. Read:
John 1:1-13.
Who was the light of men?
Where does the light shine?
What can't the darkness do to the light?
Who came to bear witness to the light?
Are you wondering if this John is the John who wrote this gospel and 1 John? If so, does your Bible have cross-references for John 1:6? If so, look them up and you'll find the answer to your question. If not, read Matthew 3:1-3. That's the cross reference that my Bible gives for this verse.
What kind of light was coming into the world, and what was it going to do?
What did this light do for those who received Him, who believed in His name?
Read John 3:16-21.
What does Jesus say came into the world, but was hated by those who deeds were evil?
What did those with the evil deeds love instead of the light?
Why do those who do evil deeds avoid the light?
Who is it who comes to the light?
What do we learn about the deeds of those who come to the light?
Read John 8:12.
What did Jesus call Himself in this verse?
What does He say that those who follow Him shall not do?
What does He say that those who follow Him shall have?
Read John 9:5.
What does Jesus call Himself?
Read John 11:9-10.
What does Jesus say about walking in the day?
What does Jesus say about walking in the night?
Read John 12:35-36.
From what Jesus is telling His disciples, Whom is He referring to as the light they have among them?
What does He tell them to do while they have the light?
Why does He tell them to do that?
What does He say about those who walk in the darkness?
What does He tell His disciples to believe in?
Why should they believe that? What will they become?
What basic truths is Jesus teaching His disciples about the light in these verses? How do these truths compare to those John is reminding the believers of in his letter?
When you think about walking in the light now, what additional truths will you think about? How has your understanding of this concept grown from reading these passages? What thoughts have come to you about your walk in the light? How might you be better able to reach out to those who are still walking in the darkness?
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Charting 1 John 1:5-2:2
Read 1 John 1:5-2:2 in a NASB, NIV, RSV, or KJV Bible.
Divide a sheet of paper in half.
What contrast is mentioned in verse 5?
Label the left side of your paper "Light."
Label the right side of your paper "Darkness."
Who is equated with "light"?
Write "God" next to "light." Notice how there's no darkness at all on God's side.
If we have "fellowship with God," what side of the page must we be on?
Write "fellowship with God" under "Light" and "God."
If we "walk in the darkness," what side of the page must we be on?
Write "walk in the darkness" where it belongs.
Notice how you can't "fellowship with God" and "walk in the darkness" at the same time. It's one or the other.
What side of the page would you write "lie" and "don't practice the truth"?
What side of the page would you write "walk in the light"?
Place these phrases where they belong on the chart, using the biblical text to guide your decision:
fellowship with one another
say we have no sin
truth not in us
blood of Jesus cleanses us from all sin
say we have not sinned
confess our sins
make God a liar
God's word not in us
sins forgiven
cleansed from all unrighteousness
If you're a believer, which side of the page tells about your life and relationship with God?
Take time to praise and thank God for what you have through Jesus Christ.
Divide a sheet of paper in half.
What contrast is mentioned in verse 5?
Label the left side of your paper "Light."
Label the right side of your paper "Darkness."
Who is equated with "light"?
Write "God" next to "light." Notice how there's no darkness at all on God's side.
If we have "fellowship with God," what side of the page must we be on?
Write "fellowship with God" under "Light" and "God."
If we "walk in the darkness," what side of the page must we be on?
Write "walk in the darkness" where it belongs.
Notice how you can't "fellowship with God" and "walk in the darkness" at the same time. It's one or the other.
What side of the page would you write "lie" and "don't practice the truth"?
What side of the page would you write "walk in the light"?
Place these phrases where they belong on the chart, using the biblical text to guide your decision:
fellowship with one another
say we have no sin
truth not in us
blood of Jesus cleanses us from all sin
say we have not sinned
confess our sins
make God a liar
God's word not in us
sins forgiven
cleansed from all unrighteousness
If you're a believer, which side of the page tells about your life and relationship with God?
Take time to praise and thank God for what you have through Jesus Christ.
Observing 1 John 1:5-2:2
Read 1 John 1:5-2:2 in two different versions of the Bible.
From Whom did John hear this message?
To whom did he announce it?
What does John say that God is?
What does he say doesn't exist in God?
In verse 6, what is the lie?
If we lie, what aren't we practicing or living in?
What two things does verse 7 say happen if we walk in the light or live in the light of God's presence?
What does the blood of Jesus, God's Son, do for us?
When are we deceiving or fooling ourselves, and refusing to accept the truth (the truth is not in us)?
What are the two lies that John has mentioned so far, up through verse 8?
What happens if we confess our sins?
In verse 9, what two qualities of Jesus does John mention
When we're forgiven, what do we become?
If we say or claim that we have not sinned, what are we calling God?
Whose word isn't in us if we say we have not sinned?
What other term was used in verse 6 that could be substituted here for "His word"?
So what three things might we say that would show that we're not believers, that God's truth or word isn't in us?
So, what is John teaching us about believers and their relationship with God?
In verse 2:1, what should believers be trying to avoid doing?
But when you do, what should you know?
Who is our Advocate, or Who pleads for us before the Father?
In verse 2:1, what does John tell us about Jesus' relationship with God?
What do we learn about Jesus in verse 2:2?
For whose sins did Jesus sacrifice Himself?
As you read through that section, what words were repeated? What thoughts were repeated? What contrasts did you notice?
In the next couple of blogs, we'll take a closer look at some of them, but not all. Use your Bible study skills to study anything that we don't cover. It's exciting to allow the Holy Spirit to show you God's truth through your explorations in God's Word.
From Whom did John hear this message?
To whom did he announce it?
What does John say that God is?
What does he say doesn't exist in God?
In verse 6, what is the lie?
If we lie, what aren't we practicing or living in?
What two things does verse 7 say happen if we walk in the light or live in the light of God's presence?
What does the blood of Jesus, God's Son, do for us?
When are we deceiving or fooling ourselves, and refusing to accept the truth (the truth is not in us)?
What are the two lies that John has mentioned so far, up through verse 8?
What happens if we confess our sins?
In verse 9, what two qualities of Jesus does John mention
When we're forgiven, what do we become?
If we say or claim that we have not sinned, what are we calling God?
Whose word isn't in us if we say we have not sinned?
What other term was used in verse 6 that could be substituted here for "His word"?
So what three things might we say that would show that we're not believers, that God's truth or word isn't in us?
So, what is John teaching us about believers and their relationship with God?
In verse 2:1, what should believers be trying to avoid doing?
But when you do, what should you know?
Who is our Advocate, or Who pleads for us before the Father?
In verse 2:1, what does John tell us about Jesus' relationship with God?
What do we learn about Jesus in verse 2:2?
For whose sins did Jesus sacrifice Himself?
As you read through that section, what words were repeated? What thoughts were repeated? What contrasts did you notice?
In the next couple of blogs, we'll take a closer look at some of them, but not all. Use your Bible study skills to study anything that we don't cover. It's exciting to allow the Holy Spirit to show you God's truth through your explorations in God's Word.
Thursday, February 4, 2010
John's Reasons for Proclaiming
Read 1 John 1:1-4.
What is John proclaiming in these verses?
He tells them that what he and his companions saw, heard, and touched was the Word of Life, the eternal life that existed with God from the beginning.
In other words, John is confirming the Incarnation, something that the deceivers didn't teach.
What is the Incarnation? That's the union of divinity with humanity in Jesus Christ. He was fully man, and he was fully God.
What two reasons does John give for proclaiming this message of the Incarnation?
For those who believe what John proclaims, what do they have? With whom or Whom do they have fellowship?
Do a word study of "fellowship." www.tgm.org/bible.htm Include information from Vine's and look up "communion" in Vine's, too.
When we are in fellowship with Jesus Christ, what is it that we share?
Look up all or some of these verses to get a sampling:
Romans 6:3-9
Romans 5:1
Romans 15:13
2 Corinthians 3:18
Colossians 3:4
Jude 24
Galatians 5:22-25
Ephesians 2:14
1 Peter 4:12-13
As you read your Bible, be on the watch for other verses that show what we share in Christ and with Christ--in our fellowship with others and in our fellowship with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
When we accept the gospel message, we have fellowship with Jesus and other believers. What evidence do you have of your fellowship with God? with other believers?
Fellowship wasn't John's only stated reason for proclaiming this message. John said that when the believers have that fellowship it gives him and his companions complete joy. If you were to encourage another believer in his or her fellowship or bring an unbeliever into fellowship, imagine experiencing that complete joy that John mentions!
What is John proclaiming in these verses?
He tells them that what he and his companions saw, heard, and touched was the Word of Life, the eternal life that existed with God from the beginning.
In other words, John is confirming the Incarnation, something that the deceivers didn't teach.
What is the Incarnation? That's the union of divinity with humanity in Jesus Christ. He was fully man, and he was fully God.
What two reasons does John give for proclaiming this message of the Incarnation?
For those who believe what John proclaims, what do they have? With whom or Whom do they have fellowship?
Do a word study of "fellowship." www.tgm.org/bible.htm Include information from Vine's and look up "communion" in Vine's, too.
When we are in fellowship with Jesus Christ, what is it that we share?
Look up all or some of these verses to get a sampling:
Romans 6:3-9
Romans 5:1
Romans 15:13
2 Corinthians 3:18
Colossians 3:4
Jude 24
Galatians 5:22-25
Ephesians 2:14
1 Peter 4:12-13
As you read your Bible, be on the watch for other verses that show what we share in Christ and with Christ--in our fellowship with others and in our fellowship with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
When we accept the gospel message, we have fellowship with Jesus and other believers. What evidence do you have of your fellowship with God? with other believers?
Fellowship wasn't John's only stated reason for proclaiming this message. John said that when the believers have that fellowship it gives him and his companions complete joy. If you were to encourage another believer in his or her fellowship or bring an unbeliever into fellowship, imagine experiencing that complete joy that John mentions!
The Eternal Life
Read 1 John 1:1-3.
John refers to Jesus as "the eternal life." By saying that, what is John implying about Jesus?
Since those believers whom he had previously taught would be familiar with what John taught in his gospel, including what he taught in the first four verses, what should they have known about Jesus and His connection with life?
Some Bibles have cross-references for each verse. These cross-references refer the reader to verses that might help them more fully understand what the Bible teaches on the things mentioned in that verse. My NASB Bible had a lot of cross-references for 1 Jn 1:2. Beside "eternal life," there was a "d." Here are all the cross-references for the idea of "eternal life" in that verse: John 10:28, 17:3, 1 Jn 2:25; 5:11, 13, 20. Look up each of these verses. For some you might need to read the verse before in order to get a whole concept. List what you learn about eternal life from each of these verses.
John refers to Jesus as "the eternal life." By saying that, what is John implying about Jesus?
Since those believers whom he had previously taught would be familiar with what John taught in his gospel, including what he taught in the first four verses, what should they have known about Jesus and His connection with life?
Some Bibles have cross-references for each verse. These cross-references refer the reader to verses that might help them more fully understand what the Bible teaches on the things mentioned in that verse. My NASB Bible had a lot of cross-references for 1 Jn 1:2. Beside "eternal life," there was a "d." Here are all the cross-references for the idea of "eternal life" in that verse: John 10:28, 17:3, 1 Jn 2:25; 5:11, 13, 20. Look up each of these verses. For some you might need to read the verse before in order to get a whole concept. List what you learn about eternal life from each of these verses.
- Who gives eternal life to His sheep?
- What two things won't happen to the sheep who have received eternal life?
- What is Jesus' definition of eternal life in John 17:3?
- What promise do we have when we abide in or have fellowship with the Father and the Son?
- Who gives eternal life? In Whom is this life?
- Who has eternal life? What do they believe in?
- When we know Jesus Christ and are in Jesus Christ, what do we have?
According to what these verses teach, if you're a believer, are you living your eternal life right now?
Why is it important for us to know that Jesus is the eternal life? What difference could knowing this make in your life? How might it affect your thoughts and actions?
John's Qualification for Writing
Read 1 John 1:1-3.
Which sense word does John use the most in these three verses: seen, heard, touched?
Look up "seen" in Strong's, the book or at www.tgm.org/bible.htm or some other site that gives you access to Strong's.
Does the Greek word that we have translated as "seen" mean more than simply observed, such as I have seen squirrels in my backyard?
How do these verses show why John is qualified to write this letter?
What does he say that shows he knows what he's proclaiming?
Why might John say that the deceivers aren't qualified?
Some of the deceivers preached that Jesus was only a man. How does John refute that claim in these verses?
Why is it important that "the life" was manifested to and seen by human beings on earth?
Why is it important that John is proclaiming these things to the believers in these churches where the deceivers were teaching?
Which sense word does John use the most in these three verses: seen, heard, touched?
Look up "seen" in Strong's, the book or at www.tgm.org/bible.htm or some other site that gives you access to Strong's.
Does the Greek word that we have translated as "seen" mean more than simply observed, such as I have seen squirrels in my backyard?
How do these verses show why John is qualified to write this letter?
What does he say that shows he knows what he's proclaiming?
Why might John say that the deceivers aren't qualified?
Some of the deceivers preached that Jesus was only a man. How does John refute that claim in these verses?
Why is it important that "the life" was manifested to and seen by human beings on earth?
Why is it important that John is proclaiming these things to the believers in these churches where the deceivers were teaching?
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Word Study of "Manifested"
In the NASB version of 1 John 1:2, "manifested" appears twice:
and the life was manifested, and we have seen and bear witness and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was manifested to us--
The NLT version reads as so:
This one who is life from God was shown to us, and we have seen him. And now we testify and announce to you that he is the one who is eternal life. He was with the Father, and then he was shown to us.
They translate "manifested" as "shown." Often we're shown something. Is that how we're to think of "manifested," or did John mean something more? To find out, it's helpful to do a word study. First, I'll go through the steps of doing an online word study. For those of you who have access to a Strong's Exhaustive Concordance and Vine's Complete Expository Dictionary, I'll run through how to use those tools, too. Either way, we can gain new insights into the meaning of this word, and we'll understand more fully what John is saying in this verse.
If you're going to do this word study online, it might be helpful to print off this blog, so that you won't need to keep switching windows.
There are other sites where you can do word study, but today we'll use www.tgm.org/bible.htm.
On the home page, you'll see four different types of studies you can do.
Go down to the third one, the word/phrase search.
Type in "manifested" and click on the search button.
You'll be shown a list of all the Bible verses that have this word in them.
At the top of the list, on the right hand side in little letters, there's a box to check if you want the Strong's numbers to be shown next to the words in the verse. Click that box.
Now, scroll down to 1 Jo 1:2. "Manifested" appears in red, since it's the word that you said you were searching for.
What small number appears to the upper right of "manifested"?
I found #5319. That's its Strong's number.
In case you're wondering why it's called a Strong's number, you can find out more about James Strong and his exhaustive concordance at these two sites: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strong%27s_Concordance and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Strong_(theologian).
Remember or copy that number somewhere and return to the home page.
Beneath the word/phrase search, you'll find "Enter a Strong's Number."
Enter the number 5319 in the box.
Since this word is found in the New Testament, that means that John wrote it in Greek. Therefore, we would need to look in a Greek lexicon or dictionary in order to find out its meaning. Click the box next to Greek, then click Search.
You'll now see "Lexicon Results" for G5319.
The English word "manifested" was translated from the Greek word "phanaroo."
Look down the page to the section called "Outline of Biblical Usage."
Here you find meanings for phanaroo. Which one seems to best fit the context of 1 John 1:2?
I would choose choice e--to become known, to be plainly recognised, throroughly understood.
Think about that meaning in 1 John 1:2.
And the life became known, was plainly recognised, thoroughly understood, and we have seen and bear witness and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and to us became known, was plainly recognised, thoroughly understood.
To get a fuller appreciation of the meaning of "manifested," notice above this section where it says Vines. Click on View Entry. Notice what more you learn about the meaning of this word. At the end of the definition, you'll notice that you can learn more by going to "APPEAR, A, No. 4." Click on that, find the A section, and scroll down to #4. What do you learn? Jump to the bottom of the blog for a short discussion.
For those using the book forms of Strong's and Vine's:
Find "manifested" in the concordance in the front of Strong's.
Under it, you'll find listed snippets of all the Bible verses that have that word in them. "Manifested" is abbreviated as "m" in the passages. To the left of each snippet, is the biblical reference that tells where in the Bible you can find that passage. The first is Mk 4:22. That means the book of Mark, chapter 4, verse 22. Scroll down until you find the 1 John passages that contain "manifested." 1 John is abbreviated as 1 Jn.
Find the snippets that correspond to 1 Jn 1:2. What number appears after each?
I found G5319. The same number is written after each, meaning that each was translated from the same Greek word. The G stands for Greek. The New Testament was mainly written in Greek, and the Old Testament was mainly written in Hebrew.
In the last half of Strong's, there's a Hebrew dictionary, also called a lexicon, and a Greek dictionary.
Turn to the Greek dictionary and find G5319.
When you find it, you'll see the Greek word in Greek first. Then you'll see it as phaneroo. In italics, you'll see its definition: to render apparent (literally or figuratively). After that, you'll see other English words that are sometimes used to translate phanaroo.
To get a fuller understanding, it's helpful to look the word up in Vine's, too.
My copy of Vine's has Old Testament words first and New Testament words second. Since 1 John is in the New Testament, look up "manifest" in the NT section.
You'll notice that there's more than one Greek word that might be translated as "manifest." Go down the list until you find "phanaroo 5319." Since it's not an adjective, you need to look under the section called Verbs. In the first paragraph, we learn that it means "to make visible, clear, manifest." In the second paragraph, we see that it means "to uncover, lay bare, reveal." At the end of the section, it refers us to APPEAR, A, No. 4.
Look up APPEAR, A, No. 4. Remember that you're looking it up in the New Testament section in the second part of the book. If you look it up in the front part, you're in the Old Testament section, and you won't find what you're looking for.
Once you're there, you'll find: "To be manifested, in the Scriptural sense of the word, is more than to "appear." A person may "appear" in a false guise or without a disclosure of what he truly is; to be manifested is to be revealed in one's true character."
In doing this word study, you're getting a better understanding of what this particular word meant for John's listeners or readers. Why is it useful for us to understand the passage as the believers to whom John wrote understood it?
Some of the deceivers that John was warning the believers about preached that to be saved one had to acquire hidden knowledge and that only special people could receive this hidden knowledge. How is what John saying in these verses refuting these claims of the deceivers? Is the Word of Life hidden? Is it something that can't easily be accessed by people?
and the life was manifested, and we have seen and bear witness and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was manifested to us--
The NLT version reads as so:
This one who is life from God was shown to us, and we have seen him. And now we testify and announce to you that he is the one who is eternal life. He was with the Father, and then he was shown to us.
They translate "manifested" as "shown." Often we're shown something. Is that how we're to think of "manifested," or did John mean something more? To find out, it's helpful to do a word study. First, I'll go through the steps of doing an online word study. For those of you who have access to a Strong's Exhaustive Concordance and Vine's Complete Expository Dictionary, I'll run through how to use those tools, too. Either way, we can gain new insights into the meaning of this word, and we'll understand more fully what John is saying in this verse.
If you're going to do this word study online, it might be helpful to print off this blog, so that you won't need to keep switching windows.
There are other sites where you can do word study, but today we'll use www.tgm.org/bible.htm.
On the home page, you'll see four different types of studies you can do.
Go down to the third one, the word/phrase search.
Type in "manifested" and click on the search button.
You'll be shown a list of all the Bible verses that have this word in them.
At the top of the list, on the right hand side in little letters, there's a box to check if you want the Strong's numbers to be shown next to the words in the verse. Click that box.
Now, scroll down to 1 Jo 1:2. "Manifested" appears in red, since it's the word that you said you were searching for.
What small number appears to the upper right of "manifested"?
I found #5319. That's its Strong's number.
In case you're wondering why it's called a Strong's number, you can find out more about James Strong and his exhaustive concordance at these two sites: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strong%27s_Concordance and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Strong_(theologian).
Remember or copy that number somewhere and return to the home page.
Beneath the word/phrase search, you'll find "Enter a Strong's Number."
Enter the number 5319 in the box.
Since this word is found in the New Testament, that means that John wrote it in Greek. Therefore, we would need to look in a Greek lexicon or dictionary in order to find out its meaning. Click the box next to Greek, then click Search.
You'll now see "Lexicon Results" for G5319.
The English word "manifested" was translated from the Greek word "phanaroo."
Look down the page to the section called "Outline of Biblical Usage."
Here you find meanings for phanaroo. Which one seems to best fit the context of 1 John 1:2?
I would choose choice e--to become known, to be plainly recognised, throroughly understood.
Think about that meaning in 1 John 1:2.
And the life became known, was plainly recognised, thoroughly understood, and we have seen and bear witness and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and to us became known, was plainly recognised, thoroughly understood.
To get a fuller appreciation of the meaning of "manifested," notice above this section where it says Vines. Click on View Entry. Notice what more you learn about the meaning of this word. At the end of the definition, you'll notice that you can learn more by going to "APPEAR, A, No. 4." Click on that, find the A section, and scroll down to #4. What do you learn? Jump to the bottom of the blog for a short discussion.
For those using the book forms of Strong's and Vine's:
Find "manifested" in the concordance in the front of Strong's.
Under it, you'll find listed snippets of all the Bible verses that have that word in them. "Manifested" is abbreviated as "m" in the passages. To the left of each snippet, is the biblical reference that tells where in the Bible you can find that passage. The first is Mk 4:22. That means the book of Mark, chapter 4, verse 22. Scroll down until you find the 1 John passages that contain "manifested." 1 John is abbreviated as 1 Jn.
Find the snippets that correspond to 1 Jn 1:2. What number appears after each?
I found G5319. The same number is written after each, meaning that each was translated from the same Greek word. The G stands for Greek. The New Testament was mainly written in Greek, and the Old Testament was mainly written in Hebrew.
In the last half of Strong's, there's a Hebrew dictionary, also called a lexicon, and a Greek dictionary.
Turn to the Greek dictionary and find G5319.
When you find it, you'll see the Greek word in Greek first. Then you'll see it as phaneroo. In italics, you'll see its definition: to render apparent (literally or figuratively). After that, you'll see other English words that are sometimes used to translate phanaroo.
To get a fuller understanding, it's helpful to look the word up in Vine's, too.
My copy of Vine's has Old Testament words first and New Testament words second. Since 1 John is in the New Testament, look up "manifest" in the NT section.
You'll notice that there's more than one Greek word that might be translated as "manifest." Go down the list until you find "phanaroo 5319." Since it's not an adjective, you need to look under the section called Verbs. In the first paragraph, we learn that it means "to make visible, clear, manifest." In the second paragraph, we see that it means "to uncover, lay bare, reveal." At the end of the section, it refers us to APPEAR, A, No. 4.
Look up APPEAR, A, No. 4. Remember that you're looking it up in the New Testament section in the second part of the book. If you look it up in the front part, you're in the Old Testament section, and you won't find what you're looking for.
Once you're there, you'll find: "To be manifested, in the Scriptural sense of the word, is more than to "appear." A person may "appear" in a false guise or without a disclosure of what he truly is; to be manifested is to be revealed in one's true character."
In doing this word study, you're getting a better understanding of what this particular word meant for John's listeners or readers. Why is it useful for us to understand the passage as the believers to whom John wrote understood it?
Some of the deceivers that John was warning the believers about preached that to be saved one had to acquire hidden knowledge and that only special people could receive this hidden knowledge. How is what John saying in these verses refuting these claims of the deceivers? Is the Word of Life hidden? Is it something that can't easily be accessed by people?
Comparing 1 John 1:1-4 with John 1:1-4
We have now completed an overview of 1 John. We've looked at who wrote it, to whom it was written, when it was written, where it was written, and why it was written. Now, it's time to take a closer look at smaller portions of this letter, always keeping in mind the broader context.
Read 1 John 1:1-4 in a few different versions of the Bible. Include the NASB, NIV, RSV, or KJV as one of those versions.
Now read John 1:1-4 in those same versions.
What first struck you in reading these two passages?
Who wrote each of these passages?
According to John 1:1-4:
Read 1 John 1:1-4 in a few different versions of the Bible. Include the NASB, NIV, RSV, or KJV as one of those versions.
Now read John 1:1-4 in those same versions.
What first struck you in reading these two passages?
Who wrote each of these passages?
According to John 1:1-4:
- What was in the beginning, was with God, and was God?
- What does "He" in verse 2 refer back to from verse 1?
- What do we learn about Him?
- What does verse 3 tell us about Him, the Word?
- What was in Him, the Word?
- Does that fit what verse 3 told us about Him?
- What is another way of expressing that idea? What name might you give Him that has to do with Him being the Word and the Life?
- And how does this life affect human beings?
According to 1 John 1:1-4:
- What was from the beginning? (The Message interprets "from the beginning" to mean "from the beginning of Jesus' ministry" in this context and in other places to refer to when these believers first confessed Christ as their Savior. However, the majority of versions use this phrase to refer back ages and ages ago to when everything first got started. )
- What had John and friends heard, seen, beheld, and handled?
- What title or name does John give this one from the beginning that he and his friends had experienced firsthand?
- How does this title remind you of what John taught about the Word in his gospel?
- What was shown, appeared, or was manifested to John and friends?
- As witnesses, what does John say that he and his friends are doing with what they experienced firsthand?
- What are they proclaiming?
- With Whom was this eternal life?
- Why are John and friends proclaiming, announcing, testifying, witnessing about this eternal life?
- What can those who believe this testimony have with John and friends?
- With whom do John and friends have fellowship?
- So, if John's listeners had fellowship with John and his friends, with Whom do they also have fellowship?
- And how do John and friends feel about others having this same fellowship with the Father and Son as they have?
From these two passages, what do you learn about the Word? Who is this Word of Life?
How did John and his friends know about this Word of Life?
How do people like you and me know about this Word of Life?
Take a moment to think about those in your life who testified, announced, and witnessed the good news of eternal life in Jesus Christ. Was their joy complete when you believed and joined the fellowship that they had with the Father and the Son?
Reviewing John's Reasons for Writing
Last time you listed the reasons John gave for writing this letter.
Read through your list.
How are the majority of these reasons similar?
Of what does John remind his listeners?
Why do you think he's reminding them about these things they have or know as believers?
One reason is a warning. About what is John warning his listeners?
After reading all John's other reasons, what do you think these deceivers are telling the believers?
In a sentence or two, summarize why you think John wrote this letter.
Read through your list.
How are the majority of these reasons similar?
Of what does John remind his listeners?
Why do you think he's reminding them about these things they have or know as believers?
One reason is a warning. About what is John warning his listeners?
After reading all John's other reasons, what do you think these deceivers are telling the believers?
In a sentence or two, summarize why you think John wrote this letter.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
