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John, The Good News According toAid to Bible Understanding
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2. After Jesus is scourged, then is mocked and mistreated by soldiers, Pilate presents Jesus as “The man,” but Jews cry, “Impale him!” (19:1-7)
3. Pilate seeks Jesus’ release, but Jews shout: “You are not a friend of Caesar,” and, “We have no king but Caesar” (19:8-6)
D. Jesus bears torture stake to “Skull Place” and is impaled between others, with title on stake: “Jesus the Nazarene the King of the Jews” (19:17-42)
1. Jesus’ outer garments divided among soldiers; lots cast for one-piece inner garment (19:23, 24)
2. Jesus entrusts care of mother to apostle John (19:25-27)
3. Soldiers break legs of others impaled but Jesus already dead, so legs not broken (Ps. 34:20); soldier pierces his side with spear; blood and water flow out (Zech. 12:10) (19:27-37)
4. Joseph from Arimathea and Nicodemus prepare body, bury Jesus in new tomb near impalement site (19:38-42)
VI. Appearances of the resurrected Christ (20:1–21:25)
A. Mary Magdalene goes to opened tomb; returns with Peter and John; they find Jesus’ body gone (20:1-10)
B. Christ appears to Mary, who thinks at first he is gardener; he reveals his identity and sends her to tell disciples (20:11-18)
C. Christ appears to disciples through locked doors, shows hands and side; Thomas, who had not been present, doubts (20:19-25)
D. Eight days later appears to disciples, including Thomas, who is satisfied on seeing nail prints and spear impression (20:26-29)
E. John’s purpose in writing: that persons may believe Jesus Christ is the Son of God and have life (20:30, 31)
F. Manifests self to seven disciples by causing miraculous catch of fish in Sea of Galilee; feeds them breakfast on shore (21:1-25)
1. Instructs Peter by triple emphasis to “feed my lambs” (21:1-17)
2. Tells Peter what sort of death he will die; alludes to John’s living beyond Peter’s death (21:18-25)
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John, The Letters ofAid to Bible Understanding
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JOHN, THE LETTERS OF
Although the name of the apostle John nowhere appears within these letters, scholars have generally been in agreement with the traditional view that the writer of The Good News According to John and the three letters entitled the First, Second and Third of John are by the same hand. There are many similarities between them and the fourth Gospel.
The authenticity of these letters is well established. The internal evidence testifies to their harmoniousness with the rest of the Scriptures. Also, many early writers give testimony to their genuineness. Polycarp seems to quote from 1 John 4:3; Papias is said by Eusebius to have testified to the first letter; as did Tertullian and Cyprian, and it is contained in the Syriac Peshitta Version. Clement of Alexandria seemingly indicates knowledge of the other two letters; Irenaeus apparently quotes from 2 John 10, 11; Dionysius of Alexandria, according to Eusebius, alludes to them. These latter-mentioned writers also testify to the authenticity of First John.
Very likely John wrote the letters from Ephesus about 98 C.E., near the time when he wrote his Gospel account. The frequent expression “little [or, young] children” seems to indicate that they were written in his old age.
FIRST JOHN
This “letter” is written more in the style of a treatise, since it has neither a greeting nor a conclusion. In the second chapter John addresses fathers, young children and young men, denoting that it was not a personal letter to an individual. It was very likely intended for a congregation or congregations and, in fact, applies to the entire association of those in union with Christ.—1 John 2:13, 14.
John was the last living apostle. It had been more than thirty years since the last of the other letters of the Christian Greek Scriptures had been written. Soon the apostles would all be off the scene. Years before this time, Paul had written to Timothy that he would not be with him much longer. (2 Tim. 4:6) He urged Timothy to keep holding the pattern of healthful words and to commit to faithful men the things he had heard from Paul so that these men could, in turn, teach others.—2 Tim. 1:13; 2:2.
The apostle Peter had warned of false teachers who would arise from among the congregation, bringing in destructive sects. (2 Pet. 2:1-3) Additionally, Paul had told the overseers of the congregation in Ephesus (where John’s letters were later written) that “oppressive wolves” would enter in, not treating the flock with tenderness. (Acts 20:29, 30) He foretold the great apostasy with its “man of lawlessness.” (2 Thess. 2:3-12) In 98 C.E. it was, therefore, as John said: “Young children, it is the last hour, and, just as you have heard that antichrist is coming, even now there have come to be many antichrists; from which fact we gain the knowledge that it is the last hour.” (1 John 2:18) Consequently, the letter was most timely and of vital importance for the strengthening of the faithful Christians as a bulwark against the apostasy.
PURPOSE
However, John did not write merely to refute false teachings. Rather, his main purpose was to strengthen the faith of the early Christians in the truths they had received; often he contrasted these truths with the false teachings. Possibly, First John was sent as a circular letter to all the congregations in the area. This view is supported by the writer’s frequent use of the Greek plural form for “you.”
His argument is orderly and forceful, as the following consideration of the letter will show. The letter has strong emotional appeal, and it is clear that John wrote out of his great love for the truth and his abhorrence of error—his love for light and hatred of darkness.
Three primary themes
John dealt extensively with three themes in particular in his first letter: the antichrist, sin, and love.
Regarding the antichrist, he spoke very plainly. He said: “These things I write you about those who are trying to mislead you.” (1 John 2:26) These men were denying that Jesus Christ was the Son of God that had come in the flesh. He explained that they were once with the congregation, but had gone out in order that it might be shown that they were not of “our sort.” (2:19) They were not the loyal, loving sort that “have faith to the preserving alive of the soul,” but were the sort “that shrink back to destruction.”—Heb. 10:39.
As to sin, some of the high points made are: (1) that we all sin, and that those who say they do not sin do not have the truth and are making God out to be a liar (1 John 1:8-10); (2) that we are all to strive against sin (2:1); (3) that God has provided a propitiatory sacrifice for sins by Jesus Christ, whom we have as a helper with the Father (2:1; 4:10); (4) that those who are true Christians do not make a practice of sin; they do not carry on sin, although they may commit an act of sin at times (2:1; 3:4-10; 5:18); (5) that there are two kinds of sin, the kind that can be forgiven, and the willful, deliberate kind that is not forgivable.—5:16, 17.
On the subject of love, John writes more freely. He declares: (1) that God is love (1 John 4:8, 16); (2) that God showed his love by having his Son die
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