Lesson One

OVERVIEW OF 1 JOHN

When you receive a letter from someone, how do you begin examining it? If you are like most people, you probably start by reading the whole letter through to get a general idea of what the writer has to say. You pay attention to the main ideas and feelings the sender is communicating, and you are alert for sections that you want to look at more closely later.

This is just the way to begin studying a biblical letter. First John is God's Word, but He chose to give us this information through a letter from an ordinary man to an ordinary group of Christians. Later you will want to think about what God is saying to you through this letter, but for now, imagine that you are one of John's original readers receiving this letter from a respected friend. Take about fifteen to thirty minutes to read through 1 John, not stopping to ponder phrases but scanning for the total message. If possible, read it twice in different translations. Read at least part of the letter aloud so that you can hear as well as see it. You can jot notes for questions 1 through 3 as you read or afterward.

1. What attitudes and feelings toward his readers does John show? (Also, how does he show his feelings?)

________________________________________ ________________________________________

2. Repetition is a clue to the ideas a writer wants to emphasize, and John makes especially strong use of this technique. List as many as possible of the key words, phrases, and ideas he repeats. ________________________________________ ________________________________________

3. You might find it difficult to decide for certain where John changes topics in his letter. He often seems to flow imperceptibly from one idea to the next. So, to help you make a broad outline of 1 John, we've chosen some rather arbitrary places to break the letter into sections. Make up a title or short summary for each passage. (You can change the divisions if you like.)

1:1-4___________________________________ ________________________________________

1:5–2:11__________________________ ________________________________________

2:12-14_________________________________ ________________________________________

2:15-17_________________________________ ________________________________________

2:18-27_________________________________ ________________________________________

2:28–3:10_________________________ ________________________________________

3:11-24_________________________________ ________________________________________

4:1-6___________________________________ ________________________________________

4:7–5:5___________________________ ________________________________________

5:6-12__________________________________ ________________________________________

5:13-21_________________________________ ________________________________________

4. What does John say about certain other people (not his readers)? Who are they, how does he feel about them, and why? (See, for instance, 2:1-26.) ________________________________________ ________________________________________

5. Two of the ideas John repeats are what we may have confidence about and what we know for certain. In what may we have confidence (see 3:21; 4:17; 5:14)? ________________________________________ ________________________________________

6. Over and over, John emphasizes what we know and how we can be certain that we know it. From the following verses, write down what we know and what tests assure us.

7. What four purposes does John state in the following verses?

1:4_____________________________________ ________________________________________

2:1_____________________________________ ________________________________________

2:26____________________________________ ________________________________________

5:13____________________________________ ________________________________________

8. From your first reading of John's letter, how would you summarize its main themes or purposes? ________________________________________ ________________________________________

9. If you have not already done so, read the Introduction on pages 9–13. If you feel you would like more background about 1 John, you might write your questions here. Some of your questions may be answered later in this study; the Study Aid sources on pages 143–147 may answer others. ________________________________________ ________________________________________

10. Your overview of 1 John may have suggested questions about particular passages that you would like to pursue as you go deeper into the book. If so, jot them down now while your thoughts are still fresh. Your questions can serve as personal objectives for your further investigation. ________________________________________ ________________________________________

11. Think about the purposes you wrote in questions 7 and 8. How are any of them relevant or important to your life? ________________________________________ ________________________________________

12. Is there some part of John's letter that you would like to think and pray about this week, or something you want to act on? If so, describe your plans. ________________________________________ ________________________________________

For the group

This "For the group" section and the ones in later lessons are intended to suggest ways of structuring your discussions. Feel free to select and adapt what suits your group. The main goals are to get to know 1 John as a whole and the people with whom you are going to study it.

Worship. Most groups like to begin with some kind of worship — a few minutes of prayer and/or a couple of songs. Worship helps people lay aside the business of the day and focus on God. It relaxes, renews, and opens you to listen to the Lord and each other. If you don't already have worship built into your meetings in some way, discuss how you might do so.

Warm-up. The beginning of a new study is a good time to lay a foundation for honest sharing of ideas, to get comfortable with each other, and to encourage a sense of common purpose. One way to establish common ground is to talk about what each group member hopes to get out of your group — out of any prayer, singing, sharing, outreach, or anything else you might do together. Why do you want to study 1 John? What do...