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Lesson 41General epistles

Books of First, second & third John

New TesTameNT:Acts to Revelation



EnHanCED auDIo TransCrIpTs


The Book of I John is given over to the subject of fellowship

New TesTameNT survey lessoN 41

overview—The Book of firsT JohNA songwriter has written this song that I am sure all of us know. It is

called Leaning on the Everlasting Arms.

What a fellowship, what a joy divine,

Leaning on the everlasting arms;

What a blessedness, what a peace is mine,

Leaning on the everlasting arms.

We are going to study a book in the Bible, actually a letter, given over to

the subject of fellowship. It is the Book of I John. The outline is offered with

the word “fellowship” in mind:

n The Source of this Fellowship

n The Goal of this Fellowship

n The Requirements for this Fellowship

n The Test of this Fellowship





The Book of I John has more to say about the Father than does any other epistle

n The Maintenance of this Fellowship

n The Family Members in this Fellowship

n The Enemies of this Fellowship

n The Witnesses to this Fellowship

n The Separation from this Fellowship (by Sin)

n The Encouragements for this Fellowship—There are five promises

involved if we have fellowship with the Lord Jesus.

The subtitle for I John is, “Intimate Insights on the Father, Fellowship

and the Family of God.” John, the apostle, wrote his first epistle to develop

the wonderful themes of fellowship and the Father. The Book of I John

has more to say about the Father than does any other epistle. He is referred

to 12 times.

The New Scofield Bible suggests, “It [the Book of 1 John] is a family letter

from the Father to His ‘little children’ who are in the world. With the possible

exception of the Song of Solomon, it is the most intimate of the inspired

writings. The sin of a Christian is treated as a child’s offense against his

Father, and is dealt with as a family matter.”

The word “love” is found 37 times in this epistle, more often than any Old

or New Testament book with the single exception of the Psalms. The Spirit

of God directed the apostle John to pen five of the New Testament books.

Apart from Paul, no other author wrote as many books in the New Testament

as John did. His five books are the Gospel of John, the three epistles (I John,

II John, and III John) and the Revelation.

We have a distinction in your notes between these books, the Gospel of

John, the Epistles of John, and the Revelation:





John begins the Book of I John by proving the humanity of Christ

The Gospel of John epistles of John revelation of John

Salvation Sanctification Glorification

Thepast Thepresent Thefuture

Christ,theprophet Christ,thepriest Christ,theking

Thecross Thekoinonia(fellowship) Thecrown

A comparison can be made between

John’s Gospel and the Book of I John. John

begins his Gospel account by proving the

deity of Christ. There are some that said that

Jesus was not God. In response, John states,

“In the beginning was the Word (Jesus), and

the Word was with God, and the Word was

God“ (John 1:1). John begins the Book of

I John by proving the humanity of Christ

because some were saying that He was a

divine spirit, sort of like a Casper the Ghost,

but that He was not a full man. John refutes

those two false doctrines.

John ends his Gospel account with the

following words. “But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the

Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through His name”

(20:31). Similarly, he ends the Book of I John with the following words,

“These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God;

that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of

the Son of God” (5:13).

In his Gospel account, John describes believers as sheep in God’s fold. In

I John, he describes them as members of God’s family. In the Revelation, he

describes them as priests in God’s kingdom.





Jesus did not come to preach the Gospel; instead, He came that there might be a Gospel to be preached

The Book of I John includes several contrasts. John speaks of light versus

darkness, love versus hatred, Christ versus antichrist, belief versus unbelief,

and truth versus error.

It is the only Biblical book containing the phrase “sin unto death”

describing what had already taken place in Acts 5 and I Corinthians 11.

It is, also, the only Biblical book classifying sin and temptation into three

categories: the world, the flesh, and the devil. It has more to say about

believers’ sins and confessions than any other Biblical book its size.

John states, “That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that

ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and

with his Son Jesus Christ” (1 John 1:3). This epistle is outlined with the word

“fellowship” in mind.

The source of this fellowshipThe Incarnation of Jesus Christ

n The reality of His incarnation—“That which was from the beginning,

which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have

looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life; (For

the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and

shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was

manifested unto us;)” (I John 1:1-2). He uses the word “manifest”

twice, which demonstrates the reality of His incarcation.

n The reason for His incarnation—“And ye know that He was

manifested to take away our sins; and in Him is no sin. He that

committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning.

For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy

the works of the devil” (I John 3: 5, 8). It must be understood that

Jesus did not come to preach the Gospel. Instead, He came that

there might be a Gospel to be preached.





Christ died for every person in the whole world because He loves us dearly

The Atonement of the Lord Jesusn The divine extent—For whom did Christ die? “And He is the

propitiation (the satisfaction) for our sins: and not for ours only, but

also for the sins of the whole world” (I John 2:2).

n The divine example—Why did Christ die? John says “Hereby

perceive we the love of God, because He laid down His life for us: and

we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren…In this was manifested

the love of God toward us, because that God sent His only begotten

Son into the world, that we might live through Him. Herein is love,

not that we loved God, but that He loved us, and sent His Son to be

the propitiation for our sins” (I John 3:16, 4:9-10). He died because

He loves us dearly.

The Goal of this fellowshipn That we might know

more about the Father—

He is light. He is love.

He is life. He is righteous.

He is all-knowing. Also,

He is invisible, “No man

hath seen God at any time”

(I John 4:12). As a result,

the Lord Jesus came.

n That we might allow the

Father’s love to be perfected in us—“The love of God is shed abroad

in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us” (Romans 5:5).

n That we might love the family of God—If you say you love God

but hate your brother, then you are not a family member. You are





We must love the family of God so we can experience the fullness of joy and receive assurance

not saved. We must love the family of God so we can experience

the fullness of joy and receive assurance.

n That we might receive assurance—There are two areas he covers.

One is concerning our salvation, and the other is our prayers. He

states about our salvation, “These things have I written unto you

that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye

have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of

God” (I John 5:13). He, also, gives assurance of our supplications,

“And whatsoever we ask, we receive of Him, because we keep

His commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in His

sight” (I John 3:22).

The requirements for This fellowshipn We must help our brother—“But whoso hath this world’s good, and

seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion

from Him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?” (I John 3:17).

n We must abide in Christ—“And now, little children, abide in Him;

that, when He shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be

ashamed before Him at His coming” (1 John 2:28).

n We must keep the commandments—“If ye love me (Jesus is

speaking), keep my commandments” (John 4:15).

n We must recognize our sins—“If we say that we have no sin, we

deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us” (I John 1:8). This verse

is true. We may deceive ourselves and say, ‘I did something. It

was an indiscretion. It was just a mistake, an error.’ God wants us

to recognize when we sin, not gloss over it. It is one of the most

difficult requirements here.





We must confess our sins and walk in the light

n We must confess our sins—“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and

just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness”

(I John 1:9).

n We must walk in the light—“But if we walk in the light, as He is in

the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus

Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin” (I John 1:7).

The Tests of This fellowshipLet us test this fellowship. Take this quick quiz to determine your fellow-

ship. Between a 1 and a 10, how would you gage your fellowship right now?

1. Do I conduct my life down here in view of the Rapture? “And

every man that hath this hope in Him purifieth himself, even as He is

pure” (I John 3:3).

2. Do I continually sin? All believers are going to sin. There is a

difference between a sheep and a pig. A sheep might fall into a

mud hole, but it will get out of it. In contrast, a pig goes looking

for one. Everyone sins, but do I continually dwell in sin?

3. Do I hate my spiritual brother? “If a man say, I love God, and

hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom

he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?” (I John

4:20). Not only should you avoid “hating” your brother; you need

to reach out to him.

4. Do I desire to help my brother? Do I really love

my brother? Do I really love God? Do I enjoy a

rapport with other servants and saints of God? If

the world looks upon you and rejects you, that is

one thing. On the other hand, if saved church

members and Christians shy away from you, do





Jesus Christ died to get me saved, and He lives and prays to keep me saved

you have any rapport? Maybe it is just bad breath, or maybe it is

a bad attitude.

5. Am I plagued with constant fear? John says, “There is no fear in

love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He

that feareth is not made perfect in love” (I John 4:18). This verse isn’t

saying you are not saved if you fear. Constant fear, though, means

that you are lacking the intimate fellowship God desires for all

believers to have with Him.

6. Can I recognize false doctrine when it comes my way? Am I

straight on the deity of Christ? And am I straight on the work

of Christ? Do I have the witness of the Spirit? Does He ever

speak to my heart and say, ‘You are one of My blood washed sons or

daughters, the witness of My spirit’?

The maintenance of This fellowshipThe maintenance of this fellowship is accomplished through the

occupation (the present work) of the Son of God, through the cooperation

of the saint of God, and the habitation of the Spirit of God.

Accomplished through the Occupation of the Son of GodThrough the occupation of the work of the Son of God, He serves as my

advocate, “My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And

if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous” (I

John 2:1). He also serves as my atoning sacrifice.

In other words, Jesus Christ died to get me saved; He lives and prays to

keep me saved. That is the work of the Son.





We are to test the systems of this world by applying them to the Word of God

Accomplished through the Habitation of the Spirit of GodThe Bible says, “But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all

things…But the anointing which ye have received of Him abideth in you, and ye need

not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and

is truth, and is no lie, and even as

it hath taught you, ye shall abide in

Him” (I John 2:20, 27).

It does not mean that we do

not need human teachers. What

it does mean is that we are to test

the systems of this world by apply-

ing them to the Word of God.

Accomplished through the Cooperation of the Saint of GodGod wants us to do certain things. One of those things is to make sure

that when we do sin, we recognize it and confess it.

The family members in This fellowshipHe mentions several people. First, he writes to the little children, or new

converts. Next, he has a message for young men or those believers who have

been saved for a while. Finally, he talks to the fathers, those mature in the

faith. Each represents a stage in a believers’ growth. Where are you? A little

child? A young man or woman? Or a father or mother?

The enemies of This fellowship“Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love

the world, the love of the Father is not in him…And we know that we are of God,

and the whole world lieth in wickedness” (I John 2:15, 5:19).





The reason we are to not love the world is because it passes away

Evil Systems in this WorldHe says the evils systems are, “The lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes,

and the pride of life.” (I John 2:16). The reason we are to not love the world

is because it, “Passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of

God abideth for ever.”

The Evil Seducers in this WorldJohn states, “These things have I written unto you concerning them that

seduce you.” He talks about their appearance, even the Antichrist’s

appearance, and their apostasy. “They went out from us, but they were not

of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us:

but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of

us” (I John 2:19).

The Evil Spirits in this Worldn The fruit of these spirits—“Who is a liar but he that denieth that

Jesus is the Christ?” (I John 2:22).

n The root of these spirits—“And every spirit that confesseth not that

Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God” (I John 4:3).

The witnesses to This fellowshipHe mentions the witnesses in Heaven and the witnesses on Earth. There

is a controversy related to this section, which is discussed in the notes.

The separation from This fellowshipSin causes a break in our fellowship with God. Here he talks about the

sin unto death. Also, I discuss this topic in your notes.





II John in the only book in the Bible addressed to a woman

The encouragements for This fellowshipJohn discusses the promise of eternal life, of a new body, of a life

without fear, of confidence at the Rapture, and of boldness (not arrogance)

at the Judgment.

overview—The Book of secoNd JohNThe Book of II John is the

epistle of an elder from an elder to

an elect lady. This book holds the

same place in John’s writings that

Philemon holds in Paul’s writings.

II John in the only book in the

Bible addressed to a woman. We

do not know the identity of this

woman, but John commends her,

cautions her, and comforts her.

John does not mention his own

name or the name of the woman.

This may have been to prevent persecution from the Roman authorities of

the time who viewed Christianity as an unlawful religion.

she is commended by the apostle“The elder unto the elect lady and her children, whom I love in the truth” (II

John 1:1). We do not know for sure, but some believe that the elect lady

here is the church. Others believe it is a specific lady in the church. I think

probably the correct interpretation is a lady in the church, but the application,

of course, could be for the entire church. She is commended by the apostle.

Either way, she was a Godly lady, or it was a Godly church.





To practice truth without love leads to legalism and to employ love without truth leads to liberalism

she is commanded by the apostleShe is commanded that she walk in love and in truth. He exhorts

both here. It is very important not to separate them. He tells her to

practice truth without love leads to legalism and to employ love without

truth leads to liberalism.

she is cautioned by the apostleJohn tells her to look out for Satan, “For many deceivers are entered into the

world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and

an antichrist…If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him

not into your house, neither bid him God speed” (II John 1:7, 10).

In addition, he urges her to look out for herself, “Look to yourselves,

that we lose not those things which we have wrought, but that we receive a full

reward” (II John 1:8).

she is comforted by the apostle“Having many things to write unto you, I would not write with paper and

ink: but I trust to come unto you, and speak face to face, that our joy may be

full” (II John 1:12).

overview—The Book of Third JohNIn III John, we see three individuals:

n The Prosperity of Gaius, the Exhorter

n The Pride of Diotrephes, the Egotist

n The Example of Demetrius, the Example





III John gives an excellent, though brief, glimpse of church life at the close of the first century

The Book of III John is an epistle from an elder concerning an exhorter,

an egotist, and an example. The elder is John. The exhorter is Gaius. The

egotist is Diotrephes, and the example is Demetrius.

J. Vernon McGee states, “This is a letter similar to John’s second epistle,

in that it is personal in character, and it carries the same theme of truth.

However, this letter deals with principalities. In his second epistle, John

says that truth is worth standing for; and in the third epistle that truth is

worth working for!”

John’s second epistle deals with the problem of welcoming deceivers,

which should not have been done, but in this epistle, he discusses the error

of not receiving believers, which

should have been done. III John is

the shortest book in the Bible. This

epistle gives an excellent, though

brief, glimpse of church life at the

close of the first century.

The Prosperity of Gaius, the exhorterJohn prays for Gaius and the church. John praises how he had welcomed

missionaries and itinerant pastors.

The Pride of diotrephes, the egotistJohn’s condemnation of him is six-fold. Diotrephes attempted to occupy

the leading place. He refused to receive the apostle John, and he slandered

the apostles. He declined to entertain missionaries. He attempted to

excommunicate believers who did not go along with his doctrine. Diotrephes

was not of God. Have you ever heard of such a thing? We have people like

Diotrephes in many churches today.





Jesus is compassion and pure unbounded love, and He will visit us with His salvation if we only ask

The Praise of demetrius, the example“Demetrius hath good report of all men” (III John 1:12a). We are to love

the brethren.

I will close with a song that Charles Wesley wrote called Love Divine, All

Loves Excelling:

Love divine, all love’s excelling,

Joy of Heaven to Earth come down;

Fix in us Thy humble dwelling;

All Thy faithful mercies crown!

Jesus, Thou art all compassion,

Pure unbounded love Thou art;

Visit us with Thy salvation;

Enter every trembling heart.

Finish, then, Thy new creation;

Pure and spotless let us be.

Let us see Thy great salvation

Perfectly restored in Thee;

Changed from glory into glory,

Till in Heaven we take our place,

Till we cast our crowns before Thee,

Lost in wonder, love, and praise.

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