Category: Bible Study

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1 John 2: Abiding in Christ

Resources:

Overview:

  • Chapter 2 continues John’s focus on fellowship with God, through 5 major points.
    1. Fellowship includes following Christ as our advocate (1 John 2:1–6). John does not want believers to sin (1 John 2:1). However, if and when they do, he wants them to know there is an advocate: Jesus Christ (1 John 2:1). Christ covered the sins of all the world (1 John 2:2). Those who keep His commandments are demonstrating that they truly know Christ (1 John 2:3). Those who do not keep His commands, but say they have fellowship with Him, are liars (1 John 2:4). Those who walk in Christ, as Christ walked, give evidence that they are “in” Him (1 John 2:5–6).
    2. Believers are commanded to love one another (1 John 2:7–14). This was not a new commandment (1 John 2:7), but one given from the beginning by Christ. Hate for one’s spiritual brother or sister is incompatible with fellowship with Christ (1 John 2:9). Love is often defined as the single most important sign which the world uses to identify a Christian. Those who love their fellow brother show they are “in the light” (1 John 2:10). John’s writing includes an important poetic section in verses 12–14.
    3. Believers are not to love the world (1 John 2:15–17). This refers to those who prefer worldly, non-spiritual things to godly things. “The world” is a phrase often used to refer to the sinful, material attitudes of mankind. Those who love the world more than Christ prove that the love of the Father is not in them (1 John 2:15). Such attitudes are not from the Father but the world (1 John 2:16).
    4. Fourth, John calls his time the “last hour” (2:18). Believers are warned against teachings of “antichrists,” or false teachers (2:18–27). These liars deny Jesus is the Christ (1 John 2:22).
    5. Believers are called to remember their position as children of God (1 John 2:28–29). They are to abide in Him so they will not be ashamed when He returns (1 John 2:28). Those who do what is righteous, or right, are said to be born “of Him” (1 John 2:29).

Notes on the video:

Group Discussion:

  • Brief chat about 1 John 2:2 and the use of the word “propitiation”.  NLT and NIV translations do not use this word.
  • We all find something worthy of our worship (e.g. new car, new phones, house, etc). This is not necessarily a sin unless we put this stuff ahead of our love of God.
    • We can and should use our resources to help others (tithing to the church, buying Tim’s cards to pass out to the homeless, etc).
    • C.S. Lewis in the Screwtape Letters writes how demons can’t actually create anything – the twist the words of God to lead others away from Christ.
  • Antichrist literally means “another Christ”
    • John wasn’t necessarily saying the antichrist is coming, he was talking more about false teachers and non-Biblical teachings that might lead people away from Christ. These things exist today (“multiple ways to God”, prosperity gospel evangelism, Mormonism, Catholicism, etc).
    • Do people who are false teachers believe they are doing good?
      • Some are likely believing incorrectly (the pope, Joel Osteen, etc)
      • Others are obviously misleading people (Benny Hinn, etc)
  • We ended with a review of praises and prayers for the group.

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1 John 1: Back to Basics

Resources:

Overview:

  • The book of 1 John focuses on the themes of fellowship, love, and obedience within the Christian community. It emphasizes the importance of maintaining true fellowship with God and with one another, which is achieved through love and obedience to God’s commands.
  • Key ideas in 1 John:
    •  Fellowship: 1 John stresses the importance of genuine fellowship among believers. This fellowship is rooted in a shared relationship with God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ. It involves mutual love, support, and accountability.
    • Love: Love is a central theme in 1 John. The book teaches that God is love, and that true Christians should reflect this love in their relationships with one another. This love is not just a feeling, but also involves practical actions of caring for and serving others.
    • Obedience: 1 John emphasizes the connection between love and obedience. It teaches that true love for God is demonstrated through obedience to His commands. This includes keeping His commandments and living a life that is pleasing to Him.
  • How 1 John ties in with the Gospel of John:
    • 1 John shares several key themes and concepts with the Gospel of John, suggesting a common authorship and a consistent message:
      • Jesus as the Word of Life: Both 1 John and the Gospel of John present Jesus as the Word of Life, who existed from the beginning and came to bring life to humanity.
        • Light and Darkness: Both books use the imagery of light and darkness to contrast truth and falsehood, good and evil. They emphasize that true Christians are those who walk in the light, while those who reject Christ remain in darkness.
      • Love as a Commandment: Both 1 John and the Gospel of John highlight the importance of love as a central commandment for believers. They teach that love for God and love for one another are interconnected and essential for Christian living.
      • The Importance of Witness: Both books emphasize the importance of bearing witness to Jesus Christ. The Gospel of John records Jesus’ words and actions, while 1 John calls on believers to testify to what they have seen and heard concerning Jesus.
  • The theme of reassurance is woven throughout 1 John. It’s not just in chapter 1; it’s the heartbeat of the entire letter. John wants his readers to know they are truly children of God, loved by Him, and secure in their faith.

Notes from the video:

  • 1 John is a small book. We’re not quite sure if the author is John or who he’s writing to. There is no specific church or indication of who he was writing to. The content doesn’t identify the author but it does have a testimony similar to John (see Luke 6:13-14 for example). Some think John didn’t write this book but we think he did.
  • Peter, James, and John were the “inner circle” of the Apostles. John was an eyewitness account to almost everything that happened to Jesus.
  • In John 13:23 John is listed as “the one who Jesus loved” even though John likely wrote it.
  • Timeline:
    • AD 30: Jesus starts his ministry.
    • AD 85-90: John writes his gospel.
    • AD 96: John is exiled to Patmos, Greece where he writes the Book of Revelation.
  • John was most likely the last man standing of the 12 Apostles.
  • Gnosticism is a fancy word for false teachers communicating a false doctrine. Gnosticism denied Christ’s humanity, elevating knowledge instead of divine revelation as judge over man’s ideas. Gnosticism took man’s ideas and judged revelation.
  • There are 2 major points to Gnosticism:
    • 1. They believe Jesus only _appeared_ to be physical.
      • John actually comments on this in 1 John 1:1 – he was there and actually touched Jesus, proving He was physical.
    • 2. Jesus’ spirit descended onto Jesus during baptism but left Him before the crucifixion took place.
      • 1 John 5:6 addresses this point.
  • When you have proper believe in Christ it produces obedience, which leads to loving others.
  • 1 John 4: We are writing these things so that you may fully share our joy.
    • See 1 John 2:1 – it also brings out joy, holiness, and leads toward assurance of eternal life.
  • 1 John 4:18 – there is no fear in love. Perfect love drives out all fear because fear involves punishment. When you understand Christ’s perfect love you have nothing to fear.
  • v1: We proclaim to you the one who existed from the beginning, whom we have heard and seen. We saw him with our own eyes and touched him with our own hands. He is the Word of life.
  • v2: This one who is life itself was revealed to us, and we have seen him. And now we testify and proclaim to you that he is the one who is eternal life. He was with the Father, and then he was revealed to us.
    • John is stating that he was an eyewitness to the life of Jesus.
  • v3: We proclaim to you what we ourselves have actually seen and heard so that you may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ.
    • This is a wonderful example of what we’re supposed to do – declare the Gospel of Christ, even though we haven’t see Him, so people can have fellowship with us.
  • v4: We are writing these things so that you may fully share our joy.
    • We want to create joy in others by creating fellowship with others and share the joy of Christ.
  • v5: This is the message we heard from Jesus and now declare to you: God is light, and there is no darkness in him at all.
    • There is no sin in God and His son.
  • v6: So we are lying if we say we have fellowship with God but go on living in spiritual darkness; we are not practicing the truth.
    • We cannot claim to have a relationship with Christ if we continue to sin. This is a painful verse because it is very difficult for us to never sin, even doing something simple like lying. Revelations 21 tells us all liars are going to hell. We’ve ALL lied so we ALL would be condemned to hell.
  • v7: But if we are living in the light, as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from all sin.
    • Jesus saved us from this condemnation.
    • Verse 6, 8, 10 = one kind of “we” (sinful, dark)
    • Verses 7, 9 = another kind of “we” (walking in light)
  • v8: If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth.
    • No one is without sin, regardless of how strong their relationship may be with Jesus. There was only one sinless man and that was Jesus. If you think you are without sin you are lying to yourself.
  • v9: But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.
    • We will all stumble at some point – this is why we need Jesus.
  • v10: If we claim we have not sinned, we are calling God a liar and showing that his word has no place in our hearts.
    • Claiming to have no sin is an insult to God.
    • Knowing Christ enables us to ask forgiveness from Him, allowing us to walk in the perfect love He has for us.
    • Christ is constantly working within us to cleanse us and forgive us of our sins.

Group Discussion:

  • Some think we obey out of love of Christ which further increases our belief.
    • Love is the foundation of belief. If we don’t believe in His sacrifice then what is there to believe?
  • We grow in graceful knowledge and truth through obedience. We believe at first but don’t really “get it” until we start living our lives as Christians.
  • All the time we think we are walking in the light we are constantly in shadow – unless we can be a light that leads others to Christ.
  • Group prayers – praise for answered prayers and prayer requests for challenges we are facing.

 

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2 Peter 3: The Day of the Lord

Resources:

Summary:

  • 2 Peter 3 focuses on dismantling the arguments of the false teachers. Peter’s purpose is urging Christians not to waver in their beliefs, but to continue to live out what they know to be true.
  • 2 Peter 3 is a crucial chapter in Peter’s second letter, addressing a critical issue that threatens the early church: the denial of Christ’s second coming. This denial isn’t just a theological disagreement; it has profound implications for how believers live.
  • Key Points:
    • Scoffers and Their Doubts (verses 1-4): Peter warns that in the last days, scoffers will emerge, ridiculing the idea of Christ’s return. They’ll argue that “everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation,” dismissing any notion of divine intervention or judgment.
    • God’s Past Actions as a Warning (verses 5-7): Peter reminds his readers of God’s past judgments: the creation of the world by His word and the flood that destroyed the ungodly. These historical events serve as a powerful reminder that God’s promises and warnings are not empty words. Just as He acted in the past, He will act again in judgment.
    • God’s Patience and the Delay of Christ’s Return (verses 8-9): Peter addresses the apparent delay of Christ’s return, explaining that it’s not due to God’s forgetfulness or inability, but rather His patience and mercy. God desires that all people repent and come to salvation, and His seeming delay is an act of grace, giving more time for repentance.
    • The Day of the Lord and the Destruction of the Universe (verses 10-13): Peter vividly describes the Day of the Lord, a cataclysmic event when the heavens will pass away with a roar, the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be 1  laid bare. This dramatic depiction underscores the certainty and radical nature of God’s future intervention. In contrast to this destruction, Peter speaks of a new heaven and a new earth where righteousness dwells.
    • Exhortation to Holy Living (verses 14-18): In light of the coming judgment and the promise of a new creation, Peter urges believers to live holy and godly lives. He calls them to be “spotless, blameless and at peace with him,” emphasizing the importance of moral purity and spiritual growth. He also warns against the dangers of false teachings and encourages them to grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ.
  • How 2 Peter 3 Supports Peter’s Main Theme:
    The overarching theme of 2 Peter is the certainty of Christ’s return and the importance of living godly lives in light of that certainty. Chapter 3 directly addresses the challenge posed by those who deny the second coming, a challenge that strikes at the very heart of Peter’s message.
    • Reinforcing the Certainty of Christ’s Return: By reminding readers of God’s past actions and vividly describing the Day of the Lord, Peter reinforces the certainty of Christ’s return, countering the skepticism of the scoffers.
    • Connecting Belief with Behavior: Peter demonstrates the direct link between belief in Christ’s return and the necessity of holy living. He argues that genuine faith in the future judgment should motivate believers to live righteous lives in the present.
    • Warning Against False Teachings: By warning against those who distort Scripture, Peter protects his readers from being led astray by false teachings that undermine the call to holiness.

Notes on on the video:

  • 2 Peter is about how to deal with false teachers. 2 Peter 3 is about refreshing people’s memories about what the prophets previously told them about the truth of Christ.
  • v1: Peter wants a general understanding with a reminder to remember the words previously spoken by the holy prophets.
  • v3-4: Most importantly, I want to remind you that in the last days scoffers will come, mocking the truth and following their own desires. They will say, ‘What happened to the promise that Jesus is coming again? From before the times of our ancestors, everything has remained the same since the world was first created.’
    • There is constant scoffing.
  • v5-7: They deliberately forget that God made the heavens long ago by the word of his command, and he brought the earth out from the water and surrounded it with water. Then he used the water to destroy the ancient world with a mighty flood. And by the same word, the present heavens and earth have been stored up for fire. They are being kept for the day of judgment, when ungodly people will be destroyed.
    • Marks of a false teacher:
      • They ignore the truth.
      • They will teach destructive heresies and deny Christ.
      • They will blaspheme the truth.
      • They will twist scripture.
      • They are covetous – always wanting more.
      • Self-willed.
      • Immoral.
      • Wicked.
      • They abandon the straight path.
      • They laugh and mock at Christ’s second coming.
    • We’re going to have to contend for our faith – the battle will be within the faith (e.g. Unitarian Churches claim there are multiple ways to the Lord.)
  • v8-10: But you must not forget this one thing, dear friends: A day is like a thousand years to the Lord, and a thousand years is like a day. The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent. But the day of the Lord will come as unexpectedly as a thief. Then the heavens will pass away with a terrible noise, and the very elements themselves will disappear in fire, and the earth and everything on it will be found to deserve judgment.
    • Peter us talking about the end times and the destruction of false teachers.
    • The end times may seem a long way off but a thousand years is like a day to the Lord. End times will come so we need to repent and turn to Jesus before it happens.
    • At some point there will be 7 years of tribulation. At 3.5 years into this tribulation the third temple will be rebuilt in Jerusalem and anti-Christ will take the throne in the temple. Some churches believe there will be a rapture for believers before the tribulation begins. Some churches believe there will be a rapture for believers in the middle of the tribulation while others think it will happen after the tribulation.
    • The Old Testament refers to the second coming of Christ 19 times (aka The Day of the Lord).
    • Joel 2-3 in the Old Testament mentions the Day of the Lord and explains some of the imagery that will happen at that time. Also see Ezekial, Malachi, etc.
    • Acts 2:20 and 1 Thessalonians also reference the Day of the Lord.
  • v11-13: Since everything around us is going to be destroyed like this, what holy and godly lives you should live, looking forward to the day of God and hurrying it along. On that day, he will set the heavens on fire, and the elements will melt away in the flames. But we are looking forward to the new heavens and new earth he has promised, a world filled with God’s righteousness.
    • The Lord wants as many people as possible to come to Christ to avoid perishing in the end times.
  • v14: And so, dear friends, while you are waiting for these things to happen, make every effort to be found living peaceful lives that are pure and blameless in his sight.
    • The Day of the Lord will happen one day, when we least expect it. This is why we need to repent and turn to Jesus. We have nothing to lose and everything to gain from it.
    • Many people don’t want to be around when the Day of the Lord happens but if we’re ready we have nothing to fear. As we wait for Jesus to return we should talk about Him to others, especially those who do not yet know Him.
  • v15-16: And remember, our Lord’s patience gives people time to be saved. This is what our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you with the wisdom God gave him — speaking of these things in all of his letters. Some of his comments are hard to understand, and those who are ignorant and unstable have twisted his letters to mean something quite different, just as they do with other parts of Scripture. And this will result in their destruction.
    • Peter admits he doesn’t fully understand Paul’s writings.
  • v17: You already know these things, dear friends. So be on guard; then you will not be carried away by the errors of these wicked people and lose your own secure footing.
    • Beware of false teachers trying to lure you away from the Lord.
    • Also beware of people “prepping” for end times – focus instead on your walk with the Lord.
  • v18: Rather, you must grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. All glory to him, both now and forever! Amen. Rather, you must grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. All glory to him, both now and forever! Amen.
    • Focus on maturing your faith until the Day of the Lord.

Group Discussion:

  • v15-16 are a bit different in KJV. The fact that Peter writes “…other parts of Scripture” implies this is all part of holy scripture.  This is a pretty significant assertion by Peter.
  • Uniformitarianism is the assumption that the same natural laws and processes that operate in our present-day scientific observations have always operated in the universe in the past and apply everywhere in the universe. This wasn’t a new concept but didn’t really come to fruition until Darwin wrote about his theory of evolution. It’s fascinating that Peter refers to it in his book – nothing really major has changed. The flood during the time of Noah was God’s wrath coming to earth. People like to deny that the flood occurred.
  • Revelation consolidates things that had been previously discussed throughout the Bible. There really isn’t that much new in the Book of Revelations. Some people think Revelations is frightening while others think it provides clarity into the future. In chapter 2 John says reading Revelations will bless you – this means he wrote it to uplift you. If you read Revelations and come away from it feeling fearful you may be misinterpreting it. Reading Revelations should be a major motivator for us to share the gospel with non-believers.
  • Christ can return at any time. Do you want to be “caught red-handed” if He returned when you were doing something sinful?
  • The group exchanged praise and prayers for good times and challenges we are all facing in our lives.