By
Bishop Elijah H. Hankerson III, BA, MA, DD
I.
GREETING.
Psalm 134:1-2
Behold, bless ye the LORD, all ye servants of the LORD, which by night stand in
the house of the LORD. 2Lift up your hands in the sanctuary, and
bless the LORD.
II.
ANNOUNCEMENTS.
A.
THROUGH THE BIBLE TEACHING ALL THIS WEEK 6:00 PM NIGHTLY!
Right here and 312-626-6799 ID 823-421-7012
LESSON NOTES:
I.
THE KEY TO UNDERSTANDING
THE ENTIRE BIBLE. If
you understand that the Bible is written to show us how humanity was created
for God, fell into sin, was reconciled through Christ (who was the product of a
family) and God will restore everything through His sacrifice on the Cross;
then you have the message of the entire Bible.
2 Corinthians 5:17-21 17Therefore
if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away;
behold, all things are become new. 18And all things are of God, who
hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the
ministry of reconciliation; 19To wit, that God was in Christ,
reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them;
and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. 20Now then we
are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in
Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God. 21For he hath made him to
be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God
in him.
II.
THE LIFE OF
JOHN. Please
see the introduction to the Gospel According to St John.
III.
THE THEMES OF
THESE THREE LETTERS.
A.
JESUS IS GOD’S
SON. John
taught that a person could not be saved if they did not believe the Jesus was
the Son of God. That was the theme of his ministry.
John 3:36 36Whoever believes in the Son has
eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath
remains on them.
John 20:31 31But these are written that you
may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing
you may have life in his name.
1 John 5:12 12Whoever has the Son has life;
whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.
1 John 5:13 13I write these things to you who
believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have
eternal life.
B.
LOVE ONE
ANOTHER. John
also did not believe that a person could be saved if they did not love their
brother and sister in Christ. He got this commandment directly from the Lord
Jesus Christ.
1 John 4:7-8 7Dear friends, let us love one
another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and
knows God. 8Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is
love.
Matthew 22:35-40 35One of them, an expert in the
law, tested him with this question: 36"Teacher, which is the
greatest commandment in the Law?" 37Jesus replied: "'Love
the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your
mind.' 38This is the first and greatest commandment. 39And
the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' 40All the
Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."
C.
DO NOT PRACTICE
SIN.
1 John 2:1 1My dear children, I write this to
you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with
the Father-Jesus Christ, the Righteous One.
1 John 3:5 5But you know that he appeared so
that he might take away our sins. And in him is no sin.
1 John 3:8 8The one who does what is sinful is
of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason
the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil's work.
D.
STAY AWAY FROM
FALSE TEACHING.
1.
THE FALSE
TEACHERS DENIED THAT GOD WAS MADE FLESH. Because John was an eyewitness of the
incarnation; he fiercely refuted this false teaching.
a.
JOHN HEARD THE
VOICE OF GOD PROCLAIM THAT JESUS WAS HIS SON.
Matthew 17:1-5 1After six days Jesus took with him
Peter, James and John the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by
themselves. 2There he was transfigured before them. His face shone
like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light. 3Just
then there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus. 4Peter
said to Jesus, "LORD, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, I will
put up three shelters-one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah." 5While
he was still speaking, a bright cloud covered them, and a voice from the cloud
said, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to
him!"
b.
JOHN WAS A
WITNESS TO THE DIVINITY OF CHRIST.
John 1:14 14The Word became flesh and made
his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only
Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
1 John 1:1 1That which was from the beginning,
which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at
and our hands have touched-this we proclaim concerning the Word of life.
c.
JOHN REFUTES THE
FALSE TEACHING. This
teaching is assumed by many to be Gnosticism. Gnosticism taught
an unorthodox view about the nature of Christ. John refutes all of these views
in his letters:[1]
i.
SOME
GNOSTICS BELIEVED THAT JESUS WAS A MAN, but
that Christ entered into Jesus when He was baptized and left
Him right before He died.
ii.
OTHER
GNOSTICS BELIEVED THAT JESUS DID NOT REALLY DIE –
because if He died, then He was not really God.
iii.
OTHERS
BELIEVED THAT HE COULD NOT HAVE BEEN PERFECT AND SINLESS
because He created matter, which Gnostics believed to be evil.
iv.
AND
THERE WERE ALSO THOSE WHO BELIEVED THAT JESUS CHRIST WAS A CREATED
being – and not actually God.
IV.
1 JOHN.
A.
1 John 1
1.
JESUS IS THE WORD MADE FLESH.
1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which
we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have
touched—this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. 2 The life appeared; we have seen it and
testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was
with the Father and has appeared to us. 3 We
proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have
fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son,
Jesus Christ. 4 We write
this to make our joy complete.
2.
WE ARE RECONCILED TO GOD
THROUGH HIS SON.
5 This
is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is
light; in him there is no darkness at all. 6 If we claim to have fellowship with him and
yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is
in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his
Son, purifies us from all sin.
8 If
we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in
us. 9 If
we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our
sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 10 If
we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his
word is not in us.
B.
1 John 2
1.
JESUS SUBSTITUTIONARY DEATH.
2 My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not
sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus
Christ, the Righteous One. 2 He
is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for
the sins of the whole world.
2.
LOVE IS THE EVIDENCE OF
BELIEVING.
3 We
know that we have come to know him if we keep his commands. 4 Whoever says, “I know him,” but does
not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in that person. 5 But if anyone obeys his word, love for
God is truly made complete in them. This is how we
know we are in him: 6 Whoever
claims to live in him must live as Jesus did.
7 Dear
friends, I am not writing you a new command but an old one, which you have
had since the beginning. This old command is the message you have heard. 8 Yet I am writing you a new
command; its truth is seen in him and in you, because the darkness is
passing and the true light is already shining.
9 Anyone
who claims to be in the light but hates a brother or sister is still in
the darkness. 10 Anyone
who loves their brother and sister lives in the light, and
there is nothing in them to make them stumble. 11 But
anyone who hates a brother or sister is in the darkness and walks around
in the darkness. They do not know where they are going, because the
darkness has blinded them.
3.
THE PURPOSE OF THIS LETTER.
12 I
am writing to you, dear children,
because your sins have been forgiven on account of his name.
13 I am writing to you, fathers,
because you know him who is from the beginning.
I am writing to you, young men,
because you have overcome the evil one.
because your sins have been forgiven on account of his name.
13 I am writing to you, fathers,
because you know him who is from the beginning.
I am writing to you, young men,
because you have overcome the evil one.
14 I
write to you, dear children,
because you know the Father.
I write to you, fathers,
because you know him who is from the beginning.
I write to you, young men,
because you are strong,
and the word of God lives in you,
and you have overcome the evil one.
because you know the Father.
I write to you, fathers,
because you know him who is from the beginning.
I write to you, young men,
because you are strong,
and the word of God lives in you,
and you have overcome the evil one.
4.
DO NOT LOVE THE WORLD SYSTEM.
15 Do
not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love
for the Father is not in them. 16 For
everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the
eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. 17 The world and its desires pass
away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.
5.
REEMPHASIZING THAT JESUS IS THE
SON OF GOD.
18 Dear
children, this is the last hour; and as you have heard that the antichrist
is coming, even now many antichrists have come. This is how we know
it is the last hour. 19 They
went out from us, but they did not really belong to us. For if they had
belonged to us, they would have remained with us; but their going showed that
none of them belonged to us.
20 But
you have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the
truth. 21 I do not write to you because you do not know
the truth, but because you do know it and because no lie comes from the
truth. 22 Who
is the liar? It is whoever denies that Jesus is the Christ. Such a person is
the antichrist—denying the Father and the Son. 23 No
one who denies the Son has the Father; whoever acknowledges the Son has the
Father also.
24 As
for you, see that what you have heard from the beginning remains in you.
If it does, you also will remain in the Son and in the Father. 25 And this is what he promised us—eternal
life.
26 I
am writing these things to you about those who are trying to lead you astray. 27 As for you, the anointing you
received from him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But
as his anointing teaches you about all things and as that anointing is
real, not counterfeit—just as it has taught you, remain in him.
6.
RIGHTEOUS LIVING IS A
REQUIREMENT.
28 And
now, dear children, continue in him, so that when he appears we may
be confident and unashamed before him at his coming.
29 If
you know that he is righteous, you know that everyone who does what is
right has been born of him.
C.
1 John 3
1.
WE WILL BE
CHANGED WHEN HE APPEARS.
3 See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we
should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the
world does not know us is that it did not know him. 2 Dear friends, now we are children of
God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that
when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him
as he is. 3 All who have
this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure.
2.
BELIEVERS DO NOT PRACTICE
SIN.
4 Everyone
who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness. 5 But you know that he appeared so that he
might take away our sins. And in him is no sin. 6 No one who lives in him keeps on
sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known
him.
7 Dear
children, do not let anyone lead you astray. The one who does what is
right is righteous, just as he is righteous. 8 The one who does what is sinful is of the
devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason
the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work. 9 No one who is born of God will
continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in them; they cannot go
on sinning, because they have been born of God. 10 This
is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the
devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not God’s child, nor is
anyone who does not love their brother and sister.
3.
AGAIN, LOVE IS THE EVIDENCE OF
BEING BORN AGAIN.
11 For
this is the message you heard from the beginning: We should love one
another. 12 Do
not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his
brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own actions were evil and
his brother’s were righteous. 13 Do
not be surprised, my brothers and sisters, if the world hates you. 14 We know that we have passed from death to
life, because we love each other. Anyone who does not love remains in
death. 15 Anyone who hates
a brother or sister is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has
eternal life residing in him.
16 This
is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And
we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. 17 If anyone has material possessions and
sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love
of God be in that person? 18 Dear
children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in
truth.
19 This
is how we know that we belong to the truth and how we set our hearts at rest in
his presence: 20 If
our hearts condemn us, we know that God is greater than our hearts, and he
knows everything. 21 Dear
friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God 22 and receive from him anything we
ask, because we keep his commands and do what pleases him. 23 And this is his command: to
believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another
as he commanded us. 24 The
one who keeps God’s commands lives in him, and he in them. And this
is how we know that he lives in us: We know it by the Spirit he gave us.
D.
1 John 4
1.
YOU CANNOT DENY THE INCARNATION
AND BE SAVED.
4 Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the
spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone
out into the world. 2 This
is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that
Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, 3 but every spirit that does not acknowledge
Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you
have heard is coming and even now is already in the world.
4 You,
dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one
who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. 5 They are from the world and therefore
speak from the viewpoint of the world, and the world listens to them. 6 We are from God, and whoever knows God
listens to us; but whoever is not from God does not listen to us. This is
how we recognize the Spirit of truth and the spirit of falsehood.
2.
AGAIN: LOVE IS THE EVIDENCE OF
KNOWING GOD.
7 Dear
friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who
loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Whoever does not love does not know God,
because God is love. 9 This
is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the
world that we might live through him. 10 This
is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as
an atoning sacrifice for our sins. 11 Dear
friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12 No one has ever seen God; but if we
love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.
13 This
is how we know that we live in him and he in us: He has given us of his
Spirit. 14 And
we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior
of the world. 15 If anyone
acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in them and they in
God. 16 And so we know and
rely on the love God has for us.
God is love. Whoever
lives in love lives in God, and God in them. 17 This is how love is made
complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of
judgment: In this world we are like Jesus. 18 There
is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to
do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.
19 We
love because he first loved us. 20 Whoever
claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For
whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have
seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen. 21 And he has given us this
command: Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister.
E.
1 John 5
1.
BELIEF THAT JESUS IS THE SON OF
GOD IS REQUIRED TO BE SAVED.
5 Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of
God, and everyone who loves Him who begot also loves him who is begotten of
Him. 2 By this we know that we love the children of
God, when we love God and keep His commandments. 3 For
this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His
commandments are not burdensome. 4 For whatever
is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has
overcome the world—our faith. 5 Who is he who
overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?
2.
JESUS IS THE ETERNAL WORD OF
GOD.
6 This
is He who came by water and blood—Jesus Christ; not only by water, but by
water and blood. And it is the Spirit who bears witness, because the
Spirit is truth. 7 For there are three that bear
witness in heaven: the Father, the Word, and the Holy
Spirit; and these three are one. 8 And there
are three that bear witness on earth: the Spirit, the water, and the
blood; and these three agree as one.
9 If
we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater; for
this is the witness of God which He has testified of His Son. 10 He
who believes in the Son of God has the witness in himself; he who does not
believe God has made Him a liar, because he has not believed the testimony
that God has given of His Son. 11 And this is the
testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His
Son. 12 He who has the Son has life; he who
does not have the Son of God does not have life. 13 These
things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that
you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name
of the Son of God.
3.
GOD ANSWERS PRAYER.
14 Now
this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything
according to His will, He hears us. 15 And if we
know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that
we have asked of Him.
16 If
anyone sees his brother sinning a sin which does not lead to
death, he will ask, and He will give him life for those who commit sin
not leading to
death. There is sin leading to
death. I do not say that he should pray about that. 17 All
unrighteousness is sin, and there is sin not leading to death.
4.
STAY AWAY FROM SIN AND
IDOLATRY.
18 We
know that whoever is born of God does not sin; but he who has been born of
God keeps himself, and the wicked one does not touch him.
19 We
know that we are of God, and the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked
one.
20 And
we know that the Son of God has come and has given us an
understanding, that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is
true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life.
21 Little
children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen.
V.
2 JOHN.
A.
A CHURCH MEETING IN A WOMAN OF
GOD’S HOUSE.
1 The
Elder,
To
the elect lady and her children, whom I love in truth, and not only I, but
also all those who have known the truth, 2 because
of the truth which abides in us and will be with us forever:
3 Grace,
mercy, and peace will
be with you from God the Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of
the Father, in truth and love.
B.
CHRIST’S COMMANDMENT IS TO LOVE
ONE ANOTHER.
4 I rejoiced
greatly that I have found some of
your children walking in truth, as we received commandment from the
Father. 5 And now I plead with you, lady, not as
though I wrote a new commandment to you, but that which we have had from the
beginning: that we love one another. 6 This is
love, that we walk according to His commandments. This is the commandment,
that as you have heard from the beginning, you should walk in it.
C.
FALSE TEACHERS ARE THOSE WHO
DENY THE INCARNATION.
7 For many
deceivers have gone out into the world who do not confess Jesus
Christ as coming in
the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist. 8 Look
to yourselves, that we do not lose those things we worked for,
but that we may
receive a full reward.
9 Whoever transgresses
and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God. He who abides
in the doctrine of Christ has both the Father and the Son. 10 If
anyone comes to you and does not bring this doctrine, do not receive him
into your house nor greet him; 11 for he who greets
him shares in his evil deeds.
D.
JOHN WROTE THIS LETTER.
12 Having
many things to write to you, I did not wish to do so with paper and ink; but I hope to come to you and
speak face to face, that our joy may be full.
13 The
children of your elect sister greet you. Amen.
VI.
3 JOHN.
A.
THIS LETTER IS WRITTEN TO
GAIUS.
1 The
Elder,
To
the beloved Gaius, whom I love in truth:
2 Beloved,
I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul
prospers. 3 For I rejoiced greatly when
brethren came and testified of the truth that is in you, just as you walk in the truth. 4 I
have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.
B.
GAIUS IS VERY HOSPITABLE AND
HAS THE CHURCH AT HEART.
5 Beloved,
you do faithfully whatever you do for the brethren and for
strangers, 6 who have borne witness of your love
before the church. If you
send them forward on their journey in a manner worthy of God, you will do
well, 7 because they went forth for His name’s
sake, taking nothing from the Gentiles. 8 We
therefore ought to receive such, that we may become fellow
workers for the truth.
C.
DIOTREPHES IS A TROUBLE MAKER
BUT DEMETRIUS HAS A GOOD REPUTATION.
9 I
wrote to the church, but Diotrephes, who loves to have the preeminence among
them, does not receive us. 10 Therefore, if I come,
I will call to mind his deeds which he does, prating against us
with malicious words. And not content with that, he himself does not receive
the brethren, and forbids those who wish to, putting them out of the church.
11 Beloved, do
not imitate what is evil, but what is good. He who does good is of
God, but he who does evil has not seen God.
12 Demetrius has
a good testimony from
all, and from the truth itself. And we also bear witness, and you
know that our testimony is true.
D.
JOHN WROTE THIS LETTER
PERSONALLY.
13 I
had many things to write, but I do not wish to write to you with pen and
ink; 14 but I hope to see you shortly, and we shall
speak face to face.
Peace to you. Our friends
greet you. Greet the friends by name.
VII.
PRAYER FOR SALVATION. As we close, if you have not received this
Jesus pray this simple prayer:
"Father, I know that I
have sinned against You. Please forgive me. Wash me clean. I promise to trust
in Jesus, Your Son. I believe that He died for me—He took my sin upon Himself
when He died on the cross. I believe that He was raised from the dead. I
surrender my life to Jesus today.
"Thank You, Father, for Your gift of
forgiveness and eternal life. Please help me to live for you. In Jesus' name,
Amen."
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