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Lesson 1
Lesson
1: PrologueBy Brad
Anderson
The
Word of Life 1:1-4
Theme: A right understanding of the historical
reality of Jesus Christ is necessary for salvation, the basis
of fellowship, and a cause for rejoicing.
Remember from our introductory study that John wrote his letter
to several house-churches in Ephesus that were under his care.
What was his intent or purpose in writing? To help them maintain
their commitment to Christ, to teach them sound doctrine, and to
prevent error. He's trying to reinforce their doctrine, to build
them up in the faith. He's also strongly arguing against error and
the false teachers who were producing it.
These verses (1-4) serve as a prologue or introduction to the letter.
How is this introduction different from other NT letters? No
author mentioned, no greetings, no prayer or thanksgiving. Cf. Gal
1:1-3.
The prologue introduces the reader three important themes which will
be more fully developed later in the body of the work: (a) the importance
of eyewitness testimony to who Jesus is (cf. 4:14, 5:6-12),
(b) the importance of the earthly ministry of Jesus as a part
of God’s revelation of himself in Jesus Christ (cf. 4:2, 5:6),
and (c) the eternal life available when one believes in Jesus
Christ (5:11-12, 5:20). These first four verses are John's basic,
fundamental statement regarding the person and work of Christ. The
rest of the book is builds on and explains the concepts contained
in these four verses.
John begins his letter with an uncompromising declaration of the
life-giving gospel about Jesus and confronts his critics at the outset
with the very truth they were busy denying. The key to understanding
the Preface lies in the fact that John's readers were in danger of
accepting false teaching about the person and work of Christ.
Read John 1:1-4. Note at least three similarities between the first
four verses in the Gospel of John and the first four verses in 1
John. Both talk about Jesus, both refer to what happened
in the beginning, both refer to Jesus as the “Word,” both
talk about “life.”
Most scholars who have studied the Prologue of 1 John have noticed
that they consist of one long, grammatically complex, awkward sentence.
The main verb “we proclaim,” which controls the whole
sentence, does not appear until v. 3 (some English translations [e.g.,
NIV] move it to the end of v. 1 in order to help the readers). Instead,
the Preface opens with the object of the verb, which consists of
four relative clauses, all starting with “that which.” The
complexity of the Prologue is likely due to the intensity of the
author's feeling when he reflects on the nature of the Christian
message. John was clearly moved by the truths he was writing, and
this comes out in the grammar of these verses. The effect of this
odd grammatical structure is that the message gets the emphasis instead
of the messenger.
These four verses contain a great deal of doctrinal content. Note
several significant truths that John asserts here:
1. Jesus was “from
the beginning” (v. 1).
While the introduction to John's Gospel deals with the eternity
of Christ and his entrance into time, the prologue to the Epistle
centers on the earthly life of Jesus, that which the apostles
heard and proclaimed (cf. Acts 5:20; Phil 2:16). John and the
other disciples experienced Jesus’ earthly ministry from
the very beginning of it. They were first-person experts regarding
the life of Christ.
This message, the gospel, is from the beginning because it
is of God. It precedes creation, time, and history.
John's message, unlike that of his opponents, has not changed.
It was there from the beginning. John is arguing against his
critics by asserting that his message is the original gospel.
John calls Jesus “the Word of life,” using the
same terminology employed in the first words of the Gospel—”In
the beginning was the Word…” It's clear that the
Word is the eternal Second Person of the Trinity. Jesus both
is the living Word and is the central message of the Gospel.
2.
John and the other apostles (“we”) had a personal,
physical relationship with Jesus (v. 1-2). They heard him, saw
him and touched him, both before and after the resurrection.
How many ways does John state that the apostles had seen Jesus? “…we
have seen with our eyes,
which we have looked upon … the
life was manifested, and
we have seen it … was manifested unto
us … That which we have seen.”
What are the other words in the passage that John uses to convey
the idea that the apostles had first-hand experience with Jesus? Heard,
hands have handled
John is giving his testimony as a first-person eyewitness to
the events. Why do you think it was important to John to get
this point across? This is important because his opponents
were suggesting that Jesus was a phantom or a ghost of some sort
and not truly a human being in the flesh. Later in the letter
John states that it is necessary to believe that Jesus came in
the flesh.
Also, first-hand experience helps establish John's authority
and credibility. One of John's purposes in writing was to build
his readers' confidence in the Gospel that they had been taught.
He was showing them that the truth of the Gospel was beyond dispute.
John's unstated assertion here is that the false teachers who
were causing the Ephesian church so much distress were not first-person
eyewitnesses of Jesus, so they had less credibility than John
did. What have the false teachers heard, seen, and handled? Nothing.
Unlike the apostles, they had no first-hand knowledge.
Who is the “we” in these verses? The
plural pronoun “we,” links him with the other apostles.
The apostles, not the false teachers, were there in person,
seeing and experiencing Jesus' earthly ministry. What John
is saying is the testimony of all the apostles.
What should be the desire of all those who have experienced
a relationship with Christ? They should naturally want
to share that truth with others. Like John, they should declare
that which they have experienced.
3. Genuine fellowship is based on correct doctrine (v.
3).
Note that John is writing about what he has seen and heard so
that he and his audience may have fellowship
together and with God. Those who do not share a common set
of beliefs cannot have genuine fellowship.
Define fellowship: having something in common, partnership,
association, community, communion, joint participation. Its
root meaning is “common” or “shared” as
opposed to “one's own.”
Fellowship (koinonia) is not just social interaction,
nor does it have anything to do with potluck dinners. Rather,
fellowship speaks of common participation in the blessings
of Christ. In the NT it refers to Christians who share a common
faith (Philem 6), who share possessions (Acts 2:44, 4:30), or
who are partners in the gospel (Phil 1:5). Koinonia,
with its derivatives, occurs over sixty times in the NT in reference
to the supernatural life that Christians share. Believers enjoy
a common bond with other believers, with Christ, and with God
the Father. This is what causes the unity of faith.
There can be no fellowship with the Father or with the Son
that is not based on a correct set of beliefs. John's
point is that if one rejects the original message, he is also
rejecting any fellowship with Jesus and God the Father.
Any relationship one has with the Father is due to his
relationship with the Son. See John 14:6, 9, 23. If one
does not have a correct relationship to Jesus, he cannot be rightly
related to God the Father.
John is trying to show his readers that the false teachers
that were influencing the church really had no common doctrinal
agreement with the apostles. He's suggesting that if his readers
want fellowship with God, they have to break fellowship with
the false teachers.
False teachers at the time this epistle was written (and today)
regarded Jesus as less than equal with God. They usually suggest
that he is some sort of created being, but not essentially God.
This fundamental error rules out any true fellowship between
them and genuine believers. How people view Christ (Christology)
determines whether they are able to participate in the benefits
of Christian fellowship.
Are there ever valid reasons for true believers to break fellowship
with each other? Yes, cf. 2 Thes 3.14. If you think
a fellow Christian is in serious theological error or in sin,
you should have no fellowship with him. Some call this “secondary” separation. “Primary” separation
is from the ungodly/unsaved.
Ecumenical Fellowship?
In recent years some church
leaders have desired to foster greater unity among members
of different religious traditions. The attempt to bring together
such people is called ecumenism. Various organizations,
such as the World Council of Churches, are ecumenical in
nature—they try to bring together people of differing
religious viewpoints. [E.g., E.C.T. Also, Lutherans
and Catholics have recently come out with a statement saying
that they really don't disagree.]
While
unity among believers is a noble goal, ecumenical unity is
usually achieved by downplaying doctrinal distinctions. John
very clearly states that believers have fellowship together
based on their common faith in Jesus Christ. Those who do not
share in this doctrinal position cannot be part of the fellowship.
Thus, any unity not based on a common theological viewpoint
is false unity. We should never ignore or sacrifice doctrine
in pursuit of unity. We should seek to “come out from
among” those who deny the essentials of the faith (2
Cor 6:17). Truth, not unity, is the foundation for fellowship. [E.g.,
invitation to cooperate with Methodist church in teen event]
4. Eternal life is in Jesus Christ and is available through Him
(v. 2-3).
John and the other apostles had personally experienced the
living Word, and they had communicated the Gospel to those in
Ephesus. They had testified and proclaimed this life to people
everywhere they went. Those who accepted the Word of life received
eternal life.
The apostles had personal contact with the Word of life. The
life appeared, they had seen it, and John was now proclaiming
it. John seems to talk about Jesus and eternal life synonymously
because they are inseparable.
He's reminding his readers that true fellowship is based on
the reception of eternal life.
5. Fellowship in the Gospel is a source of joy (v. 4).
The fellowship that believers experience together, as well
as that fellowship they enjoy with God through Christ should
be a great source of encouragement to them. Christianity is not
a dull, lifeless religion. Christians have good reasons to be
filled with joy.
I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in
truth. 3 John 4
Some texts read “that your joy may be full” (KJV)
while others have “that our joy may be full.” As
in English, the Greek words for “your” and “our” are
different by only one letter (hJmw'n or uJmw'n) and could easily
have been confused by a scribe somewhere along the way. The reading “our” is
most likely correct, although either reading makes sense.
Conclusion: John and the other apostles are the
authoritative communicators of the message regarding Jesus Christ.
A right understanding of the historical reality of Jesus Christ
is necessary for salvation, the basis of fellowship, and a cause
for rejoicing. Those who reject this message have no fellowship
with God or with true believers.
Application:
The Apostles were eyewitnesses of the events described in the
Bible. What we have in the NT is an accurate, dependable record
that we can trust.
Do you truly have fellowship with God? That is, have you put
your faith in Jesus Christ? If not, you can have no fellowship
either with God or with believers.
Are you taking time to fellowship with other believers in the
context of the church?
Do you separate yourself from false teachers and false doctrine?
Any “religion” that does not uphold the fundamental
truths of the Gospel is false. Believers should not cooperate
or “fellowship” with those who compromise on the
Gospel.
Doctrine is the basis of unity. It’s vital that all members
of a church subscribe to the same doctrinal concepts. The teaching
of doctrine should be a significant aspect of education in the
church.
Do you rejoice in the fact that you are a Christian?
Discussion:
Why must truth be the basis for fellowship? Because
truth is the one thing that does not change; because any other
basis requires the compromise of truth.
Consider the following scenario: All the other churches in
your town decide to work together to host an evangelistic campaign.
A representative of the group calls you to ask if you and your
church will be involved. How would your respond? If
these churches are typical of most main line churches, they are
not committed to the truth of the gospel. Thus, you should have
no fellowship with them. You can't, since you don't agree on
many significant doctrines. While there is much agreement among
professing Christians, there are also serious areas of disagreement
which prevent cooperation. In order to cooperate, you'd have
to compromise or ignore these disagreements.
What is the context in which believers are to fellowship? The
local church. The church should be the center for fellowship,
because members of that church have things in common. They
should all share a common set of beliefs and theology.
How is John's definition of fellowship different from the typical
idea of fellowship? We usually think of fellowship
as talking, eating, and relaxing together. John is talking about
a truth that binds believers to each other and to God. Participation
in the Gospel, not a common meal or any activity, causes fellowship.
All believers have fellowship based on their position in Christ.
You've maybe heard the idea of a Christian being backslidden,
in sin, and therefore “out of fellowship” with God.
Is this an accurate use of the word “fellowship”? No,
if you are a true believer, you have fellowship with God. If
you are not a believer, you don't have fellowship with Him. Thus,
the phrase “fellowship with God” is roughly synonymous
with salvation.
If a correct relationship with God is based on a correct understanding
of the person and work of Christ, what is true of those whose
Christology is in error? They are not saved. You can’t
believe false doctrine about Jesus and be saved. This is one
of the key points of 1 John.
