1 John 1:1-4
So just to mention again, we are looking to understand properly the meaning of scripture and we need to think about who the letter was written to, why the letter was written and what does it hope to get across or correct.
This letter was written to church(s) in Ephesus because they had drifted away from the truth, the truth they once knew and were clear about but had listened to those in which were deceiving them either intentionally or not.
I believe for the most part that those who are teaching falsehoods probably believe what it is they are teaching. I believe that many times these false teachings become generational, meaning they are taught over several generations and it becomes so ingrained that it is extremely difficult to break free from cycle of falsehoods. Everyone is subject to these things in some way.
It's important for us to be teachable. If we are not teachable we then become stagnant in our understanding of God and Christ. We put ourselves in a situation in which we stop growing when we are created to continue to grow until the day we die.
Now there is a personal responsibility in assuring that what we take in we hold up ourselves to the entirety of scripture. Unfortunately these churches in Ephesus didn't have what we have today in order to do just that, the Bible.
It is very easy to make beliefs based upon a few scriptures usually taken out of context. But if there appears to be contradiction we also need to be able to look at apposing scripture and work through how that scripture can also be true, we can't just cast it aside like it's worthless. This is when we really grow in leaps and bounds.
1 Peter 3:15 ~ but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect
People will ask us at times what things mean in scripture, and Jesus is the entirety and completeness of all scripture.
John 1:1 ~ In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. We are going to see this understanding in 1st John today as well.
Read 1 John 1:1-4
1-2 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life— 2 the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us—
Just the first several words here along with what we have read in John 1:1 sets the tone for the first point that Jesus is God. Now keep in mind that the argument that we will see was not this point. Those who were in apposition agreed with this and believed this.
There are many today though who will argue against Jesus being God, and rather they believe that Jesus was entirely a man.
But here the opposite, and this is why we see John writing this letter to the churches. The group that John is coming against believed that Jesus was God and only God and that Jesus' image was not man at all but somehow spirit.
If Jesus came as only God he could not have fulfilled the requirement of man to be righteous and holy in order to gain salvation. Our faith in Christ being both God, and man in the flesh, as well as Him living a perfect sinless life, only then could that be credited to us through our faith as righteousness.
John continues on in verse 1 ~ “which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life” John now brings these two parts of Jesus perfectly together, he is making it clear that Jesus is God and is as well man, Jesus was from the beginning but as well we could touch him and see him. John uses here the term “the word of life” as a representation of who Jesus is.
It is important as the church is being confronted and corrected that the words used be clear and firm. John didn't want in any way for his words to be taken wrongly thus creating another problem.
I personally have gotten myself in situations many times with being direct on scriptures clear meanings. I had seen ¼ of my congregation leave once, I had been asked not to teach at more than one church. But as God moves me by the Holy Spirit I can do nothing other than to teach truth, I am compelled to.
3 that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ.
This first half of verse 3 “that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us” John is telling them how important it is to understand what he is saying. The opposite of what John has just said would be “that which we proclaim to you, if not understood and agreed upon, will cause us not to be able to have fellowship with you. That's how important this truth is. It cuts like a two edged sword.
He goes on that this fellowship is also with God and Jesus meaning what you are believing is not in fellowship with God and Jesus.
4 And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete.
John finishes with a hope, the hope is that if they come back to the truth they will be more complete, and that if they don't their joy will be incomplete.
Scripture says that we are to be like minded and I hope that as we study through scripture together this will be the case.
