|
The book of First John A Verse by Verse Study A. Introduction 1. We saw John speak about His beginning. “That which was from the beginning,” V.1a this is the Incarnation of the Son of Man, The Son of God has no beginning. 2. John then spoke of three things to verify that the record he is about to write is not second hand but littoral. a. “which we have heard,” Through the ear gate, that means I was there when He spoke. b. “which we have seen with our eyes,” Through the eye gate, I was there when He spoke and seen the Lord. c. “which we have looked upon,”
Remember to see and to look upon are vastly different. To see is view with
the eye, to look upon means – to have a desire or pleasure; that is, that he had looked on him with desire,
or satisfaction, or with the pleasure with which one beholds a beloved
object. We also linked this phrase to John 1:14c “and we beheld his glory”
the word beheld and to look upon are from the very same
Greek word and mean the same. In fact “looked upon should have been
translated “beheld”. d. ““And our hands
have handled.” John showing how close he was to the Lord, I touched Him. B. We see another verse with great resemblance to the book of John. 1. Verse 2 and John 1:14 carry the same
thought. a. “For the life was
manifested,” - “And the Word was made flesh,” b. “and we have seen it,”
– “and dwelt among us,” c. “and bear
witness,” - “and we beheld his glory,” – because we had a very close and
satisfactory view of Him, His words, and His works. d. “and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the
Father,” - “the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,” He is the Son
of God, in fact He is God. e. “and was
manifested unto us” – “full of grace and truth.” The grace and truth is what
was manifested unto us. 2. “For the life was
manifested,” That is eternal life was incarnate and we are witness to this
fact. a. “we have seen” not
only in my soul but through the eye gate, and also walking. b. “and bear witness,” Which is what the books of John do, they all as well as the rest of the word, it as a whole bear witness of Eternal Life. c. “and shew unto you that eternal life,” Through our witness we tell you about this eternal life. 1st John 5:20 “we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life.” d. “which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;” Again we are back to John 1. e. “and was manifested unto us” that is John 1:14 “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us,” With the Father He was, now here with us He is. 3. V. 3 “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.” a. “That which we have seen and heard” - We deliver nothing by hearsay, nothing by tradition, nothing from assumption; we have had the fullest certainty of all that we write and preach. b. “that ye also may have fellowship with us:” The requirement is this: (1.) truly our fellowship is with the Father, (2.) and with his Son Jesus Christ. c. John 17:21 “That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.” C. V. 4 “And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full.” 1. “And these things write we unto you,” What they write is Christ and Him being God, Saviour, Eternal Life, and Him being our friend. 2. “That your joy may be full.” Full means complete, and that is what the message of the Lord brings (joy to the heart). a. Psalms 5:11 “But let all those that put their trust in thee rejoice: let them ever shout for joy, because thou defendest them: let them also that love thy name be joyful in thee.” b. Psalms 149:5 “Let the saints be joyful in glory: let them sing aloud upon their beds.” |