BACKGROUND
Most likely written by John the Beloved
Unknown exactly when and where these Epistles were written. Possibly from Ephesus sometime between 70 and 100 AD
Written to the members of the church in the area of modern day Turkey.
Written in response to false teachers claiming Jesus was not really mortal.
The writer was clearly impressed with and draws heavily from the teachings of the Last Supper.
ICEBREAKER
Choice Activity
I’m going to display some choices up on the screen I want you to ask yourself which do you think is best?
White or wheat
Stick or automatic
iOS or Android
Chocolate or Vanilla
Cats or Dogs
The point is that we all have agency, and we all know how to use it. You know how to make choices.
The letters of John are going to present a choice to you. John is a master of contrasts.
He's always speaking in dichotomies. John is going to help you make a simple choice. He’ll clearly present the two sides to you then stand in the middle of them and say “Choose!”
3 SETS OF PARENTS
Heavenly Father Heavenly Mother Spirit
Earthly Father Earthly Mother Body
Christ The Church (Zion) Covenant
Satan The World (Babylon) Sin
1 JOHN THINKING MAP
Look for the contrasts by following the references
WHICH PARENTS?
3:10 Christ and Church
2:15/3:10 Satan and World
FULL OF?
1:5 Light
4:8 Love
OR
2:9/2:11 Darkness
2:9/3:13 Hate
SHOW MY LOVE BY?
2:3-6/2:29/3:9(JST)/5:2-3 Obedience
OR
2:4/2:16/3:8/3:10 Sin
2:10/4:7-8/4:11/4:21 Love Fellowman
OR
2:9/2:11/3:13/4:20 Hate Fellowman
Shown by
3:16 Sacrifice
3:17-18 Service
OR
3:12,15 Slay/Steal
3:17. Snub
4:2/4:15/5:1/5:5 Believe in Christ
OR
2:22-23/4:3. Deny Christ
RESULTS OF MY CHOCE
1:4 Joy
OR
Misery
1:7/1:9/2:1-2/2:12 Sins are Forgiven
OR
Sins not Forgiven
2:10 Light, No stumbling
OR
2:11 Darkness, Lost, Blind
2:17/2:25/5:11-13. Eternal Life
OR
2:17/3:14-15/5:12 Spiritual Death
2:20/2:27/3:9(JST)You have the Spirit
OR
You don’t have the Spirit
2:28/4:17-18 Confidence, Boldness at Judgment
OR
4:18 Fear at Judgment
3:22/5:14-15 Hears and answers prayers
OR
Slow to hear
3:2/4:13/4:16/5:20 One with God and Christ
OR
Separate from God and Christ
5:4-5 I overcome the world
OR
5:4. I am overcome
So the message: Choose
But as you make that choice, John wants to make one thing clear. Look at the following references and see if you can figure out what that is.
1:6
2:4
Matthew 6:24
You can’t choose both! The world may try to convince you that it’s possible. But in the end, it is not a viable option. Walking that tightrope can only work for so long, eventually you are going to fall to one side or the other. If you’re going to be in, be all in. Don’t live one way on Sunday, and then completely another the rest of the week, or when nobody is watching.
GEORGE Q CANNON QUOTE
We see men following the ways of the world just as much as though they made no pretensions to being Latter-day Saints. Hundreds of people who are called Latter-day Saints you could not distinguish from the world. They have the same desires, the same feelings, the same aspirations, the same passions as the rest of the world. Is this how God wants us to be? No; He wants us to have new hearts, new desires. He wants us to be a changed people when we embrace His Gospel, and to be animated by entirely new motives, and have a faith that will lay hold of the promises of God.” (In Conference Report, Oct. 1899, p. 50.)
APPLY
Q: Which do you feel you have chosen?
Q: How do you feel about your choice?
So choose wisely!
2-3 JOHN
Now the other two epistles of John are very short and I’m not going to do much with them. You will see that same clear message of choice in these two short epistles. These two clearly show that the descent into apostasy is becoming more and more of a threat to the early church. 2 John is addressed to “the elect lady” which is more than likely a reference to the church. Remember, the church is Christ’s bride. John’s message to her is to stay in the truth and to watch out for deceivers. Here is another contrast that shows up very prominently in both 2 and 3 John. And that is between truth and deception, or lies. Christ and his church are full of truth, and Satan and the world are full of lies. The word truth is mentioned four times in 2nd John and 7 times in 3 John. 3 John is also a contrast. Two different leaders in the church that exemplify the two sides. Gauis on the side of truth, and Diotrephes on the side of deception. I’ll let you study these two short books with the same approach we took in 1 John and identify the two sides. But if there is one verse that I would draw your attention to in these two books it would be 3 John 4. I do love this one. He says “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth”. I know this is a message from John speaking to the members, but surely Christ as our Father feels the same way.
JUDE’S NAMES FOR FALSE TEACHERS
Jude 1:4 ungodly men
Jude 1:8 filthy dreamers
Jude 1:10 brute beasts
Jude 1:12 spots in your feasts of charity
Jude 1:12 clouds without water
Jude 1:12 trees whose fruit withereth, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots
Jude 1:13 Raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame
Jude 1:13 wandering stars
Jude 1:15 ungodly sinners
Jude 1:16 murmurers, complainers
Jude 1:18 mockers
Cain, Balaam, and Korah.
What do each of those three stories have in common? Each was an example of a person that could not submit to Godly authority. They each wanted power and gain.
Instead: vs. 3. “Earnestly contend for the faith”.
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