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Preface |
3 |
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Table of Contents |
5 |
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References and Abbreviations |
10 |
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Reprint Guidelines |
12 |
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Online Bible Study Forum |
14 |
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Introduction to John’s Letters |
15 |
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Authorship |
15 |
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The Ministry of the Apostle John |
16 |
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Provenance and Date |
18 |
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The Situation to Which the Letters Were Written |
19 |
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Theological Errors Concerning Who Jesus Is |
19 |
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Dualism and Docetism |
20 |
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John’s Opponent Cerinthus |
20 |
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Ethical Errors among John’s Opponents |
21 |
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Themes of First John |
22 |
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Structure of the Letters |
23 |
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1. Walking in the Light (1 John 1:1-2:6) |
25 |
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The Word of Life |
25 |
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Jesus the Logos |
25 |
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An Eyewitness |
26 |
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The Father and the Spirit in 1 John (1:2-3) |
27 |
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Fellowship with the Father and Son (1:3-4) |
27 |
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Fellowship Based on Truth (1:6-7) |
28 |
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What Is True Christian Fellowship? |
28 |
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Light and Darkness (1:5-7) |
29 |
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Honesty with Regard to Sin (1:7-10) |
30 |
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The Importance of Confession (1:9) |
31 |
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The Promises of Confession (1:9) |
32 |
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My Little Children (2:1) |
33 |
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Don’t Sin (2:1) |
34 |
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An Advocate with the Father (2:1b) |
34 |
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The Atoning Sacrifice for our Sins (2:2) |
35 |
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For the Sins of the Whole World (2:2b) |
36 |
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Keeping His Commandments |
37 |
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Obedience without Legalism |
37 |
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2. Don’t Love the World (1 John 2:7-17) |
39 |
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Beloved Friends (2:7) |
39 |
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A New Command (2:7-8) |
39 |
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Hating Your Brother, Living in Darkness (2:9-11) |
40 |
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Children, Fathers, Young Men (2:12-14) |
41 |
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Don’t Love the World (2:15-17) |
43 |
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Examples of Worldliness (2:16) |
45 |
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The World Is Passing Away (2:17) |
46 |
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3. Antichrists, Anointing, and Abiding (1 John 2:18-27) |
48 |
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Antichrists in the Church (2:18) |
48 |
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The Enemies Leave the Church (2:19) |
50 |
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An Anointing from the Holy One (2:20-21) |
51 |
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Anointing and the Holy Spirit |
51 |
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The Holy Spirit Teaches and Leads into Truth |
52 |
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Denying the Father and the Son (2:22-23) |
53 |
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Remaining in the Father and Son (2:24-25) |
54 |
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His Anointing Teaches You (2:26-27) |
55 |
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4. Sin Is Lawlessness (1 John 2:28-3:10) |
57 |
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Confidence at Jesus’ Second Coming (2:28b) |
57 |
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Righteous Living (2:29) |
58 |
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Born of God (2:29-3:2a) |
59 |
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Resurrection Bodies (3:2) |
60 |
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The Purifying Hope of Christ’s Coming (3:3) |
61 |
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Can We Really Purify Ourselves? |
62 |
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Sin Is Lawlessness (3:4) |
63 |
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He Takes Away Our Sin (3:5) |
64 |
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Breaking the Cycle of Sin (3:6) |
64 |
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Destroying the Devil’s Work (3:7-8) |
65 |
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Born Again Christians Can’t Sin. Huh? (3:9) |
65 |
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God’s Seed in Us (3:9) |
66 |
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How Does God’s Seed Prevent Us From Sinning? (3:9) |
67 |
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The Habitual Present Tense |
68 |
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The Process of Sanctification |
69 |
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Earmarks of the Children of God (3:10) |
70 |
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5. Love in Action (1 John 3:11-24) |
72 |
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Hated Because of Righteousness (3:12-13) |
72 |
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Cain Slays Abel out of Jealousy (Genesis 4:2-8) |
72 |
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Jealousy toward the Righteous (3:12b-13) |
73 |
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Passed from Death to Life (3:14) |
74 |
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Hate Drives Murder (3:15) |
75 |
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Laying Down Our Lives for Our Brothers (3:16) |
76 |
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Love Requires Acts of Compassion (3:17-18) |
76 |
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Loving “in Truth” (3:18-20a) |
77 |
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Assuring Our Troubled Hearts (3:19-20) |
78 |
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The Blessings of a Confident Heart (3:21-22) |
79 |
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Obedience and Answered Prayer (3:22) |
80 |
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Believe and Love (3:23-24) |
80 |
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The Spirit as Our Proof (3:24; 4:13) |
81 |
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6. God Is Love (1 John 4:1-21) |
83 |
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Test Every Spirit (4:1) |
83 |
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Jesus Christ Has Come in the Flesh (4:2-3) |
84 |
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Spirit of Antichrist (4:3b) |
85 |
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Greater Is the One Who Is in You (4:4) |
86 |
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Whom Does the World Listen To? (4:5-6a) |
87 |
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God Is Love (4:7-8) |
88 |
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True Love: God Sending His Son (4:9-10) |
89 |
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The Only-Begotten Son (4:9) |
89 |
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God’s Love Perfected in Us (4:11-13) |
91 |
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Witness to the Son and Savior (4:14-15) |
92 |
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God’s Love for Us (4:16-17) |
92 |
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Perfect Love Drives Out Fear (4:18) |
93 |
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He First Loved Us (4:19) |
94 |
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How to Spot a Liar, a False Prophet (4:20-21) |
94 |
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7. God’s Testimony Regarding Jesus (1 John 5:1-21) |
97 |
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Loving and Obeying (5:1-3) |
97 |
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His Commands Are Not Burdensome (5:3b) |
98 |
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Overcoming the World (5:4-5) |
99 |
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The Testimony of the Spirit, Water, and Blood (5:6-8) |
100 |
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An Addition to the Greek Text (5:6-8) |
100 |
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What Do Water and Blood Represent? |
101 |
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How Do the Three Witnesses Testify? |
102 |
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The Witness of the Heart (5:9-10) |
103 |
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Life Is in the Son (5:11-12) |
104 |
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Assurance of Eternal Life (5:13) |
106 |
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Assurance of Answered Prayer (5:14-15) |
107 |
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Prayer to Restore Sinners (5:16) |
108 |
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A Sin that Leads to Death (5:16-17) |
109 |
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All Unrighteousness Is Sin (5:17) |
112 |
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Three Things We Know (5:18-20) |
112 |
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God Keeps Us Safe (5:18b) |
113 |
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Knowing the True God (5:20) |
114 |
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Final Exhortation (5:21) |
114 |
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8. Walking in Love (2 and 3 John) |
116 |
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Letter Templates in the First Century |
116 |
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Letter Openings in 2 and 3 John |
117 |
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The Body of the Letters |
119 |
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The Message of 2 John |
120 |
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The Command of Love (5-6) |
120 |
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Warnings about the False Teachers (2 John 7-9) |
120 |
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The Danger of Running Ahead (2 John 9) |
121 |
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Hospitality in the Early Church |
123 |
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Do Not Welcome the False Teachers (2 John 10-11) |
123 |
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The Message of 3 John |
125 |
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Gaius (3 John 3-6) |
126 |
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Helping Christian Missionaries (3 John 5-8) |
126 |
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Diotrephes, the Domineering Leader (3 John 9-10) |
129 |
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An Exhortation to Gaius (3 John 11) |
131 |
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Demetrius (3 John 12) |
131 |
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Closing Words |
133 |
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Epilogue |
135 |
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Appendix 1. Lesson Handouts |
138 |
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Lesson 1. Walking in the Light (1 John 1:1-2:6) |
139 |
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Lesson 2. Don’t Love the World (1 John 2:7-17) |
140 |
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Lesson 3. Antichrists, Anointing, and Abiding (1 John 2:18-27) |
141 |
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Lesson 4. Sin Is Lawlessness (1 John 2:28-3:10) |
142 |
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Lesson 5. Love in Action (1 John 3:11-24) |
143 |
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Lesson 6. God Is Love (1 John 4:1-21) |
144 |
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Lesson 7. God’s Testimony Regarding Jesus (1 John 5:1-21) |
145 |
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Lesson 8. Walking in Love (2 and 3 John) |
146 |
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Appendix 2. Stories about John from the Church Fathers |
147 |
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The Apostle and Cerinthus |
147 |
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Reclaiming a Former Believer for Christ |
147 |
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Love One Another |
149 |
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Appendix 3. Songs and Hymns from John’s Letters |
150 |
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