1 John 1:1-4

Introduction to 1 John and the Plan for Exposition

Hey, what's up? I'm Jeff. Welcome to Trailer 1689. Hey, what's up? So here we are. We're gonna go through the the book of 1st John Before we get into it. I had to do a little set and I know I was videoing inside my place dogs, cats, kids.

Kept interrupting. So it was really hard to get intimate with the text. So I was having to do real quick videos. So I've decided to build something because I like I want to go through books of the Bible at my church.

I'm teaching in Sunday school through the book of 1st John. And so I thought I would start there. Which is gonna be a lot different than than teaching people whenever you're asking good questions and anticipating Good answers and having to follow up from there.

So we're not going to do that. We're gonna expositionally walk through the text. But before we do I want to remind you if you have not gotten a Bible bound by Post Tenderbrush Luxe Bible rebinding after darkness light.

What's up, I mean what's going on what's really going on? Best Bibles in the world I represent to the fullest All right, so in 1st John things that we know well right now we haven't really talked about anything, right but we do know this that that it's believed that That 1st John was written by the Apostle John who wrote the Gospel of John.

It's I say believe because John did not. There was no John Hancock he did not sign the letters such as as Paul would or Our Peter so John does not give any identity of who he is when he writes this epistle.

So about 2013 I Started listening to John MacArthur well-known Bible teacher exposition and he recommended a Bible reading plan to to to find short books of the Bible or if it's a long book then to take a Few chapters at a time three five seven chapters and read them in a day for 30 days.

And so I did this and ended up reading 1st John for 90 days. I got to the point where I could answer most any question by using 1st John whether I was hanging out with my friends that were asking questions at home at church On the street witnessing like I was able to to answer most any question using using this book.

About two years ago. Like I really got real acquainted with the Gospel of John, right? I went through it several times and So this last year I started digging in to 1st John again, and then recently Three months ago.

I started teaching 1st John well after this round of going through it and teaching it like Like it's clear to me that this epistle is written by John the Apostle so Like I said, I was able to answer most questions by using the epistle.

Well.

This epistle is really good for that. So I like you don't have a big question such as what is sin and then it would have a straightforward answer Sin is lawlessness. So what is sin? Sin is lawlessness.

And so it's really good for answering those big questions but you can go to the Gospel of John and The Gospel of John gives great textual support for the things that we find in 1st John. So one of the things that I that I hope to do is to make that clear if you're watching these videos, you'll be able to To be able to respond to people whether in church settings witnessing or whatever to answer these questions and will also give you a Range of scripture that you could go to to support the text.

So that's my plan and As I as I write down this text you can judge for yourself whether I make the case. One thing that I That I'm really against is whenever like I've read lots of commentary and I've been listening to lots of preaching concerns book and I get really upset when I do these things.

I He said well why well because when it you know, I feel like they have the there's the scriptures in one hand. And then their tradition in the other hand and whenever they get to the scripture that contradicts their tradition they go with their tradition and it absolutely makes me mad now as the the name of this YouTube channel goes 1689 I hold to the London Baptist Confession of Faith of 1689 and as we get into here specifically in chapter 2, we're going to come across something that The 1689 says.

But I can't find that scripture and we're not going to go to 1689. We're going to go to scripture. I Will not abandon the text of my tradition. So a lot of y 'all who are going to be watching this You're probably never going to hear any of this stuff before because I am NOT siding with tradition over the text that's.

You know.

That is what it is if you feel comfortable with doing so. You have to answer to God not I for you. So we're going to go through this text. And check it out. So I'll just introduce to you the text. We're going to go through it first.

John chapter 1 1 through 4 is what we're going to break down today. Chapter 1st. John chapter 1 1 through 4. That which was from the beginning. Which we have heard which we have seen with our eyes. Which we have looked upon and have touched with our hands concerning the word of life.

This life was made manifest. We have seen it and testified to it and Proclaim to you the eternal life. That which was With the Father and was made manifest to us. That which we have seen and heard we proclaim 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. And we are writing these things so that our joy may be Complete so from this text.

I have four proposition four statements of truth for judgments here. All right. Number one.

The Eternal Word From the Beginning

From the beginning.

Two may manifest Three the eternal life.

For.

Complete joy now know what you're thinking. How did you come up with those four propositions? I know right like it's just it's just coming out of the text, right? All I know all I want to do is follow the text.

I want to follow the argument of the text. That's it. I do not want. You know go saw in the text and try to make something better day. So I say from the beginning may manifest the eternal life. And complete joy those are my propositions and the propositions are very well are going to be aiming at.

One point that I feel like this text is trying to make I feel like the point of the text is the hypostatic union. So for those of you that don't know what the hypostatic union is. It's basically the God-man.

Jesus Christ is the God-man. So the hypostatic union is the theological word which describes the God-man. All right, so If I was to give an analogy the the best and only analogy that I can give is the way your hand Feels a glove where your hand goes into a glove way feels a glove God filled a human body.

All right. So the hypostatic union the God-man it's not 50 so Jesus is not 50 man and 50 God make it a hundred percent but rather he is 100 man and 100 God and one person so a glove 100 glove 100 hand filling the glove.

I'm not going to take it no further than that. That's it we believe that the eternal entered into creation and became finite so the eternal 100 God.

Became a man.

100

Flesh.

The God-man the God took on flesh. So that's the hypostatic union. That's what I feel like. This portion of Scripture is teaching and I think that he lays the foundation because as you move on through.

1st John.

That that it's going to be like like the hypostatic union will be its foundation. So a lot that we're going to go through it's going to be based on the belief of the hypostatic union. Judge for yourself whether I make the case.

But that's where I feel like 1st John is headed so we're going to our first proposition from the beginning. We'll take it pretty slow at first that which was from.

The beginning.

So here in 1st John, he he says that which was from the beginning. So as of right now, he hasn't laid any kind of identity of we know. Down here. In verse 3 he points. Verse 2 made manifest. Verse 3 speaks of Jesus Christ.

But.

At the very beginning of verse 1. He says that which was from the beginning. All right. So this draws support to the Gospel of John. You get to the Gospel of John Chapter 1 verse 1 through 4. It says this in the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and.

The Word was God.

He was in the beginning with God and all things were made through him and without him was not. Anything made that was made in him was life and that life was the light of man. So John points out That in the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God.

So right here at the at the opening of the Gospel of John there seems to be a.

A.

Separateness and a togetherness. In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God so there was a there seemed to be some kind of a separateness between the Word and God and then there seemed to be a togetherness between The Word and God.

So In the gospel verses 1 through 4 and so on. I do believe that they are also teaching the hypostatic union. Just like in first John. I believe it's teaching the hypostatic union. Now as an Orthodox Christian I believe the the totality of Scripture teaches the doctrine of the Trinity.

So for those of you who may not know what the doctrine of the Trinity is as a Orthodox believer We believe that there's one God we are monotheist. But we are also Trinitarian. We believe that this one God this one being has revealed himself in Scripture and three persons three separate distinct persons God the Father God the Son and God the Holy Spirit and we can show and prove through the text that.

This tris God.

This this triune God The Father Son and the Holy Spirit are all three worships all three worships. They are they are not.

One in body.

They are one in being.

Three they're not one in person. There's three in person one in being.

I.

Will not give any analogies for the doctrine of the Trinity. It's been well said that there's two ways to commit heresy when it comes to the doctrine of the Trinity. There are those that deny it and those that try to explain.

Now I know earlier I gave a an analogy of the hypostatic Union.

I.

Feel like that's a fair analogy. I don't feel like there's any way I can truly explain to you the doctrine of the Trinity. Outside of what the text has revealed we know that there's one God. We know that there's three persons that are revealed to us and they are all worshipped as the one God.

All right, so back to the text so we see this this separateness and we see this togetherness. And in the gospel of John Where it says in the beginning was the Word and where it was with God and the Word was God and he was with and he Was in the beginning with God, but that all things were made through him.

There's this through the word. So all things were made through the word and without him was not anything made that was made and in him.

Was the.

Was life and that life was the light of man, so you go back to the Epistle first John he says that which was from the beginning. Which is the word that was with God and was God. He said that which we hate we we heard.

That which we seen that which we looked upon. And touched he said then we heard him speak. That which was from the beginning the word that was with God and is God. We heard him speak. Seen him seen him.

With our own eyes. John is saying we heard him speak. We saw him. We we looked upon him. We saw him interacting with other people. He's that which was from the beginning the word the Logos.

That was with God and was God.

We touched him. This was not a fit this was not a spiritual being this was a physical being.

We see him.

We heard him.

We we watch him interact with other people. He washed our feet the word of life the word of life. We heard God speak. Are you getting this? This is where he's taking it. Like he is expressing intimacy.

Intimacy he said in this word That created everything that that's so far above us this this God. That's eternal.

That's.

That's the point that he is trying to make right here. That which was from the beginning which we have heard which we have seen with our eyes which we have looked upon.

Which we have touched.

Concerning the word of life. Proposition number two. He is made manifest concerning the word of life. Let's go back and look at Verse four of the end of verse four which says. The gospel John In him was life and the life Was met was the light of man.

In him was life and the life was the light of man. So John is saying that this is concerning the word of life in the word That was with God is the word of life And he is the light.

Man.

He is made manifest. He's made manifest. Verse 2 of verse John. Concerning the word of life the life that was made manifest. We have seen it. We testify to it and Proclaim it to you. You've seen it. This letter is it is part and parcel of him proclaiming it.

They as the Apostles Went out Proclaiming the word of life what they what they saw what they heard what they seen what they saw what they touched. They went and they proclaimed it and. This letter that's what this letter is a piece of that.

This letter is a piece of that the gospel of John. 114 The gospel of John chapter 1 verse 14. And the word became flesh and dwelt among us. And we have seen his glory glory as the only son from the father full of.

Grace and truth.

He was made manifest the infinite Became finite. The Creator he created all things without him was anything made the Creator.

Entered into creation.

The word.

That was with God and once God was in the beginning with God.

That created all things that is the light of man. Became a man.

The word became flesh and he dwelt among us. He hung out with us. He hung out with us, that's what John's telling us and he hung out with us. We seen his glory Glorious the only son from the father full of grace and truth so we see that.

Concerning the word of life the life was made manifest. We we seen it and testify to it. We testify to all men.

This truth.

This truth that that the word from beginning became a man that we heard seen saw and touched.

The Eternal Life Made Manifest in Jesus Christ

What was seen?

The eternal life proposition of three. The eternal life will go back and read some verse two to To gather us into this. The life was made manifest we we seen it we testify to it proclaim to you the Eternal life, which was with the father and was made manifest to us.

So.

John.

Always seems to to tell I Push the point put the knife in deeper like Like he harps On what he's trying to say and that's that's one of the reason why I really really like John. So when I'm working out I work with my hands like I'm physically working with my hands and so as I'm working I listen to stuff and Like I always have an earbud in my left ear like I have a constant ringing in my left ear Like I always try to keep an earbud in my left ear with something Going something playing whether it's music or whatever it is.

But for the most part I listen to to debates.

Scripture.

There's a time where I was going through the Bible every four weeks. Just just listening to the scriptures as I work. Well a lot of time for me I have to listen to something over and over and over to get it in.

You know, like I just want to I won't pour myself into it. So over and over and over I listen to the same Thing over and over over and over. That's just how I do. It's just a way that I get to know something.

I Want the point to be made. I want to know what I. Whenever I walk away from something I heard the argument and I can articulate to it. I can articulate It to you pretty well. Excuse my stutter. So that's what John seems to be doing here and he's harping on the eternal The hypostatic union right here he's saying he is.

The.

Eternal life. The Greek will render it something like he is the life the eternal. Like like if he was to break down the English. So what the Greek saying he is the life the eternal. Jesus is the life the eternal.

And Jesus says of himself in John 14 6.

Jesus said.

To him I am the way speak in the tongue. And so I am the way the truth and the life. Yes, I am the way the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father Except through me. Jesus says I am the way and the truth and the life no one comes to the Father except through me the life the Eternal in here.

He's saying that he was made. That he was made manifest. Again, he's harping. We've seen it. We testify to it proclaim to you the eternal life. Which was with the Father he was with the Father. And he was made manifest.

So the word was with God and was God. He was with the word that is God was with God the Father and then he was made manifest. He said to us John said to us he was made manifested again. Listen verse 3.

He carries it out. We have seen it and heard it and proclaim it also to you see he's going back. He he's done. Articulate this is the third time where he said he's articulating that same that same thing.

He's driving that knife in deeper. Verse 1. We've seen we've heard we. We've seen with our eyes we looked upon. Verse 2. We've we've seen it testified to it verse 3. That which we have seen and heard we proclaim to you also.

Why?

So that You too may have fellowship with us and our fellowship is with the Father and with his son Jesus Christ, so he's saying that uh. You know to his listeners. So that's now. He says man I seen him I heard him.

I saw him. I touched him. I'm pro I'm proclaiming it to you because this is my. My fellowship is with the father and it's with his son. And he's saying that he's proclaiming it to us so that our fellowship can be with him.

With them the Apostles our fellowship can be with them and with the fault and with the sign. This is the body of Christ. We enter into the body of Christ through this message the the Hypostatic Union is an essential doctrine.

You cannot be a Christian and deny the hypostatic union period. Does not happen. It's not happening. Jesus is the God man. He said man. I've seen it. I'm proclaiming it also to you so that you may have fellowship with us.

This is him speaking to this audience telling them that they can have fellowship with with him. And those who he's a part of the Apostles the other Christians He says and indeed our fellowship is with the father.

And with his son.

Jesus Christ. So in order to have fellowship The same fellowship as the Apostles which is with the father and with Jesus Christ We must listen to listen to What he is saying about?

Jesus Christ.

About the word.

Becoming.

Flesh about.

The.

Infinite because it's finite like this is essential. You have to hold to this truth to be a Christian opposition. Number four. I don't like the process before. I want to read Something very similar. Simon Peter said this.

And second Peter 1 -1 a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ. To those who have obtained a faith of equal standing with ours By the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ. Paul said. I mean Peter saying the same thing John is To you.

He's speaking to this audience. You have obtained a faith equal with ours. You have obtained a faith equal with ours By the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ. Again, I think I think he's saying the same thing as John saying right here.

You know By obtaining the same faith you have fellowship with the Apostles. And you have fellowship with with the father and with his son Jesus Christ. Let me read you something real quick. The gospel of Luke read the gospel.

The.

Gospel of Luke chapter 1 beginning in verse 26. In the sixth month the angel Gabriel Sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph of The house of David and the virgin's name was Mary.

And he came to her and said greetings Oh favored one the Lord is with you, but she was greatly troubled at the same and Tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. And the angel said to her Do not be afraid Mary For you have found favor with God and behold you will conceive in your womb and bear a son His name Jesus.

And he will be great and will be called the son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give him the throne of his father David and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever and His kingdom there will be no end.

And Mary said to the angel How will this be since I am a virgin. And the angel answered her the Holy Spirit will come upon you and the power of the Most High will.

Overshadow you.

Therefore The child to be born will be called holy The Son of God.

And behold.

The Son of God. So right here we're talking about the hypostatic union which is the incarnation which is The word which is well with God the Father and is God the Son who.

Who.

Who was made Man he he became flesh and he dwelt among Us he said and we see. When we hear we see we saw we touch. Only we proclaim him to you so so that You may obtain the same faith as we have that so that you may have Fellowship with us and our fellowship is is with the Father with his Son Jesus Christ.

I hope this is clear. Proposition number four complete joy.

Complete Joy in Knowing Eternal Life

Verse four.

And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete. I said we're writing these things to you so that our joy may be complete. So like I've been I've been basically hibernating on this verse.

Like just just sleeping on it like meditating on it. And so like whenever you read the Gospel of John. So the Gospel of John At the very end it says it's John 20 30 to 31. Now Jesus did many signs in the presence of his disciples.

Which are not written in this book. But these that are written So that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ the Son of God. And by believing you may know you have life in his name. So the Gospel of John was written so that you may believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.

Well, he has a similar.

Statement in 1st John Chapter 5 verse 13. He says I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God. So that you may know you have eternal life. So Gospel of John I'm writing these so that you may believe that Jesus is the Son of God.

The epistles I write to you who believe that Jesus is the Son of God. So that you may know you have eternal life. Well, how are we to know. Well verse 4 is not basically just speaking of the Verses that are the first three verses above it.

Verse 4 is Speaking about yes the first three verses, but also the rest of this book. So as we as we go through this book, it's going to give Tests. It's going to give test after test after test so that we may know if.

We if we have eternal life. You say you believe. Say you believe we're gonna. He's gonna give test after test after test. So many tests. Me like man. Will you please stop giving me tests? I can't. I gotta go.

Verse by verse. But he wrote it so that we so that so that so that his joy may be complete. His Joy is so that we may know we have eternal life. He wrote this so that we may know we have eternal life.

And.

That's a joy when you know. Know that you have eternal life.

It's such a joy. It's such a joy. He says man, I'm writing this letter so that you may know. You have eternal life. And come back here to verse 4. He says that our joy may be complete. He's writing these things so that our joy may be complete.

Very powerful.

So.

Verses 1 through 4.

I.

Excuse me verses 1 2 3. I believe they're they're totally focused on the incarnation totally focused on the hypostatic union Of the triune God Now the Father it says that the Word God the Son was with God the Father and he.

And he was God not God the Father but God as a being and. Then it tells us that all things are made through him without him was that anything made in his life. And that life was a lot of man. And he's getting down to the worst verse 14 and the word became flesh.

So as we dig into this more we're gonna see why this foundation was laid so thick why he kept repeating himself over about Hearing and seeing and being able to touch and proclaiming. Because it's totally essential you have to hold to this doctrine to be a.

To be a Christian you have to believe the incarnation that that God became a man in the person of Jesus Christ. You have to believe that. And so I believe that this book is focused on that which is why I am I Am just so thrilled to be able to teach it.

So Judge for yourself whether I made the case. Again, this is trailer 1689.

Once again.

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Bible rebonding calm. Again, I thank you for hanging out with me. If you enjoyed this video like and share and if you didn't sorry about your luck. But this that's just how I am. I don't I don't really.

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