LESSON #44 –

EPISTLES OF

JOHN

1, 2, and 3 John

John the Beloved

Called to follow Christ with his brother James

Leaned on Christ’s shoulder at Last Supper

Along with Peter and James, with Christ in Gethsemane

Christ asked John to take his mother Mary into his own home as his own mother

Identified by Paul as being with Peter and James (Christ’s Brother) as Pillars of the Church

After Peter’s death (A.D. 67) –John would have been the Senior Apostle

Residing in Ephesus many years later

Exiled to the Isle of Patmos (c.

A.D. 90) by Emperor Domitian

Authored “Revelations” on Patmos

Returned to Ephesus (c. A.D 96)

Authored 3 Letters from Ephesus

Along with Peter and James

appeared to Joseph Smith in 1829

Doctrine and Covenants Chapter 7

Persecution of Apostles

James killed by Herod Agrippa

Andrew – crucified at Patrae in Achaia

Peter – Crucified upside down in Rome

Paul – beheaded in Rome

James – Brother of Christ – Thrown from the Temple and Stoned

John – Boiled in Oil?

John’s Testimony

1 John 1:1-4 "Brethren, this is the testimony which we give that that

which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life;

"(For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;)

"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.

"And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full"

John’s “style”

Imagery John focuses on painting literary or verbal pictures

Brevity 2 of John’s 3 Epistles are among the smallest books

in the New Testaments

Compression and concentration of language

Poetry With well-written poetry, it is not the literal meaning of

the words that matters, but what kinds of intangible feelings those words provoke.

Poetry is a “speaking picture” Sir Phillip Sidney

Describe God in one word

1 John 1:5

This then is the message which we have

heard of him, and declare unto you, that God

is light, and in him is no darkness at all.

Imagery of Light…1 John 1:6-10

Darkness: "If we say that we have fellowship with [God], and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: (1:6)

Light: "But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin." (1:7)

Darkness: "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us." (1:8)

Light: "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." (1:9)

Darkness: "If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us." (1:10)

1 John 4:8,16

8 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for

God is love.

16 And we have known and believed the love

that God hath to us. God is love; and he that

dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in

him.

Does this imagery of God Surprise

you?

The word “Love” and it’s variations are used 46 times in the first epistle

When Christ was asked which were the greatest of all the commandments, what was his answer?

The central feature in Lehi’s dream is the tree of life—a representation of “the love of God” (see 1 Nephi 11:21–22).

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16)

Let’s tie the two images together

1 John 2:8-11

8 Again, a new commandment I write unto you, which thing is true in him and in you: because the darkness is past, and the true light now shineth.

9 He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now.

10 He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him.

11 But he that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because that darkness hath blinded his eyes.

Light

Love

Light

Love

Dark

Hate

Dark

Hate

Sons of God

1 John 3:2

Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth

not yet appear what we shall be: but we know

that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him;

for we shall see him as he is.

Keep the commandments

2 John 6

And this is love, that we walk after his

commandments. This is the commandment, That,

as ye have heard from the beginning, ye should

walk in it.

3 John 4

I have no greater joy than to hear that my children

walk in truth.

An interesting “Postscript”

3 John 9-11

9 I wrote unto the church: but Diotrephes, who lovethto have the preeminence among them, receiveth us not.

10 Wherefore, if I come, I will remember his deeds which he doeth, prating against us with malicious words: and not content therewith, neither doth he himself receive the brethren, and forbiddeth them that would, and casteth them out of the church.

11 Beloved, follow not that which is evil, but that which is good. He that doeth good is of God: but he that doeth evil hath not seen God.