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