BEING IN
FELLOWSHIP WITH GOD:
1
JOHN CHAPTER 1
OBSERVATION
STAGE
TABLE
OF CONTENTS
The purpose of the
observation stage is to maintain focus on the text at hand within the
normative rules of language, context and logic 
.which largely limits the observer to the
content offered by the books of 1st John and the Gospel of John. Other
passages must have a relationship with the context at hand, such as a
Scriptural quotation or reference in the passage at hand. This will serve
to avoid going on unnecessary tangents elsewhere; and more importantly, it
will provide the framework for a proper and objective comparison with
passages located elsewhere in Scripture.
Remember that
something elsewhere may be true, but in the text at hand it may not be in
view.
I)
INTRODUCTION
A)
[Compare 1 Jn 2:15-29; 4:3]:
B)
[Compare 1 Jn 4:1-3]:
C)
[1 Jn 1:3]:
D)
[Compare 1 Jn 5:6-8]:
II)
[1 Jn 1:1-10]:
A)
(1 Jn 1:1-4) THE PROCLAMATION OF THE WORD OF LIFE, GOD THE SON, JESUS
CHRIST FROM THE BEGINNING OF THE TIME WHEN HE ADDED TO HIMSELF HUMANITY
IS IN VIEW IN VERSES 1-3 FROM THE BEGINNING OF THE PARTICULAR TIME WHEN
HE BECAME MAN AND WAS HEARD, SEEN, GAZED INTENTLY UPON, AND TOUCHED BY
THOSE INCLUDING AUTHOR JOHN WHO WERE CHOSEN TO BE AND BECAME HIS
DISCIPLES AND APOSTLES
1)
[Compare Jn 1:14]:
2)
(1 Jn 1:1b) "That which we have heard" =
3)
(1 Jn 1:1c) "That which we have seen with our eyes." =
4)
(1 Jn 1:1d) "That which we did behold." =
5)
(1 Jn 1:1e) "and our hands did handle, concerning the Word of Life."
=
6)
[Compare Jn 1:1-4, 14]:
B)
(1 Jn 1:1-4) AND INDEED THE LIFE WAS MANIFESTED, AND WE APOSTLES HAVE
SEEN AND TESTIFY AND PROCLAIM TO YOU BELIEVERS THE ETERNAL LIFE WHICH
WAS WITH THE FATHER AND WAS MANIFESTED TO US
1)
"and [indeed] the Life was manifested' =
2)
"And we have seen and testify and proclaim to you the Eternal Life,
which was with the Father and was manifested to us [John and fellow
apostles] =
C)
(1 Jn 1:1-4) WHAT JOHN AND FELLOW APOSTLES HAVE SEEN AND HEARD THEY
PROCLAIM ALSO TO JOHN'S READERS / AND ALL BELIEVERS SO THAT THEY TOO MAY
HAVE FELLOWSHIP WITH THE APOSTLES AND INDEED THE APOSTLES' FELLOWSHIP IS
WITH THE FATHER AND WITH HIS SON JESUS CHRIST, WHICH FELLOWSHIP READERS
/ AND ALL BELIEVERS MAY HAVE AS WELL - THIS IS THE STATED PURPOSE OF THE
EPISTLE
1)
[Compare Phil 2:1-8]:
******
2)
[Compare 1 Jn 5:9-13]:
3)
[Compare 1 Jn 2:1]:
4)
[Compare Jn 1:12-13]:
5)
[Compare 1 Jn 3:1-2]:
6)
[Compare 1 Jn 2:12]:
D)
(1 Jn 1:1-4) THE EPISTLE OF FIRST JOHN WAS WRITTEN TO COUNTER THOSE
ERRORS WHICH GO AGAINST THE TRUTHS OF SCRIPTURE IN ORDER TO KEEP READERS
- ALL BELIEVERS - ABIDING IN THE TRUTHS THEY HAVE LEARNED. AND THIS IS
ESPECIALLY SO THAT ALL BELIEVERS MAY HAVE FELLOWSHIP WITH THE APOSTLES
AND WITH GOD THE FATHER AND WITH HIS SON JESUS CHRIST; SO THAT THE
READERS' / BELIEVERS' JOY AS WELL AS THE APOSTLES' JOY MIGHT BE
COMPLETE. THE APOSTLES' JOY WOULD RESULT BECAUSE OF THE SPIRITUAL
WELL-BEING OF THEIR BROTHERS AND SISTERS IN CHRIST
1)
[Compare 2 Jn 1:12]:
2)
[Compare 3 Jn 4:1-4]:
3)
[Compare Jn 15:5-11]:
4)
[Compare Jn 16:22-24]:
5)
[Compare Jn 17:13]:
E)
(1 Jn 1:5) IN VERSE 5, JOHN EMPHASIZED AN EXTREMELY IMPORTANT POINT
ABOUT THE MESSAGE OF HOW TO HAVE FELLOWSHIP WITH THE APOSTLES AND WITH
GOD THE FATHER, AND HIS SON, JESUS CHRIST: THAT GOD IS LIGHT AND IN HIM
THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO DARKNESS - NO EVIL AT ALL!!! ON THE OTHER HAND,
GOD'S LIGHT EXPOSES HIS CREATION AND REVEALS THAT MAN IS INHERENTLY EVIL
AND CANNOT HAVE FELLOWSHIP WITH A HOLY GOD WHO IS ABSOLUTE
RIGHTEOUSNESS. SO THE FELLOWSHIP EACH INDIVIDUAL MAN COULD HAVE COULD
ONLY BE THROUGH GOD'S PROVISION ALONE WHEREBY MAN CAN BE PURIFIED FROM
ALL UNRIGHTEOUSNESS BY GOD HIMSELF
1)
[Compare 1 Jn 1:5c Greek Interlinear]:
2)
[Compare Jn 3:19-21]:
3)
[Compare Jn 8:12]:
4)
[Compare Jn 12:28-37]:
5)
[Dt 32:3-4]:
6)
[Isa 45:21]:
7)
[Ro 3:21-25]:
F)
(1 Jn 1:6) IF FOR A PERIOD OF TIME (UNSPECIFIED) WE BELIEVERS INCLUDING
APOSTLES SAY, "WE HAVE FELLOWSHIP WITH HIM (GOD) AND YET WALK IN
DARKNESS / SIN WHILE NOT ACKNOWLEDGING THAT GOD IS LIGHT / ABSOLUTE
RIGHTEOUSNESS, WE LIE AND DO NOT DO THE TRUTH." ALTHOUGH ALL
UNBELIEVERS WALK IN DARKNESS, NEVER ACKNOWLEDGING THAT GOD IS LIGHT /
ABSOLUTE RIGHTEOUSNESS, THEY ARE NOT IN VIEW IN THIS PASSAGE
1)
[Compare Jn 3:21]:
G)
(1 Jn 1:7) BUT IF WE BELIEVERS - APOSTLES INCLUDED - WALK IN THE LIGHT -
NOT ACCORDING TO IT IN SINLESS PERFECTION; BUT IN THE SENSE OF (1)
ACKNOWLEDGING THAT GOD IS PERFECT LIGHT / ABSOLUTE RIGHTEOUSNESS, AND
(2) ACKNOWLEDGING OUR SINFUL SHORTCOMINGS BEFORE A HOLY GOD, THEN WE
BELIEVERS WHILE WE ARE WALKING IN THE LIGHT HAVE (TEMPORAL) FELLOWSHIP,
ONE [GOD] WITH ANOTHER [WITH EACH OF WE BELIEVERS WHO ARE WALKING IN THE
LIGHT]; AND THE BLOOD OF JESUS, GOD'S SON, CLEANSES US FROM THE TEMPORAL
SIN WE ARE ACKNOWLEDGING AND FROM ALL UNRIGHTEOUSNESS
1)
[Compare 1 Jn 2:2]:
2)
[Compare Ro 3:21-26]:
H)
(1 Jn 1:8) IF WE BELIEVERS INCLUDING APOSTLES SAY THAT WE HAVE NO SIN -
IN THE SENSE OF HAVING NOT COMMITTED A SINGLE SIN WITH A PARTICULAR
TIMEFRAME IN VIEW, WE DECEIVE OURSELVES AND THE TRUTH IS NOT IN US - AND
NEITHER FOR THE MOMENT IS FELLOWSHIP WITH GOD
I)
(1 Jn 1:9) IF WE BELIEVERS -APOSTLES INCLUDED - SHOULD CONFESS OUR SINS
- IN THE SENSE OF SHOULD WE CONSTANTLY ACKNOWLEDGE THE PARTICULAR ACTS
OF SIN WE BELIEVERS INEVITABLY, CONSTANTLY COMMIT THAT ARE BROUGHT TO
OUR MINDS BY GOD WITH A VIEW TO HIS PERFECT RIGHTEOUSNESS; THEN GOD IS
FAITHFUL - ABSOLUTELY TRUSTWORTHY AND RIGHTEOUS / JUSTIFIED IN FORGIVING
OUR SINS WHICH WE CONSTANTLY CONFESS. AND HE IS JUSTIFIED IN CONTINUALLY
PURIFYING US FROM ALL OF OUR UNRIGHTEOUSNESS UNTO TEMPORAL FELLOWSHIP
ONCE MORE WITH HIMSELF; FORENSICALLY JUSTIFIED BECAUSE THE BLOOD OF
JESUS CHRIST, HIS SON PAID FOR THE SINS OF ALL MANKIND
1)
If We Believers - Apostles Included - Should Confess Our Sins, Our Acts
Of Sin (Plural) Which We Inevitably And Constantly Commit Which Are
Brought To Our Minds By God
2)
And As We Believers Confess Our Particular Acts Of Sin, The
Character Of God Being Absolutely Trustworthy And Absolutely Righteous,
He Will Forgive Us Our Sins That We Have Confessed And Purify Us From
All Unrighteousness Unto Temporal Fellowship
Once More With Him. For God's Forgiveness And Cleansing Is Forensically
Justified Because The Blood Of His Son, Jesus Was Shed For Us And For
All Mankind To Pay For The Sins Of Mankind
3)
Since Confession Of Sins Is Never Connected In Scripture With The
Acquisition Of Eternal Life; And Since The Reception Of Eternal Life Is
Not Stipulated As A Result Of Confession, (But Temporal Fellowship Is);
And Since Eternal Life Is Always Conditioned Solely Upon A Moment Of
Faith Alone In Jesus Christ Alone Plus Nothing Else In Scripture; And
Since Unbelievers Are Not In View In First Chapter One, (But Believers
Are); Then First John Chapter One Is Not Giving Instruction To
Unbelievers On How To Have Eternal Life Via Confession Of Sins
4)
Although A Believer Already Has Forgiveness In Christ Relative To
Eternal Life Forever As A Born Again Child Of God; Temporal / Familial
Forgiveness Is Provided For That Born Again Child On A Moment To Moment
Basis To Secure Temporal / Familial Fellowship With God For The Oft
Failing Child When He Inevitably Sins Again
5)
We Believers Including Apostles Must Be Vigilant Of Our Own Sinfulness
And Confess From Moment To Moment When An Inevitable Shortcoming Is
Revealed To Us In The Light Of God's Absolute Righteousness
6)
In Order To Walk In The Light And Confess Known Sins, We Believers
Including The Apostles Are Commanded To Be Discerning Of What Is Right
And What Is Wrong - What Represents The Absolute Holiness Of God And
What Does Not. This Necessitates An Earnest Study Of The Bible And A
Constant Acknowledgment To God When One Does Not Conform To The Standard
Of God's Holiness
7)
Confession Of The Believer Of His Sins Is A Repentance / A Change Of
Mind From Not Acknowledging His Sins To Acknowledging Them Before God.
This Does Not Require An Emotional Reaction Such As Feeling Sorry,
Although That May Occur; Nor Does It Have In View A Repentance From
Committing Acts Of Sin To Sinless Perfection, Which Is Not In View In
First John Chapter One
a)
Vine's Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words,
W.E. Vine, Revell Publishing, Old Tappan, New Jersey, 1981, pp.
279-280), defines the verb to repent:
8)
Old Testament Provisions Of Confession For Forgiveness Of Temporal Sins
Of The Believer Indicate That There Are Blessings From The LORD Provided
To The Believer Who Confesses His Sins
a)
[Ps 32:1-11]:
b)
[Lev 4:27-35]:
c)
[Compare Lev 5:1-6]:
d)
[Compare Pr 28:13]:
J)
(1 Jn 1:10) IF WE SHOULD SAY THAT WE HAVE NOT SINNED - CLAIMING PERIODS
OF SINLESS PERFECTION - WE MAKE GOD OUT TO BE A LIAR AND HIS WORD IS NOT
IN US RELATIVE TO THIS MATTER
