Join us as we delve into the profound insights of 1 John, a crucial epistle that addresses not only the theological depths of God’s nature as light, love, and life but also confronts early church heresies. Dr. J. Vernon McGee guides us through an exploration of the timeless and timely purposes expressed by John, revealing the significant family nature of the epistle. We discuss the role of believers, both as individuals sharing in spiritual fellowship and as a larger collective, working toward spreading the Word of God. This episode also sheds light on the importance of seizing the current
The foundation, ye saints of the Lord, is laid for your faith.
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How long can you hold your breath? 30 seconds? How about a minute? Or even 90 seconds? Well, in this study on Through the Bible, Dr. J. Vernon McGee takes us through God’s Word and shows us how all creation has been holding its breath, anticipating, even dreading, some ultimate climax or apocalypse. Dr. McGee’s special introduction challenges us that the door is open now for the gospel to go out to all people on earth. But you know, that’ll not always be the case. You see, with each passing day, we have less time to get God’s word out. Here’s Dr. McGee to tell us more.
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May I say to you, though the door be wide open right now, we have no assurance that it will continue to be so. In fact, those that are in the know today tell us that this is something they believe is short-lived. Our world that we’re living in today is rushing to some type of a climax and crisis. Now, those of us who believe the Word of God, we think we know what it is. But even the man outside today, the politicians, I started to say statesmen, but I can’t think of any of them right now. And the educators and the military are all saying today that that we’re facing a grave crisis in the future. The thing of it is, they think that’s new and up to date. Well, the Bible’s been saying it for several thousand years, that this time would come, and apparently we are moving now into the edges of a great storm that’s going to break on this earth. And so we trust that You would want to be a partner with us in this ministry of getting out the Word of God.
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God is giving us tremendous opportunities to get his word out to the world. It’s really unprecedented opportunities. And maybe you’ve heard of the spiritual interest growing in some of the most spiritually dark and previously closed areas of the world. Among people groups who have never had an interest in God’s word before, but they’re now ready and they’re even asking for it. We really are living in an unusual and exciting day to share the gospel. And through the Bible is ready. We’re also willing to take the whole word to the whole world. Technology advances and new media opportunities continue to open up for us. And as God would have it, we must do the work of the ministry together. Your prayer, as well as your financial support, are critical to each opportunity. So stand with us in this hour. It’s a great day to be a part of what God’s doing in our generation. You can learn more about how you can partner with us in prayer and through giving at ttb.org or call us at 1-800-65-BIBLE. Let’s thank God for his word as we open it now. Father, we do ask for your wisdom and your courage to step forward by faith into what you’re doing in our generation around the world. We ask that you would bless those who receive your word as it goes out, in power and in truth. We’re grateful, Lord, for the opportunity to gather together and grow closer to you. In Jesus’ name, amen. Now here’s Through the Bible with Dr. J. Verna McGee, our first study in 1 John.
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We are here in 1 John, and John wrote three epistles, actually, and we’ll be looking at all of them, of course, in this Through the Bible program. But I have an introduction to put down for this first epistle that’s very important for the understanding of it. This is a book that I have always used When I began my ministry in any new church, I didn’t at the first church that I ever served because I was a seminary student and did not know enough then to begin in the right place. But in the four churches that I’ve served in my 40 years of ministry, I’ve always begun our midweek service by a study in 1 John. And I have used this book because I believe that it is actually more important for believers in the church to study than the church epistles. Now, Paul wrote church epistles, and the other epistles are church epistles. But this epistle actually is a family epistle and should be treated that way. And we’ll call attention to that as we move into this very wonderful little book. And I have been able to see the midweek service in churches that I have begun my pastorate in. The attendants begin to crawl up. We’ve seen a phenomenal increase in the last two churches that I served. The attendance during the time we studied this little epistle, it doubled and then doubled again and then doubled another time. So that we actually were having as many people in attendance as we were having in Sunday evening service. And there were times when the midweek service would surpass the Sunday night service. Now, as we come here to 1 John, and I tell you all of this for one purpose, and that is to try to call attention to the significance of it and the importance of it for believers. Now, this first epistle was apparently written somewhere between 90 and 100 A.D. It has been the belief of the church down through the years that John wrote his gospel first, and then he wrote his epistles second, and then finally wrote the book of Revelation before his death about 100 A.D. But in recent years, there have been those that have taken the position that probably John wrote his epistles last. Rather than revelation, he wrote his epistles last. And I have come to that position in my own thinking. I don’t think that it’s too important, but I think it’s important enough to call attention to, and we’ll see why that is true. Now, John expressed the purpose for his writing in each of the three types of revelation God gave to him, gospel, epistles, and revelation, the prophetic book of the New Testament. Now, in his gospel, he stated the purpose like this in John 20, verses 30 and 31, “…and many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples.” which are not written in this book, but these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing ye might have life through his name.” Now, that’s the purpose that he expressed in writing his gospel. Now, in this first epistle, we have this stated here. He says, “…these things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God, that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.” And that’s 1 John 5, 13. But just in a moment, I want to call attention to the fact that in this epistle, John actually mentions five purposes, five reasons why he wrote this little epistle that is so important, therefore. Now, in the book of Revelation, Revelation 119, he stated his purpose in writing that book. He says, “…write the things which thou hast seen,” that’s the past, And the things which are, that is the present state of things, and the things which shall be hereafter. And that would be definitely prophetic. Now, there is a five-fold purpose, though, that John has expressed in writing this first epistle. And I think that makes it a very significant book. And I’ll mention these now and come back to them later. In the first chapter, verse 3, he says that ye may have fellowship with us, that is, other believers, and with the Father, and with his Son, Jesus Christ. Now, the purpose of the epistle is that we all might have fellowship together. Now, the second purpose is in the fourth verse of the first chapter, that your joy may be full. And then the third purpose is in the second chapter, verse 1, that ye sin not. And then the fourth purpose is expressed over in the fifth chapter that we’ve already given, that you may know that you have eternal life. And the fifth reason is that you may believe on the name of the Son of God so that it has a gospel message, and it has a gospel message that gives eternal life and an assurance to a believer. Then I would add an overall purpose is to present Jesus Christ. That is the purpose of this epistle. And I have written in my Bible over this epistle this scriptural statement, dwelling in the secret place of the Most High. And you will find that when we get into this epistle, that he’s talking a great deal here about the family of God. And that is something that is quite wonderful and intimate. And this epistle has been called the sanctum sanctorum of the New Testament. It takes the child of God across the threshold into the fellowship of the Father’s house. It is the family epistle. And John is writing here to the family of God. The word father referring to God is used 13 times and little children used 11 times. Now, Paul wrote to the church. John wrote to the family. The church is a body of believers in the position where we are blessed with all spiritual blessings in the heavens. We’re given that position when we believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. Now, that also brings us into the family of God. But in the family, we have a relationship which can be broken, but is restored when we confess our sin. And we’re told he’s faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Now, he’s talking there to his children. You see, sin in the first epistle of John is a family affair. It is something that has to do with a relationship with the father. It is something that has offended someone that loves you. And it is to be treated like that. Now, I have in my notes, and I trust many of you have the notes, I have a little chart here. And I have an inner circle, and that circle’s called the body, body of believers. Then a wider circle is called the family of God. And then a still wider circle that encompasses all of it, and that’s the kingdom. Kingdom of heaven or the kingdom of God. Now, the body of believers who constitute the church are in the family of God, though the family is larger than the church. The church and the family are both in the kingdom of God, but they’re not synonymous terms. They could be under certain circumstances, as we shall see. Now, you have in this epistle three definitions given of God, and that’s the way I’ve divided the epistle. God is light, and that is in chapter 1 down through chapter 2, verse 2. And light is used six times in this epistle. The second definition is God is love. And that begins in the second chapter, verse 3, goes through chapter 4, verse 21. And the word love is used 33 times in this epistle. And then the third definition of God is God is life. And that’s chapter 5. And that is used 15 times in this epistle. And fellowship is used four times. And the word know, and we saw how that was emphasized in 2 Peter, it’s used 38 times in this epistle. Now, John wrote to meet the first heresy which entered the church. It was Gnosticism which boasted a super knowledge. It accepted the deity of Jesus, but it denied his humanity. And John gives us the true Gnosticism, the true knowledge of God. And I want to say just a word about the Gnostics as we proceed in this epistle. Now, I want to take up the prologue. In the first three verses, we really have the prologue to the epistle. In fact, I would say the first four verses, but I have divided it. The first two verses, we have a prologue, and then we have how the little children may have fellowship with God. And that begins with verse 3 and goes down through chapter 2, verse 2. Now, we’ll deal with it on that basis, on the outline that I’ve given. But I would consider the first four verses more or less of a prologue. Now, he tells us here in verse 1, “…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. Now, John says here that which was from the beginning. Now, what beginning is he talking about? Well, in the scripture, we have three beginnings. And two of them that we are very familiar with. The one in Genesis 1.1. In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. Now, that is an undated beginning. I do not know when that was. And I haven’t the foggiest notion. And I have read books. And I mean books, volume after volume, on this question of Genesis 1-1, in fact, the first chapter of Genesis. And I think if I stacked all of those books up, they’d go to the ceiling here in my study, and I have a pretty high ceiling here. I actually believe that the stack of books would go that high, and I’m convinced, that of the books I’ve read, that no one, either scientists or theologians, has the foggiest notion when Genesis 1-1 really began. There are those now, some Christian scientists, I’m told, that are taking a view that they call the New Earth view. That is that actually you and I are living on an earth that is not as old as they have claimed it’s been. Of course, when I started in school, it was estimated that this earth was several hundred thousand years old. It would be something like 300,000 and 600,000 or 700,000 years old. And then they began to speak in terms of millions of years. And then I can recall that it was one million. And then it went to two million. And as I got older, why, the earth really got older. And I sure matured in a hurry. By the time I’d finished school, it was estimated that this earth was about two and a half million years old. Now I understand that they reached the billion. Now, that’s one direction. Others moving in the other direction, well, they won’t make a new earth. Well, may I say to you that Genesis 1-1 will fit in to either scheme that you hold because it’s not dated. All it does is just state the fact, in the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. And until you are ready to take that verse and put it at the first of the Bible and accept it, my friend, you’re not prepared to read very much farther in the Word of God, because that’s where it all rests, that God created this universe. Or is it a happenstance? And it’s almost ridiculous to think that it just happened, that this universe just came into existence. It is like Dr. Conklin said, to make a statement like that, that it just happened. It’s just as ridiculous to say that as it is to say that the dictionary came into existence because they had an explosion in a print shop. Well, that’s not the way it happened. There is intelligence back of this universe that you and I live in. As to the date, I don’t know. Now, I do know this. We’re dealing with a God of eternity. Now, if you need a few billion years to fit into your scheme of interpretation, then it’s here because we’re dealing with a God of eternity. And God has eternity back of him. And I don’t know what he was doing before he created the heavens and the earth, but he was doing something. I’m confident of that. And then the earth and the universe comes into existence. And there dawns upon mankind through the word of God that God has a purpose in this creation, that he not only created it, but he created it for a purpose. And he’s working out a plan in his universe today. And it’s bigger than any mind down here can comprehend. So if you want a few billion years for Genesis 1-1, take it. It’s yours. It’s theirs. And if you just need a few years, it’s there. The thing of it is, God just wasn’t interested in giving you a study in geology. He put a lot of rocks around for you to look at if you are interested in trying to figure out the date. Now, there’s a second beginning that you have in the Word of God. That second beginning is in John 1.1. And John began his gospel, in the beginning was the Word. And the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. Then you come down to creation. All things were made by him. Without him was not anything made that was made. But you go way back to creation, and you want to put down your pegs again. Go back to creation. Say it was several billion years ago. Well, let’s now get up in a trillion years ago. And you put on your peg way back under several trillion years ago. Well, why not just go the limit? Why not say several squillion years ago? Put on your peg way back there. And out of eternity comes the Lord Jesus Christ. And he already is past tense. He is then the ancient of days because in the beginning, it’s not in the beginning is the word, but in the beginning was the word. In other words, this is a beginning that doesn’t even have a beginning because he had no beginning. In the beginning was the word. And that means you go back and put on your pegs anywhere you want to. He comes out of eternity to meet you. And that’s big stuff. It’s bigger than my little mind can comprehend. I don’t even get into the picture of thinking about it until you come to the 14th verse of John, where it says, and the word was born flesh. And then that takes me back to Bethlehem where he was born. And I began to catch on at that time. But John 1, 1 is too big for me. Now, first John 1, 1, that which was from the beginning. Now he’s talking here about a beginning that began 1900 years ago, plus how much I don’t know. And at that time, it was Bethlehem. It was when he came into this world. It was when John got acquainted with him, John the Apostle. John and James met him at Jerusalem. Then they were with their father mending nets. They evidently were well-to-do fishermen. And the Lord Jesus came by and called them. And then John says, I want to tell you that we heard him. In fact, he mentions four things here. He says that which was from the beginning, which we’ve heard, the ear gate, that which we’ve seen with our eyes, that is a witness. You’ve seen something with your eyes. And most of what you and I know comes through our ear gate and our eye gate. And John says, we heard him. We saw him. And then he says, we’ve looked upon him. Now, this word look upon is theason. And we get our word theater from that. That means to gaze upon him. And that’s what he meant when he says, we beheld his glory. Glory of the only begotten of the Father. Someone has said, the look saves, but the gaze sanctifies. John says, for three years. We gazed upon him. And it was John who wrote, as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness. And people had to look to that serpent. Now John is saying here that the Lord Jesus said, I’ll be lifted up. And if you look to me, the look of salvation. But if you’re going to know him, you must gaze upon it. And that is that which sanctifies. Then he says, and our hands have handled. And that means that it handled him. And he says it was the word of life. Now, the word of life, he’ll identify. We’re going to see that next time. We’ll have to save that until next time because this introduction is tremendous. It just sweeps us off of our feet. And I tell you, our minds can move out, I tell you, from this little earth out into eternity when we begin to look at this introduction. So until next time, may God richly bless you, my beloved.
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As we study this rich letter of 1 John, we’ll catch more glimpses of eternity. This is just the beginning. So be sure to listen by app online at ttb.org or on your local Christian radio station. You can also download our Bible Companion for 1 John, which has links to all of our studies and some great tools to help you dig deeper into God’s Word yourself. Again, download it from our app at ttb.org or call 1-800-65-BIBLE to order a printed copy. Now also available at ttb.org is our Bible bus flash drive. You can plug it into the USB port in your computer, and you’ve got access to all of Dr. McGee’s messages in our five-year series. All of his notes and outlines as well, and more than 100 of his digital booklets. Again, to place your order, just visit ttb.org or call 1-800-65-BIBLE. I’m Steve Schwetz, looking forward to the days ahead as we travel together through the Bible.
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Jesus paid it all, all to him I owe. Sin had left a crimson stain, he washed it white as snow.
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Our story on the Bible Bus today is just one step in a five-year journey through the entire Word of God. Come along for the ride, and you’ll study both the Old Testament and New Testament, discovering God’s great redemption story. Is this your story too?
