In our Bible Study on Wednesday 17th via Zoom, we're going to look at 1 John 1. Anyone local / connected to our churches is welcome. There's no need to do any preparation, but you might like to have a think about some of these questions:
Introduction
It seems likely that
the Apostle John (who also wrote John’s gospel) wrote this letter, maybe from
John says why he is
writing in 1:4, 2:1 and 5:13. Our study should go along with this main thrust
of the letter and should contribute to our joy, holiness and assurance.
False prophets (4:1)
or antichrists (2:18) seem to be troubleling John’s readers (2:26; 3:7). These
false teachers seem to deny that Jesus is the Son of God in the flesh (4:2;
5:1, 5). John repeatedly helps us to distinguish between true and false
believers, beliefs and teachers.
John’s statements that
“God is light” (1:5) and “God is love” (4:8, 16) are foundational. John
encourages us to both right believing and right behaviour, holding together
doctrine and experience, mind and heart, Word and Spirit, truth and love.
Homegroup Leaders Notes (1) 1
John 1:1-10
Some of the themes of
this section are repeated at the beginning of chapter 2, so that might give you
a chance to re-visit things you don’t have time for in this study.
The “we” here (vv1-4)
seems to be John and his fellow apostles who were the appointed eye-witnesses
of Jesus. It may well be that John is writing (at least in part) for those who
(like us) have not seen Jesus for themselves (perhaps mainly second-generation
Christians) that they too might know God with the same confidence the
eye-witnesses have. Cf. John 20:29-31.
What does John say he proclaims?
What (or who!) do you think John means by the
Word of life? What makes you think that?
See also John chapter 1 and 14:6
On what basis does John say he proclaims this?
Why / how is John able to proclaim this with confidence? (How has John
encountered / experienced the Word of life?) see vv1, 3
How do we encounter / experience this Word of
life? (How / why can we have confidence in John’s message?)
Why does John say he proclaims this Word of
life in verse 3?
Who does John want us to have fellowship with?
(v3, 6, 7)
(How do we sometimes use the word “fellowship”
in Christian circles?) What do you think “fellowship” (vv3, 6, 7) means?
What is the basis of our fellowship as
Christians? How do we have fellowship with one another?
So by implication, with whom / which people
should we have fellowship?
Can you think of things that might hinder our
fellowship that ought not to?
Can you think of things that aren’t a sound basis for Christian
fellowship?
Why does John say he is writing? (v4)
See also 2:1 and 5:13.
What causes for joy (v4) can we find in this
passage?
What are the false claims that John counters in
this passage?
Notice the repeated
“if we claim” of vv6, 8, 10.
What do you think this imagery of light and
darkness is meant to convey?
What would it mean to “walk in darkness” in
verse 6? Does verse 6 mean that if we commit a sin, that shows we’ve no
fellowship with God? What does it mean, then?
The phrase “walk in
darkness” is also used in 2:11 and John 8:12; 12:35.
Why can’t a Christian “walk in the darkness”?
How can we tell from the passage that John
expects Christians to continue to sin? (See esp. vv7, 8, 10)
How are we cleansed from our sins? Vv7 & 9.
What do we have to do to be cleansed? V9
How can God be “faithful and just” and “forgive
us our sins” (v9)? Surely it is unjust for God to let people off the just
punishment they deserve for their sins?
(see 2:1-2; Romans
3:25-26).
What encouragements or comforts are there for
us in this passage if we are conscious of sin? (See esp. vv7, 9)
In the light of this passage, what should our
attitudes to sin be? What should we do about sin?
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