1 John – knowing the truth

And because John speaks the truth in love he gives all Christians throughout all cultures in the world and throughout all human history the means to assess and weigh and discern every feature and activity that is reported and claimed to be a work of God.

Have you heard reports on social media of something wonderful God is doing? Perhaps a revival, or an awakening, or a strange work of the Spirit?

How can we tell if a powerful event or activity is from God?

Test it with the three leading tests John gives in this letter.

1. Does it affirm the divinity and humanity of Christ?
2. Does it encourage people to obey God’s commands?
3. Does it encourage believers to lay down their lives humbly in service for each other?

Finally as we end our series on 1 John here is a Quick Quiz – see how you get on:

Q1: In the letter of 1 John there are two headline statements about God. 1 John 4:16 states: God is love. What is the second defining statement about God in 1 John?

A – God is Just.

B – God is Lord.

C – God is Jesus.

D – God is Light.

Q2: How many of the original apostles were alive when John wrote this letter?

A – One; John was the last remaining apostle.

B – Two

C – Three

D – Ten

Q3: What traumatic event had happened in the churches that John oversaw?

A – A dramatic revival with thousands becoming Christians

B – Many Christians had killed each other

C – A schism had divided the church

D – The churches had been decimated by a plague

Q4: What does John state is his purpose in writing this letter?

A – To comfort people

B – He was bored and had nothing else to do that morning

C – To correct heresy

D – To assure the believers that they had eternal life

Q5: What doctrinal error does John write about to correct?

A – That Jesus was not fully human

B – That Jesus was not God

C – That Christians are perfect

D – That Christians are sinners

Q6: Throughout the letter John uses strong contrasts to communicate the truths he is teaching. Which of the following contrasts does NOT occur in this letter?

A – Light / Darkness

B – Death / Life

C – Strong /Weak

D – Love / Hate

Q7: John describes the features of the world in several different ways. Which of the following is NOT used in 1 John?

A – the lust of the eyes’

B – slandering your brother or sister

C – pride

D – the lust of the flesh

Q8: 1 John strongly affirms that Jesus was fully human when he lived and ministered and died on the cross? As his friend and one of his apostles John describes Jesus’ humanity in several specific ways. Which of the following is NOT included by John in this letter?

A – John saw Jesus

B – John heard Jesus

C – John touched Jesus

D – John ate with Jesus

Q9: How is sin defined in 1 John?

A – Sin is darkness

B – Sin is deceitful

C – Sin is death

D – Sin is lawlessness

Q10: Who controls the world? (This is a trick question.)

A – God

B – The evil one

C – The church

D – Jesus

Answers:

A1 – D – 1 John 1:5 states, God is light, in him there is no darkness at all. (2 Thessalonians 1:6 states; God is just.)

A2 – A – Actually we do not know the answer, but John 21:22-23 seems to support the early church (historical) tradition that the apostle John lived to a very old age. So the most likely answer is; A.

A3 – C – A schism. Many had left the churches following a doctrinal dispute about the nature of Christ’s humanity; 1 John 2:19, 1:1-4, 4:1-3. Those who had left were trying to lead those who remained astray; 2:26, 28.

A4 – D – I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God that you may know that you have eternal life; 1 John 5:13. Note the clear structural parallel in the Gospel of John where the purpose of the Gospel is stated in a very similar way just towards the end of that document; John 20:31.

A5 – A – John writes to correct the heresy that Jesus was not fully human; 1 John 1:1-4, 4:1-3 and 2 John 7.

A6 – C – John does not talk about the strong and the weak in this letter, although Paul uses this contrast in for example Romans 14.

A7 – B – Slander is not mentioned in the letter of 1 John, although Paul does include it in 1 Corinthians 5:11 and 6:10. All the other three are mentioned in 1 John 2:15-16.

A8 – D – 1 John 1:1-4 states that John saw, touched and heard Jesus but nowhere in this letter does it state that John ate with Jesus although in John 21:15 it states that Jesus ate fish with his apostles.

A9 – D – 1 John 3:4 states that sin is lawlessness. The other definition of sin in the New Testament is in Romans 3:23; All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

A10 – B – 1 John 5:19 states the whole world is under the control of the evil one, but this statement understands the world to be the hearts of sinful humanity who are in darkness and rebellion against God the Father and his Son Jesus Christ; see 1 John 2:15-17; 3:1; 3:10; 3:13; 4:3.