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A STUDY IN 1 JOHN (1)

Introduction (1)

Victor M. Eskew

 

            Brother John Renshaw, one of my instructors at the Memphis School of Preaching, said:  “A book that is well introduced is a book half taught.”  This is true.  But, what he failed to tell us is that a proper introduction to a book can be quite a task.  Introductions cover things like the author of the book, the recipients of the book, the date of the book, the occasion of the book, the theme of the book, the purpose of the book, the key verse of the book, and the outline of the book.  Some books of the Bible reveal these things within the text.  There are other books, however, that have to be researched in order to obtain the information. 

            We want to begin a study of the book of 1 John.  It is a five-chapter book that contains simple words but lofty concepts.  We will begin by introducing the book.  If most Christians, were asked:  “Who is the author of 1 John?” they would reply:  “John, the apostle.”  The book, however, is anonymous.  The author does not name himself in the book.  Paul usually introduced himself to his readers in the opening verses of his books.  “Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God” (Rom. 1:1).  John’s name is nowhere to be found in the 105 verses of 1 John.

            The question, therefore, is how do we know the author is John?  There are two main lines of proof that are used.  One line is called “external evidence.”  External evidence is evidence found outside the book itself.  There were individuals who lived in the second and third centuries who affirm the authorship of the books of the Bible.  After listing several writers of the second and third century who quoted 1 John, Robert Law makes this affirmation:

 

                                    “The verdict of tradition, moreover is equally clean and                                                                  unanimous that the Fourth Gospel and the First Epistle are both                                                                the legacy of the Apostle John, in his old age, to the Church.  All                                                                the Fathers already mentioned as quoting the Epistle (excepting                                                                 Polycarp, but including Irenaeus) quote it as the work of St. John.                                                              And until the end of the sixteenth century this view was unques-                                                              tioned” (The Tests of Life:  A Study of the First Epistle of St. John,                                                              Robert Law, p. 40).

 

Remember, these individuals lived very close to the time of the apostles.  Some of them were students of the disciples of the apostles.  Their testimony is extremely valuable.  The value increases when there are many who make the affirmation that John was the writer of this epistle.

            The second line of proof is called “internal evidence.”  This is evidence found within the epistle itself that points to the author.  1 John opens with these words:  “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; (for the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;) that which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us:  and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ” (1 John 1:1-3).  The writer of this epistle tells his readers that he personally experience Jesus in three ways:  hearing, seeing, and by touch.  The apostles had experienced Jesus in all of those ways having been with Him in training for over three years.  Verse two says:  “(For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness…).”  Again, it was the apostles who were authorized to bear witness of the Christ.  In the upper room, Jesus told His ambassadors:  “And ye also shall bear witness, because ye have been with me from the beginning” (John 15:27).  These two things point conclusively to the fact that the writer was an apostle. 

            Each inspired writer had his own style of writing.  Once this style was manifested, it was easy to tell which writings belong to him.  Without going into a lengthy discussion, the earmarks of this epistle are those of John’s pen.  Brother Frank Dunn tell us that “John’s colors are black and white; there is no grey.  His thinks in terms of absolute contrasts, such as life and death, truth and falsehood, love and hate, light and darkness, righteousness and sin, the Father and the world, children of God and children of the devil” (Know Your Bible:  An Analysis of Every Book in the Bible, Frank J. Dunn, p. 615).  Mr. Law sums up the internal evidence as follows:  “Thus the internal evidence agrees so completely with the ancient and unbroken tradition which assigns the authorship of the Epistle to the Apostle John that, unless this traditional authorship is disproved by arguments of the most convincing kind, it must be regarded as holding the field” (p. 50).

            Being removed from the actual writing of the epistle by two thousand years, we have to do some research to ascertain that the writer was John.  Such was not the case for those in the first century who received this epistle.  “From beginning to end the writer shows himself in close contact with the special position and the immediate needs of his readers.  The absence of explicit reference to either only indicates how intimate was the relation between them.  For the writer to declare his identity was superfluous.  Thought, language, and tone – all were too familiar to be mistaken.  The Epistle bore it author’s signature in every line” (Law, 41).