1st John Bible Nerd-Study - Week 5

Week 5—1st John Bible Nerd-Study 

*Missed last week? Click here for 1st John Bible Nerd-Study - Week 4

This will complete our first 5 readings of 1st John which is a good first step in studying a book of the Bible. Usually, after you’ve read a book five times in a row consecutively you have a basic sense or feeling of it. We want to finish out these first five weeks with some more familiar ways of studying and get ready for what’s coming next.

Continue to …

Below I’ve listed out main items from our other weeks that we’ll continue to do as well as a 5th addition for this week.

From Week 1:

• Let’s continue to use our normal go-to translations one more time before we begin to branch out.
• Continue to take notes on anything that we notice.
• Continue to be quiet for a moment before reading, enjoying His presence. This way as we study we are not trying in our own strength but leaning on Him.

From Week 2:

• Continue to adjust your straight outline as more light is gained. Don’t let the chapter breaks mess with your outline. In 1st John, they are not in the best places. Remember that those were added over 1000 years after 1st John was written. They’re helpful to give a reference but sometimes harmful for understanding the outline.

From Week 3:

• Continue to gather your list of words or phrases that are repeated throughout 1st John. We’re about to start focusing on these.

From Week 4:

• Seek the Lord for something to share with the group or with others you know. It would be so great to hear from everyone at least something from these first 5 weeks of reading. Even if it’s just a sentence or two it would be encouraging to all.

Now Week 5:

• Ask the question: What is 1st John mainly about?
• While searching for that answer be very free to jot down as many smaller topics as you discover. One of these may end up being the main theme of the letter.
• While looking at smaller topics and the main topic see how the two relate to each other.
• If you’ve heard answers to this question in books or in sermons or from others that is great. However, it can be a hindrance if we aren’t willing to still ask the question directly to the Lord with His word open before us. So ask the Lord afresh: What is this really about? And see if you have a unique way of expressing it, and/or if you can now show it from some of the verses instead of merely from what you’ve heard.

Reminder:

I wanted to remind everyone that while we're seeking out the question "Why is 1st John written?" our sharing or posting can be from anything in our studying. So if you have something gleaned from your studying, though however small, please feel free (and "assigned" :) to share/post if at all possible. Sometimes it may be the small 1-2 lines from someone that connects a difficult passage for another and brings lots of light.

Again, it's great to post for week 5 on Why 1st John was written, but no necessary. Some of us may be very uncertain, I would expect it. But most likely all of us have something we can share from our studying in general.

Example:

My scribbles for the assignment of week 5 (and my daughter's drawings on it).

I've also been caught with all of the warnings and negative dealings in 1st John so I'm glad some posted about those. This time around I just tried to find obvious verses that tell us why he wrote the letter--"I write to you ...". I remember in the Gospel of John that he explains why he wrote down the signs (miracles) and shared that gospel (John 20:31) so we would believe and receive eternal life. And knowing there are enough verses like that here in 1st John I just stuck with those for my notes this time. I'm glad others have been approaching this from various angles.

That said, the term fellowship is my link with all of it "... so that you may have fellowship with us and our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ." We fellowship or share together eternal life -- so 1:3 and 5:13 are my two key verses for the letter.

1:4 seems to be an overflow of 1:3 - meaning if you fellowship together your joy is full. Fellowship with God is joy and fellowship with one another is joy upon joy because it's also eternal life but now through another believer.

_________

The "write to you" phrases come up more in 1st John, so my other side of the page has notes on those (pic 2). First, it's connected to not sinning, which helps keep you in the light so you can fellowship in the light (2:1-2). Then, it's mainly (or only?) used for the family of God section with the little children, young men, and fathers.

My little notes about 2:18, 21, 26 are just that I was connecting the "written to you" there with "little children" (as opposed to young men or fathers). But that's for another discussion. Just wanted to explain some of the scribbles.


Done with this week's assignment? Click here for the next assignment.