While the message of the Bible remains the same, different insights may add new light. In this commentary attempt is made to interact with the text of the letters of John, especially as we have it in the Greek New Testament. The meaning of the word is not seen as the end but only as the basis upon which to relate the message to the present needs of the church. The church is both guardian of truth and instrument of love. These two themes are repeatedly found in the epistles of John, and as they are discussed in this commentary the writer seeks to provoke the reader to reflect on how he/she can keep on improving in them. In our times, with so many displaced persons, hospitality is increasingly becoming an aspect of Christian love the church cannot run away from. These are matters that this book calls attention to, as they are raised by the biblical text itself. I am grateful to others who have also given their time and energy in providing their insights on the same epistles. May the Lord use all the efforts to build a strong church for our time and many years to come!

David Rensberger shows here how the Epistles of John spoke to the emerging concerns of an early Christian community that cherished John's Gospel. The Epistles apply many of the themes of the Gospel to new situations. In particular the Elder, who writes these epistles, reminds his readers that their love of God must be made concrete in the love they show their fellow Christians. At the same time, Rensberger shows how these letters face the problems of theological disagreement and church division, and how they can help Christians today better understand theological diversity and the struggle for church unity. Books in the Westminster Bible Companion series assist laity in their study of the Bible as a guide to Christian faith and practice. Each volume explains the biblical book in its original historical context and explores its significance for faithful living today. These books are ideal for individual study and for Bible study classes and groups.

The three Epistles of John, according to the author, are concerned with the fundamentals of Christian belief and life -- faith and love. The reader who grasps the message of these short but essential letters will have a sound basis in Christian doctrine. This group of Epistles is also a good starting point for the study of the Gospel of John. This important commentary was written not only so that students of the Bible might master the content of John's Epistles, but that they might come to a proper understanding of Johannine theology as a whole.

"John Phillips writes with enthusiasm and clarity, . . . cutting through the confusion and heretical dangers associated with Bible interpretation." --Moody Magazine

"Originally published in 1931"--T.p. verso.

John’s writings are complementary to the entire divine revelation. This means that the writings of John complete the Bible. His Gospel completes the Gospels, his Epistles complete the Epistles, and his Revelation completes the whole Bible. In the Life-study of the Epistles of John, Witness Lee emphasizes the outstanding matters in these Epistles in relation to the economy of God. Some of these matters include the divine life and its fellowship, the anointing, the divine birth and the divine seed, the walk in truth and in love, and the encouragement of the fellow workers in the truth. In the Life-study of Jude, Witness Lee shows from Jude's Epistle the genuine contending for the faith and the believers' living in the Triune God issuing in their full enjoyment of Him.

“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.” The Epistle was written to people who already believe that Jesus is the Christ, but have never been sure of their present position or their possession of eternal life. “That ye might know.” If you have any doubt as to the person, life, and atoning death of Jesus, as to His messiahship, or His divinity, read the Gospel. But if, after having believed the message of the Gospel, you are still perplexed about the assurance of your salvation, whether you really possess eternal life or not, read the Epistle. It was written to “you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life.” The Epistle of John is the Epistle of fellowship. God wants His people to be in communion with Him, and John shows us the way to fellowship with God.

Presented here, in paperback for the first time, is John Peter Lange's Theologischhomiletisches Bibelwerk. Intended to help preachers prepare sermons the commentary series is essentially biblical and evangelical catholic. This 19th century commentary has served as a standard reference for more than a century. Many early reviewers regarded Schaff's edition with his additional material as superior to the original. It has proven to be a complete and useful Commentary and continues to prove especially valuable to ministers. It contains critical annotations of the text and its translation, and a threefold commentary, exegetical, doctrinal, and homiletical. Under these three heads the text is viewed from every aspect.

Table of Contents CHAPTER 1 1. Jesus Christ Is God (1 John 1:1-10) 2. Do You Really Have Fellowship with God? 3. Two Sorts of Confession (1 John 1:8-10) 4. Confession in Truth (1 John 1:8-10) CHAPTER 2 1. Jesus Christ Is the True God (1 John 2:1-5) 2. Our Lord Who Has Become Our Advocate (1 John 2:1-17) 3. Are You Living in God’s Commandment? (1 John 2:7-11) 4. Do Not Love the World or the Things in the World (1 John 2:15-17) 5. Who Are the Enemies of Christ? (1 John 2:18-29) If you are a true Christian, you should know God's love more than just abstractly. Those who know and believe Jesus as their Savior must know God's love concretely in their remission of sins that was accomplished through the gospel Word of the water and the Spirit. We have to become true believers of this true gospel in order to know God's love in depth. In this true gospel, the love of God manifests itself concretely and in detail. If we are to know God as love, our knowledge has to come from God's concrete love for us that is revealed in the gospel Truth of the water and the Spirit. Only then can we lead others to the true love of God. The Apostle John testifies that Jesus Christ, who came by the water, the blood, and the Holy Spirit, is the Savior and God Himself. The essence of his testimony is the Truth of the remission of sin, which belongs to the water, the blood, and the Holy Spirit. As it is written in the Word of God, the water signifies Jesus' baptism that He received from John the Baptist, and the blood signifies the judgment He received for all our sins. Again, the evidence of our salvation lies in the Holy Spirit, the water, and the blood (1 John 5:8). The ministries of the water, the blood, and the Holy Spirit are those of God through which He has delivered sinners from all their sins. The New Life Mission https://www.bjnewlife.org