Bible Studies: The Letters of John

Over the course of John’s Letters, he has worked through three primary themes: (1) Know God, (2) Believe the Gospel, and (3) Love one another. (Summary of 1, 2 and 3 John)

In 3 John, the Apostle John contrasts living for Christ versus living for self. Everyone is someone’s disciple; what kind of master do you serve? (Exposition of 3 John)

In 2 John, the apostle John gives us a case study of the themes of 1 John. Specifically, John shows how love and truth fit together in the Christian life. (Exposition of 2 John)

In the closing section of his First Letter, the Apostle John insists that Jesus Christ is God and eternal life—and that we should therefore keep ourselves from idols. (Exposition of 1 John 5:18–21)

Building on what he wrote about faith in the previous passage, the Apostle John now shifts his attention to prayer—especially prayer for the prodigal brother. (Exposition of 1 John 5:13–17)

What is faith? Where does faith come from? How do we get faith? What does faith do? Toward the end of his First Letter, the Apostle John answers these questions. (Exposition of 1 John 5:1–12)

The love of God through the gospel of Jesus Christ transforms us by both leading us to abide in God and driving out our fear of judgment. (Exposition of 1 John 4:7–21)

We are inundated with influencers. Because of this, we need desperately for God’s word to help us with our skills of discernment to distinguish between truth and error. (Exposition of 1 John 4:1–6)

The righteousness of God’s people has always attracted persecution from the world. Even so, righteous love gives us confidence before God. (Exposition of 1 John 3:11–24)

Christianity is a religion of hope. Not perpetual prosperity and comfort, nor gloom and doom, but hope—hope centered in the gospel of Jesus. (Exposition of 1 John 2:28–3:10)

We avoid loving the world by learning to love Jesus Christ more. To enable us to love Jesus, God gives us the anointing of his Holy Spirit. (Exposition of 1 John 2:15–27)

Faith alone saves, but saving faith is never alone. The Apostle John teaches us that true, genuine, saving faith always produces growth. (Exposition of 1 John 2:7–14)

The good news of the gospel corrects the way we see sin. The gospel allows us to confess our sin, rather than denying it or embracing it. (Exposition of 1 John 1:5–2:6)

Before we can benefit from the good news of the gospel, we need the news of the blazing, glorious light of God and his truth. (Exposition of 1 John 1:1–4)