Thessalonian Faith

Dear Church

(DC)

First John is a deeply personal letter of love from our Father in heaven—given through Holy Spirit, written down by the apostle John, and delivered to us, His own children. Yes, His children. It can feel almost unbelievable that we truly are God’s children—not just in name, but in reality. Even John seems overwhelmed by this truth. To help us grasp it, he wrote, “See how very much our Father loves us, for he calls us his children, and that is what we are!”1

Because He knows that we are sometimes confused or even troubled by the teachings we hear and the practices we see from some who claim to know the truth, He gave us this letter—not only to set the record straight, but to comfort us and teach us how to discern His genuine messages from false ones. He also wants us to know—with confidence—that we have eternal life

First John is not only profoundly personal and wonderfully encouraging—it is also remarkably practical. It not only informs us, but can transform us if we let it.

Study Guides

These study guides are designed to help Bible students in their personal study of 1 John and to prepare them for group study, leading to a deeper personal understanding and a more meaningful group discussion.

The study guide ID (e.g., 62-01a) becomes a link
when that study guide is available.

62-01a Introduction

1) Join in Fellowship with God

62-02a Invitation to Fellowship with God (1 John 1:01-04)

62-03a Indications of Fellowship with God (1 John 1:05-10)

2) Abide in Fellowship with God

62-04a How to Abide in Fellowship with God (1 John 2:01-11)

62-05a Reasons to Abide in Fellowship with God (1 John 2:12-29)

3) Love in Fellowship with God

62-06a The Power of God’s Love (1 John 3:01-09)

62-07a The Proof of God’s Love (1 John 3:10-24)

4) Live in Fellowship with God

62-08a By Testing Every Spirit (1 John 4.01-06)

62-09a By Loving One Another (1 John 4:07-21)

5) Thrive in Fellowship with God

62-10a By Believing God (1 John 5.01-12)

62-11a By Knowing God and Avoiding Idols (1 John 5:13-21)

Why study the letter, First John?

The study of First John will help believers move forward in their faith while also serving as a reliable and poignant warning for unbelievers. 2

First John is a passionate letter written from a pastor to his flock. Although written to the early church, its message resonates with significant application for the church and the world today. The study of First John will help believers move forward in their faith while also serving as a reliable and poignant warning for unbelievers. 3

Studying First John matters because it tackles perennial questions like these:

  • How do we navigate false teachings?
  • How do we know we truly believe?
  • What does authentic Christian faith look like in practice? 4

The apostle John says:

  • “I am writing to you who are God’s children because your sins have been forgiven through Jesus.” (1 John 2:12, NLT)
  • “I have written this to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know you have eternal life.” (1 John 5:13, NLT)

Background & Overview

Outline (by chapter)

(A pattern of Growth)

  1. Join in Fellowship with God (1 John 1:3) 
  2. Abide in Fellowship with God (1 John 2:28) 
  3. Love in Fellowship with God (1 John 3:11) 
  4. Live in Fellowship with God (1 John 4:17)
  5. Thrive in Fellowship with God (1 John 5:4) 

Footnotes

  1. 1 John 3:1, NLT ↩︎
  2. Combs, Rodney. I, II & III John. Shepherd’s Notes. Nashville, TN: Holman Reference, 1998. ↩︎
  3. ibid ↩︎
  4. ibid ↩︎