Thessalonian Faith

Dear Church

(DC)

First John offers both immediate relevance and timeless application, addressing concerns of first-century and modern believers.

First John urges readers to grow in their faith, obedience, and love, yet it is not a list of dos and don’ts. It is rather a manifesto of “Done!”— what God the Father has “done” in sending Christ Jesus, His Son. 1

Table of Contents:

  1. Study Guides
  2. Why study First John?
  3. Background & Overview
  4. Outline (by chapter)

Study Guides

These study guides are provided for students of the Bible to use for independent or group study. Students who use study guides before their group study get more out of the Bible passage, resulting in a richer personal study and a deeper group study experience.

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:

  • 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 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)
  • I am writing to you who are God’s children because your sins have been forgiven through Jesus. (1 John 2:12, NLT)

Background & Overview

Outline (by chapter)

  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. Crossway Bibles. The ESV Study Bible. Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2008. ↩︎
  2. Combs, Rodney. I, II & III John. Shepherd’s Notes. Nashville, TN: Holman Reference, 1998. ↩︎
  3. Combs, Rodney. I, II & III John. Shepherd’s Notes. Nashville, TN: Holman Reference, 1998. ↩︎
  4. Combs, Rodney. I, II & III John. Shepherd’s Notes. Nashville, TN: Holman Reference, 1998. ↩︎