Thessalonian Faith

Dear Church – Introduction (1 John)

(62-01a)

This study plan is intended to help you learn the boundaries, content, and flow of the letter, so you can better understand how the passages in each lesson fit together.

  1. Look at the outline below to understand the letter’s structure and the topic of each lesson in this study.
  2. Read the letter 1 John several times from one or more of the following key translations:
    1. Believers Standard Bible (BSB) (with audio reading)
    2. New Living Translation (NLT)
    3. Translation for Translators (T4T)
    4. Your own Bible
  3. Use the following Bible Hub resources to learn more about 1 John.
    1. Book Summary
    2. Chapter Summaries
  4. Explore various recommended study tools and resources HERE. They may come in handy as you study each lesson.

Outline of 1 John

Legend

Bold titles are key topics of the letter’s theme of Fellowship.

Underlined titles are the lessons that explain its key topic.

  • Bullet points are the propositions of its lesson.

A Personal Letter to God’s Own Children

Join in Fellowship with God (1 John 1) (1 John 1:3)

Invitation to Fellowship with God (1 John 1:1-4)

  • Focus of fellowship – Jesus (1 John 1:1-2)
  • Invitation to Join in Fellowship (1 John 1:3-4)

Indications of Fellowship with God (1 John 1:5-10)

  • Righteous like God (1 John 1:5-7)
  • Honest with God (1 John 1:8-9)
  • Trusts in God (1 John 1:10)

Abide in Fellowship with God (1 John 2) (1 John 2:28)

How to Abide in Fellowship with God (1 John 2:1-11) (Chiastic Structure)

  • Avoid Sin (1 John 2:1-2)
  • Obey Jesus (1 John 2:3-5)
  • Walk with Jesus (1 John 2:6)
  • Abide in the light (1 John 2:7-11)

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

  • The Faith Family (1 John 2:12-14)
  • The Wicked World (1 John 2:15-17)
  • The Treasonous Teachers (1 John 2:18-19)
  • The Timeless Truth (1 John 2:20-23)
  • The Perpetual Promise (1 John 2:24-27)
  • The Anticipated Appearance (1 John 2:28-29)

Love in Fellowship with God (1 John 3) (1 John 3:11)

The Power of God’s Love (1 John 3:1-9)

  • Makes Us His Child (1 John 3:1)
  • Motivates Us to Purity (1 John 3:2-3)
  • Takes Away our Practice of Sin (1 John 3:4-6)
  • Takes Away our Propensity for Sin (1 John 3:7-9)

The Proof of God’s love (1 John 3:10-24)

  • A Pattern of Righteousness (1 John 3:10)
  • A Counterculture Love for One Another (1 John 3:11-15)
  • A Practical Love for One Another (1 John 3:16-18)
  • A God-Pleasing Love for One Another (1 John 3:19-24)

Live in Fellowship with God (1 John 4) (1 John 4:17)

By Testing Every Spirit (1 John 4:1-6 )

  • Two Passionate Pleas and One Good Reason (1 John 4:1)
  • Test 1: What Do They Confess About Jesus? (1 John 4:2-3)
  • Test 2: Who Listens to Them?  (1 John 4:4-5)
  • Test 3: Who Do They Listen to? (1 John 4:6)

By Loving One Another (1 John 4:7-21)

  • From God’s Love (1 John 4:7-11)
  • In God’s Presence (1 John 4:12-18)
  • Because God Loves Us (1 John 4:19)
  • Because We Love God (1 John 4:20-21)

Thrive in Fellowship with God (1 John 5) (1 John 5:4)

By Believing God (1 John 5:1-12)

  • Through Faith 1 John 5:1-5)
    • Principle (1 John 5:1)
    • Personal (1 John 5:2)
    • Practice (1 John 5:3-5)
  • Through Witnesses (1 John 5:6-12)
    • Testimony of the Spirit, Water and Blood (1 John 5:6-8)
    • Testimony of the Father (1 John 5:9)
    • Testimony of the Believer (1 John 5:10)
    • Testimony of Spiritual Reality (1 John 5:11-12)

By Knowing God (1 John 5:13-20)

  • Through Confident Prayer (1 John 5:13-17)
    • According to His will (1 John 5:13-14)
    • Knowing He hears us (1 John 5:15)
    • For the Brethren (1 John 5:16-17)
  • By Knowing the Truth (1 John 5:18-20)
    • About the New Birth (1 John 5:18)
    • About God (1 John 5:19)
    • About the Son of God (1 John 5:20)
  • By Avoiding Idols (1 John 5:21)