1. 1 JOHN
SAVED FOR SURE

2. THE “LETTER” Doesn’t begin or end like a letter
May have been a tract or sermon in written form
Author unnamed, but assumed to be John the Apostle
Recipients unnamed, but probably a church(es) somewhere in Asia Minor
One of the latest NT writings
Reflects the church’s emerging struggle with Gnostic thought

3. WHAT DID “GNOSTICS” TEACH?
A kind of “salvation by knowledge” (gnosis)
Not salvation from sin, but from ignorance
Emphasis on “secret teachings” only for “the knowing ones”
Matter is evil; only spirit is good. Problems with Creation & Incarnation
Had to re-define nature of God & of Jesus
Claimed “Jesus” & “Christ” were separate beings
Reason 1 John emphasizes that “Jesus is the Christ”

4. HISTORICAL CIRCUMSTANCES
Recipients were well-known to the writer (“my little children”)
False teachers had created problems over nature of Christ
Eventually left, “b/c they were not of us”
John writes to expose the falsehood of their beliefs
Those left in the church were shaken, needed reassurance

5. 3 WAYS TO BE SURE WE KNOW GOD
“Walking in the light” (obedience to God’s commands)
Love for one another
Believing the truth about Jesus

6. LESSONS FOR TODAY
If we’re going to be right with God, we have to take _______ seriously.
It’s impossible to _______ God if we don’t _______ one another.
It’s not okay to just believe “____________” about Jesus. We must believe what ____________ says about Him.
Our common __________ rests on believing the same __________ about Jesus.

7. KEY VERSE
“Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.” 1 John 5:12