Outline of John's first letter
Published June 19th, 2020
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Outline
OUTLINE OF 1 JOHN I. Introduction - The Word of Life 1:1-4 II. God Is Light 1:5-3:10 A. WALK IN THE LIGHT 1:5-2:2 1. GOD IS LIGHT 1:5 2. FIRST FALSE STATEMENT AND REBUTTAL: WALK IN THE LIGHT 1:6-7 3. SECOND FALSE STATEMENT AND REBUTTAL: CONFESS SIN 1:8-9 4. THIRD FALSE STATEMENT AND REBUTTAL: PROPITIATION FOR SIN 1:10-2:2 B. TO KNOW HIS IS TO OBEY HIM 2:3-11 1. OBEDIENCE FOLLOWS KNOWLEDGE 2:3 2. FIRST FALSE STATEMENT AND REBUTTAL: KEEP HIS WORD 2:4-5 3. SECOND FALSE STATEMENT AND REBUTTAL: FOLLOW THE "OLD-NEW" COMMANDMENT 2:6-8 4. THIRD FALSE STATEMENT AND REBUTTAL: LOVE ONE ANOTHER 2:9-11 C. TO KNOW HIM IS NOT TO LOVE THE WORLD 2:12-17 1. WORDS OF ASSURANCE 2:12-14 2. DO NOT LOVE THE WORLD 2:15-17 D. ANTICHRISTS AND TRUE CHRISTIANS 2:18-29 1. A. ANTICHRISTS HAVE APPEARED 2:18-19 2. B. TRUE CHRISTIANS KNOW THE TRUTH 2:20-21 3. A'. ANTICHRISTS DENY THE FATHER AND THE SON 2:22-23 4. B'. TRUE CHRISTIANS HAVE ETERNAL LIFE 2:24-29 E. BY HIS LOVE CALLED CHILDREN OF GOD 3:1-3 F. SINLESSNESS A RESULT OF CHRIST'S FIRST APPEARING. 3:4-10 1. FIRST ARGUMENT FOR SINLESSNESS BASED ON CHRIST'S FIRST APPEARING 3:4-6 2. SECOND ARGUMENT FOR SINLESSNESS BASED ON CHRIST'S FIRST APPEARING 3:7-9 3. DISTINCTION BETWEEN CHILDREN OF GOD AND CHILDREN OF THE DEVIL 3:10 III. God Is Love 3:11-5:12 A. LOVE ONE ANOTHER - EXAMPLES 3:11-18 1. A. LOVE ONE ANOTHER - NOT LIKE CAIN 3:11-13 2. B. LOVE ONE ANOTHER - A SIGN OF ETERNAL LIFE 3:14-15 3. A'. LOVE ONE ANOTHER - LIKE JESUS 3:16-18 B. ASSURANCE AND CONFIDENCE 3:19-24 1. A. ASSURANCE OF RESIDING IN THE TRUTH 3:19-20 2. B. CONFIDENCE BEFORE GOD AND IN PRAYER 3:21-23 3. A'. ASSURANCE OF RESIDING IN HIM AND HE IN US 3:24 C. TEST THE SPIRITS 4:1-6 1. INTRODUCTION: TEST THE SPIRITS 4:1 2. A. 1ST TEST: WHO IS JESUS 4:2-3 3. B. WE HAVE OVERCOME 4:4 4. A'. 2ND TEST: WHO IS LISTENED TO 4:5-6 D. REASONS TO LOVE ONE ANOTHER 4:7-12 1. LOVE ONE ANOTHER BECAUSE GOD IS LOVE 4:7-8 2. LOVE ONE ANOTHER BECAUSE GOD HAS LOVED US 4:9-11 3. LOVE ONE ANOTHER BECAUSE THIS COMPLETES HIS LOVE IN US 4:12 E. KNOWLEDGE OF RESIDING AND TESTIMONY OF LOVE 4:13-16a F. PERFECTED LOVE 4:16b-21 G. TOUCHSTONE OF THE CHILDREN OF GOD 5:1-5 H. THE TESTIMONY ABOUT JESUS 5:6-12 1. THE TESTIMONY'S WITNESSES 5:6-9 2. THE TESTIMONY'S RESULTS 5:10-12 IV. Closing Remarks 5:13-21 A. CONFIDENCE OF ETERNAL LIFE 5:13 B. CONFIDENCE IN PRAYER 5:14-15 C. BROTHERS IN SIN 5:16-17 D. THREE PROCALAMTIONS OF TRUTH 5:18-20 E. WARNING CONCERNING IDOLS 5:21
notes
Items of Interest
In studying this letter I noticed a number of interesting items, which I have listed here in this note. I. "The one doing such and such is thus and thus" Twelve times John uses the pattern: [article] [participle modifier] [rest of sentence]. These are: 1 John 2:23 1 John 2:29 1 John 3:3 1 John 3:4 1 John 3:6 1 John 3:9 1 John 3:10 1 John 3:15 1 John 4:7 1 John 5:1 1 John 5:4 1 John 5:18 II. "We know" In the letter, John states a number of things that we know (εἴδω). This knowledge comes from the Spirit: 1 John 2:20 A. Here are the things "we know": 1 John 3:2 : When He appears, we will be like Him. 1 John 3:14 : We have passed out of death into life. 1 John 5:18 : The one born of God does not sin. 1 John 5:19 : We are of God. 1 John 5:20 : The Son of God has come and given us understanding. B. Here are the things that "you know": 1 John 2:21 : the truth 1 John 2:29 : He is righteous 1 John 2:29 : Everyone how practices righteousness is born of Him. 1 John 3:5 : He appeared in order to take away sins. 1 John 3:15 : No murderer has eternal life abiding in him. III. False Claims John addresses three false statements in his letter: 1 John 1:6 1 John 1:8 1 John 1:10