Post by foxjj on Jul 9, 2023 16:01:42 GMT
Divinity Of Jesus - First John 1:1-7.
The First Epistle of John has been a great help to me in my understanding of the Preexistent’s and therefore, Divinity of Jesus. It is believed to have been written from Ephesus towards the end of the first century, somewhere between A.D. 85 and 95. John wrote his letter to address heresies common in society, some of which had filtering into the early Church. One of the major heresies was Gnosticism of which carries the meaning of knowledge. The Gnostic's believed spirit was good, and matter, including the flesh, was entirely evil. According to this teaching, man was totally evil giving licence for a sinful lifestyle - believing - what happened in the flesh was expected to be evil. To the Gnostic, The Christ could not become flesh because flesh was wholly evil. Their teaching said that the Christ Spirit borrowed the body of Jesus at the time of his baptism, and departed his body just before the crucifixion. To be saved for the Gnostic, one had to seek Gnosticism, that is; special knowledge.
The opening of First John sets out to proclaim that Jesus - the Christ - was God in the flesh: "1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched—this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. 2 The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. 3 We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. 4 We write this to make our joy complete." - First John 1:1-4. NIV
John gives eye witness testimony that he - along with the disciples - and other eye witnesses of the time, saw and touched the one who was from the beginning. In other words the Preexistent One of which Psalm 90:2 proclaims: "Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the whole world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God." As for the preexistence of The Messiah (The Christ), Micha wrote: "But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times."
In verse 3 John speaks of Fellowship, which comes from the Greek word Koinonia, inferring the spiritual union of believers with Christ as in the example of the vine in John 15:1-5. This fellowship is further explained as a body in 1 Corinthians 12:12-13 and also Colossians 1:18: "And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy." Thus to "have fellowship with us” is to participate with us. John's ultimate desire is that all his readers will know Jesus fully, and experience full Christian fellowship, making “our joy complete”
John continues:
“5 This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. 6 If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin." - 1 John 1:5-7.
The expression 'God is Light,' proclaims the purity of God, opposed to the darkness of sin. In John 3:19-21 we have this proclamation: "19 This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. 20 Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. 21 But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God." What an amazing description of the purity of The Father and The Lord Jesus. Living by the truth of Gods Word brings you and I out of the deception in this world, into The Light of The Truth that exists not only in this life, but also in eternity.
The Fellowship of verse 7 speaks to the spiritual union that believers have with The Father through Jesus Christ, compared to 'walking in the darkness,' which refers to living a life outside of God's forgiveness in Christ Jesus. What do you think walking in the light looks like? I believe John is referring to a moral person living a life dedicated to The Lord Jesus Christ - truthful in all things - ever ready to help one in need, and is faithful in Christian fellowship.
Purified by The Blood of Jesus' can only be understood by those who acknowledge that Jesus Christ has fulfilled the Old Testament practice of blood sacrifice as described in Hebrews 9:11-14: "9 But when Christ came as high priest of the good things that are now already here, he went through the greater and more perfect tabernacle that is not made with human hands, that is to say, is not a part of this creation. 12 He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, thus obtaining eternal redemption. 13 The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that they are outwardly clean. 14 How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!"
We are truly blessed when understanding the fullness of Jesus Christ, who gave himself as an Atonement on our behalf cleansing us from the power of sin and bringing us into His light. Praise His Name.
Today, let us forever give thanks for our Savior.
John Joseph Fox.
The First Epistle of John has been a great help to me in my understanding of the Preexistent’s and therefore, Divinity of Jesus. It is believed to have been written from Ephesus towards the end of the first century, somewhere between A.D. 85 and 95. John wrote his letter to address heresies common in society, some of which had filtering into the early Church. One of the major heresies was Gnosticism of which carries the meaning of knowledge. The Gnostic's believed spirit was good, and matter, including the flesh, was entirely evil. According to this teaching, man was totally evil giving licence for a sinful lifestyle - believing - what happened in the flesh was expected to be evil. To the Gnostic, The Christ could not become flesh because flesh was wholly evil. Their teaching said that the Christ Spirit borrowed the body of Jesus at the time of his baptism, and departed his body just before the crucifixion. To be saved for the Gnostic, one had to seek Gnosticism, that is; special knowledge.
The opening of First John sets out to proclaim that Jesus - the Christ - was God in the flesh: "1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched—this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. 2 The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. 3 We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. 4 We write this to make our joy complete." - First John 1:1-4. NIV
John gives eye witness testimony that he - along with the disciples - and other eye witnesses of the time, saw and touched the one who was from the beginning. In other words the Preexistent One of which Psalm 90:2 proclaims: "Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the whole world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God." As for the preexistence of The Messiah (The Christ), Micha wrote: "But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times."
In verse 3 John speaks of Fellowship, which comes from the Greek word Koinonia, inferring the spiritual union of believers with Christ as in the example of the vine in John 15:1-5. This fellowship is further explained as a body in 1 Corinthians 12:12-13 and also Colossians 1:18: "And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy." Thus to "have fellowship with us” is to participate with us. John's ultimate desire is that all his readers will know Jesus fully, and experience full Christian fellowship, making “our joy complete”
John continues:
“5 This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. 6 If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin." - 1 John 1:5-7.
The expression 'God is Light,' proclaims the purity of God, opposed to the darkness of sin. In John 3:19-21 we have this proclamation: "19 This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. 20 Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. 21 But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God." What an amazing description of the purity of The Father and The Lord Jesus. Living by the truth of Gods Word brings you and I out of the deception in this world, into The Light of The Truth that exists not only in this life, but also in eternity.
The Fellowship of verse 7 speaks to the spiritual union that believers have with The Father through Jesus Christ, compared to 'walking in the darkness,' which refers to living a life outside of God's forgiveness in Christ Jesus. What do you think walking in the light looks like? I believe John is referring to a moral person living a life dedicated to The Lord Jesus Christ - truthful in all things - ever ready to help one in need, and is faithful in Christian fellowship.
Purified by The Blood of Jesus' can only be understood by those who acknowledge that Jesus Christ has fulfilled the Old Testament practice of blood sacrifice as described in Hebrews 9:11-14: "9 But when Christ came as high priest of the good things that are now already here, he went through the greater and more perfect tabernacle that is not made with human hands, that is to say, is not a part of this creation. 12 He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, thus obtaining eternal redemption. 13 The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that they are outwardly clean. 14 How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!"
We are truly blessed when understanding the fullness of Jesus Christ, who gave himself as an Atonement on our behalf cleansing us from the power of sin and bringing us into His light. Praise His Name.
Today, let us forever give thanks for our Savior.
John Joseph Fox.