[ Inductive Bible Study Note – LA UBF Summer Conference, 2019 ]
1 John 2:18~3:10
18 Dear children, this is the last hour; and as you have heard that the antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come. This is how we know it is the last hour. 19 They went out from us, but they did not really belong to us. For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us; but their going showed that none of them belonged to us 20 But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth. 21 I do not write to you because you do not know the truth, but because you do know it and because no lie comes from the truth. 22 Who is the liar? It is whoever denies that Jesus is the Christ. Such a person is the antichrist - denying the Father and the Son. 23 No one who denies the Son has the Father; whoever acknowledges the Son has the Father also 24 As for you, see that what you have heard from the beginning remains in you. If it does, you also will remain in the Son and in the Father. 25 And this is what he promised us - eternal life 26 I am writing these things to you about those who are trying to lead you astray. 27 As for you, the anointing you received from him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about all things and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit - just as it has taught you, remain in him 28 And now, dear children, continue in him, so that when he appears we may be confident and unashamed before him at his coming 29 If you know that he is righteous, you know that everyone who does what is right has been born of him 1 See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 2 Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. 3 All who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure 4 Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness. 5 But you know that he appeared so that he might take away our sins. And in him is no sin. 6 No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him 7 Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray. The one who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous. 8 The one who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work. 9 No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in them; they cannot go on sinning, because they have been born of God. 10 This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not God’s child, nor is anyone who does not love their brother and sister |
I. General observation (What does the text say?)
The first step in Inductive Bible Study is to get the big picture; to see the forest before the individual trees!
Focus on understanding the overall context and structure. Apply Observation tools selectively to the text situation.
1. Identify a Genre of this chapter
Epistle
2. Big Picture
identified the background, historical context and overall sense of the entire book
Author: Apostle John
Readers: Surrounding Asian churches (possibly the 7 churches of Revelation 2-3)
- already Christian he calls them my little children (NIV: dear children) over and over again.
Date of Writing: A.D. 85~95
Historical Background : Gnosticism
Refer to the 1 John Introduction
3. Factual Study (10 min)
Read whole passage, divide the passage into different paragraphs and make your own subtitle for each paragraph Example) 2:18~23) Warning against antichrists 2:24~29) continue to remain in Jesus 3:1-10) Warning against sinning - Our relationship with God (1-3) - Habitual sin and a relationship with God are incompatible (4-10) |
II. Observe and interpret paragraphs according to following division.
Part I. 2:18~29 (40min)
Part II. 3:1~12 (40min)
Part I. 2:18~29 ( Time limit 40 min total )
Warning against antichrists and Exhortation to remain in Jesus 18 Dear children, this is the last hour; and as you have heard that the antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come. This is how we know it is the last hour. 19 They went out from us, but they did not really belong to us. For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us; but their going showed that none of them belonged to us 20 But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth. 21 I do not write to you because you do not know the truth, but because you do know it and because no lie comes from the truth. 22 Who is the liar? It is whoever denies that Jesus is the Christ. Such a person is the antichrist - denying the Father and the Son. 23 No one who denies the Son has the Father; whoever acknowledges the Son has the Father also 24 As for you, see that what you have heard from the beginning remains in you. If it does, you also will remain in the Son and in the Father. 25 And this is what he promised us - eternal life 26 I am writing these things to you about those who are trying to lead you astray. 27 As for you, the anointing you received from him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about all things and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit - just as it has taught you, remain in him 28 And now, dear children, continue in him, so that when he appears we may be confident and unashamed before him at his coming 29 If you know that he is righteous, you know that everyone who does what is right has been born of him |
1.What are the emphasized or repeated words of the passage?
- emphasized word
ex) The last hour, denies, many,
I do not write to (21), I am writing theses things (26)
- repeated word
- know(6)
- remain(s) in (4) + continue in him (1) (5)
- antichrist(3), truth(3), belong(3)
- Denies(denying) (3), anointing(3)
2. Write down the contrasts and comparisons in the passage.
Christ vs. antichrist
Belong to us vs. didn’t belong to us (19)
lie vs. truth (21)
denies vs. acknowledges(23)
3. Write down the connections.
(If condition, cause & effect etc)
If word remains in me, we will remain in the Son & Father. And eternal life promised. (24)
Continue to remain in him, then we may be confident when he appears.(28)
Everyone who does what is right has been born of him.(29)
4. Write down the main points of this passage.
(Consider the author's flow of thought)
- Warning against antichrists (The danger of false religion: the spirit of Antichrist.) (18~19)
- Identifying the spirit of antichrist. (20~23)
- How can we win the victory over the antichrists that lead people astray?
We should remain in what we have heard from the beginning and the teachings taught to us. (24~29)
5. What are key words and verses?
Remain in Jesus,
Key Verse : (24) As for you, see that what you have heard from the beginning remains in you. If it does, you also will remain in the Son and in the Father.
6. Write down the main thought of the passage in one sentence.
Many deny Jesus as Christ.
Let us continue to remain in Jesus and in the word God until your glorious second coming
7. Interpretation & Application (“What lesson does the passage give to the audience? & How can I apply the text to me?”) 1) Interpretive questions? (The questions that we make to get the lessen from the text) Ex) * Who does today's antichrist mean? * What does John mean “heard from the beginning?” (The unchanging and original gospel. Truth doesn’t change.) * How can we continue to remain in Jesus? 2) Interpretation 3) Apply the text to your life
|
Part II. 3:1~12 ( Time limit 40 min total)
Warning against sinning 1 See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 2 Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. 3 All who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure 4 Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness. 5 But you know that he appeared so that he might take away our sins. And in him is no sin. 6 No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him 7 Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray. The one who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous. 8 The one who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work. 9 No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in them; they cannot go on sinning, because they have been born of God. 10 This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not God’s child, nor is anyone who does not love their brother and sister |
1.What are the emphasized or repeated words of the passage?
- emphasized word
great love (1), in fact (4)
do not let anyone lead you astray
- repeated word
Sin/Sinning(10), Children of God(God’s child) (4)
No one (3), righteous(3)
Him(6) God(8), appear, know(7)
2. Write down the contrasts and comparisons in the passage.
Children of God vs. children of the devil (10)
continue to sin vs. remains in them (9)
law vs lawlessness
sin vs. righteous.
3. Write down the connections.
(If condition, cause & effect etc)
All who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure (3)
= have this hope purify
Everyone who sins breaks the law (4)
= commit sins breaks the law
No one who lives in him keeps on sinning (6)
= not lives in him keeps on sinning
No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in them (9)
= born of God God’s seed remains in them
4. Write down the main points of this passage.
(Consider the author's flow of thought)
(1~3)
We were once children of the devil. But now we became children of God.
What shall we be? We shall see him as glorious and pure as he is.
(4~5)
The nature of sin and Jesus' work in removing our sin.
he might take away our sins
(6~10)
Children of God don't continue to sin, because God's seed remains in them;
they cannot go on sinning, because they have been born of God.
But anyone who does not do what is right, nor love his brother and sister is the devil's child.
* Test : verse 10
Test to distinguish who is the true child of God
5. What are key words and verses
Key word: Children of God can not sin.
Key verse : (9) No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in them; they cannot go on sinning, because they have been born of God.
6. Summarize the author's main thought in one sentence.
Let us have awareness as children of God who have the power to overcome sin.
7. Interpretation & Application (“What lesson does the passage give to the audience? & How can I apply the text to me?”) 1) Interpretive questions? (The questions that we make to get the lessen from the text) * What does it mean verse 9? “God’s seed remains in them; they cannot go on sinning” * Based on verse 9, how can we overcome sin? * Based on verse 10, how can we know that we are true children of God? 2) Interpretation We should use this test to examine our own life to see where we fall short. Examine to see if our heart truly belongs to God. If we find that we are practicing sin, we must fall on our knees before God, repent, and STOP practicing sin. 3) Apply the text to your life
|
III. Let’s share our application in group taking turn.
Copyright © 2024 LA UBF All rights reserved.