Unmoveable, Always Abounding

1Cor. 15:58  Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.

In this verse the apostle Paul exhorts us to be both unmovable and on the move in our service for the Lord. How can we be both at the same time? We are to be unmovable in our stand for the truth of the gospel, but at the same time we must be on the move taking the gospel to the lost. The problem with many Christians and churches today is that they focus on one aspect of this and neglect or ignore the other. In other words, some stand for the gospel, but do nothing to take it to the lost while others focus on trying to reach people but compromise truth and water down the gospel in their effort to reach more people. 

The church at Corinth allowed false teachers to come in and move them away from sound doctrine and as a result they were failing in their work for the Lord. In the context Paul rebukes the church at Corinth for listening to those false teachers deny the doctrine of bodily resurrection and provides correction and instruction concerning the matter. The exhortation of v.58 is based on that correction and instruction (“Therefore”). He is saying, “If you have really believed on the risen Christ who died for your sins (vs. 1-18) and you really believe that because He lives we will also be raised up when He comes for us (vs.19-57), then you should be… (v.58). Right doctrine believed in the heart will produce right behavior, but wrong doctrine believed in the heart will produce wrong behavior (v.19, 29-34). Other passages present this same truth (2 Tim. 2:16; Titus 1:1). 

It is God’s will for all believers to be stablished in the faith (Col. 2:7) and then we must be stedfast and unmovable in our stand for the faith (16:13; Phil. 1:27). The faith is the body of truth God has revealed to us in His word. The church is to be the pillar and ground of the truth (1 Tim. 3:15). We must stand for all scripture given by inspiration of God (2 Tim. 3:13-17). More particularly, we must stand for the inspired scripture rightly divided (2:15). Failure to rightly divide the Bible is at the root of all false doctrine in the professing church today. Let’s not just tote a KJB, let’s believe it, study it, practice it, and preach it. 

The gospel of Christ excludes any and all works of man (1 Cor. 15:1-4). The apostle Paul was unmovable in his stand for the gospel of the grace of God (Gal. 1:6-12; 2:5; Phil. 1:17). Paul was always on the move with the gospel (1 Cor. 15:10)! We are not saved by works, but those who are saved should work for the Lord who saved them by his grace (Eph. 2:8-10). Salvation by grace produces fruit (Col. 1:3-6; Titus 2:11-14). False teachers slander the gospel of the grace of God by calling it a "license to sin" (Rom. 6:1-2). 

We who have believed the gospel have a heavenly hope (Col. 1:5; 1 Cor. 15:42-52). Christ coming secretly at any moment (BEFORE the Trib.) to rapture us up to heaven to be glorified with Him is our hope. We must not allow anything to move us away from this hope (Col. 1:20-29). Many fundamentalists are being moved away from this hope. They are no longer looking for Christ from heaven, but the antichrist from earth. Being unmovable in this hope should cause us always abound in the work of the Lord! 

The world, the flesh, and the devil are always seeking to move us away from truth and our service for Christ and in these last days of apostasy many are being moved (1 Tim. 4:1). If Paul could keep the faith (2 Tim. 4:7), we can too by the grace of God (Acts 20:17-24; 2 Tim. 1:7-15). How can we stand in this evil day? We must put on the whole armor of God  (Eph. 6:10-20). 

The key to right movement is right motivation. Webster’s 1828 dictionary defines the word motive as “That which incites to action; that which determines the choice, or moves the will.” In 2 Cor. 5 the apostle Paul revealed his motives for ministry: the coming of Christ (vs.1-8); the judgment seat of Christ (vs.9-11); the love of Christ (vs.12-15); the commission of Christ (vs.16-21). It was these motives that caused Paul to be unmovable and yet always on the move. 

Guiding Principles to Live By

1 Corinthians is a letter of reproof and correction in which Paul plainly and directly addresses problems that he had heard about in this church. He also answers questions they had written to him about. Apparently they did not bring up the problems in their letter because Paul heard about them from others (1:11; 5:1). Before he answers their questions he deals with the problems and gets to the root of it all (3:1-3). 

There are basically 3 kinds of people:

1. The natural (2:14) – those without the Spirit

2. The spiritual (2:15-16) – those in the Spirit that also walk in the Spirit

3. The carnal (3:1-3) – those in the Spirit that walk after the flesh

Notice that Paul calls the carnal “babes in Christ." One of the identifying marks of a carnal person is spiritual immaturity. One of the ways this immaturity shows up is in the inability to judge (6:1-5). It also shows up in making self the #1 issue (8:1). On the other hand, one of the identifying marks of a spiritual person is spiritual maturity. One of the ways this maturity shows up is in the ability to judge (5:3). It also shows up in putting Christ and others before yourself (8:13). In chapter 9 Paul explains why he so often DENIED himself! 

All believers have the position of adopted sons (Gal. 4:1-7). The Spirit within our hearts makes this position in Christ real to us as we grow in the faith. Children must have many regulations to guide them because they do not have the ability to make proper decisions on their own. Mature people are discerning and do not need everything spelled out for them. Compare the detailed rules of the law with the spiritual principles of Paul’s epistles. 

In chapters 6-10 Paul gives key principles that will guide the believer in always making the best decision (Phil. 1:9-11). It is apparent that the church at Corinth was making poor choices. For example, there was dispute over doubtful things like eating meat offered to idols. Some thought it was sinful just to eat the meat. Others knew it was not a sin but did not care about their weaker brothers. Spirituality is to have knowledge WITH charity! Paul shows that though it is not a sin to eat that meat it may not be the best thing to do (8:8-9). It is possible to do something that in and of itself is not sinful but if it is done with the wrong attitude is becomes sinful (8:12). 

1. Is it expedient? (6:12a)

Expedient - Literally, hastening; urging forward. Hence, tending to promote the object proposed; fit or suitable for the purpose; proper under the circumstances. Many things may be lawful, which are not expedient. The word expedient is similar to expedite. Will it be profitable for us on our journey in Christian growth (Phil. 3:12-14)? Anything that hinders your Christian growth needs to be laid aside, whether it is a sin or not (Heb. 12:1). 

2. Can it bring me under bondage? (6:12b)

We must not mess with anything that has the potential to enslave us in the flesh. How can we serve Christ if we are serving something else (Rom. 6:12-23)?     

3. Will it be a stumblingblock to others? (8:9) 

What about the weaker brethren (Rom. 14:13-23)? Will it hinder the gospel (9:12, 23)?

4. Is it spiritually edifying? (10:23)

To edify is to build up. Will it help build up the new man (Acts 20:32)?

5. Does it glorify God? (10:31)

If you know the scriptures, you will know what glorifies God. Can you do it as to the Lord and in His name (Col. 3:17, 23)?

If we will honestly ask ourselves these five questions when making a decision, we will know what to do. 

Christ is ALL

Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond norfree: but Christ is all, and in all. (Col. 3:11)

In the modern day preaching of a watered down gospel we hear clichés preached more than scriptural truth. One such cliché that we often hear is, “Let Jesus come into your life”. The unscriptural idea behind this cliché is that the Lord Jesus Christ desires to blend in to your identity and assist you in the life that you want to lead. In other words, He just wants to make your life better so that you can have, “Your best life now." That is the title of a book written by the popular motivational speaker Joel Osteen. In that book he wrote, “God wants to make your life easier. He wants to assist you, to promote you, to give you advantages. He wants you to receive preferential treatment.” I am sure that he has the bumper sticker that says, “God is my co-pilot” on his Rolls Royce. 

Many will let Jesus be a part of their life if it means He will help them accomplish their dreams and then take them to heaven when they die. Modern evangelism is man-centered instead of Christ-centered. It appeals to the selfish and religious nature of man. Everybody in their right mind wants to go to heaven when they die and they will gladly say a prayer to receive that ticket to heaven. But not everybody wants to be saved from sin and reconciled to God, nor are they willingly to trust Christ alone for salvation. False preachers claim that Jesus wants to come into your life and become your servant. The Bible declares that salvation is regeneration (new life) and that believers are God’s servants. 

Nowhere does the Bible teach that Jesus wants to become part of our life! The teaching of scripture is that when Christ saves us, He becomes our life (Col. 3:1-4; Phil. 1:21; Gal. 2:20)! Immediately upon salvation we are all baptized by one Spirit into one body of which Christ is the Head. We are in Him and He is in us by the Spirit. He is our identity (1 Cor. 12:12-13). 

In v.11, the apostle Paul is saying that earthly distinctions mean NOTHING when it comes to our standing before God. Under the Law dispensation being a law-keeping Jew gave you an advantage over the Gentiles and a standing before God that they did not have. BUT NOW, in this present dispensation of GRACE, that is all done away with. Nothing we are or can do gives us any standing before God because our standing is IN CHRIST alone (2 Cor. 5:16-17; Gal. 3:27-28). ALL members of the body of Christ have the same complete and perfect standing before God. 

Christ is ALL! The name “Christ” is used 26 times and the word “all” is used 32 times in this short epistle (15 are direct references to Christ, e.g., 1:19; 2:3, 9). Colossians was written to correct false doctrine that detracts from the supremacy and all-sufficiency of Christ as the Head of the Church and the blessed truth that all believers are complete in Him. For example, Paul warns against a mystical philosophy that claims superior knowledge, denies the incarnation of Christ, and teaches works-based salvation. In the first main passage of this epistle he declares the preeminence of Christ (1:18, not first among other competing things but superiority over all things). Christ is more than first in the body, He is everything! Without Him, we are nothing. If you take Christ out of the true church it does not and cannot exist! That’s why in the church Christ alone must receive all the glory (Eph. 3:21). There is NO true wisdom and knowledge that is found outside of Him (2:3). 

Let's consider some specific things mentioned in this epistle in which Christ is all.

I. Christ is ALL in Creation (Col. 1:16) 

If you take Christ out of creation, nothing would exist! This is a vital truth because it means that Christ is the Creator and not a creature. Jesus Christ is God and this truth is constantly under attack. False teachers try to use Col. 1:15 to prove that Christ was created, but it actually proves the opposite! He is the visible image of the invisible God. This means that He is God in a visible body. The title of “firstborn” is one of rank and authority (Ps. 89:27). He was not the firstborn AMONG every creature but ABOVE every creature, i.e. He has superiority over every creature because He is the Creator (also firstborn of the Spirit and from the dead). 

“Firstborn of every creature” – (v.16-17 explains v.15) He is the Head over creation because:

A. By Him were all things created (Gen. 1:26; John 1:1-3; Eph. 3:9)

B. All things were made for Him (Rev. 4:10-11)

C. He is before all things (Rev. 1:8; Isa. 44:6)  

D. By Him all things consist (Psalm 75:3; Heb. 1:1-3)

All this proves the deity of Christ. He is all-powerful. In creation we know something of God’s power (Rom. 1:20). 

II. Christ is ALL in Revelation (Col. 1:28; 2:8-10)

We don’t preach dead philosophy but a living PERSON! To take Christ out of the Bible would leave you with no Bible at all! He is central in the Bible and is found in every one of its 66 books. He is found in the first verse of the Bible (Gen.1:1 has 44 letters, 17 vowels, and 27 consonants) and in the last verse (Rev. 22:21 has 44 letters, 17 vowels, and 27 consonants). We see God’s power in creation, but we can only know His truth through the divine revelation of His word. To know Christ is to know truth, it is to know God (1 Jn. 5:20). Creation is a partial revelation of God, but the word of God is His perfect revelation (Ps. 19). 

The Bible presents many different personalities, but its purpose is to reveal one main person, the Lord Jesus Christ. The Bible is God's perfect revelation of Himself to man. Bullinger wrote, “The one great subject which runs through the whole Word of God is Christ: the promised seed of Gen. 3:15. This verse marks the depth of the ruin into which man had descended in the fall; and it becomes the foundation of the rest of the Bible. All hope for man and for creation is centered in Christ; who in due time should be born into the world, should suffer and die; and, in resurrection, should become the head of a new creation, and should finally crush the head of the Old Serpent, who had brought in all the ruin. Christ, therefore, the King, and the Kingdom which He should eventually set up become the one great subject which occupies the whole of the Word of God. Hence, He is the key to the Divine revelation in the Word; and apart from Him it cannot be understood. The contents of the Bible must therefore be seen and arranged with reference to Him. The counsels and purposes of God are all centered in Christ.” 

The Son of God is called the Word of God (Rev. 19:13) because He reveals and declares the Father (Jn. 1:1-3, 14, 18). Yet, what would we know of the Son of God apart from the written word of God? The written word of God reveals and declares both the Father and the Son and it was given by the Spirit's inspiration and only understood by His illumination. God has revealed Himself through the incarnate Word and the inspired word. Both are given the same titles and attributes. 

 

Jesus Christ is CENTRAL in the Scripture (OT - Lk. 24:27, 44; NT - Jn. 14:26; 16:12-14):

• OT - Preparation - promises, prophecies, and pictures of the coming Christ

• Gospels - Manifestation - Fourfold presentation of the person and work of Christ    

• Acts - Propagation - "they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ" 

• Epistles - Explanation - doctrine and application concerning what Christ accomplished 

• Revelation - Consummation - purposes of God in and through Christ consummated 

  

Jesus Christ is the King and God purposes to establish His Kingdom on the earth:

•   OT - The King and His Kingdom promised and prophesied

•   Gospels - The King and His Kingdom presented and rejected

•  Acts - The King and His Kingdom offered and rejected (transition away from kingdom)

•   Pauline Epistles - The King in royal exile, Head of one new spiritual man, Kingdom postponed

•   Hebrew Epistles - The King and His Kingdom once again anticipated

•   Revelation - The King returns and His Kingdom is established 

Revelation is progressive. God gave the scripture over a 1,500 year period and it covers God’s dealings with man for all of human history. In this age there is only one gospel, but in different ages God has given man different messages of good news. How can a holy and righteous God offer ANY good news to unholy and unrighteous sinners? The answer is the “mystery of the gospel” (Eph. 6:19, i.e. secret). The full meaning of what Christ accomplished through His death, burial, and resurrection was purposed and planned by the Godhead before the world began, but was kept secret until Christ from Heaven revealed it through His chosen instrument, the apostle Paul. This demonstrates God’s great wisdom (Col. 1:25-2:3). 

III. Christ is ALL in Salvation (Col. 2:10)

Take Christ out of salvation and there is no salvation available to sinners! We know of God’s power through creation. We know of His truth and wisdom through revelation. We can know His love and grace through salvation! Either your salvation is all of Christ or you are not saved at all. We are saved by grace through faith plus NOTHING (Eph. 2:8-9). There is NOTHING more to it! To add ANYTHING to the finished work of Christ is to pervert the gospel of grace!

The apostle Paul called the message that He received by revelation of Christ the gospel of the grace of God. What is the BASIS for this grace? It is God’s riches at Christ’s expense (preaching of the cross). 

Col. 1:14; 20-22:

A. Redemption – to buy back with a price (sin, death, hell, Satan)

B. Forgiveness – all sins removed from God’s sight (2:13)

C. Peace – were enemies, now members of His body (Rom. 5:1)

D. Reconciliation – made right with God

E. Justification – declared righteous (holy, unblameable, unreproveable) 

How do we receive salvation (Col. 1:4)? How do we live the Christian life (2:6)? By faith we depend fully on Him. 

Christ is all, but is this truth real in our HEARTS? 

Revelation

Revelation is the most feared book in the Bible. Many claim that it is impossible to understand, which is ironic in light of its title. It is the Apocalypse (unveiling), not the Apocrypha (hidden)! The purpose of the the book is to reveal, not conceal. The problem is not that men can't understand it, it's that they won't believe it! Like the rest of the Bible, this book is to be taken literally for exactly what it says. When symbols and figures are used we must rely on the word of God to interpret them. 

There are 3 main schools of thought about Revelation:

1) Preterist - This false view teaches that the events recorded in Revelation describe the problems and persecutions of the church during the times the book was written. 

2) Historic - This false view teaches that the events recorded in Revelation describe the history of the church. I also disagree with the view that chapters 1-3 are historical while 4-22 are prophetic.

3) Futurist - This is the correct view of the book. It teaches that book is what it claims to be, a "prophecy" (1:3). The whole book is futuristic (1:10).  

Most commentaries teach that this book was written in about 95 A.D. There is no way to prove that from scripture. It doesn't really matter when it was written because the events recorded in it will take place in the future (I believe it was written during the Acts period). We can get a good idea of what this book is all about by considering some things in the first chapter. 

 The Introduction (1:1-3)

Notice that this book was given to “shew” God's servants "things which must shortly come to pass.” For those to whom the apostle John is writing, the fulfillment of all that  is written in this book was "at hand" (v.3; 22:6-10, 20). Therefore, John could not have written this book to the Body of Christ which is not the subject of prophecy (Revelation called “prophecy” five times), but the mystery revealed through Paul. Its been almost 2,000 years since he wrote it and it has not been fulfilled. We are living in a parenthetic dispensation in which prophecy concerning Israel is not being fulfilled. What does it mean that the Lord "signified" this book? He made it known by signs (1 Cor. 1:22). Would we be blessed by keeping the things written in this book (compare 22:14 with Eph. 1:3)? Is the instruction in 14:9-12 something that we must keep? 

 The Salutation (1:4-6) 

This brief salutation is full of doctrinal truth. Notice the Trinity (three in one). The word “Trinity” is not in the Bible, but the doctrine certainly is (1 Jn. 5:7). The “us” in v.5-6 refers to John and his brothers (Jews) and companions in TRIBULATION (v.9). Yes, Christ loves us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, but nowhere in Paul’s epistles do we learn that He has made the Body of Christ to be kings and priests to reign on earth. John is referring to what Christ will do for Israel, whom He has loved with an “everlasting love” (Jer. 31:3), upon His revelation (v.7). They will be washed from their sins as nation (Acts 3:19; Rom. 11:26-27; Zech. 12:9-10; 13:1; 1 Pet. 1:1-21) and made to be kings and priests on the earth (Rev. 2:26-27; 3:21; 5:10; 20:4; Ex. 19:5-6; Isa. 61:6; 1 Pet. 2:5,9).

 The Theme of the Book (v.7-8)

The main theme of the book is the revelation of Jesus Christ. This does not describe the rapture of the Body of Christ. 

• He cometh - He is presently hidden away as it were in the third heaven at the right hand of the Father. He will be revealed with great power and glory from heaven and come back to earth.

• with clouds – Clouds were associated with God’s presence in OT (Ex. 40:33-34, man cannot look upon His glory). He ascended in a cloud and is coming in like manner (Acts 1:9-12; Zech. 14:4). 

• and every eye shall see him – This will be a public and visible return to earth (Matt. 24:29-30).

• and they also which pierced him – Israel (Zech. 12:10)

• and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him – Why (19:11)? 

 The Opening Vision (vs.9-20) 

John saw the glorified Son of Man as the coming King and Judge. This vision is the major theme of the book. Here is the One that is going to be revealed from Heaven (19:11-16)!

How could John be a companion to the tribulation saints? He witnessed the whole tribulation and will be resurrected to enter the kingdom with those that endure it. They must patiently endure the tribulation before the kingdom comes (Lk. 21:19; Jam. 5:7-11; 14:12). Why was John in the isle of Patmos? Tradition says he was banished there by the Roman Emperor in 95 A.D. and that while there God gave him the revelation. Everything we need to understand the Bible is contained in the Bible. The Bible interprets itself. John plainly stated why he was there (v.2, 9). God sent him there to receive this revelation (probably during Acts period) just like He sent Paul into Arabia to receive revelations for this present age. 

If we don’t understand v.10 it will greatly hinder our understanding of the whole book. What did John mean by, “I was in the Spirit”? Every believer is in the Spirit (Rom. 8:9), but that is not what is being referred to here. John was in the Spirit in the same sense that this phrase is used throughout the book of Revelation (4:2; 17:3; 21:10). The Holy Spirit transported him to the future day of the Lord to be a witness and write what he saw. God did this for other prophets (Ezek. 37:1, in 40-48 he saw the future temple). 

Many refer to Sunday as the Lord’s day, but the Bible never does. The “Lord’s day” is the same thing as the “day of the Lord” which is mentioned 29 times in the Bible. It is the day that the Lord judges the earth in great wrath (Isa. 13:6-13). The Lord’s day is a prophetic period of time in which includes the 70th week of Daniel, the second coming of Christ, His millennial reign, the last battle with Satan, the renovation of the heavens and earth with fire, and the great white throne judgment. The book of Revelation reveals this day in great detail. It stands in contrast with this present age in which man is having his day. 

It is important to understand that the whole book of Revelation was sent to the seven churches for their instruction, and not just the seven letters in chapters 2-3. Why these seven churches? They are representative churches of all the tribulation saints (number of completion, “what the Spirit saith unto the churches”). Why churches in Asia and not Israel? They are scattered outside the land in the tribulation period (Jam. 1:1). 

The word “seven” and “seventh” are used 59 times in Revelation and there are many sets of sevens (churches, Spirits (1:4), golden candlesticks (1:12), stars (1:16), lamps of fire (4:5), seals (5:1), angels (8:2), trumpets (8:2), thunders (10:3), plagues (15:1), vials (17:1), and kings (17:10). This book is the completion of the prophetic program. Seven is a very important number in God’s dealings with Israel (7 feasts, 70x7 in Dan. 9). 

Christ told John that he was to write concerning three things (v.19):

1) The things which thou hast seen (1) – The vision of Christ

2) The things which are (2-20) – the Lord’s day 

3) The things which shall be hereafter (21-22) – eternal state 

Jude

This little epistle of 25 verses and 613 words was written either by the apostle Judas (Lk. 6:16; Acts 1:13) or the Lord’s brother (Matt. 13:55). It seems that the writer distinguishes himself from the 12 apostles (compare 2 Pet. 3:2 with Jude 17). It was written during the Acts period and it is written to the same people that the other Hebrew epistles are written to; the kingdom saints. It is easy to read the Body of Christ into v.1, but what about v.21 (compare Rom. 8:35-39)? The kingdom saints are also said to be sanctified (Jn. 17:17) and preserved (Jn. 17:11-12). God will keep them IF they keep themselves in His love by keeping His commandments (Jn. 15:1-10). 

The theme of this epistle is stated in vs.3-4. The “common salvation” refers to the salvation which was spoken by the Lord in His earthly ministry concerning the “world to come” (Heb. 2:3-5). The tribulation saints must contend for the faith against the apostate teachers that Satan will plant among them (wolves in sheep’s clothing, tares among the wheat). The false teachers will try to add to and take away from the faith that was once delivered (Rev. 22:18-19). It is “the faith” that was spoken of by the prophets, Christ in His earthly ministry (Jam. 2:1), and His 12 apostles. This is distinct from the “one faith” (Eph. 4:5) that was revealed through Paul for the Body of Christ in this present age. 

I. Introduction (vs.1-2)

II. Purpose of the letter (vs.3-4)

III. Past examples of God judging apostasy (vs.5-7)

        A. Israel in the wilderness (v.5)

        B. Fallen angels (v.6)

        C. Sodom and Gomorrah (v.7) 

IV. Portrait of apostates (vs.8-19) – about 30 marks to identify them 

V. Prevention of apostasy (vs.20-25)

        A. Building (v.20)

        B. Praying (v.20)

        C. Keeping (v.21)

        D. Looking (v.21) 

        E. Reaching (vs.22-23)

        F. Trusting (vs.24-25)

There are many triplets in this epistle:

1) Sanctified, preserved, called (v.1)

2) Mercy, peace, love (v.2)

3) Ungodly, turning, denying (v.4)

4) The people, angels, the cities (vs.5-7)

5) Defile, despise, speak evil (v.8)

6) Cain, Balaam, Core (v.11)

7) Spots, clouds, trees (v.12)

8) Fruitless trees, raging waves, wandering stars (vs.12-13)

9) Murmurers, complainers, boasters (v.16)

10)   Separatists, sensual, not the Spirit (v.19) 

Epistles of John

God inspired the apostle John to write five books of the NT (only Paul wrote more). Although his name appears nowhere in these epistles, that he is the writer is easily seen by comparing them with the Gospel of John and Revelation. For example, John is the only writer who calls Christ the “Word” (Jn. 1:1, 14; 1 Jn. 1:1; 5:7; Rev. 19:13). The three epistles are written in the same style and the latter two illustrate the doctrine of the first. 

The name John corresponds to the OT name Jonah, which means “a dove”. John was the son of Zebedee, a fisherman on the Sea of Galilee, and was the younger brother of James. The brothers worked with their father until Christ called them. They were two of the twelve apostles that Christ chose on earth and sent to Israel with the gospel of the kingdom (Matt. 19:28). Peter, James, and John are often referred to as the “inner circle” because Christ seemed to set them apart from the twelve. He is known as the beloved disciple because in his gospel he often referred to himself as the disciple whom Jesus loved. 

We have literally no information as to the dates of his writing outside of his own epistles. No one can help us. Neither ancient writers, nor modern critics, can tell us anything beyond what we can read for ourselves in John’s own writings. All else is conjecture. It is commonly believed that all of his writings were written very late in the first century and were the last books to be written (85-95 AD). There is absolutely no biblical proof to support that claim. The gospel of John was written before the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD (Jn. 5:2). Tradition says that John was exiled by the Roman emperor to the isle of Patmos in 95 AD, but that is not why John said he was there (Rev. 1:9). It is my opinion that John wrote all of his books during the Acts period and that Paul is the one who wrote the last books (Col. 1:25). 

The first epistle is not addressed to anyone in particular as the other two are (2 Jn. 1; 3 Jn. 1). John calls his readers “little children” nine times in his first epistle. I believe that he wrote to the children of the kingdom (Matt. 18:1-14; Jn. 13:33). In the transition period of the book of Acts there were two distinct groups of believers (kingdom church and the Body of Christ) and one was fading out while the other was fading in. As late as Acts 15 it is clear that John’s ministry was still to the circumcision (Gal. 2:9) and there is no evidence that ever changed (3 Jn. 7; Jam. 1:1; 1 Pet. 1:1). John’s epistles as well as all the Hebrew epistles have a future application to the Jewish tribulation saints (2:18, 28). 

 

John plainly states some of the reasons that he wrote this first epistle: 1:3-4; 2:1, 26; 5:13. He emphasizes KNOWING the truth (33 times). Throughout the epistle John draws stark contrasts:

 Light vs. Darkness (1:5)

 Righteousness vs. Wickedness (3:10) 

 Love vs. Hatred (3:14-15)

 Truth vs. Error (4:6)

What was the first sign Christ gave when His disciples asked Him about the sign of His coming and the end of the world (Matt. 24:3-5)? I believe that his main purpose in this epistle is to exalt Christ (Jn. 20:30-31) and expose the antichrist (4 times; “wicked one”, 4 times). There is an emphasis on believing that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God who already came in the flesh (1:1-3; 4:1-3). John also writes to show the difference between their followers (3:10).  He gives a series of tests (“hereby we know”) to discern the wheat from the tares (Matt. 13:36-43). He often uses the expression, “If we say” or “He that saith” (ex: 1:6, 8, 10; 2:4, 6, 9; 4:20). The little word “if” is a key word (21 times). 

2 and 3 John are the two shortest books in the Bible (13 and 14 verses). They are very similar in style and were obviously written by the same writer who wrote 1 John. They are like appendixes to 1 John. The doctrine of 1 John is applied to the home (2 John 10) and the local assembly (3 John 9-10). The dispensational setting is the same as 1 John. It is aimed primarily at the tribulation saints living on the last days of Israel’s prophetic kingdom program. Of course, as with all scripture, there are applications for us. 

The theme of 2 John is walking in the truth (v.4). 

I. Introduction and greeting (vs.1-3)

II. Commendation for walking in the truth (v.4)

III. Commandment to love one another (vs.5-6)

IV. Cautions concerning false teachers (vs.7-11)

V. Conclusion and greeting (vs.12-13)

John writes his third epistle to a faithful kingdom saint named Gaius. In this letter he mentioned two other men (Diotrephes and Demetrius), one evil and the other good (1 Jn. 3:10). Evidently they were both leaders in the same church. John had written a letter to their church and sent it with certain brethren. They were rejected by Diotrephes but received by Gaius and Demetrius. 

I. Introduction (v.1)

II. Gaius (vs.2-8)

III. Diotrephes (vs.9-11)

IV. Demetrius (vs.12)

V.     Conclusion and Greetings (vs.13-14)

2 Peter

The apostle Peter wrote this second epistle to the same group as the first epistle (3:1). Both of Peter’s epistles were written to the scattered Jewish believers to remind them of the words of the prophets and the 12 apostles concerning the last days and the coming of the Lord (3:1-4). In his first epistle he speaks of the coming of the Lord as being “at hand” (4:7). In this epistle he knows that it has been postponed due to the longsuffering of the Lord (3:9). The difference is that between the writing of his two epistles he came to know some things about Paul’s ministry (3:15-16; 1 Tim. 1:16). 

By the time Peter wrote this epistle, Paul had already written a number of his. Paul wrote Galatians, 1 & 2 Thessalonians, Romans, and 1 & 2 Corinthians during the Acts period. The saints recognized his writings as scripture (2 Tim. 3:16; 2 Pet. 3:16). Some try to use v.15 to prove that Paul wrote the epistle to the Hebrews. However, not everything Paul wrote was scripture. For example, he wrote an epistle to the Corinthians before he wrote 1 Corinthians (1 Cor. 5:9). All of the epistles that he wrote by inspiration of God are preserved in the Bible and they all start with his name (2 Thess. 3:17). Peter wrote this epistle not long before his death (1:12-15; Jn. 21:18-19). I think that it was likely written toward the end of the Acts period, in the early 60’s AD. 

Just because Peter knew of Paul’s ministry does not mean that he changed his. He continued as an apostle to the circumcision and wrote his last epistle to confirm that their prophetic kingdom program will be fulfilled (1:10-21; 3:8-14). 

The key word of this epistle is “knowledge” (1:2-3, 5-6, 8; 2:20; 3:18 = 7x’s). It begins and ends with a reference to the knowledge of God (1:1-4; 3:17-18). That knowledge is to be fruitful (vs.5-11) and based on the truth of God’s word (vs.16-21). As a faithful shepherd, Peter writes to warn the sheep against false teachers (2:1) and scoffers (3:3). It is possible for them to “fall” (1:10; 3:17) if they don’t overcome the deception of the last days (2:18-22). 

I. Knowledge of the Truth (1)

II. Warning Against False Teachers (2) 

III. The Day of the Lord will Come (3)

For emphasis, the Lord inspired both Peter and Jude to write a similar description of false teachers (compare 2 Pet. 2 with Jude). Satan will plant many wolves in sheep’s clothing among the godly remnant of Israel in an effort to lead them astray (Matt. 7:15). It will be absolutely vital for the little flock to identify the deceivers for who they really are. 

Peter was the leading apostle to the circumcision and Paul was the apostle to the Gentiles. Although given distinct ministries, there are similarities between them (ex: same miracles recorded in Acts). It is interesting to compare their last epistles. For example:

 Both are written with a knowledge of impending death (2 Tim. 4:6; 2 Pet. 1:14)

 Both speak of the supernatural origin of the scriptures (2 Tim. 3:16; 2 Pet. 1:21)

 Both warn of apostasy in the last days (2 Tim. 3:1; 2 Pet. 3:3) – different last days 

 Both warn against false teachers (2 Tim. 2:16-18; 3:6-9, 13; 4:3-4; 2 Pet. 2).