1 John - Chapter 2

1 John 2 notes
v1 - don't sin, but if you do - we have an advocate (Jesus) with the Father
v2 - He is the propitiation for our sins and for those of the whole world.
(but, presumably we need to know him?)
v3 - we know that we have come to know him (examine yourself?) - if we keep his commandments (what are they?)
v4 - if you say "I know him" but do not keep his commandements - you're lying,
v5 but if you keep his word (his word = his commandments?) - the love of God is perfected in you (what is the love of God? - if keeping his word = keeping his
commandments, the love of God should be linked to 'coming to know him' in v3)
vv5-6 - we may be sure that we are in him (cf v3 - may know that we know him) - if you say you abide in him, you should walk as he walked.

v7 - commandment isn't new, but old, from the beginning - the word you have already heard (old as in OT? is this making the point that 'the life made manifest' is
the fulfilment of Scripture?)
v8 - but something is changing - the darkness is leaving, and the 'true' light (what is the false light?) already shining.
vv9-11 - brother-haters are in the darkness, blinded by the darkness and don't know where they are going (they can't see!)
Brother-lovers abide (contrast abide and is) in the light and have no cause for stumbling.

vv12-14 - writing to little children / fathers / young men

vv15-17
loving the world vs. the love of the Father being in him
desires of the flesh, eyes, pride in possessions vs. doing the will of God
world passing away vs. abiding forever

vv18-26
Antichrists were among us, but were not 'of us'. They deny Father and Son. Whoever denies the Son, does not have the Father. Truth is that Jesus is the Christ

(as the liar denies this).
'You' have been anointed by the Holy One, have knowledge, know the truth. Let what you have heard from the beginning (when is the beginning?) abide in you - if

so, you will abide in the Son and the Father - eternal life.
v26 - The anointing - abides in you, you don't need anyone to teach you (?? why then are there teachers - Eph 4?), his anointing teaches you about everything -
the anointing (itself?) is true and is no lie. Abide in him.

vv28-29
Abide in him - so that we may be confident when he appears and not shrinking/ashamed.
If you know that he is righteous (what does this mean?) - you may be sure that everyone who practices righteousness has been born of him.

Thoughts:
Abide!
Light, darkness
Commandment that you have heard from the beginning

1 John - Chapter 1

1 John 1

v1 - experienced with 3 of the 5 senses (can you smell and taste that which they've seen?)
v2 - what was it? the life made manifest = the eternal life = was with the Father = was made manifest
v3 - can be proclaimed, proclaiming will lead to fellowship with them, their fellowship is already with the Father and his Son (is this because they have seen the life?)
v4 - joy would be complete (if you have fellowship with them?)

v5 - there is a message: God is light and not at all dark.
v6 - cannot have fellowship with him and walk in darkness.
v7 - walk in the light, have fellowship with one another, and Jesus' blood cleanses us from all sin.

What is walking in darkness? Not 'sinning' per se - as this seems to be included within v7 - you can walk in the light and Jesus' blood cleanses from all sin..

ah yes,
v8 - lying if you say you have no sin.
v9 - we confess our sins - He is faithful and forgives us and cleanses us (is confessing part of walking in the light - the result is the same).
v10 - we really shouldn't say that we have not sinned..... that makes him a liar.

2 John

2 John notes

vv1-2 - who is the lady? (is it a church) - John loves her 'in truth', as do all who 'know the truth', because 'of the truth' which abides in John/those who know.. and will remain forever.
v3 - unusual greeting - rather than grace, mercy etc. to you - it says with us.
v4 - finding the children walking in the truth is a cause for rejoicing.
v4 - we (who is we? them then, or me now as well?) were commanded to 'walk in the truth'
v5 - loving one another is not new ... it is the commandment we have had from the beginning....
v6 - we should walk according to his commandments
v6 - we should walk in the commandment (to love one another v5b). Love is walking according to his commandments. Loving one another is the commandment. We should walk in this commandment.

v7 - deceivers do not confess the coming of Jesus Christ in the flesh.
v8 - watch out - there is something to lose, and (much) to gain. (what can you lose?)
v9 - if you do not abide in the teaching of Christ, you do not have God (abide is quite a strong word - it feels stronger than 'remain' - closer to dwelling - hence abiding in your abode). If you abide in the teaching - you have both Father and son.
v10 - the lady should not receive into her house (n.b. if lady = church, house = church building? is this a jump too far?) those who do not bring this teaching. Even greeting them = taking part in his wicked works.

v12 - greetings --- seeing each other in person is best. Paper and ink second best. A note for the age of the Internet.
v13 - the children of your elect sister greet you. (Does this lend support for lady = church? - otherwise, would suggest that John knows the sister of the lady to whom he is writing).

What is the truth?
- you can love in it (v1)
- it is something you can know (v1)
- it is something which is in people (v2)
- it is something permanent (v2)
- it is linked to God the Father and Jesus Christ - they can provide grace, mercy and peace - in truth and love (v3)
- you can walk in it (v4)
- love is walking according to his commandments (v6)
- you can also walk in the commandment to love one another (vv5-6)

It can be in you, and you can love and walk (be?) in it.

3 John

3 John notes

v1 to Gaius
v2 general greetings - all go well/good health/with your soul (i..e not just the soul)
v3 interesting phrase - testified to your truth / as indeed you are walking in the truth - 'your truth' being something separate from walking in the truth? is this saying that they are (in a sense) true/truth (not intending to equate with John 18:38 because that would be to equate them with Someone far greater)
vv3-4 - John rejoices greatly / has no greater joy. Appln: - sthg to give thanks for?

v5 Gaius is faithful in 'his efforts for these brothers' - they are strangers - going out for the sake of the name (interesting that 'the name', not 'His name'/'name of Christ' etc.).
v8 - therefore we ought to support people like these. Therefore (therefore look back to see cause for conclusion) - they are going out for the sake of the name, accepting nothing from the Gentiles. This enables us to be fellow workers for the truth.
v9 - John has also written to the church (is this 1 John/2 John?) - but Diotrephes does not acknowledge our (who is with John?, or is this John and Gaius?) authority (why is this important? does this mean that D. wouldn't read out the letter?).
v10- D talks wicked nonsense, refuses to welcome the brothers (ppl in particular?), stops people who want to, and puts them out of the church!!
v11 - imitate good.
v12 - who is Demetrius? how can he receive a good testimony from everyone and from the truth itself (how can the truth testify?)

vv13-15 - closing greetings.

Thoughts:
Truth is mentioned several times
v1 - John loves Gaius in truth
v3a - the brothers testify to 'your' truth (you singular)
v3b - he is walking in the truth
v4 - John is joyful when he hears that his children are walking in truth
v8 - to support people 'like these' is to be fellow workers for 'the truth'
v12 - the truth gives Demetrius a good testimony

Jude

Notes on Jude, should they be of any interest to anyone.

Jude

v3 - wanted to write about common salvation ... but instead must urge them to contend for the faith
v4 - how have people crept in 'unnoticed'? is the church not alert? Who are these people - they are those who 'pervert grace' into sensuality (hints of licence to sin - Romans 5/6 ish?) - ah, but they also deny Christ (and would it be easier to spot the latter? presumably not - otherwise they wouldn't be unnoticed and Jude wouldn't have had to write to them - so what would this look like?)
v5 - they used to 'fully know', but now need to be reminded. What does it mean to 'fully know'?
v5 - Jesus saved a people out of the land of Egypt .... hang on, Jesus wasn't born until the New Testament was He? Or is this saying something about the Trinity?... hmmm.
v5 - 'a' people - n.b. not 'the Hebrews', or 'the Israelites'
v6 - angels who did not stay within their own position of authority - little glimpse into rebellion in heaven?
v8 - back to the people - what do they do? they - rely on their dreams (defile the flesh, reject authority and blaspheme the glorious ones)
v9 - Michael contending with the devil over the body of Moses - he doesn't pronounce a blasphemous judgement (what would one of these be? - could it be rebuking the devil with his own authority? The immediate contrast here seems to be 'but said "The Lord rebuke you"' ... suggesting that if he had not rebuked in the Lord's name it would be blasphemous. How else would he have rebuked him - presumably by some other name - this would contrast nicely with v6 - staying in their own position of authority)
v10 - back to the people - the people are blaspheming all that they do not understand - they are like unreasoning animals, understanding instinctively.
Pause for thought - they are relying on their dreams (v8), they are like unreasoning animals (v10) and they understand instinctively (v10)(as opposed to in a reasoned manner?) - everything seems to be internally generated (and not relying on the Word ... indeed they deny Him).
v11 they are compared to Cain, Balaam and Korah - need to look these up.
v12-13 - not very nice picture of the people - waterless clouds (presumably useless, as clouds should mean rain?), fruitless trees, dead, uprooted, wild waves (dangerous?), wandering stars (umm... you can't navigate by them?)
v14 -16 - more pictures of the ungodly, and judgement foretold - the ungodly sinners speak harsh things against the Lord. They also grumble, are malcontent, follow their own sinful desires, they boast and show favouritism to gain advantage.
v17-18 - encouragement to the church - this is to be expected - these are the last times when scoffers will come.
v19 - these people are worldly, cause divisions and they do not have the Spirit.

So, what should the church do?

v20-21 - build yourselves up in the faith, pray in the Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God and wait for the mercy that leads to eternal life.

v22-23 - have mercy on those who doubt (so don't jump on everyone who does not understand everything...?), and save others by snatching them out of the fire (sounds a little more assertive), to others show mercy with fear, hating even the garment stained by the flesh (sounds a little like -touch with quite a short bargepole, but be careful, the dog might bite).
Interesting that it doesn't say here - avoid them all completely - instead is this what 'contending' for the faith looks like?

v24 - Doxology starts with "now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling" - presumably because this contrasts with those who are doubting/in the fire/have flesh-stained garments?

Other thoughts: context is within a church - not contending for the faith in wider society.

Round-up

Bird flu in the news. Jensen @ St.H. Birmingham tomorrow. Ich bin 'gewissenhaft' und 'interessiert'. Up to chapter 11 in Dobson. Prison Break on TV - hurrah!
So far in Bible in a Year (broadly the order of McCheyne, but tend to read chunks of chapters) I have read Genesis, Nehemiah, Esther, Matthew, Acts. Currently on Exodus, Job, Mark and Romans. I'm getting a bit more sporadic so discipline needs to get back into gear.

Proper Winter, mind

This morning it was like a proper winter, mind. It probably didn't help that I left the house without scarf or gloves, but then, I was intending to wait only 3 mins for the bus (I've got the morning journey nicely timed now). However, as I was foolishly trying to catch a bus at half eight, it decided to sail right past me without stopping (please TfL - more buses in rush hour!), and I had to wait 20 mins for another one. I was very cold indeed.

Up to Genesis 26 (I'm moving about a bit from 1 chapter from 4 different books a day - a little bit too choppy - so today, 4 chapters from Genesis instead) - interesting to note that Esau was making life bitter for Isaac and Rebekah before Isaac blessed Jacob in Esau's place vv.34-35. That is, unless this bit isn't chronological (should be able to work this out by looking at how old Isaac is when he dies, how old he was when Esau was born, and noting that Esau was forty when he married.)

Left work at 19.45.

Bible in a Year

Thoughts/questions:

Gen 4 - Cain and Abel
Why does God reject the fruit of the ground offering? we aren't told whether Cain and Abel had been instructed on what to offer the LORD - if they had, then the LORD's response makes sense - if you do well, will you not be accepted etc. I'm not sure what it means when it says - if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door - or how the two link together. Perhaps a point to note is that the LORD determines what is acceptable as an offering/worship?
At this stage, Cain and Abel are still in the presence of the LORD, although not on the garden of Eden.
At this stage in history, man still has a length lifespan (and women still fertile!) - Cain's brother Seth appears to be born at around the same time Adam's great great great grandson, Lamech (if I'm counting the generations correctly).
Lamech repeats Cain's sin of murder (Lamech's revenge is seventy-seven fold).

Matthew 4
I've often thought that the devil is not clearly mentioned in the Bible (25 instances in the NT). I'm probably not explaining myself particularly well. The devil is clearly lurking behind, tempting to sin - it is just that this is one of the clearest passages of the devil acting. Don't think that I've explained myself clearly there either. Interesting to note that the devil tries to use Scripture to persuade Jesus to adopt a course of action (throwing Self off temple etc.) . Update: clearly I am insufficiently well read. There are a further 49 references to Satan. I ought to collate and do some notes.
John is arrested before Jesus begins His ministry (not after). Exciting to see OT prophecy fulfilled in Him. Simon Peter and Andrew follow Jesus immediately - there's no debate/discussion. Presumably clear authority, although no form or majesty that we should look at Him. Jesus teaches, proclaims, and heals.

Ezra 4
Given that the opponents of Judah and Benjamin eventually write to Ahasuerus to stop the rebuilding of the temple, why do they ask to join with them in the beginning?

Acts 4
Who is the captain of the temple?
Annas, Caiaphas, John, Alexander and those of the high-priestly family seem to avoid the issue. They see the healed man (who was over forty! although yes, yes, clearly forty was quite old then) and cannot deny that he has been healed, but then avoid drawing any conclusions from that healing and just try to sweep under the carpet.
Twice in this passage there are references to being filled with the Spirit (v8 Peters speaking, v31 after praying "And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness." ) This is post Pentecost so do they not already have the Spirit? What does it mean to be filled with the Spirit. I'm wise enough to know that that is a controversial question. Will have to look into it.