Table of Contents
General Editors' Preface 11
Author's Preface 13
Abbreviations 15
Bibliography 21
1 John 29
Introduction 31
A Authorship 31
B Date 33
C Provenance 34
D Audience 35
E Occasion and Purpose 35
F Sociological and Cultural Issues 36
1 Connections Between First-Century Churches 36
2 Use of Family Language 36
G Textual Witnesses 37
H Literary Features 38
1 Letter Forms and 1, 2, and 3 John 38
2 Poetic Forms 39
3 Limited Scriptural Allusions 40
4 1, 2, and 3 John and the Gospel of John 40
I Theological Themes 41
1 Christology 41
2 Soteriology 42
3 The Spirit 42
4 Ethics 43
5 The World 44
6 Hospitality 44
7 Ecclesiology 45
8 Eschatology 46
J Hermeneutical Issues 47
1 Authorship and Reading the Letters 47
2 Perspective of the Author and a Profile of the Opponents 49
3 Relationship of the Letters to the Gospel of John and How That Informs Our Reading 50
Commentary 53
I Prologue and Premises: 1 John 1:1-10 53
A The Life Appeared (1:1-4) 53
B Forgiveness and Cleansing (1:5-10) 63
II Belonging to God and Resisting the Enemy: I John 2:1-29 79
A Jesus Our Defender (2:1-6) 79
B In the Light or in the Darkness? (2:7-11) 87
C Words for All Ages (2:12-14) 91
D Love God, Not the World (2:l5-l7) 95
E Antichrists (2:18-23) 98
F An Anointing and Abiding (2:24-29) 104
III Christlike Love Now and When Christ Appears: 1 John 3:1-24 109
A When He Appears: A Call to Cleansing (3:1-6) 109
B Destroying the Devil's Work (3:7-10) 117
C Love and Hate, Life and Death (3:11-15) 121
D Love in Action (3:16-24) 124
IV Testing the Spirits and Trusting God's Love: 1 John 4:1-21 133
A Test the Spirits (4:1-6) 133
B God's Son an Atoning Sacrifice (4:7-15) 141
C Perfect Love Drives Out Fear (4:16-21) 148
V Life in the Son, Death in Departing: 1 John 5:1-21 155
A Overcoming Faith (5:1-5) 155
B Witnesses to the Truth (5:6-12) 160
C Assurance of Eternal Life (5:13-17) 165
D Things We Know (5:18-21) 171
2 John 177
Introduction 179
A Authorship, Date, Provenance, Audience, Occasion, Purpose, Sociological/Cultural Issues, and Textual History 179
B Literary Features 179
C Theological Themes 180
D Hermeneutical Issues 180
Commentary 183
VI Welcomes and Warnings: 2 John 1-13 183
A Greetings and Relationships (1-3) 183
B Joy Because of Obedience (4-6) 188
C Warnings to Enable Faithful Walking (7-11) 190
D Future Plans (12-13) 195
3 John 199
Introduction 201
A Authorship, Date, Provenance, Audience, Occasion, Purpose, Sociological/Cultural Issues, and Textual History 201
B Literary Features 201
C Theological Themes 202
D Hermeneutical Issues 203
Commentary 205
VII Supporting Ministers and Painful Separations: 3 John 1-14 205
A Greetings and Relationships (1-4) 205
B Ministry and Hospitality (5-8) 209
C Dangerous Division (9-10) 213
D Healing Words and Hope (11-14) 216
