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New Testament Survey 2

New Testament Survey 2. 1 John 2 John 3 John Revelation. 1 JOHN: Historical Concerns . Author : John, apostle of Jesus Letter is actually anonymous Believed by early church Also author of the Fourth Gospel, 2 other Epistles and the Book of Revelation

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New Testament Survey 2

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  1. New Testament Survey 2 1 John 2 John 3 John Revelation

  2. 1 JOHN: Historical Concerns • Author:John, apostle of Jesus • Letter is actually anonymous • Believed by early church • Also author of the Fourth Gospel, 2 other Epistles and the Book of Revelation • According to Christian tradition, John ministered in later life in and around Ephesus (where Paul had established Christianity)

  3. 1 JOHN: Historical Concerns • Date:probably about AD 90 • No definite information • Probably written sometime after John’s Gospel • Place of origin:possibly Ephesus • No definite information • Based on tradition • Destination:unknown • Probably somewhere in the Roman province of Asia

  4. 1 JOHN: Historical Concerns • Recipients:unknown Christians • Probably Gentile rather than Jewish • Well known to John (called “little children”) • Background • These Christians were facing 2 problems: • Doctrinal: denial of the incarnation • Practical: denial that breaking God’s law is of any consequence to a Christian

  5. 1 JOHN: Historical Concerns • Background (continued) • These Christians were facing an early form of the heresy later called “Gnosticism.” • Human body inherently evil; God inherently good (= dualism). • “Salvation” = escape from body by special knowledge (gnosis). • Jesus therefore did not have a human body.

  6. 1 JOHN: Historical Concerns • Occasion (reconstructed) • John knew and loved these people • He had learned about the problems they were facing • He decided to combat these problems through writing an epistle

  7. 1 JOHN: Theological Concerns • Purpose: to combat the heresy of denying the incarnation • Key concept: Heresy is combated through fellowship with Jesus Christ. • Key text: 1:3 • Key term: fellowship (koinonia) • Themes: love, light, love, truth (compare with themes from the Fourth Gospel!)

  8. 1 JOHN: Literary Concerns • Greek style:simple koine Greek • the easiest Greek of the NT • easy (but profound) vocabulary • simple sentence style • essentially the same as for John’s Gospel • Literary features • John uses a certain amount of repetition, befitting an old man with much wisdom

  9. 1 JOHN: Literary Concerns • Outline (suggested) 1. Purpose of the epistle (1:1-4) 2. Fellowship through walking in the LIGHT (1:5-2:29) 3. Fellowship through living in LOVE (3:1-4:21) 4. Fellowship through new LIFE (5:1-12) 5. Result of fellowship (5:13-21)

  10. 1 JOHN: Literary Concerns • Special Issue:the believer and sin • 1 John teaches that believers DO sin (1:8-2:1) • 1 John teaches (in KJV) that believers DO NOT sin (3:9; 5:18) • SOLUTION: compare Scripture with Scripture (Gal. 5:17; Rom. 7) and translate carefully! • 1 John 3:9-- “Whoever is born of God DOES NOT CONTINUALLY PRACTICE SIN.”

  11. 1 JOHN: Significance for Today • God’s people are to live in close fellowship with Christ and to walk according to His moral light (commands).

  12. 2 JOHN: Historical Concerns • Author: John, apostle of Jesus • See comments for 1 John • Date: probably about AD 90 • About the same time as 1 John • Place of origin: possibly Ephesus • Probably the same as 1 John • Destination: unknown • Probably the same as 1 John

  13. 2 JOHN: Historical Concerns • Recipient: “the chosen lady” • a prominent Christian woman with children • possibly the hostess of the house-church addressed in 1 John • Background:identical to 1 John • Occasion (reconstructed) • John had just written his first epistle and was reminded of this lady. He wanted to write her a brief note of encouragement.

  14. 2 JOHN: Theological Concerns • Purpose: to apply the teachings of 1 John to an individual situation • Key concept: Be faithful to the truth. • Key text: v. 4 • Key term: faithfulness

  15. 2 JOHN: Literary Concerns • Greek style:identical to 1 John Significance for today • God’s people are to be faithful to the truth.

  16. 3 JOHN: Historical Concerns • Author:John, apostle of Jesus • See comments for 1 John • Date: probably about AD 90 • About the same time as 1 John • Place of origin: possibly Ephesus • Unknown, but probably the same as 1 John • Destination: unknown

  17. 3 JOHN: Historical Concerns • Recipient:Gaius • Known only from this epistle • A fine Christian from Asia • Possibly a pastor • Background: • Gaius had a question about proper treatment of traveling Christian preachers • Diotrephes had rejected the authority of the apostle John

  18. 3 JOHN: Historical Concerns • Occasion • John had received a report that Diotrephes had rejected a letter he had sent to the church • Some of the traveling preachers had reported back to John about Gaius’s Christian maturity and his proper treatment of them. • John wanted to send Demetrius, a Christian unknown to Gaius, to help him. He needed a proper introduction. • John wished to bring Gaius up to date and to advise him about to handle the situation.

  19. 3 JOHN: Theological Concerns • Purpose: to encourage Gaius in his ministry, to warn him about Diotrephes, and to introduce Demetrius • Key concept: Be hospitable to fellow Christians. • Key text: verse 8 • Key term: hospitality

  20. 3 JOHN: Literary Concerns • Greek style: identical to 1 John • Literary features:shortest book in the NT • Significance for today: God’s people are to show hospitality to others who work for Christ.

  21. REVELATION: Historical Concerns • Author:John, apostle of Jesus • Only one of John’s writings in which he named himself • Believed by early church • Because he does not call himself “apostle” some scholars suppose another unknown John to have written • No reason to deny apostolic authorship

  22. REVELATION: Historical Concerns • Date: probably about AD 95 • Near the end of the rule of Domitian (AD 81-96) • A few argue for near the end of the rule of Nero (AD 58-68) • Place of origin: Patmos, an island • 8 x 4 miles, 35 miles off shore from Asia • Destination: seven cities in Asia • All connected by the great Circular Road • Listed in postal order

  23. REVELATION: Historical Concerns • Recipients:persecuted Christians • Living in the seven cities • Now also in a state of spiritual decline • Background • Domitian demanded worship as “Dominus et Deus” (Lord and God) • The Christians (who refused) were persecuted; some were martyred • Believers in Asia needed encouragement

  24. REVELATION: Historical Concerns • Occasion • John, now aged, had been banished to Patmos • The exalted Jesus appeared to him and gave him four visions of the future • John was commanded to write the visions down and send them to the seven churches

  25. REVELATION: Theological Concerns • Purpose: to teach that faithfulness to Jesus triumphs over the evils of this world and that Jesus will return to earth as King, Judge, and Lamb-Bridegroom • Key concept: Jesus, the Lord of history will return as King to bring human history to its culmination.

  26. REVELATION: Theological Concerns • Key text: 1:7 • Key term: prophecy • Themes: • Jesus as Lamb-Bridegroom • Blessings of martyrdom • Wrath of God • “In the Spirit:” 1:10; 4:2; 17:3; 21:10

  27. REVELATION: Literary Concerns • Greek style: simple koine Greek • Similar to the style of John and 1 John • Some peculiarities (odd grammar) • Literary features • Is Revelation “apocalyptic literature”? • Use of a supernatural being to show future • Symbolic language – visions & bizarre creatures • Yet, Revelation calls itself a “prophecy” • Warnings to God’s people (like Isaiah)

  28. REVELATION: Literary Concerns • Literary features • Revelation and the Old Testament • Many indirect references • Little, if any, direct quotation • Special use of numbers and colors • Appeal to all five senses

  29. REVELATION: Outline Prologue(1:1-8) Vision 1: Jesus and his people between his two comings (1:9-3:22) Vision 2: Jesus and events surrounding his return (4:1-16:21) Vision 3: Jesus and the two rival cities (17:1-21:8) Vision 4: Jesus and his bride throughout eternity (21:9-22:5) Epilogue (22:6-21)

  30. REVELATION: Special Issue “Schools” of interpreting Revelation: • Preterist: events fulfilled in first century • Historicist: Revelation sketches all history from AD 90s until Christ’s return • Idealist: general portrait of spiritual truths • Futurist: everything from chapter 4 (or 7) deals with events surrounding Christ’s future return

  31. REVELATION: Literary Concerns • Special Issue:the “rapture” in Revelation • Pre-tribulation rapture: 4:1 • Mid-tribulation rapture: 11:11-12 • Pre-wrath rapture: 14:14-16 • Post-tribulation rapture: 19:6-10 • Special issue: the “millennium” in Revelation • Is taught as a reward for martyrs • Does not explicitly involve national Israel • No text of Scripture teaches an INTERMEDIATE rule of the Messiah ON EARTH

  32. REVELATION: Significance for Today • God’s people are to live faithfully following Christ, even through difficulty and martyrdom, knowing that Christ (and those who have committed themselves to him) will triumph over the most terrible evils imaginable.

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