Showing posts with label Atlanta. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Atlanta. Show all posts

Monday, May 4, 2020

Teaching Notes Book of JUDE (Judah)



 & & &

Teaching Notes Book of JUDE (Judah)

Hugh Wood, Atlanta, Georgia





& & &

The first Quarantine in the USA since 1918 continues.  It is Day 52.

& & &

"The grass withers and the flower [fades], but the word of [the Lord] endures forever."  Isaiah 40:8; 1 Peter 1:24-25.







& & & 

JUDE

Imminent Apostasy

The Faith Once For All Delivered to the Saints


Jude (Half Brother of Jesus)


Church there were two


In the New Testament


Judes: Judas, one


Apostles, Luke 6:16, see page 371: and Judas, the of the Twelve

13:55. The latter is commonly brother of Jesus, Matt regarded as
the writer of this Epistle.

Eusebius relates that Domitian, in his Persecution of Chris-

D, looking up the heirs of the Kingdom of David,
tians, 96 A of Jude the Brother of Jesus
ordered the arrest of the Grandsons that they were farmers,
They told the Emperor and lived by the that Christ’s Kingdom
was Not a Kingdom of This World, but when He Comes in

toil of their hands, and would be manifested

World to Judge the Living and Dead.

Glory at the End of the Place and Date
The similarity oi the situation to that mentioned in II Peter
suggests the possibility that this Epistle may have been addressed
to the same Churches, which, it seems from 11 Pet 3:1, were the
same as those to whom I Peter was addressed, which "were in
Asia Minor, I Peter 1:1. Probably about 67 AD.

Occasion of Writing

Evidently Jude had been planning to write a more general

statement about the Gospel to this group of Churches, When news
of the sudden appearance of a Devastating Heresy prompted him
to dispatch this stern warning, 3,4.

The False Teachers, 4-19

Jude minces no words as to their nature. The frightful epithets

which he uses refer to certain Leaders Within the Church. Un-
godly Men,. Turn the Grace of God into Lasciviousness, 4.
Deny Christ, 4. Like Sodom, given to Fornication 7. In their
Dreamings Defile the Flesh, 8. As Brute Beasts Corrupt Them-
selves, 10. Spots in your Lovefeasts, 12. Shepherds that Feed
Themselves, 12. Clouds without Water, 12. Trees Without Fruit,
12. Raging Waves of the Sea Foaming out their own Shame, 13.
Wandering Stars for whom the Blackness of Darkness has been
Reserved Forever, 13. Murmurers, 16. Complainers, 16. Speaking
Great Swelling Words, 16. Mockers Walking after their Own
Ungodly Lusts, 18. Sensual, 19. Not Having the Spirit, 19. Show
Respect of Persons for the sake of their Own Advantage, 16.
And Make Separations, 19.

These false teachers had already crept in, 4, yet were spoken of

as appearing in “the last time”. While primarily referring to some
particular class of men that belonged to Jude's day, it may pos
sibly be a general characterization of the whole body of false
teachers who, through the centuries, would, from within, cor
rupt the Church, and thus thwart the redemptive work of Christ.
Those who are acquainted with Church History know well how
the Church has suffered from such men.

The Fallen Angels, 6

Here and in II Peter 2:4 are the only Scripture references to the

Fall of the Angels (Rev 12:9 seems to refer to their later defeat).
Some think this is an allusion to Gen. 6:1-5, where the “sons of
God" intermarried with the “daughters of men". More probably it
refers to an earlier event when Satan led certain of the
angels in rebellion against God.

Michael's Contention with The Devil, 9

Michael is mentioned in Dan 10:13,21 as a "chief prince", and

in Rev. 12:7 as leader of angels, but only in this passage is he
called "the archangel". Moses’ burial is told in Dt 34:5-7. But
Michael’s dispute with Satan about Moses’ body is not there
mentioned. Origen says that Jude’s statement is a reference to a
passage in the apocryphal book, “The. Assumption of Moses"
which was written about the time of the birth of Christ, only a
part of which book is now extant, and which extant part has no
such passage. Jude may have had knowledge of the incident from
other sources. Josephus says God hid Moses' body lest it be made
an idol. Possibly Satan wanted it to tempt Israel into idolatry.
Jude’s use of the incident seems to sanction its historicity. It
served as an example against the sin oi ушные": even the
Archangel, highest of creatures, did not rail at the Devil, the most
degraded of creatures.

The Prophecy of Enoch, 14,15

This is the only Scripture allusion to the prophecy of Enoch.

The brief story of his life is told in Gen 5:18-24, but there is no
mention of any of his words. Jude’s quotation is from the apocry
phal Book of Enoch, which was written about 100 B C. He evi-
dently regards it as a genuine word of Enoch.  Thus while Adam,
founder of the race, was yet alive, Enoch (contemporary with
Adam for 300 yrs) prophesied of the eventual Coming of the
Lord, with his angels, to execute judgment upon the disobedient
race. Jude’s Sanction of one passage in the book does not
Sanction the whole book.

& & & 






The Bible Project 
Book of Jude (Judah)

& & &

Jude

New International Version


1 Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and a brother of James,

To those who have been called, who are loved in God the Father and kept for[a] Jesus Christ:

2 Mercy, peace and love be yours in abundance.

The Sin and Doom of Ungodly People

3 Dear friends, although I was very eager to write to you about the salvation we share, I felt compelled to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to God’s holy people. 4 For certain individuals whose condemnation was written about[b] long ago have secretly slipped in among you. They are ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord.


5 Though you already know all this, I want to remind you that the Lord[c] at one time delivered his people out of Egypt, but later destroyed those who did not believe. 6 And the angels who did not keep their positions of authority but abandoned their proper dwelling—these he has kept in darkness, bound with everlasting chains for judgment on the great Day. 7 In a similar way, Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding towns gave themselves up to sexual immorality and perversion. They serve as an example of those who suffer the punishment of eternal fire.


8 In the very same way, on the strength of their dreams these ungodly people pollute their own bodies, reject authority and heap abuse on celestial beings. 9 But even the archangel Michael, when he was disputing with the devil about the body of Moses, did not himself dare to condemn him for slander but said, “The Lord rebuke you!”[d] 10 Yet these people slander whatever they do not understand, and the very things they do understand by instinct—as irrational animals do—will destroy them.


11 Woe to them! They have taken the way of Cain; they have rushed for profit into Balaam’s error; they have been destroyed in Korah’s rebellion.

12 These people are blemishes at your love feasts, eating with you without the slightest qualm—shepherds who feed only themselves. They are clouds without rain, blown along by the wind; autumn trees, without fruit and uprooted—twice dead. 13 They are wild waves of the sea, foaming up their shame; wandering stars, for whom blackest darkness has been reserved forever.


14 Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about them: “See, the Lord is coming with thousands upon thousands of his holy ones 15 to judge everyone, and to convict all of them of all the ungodly acts they have committed in their ungodliness, and of all the defiant words ungodly sinners have spoken against him.”[e] 16 These people are grumblers and faultfinders; they follow their own evil desires; they boast about themselves and flatter others for their own advantage.


A Call to Persevere


17 But, dear friends, remember what the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ foretold. 18 They said to you, “In the last times there will be scoffers who will follow their own ungodly desires.” 19 These are the people who divide you, who follow mere natural instincts and do not have the Spirit.

20 But you, dear friends, by building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, 21 keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life.

22 Be merciful to those who doubt; 23 save others by snatching them from the fire; to others show mercy, mixed with fear—hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh.[f]


Doxology


24 To him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy— 25 to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen.


Footnotes
Jude 1:1 Or by; or in
Jude 1:4 Or individuals who were marked out for condemnation
Jude 1:5 Some early manuscripts Jesus
Jude 1:9 Jude is alluding to the Jewish Testament of Moses (approximately the first century a.d.).
Jude 1:15 From the Jewish First Book of Enoch (approximately the first century b.c.)
Jude 1:23 The Greek manuscripts of these verses vary at several points

& & &




NIV Book of Jude Audio




Korah’s Rebellon




Full Book of Enoch





Alternate List of Book of Enoch (CH 1)



Church History by Eusebius

& & &

Jude is Papyri:  72, 74 and 78.  Hopefully, to be added.



Jude
72, 78
74

& & &

New International Version (NIV)

Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Some content adapted from Halley, Henry H., Bible Handbook, Grayson Publishing, Minneapolis, MN.  © 1927 - 1959, 1964

& & &

Hugh C. Wood, Atlanta, Georgia

& & &

END




Sunday, May 3, 2020

Teaching Notes Book of Second and Third JOHN


& & & 

Teaching Notes Book of Second and Third JOHN

&&&




Hugh C. Wood, Atlanta, Georgia

& & &




Papyrus 9 (in the Gregory-Aland numbering),  P9, and named Oxyrhynchus papyri 402, is an early copy of the New Testament in Greek. It is a papyrus manuscript of the First Epistle of John, dating paleographically to the early 3rd century.

Papyrus  P9 was discovered by Bernard Pyne Grenfell and Arthur Surridge Hunt in Oxyrhynchus, Egypt. Papyrus 9 is currently housed at the Houghton Library, Harvard University, Semitic Museum Inv. 3736, Cambridge (Massachusetts).

The surviving text is a fragment of one leaf containing verses 4:11-12,14-17, written in one column per page. The original codex had 16 lines per page. The text on the manuscript was written very carelessly, evidenced by the crude and irregular handwriting, and the manuscript contains some unintelligible spellings.


Papyrus 74  designated as P74, is a copy of the New Testament in Greek. It is a papyrus manuscript of the Acts of the Apostles and Catholic epistles with lacunae. The manuscript paleographically had been assigned to the 7th century.


& & &

The first Quarantine in the USA since 1918 continues.  It is Day 51.

Church was by Zoom (again) today - which leaves a lot to desire in learning.   It does seem like the Zoom will not lift soon.

& & &





"The grass withers and the flower [fades], but the word of [the Lord] endures forever."  Isaiah 40:8; 1 Peter 1:24-25. 

& & &

II JOHN
Caution against False Teachers

This and III John were Personal Little Notes to Friends whom
 John expected soon to visit. He wrote other letters, I Jn 2:14;
 III Jn 9, possibly many of; them. Personal Letters, such as these,
 on account of their brevity and private nature, would be less
 generally read in Christian Assemblies than Church Letters, and
 consequently be less widely known. These Two Little Epistles,
under the guidance of God’s Spirit, were rescued from oblivion,
 and preserved for the Church, possibly, by being attached to a
 copy of I John m the particular Church or Churches where they
had been received.

The Elder, 1
The other Apostles had all passed on, years before.
John alone was left, the Primate of all Christendom, the
last surviving Companion of Jesus. How appropriate the title.

The Elect Lady, 1
She may have been, literally, a Person, a well-known and
prominent Woman, somewhere near Ephesus, in whose Home a
Church met. Or, she may have been 'a Church symbolically called
by a Woman’s Name. Her Elect Sister, 13, another prominent
Christian Woman Leader, in the Congregation in which John was
resident or the Congregation itself.

Truth, 1-4
The word Truth is used 5 times in the first 4 verses. Love in
The word “Truth" Dwells in us, 2. Grace, Mercy, Truth, 1.
Know the Truth, 1. Truth and Peace, in Truth, 3. Walking in
Truth, 4. Truth is the True Doctrine of Christ, 9, that He is the
Son of God, and that Following Him means Walking in His
Commandments, 6, and His Chief Commandment is that
We Love One Another.

False Teachers, 7-11
These already had been referred to in I John 2:18-29: going
from Church to Church, Teaching, in the Name of Christ, Doc
trines that were utterly subversive "of the Christian Faith”. This
Letter seems to have been written to caution the Elect Lady to
be on her guard, and refuse Hospitality to such Teachers. The
warning is prefaced with an exhortation to Love, 5,6, as if to indi
cate that the Practice of Christian Love does not mean that we
should give encouragement to Enemies of the Truth.

III JOHN
Rejection of John’s Helpers
Gaius, I
There was a Gaius in Corinth, a convert of Paul's, I Cor 1:14:
Rom 16:23, in 'whose home,', in Paul’s day, a Church met. A
Tradition says that he later became John’s scribe. But verse 4 calls
Gaius one of John’s Children, that is, Converts. But, whoever he
was, he was a Greatly Beloved Christian Leader John Loved
him and four times called him Beloved, 1,2,5,11.

Prosper in All Things, 2
Here is a prayer, from one who was very close to Christ, that
a Christian might have Temporal as well as Spiritual Blessings:
an indication that it is not wrong, in the sight of Christ. for
one to possess This World's Goods and Benefits. John himself. in
early life, had been a man of means. But this same John warns-
against Loving Things of This World, I John 2:15-17.

Truth 1
A Favorite‚Word with John.  Used over 20 times in John’s
Gospel. 9 times in I John. 5 times in II John. And 5 times in Ш
John. Love in Truth, 1. Walk in Truth, 2,3. Help the-Truth, 8.
Witness of the Truth, 12.

John's Helpers, 5-8
Paul, some forty years earlier, had established Churches in and
around Ephesus, with no Seminaries to supply Pastors. He had
to develop his Pastors out of his converts. Later, John, assuming
the pastoral care of these Churches, it seems, gathered round
himself, and trained, great numbers of teachers and preachers to
aid him, and sent them out among the Churches.

Diotrephes, 9
One of the domineering False Teachers, who would have nothing
to do with John. It seems that he and Gaius were pastors of
different congregations in the same city. Apparently. some of
John's evangelists, on one of their recent tours, had been refused
admission to the congregation over which Diotrephes presided.
but Gaius had taken them in. On returning to Ephesus, they told
the story of it in John’s home church. John was now sending
another delegation to the same city, with this little Epistle ad—
dressed to Gaius. Demetrius, 12, it is thought, may have been the
bearer of the Epistle.

& & &




The Bible Project

The Books of First, Second and Third JOHN

& & &

[NIV] 


2 John New International Version (NIV)
1 The elder,

To the lady chosen by God and to her children, whom I love in the truth—and not I only, but also all who know the truth— 2 because of the truth, which lives in us and will be with us forever:

3 Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and from Jesus Christ, the Father’s Son, will be with us in truth and love.

4 It has given me great joy to find some of your children walking in the truth, just as the Father commanded us. 5 And now, dear lady, I am not writing you a new command but one we have had from the beginning. I ask that we love one another. 6 And this is love: that we walk in obedience to his commands. As you have heard from the beginning, his command is that you walk in love.

7 I say this because many deceivers, who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh, have gone out into the world. Any such person is the deceiver and the antichrist. 8 Watch out that you do not lose what we[a] have worked for, but that you may be rewarded fully. 9 Anyone who runs ahead and does not continue in the teaching of Christ does not have God; whoever continues in the teaching has both the Father and the Son. 10 If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not take them into your house or welcome them. 11 Anyone who welcomes them shares in their wicked work.

12 I have much to write to you, but I do not want to use paper and ink. Instead, I hope to visit you and talk with you face to face, so that our joy may be complete.

13 The children of your sister, who is chosen by God, send their greetings.

Footnotes:
2 John 1:8 Some manuscripts you



3 John New International Version (NIV)
1 The elder,

To my dear friend Gaius, whom I love in the truth.

2 Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well. 3 It gave me great joy when some believers came and testified about your faithfulness to the truth, telling how you continue to walk in it. 4 I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.

5 Dear friend, you are faithful in what you are doing for the brothers and sisters,[a] even though they are strangers to you. 6 They have told the church about your love. Please send them on their way in a manner that honors God. 7 It was for the sake of the Name that they went out, receiving no help from the pagans. 8 We ought therefore to show hospitality to such people so that we may work together for the truth.

9 I wrote to the church, but Diotrephes, who loves to be first, will not welcome us. 10 So when I come, I will call attention to what he is doing, spreading malicious nonsense about us. Not satisfied with that, he even refuses to welcome other believers. He also stops those who want to do so and puts them out of the church.

11 Dear friend, do not imitate what is evil but what is good. Anyone who does what is good is from God. Anyone who does what is evil has not seen God. 12 Demetrius is well spoken of by everyone—and even by the truth itself. We also speak well of him, and you know that our testimony is true.

13 I have much to write you, but I do not want to do so with pen and ink. 14 I hope to see you soon, and we will talk face to face.

Peace to you. The friends here send their greetings. Greet the friends there by name.

Footnotes:

3 John 1:5 The Greek word for brothers and sisters (adelphoi) refers here to believers, both men and women, as part of God’s family.


& & &



Audio Book NIV  Book of 2nd John


Audio Book NIV  Book of 3rd John


& & &

Hugh C. Wood, Atlanta, Georgia


New International Version (NIV)
  
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Some content adapted from Halley, Henry H., Bible Handbook, Grayson Publishing, Minneapolis, MN.  © 1927 - 1959, 1964

& & &

END






Thursday, April 30, 2020

Teaching Notes Book of FIRST JOHN Chapters 4 and 5


 & & & 

Teaching Notes Book of FIRST JOHN Chapters 4 and 5

& & &

Hugh Wood, Atlanta, Georgia





& & &





Papyrus 9 (in the Gregory-Aland numbering),  P9, and named Oxyrhynchus papyri 402, is an early copy of the New Testament in Greek. It is a papyrus manuscript of the First Epistle of John, dating paleographically to the early 3rd century.

Papyrus  P9 was discovered by Bernard Pyne Grenfell and Arthur Surridge Hunt in Oxyrhynchus, Egypt. Papyrus 9 is currently housed at the Houghton Library, Harvard University, Semitic Museum Inv. 3736, Cambridge (Massachusetts).

The surviving text is a fragment of one leaf containing verses 4:11-12,14-17, written in one column per page. The original codex had 16 lines per page. The text on the manuscript was written very carelessly, evidenced by the crude and irregular handwriting, and the manuscript contains some unintelligible spellings.


Papyrus 74  designated as P74, is a copy of the New Testament in Greek. It is a papyrus manuscript of the Acts of the Apostles and Catholic epistles with lacunae. The manuscript paleographically had been assigned to the 7th century.


& & &

The first Quarantine in the USA since 1918 continues.  It is Day 49.

It does look like the worst of the Quarantine will be lifting soon – at least for our State – perhaps not others.

& & &

"The grass withers and the flower [fades], but the word of [the Lord] endures forever."  Isaiah 40:8; 1 Peter 1:24-25.




& & & 

1 JOHN

Chapter 4:1-6. False Prophets

Apparently, Churches were beset by False Teachers, claiming
Inspiration of the Holy Spirit for their Doctrines. Generally. says
John, their trustworthiness could be tested by their Loyalty to
the Deity of Jesus,

Chapter 4:7-21. Love

John returns to his favorite theme, Love, the keynote of the
Epistle. He is very insistent that being Saved by the Grace of
Christ Does Not Release us from the necessity of Obeying Christ’s
Commandments. And Christ’s Chief Commandment is Love. We
Know Christ if. We Keep His Commandments, 2:3. He that says,
I Know Him, and Keeps Not His Commandments, Is a Liar, 2:4.
Whatsoever we Ask, we receive, because we Keep His Com-
mandments, 3:22. This is His Commandment, that we Love One
Another, 3:23. He that Keeps His Commandments Abides in Him,
3:24. This Commandment we have from God, that he who Loves
God Love his Brother also, 4:21. This is the Love of God, that
we Keep His Commandments, 5:3. It is told of John that, when
he Was old and too feeble to walk, he would be carried into ths.
Church, and, in speaking, would always say, “Little children,
Love One Another. It is the Lord’s Commandment”.

Chapter 5. Assurance of Eternal Life

"Know” is one of. the key Words of this Epistle. We Know that
we Know God. 2:3. We Know that we are in Him. 2:5. We Know
that when He shall Appear we shall be Like Him, 3:2. We Know
that we have Passed from Death to Life, because we Love the
Brethren, 3:14. We Know that we are of the Truth, 3:19. We
Know that God lives in us, 3:24. We Know that we live in
God, 4:13. These things have I written that you may Know that
you have Eternal Life, 5:13. We Know that God hears us, 5:15.
We Know that we ate of God, 5:19.

Many Christians are discouraged because they do not feel Sure
that they are Saved. Sometimes we hear it said that if we do
not Know we are Saved, that is a sign that we are Not Saved.
We think this is an extreme assertion. It is a mistake to identify?
Assurance with Salvation. A new-born babe scarcely Knows it
has been born, but it has. Assurance comes with Growth. We be-
lieve it is possible for a Christian's Faith to get stronger and
stronger till, to himself, at least, it reaches the Full Assurance of
Knowledge.

Eternal Life, 13, begins when a person becomes a Christian, and
Never Ends. It is a Life of Divine Quality and Endless Duration.
Assurance of it is the object of this Epistle.

The Sin unto Death, 16, probably, refers to the unpardonable
Sin spoken of by Jesus, Matt 12:31-32. See note on Heb 6:14.

& & & 



The Bible Project 
The Books of First, Second and Third JOHN

& & &

1 John 4 New International Version (NIV)
On Denying the Incarnation
4 Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2 This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, 3 but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world.

4 You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. 5 They are from the world and therefore speak from the viewpoint of the world, and the world listens to them. 6 We are from God, and whoever knows God listens to us; but whoever is not from God does not listen to us. This is how we recognize the Spirit[a] of truth and the spirit of falsehood.

God’s Love and Ours
7 Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9 This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. 10 This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. 11 Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12 No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.

13 This is how we know that we live in him and he in us: He has given us of his Spirit. 14 And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. 15 If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in them and they in God. 16 And so we know and rely on the love God has for us.

God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them. 17 This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world we are like Jesus. 18 There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.

19 We love because he first loved us. 20 Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen. 21 And he has given us this command: Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister.

Footnotes:
1 John 4:6 Or spirit


1 John 5 New International Version (NIV)
Faith in the Incarnate Son of God
5 Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves the father loves his child as well. 2 This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out his commands. 3 In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands. And his commands are not burdensome, 4 for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. 5 Who is it that overcomes the world? Only the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.

6 This is the one who came by water and blood—Jesus Christ. He did not come by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth. 7 For there are three that testify: 8 the[a] Spirit, the water and the blood; and the three are in agreement. 9 We accept human testimony, but God’s testimony is greater because it is the testimony of God, which he has given about his Son. 10 Whoever believes in the Son of God accepts this testimony. Whoever does not believe God has made him out to be a liar, because they have not believed the testimony God has given about his Son. 11 And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12 Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.

Concluding Affirmations
13 I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life. 14 This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. 15 And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.

16 If you see any brother or sister commit a sin that does not lead to death, you should pray and God will give them life. I refer to those whose sin does not lead to death. There is a sin that leads to death. I am not saying that you should pray about that. 17 All wrongdoing is sin, and there is sin that does not lead to death.

18 We know that anyone born of God does not continue to sin; the One who was born of God keeps them safe, and the evil one cannot harm them. 19 We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one. 20 We know also that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true. And we are in him who is true by being in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.

21 Dear children, keep yourselves from idols.

Footnotes:
1 John 5:8 Late manuscripts of the Vulgate testify in heaven: the Father, the Word and the Holy Spirit, and these three are one. 8 And there are three that testify on earth: the (not found in any Greek manuscript before the fourteenth century)

& & &




Audio Book NIV  Book of First John

& & &

New International Version (NIV)

Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Some content adapted from Halley, Henry H., Bible Handbook, Grayson Publishing, Minneapolis, MN.  © 1927 - 1959, 1964

& & &

Hugh C. Wood, Atlanta, Georgia

& & &

END