Every Week I will be loading a book from the New Testament for people to listen to and meditate on.

** Background and Setting

Although he was greatly advanced in age when he penned this epistle, John was still actively ministering to churches. He was the sole remaining apostolic survivor who had intimate, eyewitness association with Jesus throughout His earthly ministry, death, resurrection, and ascension. The church Fathers (e.g., Justin Martyr, Irenaeus, Clement of Alexandria, Eusebius) indicate that after that time, John lived at Ephesus in Asia Minor, carrying out an extensive evangelistic program, overseeing many of the churches that had arisen, and conducting an extensive writing ministry (e.g., epistles, The Gospel of John, and Revelation). One church Father (Papias) who had direct contact with John described him as a “living and abiding voice.” As the last remaining apostle, John’s testimony was highly authoritative among the churches. Many eagerly sought to hear the one who had firsthand experience with the Lord Jesus.

***Author, Date, and Recipients

he epistle does not identify the author, but the strong, consistent and earliest testimony of the church ascribes it to John the disciple and apostle (cf. Luke 6;13, 14). This anonymity strongly affirms the early church’s identification of the epistle with John the apostle, for only someone of John’s well known and preeminent status as an apostle would be able to write with such unmistakable authority, expecting complete obedience from his readers, without clearly identifying himself (e.g., 4;6). He was well known to the readers so he didn’t need to mention his name.

John and James, his older brother (Acts 12;2), were known as “the sons of Zebedee” (Matt. 10;2–4), whom Jesus gave the name “Sons of Thunder” (Mark 3;17). John was one of the 3 most intimate associates of Jesus (along with Peter and James—cf. Matt. 17;1. 26;37), being an eyewitness to and participant in Jesus’ earthly ministry (1;1–4). In addition to the 3 epistles, John also authored the fourth gospel, in which he identified himself as the disciple “whom Jesus loved” and as the one who reclined on Jesus’ breast at the Last Supper (John 13;23. 19;26. 20;2. 21;7, 20). He also wrote the book of Revelation (Rev. 1;1).

TimeStamps:
00:00:00 Intro
00:00:14 1 John Chapter 1.
00:01:54 1 John Chapter 2.
00:06:26 1 John Chapter 3.
00:09:46 1 John Chapter 4.
00:12:52 1 John Chapter 5.
00:16:11 2 John Chapter 1.
00:18:06 3 John Chapter .

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*Intro: The Watchman
*AudioBook: James, New King James Version, Johnny Cash
*Video: Open seas.

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