Friday – October 13, 2023, Tishrei 28, 5784
THAT WHICH WAS FROM THE BEGINNING
Greetings dear and precious friends and saints and welcome to the start of this teaching from 1st John. Teaching from the “little Johns” has been on my mind for some time and now is the time. Please take a moment and share this, and all other teachings, as widely as possible by every means available to you. Thank you so much for sharing. The Lord is so good, to give us His Word, to shine light on His abundant path for our lives. Before I move to our primary Bible text, let me remind you all of two things. One, is to be prayerful about becoming a partner, a regular financial donor to this Ministry, to support our Kingdom mission. Two, if you have not yet acquired my book “Be Love” do so today.
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Now let’s turn our full attention to our primary Bible text for today. Are you reading out loud?
1 John 1:1-4 (KJV)
1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life;
2 (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;)
3 That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.
4 And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full.
The “little Johns” were written by the same person, the Apostle John, the Apostle of Love, who wrote the Gospel of John. The follow is from a Google search. “This epistle was probably written in Ephesus between 95 and 110 AD. The author advises Christians on how to discern true teachers: by their ethics, their proclamation of Jesus in the flesh, and by their love. The original text was written in Koine Greek. The epistle is divided into five chapters. (https://en.wikipedia.org › wiki › First_Epistle_of_John)” It is estimated that the Apostle John died a natural death at about age 88, around 99 AD. These dates are understandably difficult to pin down but I don’t know that we need to be exact in these things. Being exact with Scripture is another thing all together. According to Church history the other twelve (including Judas) original Apostles died violent deaths. Was that the will of God for them? Was the Apostle Paul’s multiple brutal treatments and subsequent violet death the will of God? Many believe so, what say you, and based on what Scripture?
Now, let’s examine these first four verses of the Book of 1st John. It seems to me he is establishing that he and others, use of the pronoun “we”, were eyewitnesses to the earthly Ministry of Jesus. Let’s look at this passage in the New Living Translation.
1 John 1:1-4 (NLT)
1 We proclaim to you the one who existed from the beginning, whom we have heard and seen. We saw him with our own eyes and touched him with our own hands. He is the Word of life.
2 This one who is life itself was revealed to us, and we have seen him. And now we testify and proclaim to you that he is the one who is eternal life. He was with the Father, and then he was revealed to us.
3 We proclaim to you what we ourselves have actually seen and heard so that you may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ.
4 We are writing these things so that you may fully share our joy.
As we read this translation perhaps you were struck with another way to see the very first phrase “That which was from the beginning”. The beginning of what? The beginning of the earthly Ministry of Jesus or the beginning referred to in Genesis 1:1? I believe he is referring to the beginning of recorded Scripture and then adding that they got to be personal up-close witnesses of the One who is eternal life. We have seen this last phrase of the 4th verse before “that your joy may be full”.
John 16:23-24 (KJV)
23 And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you.
24 Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.
This word “joy” is not just referring to a hoot and holler, jump up and down, emotional response, it is much deeper. The Greek word transliterated to English as “joy” is chara meaning cheerfulness, a calm delight, to be cheerful, calmly happy, and well-off according to Strong’s Talking Greek & Hebrew Dictionary. Read the John 16:23-24 text again and see why we can have is joy, this calmness, this absolute unfailing faith leading to a fullness of joy. Remember, “joy” is a fruit of the spirit, an empowerment the world does not have. We are upon an unfailing foundation when our faith and love are real.
Lord willing, I will pick up right here next Friday.
By: Dr. David R. Wood, Author, Bible Teacher, and Prophetic Voice
2 Chronicles 20:20 b (KJV)
20 … Believe in the LORD your God, so shall ye be established; believe his prophets, so shall ye prosper.
Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 (KJV)
13 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.
14 For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.
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