Letters to a Troubled Church
by Rev. Kirby Williams
Introduction to the Epistles of John
Text: 1John 1:1-4
Date: 09/21/2025, the Evening service.
Series: "Evenfall; Sunday Evening Worship" Part 38
Description:
We will begin our study of the Epistles of John by familiarizing ourselves with the background that led to the epistles. Particularly, the disunity and schism in the church or churches John is writing to due to false teaching and internal discord. As is our practice when starting a new book, we will delve into the particulars of the book such as when it was written, by whom, and to whom; as well as pointing out First John's unique form. But our main focus will be on the two great heresies that created the problem-- the fundamental heresy of Gnosticism and how it has crept into Christian thought, and the logical result of that fallacy-- Docetism, which argued that Jesus was never really human. Once we understand these heresies, and the behavioral problems they created (antinomianism and asceticism), we will be better equipped to understand these letters to a troubled church.
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I. Introduction
II. Background
A. Details of the letters.
1. Authorship
2. Date
3. Form, Phil. 1:1-2,21-23.
4. Audience
B. The purpose of the letters.
1. A congregation in turmoil.
2. Analyzing the errors.
a. Gnosticism
i. Defining the term, Rom. 11:33; 1Tim. 6:20.
ii. A persistent dilemma for the church.
iii. Modern-day examples.
1) Mormonism
2) Roman Catholicism.
3) The New Apostolic Reformation.
iv. John's fight against Gnosticism, 1John 4:1,6, 2:19,22; 2John 7.
b. Docetism
i. Defining the term.
ii. John and Cerinthus.
3. Two resulting behavioral problems.
a. Antinomianism, 1John 3:6-8.
b. Asceticism
III. Conclusion
