Focus on the Bible: 1, 2, & 3 John

by Michael A. Eaton

Publisher:

Christian Focus

, 1996

Overview

For each section of the Bible, the Focus on the Bible Commentaries summarize the passage of Scripture, including the intentions of the authors, the historical and cultural environment, and the questions and issues raised by a particular passage. But most importantly, the Focus on the Bible Commentaries brings you into the heart of the Bible, by explaining Scripture in an accessible way that makes sense for daily Christian living.

Michael Eaton believes that John's epistles were written to counteract false teachers who were influencing Christians in the church. An exposition of these epistles could not be timelier, as often people who come to Christ today have little or no church background—they can be easily influenced by false teaching.

John showed in his letters that the most secure way to avoid being deceived was the importance of having a present experience of knowing the Father and the Son. Michael Eaton brings out this balanced approach to help give us healthy and fruitful church members.

What’s more, with the Logos edition, Scripture passages are linked to your favorite English translation for quick reference, or to your Greek and Hebrew texts for original-language study! That gives you quick access to the message of the Bible as you study it! You can also read the Focus on the Bible: 1, 2, & 3 John along with your Bible dictionaries, encyclopedias, and the wealth of other Bible study tools in your digital library. This commentary will serve as a vital aid for sermon preparation, for personal and group Bible study, and for anyone looking to apply the text of Scripture to practical Christian life.

Key Features

• Chapter-by-chapter commentary
• Accessible and readable exposition
• Eminently useful for preaching, teaching, and both personal and group Bible study

Contents

Top Highlights

“The word ‘world’ has various meanings. Here it is a disposition, an outlook, a frame of mind. It is the anti-God mentality of the human race, the worldwide fondness for sin and self which causes men and women to stumble into wickedness.” (Pages 68–69)

“Perfected’ love is not sinlessness! Rather it is love made into the determined principle of one’s life. It is a habit of refusing to be judgmental. It is taking the initiative (as God in Jesus took the initiative) in bringing about reconciliation. It is the practice of total forgiveness without moralising the forgiven person. It is leaving vindication to God. It is practising the ‘golden rule’ of being sensitive to others (see Matt. 7:12). It is risking everything to be fearless in love. It is holding no grudges.” (Page 163)

“To refuse to love the world means a decisive rejection of the ‘world’s’ aspirations and outlooks. It is not going out of earthly society altogether, but it is a refusal to be dragged into its grumbling, its bitterness, its covetousness, its obsession with ‘cares and riches and pleasures’ (Luke 8:14), its preoccupation with receiving praise from fellow human beings.” (Page 69)

“It comes as a slight surprise that John says ‘fellowship with one another’. After 1:3 we would expect him to say ‘fellowship with God’. There is, however, a social and communal aspect to fellowship. If we ‘walk in the light’, what we shall experience is not simply fellowship with God; true fellowship with God will always involve fellowship with one another in the Christian community.” (Page 40)

Product Details

• Title: Focus on the Bible: 1, 2, & 3 John
• Author: Michael Eaton
• Publisher: Christian Focus
• Publication Date: 2001
• Pages: 240

About Michael A. Eaton

Michael Eaton holds degrees from the University of London, the University of Zambia, and the University of South Africa. In addition to this volume on Hosea, he published numerous books on the theology of Martyn Lloyd-Jones.