The Epistles of John: Walking in the Light of God's Love

by Zane C. Hodges

Publisher:

Grace Evangelical Society

, 1999

Overview

There are other New Testament letters which are much longer and seemingly more important than the Epistles of John. Yet these three small letters are verse for verse some of the most profound writings in the entire Bible. While the vocabulary in these letters is simple, the thoughts are profound. These three epistles have long been at the center of the Gospel debate. Entire books on assurance have been written based on an extremely unfortunate misunderstanding of First John. Such books undermine assurance by wrongly pointing readers to their works, rather than Christ, for assurance. In this remarkable commentary the reader will find both solid exegesis and practical application. This is a commentary that is sure to equip and encourage believers until Christ returns.

Inside this book you will find:

• Outstanding verse-by-verse exposition of 1–3 John
• A clear defense of the Gospel of grace
• A thorough explanation of the ground of assurance being God’s infallible promises, not our fallible works
• Engaging calls to personal holiness
• Warnings about false teachers and false teachings
• Helpful insights into the judgment seat of Christ and how to prepare for it
• Exciting teaching on the crucial role of prayer in overcoming your sinful inclinations
• Exhortations to support those who accurately proclaim God’s truth

 

Contents

Top Highlights

“In First John the apostle writes out of a concern that certain false teachers may be given a hearing in the church or churches he is addressing. Since they essentially deny the fundamental truth of the Christian faith, namely, that Jesus is the Christ come in flesh (1 John 2:22; 4:3), their doctrine strikes right at the heart of all Christian experience. The readers, who are clearly Christians themselves (2:12–14, 21; 5:13), are therefore not in danger of losing eternal life—which cannot be lost—but are in danger of having their fellowship with God the Father and with Jesus Christ His Son seriously undermined. Thus, the stated general aim of the epistle is fellowship (1 John 1:3).” (Page 34)

“What we can say about the errorists of First John is that they denied that Jesus was the Christ who had come in flesh.” (Page 34)

“At present there is a movement gathering momentum, one related to so-called ‘contemplative spirituality,’ in which Roman Catholic and Buddhist mysticism are merged. Within this system of thought, Jesus is stripped of His uniqueness as ‘the only begotten’ Son of God and is ascribed a divinity which in character is no different than the divinity belonging to all men. According to this perspective, each and every individual is ‘one’ with God and Jesus simply realized this oneness to a greater degree than others. He is thus not the Christ in the Johannine sense of mankind’s one and only Savior (John 1:29; 4:42).” (Pages 37–38)

“Thus the test suggested by 1 John 2:3 is not of the saving knowledge of God or of Christ, but of the experiential knowledge of God and His Son.” (Page 77)

Product Details

• Title: The Epistles of John: Walking in the Light of God's Love
• Author: Zane C. Hodges
• Publisher: Grace Evangelical Society
• Publication Date: 1999
• Pages: 312

About Zane C. Hodges

Zane C. Hodges (1932–2008) was the founder and president of Kerugma, Inc. He was the chairman of the New Testament Department at Dallas Theological Seminary, where he taught for 27 years. Hodges graduated from Wheaton College and Dallas Theological Seminary. He served for over 40 years as a pastor and authored many articles and books such as A Free Grace Primer.