Introduction and Beginning of John 1-50

Welcome to our online Bible Study on the Book of John.   This book is a very good starting point for new Christians and non-Christians who are searching and trying to make sense of Christianity.  At times, studying and reading the Bible is often difficult for all of us . As we go through each chapter and verse, the explanations and discussions of Scripture will be kept simple and easy for you to understand. If you have questions DO ask them through emails or in the comment section.  They will be promptly answered as quickly as possible.  

Our group comes from different walks of life and different faiths. We're from the Assembly of God, Baptist, Catholic, Lutheran, Methodist and Presbyterian churches. This doesn't include the churches we have been raised in or married into. It's a mixed bag to say the least. But we're all Christians who are committed to studying God's word and seeking ways of how we can better share and live out our faith with others. We pray for people closest to us and for those we don't know. It's a time of fellowship and fun. We wish you were here in person to share your life experiences and tell us all about yourselves.

If you are in need of prayer, we ask you to send your requests to us via the email address listed here:  believeinprayer1@yahoo.com.  We will earnestly pray for you and keep your requests confidential within the group.  We believe that God answers prayer! 

 For two years our group kept a journal of prayer requests.  As time passed, we would look back and review each prayer need that was personally shared. It was eye opening, inspiring, and  encouraging to see how God healed and worked through the lives of those we prayed for.   We saw God answer each prayer in ways we could never have imagined!  There  are a still some that are ongoing.  We are waiting, because we know it is a  prayer in progress, as we wait on God's timing.. We say thank you and give our praises to God for the work he has done in those lives.. 

We believe in the authority of Scripture.  This means that we accept the Bible as the inspired Word of God.  We believe that the writers were not only inspired but were moved by the Holy Spirit.  This resulted in writings and teachings that were breathed or spoken by God.  From 2 Timothy 3:16 we read that "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness."  We accept this as one of the foundations from which we will begin study. 


We are using the New International Version Study Bible with Life Application in this study.  It is accurate, very easy to understand and gives thorough explanations of the scriptures at the bottom of each page.  There are many other translations that are equally as good, but this is our personal choice.

All comments or those in the group discussion are listed in red.

Background Information:


The purpose of John was to give proof that Jesus is the Son of God and that all who believe in Him will have eternal life.

It was written about 85-90 A.D. by John, the Apostle, the younger brother of James, and the son of Zebedee.  As a fisherman working with his father, he fished along the shores of Lake Genesareth.  Jesus referred to John and James, another disciple, as the "Sons of Thunder." From an excerpt from Wikipedia it is is said that their nature was calm and gentle, but when their patience was pushed to the limits, their anger became wild, fierce and thunderous, causing them to speak out like an untamed storm.  

John is mentioned throughout the gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John as well as in Acts.  We read of him with James and Peter when the daughter of Jairus, who had been bleeding for twelve years, was healed.  He witnessed the transfiguration and is with Jesus in Gethsemane.  In Luke, we see him preparing and sitting next to Jesus at  the Last Supper.  We read that after the arrest of Jesus he followed him into the place of the high-priest.

When Jesus was crucified, John remained at the foot of the cross.  He took Mary, the mother of Jesus , and cared for her.   In Acts, we read of John, along with the other disciples,founding the new church.  He was with Peter when the lame man was healed.  Later we learn that he was imprisoned with Peter, and at one point sent to the island of Patmos where he wrote the Book of Revelations. This is in addition to John, John 1, John 2, and John 3. This totals 5 books of the Bible. These are just some of the most notable and frequently remembered things John is spoken of and remembered by.  It is written that he lived the longest of the disciples and was not martyred as were most all of the disciples.

As we began our discussion today, we had to first determine which John was writing this particular book of the Bible.  Was it John the Evangelist, John the disciple of Jesus, or John the Baptist? 

The book of John was written by John, the disciple of Jesus. Jesus referred to John as one of his "beloved disciples."  Beloved means
"close to the heart."  From this,  we believe that He was one of those
whom Jesus spent time with, as with James.

Week 1 John 1:1-18

Our study begins:

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ² He was with God in the beginning.

When God was forming the universe, speaking it into being, Jesus was with God. He already existed, he was eternal.   This is a fundamental truth about Jesus. It forms the foundation of our Christian faith.  It is a difficult concept for many to understand, especially for those who are reading it for the first time, raised in a non-Christian faith, or have had no previous beliefs.  As Christians we believe it because the Bible says so.  Sometimes we fall into the trap of trying to make sense of everything God does by assuming that we are on the "same level" He is..or that we are just as smart and have all the answers. In 1 Corinthians 2: 16  we are told that we have the "mind of Christ". This is true because God made us in his image, but no one can totally comprehend God or the things of God.  It is only through the workings of the Holy Spirit , who can give us some kind of insight into the plans or actions that God has for us and the world in general.. 

What does John mean by "the Word?"  It meant several things, depending  if the meaning is  in Hebrew or in Greek.  In Hebrew it means agent of creation (Psalm 33:6), the source of God's message to his people through the prophets (Hosea 1:2)  or a standard of holiness (Psalm 119:11). In Greek philosophy it was the "reason that governed the world.  In our Christian faith of today, we accept that John is speaking about Jesus from reading this verse.  It is the  same Jesus who was with God in the beginning of creation and  that God and Jesus were the same person.  Jesus is all of those things that the Hebrew and Greek words define. 

 
Further scriptural evidence supporting that Jesus is "the Word"  is found from reading  Revelation 19:13 which says: " He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and His name is The Word of God."

When the verse is read outloud  "In the beginning was Jesus, and Jesus was with God and Jesus was God.  He was with God in the beginning" it takes on far greater meaning.


This becomes more evident as we read on ahead to John 1:14.  It says that  'The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth."

God took on humanness in the form of Jesus and came to live and dwell among us here on earth.  He, who was eternal and the creator, who was also God is now human as well...

God the Father and God the Son are not two separate Gods, but one...  This is the Christians beginning conceptualization of the Trinity...We know that the word "Trinity" never appears in the Bible.  How can we as Christians confidently talk about God's way of revealing Himself as one God in three persons?

A couple of examples given to explain the Trinity were:

1. There are three separate forms of God, all of them are exactly the same, but yet different. God sent his Son in His image of himself, so that people could learn about God through his Son and they could see Him giving people concrete proof that God exists.  Through God's sacrifice of His Son on the cross, Jesus died for us and paid the price for our sins so that we may be saved through Him. After His death on the cross, He went back to Heaven to be with God, but the Holy Spirit stayed here on Earth to be our guide.

2. The Trinity is like an egg.  An egg has three different parts; the shell, the white and the yolk. They are all one item, but yet can be separated into three parts.

3.  The Trinity could be thought of as like a twine rope, it can be divided into three large pieces.  The three pieces are separate and are still part of the main rope.  They can be rewound and put back into one piece.

  There are many Scripture references that support the doctrine of the Trinity, not be explaining it, but by assuming it. 

As an example, Jesus the son is speaking in  these verses.  In verse 16 the Spirit and Father are referred to and in verse 17 the Holy Spirit.

John 14: 15-17 says "If you love me, you will obey what I command.  And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever-the Spirit of truth.  The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you." 

Here are more verses that point to it. In the Old Testament we read Genesis 3:15, Genesis 18, Daniel 3:19-25. The verses continue into the New Testament in many other verses as well...  John 16: 12-15; Romans 7:25 -8:4; Romans 8:15-17 and Galatians 3:1-5.  As you read each through for yourselves; you will see the Father, The Son, and the Holy Spirit referred to in each one one.

What is does it mean in the above verse  "We have seen his glory?"

 Glory is a word that also can have many meanings.  Used in this way it  mean great beauty or splendour that is so overwhelming it is considered powerful, or an aura. Glory may also refer to majesty.

What is grace?  Grace is unmerited forgiveness or favor given by God. It is not something  one can earn it is unconditional..

What can we learn about truth?

 It says that Jesus came from the Father and was full of grace and truth.  From this verse, we can say firmly that all truth comes from God, or Jesus is the truth.
When asked in philosophy classes what is truth? We can say in one word and with great authority, Jesus or God or the Holy Spirit.  He is the source of all truth and the only source of truth.. All truth comes from Him..

 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. ⁴ In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. ⁵ The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome^[a] it.


Everything in the world was made by God.  He spoke the words and the moon and the stars were made.  The earth was formed and all of the animals and human beings in it as were the waters, and daylight and dark.. It was made under His control.. As human beings we are nothing without him.  The light that shines in the darkness refers to God. The darkness that has not overcome it refers to evil that will never overcome the goodness that God provides or can take over God. He will prevail.  The light, meaning God, exposes  all sin and evil in the world and in our lives.


We see evidence of the creation all around us.  We are reminded by the beauty of nature which surrounds us each day..  

⁶ There was a man sent from God whose name was John. ⁷ He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe. ⁸ He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light.

This John, as referred to in the Book of John,  is John the Baptist.  He came ahead of Jesus to prepare the people for Jesus' arrival here on earth.  Many thought that John the Baptist was the Messiah, the one prophesied in the Old Testament who came to save us all from our sins. Jesus was God, he was not one of many gods, he was a human being showing mankind the way out of darkness (sin) into the light ( the way to God). 

Between the last book of the Old Testament (Malachi) and the New Testament (Matthew), God was silent for 400 years.   He was angry with the people for turning away and failing to live under his commandments.  Imagine, praying and never hearing from God! Or having a prophet who never spoke to the people with his teachings about what God said to him..  After so many years of silence, they began to turn away from God and worship idols.

⁹ The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. ¹⁰ He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. ¹¹ He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him.
¹² Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— ¹³ children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.


Throughout Old Testament scripture tells us of the coming Messiah, Jesus.   Isaiah 61 is a favorite of many, that says that Jesus is coming
to preach good news to the poor, to bind up the brokenhearted and to set the captives free.   When Jesus did come, people did not recognize him, they thought it was evil, they didn't believe his teachings or in the miracles He performed.  Not until he was crucified on the cross and rose again did many believe that yes, He truly was the Messiah.. Each of us today can accept or reject his teachings. Whether we choose to live in the light, or continue to live in darkness is up to us..



¹⁴ The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
¹⁵ (John testified concerning him. He cried out, saying, “This is the one I spoke about when I said, ‘He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’”) ¹⁶ Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given. ¹⁷ For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. ¹⁸ No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and^[b] is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known.

In verse 14, God's one and only Son means just that.  He is special and unique, there are no others before him or after that describe His special place with the Father.. Jesus was God's own son, He is God's child.   When Christ came to earth he was completely human and completely divine.  Footnotes in the Bible indicate that during the time of Moses, a Christian life was based on law and justice, but after Christ it changed to one of mercy and grace.

While visiting a Jewish temple during the time of Purim several years ago, our group was made very aware that present day Orthodox Jews still are following the traditions of the Old Testament.  Emphasis is placed on the first five books of the Bible called the Pentateuch as the basis of their faith.. As Christians who accepted the Jesus as the Messiah, it for us is a time of great joy and celebration as we are free of our sins. Jesus has paid the price for us as our Savior. We no longer cling to the old customs and legalized rules and regulations as outlined in Deuteronomy for our salvation... To those of us there visiting, it was a a very sobering time as we realized these people could never feel the freedom that we had..


Questions for Discussion:

1.  Was there anything new you learned from reading  John 1:1? 

The Word of God was referring to Jesus Christ and not the physical word of God as in the Bible.
Jesus Christ was there in the beginning and did not make His first appearance in the manger.

2.  How would you explain the Trinity to a new Christian or someone
     new to the Christian faith?

A couple of examples given to explain the Trinity were:

Three separate forms of God, all of them exactly the same, but different. God sent his Son in His image of himself, so that people could learn about God through his Son and they could see Him giving people concrete proof that God exists.  Through God's sacrifice of His Son on the cross, Jesus died for us and paid the price for our sins so that we may be saved through Him. After His death on the cross, he went back to Heaven to be with God, but the Holy Spirit stayed here on Earth to be our guide.

The Trinity is like an egg.  An egg has three different parts; the shell, the white and the yolk. They are all one item, but yet can be separated into three parts.

Sometimes we have to believe in things we cannot always explain or have concrete evidence of. 

Hebrews 11:1 states "Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. NIV
  
  Optional:  Share a scripture reading that points to the evidence of the Trinity other than those listed in our lesson.
   
3.  Define the terms grace and truth.

Divine grace is something given to you by God only and is undeserved and cannot be earned.

Truth is Jesus Christ.

John 14:6 states "Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." NIV

4.   Give an example of "light and darkness" in our world today?
Some examples of light would be good in the world, forgiveness, spreading the gospel, etc.

Some examples of darkness are pornography, violence, unforgiveness, sexual immorality, or anything and everything that takes our eyes off of the things of Christ.  Colossians 3:5-10 states "Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry.  Because of these, the wrath of God is coming.  You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived.  But now you must also rid yourselves of all things as these:  anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator." NIV. 


5.   What is an example of a belief or act of conduct that Christians       may tend to over emphasize that, in their opinion, makes them a
"better" Christian but is not required for their salvation?

  An example might be dressing a certain way or acting and saying all of the right things to people.  It might be leading others to thinking
that their lives are perfect or nothing bad ever happens to them.

Prayer of Salvation

It is easy to become a Christian.  Just pray the following words.

Dear Heavenly Father;

Today I come to you in prayer, asking you to forgive my sins and live in my heart from this day forward. I believe that you died on the cross for my sins and and that they are forgiven.  Thank you Lord for this gift.

In Jesus' name I pray.

Amen.