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Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God,
and everyone who loves the Father loves whoever has been born of him.
1 John 5:1
Paul is sometimes called the “apostle of faith.” Peter has been called the “apostle of hope.” And John has received the attribution of the “apostle of love.” All of the apostles taught Christian “faith, hope, and love” (1 Cor. 13:13). Nevertheless, John’s epistles are particularly emphatic regarding the Christian calling to love. Out of 221 instances of the word “love” in the New Testament, 42 (or nearly 20 percent) occur in the brief epistles of John. Even though John’s epistles are among the shortest books of the Bible, his first letter alone contains more mentions of “love” (36 times) than does any other book in the Bible, save one: only the book of Psalms contains more references to “love.” For good reason, these epistles have contributed to John’s reputation as the “apostle of love.”
But it is not his own message that John writes: “This is the message we have heard from him,” that is, from Jesus (1 John 1:5). It is Jesus who has showed us that God is holy, without sin, and abounding in love. Therefore we who have been made children of God through Christ’s atoning work ought to cease from sin and grow in love for one another. John writes these three letters to instruct and motivate us in sanctification and love. The motivational character of John’s letters is particularly striking. He writes with an emotive, picturesque, rhetorically amplified style designed to stir our hearts as well as instruct our minds. ~ From the Crossway study guide on 1-3 John, Overview
This women’s Bible study will work through the text of John’s letter to the network of churches around Ephesus through weekly gatherings in private homes. To find out where we meet each week, please contact Laura. A companion guide from Crossway is available for free here (but not necessary) (also at Amazon for $8.59).
Please let Laura know if you are interested in participating. You can join at any time.
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