Holy Scriptures and Israel

Narrator: Shalom! Holy Scriptures and Israel is a ministry designed to share with the Jewish people the good news of the Lord Jesus, Yeshua the Messiah, and to instruct Christians on the Jewish roots of their faith. And now, teaching God's word from a Hebrew Messianic perspective, here is Gideon Levytam.

Gideon Levytam: The study of 1 John 1. Introduction. Someone who is not a child of God, this letter will not be helpful to him or to her because he or she are not part of the family of God. But he is writing to believers. Every believer has to realize that he or she are part of the family of God and he is really writing family secrets. Things that you share with your immediate family.

Husbands and wives will share with each other secrets, you might say, things that are very special only to them. And then it will be broader with the children, the husband, the wife, the father, the mother and their children. You will share with them things that you will not share with the people of the world or people who are not part of the family. So John, Yochanan is emphasizing the family of God.

The writer, the author is Yochanan. The fisherman from the Galeel, from Galilee in the land of Israel. The theme is really little children, the family of God and concern with all the needs among the people of God. Now thirdly, this is also important by way of introduction, when did John write this letter, the epistles? 1 John, chapter 1 to 5, 2 John, 3 John, when did Yochanan write these letters?

When 70 AD have come over our nation of Israel in the land, you remember the Romans destroyed the city of Jerusalem, burned the temple in Yerushalayim, have killed over a million Jewish people, and many of the believers have been scattered abroad. Apparently history will teach us that Yochanan, John, moved to Ephesus. Asia Minor became a center of what we would call the assembly, the church.

The majority, you might say, the growth of the church was in Asia Minor. In Jerusalem many of the early Jewish believers have been persecuted and scattered outside of the land of Israel. John was in this area that is known Asia Minor in Ephesus. And in Ephesus he became a prominent spiritual leader in this local church, the local assembly in Ephesus. When he wrote the Gospel of John, he wrote it between 85 to 90 AD. By that time, brothers and sisters, most of the apostles already died.

In fact, the first person of the 12 apostles who died was his own brother, Ya'akov, James. He died first. I'm not talking about Ya'akov the brother of Yeshua the Messiah that we just finished the study of the book of James. I'm talking about James the brother of Yochanan, Ya'akov the brother of John. He died; he was the first one to die. But the last one to die was Yochanan, John.

He was the youngest of the apostles or disciples. It took much longer time for him to remain in Ephesus and he wrote between 85 to 90 AD the Gospel of John. Then immediately sometime after, seeing what was going on among the people of God, he wrote the epistles of John between some suggested 90 to 95 AD. He was writing a general letter to the believers all over wherever they are. He wrote it for you and for me as well today.

We don't read in these epistles anything in connection with the empire Domitian who persecuted the church and later on, he took John and he cast him into the island of Patmos, which is present-day Greece today. There in the island of Patmos Yochanan wrote the book of Revelation around 96 AD. He wrote the gospel between 85 to 90 somewhere there. Then somewhere between 90 to 95 Yochanan wrote the epistles, the letter in which we are studying today 1 John.

After he was sent to the island of Patmos he wrote the last book of the B'rit Chadashah, the new covenant that we know as Chazon or Revelation. He wrote it by divine inspiration when he was on the island of Patmos. It was about 96 AD. By that time John was a very, very old man. Then after he left the island of Patmos he was sent back to Ephesus and eventually Yochanan died in the city of Ephesus.

I remember when I took one of my tours to Asia Minor, we went to visit the tomb where supposedly John was buried in this area outside of the island of Patmos, of course, in the area that is Ephesus. So the time, the date of the writing of the letters here is between 90 to 95 AD. By that time, brothers and sisters, there was a reason why Yochanan wrote this letter.

I believe it is good for all of us to understand why we even study this letter. There is more than one reason why John wrote to us this letter and to the whole family of God. Because we live here in this world and we are often time influenced by this world. There is always a danger in each one of our lives, not only somebody else, me, you, all of us are in danger of falling away from the narrow path that God have called us to follow.

As we study the book of 1 John you will notice some reasons why did he write this letter to the believers among the family of God. Let me give you some of the reasons. We are in 1 John, chapter 1 and notice the first reason that Yochanan wrote in verse 4. He wrote this letter in order that believers in Yeshua will have fullness of joy. Look at this. 1 John, chapter 1 and verse 4. He said, "These things write we unto you that your joy may be full."

Many times we as believers in Yeshua the Messiah have not much joy in our lives. We have to distinguish between happiness and joy. Happiness depends upon what's happening. If things happen good, we got a good job, we got promotion, things are well with that, we are happy. But joy is far behind that. Sometime you see believers who are going through persecution and trials in their life, but they have an internal joy in their hearts.

Like what we read from the Hebrew writer Nehemiah, Nechemia, who says "The joy of the Lord is our strength." He wrote it to our own people of Israel many years ago when Israel just returned back from Babylon. Shaul Paul wrote, "Rejoice in the Lord always." The book of Philippians. "Again I say, rejoice." John wrote this letter that we will have joy in our lives. And not only joy, but notice he says, "that your joy may be full."

It is so sad when we are joyless believers. How sad it is when a believer have no joy. The writings of this epistle to the family of God, to the children of God, is for the express purpose that they will have joy. Just like you and I as parents, when we have our own children and when they don't walk right and don't obey the Lord, you can see that they are not happy in Yeshua.

How can they be happy and joyful when you are not communicating with the Lord and living in obedience to the Lord? We cannot be happy and joyful. Sometimes again we sing, "When we walk with the Lord in the light of his word," and you remember how we read, "What a shadow he lay on our way. So when we do his good will he abide with us still. And with all who will trust and obey."

When a believer does not obey the Lord, we know in our own hearts we are not joyful. So John is writing and he says, notice he said, "These things I write unto you." 1 John 1:4. "That your joy may be full." Not partial, but full. A cup of water that is running over. Sometime the Psalmist says, "Running over, running over, my cup running over." It's overflowing with joy because one is rejoicing in Yeshua the Messiah, what he have done for us, his care and love for us. "The joy of the Lord is your strength," Nechemia said to our people of old.

That's the first reason. Look at the second reason, beloved brothers and sisters, in 1 John chapter 2 and verse 1. Why did he write this letter? In order that believers will not live a life of sin. Look. 1 John chapter 2. "My little children, these things write I unto you that ye sin not." Now it is so interesting. He know very well that a believer is capable of sinning. How many times we have dishonored the Lord with sins that came into our own life?

And we know that. And John writing this letter, why? That you will live a life that is pleasing to the Lord. That ye sin not. Now it doesn't mean, you notice immediately after that he said, "If any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father." We're going to talk about it when we're going to get to that. Yeshua the Messiah is the advocate, he is our righteous one. He is advocating on our behalf.

But the point that he's really emphasizing is that you will not live an ongoing life of dishonor to the Lord or sinful life. Because after all he wants his people to live a life that is pleasing to the Father. He is saying to them that there will not be an ongoing sinfulness in your own life that will take you away from fellowship with God the Father. When we sin and do not judge it, there is a cloud.

Our fellowship with God, it seems to be broken. Not our relationship, eternal relationship, but you don't feel the presence of the Lord in your life because we have willfully, consistently, on an ongoing basis dishonored the Lord in a persistent life of sin. And John says, "that ye sin not." Don't live this kind of life. You might fall, repent. You might stumble, go back. Don't carry on in that pathway because you will not enjoy the things of the Lord in your life.

The first reason, that you'll have Simcha, joy. The second reason, that you will sin not. No Chet, no sin in your life on an ongoing basis. Look at the third reason. The third reason is again in 1 John, this time chapter 3 and verse 11. Look at this, and the third reason is very important. "For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another." Many times among the people of God it makes you wonder what's going on.

Do we love the brothers and sisters? I didn't say do we like them, I say do we love them. What's the difference between liking them? We might not like the personality of each other. We all have different kind of personalities. Some of us are harsher, some of us are softer. Some of us are aggressive, others are just careless and so on. We all have a different type of personality.

Notice he says again in 1 John 3 in verse 11, he says "This is the message that you have heard." In other words, I write this message to you that as it was in the beginning, we should have love for one another. You remember Yeshua said in John chapter 13, the gospel, he says "By this shall all men know that you are my disciples, if you have love one towards another."

Love towards the brethren is important among the people of God. Years ago somebody left a certain assembly, a certain church, because there is no love in this local church. And then if you ask him the question, where does the Bible say for you to expect love from others? The Bible says you ought to give love to the other. That's what the Bible teaches. We should love one another.

It doesn't say you should wait for receiving love from one another. We are to practically show this love among the people of God. Now of course, if someone is loving us obviously we will be receiving love, but the exhortation is always love one another. And if we have love among the brothers and sisters, Yeshua said in John chapter 13, it's evident in the life of the people of God.

If somebody is gonna come in the midst of a local assembly, local church, and they see bickering and fighting and the people of God, this one talk about the others and the others talk about this one and there's constantly bickering among the people of God, he or she will say, "Listen, there's no reason for me to be here. They say that they are Christians, that they are Messiah followers, look at the condition that prevail among them. Instead of showing love, it is evident that they really don't care for one another."

One of the best testimony of a local assembly, local church, that they are really in the will of the Lord, if there is love among the people of God. I want to read John 13. In fact, I read verse 34 and 35. Yeshua in the upper room, he just washed the disciples' feet. Now look what he says there. Just towards the end of this chapter, he said, "A new commandment I give unto you that ye love one another. As I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another."

Brothers and sisters, what a beautiful thing it is to see the brothers and sisters love one another. Even though we don't agree about the personalities, the way in which a person sometime behaves, but the responsibility is to love the brethren. This is an evident that we belong to Yeshua the Messiah. The first reason, joy. The second reason, that we will sin not. The third reason is that we will have love towards the brethren, towards one another.

The next reason is again back in 1 John, chapter 2. This is in verse 18. The fourth reason is that believers be aware of false teachings of those who are against Yeshua the Messiah. Look at this. 1 John chapter 2 and verse 18. It says, "Little children, it is the last time. As ye have heard that Antichrist shall come, even now there are many Antichrists against Messiah, whereby we know that it is the last time."

This is in verse 18. Now notice verse 22. "Who is a liar but he that denieth that Yeshua is the Messiah, the Jesus is the Messiah? He is Antichrist that denieth the Father and the Son." This is amazing, brothers and sisters. I am telling you that this condition of denial of the Messiahip of Yeshua, those that are really against Yeshua the Messiah, did not start now.

Already long time ago at the beginning, the foundation of the body of Messiah, of the ecclesia of the church, of the family of God, there are those who creep in and already began to sow the seed against the Messiah and those that follow him. And notice he calling them little children in the last time, as it says in 1 John 2:18, this the last time, as you have heard that the Antichrist, this is a person that will come.

But he will come, yes, but there are many, as it says, but now there are many anti-Messiah, Antichrist whereby we know that it is the last time. Well John nearly 2,000 years ago already showed us that the professing church, the professing assembly already have been infected by many who crept in and were really instead of for the Messiah, they were actually against Yeshua the Messiah.

He's calling them in verse 22 liars. The truth will remain firm, it will never change. But those who teach false doctrine and really against the Messiah, they have already have crept in among the people of God in the first century already. And John writing about those individuals that have already crept into the professing church, into the professing assembly.

Brothers and sisters, I'm telling you, today as we live closer to the end of the church age, we know how much it is in existing today and we need to be extremely careful. That's why we are to stick to the ABC of the word of God and this is the safest place for us where we are sticking to the word of God. Now fifthly, turn with me to chapter 5 of 1 John.

The fifth reason why this letter was written to the family of God. It says in 1 John chapter 5 and verse 13. This epistle was written to give believers the assurance of salvation. 1 John chapter 5 and verse 13. Again notice the word, "These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God that ye may know that ye have eternal life that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God."

Many times when we preach the gospel, sometime little children come to the front. Some of them come to accept the Lord, others coming because they are not sure if they are really saved, if their sins have been forgiven. I hope that none of us here in this room is not sure of his or her salvation. And John wrote this epistle, verse 13 of 1 John chapter 5, these things are written.

Why John? Because it's written for you that are already believing in the name of Yeshua the Messiah, I'm writing this to you that you may know. Notice it said that you may know. It doesn't say that you may feel. Sometime we don't feel like saved because our feelings are not so good. Something happened to me in my life and I don't feel like I am saved. But the Bible doesn't teach us about your feeling; the scripture teaching us the facts.

For God so loved the world. Number one. That he gave his only begotten Son. Number two. That whosoever believeth on him. Number three. Shall not perish but have everlasting life. Number four. It's clear in this verse John chapter 3 and verse 16. God's love for men brought about the necessity for sending Yeshua the Messiah and when Yeshua died for us on the tree, anyone who believe on him have an everlasting life.

He's saved, he's secure. Our feelings have nothing to do with this fact. You are either in or you're out. You are either a believer or you are not a believer. You cannot sit on the fence. You are either going to heaven or you're going to hell. There is no in-between. You cannot be saved for a few months and then lost for other few months and then resaved again and then get lost again.

If it's depending upon our feeling and upon our performance, we're not sure when we'd ever be saved. And that's why John write this letter. And in 1 John 5:13 he says these things have I written unto you that those you already believe on his name, I'm writing this to you that you may know. This is knowing it is a fact. We knowing this truth.

We sometime sing this song "The B-I-B-L-E, the Bible, the Torah. This is the book," he said. He said, "I'm standing on the book because what it says it's a fact." It has nothing to do with how you and I feel but it has everything to do with what God says in his word. And if God says that whosoever believeth on him shall not perish but have everlasting life, we simply have to accept it and not to depend upon our feeling but to depend upon the written word of God.

It will never change. People think that because their views about the Bible will change the Bible, it will never change. The word of God remain true to what the one who have given this to us said. He is true and what he have given to us remains firm and will never ever change. Five reasons why this epistle was written. Number one, that our joy may be full. Number two, that we will sin not. Number three, that we have love one towards another.

Number four, to be careful from false teachers and false teaching. And number five, to have assurance that we are saved, that we have an eternal life. "That ye may know that ye have," not that ye may have, but you already have an eternal life because you have trusted in Yeshua the Messiah. So, so far we had the author is Yochanan. The theme is the family of God.

The date is between 90 to 95 AD. And the purpose is fivefold which we have this before us. Joy, sinning not, loving each other, be careful from false teachers and also assurance of salvation. This is so important for us to get hold of. Now let's talk a little bit as we are moving along about the false teachers that have risen already at that time.

False teaching have been at every generation. Our people Israel before Yeshua the Messiah came have experienced false prophets. Many, many false prophets have risen in the history of our people Israel. It didn't take too long when the body of Messiah was formed, when the family of God had been brought together in church history, false teaching had begun. When God does a work, Satan does a work.

When God work in lives of people, Satan who is the enemy of God and God's people always introduce some leaven in a midst of the people of God. False teaching. Now let me just tell you some things about the heresy that existed by the Gnostics of those days that made it necessary for John to write this letter. Look what they believe, the Gnostics. They taught that knowledge is a superior virtue.

In other words you might have a special insight that it's greater than anything else, even greater than the word of God. Like one might be saved by knowing a lot. Well knowledge actually the Bible says puffs you up. The Bible wants us to know certain things about the word of God but we are to know it from the written word of God. Secondly, these Gnostics did not interpret God's word literally, but intellectually. We have to be very careful, brothers and sisters, to interpret scripture by its own, by scripture.