Some Teachings. (1) To be holy, not to secure an inheritance, but because we already have it. (2) To love the brethren, not to purify our soul, but because it is pure. (3) That we sacrifice, not as penance, but as an expression of praise. Analysis. Introduction, 1:1-2. I. Progress in the Christian Life, 1:3-21 end. 1. An exhortation to growth, 3-11. 2. Reasons for these exhortations, 12-21. II. False Teachers, Ch. 2. 1. The evil teachers and their followers, 1-3. 2. Their punishment, 5-10. 3. Their character, evil ways and end, 11-32. III. The Second Coming of Christ, 3:1-13. He will bring both blessings and destruction. Conclusion, 3:14-18. For Study and Discussion. (1) What our salvation involves, 1:5-11. (2) The characteristics of the false teachers, 2:1-3, 10, 12-14. (3) The certain punishment of these false teachers, 2:4-6, 15, 16, 21, 22. (4) The exhortations of the book such as to sobriety, 1:13. (5) The predictions of the book. * * * * * Chapter XXXVIII. First, Second and Third John and Jude. First John. Author and Date. It was probably written from Ephesus, 80 or 85 A. D. though some put it as early as A. D. 69, while others put it as late as A. D. 95. The author nowhere indicates his name, but through all the centuries it has been attributed to John, the beloved disciple. For information concerning him see lesson twenty-eight. The Readers. It was doubtless written primarily to the churches of Asia Minor in which John by reason of his work at Ephesus had a special interest. It is evident that those addressed were of all ages and were hated of the world. They were inclined to worldliness and to the danger of looking too lightly upon sin. They were also in danger of being led into doubt by those who denied the deity of Jesus. The Style. It is more in the form of a sermon or pastoral address than of an epistle. It is written with a tone of conscious authority. The thought is profound and mystical, but the language is simple both in words and in sentences. The arguments are by immediate inference. Their are many contrasts, parallelisms and repetitions with no figures of speech except perhaps the words light and darkness. The Purpose. The chief purpose was to tell them how they might know that they had eternal life, 5:13. The accomplishment of this purpose would also assure the fulfillment of the secondary purpose stated in 1:3, 4. Theme. The evidence of eternal life. Analysis Introduction, 1:1-4. I. How Those Who Possess Eternal Life will Live, 1:5-5:12. 1. They will dwell in the light, 1:5-2:28. 2. They will do righteousness, 2:29-4:6. 3. They will live a life of love, 4:7-5:3. 4. They will walk by faith, 5:4-12. II. What Those who Live such Lives may Know, 5:13-20. 1. That they have eternal life. 13. 2. That their prayers are answered, 14-17. 3. That God's people do not live in sin, 18. 4. Their true relation to God and to Christ, 19-20.