Questions for this morning

We will finish up 1 John 5 this morning, then dive into 2 John, which has only one chapter. Here are some questions to consider:

1. Again, John enjoins his "little ones" to be wary of deceivers, the antichrists. What are the little ones supposed to hold onto?
2. Another reprise: John challenges the little ones to love, with obedience to the commandment, which is not new. Why does he keep writing about this?

Let's start with these questions today, and gaze once again into the Word, God's perfect law of freedom.

Unfinished business

We concluded last Thursday with a homework assignment: Where during Mass do we mention the saints of God, and why?

This is related to our unfinished question:

1. John mentions confidence again, in v. 11. How is this confidence different or related to the confidence John mentions in 1 John 2: 28 and 1 John 4:17?

Confessor

From the New Advent Catholic Encyclopedia, a short blurb about the word "confessor" --

The word confessor is derived from the Latin confiteri, to confess, to profess, but it is not found in writers of the classical period, having been first used by the Christians. With them it was a title of honour to designate those brave champions of the Faith who had confessed Christ publicly in time of persecution and had been punished with imprisonment, torture, exile, or labour in the mines, remaining faithful in their confession until the end of their lives. The title thus distinguished them from the martyrs, who were so called because they underwent death for the Faith...

In the beginning it was given to those who confessed Christ when examined in the presence of enemies of the Faith.

Questions

When we study 1 John 5 on Thursday morning, we can start with some of these questions:

1. John mentions confidence again, in v. 11. How is this confidence different or related to the confidence John mentions in 1 John 2: 28 and 1 John 4:17?
2. Do you see anything notable in John's use of water, blood and the Spirit as witnesses? Are these three special in everyday life?
3. How does the Gospel describe water, blood and the Spirit in the crucifixion of the Messiah Jesus?

Let's take these three and look again into God's deep wisdom.

11th commandment and other notes

John frequently talks about keeping the commandments. One verse we focused on last week was 1 John 4:11:

Beloved, if God so loved us, we also must love one another.

Len figured out that this is God's 11th commandment. Good.

In this regard, Deacon Al mentioned the mind of Christ, Philippians 2:5-11, as a good summary of the 11th commandment in action.

Who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God something to be grasped.

Rather, he emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, coming in human likeness; and found human in appearance,

he humbled himself, becoming obedient to death, even death on a cross.

Ken mentioned that Jesus Christ come in the flesh is a stumbling block to some. If you believe that Jesus is God but not that Jesus is also man, then you will not have the confidence or ability to love another person as God loves us. To John in this letter, it is a tragedy to live that way.

A few questions

Here are some questions for today.

1. What does it mean to confess Jesus?
2. Does God act based on our love or lack thereof?
3. How does on recognize the Holy Spirit has been given to someone?
4. How is fear cast out?

Today's questions

Questions

1. What is the meaning of "hell" that one can discern in 1 John 3?
2. What are signs of the power of the Holy Spirit?