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?

Progression, confidence

During our discussion last Thursday, we talked about one question at length: Why should we be confident before the judgement of God?

And now, children, remain in him, so that when he appears we may have confidence and not be put to shame by him at his coming. 1 John 2:28

Here is the progression of answers we came up with, each answer getting closer and closer to the center of the question.

1. Confident if we keep the commandments.
2. Confident if we acknowledge the Lamb.
3. Confident because it is nor a surprise -- it is something foretold.
4. Confident because of faith.
5. Confident because of the Messiah's sacrifice on the Cross.
6. Confident because it is based on God's love for us.

At that point, we could go no deeper into the matter: God's love for us is a sure and solid bedrock.

Or, as St. Paul said in the city of Athens, "in Him we live and move and have our being."

1 John 2 questions

To read through 1 John chapter 2, here are a few questions to get you thinking:

1. If Jesus is our advocate, our defense attorney before God the Father, then how is it that He is also the expiation of our sins? How many lawyers volunteer for that duty?
2. When you confess sins to God, does the power of the forgiveness depend on your personal power or skill?
3. Re-read Romans 8:26-32. Does this inspire confidence in God's power to forgive?
4. There is an unusual pair of sets of three questions in vv. 12-14. What do you make of them?
5. In v. 18, John mentions several antichrists. What are these antichrists attempting to do to John's flock?

These questions are only the beginning of our quest for God's wisdom and grace this Thursday morning.

Beginning

This week we start a study of John's first letter, A good set of starting questions is:

1. Re-read John's gospel, chapter 1. Does this chapter bear any resemblance to the concepts in Johns first letter, chapter 1?
2. Re-read John's gospel, chapter 15. Does this chapter bear any resemblance to the concepts in Johns first letter, chapter 1?
3. Re-read Revelation, chapter 22. Does this chapter bear any resemblance to the concepts in Johns first letter, chapter 1?

Every Thursday morning, we meditate on God's Word, and we pray for the Lord's wisdom to penetrate our minds. These questions will be a good start.