Audio is streamed from the publisher.
Show notes
In this opening episode, Adult Ministries Pastor Peter Englert teams up with his longtime friend and New Testament professor, Dr. Ron Hall, to set the stage for a fresh, deep‑water study of the often‑overlooked Letter of 1 John. Together they unpack who wrote the book (the apostle John, the “disciple whom Jesus loved”), when and where it was penned (mid‑80s AD, from Ephesus), and why it matters today. They highlight the letter’s central mission: exposing false doctrine—from early Gnostic and Docetic believers who denied Christ’s incarnation—to today’s “sin‑deniers” who pretend they have no need for confession. Listeners get a quick roadmap of the epistle’s structure—light, righteousness, love, and a concluding prayerful close—while Peter shares practical tools (like the NIV Application Study Bible and Craig Keener’s commentary) and Ron stresses the importance of memorizing key verses for spiritual recall. Notes from Ron Hall The Word of Life - 1 John 1:1-4 First 4 verses John established that Christ came in the flesh (incarnation) and was truly God. He appeals to eyewitness accounts of those literally being with Christ - what we have seen & heard. He establishes that in Christ is life & that life makes a relationship with the Father possible. Proclamation for Fellowship Word of Life – Christ Why is John doing this? So they could have fellowship with the Father, Son and with each other. True fellowship is only found in Christ, which is developed in the letter. FELLOWSHIP - Koinonia – Acts 2:42-47; 1 Peter 4:13. Fellowship is the distinguishing mark of Christianity. What is fellowship? Not “food, fun, and fellowship.” But for John and his readers “fellowship” is apparently something more profound than good food and good times. Judging from John’s letter, fellowship involves commitment to a common body of belief (doctrine) and faithfulness in a dedicated life of obedience. It also involves that elusive thing called love—love for God as well as love for people and especially fellow believers. (Clinton) Once this is established, John can move into the message of walking in and responding to God’s presence in 1 John 1:5-2:2 Consider now the power of imagery that “God is light” (1 John 1:5)