1 John

Covers 1 John 1-2

John writes basic truths to mature believers precisely because they already know them — a call, set against Hebrews 5, never to neglect the foundations of the faith no matter how deep into theology we have gone.

Covers 1 John 1-2

Why we instinctively soften John's stark light-versus-darkness contrast — and a challenge to ask why we want a fluffy Christianity that claims fellowship with God while clinging to pet sins, rather than letting His light into the dark places.

Covers 1 John 3

John's two priorities for imitating Christ — walking in righteousness and loving one another in deed and truth — and how they reorder a Christian's instinct to put learning the Word and sharing the faith first.

Covers 1 John 4

John's call to test the spirits, read against a naturalistic Western Christianity — arguing that the church's silence about the supernatural leaves spiritually curious people vulnerable to deception, opening the door to New Age teaching.

Covers 1 John 4

Loving God can feel easier than loving people because He comes on our terms — but John insists we cannot love the God we have not seen while failing to love the brothers and sisters we have, His children being part of the package.

Covers 1 John 5

An honest admission that 1 John 5 remains cryptic even after years of study — and an encouragement that not understanding a passage is fine, because the gospel John proclaims, that whoever has the Son has life, stays abundantly clear.