Episode Details

Welcome to the Hope Bible School verse-by-verse Bible study of 1 John. This is Jeff M Newman. Get a new lesson every other week on Mondays at 12:00 PM Eastern.

In Lesson 36, we are going to study the first part of 1 John 2:13.

Let’s read our verse.

1 John 2:13 I am writing to you, fathers, because you know Him who is from the beginning...

Let’s great started by defining the words in this verse.

I am writing to you (1125. graphó) means to express in written characters.

Fathers (3962. patér) means an ancestor, elder, or senior.

Because (3754. hoti) means that or since.

You know (1097. ginóskó) means to know through personal experience.

Him Who (3588. ho, hé, to) means God or specifically Jesus.

is from the beginning (746. arché) means the origin or the initial starting point.

In this part of 1 John 2:13 John is addressing fathers.

Fathers are older, mature believers or spiritual leaders. These are people who have spent a significant amount of time getting to know Jesus, who is from the beginning, through personal experience, not just by having theological knowledge about Him.

This personal experience comes by keeping His commandments and abiding in Him.

John is encouraging mature believers to continue to seek to know Jesus. He is also encouraging the younger believers by showing them what it looks like to be an older, mature believer.

Make it your goal to be a mature spiritual believer who has spent their life obeying Jesus’ commandments and abiding in Him.

Let’s read some verses that speak about the importance of knowing Jesus and how to know Jesus.

In 1 John 2:3-6, we read that we can come to know Jesus by keeping His commandments. The more we keep His commandments, the deeper our relationship with Him grows, and the more we will be transformed.

1 John 2:3-6 (NIV) We know that we have come to know him if we keep his commands. 4 Whoever says, “I know him,” but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in that person. 5 But if anyone obeys his word, love for God is truly made complete in them. This is how we know we are in him: 6 Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did.

In John 17:3, we read a prayer that Jesus offers to God the Father. This shows us that Jesus desires His followers to have a deep, personal, and intimate knowledge of God for eternity.

John 17:3 Now this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom You have sent.

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