1 Timothy 1:3-7 – Don’t be taken in by distorted teaching

In the church at Ephesus, false teachers were abusing the Law and its application. They wrongly presumed that they knew the Law and how it should be applied. So Paul left Timothy there to deal with this issue.

As predicted in his farewell message in Acts 20, “savage wolves” had besieged the church in Ephesus. They were tearing up the flock there. One of the reasons Paul left Timothy at Ephesus was for the latter to tackle this problem.

Paul probably had already pointed out these “certain men” to Timothy. Hymenaeus and Alexander whom he mentioned in 1 Timothy 1:20 could be two of them. He highlighted that one activity of such false teachers was the propagation of strange doctrines, myths and endless genealogies. Needless to say, their strange doctrines were teachings which deviated from the truth that Paul had taught. Furthermore, they were myths, meaning that they were old wives’ fables and tales, used possibly to justify their immoral and improper behavior and conduct. In referring to “genealogies,” Paul was talking about their vain indulgence at tracing one’s lineage to the Jewish patriarchs.

Verse 4 tells us why he objected to these strange doctrines, myths and endless genealogies, saying that they only caused endless unfruitful speculations or controversies. Furthermore, they would not promote faith and God’s salvation plan, which a right interpretation of the Scriptures would bring. In verse 5, Paul showed what sound teachings would result. Sound teachings produce love that springs from a pure heart, a good conscience and sincere faith. Here we are given two critical elements, love and faith, to evaluate all instructions. Love will promote unity in the church and faith will promote God’s glory.

In verses 6-7, Paul described the false teachers. He revealed several negative elements about these “savage wolves”. Firstly, they strayed from sound instruction, meaning the truth; secondly, they engaged in meaningless discussion with no sound objective; thirdly, they claimed to be teachers of the Law which they did not even understand; and finally, in referring to their confident assertion, Paul was talking about their stubbornness and dogmatism. In other words, they were foolishly stubborn.

All kinds of teachings purported to come from God have proliferated the Christian community. And believers must learn to discern what is of God and what is not. Many have already been taken in by everything – hook, line and sinker. The Lord advises us to abide in Him and let His Word abide in us. Then we shall know the truth and the truth will set us free. Be sure to heed His Word!   

1 Timothy 1:1-2 – A divine partnership

The opening word, Paul, in the Pastoral Epistles has settled the question of his authorship. Adding to that, the letters to Timothy also revealed his intimate knowledge of the recipient. He knew his family background; his grandmother Lois and his mother Eunice; his nature, his youthfulness and even his ordination, etc. These should adequately substantiate Paul’s authorship of the letters to Timothy. So without wasting precious time, we shall dive straight into the discussion of this letter

Paul, once again alluded to his calling as an apostle of Christ in this opening verse. In so doing, he had placed himself on par with the 12 apostles of Christ. In the way he put it, he was suggesting that he did not act presumptuously, for this call was based on the commandment of God, our Savior and Christ Jesus, Who is our hope. In essence, Paul’s apostleship was not a self-assumed position nor was the call an appointment from the church. It was Christ Who personally chose, called, commanded and commissioned him to that position.

The word commandment in verse 1 also suggests a sort of a decree that demands loyalty and one that he would obey unquestioningly. The phrase “God our Savior and Christ Jesus, Who is our hope” implies that his apostleship has a historical reference. His apostleship was based on God’s saving activities, that is, the birth, death and resurrection of Jesus. These activities will culminate in the glorious return of Christ Jesus, our blessed hope.

He then turned to address Timothy whom he called a true son in the faith. In using the word ‘true’, he was emphasizing the authenticity of Timothy’s status as a child of God. He probably had Timothy’s Greek father in mind, because the Jewish laws would never have regarded him as a legitimate child of God. So the word “true” is used here to affirm the legitimacy of Timothy’s faith and his status as a child of God. And in affirming the genuineness of Timothy’s faith, Paul had also indirectly affirmed the genuineness of his apostleship.

Having mentioned himself and Timothy, he then made reference to God as their common ground for the blessing of grace, mercy and peace. Notice the order of the blessing. In order to experience peace, one needs the mercy of God. And mercy is the by-product of God’s grace. One can never have mercy except through the grace of God.

Remember that we are all the recipients of the God’s grace hence, peace and mercy should be our constant experience. Our hope is firmly rooted in the Savior and Lord Jesus Christ, so we can confidently walk in Him and be rooted and firmly established in our faith!     

Philemon 8-25 – The effect of God’s transforming grace

Paul gave reasons why Philemon should forgive Onesimus and take him back, in verses 8-9. Here he began by talking about his commission as an apostle of the Lord. He reasoned that as an apostle he had the right to courageously tell Philemon what he ought to do. But he chose not to and would rather appeal to his sense of love, since he was a loving man. In his appeal to arouse Philemon’s sympathy, Paul urged him to consider the fact of his age and also the fact that he was now in prison for Christ. 

He gave three rationales why Philemon should take Onesimus back. Firstly in verse 10, he called Onesimus “… my child,” suggesting that he had become a believer. The runaway slave sought Paul, who became instrumental for his faith in Christ. Secondly, in verse 11, he implied that Onesimus was now a transformed person. Although he was “… formerly useless to you, but now is useful both to you and to me.” Thirdly, in verses 12-13, Paul told Philemon that he would very much like to keep Onesimus, implying that the runaway slave was very dear to him. Onesimus had faithfully ministered to Paul while with him in prison. He wanted Philemon to know that to send him back to the master now, was like tearing off a piece of his own heart. Paul would very much want to keep Onesimus with him in his imprisonment. He reckoned that the slave could minister to him on the behalf of his master, Philemon. However, he would rather not do so without Philemon’s approval, because he did not want the arrangement to be done out of compulsion. He preferred it to come from the free will of Philemon. With that, Paul called for reconciliation and restoration. He petitioned to Philemon to look at the situation as the divine providence of God. The reason for his temporary separation with Onesimus was so that he could have him back forever, not as a slave but more than a slave, and a beloved brother in the Lord. Philemon can have Onesimus as a slave in the natural realm and a brother in the spiritual realm.

In verses 17-18, Paul wanted to ensure that Philemon would accept Onesimus, so he implied that if Philemon considered him a partner, he should accept Onesimus as he would accept Paul. Knowing that restitution must accompany restoration, Paul offered to pay on Onesimus’ behalf. He told Philemon to charge to him what the slave had owed him.

All along Paul had dictated his letter to a scribe who would write it for him. Now,  in verse 19, he wrote a postscript note to Philemon. He said to him, “I, Paul am writing this with my own hand, I will repay it.” Mindful of the fact that he was responsible for Philemon’s conversion, he then went on to remind Philemon that he owed him his life. He then asked Philemon to cheer him in the Lord by granting the request he was making. Having made his case for Onesimus, Paul in verse 21 told Philemon that he was confident that the latter would know what to do. In fact, he was sure that he would do even more than he had requested. He also asked for a place to be prepared for him, and to pray that he will be able to visit him. Paul then sent the closing greetings attaching five names, Epaphras, Mark, Aristarchus, Demas and Luke with it. With that he gave the closing benediction, saying, “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit”

From uselessness to usefulness, that’s the result of encountering God. Onesimus’ end would be miserable and wretched if not for the grace of God. Like him we all have a story to tell only because grace caught up with us, and with mercy God rewrote our lives. So let us live to tell the story of how His love has transformed us!  

Philemon 4-7 – Build bridges, don’t build walls

From verses 4-7, Paul painted for us the beautiful character of Philemon. The very gracious nature of Philemon made it easier for Paul to seek forgiveness on Onesimus’ behalf.  So close was Paul to Philemon that he kept him in his prayers constantly. When Paul thought about Philemon in his prayers, he only had thanksgiving to give to God for the life of this man.

Philemon was a loving man and had great love for the saints, and he was full of faith toward the Lord Jesus Christ. His belief was bore out in action. In verse 6, Paul prayed that as Philemon shared his faith with fellow believers, he might come to know and experience more fully all the blessings Christ had given to believers. In verse 7, he wanted Philemon to know that he was greatly encouraged by his love. He was assured that others were ministered to by his love as well. Paul and Philemon - what winsome characters!

Like Paul and Philemon, we all can be bridges to someone else’s relationship with the Lord, and certainly with each other. Paul was a bridge to many people’s relationship with the Lord. Here he was seeking to be a bridge between the relationship of Philemon and Onesimus. It’s a reflection of his loving heart. It tells us that Paul truly understood that he was God’s redemptive agent in the world.

What about us? Can the same be said of us? Do we see God’s redemptive purpose in our lives? Let’s begin today to build bridges between God and the lost. Take into consideration that there are also fractured relation between members of the church’s family. Let’s be sensitive to God’s purpose in our lives and help to build bridges for relationship to flourish. By God’s grace, let us not construct walls and separate relationship.  

Philemon 1-3 – Experiencing God’s grace and peace

This is a short personal letter from Paul to Philemon, a dear friend of his. Philemon was a wealthy businessman from Colossae, who had a runaway slave named, Onesimus. The slave had stolen some of his master’s possessions (verse 18) and ran to the great city of Rome in a search for freedom. In those days it was a serious offence for slaves to steal from their masters, which was a crime punishable by death. But God who controls all the affairs of men designed that Onesimus should come into contact with Paul. The apostle led him to acknowledge the Lordship of Christ (verse 10). Desiring to help Onesimus make right with his master Philemon, Paul now sent him back with the letter requesting forgiveness for Onesimus. The Apostle even offered to pay for any financial loss caused by the runaway slave. This short personal letter portrays for us a vivid picture of true forgiveness.

Paul began the letter by calling himself a prisoner of Christ Jesus. The reason is because he was in prison for the sake of the Gospel. In a sense, he was in prison by the design of the Lord Jesus Christ. This makes it safe for us to conclude that he wrote this letter from prison, the same place that he wrote the Epistles to the Ephesians, Colossians and Philippians. He mentioned Timothy because he was his close and trusted co-worker. It could also be possible that Timothy also knew Philemon. Furthermore, Paul deliberately mentioned Timothy because someday he would be passing the leadership to him.

Philemon was addressed as a beloved brother and fellow worker. This signifies that Paul had a very close relationship with him. It was in his house that the church service was held. In that sense, Philemon was a co-worker. We are also introduced to Apphia and Archippus. Who are these two people?

Apphia was called “our sister,” thus she is very likely to be Philemon’s wife. Archippus, on the other hand, could well be their son. In mentioning the church in your house, we get the clue that the gathering was in Philemon’s house. The mention of the church meant that this letter, though written as a personal letter, was also read in church. Paul then gave his usual greetings of grace and peace from God the Father and the Lord Jesus.

Grace is God acting for our good and peace is the result of our mended relationship with Him. Grace draws us near to God, and peace frees us from the feeling of isolation and alienation from God. In fact they are what keep us in our ongoing relationship with Him and with one another. The request that Paul was making of Philemon would certainly require the working of the grace and peace of God and of Jesus Christ. May the grace of God fill our lives and His peace fills our heart today and always.

3 John 12-15 – Good reputation reflects godliness

In verse 12, John turn to commend another brother. He was none other than Demetrius. He was a good man and could well be the person delivering the Apostle’s letter to Gaius. Here, John was urging Gaius to show hospitality to Demetrius. That was an opportunity for him to demonstrate love. In this verse, John was actually bearing reference of Demetrius’ worth. He was said to have a good reputation with the people who knew him. Furthermore, he was congruent in character and conduct. They attested to the truth, hence, John personally vouched for him.

In his conclusion, John gave the reason for being brief in this letter. His desire was to see Gaius soon and to communicate with him face to face.  He then wished peace to be upon him. Here, John introduced the word “friends.” This term reveals to us that quality friendship existed among the first century believers. To show hospitality to friends was truly an expression of love, a subject that John had been encouraging in his letter.

In 3 John we see three characters: Gaius, Diotrephes and Demetrius. John commended two and warned against one. It’s encouraging to know that there are more commendable people than there are dishonorable ones. We must learn to commend those deserving it and warn against those that can cause disrepute to the church. Having said all, let’s seek to build one another so that the honorable ones will be more than the disruptive ones. 

3 John 9-11 – Be careful who you mingle with

In a fallen world, it is no surprise to find people who are in church for other reasons than serving and honoring the Lord. So sadly, we find such a person in the church that John was writing to. He was no other than the person by the name of Diotrephes. In these verses, John wrote to expose several of his harmful deeds. He was apparently seeking to elevate himself to a prominent position and was unteachable, refusing to accept the teachings of the apostles. At the same time he was using untruth and wicked words, and made false accusations about John. Besides, he was not showing hospitality to visiting brethren as Gaius did. It could be his insecurity that made him feel threatened. He was also probably intimidating others in the church, forcing them to stop hosting missionaries. 

John intended to visit the church soon. He said that when he arrived, he would expose the wicked deeds of Diotrephes. Being a person of great strength and character, John would not yield to Diotrephes’ wishes. In verse 11, he urged the church not to imitate evil but instead practice what is good. Firmly he told them that “the one who does good is of God; the one who does evil has not seen God.” It’s true isn’t it? People who belong to God are adverse to evil. Those who are accustomed to practicing evil and wickedness as a lifestyle, cannot have known or experienced God.

Let’s be careful and discerning who we run with. There is a common saying that states “If we run with the skunks, we will smell like the skunks.” Let us be careful who we invite into our lives to speak into our lives, especially those who are suave. 

3 John 1-8 – Living authentically

In 3 John, the author again referred to himself as “the elder”.  This suggests to us that he is the same one who had written 2 John. However, we are not as clear regarding Gaius, the recipient of this epistle. Nonetheless, from this writing, we safely conclude that he was a Christian brother whom John loved dearly. This is evident by the way John mentioned him as one “whom I love in truth”.  

Verse 2 tells us that Gaius was doing well spiritually and was walking in the light. As a good friend, John prayed that everything would go well with him. He prayed that he would prosper in every way, and even his physical health. He wished that every area of Gaius’ life would be as healthy as his spiritual life. Besides, he was glad to hear from other believers that Gaius was such a good witness to the truth, and that he was living authentically as a believer. Here John revealed how intensely he would guard the truth, that nothing could give him more joy than to hear of God’s children walking in the truth. We get a sense here that Gaius was such a truth loving, godly man.

Not only was Gaius a godly man He was also a generous man. Verses 5 to 8 tell us so. Here, He was commended for his love and generosity toward the brethren. This letter was written to encourage him to continue being hospitable and to show that wonderful virtue of love. The number of times John used the word “beloved” showed how affectionately he felt toward Gaius, who not only hosted brethren in his home but also those brethren he was not familiar with. How he had treated brethren with such loving hospitality had bore good witness of his godliness. Gaius had truly acted in a manner worthy of a witness of God. The people he hosted were mainly missionaries who went out to spread that Name, meaning the Lord Jesus. These missionaries did not receive any financial support from the Gentiles. Hence, John was glad that Gaius was providing some support for them. He encouraged Gaius by telling him that in contributing to the workers, he was in effect participating in the mission of spreading the truth.

Right perspective of self will determine how we live our lives. Gaius truly knew who he was in Christ. And that enabled him to live right, act right and relate right. All these must have meant a great deal to him. Now what about us? Are we living a life that reflects the Lord? Are we aware that we are God’s emissaries in the world today? We are called to be His witnesses to spread the news that in Christ, God is still reconciling the world to Himself. Like Gaius, we must make authentic living our second nature.  

2 John 4-13 – Making truth a priority in life

John’s two-fold purpose in this letter was to motivate the church to be obedient and responsive to the revealed truth. Besides, he also wanted them to prevent the advancement of false teachings. He called on the church to resist the false teachers and their evil intention of distorting the truth.

Here, in verse 4, John started by commending the church for their obedience. He personally had known or met some of them who kept living in the truth that they were taught. Hence, he expressed his gladness that they were doing so. He then reminded them that his message to them was not a new one. They were told to stick to this truth to love one another. This was critical as the false teachers were influencing the people to leave the truth that they were receiving. John went on further to reveal that true love begins with being obedient to God’s Word. Here, we get the impression that to truly love a fellow believer would require one to love the person according to what God has prescribed in the Word.

In this letter, we can see that John also dealt with other issues. He told the believers to resist the false teachers who were distorting the truth and deceiving some of the believers. According to him, the false teachers were the anti-Christs and deceivers. Their error mainly centered on the Christological issue. They did not acknowledge that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh. So John warned his readers to be watchful and not to be taken in, and lose all that they had attained, and so ultimately losing their reward. He was also refuting the wrong idea that one must obtain more knowledge. He said the issue is not about how far one has gone, but how much one has abided in the teaching of Christ. It is in abiding in the teaching of Christ that one can claim to have both the Father and the Son. John urged them not to entertain people who did not bring these teachings of Christ. They should not be received into the house nor be accepted by them. Why? Anyone who greets a heretic participates in his error.

John said he had written to them only briefly although he had more to say to them. His desire was to go to where they were and explain to them face to face. He wanted to be with them to bring cheer to them. The word “sister” in verse 13 suggests a sister congregation, and is probably the one where John was worshipping. He was in effect assuring them that they were in the hearts of the members of where he himself was worshipping, so he sent the greetings of the members too.

We have often been urged to be discerning, and be discerning we must. The issue is on what basis can we discern accurately? Needless to say, it’s the Word, the Truth of God. The next searching question is how much of the Truth do we know? And then again how much should we know? The call of the Word of God is to let the Word dwell richly in our hearts. So let us be encouraged to read, meditate, memorize, digest, assimilate and apply the Word. For it is the surest way to recognize error when we have the Truth and know them well. So go for it!

2 John 1-3 – Truth, the foundation of genuine love

It is not uncommon for writers of the New Testament Epistles to refer to themselves as elders. So it came as no surprise that John should call himself an elder in both 2 and 3 John. Hence it does not necessarily indicate someone else was using John’s name and had written these letters. Remember that John was quite advance in years while writing these letters. The purpose of 2 John was to warn believers against showing hospitality to false teachers. John’s concern was not about meeting the needs of these false teachers as much as the opportunity afforded to them to spread their heresies. 

John was very likely referring to a local assembly using the phrase the “chosen lady and her children.” He used this phrase to keep the identity of that particular local assembly and the members from being identified in order to protect that assembly. Bear in mind that John was living in the period of time when the threat of persecution to the church was real. He could have deliberately chosen this personification to cover the identity of that assembly. 

In the first three verses, we see that John did not attempt to hide his love for them. This love was possible only because it was built on something they had mutually: the truth. This truth here is referring to the revelation in Scriptures. So important is this truth to John that in just three verses, he used this word four times. He knew that their love for each other was built on this truth. On top of wishing them grace, mercy and peace, John added that they would be experiencing these in truth and love. All these flow from God the Father and Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father.

We cannot deny that love is one of the New Testament signs of genuine faith. Bear in mind that true love is not merely about feelings and emotion. It has to do with discipline and sound mind as well. Hence, true love is not afraid to set the reasonable boundaries based on the truth of God’s word. Beloved, let our love be sincere and genuine and based on the truth of God's Word!

1 John 5:16-21 - Living truly for Christ

True love for our brethren is demonstrated by showing concern for them. One’s primary concern should be to pray for the brethren to obey God. Continuing from where he left off in the previous verses, John showed that believers can deploy prayer, our God given instrument, for our brethren. Bear in mind that prayer is not overcoming God’s reluctance but laying hold of His willingness. So in praying for our brethren, (1) we are showing love for them; and (2) we are seeking God’s help for them. Specifically, these verses have to do with praying for our brethren who have sinned.

While we are asked to pray for our brothers who had committed sin, we are told not to pray for those whose sins that are leading to death. This is where the complication is. What constitutes a sin leading to death? Remember that John was speaking to believers who were exposed to Gnostic teachings, that essentially denies Christ and the teaching of the Apostles. How can one have life when one stubbornly refuses to acknowledge the source of life? In the New Testament, the writer to the Hebrews said that it would be impossible to restore one to repentance, when he had rejected Christ after having tasted His goodness (Hebrews 6:4-6). Perhaps this was what John was talking about. The certainty of death would fall upon a person who obstinately refuses to acknowledge the Lordship of Christ, to a point where he would totally dissociate with Him. It is likely that he was talking about not praying for such kind of a person

However, verse 17 implores believers to pray for all who have sinned because there is a sin not leading to death. Let’s not allow our lack of theological understanding be a hindrance to praying for others. We acknowledge that this is a tough issue, but we are called to love and not to judge. We should seek to be the light and not to judge our fellow believers. Whether a person is ultimately saved or not is not our call, it’s God’s. Let’s do our part to pray for them and leave the judgment part to the Lord, who alone had the right to judge. Our key to this is: keep on praying and quit worrying about the tares in the Kingdom. They will be taken care of at the final harvest and accounting.

Finally, John set out to fortify the lives of believers. He gave them some instructions to help them strengthen themselves, and not be lured into idolatrous practices. As God’s children, we should not live a life pandering to sin. And as we learn to walk closely to the Lord living by the Word, we will find divine immunity from the touch of the evil one. Why? That is because we belong to God and separated from the system of the world, which the evil one has power over.

or believers, we can know God intimately and can certainly abide in God and in His Son, Jesus Christ, Who is the true God and eternal life. This eternal life John talked about is a relationship with the Father and the Son. So as John closed, he sent a stern warning. Guard yourself from idols. Since this letter had been warning against false teachers and their teaching, hence to depart from the true God and His teaching, would tantamount to idolatry. We must always seek to walk and live right and so please the Lord. Let this be a core value we seek to build in our Kingdom living. 

1 John 5:4-15 - Empowered to live for Christ

Every believer who comes to Christ has an initial deposit of faith. It is exercising that faith that the believer will prevail over his circumstances and obstacles presented by the world. In other words, to continue to overcome the world, a believer must live by that faith. John emphasized that in believing that Jesus is the Son of God is what would enable the believers to prevail. This Jesus, whom believers trust, is the One who came by water and the blood.

How to interpret the two elements - the water and the blood? Water would refer to John’s baptism of the Lord Jesus Christ. The blood would refer to His death on the Cross. This would refute the heretical teaching that the divinity of Christ only came upon the human Jesus at His baptism, and left Him before His crucifixion. John wanted them to know the historical Jesus not only came in human flesh, but was also baptized by John, and was finally crucified.

Verse 6 also tells us that the Holy Spirit testified to the identity of Jesus at His baptism. In this we are reminded that this testimonial was given by the Spirit of Truth. The three things that testify of Jesus are (1) the Spirit, Who spoke through the prophets and taught through the apostles; (2) the water baptism of Jesus; and (3) the Blood of His crucifixion. John’s implication in verse 9 is this: if, by the witness of three we accept a human testimony, how much more should the great testimony of God be accepted. And He had testified that Jesus is His Son. A person who believes in the Son of God has the testimony in him. What is the “testimony”?  From verses 11-12, we conclude that the testimony is this: the truth that eternal life and the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ are inseparable.

In verse 13, John sought to assure believers that what he had written was to let them know that they have eternal life because of their belief in the Son of God. At the same time we are told that prayer is another avenue to demonstrate our trust in Jesus Christ, and confidence in God. John’s point here is this: should we need help, particularly to obey God, we can confidently approach Him in prayer. He will surely hear us. Because we are confident that he hears our prayers, we can be assured that the answer will come. 

No wonder we are exhorted by the author to the Hebrews to come boldly to the throne of God. For in Christ, we have a high priest that can feel our needs. He walked where we are walking and felt what we feel, hence He knows exactly what we need for the path of victory. We shouldn’t forget this!

1 John 4:20-5:3 – What is brotherly love?

As John moves closer to the conclusion of his first letter, he sought to fortify all that he had said so far. In the concluding remarks he literally addressed practical concerns that might have been raised as a result of all that he had said.  He had talked so much about love, so we can guess that there were some who wanted a clearer definition of brotherly love. In these verses, John defined what brotherly love really looks like. While defining, he found space to deal with the potential excuses that could be raised for failure to love the brethren.

Verse 19 leaves the possibility for one to claim that loving God would be enough. Therefore, in verse 20, John wanted them to know that loving God does not mean that one does not need to love his brethren anymore. If one truly loves God, his love would also be translated into loving his brother. Love for the unseen God must of necessity be expressed in one’s love for the brethren whom we can see. The reason is because loving a person we can see, is easier than loving someone our eyes cannot see. How can we say we love God whom our eyes cannot see, and yet not love someone whom God loves and can be seen with one’s naked eyes. Besides, John said, God had left the commandment that believers should love both God and his brethren.

In 1 John 5:1, we see the clearest hint of how a person is saved. Salvation, John said, is received by believing that Jesus is the Christ. Everyone who believes in Jesus Christ is our brother or sister; hence, we belong to the same family. Therefore, love must be accorded to all who believe because we are in the same family and share a common divine parentage. Verse 2 tells us that we love other believers best when we love God and are obedient to His commandments. Therefore, verse 3 said that the primary proof that one has loved God and man is by the keeping of His commandments. And that is: to obey the Word of God. John added here that God’s commandments are not burdensome. In reality, the consequences of disobedience are more burdensome. So let’s demonstrate our love for God by loving our brethren and thus validates our obedience to His Word!

1 John 4:17-19 - Standing shamelessly before Christ

In three verses, John sought to encourage believers to build their confidence to meet Christ at his Return. His word were meant to encourage God’s beloved children so that they would not have to hide in shame when facing Christ at the judgment seat. This judgment is not the Great White Throne Judgment. This is referring to the seat where Christ will evaluate the deeds of the believers  in order to reward or censure them.

John assured believers that their confidence to face Christ at the Judgment would be because they had lived in love toward God and one another. A believer who does not love fellow believers may feel shameful then. But a person who had practiced love towards the brethren would be confident when he eventually faces the Lord. Why? Because he had loved his brethren like the Lord while in this world. If a person had loved like the Lord, he had no fear facing the Lord in the judgment seat. Fear expects punishment, whereas love would have removed all fears. A person who lives in love toward God had nothing to fear about on the Judgment Day. John asserted that believers could love God only because He first loved us.

There is nothing we can do to cause God to love us more, or nothing we have done that will cause Him to shut the door. Let’s live out the two commandments that sum up all that God desires of us: to love God with all that we are and to love our neighbors as ourselves. 

1 John 4:7-16 – The source and inspiration of love

In these verses, John returning to his favorite topic: love for the brethren. The call to love our fellow believers is the call to emulate the God of love. In ten verses, he dealt with two main matters: the source and the inspiration of love. Verse 7 tells us that the source of true love is God. The ability to love is the work of God in the believer’s life. The Christian who knows God will love. The term “know” refers to experiential knowledge. In other words, only as one has constant and intimate fellowship with God, than would he find the ease to love others. Hence, the source is from God. But we also see that the converse is true. The absence of love would be an indication of a lack of fellowship with God. Because God is love, it follows therefore that the one who remains in Him would manifest His loving trait. The greatest proof of God’s love is seen in the fact that He sent His only Son to secure our eternal life. And this love began with God. He took the initiative by reaching out to mankind through Christ, His Son.  

John then tells us that God’s love should be the inspiration by which believers should love others. He set an example of love for the believers to follow. Verse 12 says that no one has ever seen God in His purest form. But when we, the believers love one another, we demonstrate that God abides in us. And as the loving relationship between us fellow believers continues, God’s love would be made complete in us.

It is by the relationship of love that we become aware that we are in God. Not only that, we will also become aware that God remains in us, and through His Holy Spirit, we are able to love. Verse 13 elaborates on verse 12. John showed that the Holy Spirit is the Person behind the fellowship’s ability to demonstrate and complete God’s love. The ability to love is very dependent on the Holy Spirit. He dwells in believers, plants God’s love in our hearts, and helps us to exercise that love. Verse 14 continues the thought he gave in verse 13. By mutual love, Christians would demonstrate the presence of God. Although many might not have seen Jesus Christ in the flesh, they would be able to see Him in the fellowship because of the believers’ love for one another. Hence corporately, they have become the testimony that God had sent His Son to be the Savior of the world. In verse 15, John showed that when one confesses that Jesus is God’s Son, he affirms that he is abiding in God and conversely, God in him.

With that, John summed up all that he had said in verse 16. Several thoughts had emerged. Firstly, believing in Jesus Christ would result in God dwelling in the believer and vice versa. Secondly, this personal relationship with God should be perpetuated by a loving relationship. Thirdly, this loving relationship for God and for others must be sustained actively. Therefore, let us love one another as God has loved us. It is by our love that all men will know we are His disciples!

1 John 4:1-6 – Learning to distinguish between truth and error

The presence of false teachers and heresies made it necessary for John to counsel the believers to be careful. He did not want them to be deceived so he paused briefly to warn them. Together with the warning, he also taught them how to test and distinguish the truth. Afraid that believers would be gullible and think that the source of the teachings of the false prophets were from the Holy Spirit, he urged them to test every spirit. Here is a key to determine what is of God and what is not. 

The key to unlock the truth rests in the Incarnation of Christ. The pertinent question is: “What does the person believe about Jesus Christ?” A teacher who confesses that Jesus has come in the flesh is from God. However, if a person cannot and will not confess that Christ had come in the flesh, is likely to be operating from the spirit of anti-Christ. That person can never be from God. Notice that the issue is not in the denying but in the confessing. This suggests that false prophets could be identified more from their teachings than their works.

Turning to the readers in verse 4, John assured and reminded them of the powerful Holy Spirit who is dwelling in them. This Holy Spirit had helped them and would continue to help them deal with the opposing spirits of the anti-Christ. The teachings of the anti-Christ could appeal to the people of the world because they came from there. Furthermore, these were worldly-minded people and could only share something from the world. In contrast, believers are from God. True believers would pay attention to the teachings of the Apostles. Being grounded on the faithful words of the Apostles would help one to distinguish truth from error.

There are two creeds that have helped the church to maintain her orthodoxy. They are the teachings of the apostles in a nutshell.    

The Apostles’ Creed

I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth. I believe in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord. He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended to the dead. On the third day he rose again. He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic (universal) Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.

The Nicene Creed

We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, of all that is, seen and unseen. We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, of one being with the Father. Through Him all things were made. For us and for our salvation He came down from heaven: by the power of the Holy Spirit He became incarnate from the Virgin Mary, and was made man. For our sake He was crucified under Pontius Pilate; He suffered death and was buried. On the third day He rose again in accordance with the Scriptures; He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and His kingdom will have no end. We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the Giver of life, Who proceeds from the Father and the Son. With the Father and the Son He is worshiped and glorified. He has spoken through the Prophets. We believe in one holy catholic (universal) and apostolic Church. We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins. We look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.

1 John 3:10 -24 – Living a life of love

John brought verse 10 to a climax by adding a call to love our fellow believers on top of his call to righteous living. Excelling in righteous living and loving our fellow believers are clear indicators that one is a child of God. So with this addition, John then launched into talking about Christian love and how it should be expressed. He began by discussing what Christian love is not, before describing what it is. Just as the absence of righteous living reveals a lack of intimacy with God, so also the absence of love for the brethren would reveal a lack of fellowship with God. A Christian who has no love for others is not of God because he does not have the backing of God. For love is righteousness in action. Hence, love is the clear reflection of one who professes to belong to God. The message John’s readers had heard from the beginning was to love one another.

Illustrating with the account of Cain and Abel, John shows us what love is not. It certainly is not the kind of action that Cain demonstrated toward his brother. Being jealous, Cain was overtaken by the spirit of hatred and ended up murdering Abel. He killed because his deeds were evil in contrast to his brother’s righteous deeds before God. John tells us that as Abel was to Cain, so would the Christians be to the world. That’s why the world has intense dislike for Christians. So in verse 13, we are told that it would be for the same reason that the world would hate believers. But love for other Christians clearly indicates that in Christ, a believer has passed from death into life. A person with no love for the brethren would reveal that he still abides in death. John deliberately contrasted death and life, hatred and love, darkness and light, to make his point. In verse 15, we receive the idea that murder is the ultimate expression of hatred. No one who has eternal life and abides in Christ, and having fellowship with Him, will ever commit murder.

John went on to show in verses 16-18 what true Christian love looks like. The Lord Jesus demonstrated true love by laying down His life for us. This was in contrast to what Cain did. Here, John called on all believers to emulate the Lord Jesus and love the brethren enough to lay down one’s life for them. This implies a willingness to sacrificially do anything for the brethren. Verse 17 tells us that we believers should help to sustain the life of a fellow believer who’s in need. John advocates that we should demonstrate it through actions and deeds and not just in words. The practice of sacrificial love of a believer affirms his status in the Lord. His love for fellow believers would give one the assurance of God’s approval when standing before God. When a believer demonstrates love, he stands approved by this righteous behavior. When a person had shown sacrificial love and yet feels guilty that he still did not meet a brethren’s every need, John assures that person that God knows his motive. He would be able to overcome the sense of guilt when he remembers his sacrificial deeds for his brethren. He can then come to God in prayer confidently. The two words “before God” in verse 21 is better taken to mean when a person comes before God in prayer and not at the Judgment seat. This is supported by verse 22 where John talked about asking God.

By demonstrating love in deeds, a believer would have kept God’s commandment. In so doing, he would be living in obedience and this would be pleasing to Him. Hence, whatever he asks of God he would receive. Verse 23 contains the essence of the teachings here: (1) to believe that the Name of Jesus is efficacious is to accept Jesus Christ for Who He really is; and (2) to love one another as Christ has commanded. In verse 24, John showed the result of being obedient to God’s commandment. It would bring mutual abiding – God in man and vice versa. The clear evidence of God abiding in man would be the manifestation of the Holy Spirit in the life of that man. Is He revealing Himself through us?

1 John 3:4-10 – Living a sin-free life

Complementary to living a Christ-abiding life is living a life of purity. Sin is the opposite of purity and it is diametrically opposite to God’s nature. Here John tells us that sin is lawlessness. This word “lawlessness” carries with it a sense of wickedness. Hence, anyone who sins practices lawlessness or wickedness. John wanted to refute the Gnostic’s flippant view of sin. They promote licentiousness. Their idea that the spirit is always good and cannot be evil, and matter is always evil and cannot be good, so why care about the body? No matter what one does, the spirit cannot be corrupted, and no matter what one doesn’t do, the body cannot be good. Thus, it reasons that it is alright to live a self or flesh-gratifying life. John reminds us that so serious is this whole issue of sin that it required the Incarnate Son of God to come and remove it. John wanted to highlight two facts: Sin is a serious matter and Jesus is totally sinless.

Verse 6 presents a little difficulty. It seems to suggest that Christians do not sin and this contradicts what he said in chapters one and two. This verse is best seen in this way. When a believer walks in close fellowship with God, and continually abiding in Him, he would not want to do anything to resist God's law or will for his life. For he knows that the moment he falls and sins, his fellowship with God will be interrupted. The sense of intimacy with God would be affected. It will hurt us more to realize how we have grieved His heart.  

What John is saying in verses 4-10 is this: no one who continuously lives a self-seeking, self-indulgent sinful life can claim to belong to God. For God would never induce a person to sin, just like the devil can never induce a person to do what’s right. Hence, the conduct of a person would reveal whether he is on God’s or the devil’s side. Suffice to say that the children of God should take a serious view of sin and not live a sin-indulgent life.   

Let’s live consciously with the presence of God in view. Be fully aware of the Holy Spirit dwelling within us. Being conscious of His presence in our lives will definitely motivate us to walk circumspectly. As we seize every moment to redeem the opportunity for God to get us ready to witness for Him, He will enable us to live for His glory! 

1 John 2:28-3:3- Abiding in God

One major incentive for believers not to live a sinful life is the return of the Lord. Since believers would be meeting the Lord at His return, we should walk softly regarding sin. To so do, the passage today exhorts us to abide in Him.

The word “abide” literally means to remain or to continue. Bear in mind that John’s concern was that the believers might be influenced by the unorthodox teachings and be enticed to move away from the Lord. When believers succumb to wrong teachings, they would be ashamed when they meet the Lord. However, if they abide in him, they would have confidence and would not feel shameful and be embarrassed, when they finally meet the Lord. John wanted them to be able to find the approval of the Lord when He returns. In verse 29, John’s point is this: a true child of God will reflect His righteous character and continue to practice rightly. God is righteous, therefore every believer who abides in Him will naturally demonstrate righteous behavior.

While John wrote to assure his readers then, what he wrote also have an impact on us today. We are God’s children because He had showered His love upon us. This, he stated categorically and confidently saying, “… and such we are.” The reason the world could not recognize believers as God’s children, rests in the fact that they have no knowledge of God, the Father. However, their ignorance does not negate the fact that believers are God’s children.

Although God’s children may not seem to fully reflect His image now and may not even comprehend the significance of their status now, they shall when Christ appears. In that moment of His return, believers will be fully transformed and glorified. They will be instantly transformed into His likeness, both physically and spiritually. Meanwhile, believers whose hope is set on Christ would seek to live a life of purity because of His purity.      

No wonder the Scripture bids us to keep seeking things above, where Christ is seated. It makes sense for us to set our eyes on things above and not on the things of this earth. Let’s keep our eyes on the cloud in the sky, for we can sense that it won’t be long and our Master will return. 

1 John 2:18-27 – Don’t be side-tracked

In John’s days, false teachers were present and active. So he wrote to advise believers not to be taken in by their unorthodox teachings. The “last hour” here is referring to the period that span between the first and second coming of Christ. It is not “last” in the sense of the end. Here, he reminded them of the coming of the Anti-Christ, the arch-enemy of Christ. They already knew of the prediction of his coming. However, he told them that there were already many anti-christs among them. Like the Anti-Christ, these little anti-christs also held similar values and agenda, and would be in opposition to the Lord Jesus Christ. John deduced that the presence of these anti-christs were clear indication that believers are living in the last hour. However, true believers have the anointing within them to teach them. This anointing had variedly been interpreted. Some say it refers to the Word of God, others think it is the Holy Spirit. It is likely to be the combination of both i.e. the Holy Spirit enforcing the truth of the Word of God in a believer’s life.

Since John’s main intention was to expose the false teachers, he then revealed several things about them. Firstly, these false teachers left the apostolic fellowship. In verse 19, the pronoun “us” is not referring to the fellowship of believers that John was writing to. He was probably referring to the Apostolic Church in Jerusalem and Judea. Suffice to say that these false teachers had departed from the apostolic teachings. John showed here how urgently he himself wanted to dissociate from the false teachers. In saying that “they all are not of us”, he was underscoring the fact that these teachers did not share the spirit and viewpoint of the apostles. And if they had held the same perspective, they would not have seceded from the true church. Secondly, they would deny Jesus Christ. And in denying the Son they had also denied the Father, for one cannot have one without the other. By denying the Father and the Son, they had made themselves liars.

John then pointed his readers to the truth that they already knew. He assured them that they could differentiate truth from lies because they were instructed in them. Furthermore, they had comprehended and appropriated the truth and would not be confused by lies. In verse 24, he then admonished them to remain in the truth that they had heard from the beginning. If they do so, they would remain in the Son and the Father. As they remained steadfast in God and His truth, they would experience eternal life.

The advantage for us believers is the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives. This Spirit will teach us things concerning the truth. He is within us to bring light to the truth in the Scripture. If we remain true to God and diligently search the Word, leaning on the help of the Holy Spirit, He will bear witness to the truth we have been taught. Be diligent and find time to study God’s Word, you will not regret it!       

1 John 2:12-17- Don’t be influenced by the world

In verses 12-14, John addressed three groups of people – children, fathers and young men. Who was John referring to in each group? Some have taken this to mean people of different ages; others have taken this to refer to different levels of spiritual maturity. However, we need to know that at some point all believers would experience those things assigned to each in the groups. Like children, every believer would have had their sins forgiven and know God the Father. And like fathers, every believer must know Him (God) from the beginning. And like young men, every believer would have engaged in spiritual warfare and overcome the evil one.

John was probably not talking about age but the spiritual levels of different people. All of us know that as God’s children, our sins are forgiven as we enter into a relationship with the Father. As we mature and become more stable. Like fathers, our relationship with the Father whom we have known from the beginning, become more stable. We don’t vacillate in our faith as much. As younger men, who are more vibrant and combative, we would have at some point overcome the evil forces and their works. Hence John referred to the young men as overcomers.    

In verses 15-17, John pointed out that since believers had experienced those blessings, they ought no longer to have any love for the world. In talking about the world, John was basically referring to the value system of the fallen nature that had been influenced by the devil. Here, John was more concerned in the attitude of the believers. If a believer has the mindset and value of the world, the love for the Father would not be in him. In verse 16, he not only gave the reason why believers should not love the world, but also what constitute “loving the world”. Believers ought not to love the world because its value system is in direct opposition to God. It did not come from God, and it would all perish ultimately. Only the will of God and values that promote godliness would last forever. John also outlined three aspects that reflect a love of the world. They are: the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life. The lust of the flesh is the craving of sinful desires that would pull believers away from God. The lust of the eyes is a figure of speech for greed and covetousness. The boastful pride of life would be the pride that would drive a person to have an unhealthy desire to get ahead of others at all cost.

We are called to renew our mind. Hence, every one of us must tear down from our thinking any value that is worldly, and in its place, build value system derived from the Word of God.  Then we will be able to test and prove what the will of God is, that which is not only good and acceptable, but perfect.  

1 John 2:3-11 – Be obedient and loving

A believer who professes to have a relationship with God must live a life that demonstrates that reality. In nine verses John urged us to do two things to be obedient and loving people. In verses 3-6 he dealt with the need to be obedient. He said believers who claimed to know God must keep His commandments. Not keeping His commandments will prove that the truth is not in that person. On the other hand, keeping the instructions of God will indicate that the believer has matured in his love for God. Verse 6 tells us that a person who has a relationship with God patterns his life after that of Christ and live out the example He had set.

From verses 7-11, John proceeded to deal with the area of loving one another. Note that this call to love one another is not a new one. It is found at the very heart of the Old Covenant. The Lord Jesus Himself emphasized it in His ministry.  He summed it this way: you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your might, and with all your strength; and you shall love your neighbor as yourself.

Here, John was in effect saying that to love is not a new commandment but it was at the heart of the Old Covenant. He assured us that as we believers obey that commandment and love one another, the darkness would fade and get dimmer as the light shines greater. The objective of this light-darkness discussion is to show that one cannot walk in darkness and light at the same time. To love is to walk in the light; to hate is to walk in darkness. To hate another fellow believer would indicate that a person is still in darkness and has been blinded by it.

If we find loving our fellow believers a difficult thing to do, think of how Christ has loved us. None of us can claim to be the loveliest person, yet Christ loves us unconditionally. The Bible said that He commended His love towards us while we were yet sinners. He left us an example to emulate – let’s seek to love like He loves!  

1 John 1:5-2:2 – Repentance opens door to fellowship

John tells us here that God is Light and there is not the slightest trace of darkness in Him. Light represents truth, knowledge and righteousness. Darkness, on the other hand, is a picture of sin, falsehood and ignorance. He wants to show that it would not be congruent or even possible for anyone who lives in continual sin, if he is in fellowship with God. If anyone claims to be in fellowship with God yet lives a life of sin, that person is lying and there is absolutely no truth in him. There are two things that will be clearly evident when a person is walking in the light. Firstly, he would have fellowship with other like-minded believers. Secondly, this believer would then experience cleansing of all sins. The word “all” is referring to every kind of sin.

In verse 8, we get the sense that some of them, influenced by wrong teachings, felt that they have no sin. So John set out to address that wrong idea. He said, “If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves, and the truth in not in us.” In other words, everyone, even a believer, would sin. However, the heartening thing is that purification and restoration for believers is always available. How can one experience this promise? When one confesses and repents from his or her sins.

We need to know, however, that forgiveness, while it is based on God’s mercy, is also based on His justice. How so? Look at verse 9. John said that God is just and would forgive our sin and cleanse us from all our unrighteousness. Why? It is because John wanted his readers to know that God would never retract on His promise. We need to know that in Christ, the penalty for our sin had been paid. And based on what Christ had done on the Cross at Calvary, God would forgive when we confess and repent of all our sins. God can be trusted and would never go back on His word. He is just.  

John further emphasized that if we say we have no sin, we would make God out to be a liar. However, knowing human tendency to go to the extreme, John provided the balance regarding sin, committing sin and experiencing God’s forgiveness in 1 John 2:1-2. It is not God’s desire for us to sin, but He also knows that we believers have a nature that would cause us to fall from time to time. To ensure that we are not ridden with guilt, he reminded us of God’s provision. We have an able advocate before God the Father. He is none other than Jesus, the Righteous. He could defend us ably because He is the atoning sacrifice for their sins.

We all need to live life honestly. We exist to bring praises to God, so we must let His praise flow ceaselessly out of our lips and lives. And when we stumble and fall, we don’t need to live a life of pretense. All we need is to come to God in repentance, acknowledging and turning from our sins. God is fully cognizant of how Jesus, His Son, had paid the awesome price for our sin. He is aware that the blood of Christ never congeals, and it still cleanses and washes away sins, guilt and condemnation. Remember, we have a perfect advocate, Jesus the righteous, and He is God’s perfect atonement for our sin! 

1 John 1:1-4 – Jesus, the Word of life

John’s presentation in his opening words was to show that what he was proclaiming was not just a concept or something from his head. He was referring to Jesus, the Word of Life, Whom he had heard, seen, looked and touched.

The false teachers, more likely a proto-type of the Gnostics, were probably saying that Jesus was not a man but an angel. Some even suggested that His physical body was an illusion. He wanted the believers, as well as us today, to know that what’s coming from him was firsthand knowledge. His sharing concerning Jesus was not mere talks but personal experiences.

In this passage, John tells us that this Jesus is a true historical being. He existed in Nazareth, and with God the Father in eternity. John’s concern was for the original message concerning Jesus Christ to come through. He used the is term “beginning” to help us envisage the beginning of Jesus’ ministry here on earth. John’s point is this: This Word of life that was with the Father in eternity had appeared on earth. This Word of Life allows believers to have fellowship with one another, and with God the Father, and His Son, Jesus Christ.

Being a Christian is not doing religious things. It’s about a relationship with Christ, the God who became flesh. It is allowing Him to invade every department of our presently earthly lives, filling us, and transforming us so that we can be His redemptive agents in the world. Beloved, we are all called to fulfill God’s redemptive purpose in our world today. Let’s live for Him and be prepared for the task ahead!  

Introduction to 1, 2 & 3 John

The 1, 2 and 3 John, we will reflect upon, are collectively known as the Johannine Epistles. We will discover that 2 and 3 John have specific addressees, whereas 1 John was addressed to no one in particular. John, the author of these letters was the son of Zebedee and brother of James. He is often referred to as John, the beloved or the disciple whom Christ loved. Together with his brother James, he was one of the original twelve apostles who walked and ministered with Jesus. He had also written one Gospel and many think he had also written the Book of Revelation.

These letters were probably written to churches in Asia Minor. John was at that time ministering in the city of Ephesus. The exact date and place of writing cannot be ascertained with finality. Suffice to say that most people accept them to be written from between AD 80 and 95.

The group of churches in Asia Minor that John was writing to was in crisis. False and unorthodox teachings had invaded the fellowship. Verse 19 of chapter two suggests that those false teachers were once from the fellowship. Having been influenced by unorthodox doctrines, they left the church. Although no longer a part of the church, they did not stop propagating their wrong teachings among the believers. Their teachings had brought disruption to the church and had caused much confusion to the believers. In these letters, the Apostle John wrote to counteract the propagation of false beliefs as well as deal with certain issues relating to hosting itinerant teachers. John had a two-fold objective. While he dealt with the heretics and their teachings, he also assured them so that they would continue in the truth.

What do we do with these letters? In our days there is also a proliferation of all kinds of teaching. It seems that every other week we hear of teaching seminars being conducted. Running parallel to these seminars are also all sorts of untrained people rising to make claims that they are God’s authentic prophets, teachers and pastors. It behooves us, as people who love Jesus dearly, not to be hook-winked and led astray from our true beliefs. Learning form these letters could provide hints on how to deal with them; how to stand firm in our faith; and how to live for the honor of God.     

James 5:13-20 – Living a life of prayer

The practice of prayer is vital to effective Christian living. The life of our Lord, the lives of the apostles, the lives of the early church fathers, the lives of the great men of God of yesteryears and those of our times, could easily attest to the importance of prayer. A praying believer himself also knows the truth of this spiritual experience and reality. Church historians reported that the knees of James were full of calluses like a camel’s knees, because of his constant kneeling in prayer. Hence, it would come as no surprise that he should spend the closing moments of his letter encouraging the believers to pray.  Broadly, these last eight verses could be categorized into four aspects of prayers.

In verse 13, James first called attention to two kinds of prayer for two kinds of circumstances. Regardless of what kind of prayers one is offering, they should be addressed to God appropriately. When one is hurting, it is all right to petition God. And when one is happy, he should not forget to praise God. In verses 14-15, James turned to deal with faith in prayer, especially for those who are sick. He first established that it is the responsibility of the believer who is sick, to request for prayer from the elders of the church. It is the responsibility of the elder to pray for the sick. Although not very widely practiced in our days, here James advocated for oil to be used to anoint the sick person.

In a sublime way, James also offered two factors to effective prayers. He said it should be offered in the name of the Lord and in faith. In other words, the praying elder must pray to the Lord and he must pray believingly. Why? Because verse 15 tells us that it is the Lord Himself Who would heal the sick. It is explicitly clear that the one who heals is not the elder. Hence, a responsible elder would direct the sick to look to God and not to himself. Notice James used the phrase, “raise him up”, in verse 15. It could be that the condition he was referring to was a long-standing, persistent illness. It could also be caused by a willful sin. Hence, James ended this verse by saying, if he has committed sins, they will be forgiven him.”

In the next three verses, James offered a few more factors that would ensure prayer effectiveness. Perhaps he saw the unity of the believers as a critical element in answered prayers. Hence, he reminded them to confess their sins one to another and pray for one another. Remember that James was conscious that they were facing hardship, where relationship could be frayed due to misunderstanding. He wanted the fellowship to respond rightly toward each other. He was aware that prayers offered by disgruntled and disunited people would render the prayers ineffective. Hence, the necessity to confess one to another so that healing could first take place in their relationship. From the earlier verses of chapter 5, we also saw hints that they were judging each other. Confession and forgiveness were needed to bring reconciliation. Instead of being judgmental and critical, James’ purpose was to bring about reconciliation.

In verse 16, James also showed the need for a person to be in right relationship with God for prayer to be effective. The word “righteous” is not about a person who has no wrong or flaws but who is in a right standing with God.  James turned to illustrate this with the life of Elijah. This prophet of God was far from being flawless. He was a person subjected to like passion as any believer. The one thing that stood out in his life was the fact that he was in a right standing with God. Hence, when he prayed, God heard his prayers and answered them specifically. Notice that James also said that he prayed earnestly, it denotes the fact that Elijah offered his prayers with deep conviction. He believed that God would hear, and God heard and answered them specifically.

James urged his readers to trust God and hold on to the truth. They were told to pray through their difficult times. And as they kept at it, they should also keep helping others to do the same. The phrase, “strays from the truth”, in verse 20, implies that the truth James was talking about is not just a concept, it is a lifestyle. This lifestyle is one that is patterned after the Word of Truth.  It is clear that James saw faith in Christ as a journey based on the truth of God. And as in all journeys, one could stray away especially during difficult and oppressive times. Hence, he urged that effort should be made to bring the errant believers back to the fold. He was concerned because the path of the errant ones would lead to the death of their souls. James hoped this danger would motivate their concern to seek ways to rescue those who had strayed, back to the way of truth. Restoring the errant brethren would cause their sins to be covered and removed. They, then, could once again move toward maturity. What do we do with a passage like this? The answer is as clear as daylight – let’s be engaged in prayer! 

James 5:7-12 – Be patient in life

In the opening verses of his Epistle, James showed that patience was a necessary ingredient for one to benefit from trials. It would help the believers to endure trials and reach maturity so that they would lack nothing in life. He had also established patience as a virtue that every genuine believer ought to seek after. Conscious that the pursuit of patience would be made harder in the face of difficult times, he sought to challenge them to go for it nonetheless. From the lives of three groups of people, he showed the believers how to cultivate patience. Now in six verses, he showed them how to develop patience through the examples of three people: the farmer, the prophets and Job.

For us believers, the Second Coming of Christ is the finishing line. In order to reach the finishing line, we need patience. Therefore, in verse 7, James began by issuing a command for the believers to be patient. The question is: How can one be patient in difficult times? James gave the first key in verse 7. It is by focusing on the Second Coming of the Lord. He wanted them to bear in mind that their finishing point is the second return of the Lord. That was the target he wanted them to focus on. He directed their attention to the patience of the farmer. James showed himself to be accustomed to the climatic condition of Palestine. The early rains usually would fall to soften up the grounds for planting and the later rains would be required to make the harvest fruitful. Just like a farmer would plough his field, plant his seed and then wait patiently for the rain to ensure the harvest; believers who have trusted the Lord must also now wait patiently for His Return.

While waiting for the Lord’s Return, James next exhorted them to strengthen their hearts. He was calling on them to harness their inner resolve and courage and not be afraid to go through the tough oppressive situations. Why? For the Second Coming of the Lord is near. Not only were the believers called to strengthen their inner courage, they were also told to stop complaining and murmuring against one another. James seemed to understand the human nature. He knew that the people closest to us are often those that would get the brunt of our negative treatment when we cannot get at our oppressors. To stop them from tearing each other up, he reminded them of the Soon Coming Judge and His judgment. This, he reckoned, would stop them from getting at each other.  

In verse 10, he turned to call on his readers to look at the lives of the prophets. Many of them suffered in their service for the Lord, but they all endured hardship with great patience. James wanted the believers to recognize that they too would experience suffering. However, like the prophets of old who patiently endured, they too had to endure for the Lord.

In verses 11-12, James turned to the life of Job and used it to challenge those believers to be patient. We will recall that Job suffered a great deal. He lost all that he owned and everyone he valued. Yet he kept the end before his eyes. Hence, we find him trusting the Lord despite his trying times.

God does not expect pretense, as if we enjoy hardship. He knows the kind of substance we are made up of. He even understands our doubts. What He requires of us in tough time is to recognize that He is sovereign. He expects us to recognize that He is in the process of working out all things for our good, even when we don’t understand His ways. God has a plan much larger than our ability to comprehend. He wants us to stay faithful in trusting Him as a good God.

To round up this segment, we hear a call to be people of integrity. There is no necessity to swear by heaven or earth when we are true to our words. In the light of the Coming Judgment, we believers should just say what we mean and mean what we say, and nothing further is required.