We will finish the Bible by reading three letters from the Apostle John, and Revelation. Eye witnesses to the life and ministry of Jesus Christ were passing away, Christianity was growing with self-proclaimed and unprepared leaders cropping up everywhere, believers were creeping back to their cultural comfort zones and trying to fit God into their world views, and the Roman empire had deified the Caesars. It was a time of trepidation for Christians, to say the least. John's first letter was written to bolster believers who were straining under cultural pressures, his second to warn against false teachers, and the third to ask for support for missionaries who were being cast out by those false teachers. Revelation was also written by John, but was it the same John? The debate on Revelation's author exists to this day, and it will probably not be settled in our time, but we can have faith that it was ultimately given to us by God, just like every other book of the Bible.
The believers John addressed were probably second, and even young third, generation Christians. The Greek culture separated spirituality and the flesh with the idea that what they did had no bearing on what they believed. Do you see that today? Have the temptations and pressures of our American culture made you question if certain thoughts/behaviors/activities are "really" sinful? When that question comes up, it may be helpful to remember who said, "Did God really say that?" in the Garden of Eden. The exhortations of 1 John are timeless, and this may be the letter to study in times of temptation.
2 John and 3 John were short letters written to warn about false teachers and to accept true ministers. The letters were very simple, as it should be simple to discern between a false teacher and a teacher of truth. Does what this person says fit with God's commands to love Him with all your heart, mind, and soul, and to love each other as yourself?
Finally, the last book of the Bible, and the last days of our reading journey: Revelation. The literary style of Revelation was popular at the time, in which an other worldly spirit takes the narrator on an out of body journey into heavenly realms, where scenes play out from earth's history, and culminate in a battle between good and evil. Jesus came directly to John and instructed him to write the seven letters, as well as the vision in which he would see the history and future of the world. The letters were written to seven existing churches, but the issues addressed in each letter have been relevant in Christianity through today. Next, John was taken to heaven and given a vision of what will lead to the Second Coming of Christ on earth. At the return of Christ, everyone will finally know Him, and he will triumph over evil for eternity. What a blessing to know the end of our earth's story before it happens, but what are the pitfalls of taking this book out of God's timing and context? Throughout history, there has been no shortage of Christian groups who believed Jesus's return was around the corner; even the apostles' letters addressed this expectation. What have we learned these eight weeks about what Jesus wants? While praying fervently for his return, should we wait and watch the world, or should we endeavor faithfully in Christ's Great Commission right up until the last moment?
Be sure to check back once more next week for a final post on our journey! In the meantime, continue to think about our five questions as you read these final pages:
1. What's something you noticed for the first time?
2. What questions did you have?
3. Was there anything that bothered you?
4. What did you learn about loving God?
5. What did you learn about loving others?
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