Jude

The writer of this short letter is believed to be the half-brother of Jesus Christ, based on his opening words acknowledging himself as a servant of the Lord and a brother to James. Within his 600-word letter, Jude warned believers of apostasy and false teachers that had crept into the church, and rallied them to stand firm and contend against these proud heretics. He gave a detailed description of these apostates, and urged the believers to defend the faith that is passed down to them, and to deliver those who had been deceived.

OUTLINE OF JUDE

1. Purpose for Writing (v1-4)
2. Description of False Teachers (v5-16)
3. Defense against Apostasy (v17-23)
4. Doxology (v24-25)

3 John

The apostle John spoke of enjoying fellowship with God in his first epistle, then forbade believers to have any fellowship with false teachers in his second, and finally, encouraged fellowship with true believers.

Three persons are mentioned in this letter: Gaius the beloved brother, Diotrephes the trouble-maker and bad example, and Demetrius the model believer. The church is a better place with people like Gaius and Demetrius who displayed brotherly love, hospitality and good testimony. But if personal ambition and agenda gets the upper hand like Diotrephes, we can be sure there will be chaos and conflicts among believers.

OUTLINE OF 3 JOHN

1. Commendation of Gaius (v1-8)
His Character and Charity
2. Condemnation of Diotrephes (v9-11)
His Personality and Pride
3. Compliments on Demetrius (v12)
4. Final Words (v13-14)
 

2 John

This second letter, addressed to an elect lady and her children, might well refer to a local church and its members that John was acquainted with. It has a similar tone to the first letter and warns about the danger of false teachers and doctrines that deny the incarnation of Jesus Christ, particularly Gnosticism that was gaining acceptance and popularity near the turn of the first century.

John did not elaborate much as he did in his first letter, though the brief mentions of the commandment to walk in love and of the antichrist spirit that is in the world, seemed to suggest that his readers were well informed about these things, needing only a short reminder from him.

OUTLINE OF 2 JOHN

1. Love's Salutation (v1-4)
Expression | Praise | Delight
2. Love's Command (v5-11)
Exhortation | Warning and Caution
3. Love's Concern (v12-13)
Face-to-Face | Faith-to-Faith

 

1 John

Perhaps no one is more qualified than the apostle John when it comes to writing about the nature of fellowship. The very basis of all human relations and interactions must be built upon a sound relation with God Himself. This is made possible when Christ came physically to interact with men—for us to hear, to see and to touch—to know for sure that God wants to relate with us.

John brought out three aspects of God that affect the way we fellowship with Him and one another:

1. God is light. Therefore we must walk in the light and not in darkness, confessing and forsaking our sinful ways by refusing to let sin have free reign in our mortal bodies. The proofs of our fellowship in the light are obedience to God, loving one another, being certain of who we are in Christ, and not loving the world and its ways which are contrary to God and His truth. This is living in the light.

1. God is love. This is manifested in our adoption as His children, in which we relate to Him as our Father, and by which we relate to each other and to other people with that same love that He first loved us, without compromising the truth. This is walking in love.

1. God is life. The criteria in relating to God involves faith, love and action in unison (5:1-3). The certainty that we have this relationship with Him is found in a faith that overcomes the world, full assurance of eternal life, total obedience to His will, and eradicating sin and idolatry from our lives. This is purifying in hope.

This epistle is indeed the handbook on true fellowship.

OUTLINE OF 1 JOHN

1. God is Light (1:1-2:29)
Conditions for Fellowship 
a. Reality of Fellowship with God (1:1-4)
b. Walking in the Light (1:5-7)
c. Dealing with the Issue of Sin (1:8-2:2)
d. Obeying the Lord's Command (2:3-6)
e. Loving One Another (2:7-14)
f. Avoiding Lusts and Pride (2:15-17)
g. Resisting the spirit of Antichrist (2:18-29)
2. God is Love (3:1-4:21)
Cautioning on Fellowship 
a. The Manner of God's Love (3:1-3)
b. The Manner of God's Children (3:4-12)
c. The Manner of Love in Action (3:13-24)
d. Discerning the Spirits (4:1-6)
e. Displaying Christ's Love (4:7-21)
3. God is Life (5:1-21)
Characteristics of Fellowship 
a. The Importance of Love (5:1-3)
b. The Importance of Faith (5:4-5)
c. The Importance of Divine Witness (5:6-10)
d. The Importance of Certainty (5:11-13)
Confidence in Fellowship
a. Praying in God's Will (5:14-17)
b. Living in the New Life (5:18-20)
c. Keeping Away from Idolatry (5:21)