1 John | The Word Became Flesh | TCBS

"Theology is meant for the purposes of us understanding who God is so that we can know him, love him, and let him transform our lives." — Pastor Chris

The Tree Church Bible Study continues its walk through the letters of John, and this episode narrows the focus onto First John. Pastor Stacy and Pastor Chris open with a personal conversation about their shared time at Malone College, reflecting on how classes in hermeneutics and theology shaped the way they read scripture and eventually shaped their calling as pastors.

Both hosts share how those early classes helped them move past a surface level understanding of the Bible. Pastor Stacy remembers realizing that studying scripture was not just a nice habit but an important part of walking with God. Pastor Chris shares a similar memory, describing a moment in class where theology suddenly clicked in a new way, helping him understand ideas like Jesus being both fully God and fully man.

Both hosts agree that theology is not meant to be a list of facts used to separate insiders from outsiders. Instead, theology is meant to help believers know God, love him, and be transformed to look more like Jesus. Pastor Chris explains that this transformation has been the driving force behind his own ministry and study of scripture.

Pastor Stacy adds that even now, years into ministry, both hosts continue to grow and adjust their understanding. Learning does not stop once someone becomes a pastor. Correction and growth remain part of a healthy, ongoing walk with God, especially when that correction comes through community and scripture.

With that foundation set, the hosts shift into introducing First John itself. Unlike most New Testament letters, First John does not open the way Paul's letters typically do, with a clear greeting naming the sender and the recipients. Because of this missing structure, some scholars hesitate to even call it a letter in the traditional sense.

Pastor Chris explains that First John reads more like a correction written to a community that has misunderstood or misapplied the Gospel of John. The language and themes found in First John closely echo the Gospel of John, especially chapters fourteen through seventeen, suggesting the author is responding directly to how that gospel had been received.

A major focus of this episode is understanding who First John was written to correct. Pastor Chris outlines four groups forming within the Johannine community.

The first group leaned heavily into a legalistic reading of Jesus, emphasizing his humanity while downplaying his divine nature. The second group moved in the opposite direction, emphasizing Jesus as divine while denying that he was truly human or that he truly suffered. This second way of thinking would later develop into what is known as Gnosticism, a belief system that saw the physical world as bad and treated salvation as a kind of special hidden knowledge.

The third group represents the faithful, the believers John hopes to encourage and strengthen. The fourth group includes those who have separated from the community entirely, walking away from the faith they once held.

Pastor Chris is careful to explain that John is not claiming his church is the only true church, or that every disagreement is a reason to leave a community. Instead, John's concern is specifically about denying the core truth of who Jesus is. When a group denies that Jesus is fully God and fully man, that becomes a serious departure from the faith.

Pastor Stacy asks how these same patterns show up in modern church life, and the conversation turns practical. Pastor Chris points out that people today often move between churches based on personal preference rather than any real theological concern. With so many church options available, it can be difficult to know when leaving a church is appropriate.

Pastor Chris suggests that First John gives some helpful guidance here. If a church denies that Jesus is fully God and fully man, that would be a serious reason to seek a healthier community. Outside of that core issue, he encourages believers to stay engaged, seek unity, and be intentional rather than reactive when considering whether to leave a church.

Both hosts agree that Christianity does involve some exclusive claims that cannot be softened. The core belief that Jesus is both fully divine and fully human was affirmed by the early church through much careful thought and discussion, and it remains central to the faith today.

Pastor Stacy and Pastor Chris then walk through how First John is structured. Even though it does not follow a typical letter format, the book still has a clear shape, opening with an introduction and moving into two main sections.

The first section focuses on the idea of living in light. Because God is described as light, believers are called to reflect that light in how they live. This section highlights several key ideas, including renouncing sin, being obedient to the commands of Jesus, rejecting worldliness, and remaining faithful.

The second section revisits many of the same ideas but frames them around what it means to be children of God. Because believers are adopted as sons and daughters through Christ, they are called to live in a way that reflects that identity, renouncing sin, living obediently, rejecting worldliness, and walking in love.

Pastor Chris notes that repeated themes in scripture deserve special attention, since repetition often signals what an author considers most important. Throughout First John, readers will notice recurring pairs of images such as light and darkness, life and death, and truth and falsehood.

As the episode wraps up, both hosts share what they are most looking forward to as the study continues. Pastor Chris highlights how transformative theology can be, hoping listeners will walk away not just informed but genuinely changed in how they live for Christ. Pastor Stacy shares similar excitement, noting that with each book they study, her own understanding of scripture continues to deepen.

The hosts also let listeners know that the study of First John will take longer than originally expected, since there is far more depth in these short letters than they first anticipated. Future episodes will spend significant time unpacking just a verse or two at a time, and listeners can expect topics like the Antichrist to come up later in the series.

Pastor Chris closes the episode in prayer, thanking God for his living word and asking that the study would lead not just to knowledge but to real transformation in the lives of those following along.

This episode lays important groundwork before the hosts begin walking verse by verse through First John next week. Listeners are encouraged to check out the show notes for additional resources and to join the ongoing conversation in the online discussion group, where questions and observations are always welcome.

This Bible study is part of The Tree Church Bible Study podcast (TCBS), created to help the Tree grow deeper in understanding the Scriptures. New episodes are released regularly on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify.