F. F. Bruce - The Epistles of John: A Verse-by-Verse Exposition

T HE EPISTLES TO JOHN WERE WRITTEN to Asian Christians at the end of the first century to encourage them in the face of false teachings and to assure them that they were following the truth of Christ. Johns clearly stated purpose is that his readers may know that ye have eternal life (1 John 5:13) and that ye also may have fellowship with us: yea, and our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ and... that your joy may be fulfilled. (1 John 1:3-4).

The temptation to conform the gospel to current fashions of thought is as real today as it was in the time of John. For instance, Bruce explains that

Worldliness... does not lie in things we do or in places we frequent; it lies in the human heart.... It may manifest itself in petty but soul-stunting ambitions like keeping up with the Joneses; it may manifest itself in unthinking acquiescence in current policies of monstrous malignity, as when too many Christians in Nazi Germany found it possible to go along with (or close their eyes to) their governments genocidal treatment of the Jews. Worldliness of this sort is not that which has usually been denounced by popular pietism.

Originally written as a series of magazine articles for The Witness , F.F. Bruces exposition and introduction to the Epistles of John is as relevant today as when it was written more than fifty years ago. His insights speak sharply but lovingly.

• Why does Christian practice so often fall short of Christian profession?
• The one effective antidote to worldliness is to have ones heart so filled with the Fathers love that it has no room for any love that is incompatible with that.
• Orthodoxy of doctrine is no substitute for righteousness of life.
• If my reputation, my public image, matters more to me than the glory of God or the well-being of my fellows, the pretentiousness of life has become the object of my idol-worship.
• The love of God displayed in His people is the strongest apologetic that God has in the world.

Drawing on his years of scholarship, Bruce presents the meaning of the epistles in a straightforward and understandable way, touching only lightly on textual, critical, and linguistic questions. An excellent guide, said Christianity Today . Bruce speaks up with grace and clarity on the Johannine Epistles, said The Christian Century . And an Amazon reviewer added, I found that I have a much fuller understanding of the Johannine epistles as a whole and am able to better make sense of them as a result of this book.

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The Epistles of John is published under the Kingsley Books imprint of F.F. Bruce Copyright International.

When Robert Hicks, a British book publisher, realized that many of the works of F.F. Bruce were not readily available, he wanted to correct that situation. Of the nearly 60 books and hundreds of magazine articles written by the Dean of Evangelical Scholarship, Robert felt many of those not in print could be presented in a visually appealing way for the modern reader.

After receiving the support of F.F. Bruces daughter, Sheila Lukabyo, Robert enlisted the help of Larry Stone, an American publisher. Together they contacted nearly twenty of F.F. Bruces publishers. Some of Bruces books are being reformatted into printed booklets suitable for evangelism and Bible study in universities and in church groups. Many of Bruces printed books as well as collections of articles never before appearing in book form are being made available as reasonably-priced ebooks that can be easily distributed around the world.

The purpose of F.F. Bruce Copyright International is to encourage an understanding of Professor Bruces teaching on the Scripture, to encourage his spirit of humility in approaching the Bible, and encourage academic scholarship among todays evangelical students and leaders.

For the latest information on the availability of ebooks and printed books by F.F. Bruce and his friends, see www.ffbruce.com .