Publisher’S Introduction
PUBLISHER’S INTRODUCTION
THE 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. John’s 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 government’s 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. Bruce’s 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.
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.”
* * * * *
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. Bruce’s daughter, Sheila Lukabyo, Robert enlisted the help of Larry Stone, an American publisher. Together they contacted nearly twenty of F.F. Bruce’s publishers. Some of Bruce’s books are being reformatted into printed booklets suitable for evangelism and Bible study in universities and in church groups. Many of Bruce’s 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 Bruce’s teaching on the Scripture, to encourage his spirit of humility in approaching the Bible, and encourage academic scholarship among today’s 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.