There was one man who was closer to Jesus than any other. Sometimes I wonder what it was about this man that made him so special. Because Jesus had 12 disciples, but only one of these was called that disciple whom Jesus loved. I have no doubt he loved them all, and I equally have no doubt that one of them was special.

His name is John, and he wrote the fourth Gospel (easily the most theological), Revelation, and 1^st, 2^nd and 3^rd John. I noticed something while preparing this program on 1 John that I had overlooked before. 1 John may not be an epistle at all. It is more like a song in 36 stanzas.

Realizing that 1 John is a poem or a song is important, because it explains some of the curious constructions and connections—or the lack thereof in some places. In writing poetry, an author may even change his selection of words to fit some desired meter, cadence, or even vocal color. With this in mind, we can read it as never before.