Introduction to 1 John

In this letter, John speaks against false teachers who questioned Jesus’ divine and human nature. His response is loud and clear: Jesus is fully God and fully man. This is not some obscure theological debate; John knows that if his readers get this teaching wrong, everything else falls apart. Because Jesus became human, he was a true sacrifice for sins. Because God is light, believers can walk in the light. Because God is love, believers know what love looks like and can respond in love.

Background

The author of 1 John is not identified in the letter. However, the early church regarded the Apostle John as the author of both the Gospel of John and 1 John. Because these texts share a similar writing style, it is common for them to be ascribed to the same author—whether this is understood to be the Apostle John or someone else. The letters of 2–3 John, as well as Revelation, may also be the work of the Apostle John, but this possibility was more disputed in the early church (see the “Introduction to 2 John” and “Introduction to Revelation”).

The author of 1 John knew the recipients of his letter and likely had a close relationship with them. If the Apostle John was the author, this community probably lived somewhere in western Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey). According to tradition, John spent his later years in Ephesus, a major city in that region. Considering that 1 John seems to build on the Gospel of John, 1 John was likely written after the Gospel, toward the end of the first century (ad 85–95).

In both 1 John and 2 John, a primary issue is the presence of false teachers. In 1 John, they appear to have started in the church and gone out (1 John 2:19). These teachers were denying that Jesus was God in the flesh (4:1–3) and that Jesus’ death atoned for sins (4:10; 5:6–8). They apparently also claimed to possess special knowledge of God and that they did not sin (e.g., 1:8, 10; 2:3, 11; 3:24; 4:2, 6–7). Because of their denial of Jesus’ incarnation, they might have minimized the importance of physical existence and elevated the spiritual life.

Structure

First John is a difficult book to outline because the author shifts frequently between teaching doctrine and giving practical advice. One way to outline the letter recognizes five broad movements. In the introduction (1:1–4), John establishes his trustworthiness by asserting that he was an eyewitness to Jesus’ earthly life. The second major section (1:5–2:17) builds on the claim of 1 John 1:5 that God is light. God’s forgiveness through Jesus is offered to those who know God (2:1–2). People who know God also strive to confess their sins and live like Jesus.

In the third major section (2:18–3:10), John speaks more explicitly about the false teachers. They denied Jesus, which means they denied the Father as well (2:23)—and those who deny the Father cannot be called His righteous children (3:1–10). The fourth section (3:11–5:12) focuses on love as the primary characteristic of God’s children. God is love—so those who know God will love others, and those who don’t know God will lack love. The sign of genuine love is obedience to God’s commandments (5:3). In the fifth major section (5:13–21), John closes the letter by affirming that eternal life will be given to those who believe in Jesus as the Son of God. They can have confidence that God will protect them and answer their prayers.

Outline

• Prologue: Jesus came in the flesh (1:1–4)

• God is light (1:5–2:17)

• God is righteous (2:18–3:10)

• God is love (3:11–5:12)

• Epilogue: concluding appeal (5:13–21)

Themes

First John takes a strong stand against false teachers who denied that Jesus was God’s Son in the flesh—yet the letter’s strategy is grounded in love. John lovingly shows that a distorted view of Jesus has dangerous consequences: a life of disobedience, injustice, and apathy.

John teaches his audience how to discern falsehood from truth: People who claim to know God yet are unloving show by their actions that they really don’t know God (4:7–8). As people know God more, they live in a more selfless way—offering kindness to other people and showing compassion to those in need. Christians respond to God’s love with gratitude, offering the same forgiveness and love to others. As believers, we are called to flee from the darkness that is evil and instead walk in the light of God. We are called to live as people who are truly saved by Jesus—loving with everything we have.

Further Reading

The Gospel of John and the Johannine Letters

John, First Letter of CLBD

John, Letters of CLBD