The Book of 1 John is one of the general epistles, or letters, in the New Testament. It was likely written by the apostle John sometime between A.D. 85-95. The key themes of 1 John include God’s love, walking in the light, obedience, false teachers, assurance of salvation, and love for one another.
Overview
First John was written to encourage believers in Christ to remain faithful to the gospel and to warn against false teachers spreading heresy. John emphasizes the basics of the faith – the truth about who Jesus Christ is as the divine Son of God who took on human flesh. He focuses on the importance of love, righteousness, and purity in the lives of Christians.
Authorship
The author of 1 John does not identify himself by name, but the language and style of writing point strongly towards John the apostle as the author. The writing style is very similar to the Gospel of John. Early church fathers like Irenaeus, Clement of Alexandria, Tertullian, Origen, and Eusebius all considered John to have authored the epistle.
Date
Most scholars believe 1 John was written between A.D. 85-95, likely from Ephesus. The letter reflects a time when most of the apostles had died and a second generation of believers had arisen. False teachers and heretical doctrines were increasing, which 1 John sought to combat.
Purpose
John’s first purpose in writing was to combat false teaching and encourage believers to remain faithful to the truth about Christ (1 John 2:26). The false teachers denied the incarnation of Christ and the significance of sin in the life of a believer. John emphasized sound doctrine and righteous living.
Secondly, John wrote to reassure true believers and give them confidence that they possessed eternal life. He includes several tests to evaluate the authenticity of one’s faith.
Thirdly, John exhorted believers to live in godliness and love for one another, obeying God’s commands.
Key Themes
God’s Love and Light
A dominant theme in 1 John is the light and love of God displayed in Jesus Christ. John presents God as light and says that if we claim to have fellowship with God we must walk in His light (1 John 1:5-7). The light reveals sin and purifies from unrighteousness. He states that “God is love” (1 John 4:8) and those born of God will love like He does.
Obedience and Righteous Living
John emphasizes that those who are truly saved will demonstrate the life of God within them by obedience and righteous living. A key mark of knowing God is keeping His commandments (1 John 2:3). Those who say they know God but do not obey Him are liars (1 John 2:4). True children of God cannot live in unrepentant sin.
Assurance of Salvation
Due to the false teaching that had arisen, John includes several tests to examine the authenticity of one’s faith. He gives evidences of salvation such as belief in Jesus as the divine Christ (1 John 2:22-23), practice of righteousness (1 John 2:29), rejection of continuing sin (1 John 3:9), love for others (1 John 4:7), and belief in Christ’s resurrection (1 John 5:1). John seeks to give believers assurance of eternal life.
Love for One Another
John teaches extensively that Christians must have sacrificial love for fellow believers. Those who do not actively love the brethren do not have God’s love residing in them (1 John 4:20). Christians must lay down their lives for each other just as Christ laid down His life for us.
Outline
1 John can be divided into two main sections:
- Doctrinal section (1 John 1:1-2:27) – emphasizes sound doctrine and righteous living
- Practical section (1 John 2:28-5:21) – focuses on application through love, obedience, and discernment of truth
1. Prologue – Declaration of the Word of Life (1 John 1:1-4)
John begins his letter by proclaiming the message of the gospel – the Word of life manifested in Jesus Christ.
2. God is Light – Necessity of Walking in the Light (1 John 1:5-2:6)
John presents God as light and declares that those who claim fellowship with God must walk righteously, confessing their sins.
3. Old & New Commandment of Love (1 John 2:7-11)
John reminds readers of the command to love one another, which is an old command even though he writes about it as a new command.
4. Do Not Love the World (1 John 2:12-17)
John warns against loving the world and its desires which are contrary to loving God the Father.
5. Warning Against Antichrists (1 John 2:18-27)
John warns the readers about false teachers, or antichrists, who deny Christ and seek to deceive believers.
6. God’s Children Practice Righteousness (1 John 2:28-3:10)
John teaches that true children of God will live righteously, while continuous sin indicates one is of the devil.
7. Love One Another (1 John 3:11-18)
John again emphasizes the importance of loving fellow believers, using Christ’s love as our example.
8. Assurance and Obedience (1 John 3:19-24)
John gives assurance to believers while reminding them that God’s presence is evidenced by obedience to His commands.
9. Test the Spirits (1 John 4:1-6)
John exhorts readers to test false prophets to see if they are from God based on their doctrine of Christ.
10. God is Love (1 John 4:7-21)
John teaches extensively on God’s love for us and how we must love one another.
11. Faith in Christ Overcomes the World (1 John 5:1-5)
John contrasts genuine faith that overcomes the world with a false faith devoid of love for God and others.
12. The Certainty of Eternal Life (1 John 5:6-13)
John seeks to assure believers in Christ of their eternal salvation.
13. Power of Prayer with Confidence (1 John 5:14-17)
John teaches that believers can have confidence in God hearing and answering prayers that align with His will.
14. Victory Over Sin Through Christ (1 John 5:18-21)
John concludes with the triumph believers have over sin and deception through abiding in Christ.
Key Verses
“But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.” (1 John 1:7)
“By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother.” (1 John 3:10)
“For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome.” (1 John 5:3)
“I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God that you may know that you have eternal life.” (1 John 5:13)
Application
First John provides many practical applications for Christians today. We learn the importance of adhering to sound doctrine about Christ, obedience to God’s commands, and loving one another. John teaches us to be discerning of false teaching while also giving assurance of salvation to genuine believers. As children of light, we must walk in righteousness and godliness.
Most significantly, 1 John provides models of Christian love. Christ sacrificially loved us, so we must do likewise to others. Loving fellow believers is a primary way we demonstrate the life of Christ in us. Our lives should be characterized by joyful obedience to God’s commands.