1 John

Overview

Who

Written by The letter does not name its writer. He writes as an eyewitness of "the Word of life": "which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled" (1:1). From early times it has been held to be the apostle John, the son of Zebedee.

Written to Believers the writer calls "my little children" (2:1) and "you that believe on the name of the Son of God" (5:13). Some had "went out from us" (2:19).

When

Traditional view: About AD 85-95, late in John's life.

Scholarly view: Many scholars date it about AD 90-110 and credit it to a leader in the circle linked with John's Gospel rather than to the apostle himself; others hold that John wrote it.

Where

Written to Not stated. Tradition links it with the churches around Ephesus in the province of Asia.

Written from Not stated. Early tradition places John at Ephesus in his later years.

Why

"That your joy may be full" (1:4) and "that ye sin not" (2:1); to warn against those who "seduce you" (2:26) by denying "that Jesus is the Christ" (2:22) and that "Jesus Christ is come in the flesh" (4:2-3); and "that ye may know that ye have eternal life" (5:13).

Some had left the fellowship (2:19). The writer warns of "many antichrists" (2:18) and "many false prophets" (4:1) who denied that Jesus Christ had come in the flesh (4:3).

Outline

1. 1:1-4 The Word of life we have seen
2. 1:5-2:2 Walking in the light and confessing sin
3. 2:3-17 Keeping his commandments; love not the world
4. 2:18-29 Antichrists; abide in him
5. 3:1-24 Children of God love in deed and in truth
6. 4:1-6 Try the spirits
7. 4:7-21 God is love
8. 5:1-12 Faith overcomes the world; life in the Son
9. 5:13-21 Knowing we have eternal life

Key themes

• "God is light" (1:5) and "God is love" (4:8, 4:16).
• Knowing God shows in keeping his commandments (2:3-4, 5:3).
• Love one another "in deed and in truth" (3:18, 4:11).
• "Jesus Christ is come in the flesh" (4:2).
• Believers may "know that ye have eternal life" (5:13).

From the letter's own text, compared with John's Gospel; authorship and dating views summarized from standard introductions.