First Letter of John

First John is the first of three short letters attributed to John. It is a letter written to encourage believers and to warn them against false teaching.

First John is a simple but deep answer to false teaching that was threatening the church. The author responds by clearly explaining the truth found in Christ. He shows two different ways of thinking: the true way and the false way. He clearly shows the difference between them.

The letter also has a positive purpose. The author wants his "children" to know the truth. He wants them to respond to God, who has revealed himself in Christ: "We write these things so that our joy may be complete. And this is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you: God is light, and in Him there is no darkness at all" (1 John 1:4–5).

The author further explains the positive goal in 5:20: "And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true—in His Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life."

Understanding Christ as both God and man is very important to the author. Believers need to know this truth and remain in it. Then they can continue to abide in the Son of God. This means they can stay joined to him and trust him. They will not be led away by false teaching.

If the letter was written to answer the claims of false teachers, it helps us understand who they were. According to 1 John 2:19, these opponents had once been part of the Christian community. Later, they left the community to spread their own beliefs.

The false teachers made a serious error about Christ. They denied that Jesus was truly human. This also meant they denied that he was the Messiah, the one God promised to send. The false prophets can be known by what they confess about Jesus: “By this you will know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God” (4:2). The opening verse of the letter also strongly answers this denial of the humanity of Jesus. First John 2:22 identifies the liar as the one “who denies that Jesus is the Christ … This is the antichrist, who denies the Father and the Son.”

These beliefs led to a serious problem in how people lived. The false teachers accepted a sinful way of life and did not care for others. So John calls these people back to right living and to love for other believers in Christ.

Scholars have identified John’s opponents in several ways. Their focus on secret knowledge may point to a Gnostic-type false teaching. Gnosticism claimed that special knowledge was needed to know spiritual truth. Their denial that Jesus was truly human may point to docetism. Docetism was a false teaching that said Jesus only seemed to be human.

Cerinthus of Asia Minor (mentioned by the early church father Irenaeus) has often been associated with the opposition in 1 John.

A careful comparison of 1 John with the Gospel of John shows many similarities. The two books use similar words, style, and ideas. Both books often use words like:

"love,"

"life,"

"truth,"

"light,"

"Son,"

"Spirit,"

"advocate,"

"revealed,"

"sin,"

"world,"

"flesh,"

"abide,"

"know,"

"walk," and

"commandments."

They also use similar word groups. These include:

"Spirit of truth,"

"born of God,"

"children of God," and

"overcome the world."

These similarities may point to one author. The two books also use similar grammar and patterns of speech. They share many of the same theological ideas about God, Christ, and the Christian life.

It is difficult to deny the close connection between 1 John and the Gospel of John. Some scholars have tried to show differences between the two books. Even so, they often admit that the author of one book must have been closely connected to the author of the other. The author of one book also seems to have deeply influenced the author of the other.

The traditional view is that the apostle John wrote both the Gospel of John and 1 John. The opening words of 1 John clearly support this view: “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our own eyes, which we have gazed upon and touched with our own hands—this is the Word of life” (1:1). These words show that the author wanted readers to know he was an eyewitness. He had seen and touched Jesus.

Some scholars have questioned the traditional view because of a statement from Papias. Papias was bishop of Hierapolis in Asia Minor. He lived around AD 100–140. Eusebius, an early church historian, preserved Papias’s statement:

“If I met someone who followed the elders, I would ask about the elders' words—what Andrew, Peter, Thomas, James, John, Matthew, or any other of the Lord’s disciples said. I would also ask about what Aristion and the elder John, the Lord’s disciples, say.”

Some important scholars have argued that there was an elder John who was a different person from the apostle John. They believe this elder may have lived in Asia Minor. However, Irenaeus in Against Heresies and the Muratorian Fragment (both from the late second century AD) attribute 1 John to the apostle John.

The author’s claim to be an eyewitness and his tone of authority both point to the apostle John as the author of 1 John. Christian tradition says that John lived to an old age and taught in Ephesus. It also says that he continued to teach Christians to love one another until the end of his life. First John fits this kind of setting.

First John was probably written near the end of the first century. The false teaching that John rejects supports this date. So do later references to 1 John in the writings of Polycarp and Irenaeus. We cannot determine a more exact date with the current evidence.

The text of 1 John has been preserved quite well. Its simple words and clear ideas helped people copy and preserve it accurately.

Three passages are important when discussing the text of 1 John.

The word “all” in 1 John 2:20 appears in different forms in different manuscripts. Some manuscripts use the nominative case, which usually marks the subject of a sentence. Other manuscripts use the accusative case, which usually marks the object. The King James Version translates the verse as: “Ye know all things.” But the nominative case may give a better meaning: “All of you know.” In this reading, John is not saying that believers know everything. He is saying that all believers have received this knowledge.

In 4:19, the earliest manuscripts do not include an object after the verb "love." Some later manuscripts add either “him” or “God” to the sentence. The Berean Standard Bible margin note mentions this difference. The King James Version follows the later manuscripts.

The most famous textual variant in in 1 John is found in 5:7–8. The words "These three agree in heaven: the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit..." were added to the text at a later date. They were not part of the earliest Greek manuscripts. The earliest known reference to these words comes from Priscillian, a Spanish teacher who was later judged to be a heretic. He died in AD 385. Later, these words were accepted into the Latin Vulgate.

The scholar Erasmus, who edited the first published Greek Testament, did not include these words because they were missing in Greek manuscripts. The only Greek manuscripts that include these words were produced after Erasmus’s edition. For this reason, modern Bible translations usually do not include these words in 5:7–8.

Scholars do not agree on the exact plan and structure of 1 John. The letter uses simple terms and a small group of repeated words. It also repeats many of the same ideas. Because of this, it is hard to make a clear outline of the letter. Some scholars describe the letter’s argument as “spiral.” This means that John returns to the same ideas again and again. He develops them more each time. The letter sounds like the teaching of an honored elder in the Christian community. He shares wisdom with his readers, but he does not present his ideas as a strict, step-by-step argument.

Chapter numbers were not added to the New Testament text until AD 1228. These divisions can sometimes interrupt the flow of thought. Still, they give us a helpful way to review the content of 1 John. First John also differs from the common letter style of the first century. Paul’s letters clearly show that common style.

The first chapter has two parts. It begins with an introduction. Then it explains what it means to walk in the light, or to live in God’s truth. This chapter clearly shows what God is like. It also shows how people can live in relationship with him.

The introduction follows the strong and beautiful style of the opening words of the Gospel of John and the Letter to the Hebrews. It clearly states that the gospel message can be trusted. The author says that he was an eyewitness of Jesus, the one through whom the Father revealed himself. He says that he is simply proclaiming events that he himself experienced. The author stresses that he heard, saw, and touched Jesus. These words show that the coming of Jesus was not only a spiritual idea or a theory. Jesus truly came into the world and was known through human experience.

The purpose of this message is fellowship. Fellowship means shared life and close relationship. The Greek word is koinonia. This fellowship works in two directions. First, believers share fellowship with one another. Second, believers share fellowship with the Father and the Son (1:3). The second purpose is "so that our joy may be complete" (verse 4).

In the main part of the letter, John quickly turns to the truth that “God is light” (1:5–10).

This truth has several important meanings:

There is no darkness in God at all (verse 5). In this context, darkness does not mean physical darkness or night. Instead, it represents evil, falsehood, and everything opposed to God.

People who walk in darkness cannot have fellowship with God. To walk in darkness means to live in sin and reject God’s truth (verse 6).

People who walk in the light have fellowship with other believers. To walk in the light means to live in God’s truth. Jesus, God’s Son, also cleanses them from all sin (verse 7).

All people have sinned. Denying this does not change the truth (verse 8).

When people confess their sins, God forgives them and cleanses them. He does this because he is faithful and righteous (verse 9).

People who deny that they have sinned are saying that God is not truthful. They also show that his word is not in them (verse 10).

Joy and fellowship are only for those who walk in the light of God’s presence. God is light, and he shows this light through his Son, Jesus Christ. The introduction of the Gospel of John reminds us that the Word brought light to all people. Through Jesus, God deals with the problem of sin and unrighteousness. He forgives people and cleanses them (that is, he removes their guilt and purifies them from sin).

The second chapter continues the thought from the end of chapter 1. It explains how God solves the problem of sin. Then John speaks about the new commandment. He also warns readers about the threat of the antichrist.

In 2:1–6, John says more about how God solves the problem of sin. This matters because God is pure and without sin. Jesus Christ forgives sin and cleanses people from unrighteousness. This means he removes what is wrong and makes people right with God. Jesus is also our advocate before God. An advocate is someone who speaks for another person and helps that person. This is the same word (transliterated “Paraclete”) used in John 14–16, where it refers to the Holy Spirit. Jesus has made full reconciliation possible between God and humanity. Reconciliation means bringing people back into right relationship with God.

Believers should respond by obeying God’s commandments. The third verse is the first of several verses answering one question: How can believers know that these things are true? The first test is obedience. The implications of this test are positive in verses 3 and 5 and negative in verse 4. Verse 6 clearly shows that believers should model their way of life on Jesus.

Verses 7–17 describe the second test of believing, or “abiding in him.” To abide in Christ means to remain joined to him and trust him. The second test is love for other believers in the Christian community. John clearly says that a person cannot walk in God’s light and hate a Christian brother or sister at the same time. This develops the earlier idea of fellowship in the light.

After this, John encourages three groups of people (2:12–14). These groups may refer to different stages in the Christian life, not to different ages. Then John warns them not to love the world (2:15–17). In this context, the world means human desires and pride that are opposed to God. These desires and pride do not last. They do not come from the Father, who is light. Only the person who obeys God’s will will live forever.

John then addresses the problem of the last days and the coming of the antichrist (2:18–27). He also speaks about many antichrists. These people had once belonged to the Christian community (verse 19). Anyone who denies that Jesus is the Messiah belongs in this group. John also says that a person cannot deny Christ and still belong to God (verse 23). Those who are born of God have received an anointing from him (being set apart by God and helped by the Holy Spirit). This anointing helps them recognize the lies of the antichrist (verse 27).

Up to this point, the whole letter has focused on what it means to walk with God, who is light. God has revealed himself in Jesus. This gives believers clear understanding. It helps them know what is true and recognize what is false.

The last two verses of chapter 2 introduce the new topic for chapter 3: being "born of Him" (2:29). The children of God do not fear God's final revelation at Christ's second coming. Instead, they anticipate it. Then their new birth will become fully visible (3:2). John pauses to celebrate how God's love works in our lives as his children (verse 1).

John turns from the joy of thinking about our place as God’s children to the hard truth about the world we live in. The world around us is marked by sin. John defines sin as “lawlessness” (3:4), which means living against God’s commands. Sin begins with the devil, “has been sinning from the very start” (verse 8). The “children of the devil” show who they are by living lawless lives (verses 10–12). John uses Cain as an example of this kind of life.

Jesus, whose second appearance is noted in the opening verses, came the first time to take away sins and destroy the works of the devil (3:5, 8). Those who follow Jesus should follow the pattern of their Father, who is righteous (verse 7). A righteous life is marked by purity and by turning away from sin (verses 3, 7–9). The difference between these two lifestyles is clear (verse 10).

The second half of chapter 3 focuses on showing that a person is in a right relationship with God through love for others in the Christian community. Verse 12 introduced the negative example with Cain. Hating a brother is like committing murder (3:15). Ignoring a brother or sister in need is also wrong (verses 17–18). Jesus, who gave his life for us, is the model for loving others (verse 16). Loving brothers and sisters shows that one is born of God and has moved from death to life (verse 14). The difference between God's spiritual children and the devil's children is evident.

The last half of chapter 3 emphasizes one of John's favorite themes. The phrase “We know” appears in verses 14, 16, 19, and 24. In a world of uncertainties, John recognizes the great need for assurance. So John gives several tests that help God’s children gain and keep this confidence.

The transition to chapter 4 happens at the end of chapter 3: “we know that He remains in us: by the Spirit He has given us” (verse 24). Those with the Holy Spirit must tell the difference between the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error. The Spirit of truth comes from God. The spirit of error teaches what is false.

John then gives a test for true teaching. Those who have the Spirit of God confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh. This means they confess that Jesus is God and that he became truly human (4:2–3). False prophets who deny this truth have "the spirit of the antichrist" (verse 3). Obeying God helps the children of God recognize and respond to God's message (verses 4–6).

In verses 7–12, John says that love comes from God, because God is love (verse 8). God clearly showed this love in Jesus. Through Jesus, God dealt with the problem of sin (verses 9–10). Because of this, God’s children should love one another (verse 11). When we love one another, God’s love reaches its goal in us (verse 12). In this paragraph, three ideas are closely connected: being born of God, loving God, and knowing God.

Verse 13 continues the message of assurance from 3:1: “By this we know that we remain in Him, and He in us: He has given us of His Spirit.” Believers also receive assurance when they confess that Jesus is the Son of God and the Savior of the world. This helps them know God’s love. God’s love then flows through believers to others. This love shows that they have a true relationship with God (4:14–21). This assurance is so strong that believers do not need to fear the day of judgment (verses 17–18).

In the final chapter, John discusses the connection between love and a right relationship with God. Those born of God do not find God's commandments too difficult to obey (5:3). Their faith helps them overcome the world, which tries to keep them from obeying God (verse 4). This faith has its basis on Jesus as the Son of God (verse 5).

Once again, right belief is important. Jesus was fully human (verse 6), and the Spirit bears witness to the truth about Jesus (verses 7–8). The result is strong inner confidence that God "has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son" (verse 11). The difference between those who have life and those who do not is very clear. The person who has the Son has life. The person who does not have the Son does not have life (verse 12).

Verses 13–16 move from eternal life to confidence in prayer. Believers can pray with strong confidence in God. They can trust that God hears them and answers their prayers according to his will (verses 14–15). This confidence also applies to praying for others who sin. John describes sin as "unrighteousness" (lack of a right relationship with God), not the sin leading to death (verse 12). God will honor such prayers by giving life to the sinner (verse 16).

The final verses repeat the main themes of the letter. They emphasize the victory of those born of God through Jesus, the true God. This victory sets God's children apart from the world, which is under the power of the evil one. The letter ends with a strong note of assurance.

See also Letters of John; John, the Apostle.