Summary of the Book of 1 John

Author:
1, 2, and 3 John have been attributed to the apostle John since ancient times, who also authored the Gospel of John. The content, style, and vocabulary suggest that these three epistles were intended for the same audience as the Gospel of John.

Date of Writing:
The Book of 1 John was likely composed between A.D. 85-95.

Purpose of Writing:
The Book of 1 John appears to be a concise summary assuming the readers’ familiarity with John’s gospel, providing assurance for their faith in Christ. The initial epistle reveals that the readers were facing the challenge of gnosticism, which became more prevalent in the second century. This religious philosophy posited that matter is inherently evil while spirit is good. It proposed that knowledge, or gnosis, was the solution to reconciling these two aspects, enabling individuals to transcend from the material to the spiritual realm. Within the context of the gospel, this gave rise to two erroneous beliefs regarding the nature of Christ: Docetism—viewing the human Jesus as a spectral being—and Cerinthianism—portraying Jesus as a dual entity, alternating between human and divine natures. The primary aim of 1 John is to define the parameters of faith and provide believers with confidence in their salvation.

Key Verses:

1 John 1:9, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”

1 John 3:6, “No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him.”

1 John 4:4, “You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.”

1 John 5:13, “I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.”

The central theme is “knowledge,” along with its derivatives, which appear at least 13 times in the Book of 1 John.

Brief Summary:
The early church grappled with the challenge of false spiritual instructors. This issue arose due to the presence of heretical teachings that contradicted the true gospel message.

Without a complete New Testament that believers could refer to, many churches fell prey to pretenders who taught their own ideas and advanced themselves as leaders. John wrote this letter to set the record straight on some important issues, particularly concerning the identity of Jesus Christ.

Because John’s letter was about the basics of faith in Christ, it helped his readers reflect honestly on their faith. It helped them answer the question, “Are we true believers?” John told them that they could tell by looking at their actions. If they loved one another, that was evidence of God’s presence in their lives. But if they bickered and fought all the time or were selfish and did not look out for one another, they were betraying that they, in fact, did not know God.

That did not mean they had to be perfect. In fact, John also recognized that believing involved admitting our sins and seeking God’s forgiveness. Depending on God for cleansing from guilt, along with admitting our wrongs against others and making amends, was another important part of getting to know God.

Connections: One of the most often-quoted passages regarding sin is found in 1 John 2:16. In this passage, John describes the three aspects of sin that recall the first and most earth-shattering temptations in all of Scripture. The first sin—the disobedience of Eve—was the result of her yielding to the same three temptations as we find in Genesis 3:6: the lust of the flesh (“good for food”); the lust of the eyes (“pleasing to the eye”); and the pride of life (“desirable for gaining wisdom”).

Practical Application: The Book of 1 John is a book of love and joy. It explains the fellowship we have with others and with Jesus Christ. It differentiates between happiness, which is temporary and fleeting, and true joy, which 1 John tells us how to achieve. If we take the words written by John and apply them to our daily lives, the true love, commitment, fellowship, and joy we long for will be ours.

The apostle John knew C

Christ well. He is telling us that we can all have that close, intimate relationship with Jesus Christ. We have the witness of men who had direct and personal contact with Him. The Gospel writers present their solidly based testimony on a historical reality. Now, how does that apply to our lives? It explains to us that Jesus came here as the Son of God to create a union with us based on His grace, mercy, love, and acceptance. So many times people think Jesus is off in some faraway place and that He doesn’t really concern Himself with our daily struggles, issues, and concerns. But John is telling us that Jesus is right here with us in both the simple, mundane parts of our lives and in the complex, soul-wrenching parts as well. John testifies as a witness of his personal experiences that God became flesh and lived among men. That means Christ came here to live with us and He still lives with us. As He walked the earth alongside John, so does He walk through each and every day with us. We need to apply this truth to our lives and live as if Jesus were standing right next to us every second of the day. If we put this truth into practice, Christ will add holiness to our lives, making us more and more like Him.