Who wrote 1 John, and when?
John the apostle. About AD 85–95, from Ephesus.
The letter never names its writer. It has been linked to John the apostle since the second century, and the language is so close to the Gospel of John that the two clearly come from the same circle. Most scholars agree on that connection, while some think the actual writer was a disciple of John rather than the apostle himself, and Christians hold both views without falling out over it. The usual date is about AD 85 to 95, and tradition places the writer at Ephesus in his old age. The opening verses claim direct contact with Jesus, which fits an eyewitness writing many years after the events (see chapter 1).
Who was 1 John written to?
Churches in Asia Minor shaken by teachers who had left them and denied that Jesus came in the flesh.
The letter carries no address and no greeting, which suggests it went round a group of churches that already knew the writer well, probably in the region around Ephesus. Something painful had just happened. A number of members had left, taking with them a teaching that denied Jesus had truly come in a human body, and claiming a knowledge of God that ordinary believers lacked (see 1 John 2:19). Those who stayed were shaken and unsure of themselves. If the confident people were the ones who walked out, perhaps they were the ones who really knew God. The letter is written for people wondering whether their own faith is the real thing.
What was happening at the time?
A group had split from the churches, claiming special knowledge, denying that the Son of God had truly come as a man, and treating sin and love lightly. John writes so that those who remain may know they have eternal life. He circles around three marks of real fellowship with God: right belief about Jesus, obedience, and love for brothers and sisters. God is light, and God is love.
Why was 1 John written?
To give believers assurance of eternal life and to expose those who deny the incarnate Christ.
John writes so that his readers may know they have eternal life (see 1 John 5:13). He gives them three tests that keep coming round, more like a spiral than a straight line: believing that Jesus is the Christ who came in the flesh, obeying his commands, and loving other believers in practical ways. Anyone who claims to know God while failing all three is claiming something empty. Along the way John says two of the plainest things in the Bible about God, that he is light and that he is love, and he ties love to the cross rather than to feelings. The letter guards the truth that God really became one of us, which the whole Bible story depends on.
How to read 1 John today
Start at chapter 1 and read to 1 John 2:2, then read the whole letter in one sitting to feel how it circles the same few themes. Do not hunt for an outline, because there is no neat one. Watch the contrasts: light and darkness, truth and lies, love and hate. The strong statements that a child of God does not keep on sinning (see 1 John 3:6-9) sit close to the promise of forgiveness in 1 John 1:9, and Christians hold the two together rather than choosing between them. Do not use the tests to measure other people. While reading, pray for assurance, and for one person who is hard to love.
The key verse in 1 John
In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
Passages worth knowing in 1 John
- 1 John 1
God is light
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive.
- 1 John 2:15-17
Do not love the world
The world is passing away.
- 1 John 3:1-3
Children of God
Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us.
- 1 John 4:7-21
God is love
We love him because he first loved us.
- 1 John 5:11-13
That you may know
He who has the Son has life.
The main themes of 1 John
- Fellowship with God
- Light and darkness
- Obedience
- Love
- Assurance
- Jesus come in the flesh
An outline of 1 John
| Section | Chapters |
|---|---|
| Walking in the light | 1–2 |
| Children of God who love | 3–4 |
| Faith that overcomes | 5 |