Introduction to 1 John

Although there is much discussion regarding the date of this writing, most scholars believe that this general letter was written by the apostle John somewhere toward the end of the first century. Even though the writing date is not clear, the reader can be certain that this letter was written by the apostle John who, under inspiration of the Holy Spirit, also wrote four other books contained in the New Testament (the gospel of John, 2 John, 3 John, Revelation). Early Christian writers such as Irenaeus, Clement, and Tertullian ascribe this writing to John, who was an eyewitness of the life and ministry of Jesus, often identifying himself in his gospel as the one “whom Jesus loved.” All of the gospel writers identify him (along with Peter and James) as one of the closest associates of Jesus, which meant he was often was privy to experiences that the other disciples were not.

When the reader considers John’s reasons for writing this letter, they can be certain of a few things. First of all, John’s intended audience seems to be believers. Phrases such as “my little children” (2:1; 3:18) indicate that John is speaking as an older man to those younger in the faith. Secondly, John’s emphasis throughout his letter is on combating false teaching, mainly Gnosticism. Gnosticism was an erroneous philosophy which taught dualism, matter is evil and spirit is good. This belief led them to believe that they could do anything with their body, even the most immoral sins, because the only thing that mattered was the spirit realm. Obviously, this teaching also changed their view of Jesus Christ. The Gnostics taught that Jesus never really had a physical body, but it only seemed that way. Of course, this belief calls into question the sufficiency of Jesus’ atonement for sin. Another false premise in Gnosticism was a “deeper or heightened sense of knowledge” only possessed by a few. This “knowledge” was received outside of Scripture and provided them with an arrogant view of themselves and an inferior view of those who had not received this “knowledge.” However, the major difference between the teachings of Gnosticism and Christianity is how a person attains salvation. For the Gnostic, salvation is received through elevated knowledge, while Scripture teaches that salvation is a gift which can be received by all those who will repent of sin and confess Jesus as their Savior (Romans 10:9-13).

In order to combat this false teaching, which may have been infiltrating the church, John uses his words wisely to communicate the true nature of those who believe. In order to keep things simple, John identifies two areas which determine if a person has a relationship with God: beliefs and actions. What a person believes will always determine their actions. If a person believes in God through “the blood of Jesus Christ His Son [which] cleanses us from all sin” (1:7), his or her actions will reflect God’s ways; however, a false belief system will lead a person to make sinful choices and into a lifestyle which opposes God’s ways. Using this letter as a standard for those to whom he was writing, John asked them to closely examine the beliefs and actions of the false teachers to see if they were truly from God (3:24-4:6). If not, they should be rejected along with their teachings.

Although John mainly wrote this letter to battle a false system of beliefs, the reader is able to discern those things which make Christianity unique: love for God (and His commands) and love for others. As you journey through John’s words, take time to personally examine your own life to see if what you believe is being put into practice in your life.

Dear God, may John’s words challenge us to match our beliefs with our actions.