First John - Introduction

Who Wrote This Book?

Actually it is not stated in the book of First John who wrote the book. However,one can note many similarities in First John with the Gospel of John. For example, note John 20:30-31 and 1 John 5 where the same phrases occur.

John 20:30–31 (NKJV)

30 And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book; 31 but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.

1 John 5:1 (NKJV)

1 Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves Him who begot also loves him who is begotten of Him.

1 John 5:5 (NKJV)

5 Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

Most Bible commentators suggest that the Apostle John wrote this book. For example,

The Grace New Testament Commentary (Introduction)

Ancient tradition assigns these epistles to John the son of Zebedee, one of the twelve apostles. Although efforts have been made to evade the implication that an eyewitness wrote 1:1–4, these efforts are faulty. The statement of 4:6 (“We are of God. He who knows God hears us; he who is not of God does not hear us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error”) would be pompous, to say the least, if it was not penned by an apostle.

John, the Apostle, wrote this book.

To Whom Was It Written?

When Was It Written?

Why Was It Written?

Application for Us