1 John: Introduction

Authorship: How do we know John is wrote this letter?

The book is anonymous. It lacks a formal greeting common in Paul’s letters.

External evidence: quoted by several early church fathers (*Polycarp, Irenaeus, etc.);

regarded as authoritative

John was attributed to be the author by Papias (mid-2nd century)

Internal evidence:

Similar vocabulary and writing style as John’s Gospel

The author claimed to be an eyewitness (1:1,3; 4:14)

Dogmatic statements seem to indicate an apostle was the author

Provenance: Where was the letter written?

As far as we know, John became an elder in the church in Ephesus.

(John seems to have an intimate knowledge and familiarity with his audience.)

Occasion: Why was the letter written?

Seems to be addressing some kind of false teaching, probably an early form of Gnosticism.

Hypothesis: (from Kruse/Pillar)

Certain people had left the Christian community and had embraced a false teaching -

1 John 2:19 ESV

They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out, that it might become plain that they all are not of us.

They claimed to know God

1 John 1:6 ESV

If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.

1 John 2:4 ESV

Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him,

1 John 2:6 ESV

whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.

1 John 2:9 ESV

Whoever says he is in the light and hates his brother is still in darkness.

They claimed sinlessness.

1 John 1:8 ESV

If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

1 John 1:10 ESV

If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

They believed differently about Christ. (particularly denying that Jesus came in the flesh)

1 John 2:22–23 ESV

Who is the liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, he who denies the Father and the Son. No one who denies the Son has the Father. Whoever confesses the Son has the Father also.

1 John 4:1–3 ESV

Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already.

1 John 5:6 ESV

This is he who came by water and blood—Jesus Christ; not by the water only but by the water and the blood. And the Spirit is the one who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth.

They did not show fellowship to believers. (fails to show love)

1 John 2:11 ESV

But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.

1 John 3:15 ESV

Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.

1 John 4:20 ESV

If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen.

They continue in sin.

1 John 3:6 ESV

No one who abides in him keeps on sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or known him.

1 John 3:8 ESV

Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil.

1 John 3:10 ESV

By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother.

Three test of 1 John: (NDBT cites Robert Law)

The test of doctrine - what do they believe about the gospel? about Christ?

The test of obedience - do they keep God’s commandments?

The test of love - do they show love to believers?

These were not given as standards to exclude people (probably because the defectors had already left). Rather, these tests were given to reassure true believers.

Notes on writing style

Simplistic style - simple vocabulary and simple grammatical style, but nonetheless complex in its logic.

Circular flow of writing: non-linear, he returns to themes and adds on them. (We should consider this to be beneficial, because we often need repetition to learn.)