Introduction: 1 John

         Author: John, son of Zebedee and the brother of James

• John is the author of 5 books of the NT
• Strong similarities between the Gospel of John and 1 John support

1 John 1:1–3 (ESV) —

1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life— 2 the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us— 3 that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ.

• What is the author's claim? An eyewitness: seen, heard and touched (this would be someone very close)
• There are a lot of first person references (use of "I"), especially in chapter 2
• Additionally chapter 2 is very authoritative
• Review / read chapter 2
• There are at least 51 parallel passages between the gospel of John and 1 John
• "of the devil" and "from the beginning"

1 John 3:8 (ESV) —

8 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.

John 8:44 (ESV) —

44 You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.

• "from the world"

1 John 2:16 (ESV) —

16 For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world.

1 John 4:5 (ESV) —

5 They are from the world; therefore they speak from the world, and the world listens to them.

John 8:23 (ESV) —

23 He said to them, “You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world.

John 15:19 (ESV) —

19 If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.

• "walk in darkness:

1 John 1:6 (ESV) —

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

1 John 2:11 (ESV) —

11 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.

John 8:12 (ESV) —

12 Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

John 8:12 (ESV) —

12 Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

• "dead"

1 John 3:14 (ESV) —

14 We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers. Whoever does not love abides in death.

John 5:25 (ESV) —

25 “Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming, and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live.

• "the savior of the world"

1 John 4:14 (ESV) —

14 And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world.

John 4:42 (ESV) —

42 They said to the woman, “It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is indeed the Savior of the world.”

• Life in the Son of God

1 John 5:11–12 (ESV) —

11 And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12 Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.

John 1:4 (ESV) —

4 In him was life, and the life was the light of men.

John 14:6 (ESV) —

6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

• There are some common words which are only found in John and 1 John
• There are also common words between the three letters
• 2 John

2 John 7 (ESV) —

7 For many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not confess the coming of Jesus Christ in the flesh. Such a one is the deceiver and the antichrist.

1 John 2:23 (ESV) —

23 No one who denies the Son has the Father. Whoever confesses the Son has the Father also.

1 John 4:2 (ESV) —

2 By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God,

• Also 3 John

3 John 11 (ESV) —

11 Beloved, do not imitate evil but imitate good. Whoever does good is from God; whoever does evil has not seen God.

1 John 3:10 (ESV) —

10 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.

1 John 4:4 (ESV) —

4 Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.

1 John 4:7 (ESV) —

7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God.

• External evidence also exists (most written in early 2nd century)
• Didache ("how-to manual for the early church")
• Clement of Rome
• Epistle of Barnabas
• Polycarp
• Papias (knew John and was born in AD 60, makes specific references to the Johannine leter and is also cited in Eusebius

"1 THERE are extant five books of Papias, which bear the title Expositions of Oracles of the Lord. Irenæus makes mention of these as the only works written by him, in the following words: “These things are attested by Papias, an ancient man who was a hearer of John and a companion of Polycarp, in his fourth book. For five books have been written by him.” These are the words of Irenæus."

• Date and Place of writing
• Irenaeus wrote that John publish a gospel during his residence in Ephesus in Asia. He remained there until the time of Trajan (AD 98-117)
• It is reasonable to assume that he also wrote the letters at that time
• This puts the date between 85-100 AD
• This is also based on the assumption that adequate time is needed for the growth of certain false teaching
• Since 1 and 2 John address Christological errors that may have resulted from a misinterpretation of the gospel of John, we would assume the gospel came first
• The Occasion of 1 John
1. To combat false teachers

1 John 2:19 (ESV) —

19 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.

1 John 4:1–3 (ESV) —

1 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. 2 By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, 3 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. Doctrinally
2. Morally

1 John 2:3–4 (ESV) —

3 And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. 4 Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him,

3. Socially

1 John 2:9 (ESV) —

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

2. To reassure believers
1. There a numerous assurances

1 John 5:13 (ESV) —

13 I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life.

 



 

• The purpose of 1 John (Akin, D.L., 2001)

 

1. “We write this to make our joy complete” (1:4).

      (To promote true joy in the child of God)

2. “I write this to you so that you will not sin” (2:1).

      (To prevent the child of God from committing sin)

3. “I am writing these things to you about those who are trying to lead you astray” (2:26)

      (To protect the child of God from false teachers)

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

      (To provide assurance of salvation for the child of God)

Akin, D. L. (2001). 1, 2, 3 John (Vol. 38, pp. 31–32). Broadman & Holman Publishers.

 

• Theology (key ideas)
• The Doctrine of God
• God is light 1:5
• God is love 4:8
• The Doctrine of Sin
• Sin is universal and comprehensive
• Every person is a sinner and sins (1:8,10)
• The Doctrine of Christ
• Multiple references to Jesus as the word, the Son of God, and the Christ
• The Doctrine of the Holy Spirit
• The Spirit is the witness to a believer concerning the true teaching about Jesus the Christ (2:27, 5:7)
• The Doctrine of Salvation
• The Doctrine of Eschatology

 

• Canonicity was never questioned in the early church
• Outline

 

 



 

Screen clipping taken: 7/4/2026 9:08 AM

 



 

 

A very simple outline



 (Constable)