1 John: Know that you have life

Where 1 John sits

In the story

Act VI, Church · Last Apostle, Later first century

In the Bible

New Testament · Letters · book 62 of 66

Before it in the story

2 Timothy

After it in the story

2 John

The promised life has appeared in the incarnate Son. His church lives in the last hour, holding the apostolic witness until His return makes His children like Him.

1 John summary

The witnesses proclaim the life revealed in Jesus so that others may share fellowship with the Father and Son (1:1–4). God is light: claims of fellowship must agree with conduct, and sinners need confession, cleansing and Christ's advocacy (1:5–2:2). Obedience, love and remaining in the truth distinguish those who know God from those who reject His Son (2:3–27). God's children await Christ's appearing and practice righteousness and costly love (2:28–3:24). They test spiritual claims by the incarnate Christ and the apostolic witness (4:1–6). God's prior love, revealed in sending His Son, produces love within His family (4:7–5:5). God's testimony locates eternal life in His Son (5:6–12). John writes so that believers may know they have this life, pray with confidence and keep themselves from idols (5:13–21).

1 John in context

Written by

Traditionally the apostle John. The letter does not name its author; its opening speaks from the witness of those who heard, saw and touched the revealed life (1:1–3).

Written to

Believers who confess the Son, troubled by former associates who departed and now seek to deceive them (2:19, 26; 5:13). No city is named.

Setting

A division over the identity of Jesus and the character of life with God. The opponents deny Jesus as the Christ and fail to confess His coming in the flesh (2:22; 4:2–3). A precise named school cannot be established from the letter.

When

Often placed late in the first century, plausibly among churches in Asia Minor; precise date and location are uncertain.

Why

To bring readers into joyful fellowship, oppose sin and deception, and assure believers that eternal life is theirs in God's Son (1:3–4; 2:1, 26; 5:13).

Themes of 1 John

• Life in the Son
• Light and confession
• The marks of new birth
• Truth about Jesus
• Love received and practiced
• Assurance and perseverance

Key verses in 1 John

• 1 John 1:3

  We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And this fellowship of ours is with the Father and with His Son, Jesus Christ.

• 1 John 1:9

  If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

• 1 John 3:16

  By this we know what love is: Jesus laid down His life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.

• 1 John 4:10

  And love consists in this: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as the atoning sacrifice for our sins.

• 1 John 5:13

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

1 John chapter by chapter

1. 1
   1 John 1: The life revealed, the light walked in

   The revealed Son brings fellowship with God, whose light exposes sin and whose faithfulness assures forgiveness.

2. 2
   1 John 2: Remain in the Son

   Christ advocates for His people; obedience, love and remaining in the received truth expose empty claims to know Him.

3. 3
   1 John 3: Children who bear the family likeness

   God's children hope to be like Christ, turn from sin and love in action because the Son gave His life for them.

4. 4
   1 John 4: Test the spirits; love one another

   Confess the Son who truly came in the flesh, and love one another because God first loved us and sent Him to save.

5. 5
   1 John 5: Life in the Son, confidence before God

   God's testimony gives assurance of life in His Son, joining faith with love, obedience and confident prayer.

See the outline of 1 John