1 John
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1 John
Readers in the early church assumed that John the apostle wrote this letter although the author never identified himself by name. Polycarp, Irenaeus, and Tertullian all argued for apostolic authorship of this epistle.
Evidence supporting apostolic authorship is the similar vocabulary between the Gospel and the epistle. Such terms as "light" and "eternal life" appear in both writings. The author claimed that he was a companion of Christ during His earthly ministry (1:1-4). His description of his readers as "dear children" (2:1) indicates a person of sufficient authority to address his audience in this manner. All of these features point toward apostolic authorship. Some who question apostolic authorship favor an authorship by "John the elder" mentioned in Eusebius ( Ecclesiastical History 3.39). Some feel that the term "John the elder" is merely an alternate way of referring to John the apostle.
Date. Little specific material is available for a precise dating of 1 John. Tradition indicates that John later spent a significant ministry in Ephesus. The epistle is usually dated during that ministry. The close link with the Fourth Gospel demands a date during the same period as the writing of that Gospel. Most who assume a common authorship for Gospel and epistle will date the epistle in the mid-90s.
Recipients. The letter has no named recipients mentioned within it. Identification of the readers as "dear children" (2:1) and "Dear friends" (2:7) suggests they were a group well known by John. It is best to view the letter as addressed to a group of people perhaps in more than one Asian community. John personally knew them and wrote to warn them of the infiltration of false teaching (4:1-2).
Theme. The epistle of John presents three criteria for testing the Christian profession of teachers and individual Christians. First, professing Christians needed to present righteousness as the right behavior (2:3-4). Second they must demonstrate love as the correct attitude of Christian living (4:8). Third, they needed to hold to the correct view of Christ as the proper teaching of Christians (4:3). Those who demonstrate these three traits have eternal life. John would repeat these three themes several times in the epistle as tests to determine the presence of eternal life.
Literary Form. The letter lacks an introduction and greeting from the author. It expresses no thanksgiving and lacks a concluding salutation. The author never mentioned the name of another Christian in the writing. He never quoted the Old Testament. The epistle reads like a sermon, but there are sections in which there are clear indications that John wrote to specific people with specific problems (2:1,26).
The style of writing involves much repetition, often with deceptively simply phrasing of words. John alternated emphases on the necessity of right attitude, right action, and right belief. John believed that the practice of these patterns demonstrated the possession of eternal life and distinguished believers from unbelievers.
- Fellowship with God (1:1-2:6)
- New Commandment (2:7-17)
- False Teaching (2:18-28)
- Right Living (2:29-3:10)
- Priority of Love (3:11-24)
- Right Belief (4:1-6)
- God's Love (4:7-21)
- Victory of Faith (5:1-12)
- Eternal Life (5:13-21)
Purpose and Theology. John wrote to strengthen the joy (1:4) of his readers and to give them assurance of their relationship with Jesus Christ (5:13). He also wanted to prepare them for dealing with false teachers (4:1-3).
John advocated the genuineness of Christ's humanity (1:1-2), and he called those who questioned the reality of Jesus' incarnation "antichrists" (4:1-3). He presented the death of Christ as an atoning sacrifice for sins (2:2), and he taught the return of Christ (2:28). He denied the idea that Christians could make a practice of sinning (3:8-9), and he called for a demonstration of the reality of faith by ministry (3:16-18).
He opposed both moral laxity and theological errors centering around the person and work of Christ. He opposed Docetism, the denial of the reality of Christ's body, by teaching that he had heard, seen, and touched Christ (1:1). He also emphasized that the same Jesus Christ appeared at both the baptism and the crucifixion (5:6).
Fellowship with God (1:1-2:6)
John began the epistle with a proclamation of the apostolic message. He proclaimed the preexistence and genuine humanity of Christ. He expressed that he was a reliable witness of Jesus' message. In verse 4 he expressed that producing joy in his readers was one of the purposes of this letter. John emphasized that a full experience of joy depended on genuine fellowship with Christ.
In 1:5-2:6 John emphasized the importance of right action in the Christian life. He began with a declaration of the divine character in 1:5-7. John stated that God had revealed Himself as a God of perfect purity. Anyone who desired fellowship with Him must walk in obedience to His revealed will. John explained that those who denied the practice of sin were deceived, but those who admitted their sin experienced forgiveness and cleansing.
John wrote these words in order to prevent his readers from committing sin. He felt that whenever we commit sin, Christ functions as our advocate in the Father's presence and assures our standing before Him (2:1). Christ functions for believers both as a defender and as an atoning sacrifice. The sinlessness of Jesus qualifies Him to be our defender or advocate.
Christ volunteered to serve as our atoning sacrifice for sin. The term translated "atoning sacrifice" is sometimes rendered "propitiation." The term suggests that our sin against God demands that some form of sacrifice be given to satisfy God's offended holiness. Something in God's nature demanded this propitiation, but something in that same nature was moved with love to provide it. The love of the Father led Him to provide the sacrifice of His Son.
The revelation of God's purity and holiness led John to emphasize that obedience to God's commands provides fellowship with God. Those who would enjoy fellowship with God must follow in the love, holiness, and service that characterized Christ.
New Commandment (2:7-17)
John emphasized the importance of right attitude as an evidence of genuine Christianity. A believer will love Christian brothers and not the world.
John indicated that the command to love others was a new command. It is new in that Christ's own example of love filled the command with new meaning and application. The response to the command of love clearly indicates character. One who habitually fails to love others shows that he lives in the darkness of sin and not in the light of God's presence.
ARTICLE: Atonement
The English word atone means to make reconciliation. It is based on the English phrase at one. Generally the word atone refers to the condition "at-one-ness" or "reconciliation." Specifically the word is used to refer to the process by which obstacles to such reconciliation are removed. The entire Bible demonstrates that outside of some atoning action, humankind is estranged from God. This alienation, brought on by sin, must be remedied.
In the Old Testament atone and atonement are based on the Hebrew kpr, which means to cover or, as some have suggested, to wipe clean. Words based on kpr are found primarily in the Pentateuch with a few references elsewhere. The Septuagint translated kpr and its derivatives primarily by the word family containing exilaskomai, exilasmos, and hilasterion.
The word atonement is not found in most translations of the New Testament. (However, the NIV has "atone," "sacrifice of atonement," "place of atonement," and "atoning sacrifice." Also note that Romans 5:11 in the KJV has "atonement," but it renders katallage and is properly translated "reconciliation," as seen in all modern translations.)
The concept of atonement pervades the fabric of New Testament thought.
In the New Testament atonement is centered in Christ's incarnation and especially His work on the cross. The New Testament presents human beings in their natural condition as totally estranged from God. They are "alienated and hostile in mind, engaged in evil deeds" (Col. 1:21). This alienation and hostility outside of Christ is the basic presupposition of New Testament anthropology. It graphically presents humanity's need for atonement. The cause for human estrangement is persistent rebellion to the will of God. God's holiness and righteousness make clear that sin cannot be ignored; sin has its retribution. "The wages of sin is death" (Rom. 6:23). Outside of God's intervention and provision, humanity is absolutely helpless to remedy the situation (Rom. 5:6,8). The sinner is "dead in ... trespasses and sins" (Eph. 2:1).
God provides deliverance from that which held humankind away from Him. In His infinite compassion and love, He provides atonement in the person of Jesus Christ.
The stated purpose of the incarnation was that Jesus came "to seek and to save that which was lost" (Luke 19:10). Christ's atoning work is particularly connected with His death on the cross. "We are reconciled to God through the death of His Son" (Rom. 5:10). This death provided "propitiation in His blood," which must be accompanied "by faith" (Rom. 3:25).
God is the source of atonement. In the Old Testament God had provided the sacrificial system to effect reconciliation, but in the New Testament God not only initiates atonement but He also brings it to completion. In no sense is the merciful Son championing the rights of humankind against the severe Father who gives forgiveness only grudgingly. "God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself" (2 Cor. 5:19).
The result of the atonement is that the breach between God and humanity is bridged. Fellowship with God is restored because that which has disrupted that relationship has been removed. Through Christ's sacrifice not only is humanity's sin removed, but we also are delivered from our former "futile way of life" (1 Pet. 1:18). Another consequence of the atonement is that the individual in Christ is delivered from selfishness and enabled to live with Christ as Lord (Rom. 14:9; 2 Cor. 5:15).
The New Testament presents a rich and varied treasury of expression concerning the atonement. The words hilasterion, hilaskomai, and hilasmos are from a root word meaning appease or propitiate. In Romans 3:25 the word hilasterion is rendered "propitiation" in the KJV and NASB. It is translated "sacrifice of atonement" in the NIV and "expiation" in the RSV. In Hebrews 9:5 the same word is translated "mercy seat" in the KJV, NASB, and RSV and "place of atonement" by the NIV. In Hebrews 2:17 the word hilaskomai is translated "reconciliation" by the KJV, "propitiation" by the NASB, "atonement" by the NIV, "expiation" by the RSV. The same word in Luke 18:13 is rendered "be merciful" in the KJV, NASB, and RSV and "have mercy" in the NIV.
In both 1 John 2:2 and 4:10 the word hilasmos is translated "propitiation" by the NASB, "atoning sacrifice" by the NIV, and "expiation" by the RSV.
A second word family containing lytron, lytroo, apolytrosis, and antilytron should be explored. The first of these words is fairly consistently understood as "ransom" by the KJV; the second is given as "redeem" or "redeemed"; the third and fourth are "ransom." The Bible student should also consider the sacrificial terminology applied to Christ.
Sin effectively keeps people from God. In His atoning work God has secured reconciliation through the work of Jesus Christ. "For he himself is our peace, who ... broke down the barrier of the dividing wall, by abolishing in his flesh the enmity ... establishing peace, and might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, by it having put to death the enmity" (Eph. 2:14-16). In Christ atonement for the believer has been made complete.
In 2:12-14 John assured his readers that they were recipients of strength and help from the Word of God to assist in their spiritual struggles. In 2:15-17 John urged his readers not to love the pagan, self-centered lifestyle that surrounded them. Such a worldly love excluded love for God and also led the Christian to focus on a style of living that was slowly dying.
False Teaching (2:18-28)
John emphasized the importance of right belief as an indication of genuine Christianity. The term "antichrist" described those who disrupted fellowship in the churches by holding the wrong doctrine about Christ. The distinctive beliefs of these false teachers are in verses 22-23.
Believers stood secure against the false teaching of the antichrists because of three sources of strength. First, they had the anointing of the Holy Spirit. This provided the capacity to understand spiritual things. Second, they had made a personal commitment to the Christian message. Third, they were living in union with Jesus Christ.
Right Living (2:29-3:10)
John again emphasized the importance of right action as a demonstration of Christian commitment. Christians who had been divinely begotten of God had the privilege of experiencing God's love and living as members of His family. They were to demonstrate their family membership by righteous living. John indicated that Christ had come to take away our sins (3:5). Jesus had died for the purpose of causing us to stop sinning.
John pointed out that the person who made a practice of sinning had never known Christ. In verse 9 he indicated that the experience of a believer in conversion rendered the practice of sin a moral impossibility. John was not suggesting that a Christian will never commit an act of sin. He did indicate that a believer could not live in the practice of sin.
The conclusion in verse 10 pointed out the importance of righteous behavior and also underscored the significance of loving other believers. It makes a good transition from discussion of right action to another presentation of the proper attitude, an attitude of love.
ARTICLE: The Value of Human Life
What does it mean to be human? What is person-hood? Is it ever morally justifiable to take human life? These and other emotionally charged questions, all of which revolve around the perennial issue of the value of human life, are being raised anew in the current debates concerning a host of complex ethical issues.
The Bible clearly puts forth what may be termed a high view of the value of human life. In contrast to many contemporary out-looks, however, the Scriptures do not ground this evaluation in society or even in the human person, as important as that is, but squarely in the creative activity of God. This activity gives a special place in creation to human beings as those who bear the image of God.
These themes are sounded in the opening chapters of the Bible. The first creation account reports God's intent as expressed on the sixth day of the creative week: "Let us make man in our image" (Gen. 1:26). God's purpose comes to fruition in the creation of human beings—male and female—each of whom, as a result, is to share in the divine image. Genesis 1 and 2 indicate that the image of God is a multi-sided concept. It refers to the responsibility of acting as stewards over creation. It includes as well the relational nature of human beings: we are created to live together in community with one another and with God. As a result, human life is of value because God has entered into a covenant with humans, entrusting them with a special purpose, a specific role in the divine plan for creation.
Creation in God's image subsequently became an integral part of the Hebrew mind-set. It forms a basis for biblical injunctions concerning fair treatment of others. God's covenant with Noah after the flood, for example, includes a serious penalty for murder, based on an appeal to the creation of each person in the divine image (Gen. 9:6). So ingrained was this idea that James could matter-of-factly state to his original Hebrew-Christian readership, "With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God's likeness" (3:9). He appealed to human creation in the divine image as a basis for respecting other humans even in our speaking to and about each other.
Creation in God's image and the resulting value of human life is incomplete, however, without the future orientation given to it by the New Testament. For Paul, Jesus Christ is preeminently the image of God (2 Cor. 4:4; Col. 1:15).
Believers truly participate in the image in that they are being transformed into Christ's likeness (2 Cor. 3:18), a process directed toward the coming of God's kingdom at Christ's return (1 John 3:2). As a result, the value of human life is ultimately based on God's salvation purpose, which is directed toward the future completion of all God's activities. At that point God's purposes in the creation of humans will find its full realization.
On the basis of these considerations, the value of life can and should be seen as bestowed on all humans by God as God's gift. Because all persons are the objects of God's love in Christ and are all potential participants in God's kingdom, all human life is valuable. God calls all humans and human society to acknowledge the value God and God alone has placed in each human being.
Priority of Love (3:11-24)
John mentioned the importance of the demonstration of a proper attitude, love, as evidence of genuine faith. John presented love as the proof that we have passed from death into life. He located the chief revelation of love in the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ. The chief manner in which we as believers demonstrate our love is by our kindness and mercy in ministry to others.
In verses 19-24 John indicated that our love brought with it an assurance of our standing with God. If we demonstrate this love, we are able to set our hearts at rest in God's presence. The assurance that love brings will carry with it an experience of boldness before God and also an assurance of effectiveness in the practice of prayer.
False Teaching (4:1-6)
John expressed the importance of right belief as an evidence of genuine Christianity. John was speaking of people who claimed to be Christians but who spoke as deadly opponents of Christianity. He was also referring to church services much more informal than our own. In these early services visitors could stand and claim to speak by the Spirit of God. John wanted to provide direction to distinguish between the true and the false.
John directed his readers to test the words of those who claimed to speak for God because of the possibility of the presence of false prophets (v. 1). The test by which the utterances were to be judged was the acceptance of Jesus Christ as God's incarnate Son. As his readers struggled with the presence of false teaching, John assured them that the victory ultimately belonged to them. He also indicated that the worldly message of the false prophets would attract an audience that was gullible in their acceptance of falsehood.
God's Love (4:7-21)
In this section John again underscored the importance of a demonstration of love. He presented love as a disposition that originated in the divine nature.
John appealed for believers to love for two reasons. First, such love has its source and dynamic in God. Second, God is characterized by love. Both reasons blend together so that one runs into the other. The greatness of the divine love for us leaves us with an incentive to love one another. Our practice of love for one another provides evidence that God's love for us has attained its goal.
In verses 13-16 the apostle discussed the relationship between love and the indwelling of God. He suggested that it is not enough merely to know that God is love. Believers must live daily in the sphere of divine love. In so doing they genuinely live in God's presence and have God living in them.
In verses 17-21 John mentioned two evidences of the presence of a ripened fruit of love in a Christian's life. First, such love provides confidence on the day of the coming judgment. Second, this love leads to a genuine concern for fellow Christians.
Victory of Faith (5:1-12)
John began this section by stating the chief confession of faith that should characterize Christians. Christians are those who believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God. Those who are genuine believers demonstrate it by their love for God and obedience to His commandments. The faith that provides strength for spiritual victory is the faith that Jesus is God's incarnate Son.
In verse 6 John outlined more specifically who Jesus is as the Son of God. John's opponents held that Jesus was a mere man to whom the divine Christ spirit came at baptism and from whom this spirit departed before crucifixion. John taught that Jesus was the divine Son of God at both baptism and crucifixion, throughout the entire course of His life.
In verses 7-12 John showed that our faith in Jesus Christ has a good foundation. The KJV text makes a reference to the Trinity in verse 7 that most modern translations omit. The best texts of verses 7-8 suggest that the Spirit, the water, and the blood all unite in their witness to Christ. The Spirit presented His witness at Jesus' baptism and throughout the totality of Jesus' ministry. The terms "water" and "blood" are a reference, respectively, to Christ's baptism and death. John also referred to the witness of the Father and to the witness of personal experience. The truth to which all of the preceding witnesses testified was that eternal life is available only through God's Son, Jesus.
Eternal Life (5:13-21)
In 5:13 John indicated that he had written this epistle to lead believers to an assurance that they possessed eternal life. John suggested that assurance that we have been accepted with God provides an assurance toward receiving answers in prayer. He urged that Christians practice intercessory prayer, particularly for fellow believers caught in the trickery of sin. He concluded with the statement that Jesus' death had made possible holiness in the life of each Christian, the new birth, and a genuine knowledge of God.
Theological Significance. This letter speaks to contemporary Christians in a significant way. Today there are many people who profess to know God and have fellowship with Him but do not demonstrate such faith at all. John's tests concerning obedience, love, and belief provide warnings for the unfaithful as well assurance for genuine believers. To be sure that we know God, we must keep His commandment. If we lack love for others, it indicates we do not know the love of God in our hearts. Foundationally we must believe rightly about Jesus Christ. He is the Christ, the Son of God, who has come in the flesh. This important triad calls the contemporary church to a strong, balanced faith. We must grow stronger and stronger in all areas of our Christian life.
Questions for Reflection
- List the three evidences of eternal life John focused on in this epistle.
- Who were the "antichrists"? What special doctrinal truth did they deny?
- List the purposes for the writing of 1 John according to the statements of 1:3-4 and 5:13.
- When John urged his readers to show love for a Christian brother (3:17-18), what type of demonstration of love was he seeking?
Sources for Additional Study
Marshall, I. Howard. The Epistles of John. The New International Commentary on the New Testament. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1978.
Stott, J. R. W. The Epistles of John. Tyndale New Testament Commentaries. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1964.
Vaughan, Curtis. 1, 2, 3 John. Bible Study Guide. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1970.