The First Letter of the Apostle
JOHN
Author:
John one of the original apostles of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Date:
Probably sometime between 85 and 95 AD.
Themes:
This letter is written to all those who, by God’s grace, have received new spiritual birth in Christ. They are God’s dearly loved children (1 John 2:1, 12, 13, 18, 28; 3:7; 4:4; 5:21). They are members of the family and household of God, and John writes that they should behave in a way worthy of this great truth. That is, they should live in fellowship with God and with each other (1 John 1:3-7), confess any sin of which they might be guilty and obtain forgiveness (1 John 1:8—2:2), obey the commands of God the Father (1 John 2:3-7), and love one another (1 John 3:11-20). Three key words of this letter are “life” (1 John 1:1-2; 2:25; 3:15; 5:11-12, 13, 20), “light” (1 John 1:5, 7; 2:8-9, 10), and “love” (1 John 3:11-18; 4:7-12). Another key word is “know” (1 John 2:3, 5; 4:6-7; 5:13, 18), and an important theme is assurance – how we can know we have really been born into God’s family.
Contents:
What John proclaimed and why 1:1-4
Walking in God’s light, the results of this 1:5—2:11
Fellowship with God and fellow believers 1:6-7
Cleansing from sin 1:7
Understanding our sinfulness,
confessing sin and being forgiven 1:9
The possibility of not sinning 2:1
Provision for believers who do sin 2:1
The one and only one basis for forgiveness 2:2
Obedience to God’s commands, knowing that we know Him 2:3-6
Brotherly love 2:7-11
Why John wrote 2:12-14
The believer and this world 2:15-17
Warning about antichrists 2:18-27
God’s children 2:28—3:10
They do what is right 2:29; 3:10
They have new spiritual birth from God 2:29
They are greatly loved by God 3:1
The world does not understand them 3:1
They will be like Christ when He returns 3:2
They purify themselves 3:3
They know that Christ is sinless and
that He died for their sins 3:4-5
They are changed people and do not remain in sin 3:6-10
The command to love one another 3:11-24
Loving is the evidence of the new birth 3:14
Love is proved by deeds, not by words 3:16-18
Love gives great confidence toward God 3:19-24
Testing the spirits 4:1-6
Love described 4:7—5:3
Real love comes from God 4:7
A person without love does not know God 4:8
How God showed His love 4:9-10
We should love as God loved 4:11-12
God’s Spirit gives us God’s love 4:13-16
Love gives confidence, removes fear 4:17-19
Loving others is the proof we love God 4:20-21
Love obeys God’s commands 5:2-3
Faith is the victory 5:4-5
How to know we have eternal life 5:6-15
A great promise concerning prayer 5:14-15
The sin that leads to death 5:16-17
Things believers can know 5:18-20
The true knowledge of God rejects all idolatry 5:21