Overview of the Book of 1 John

The Scope and Setting of 1 John

The overview of the week for this Sunday is the book of 1st John. This is the second of five books written by the Apostle John, the others being the Gospel of John, 2nd and 3rd John, and then, of course, the book of Revelation.

This letter, along with the others, was likely written sometime between 85 and 95 AD, when John was an old man. And being well-advanced in age, John sees himself as a father figure and Christians as his little children.

Fellowship as the Theme of 1 John

The theme of 1st John is fellowship, or tests of fellowship. So what are these tests? Well, the simple answer John gives is that a Christian will both believe the right things and the essential teachings of the faith, and a Christian will do the right things and keep the Lord's commandments.

John is likely addressing several false doctrines that were starting to creep into the church. One dangerous teaching is what we call license or cheap grace, the idea that a person can say they believe in Jesus and yet continue to openly break God's commandments without the consequence of being disfellowshipped.

John says in chapter 1, verse 6, John then warns of the false doctrine on the other end of the spectrum, that of sinless perfection, or full sanctification. He explains how we must recognize that we all have sin, but that sin is to be confessed as such, and then we are to turn away from it.

Love for God and Love for the Brethren

Another test of fellowship is not just fellowship with God, but also fellowship with one another. John says in chapter 4, verse 20,. If someone says, I love God, and yet they hate their brother, he is a liar.

For he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? John then addresses the coming of the Antichrist, and he actually gives that label to false teachers by saying many Antichrists have already come.

Christology and the Assurance of Eternal Life

So we glean from that that a basic doctrinal test of fellowship to receive teachers is they must affirm the true nature of Christ in both his humanity and his deity. And then in chapter 5, John encourages his readers that if they continue in the faith, they can have confidence in possessing the gift of everlasting life.

I'll close with what he says in 1 John 5, verse 13. John writes,. These things I have written to you, who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God.