1 John
Author: John
John writes to a church troubled by a denial that Jesus Christ came in the flesh, and he gives tests of life, love, and truth.
Outline
The Word of life (1)
What was seen and handled is declared so that the readers may have fellowship, and confession is the way into the light.
Love and the antichrists (2–3)
Keeping his word, loving the brethren, and confessing the Son distinguish the children of God.
God is love (4–5)
The Spirit, the confession that Jesus is the Son of God, and love are the tests, and the letter says why it was written.
Key verses
1 John 1:8–9
Those who say they have no sin deceive themselves, and those who confess are forgiven and cleansed.
1 John 4:8
The one who does not love does not know God, because God is love.
1 John 5:13
John writes so that those who believe on the name of the Son of God may know that they have eternal life.
First John does not open with a greeting and a name. It opens with a witness. That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life, declare we unto you. The life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and show unto you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested unto us. The purpose is fellowship: that you also may have fellowship with us, and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. These things write we unto you, that your joy may be full. A church is being pulled by a teaching that loosens Jesus from real flesh, and the letter answers by insisting on what was heard, seen, and touched, and then by giving tests a believer can use.
God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with him and walk in darkness, we lie. If we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar. My little children, these things write I unto you, that you sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous, and he is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world. Hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. He that says, I know him, and keeps not his commandments, is a liar. Whoso keeps his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected. He that says he abides in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked. He that says he is in the light and hates his brother is in darkness even until now.
Love not the world. The world passes away, and he that does the will of God abides for ever. Many antichrists have gone out, denying that Jesus is the Christ. They went out from us, but they were not of us. We know that we have passed from death unto life because we love the brethren. Whoever has this world’s goods and shuts his heart against a brother in need does not have God’s love dwelling in him. Love is to be in deed and in truth.
Try the spirits. Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God. He that loves not knows not God, for God is love. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. If a man says he loves God and hates his brother, he is a liar. These things are written so that those who believe on the name of the Son of God may know that they have eternal life. First John is a letter of assurance written in the middle of a denial, and its tests are public: confess the flesh-and-blood Christ, walk in the light, and love the brother you can see.