The Epistles of John

Welcome to the study of the Johanine Epistles. You will hear from the Apostle who writes as one who saw with his eyes, heard with his ears, felt with his hands, and contemplated with his mind the historical realities of the Messiah’s mission and message. He writes as one of the apostles whose empirical experiences verify their collective testimony. The “we,” “us,” and “our” of 1 John. 1:1-4 confirm the multiple, corroborating  support for the message contained in this letter. In the verses cited the Apostle presents “his right to write.” After all he lived through the history he records.

John writes as an Apostle who is an authentic interpreter of the life and teachings of Jesus. He is concerned about the doctrinal and moral soundness of the recipients of this correspondence. John addresses them as my “little children,” “beloved,” “brethren,”and “the chosen lady and her children, whom I love in the truth” (2 John 1:1). His concern grows out of the encroaching menace of error introduced by those whom he calls “antichrist,” “the deceivers,” the “liars,” and the “false prophets.” These “spirits” (cf. 1 John 4:1), as they call themselves, have penetrated the fellowship of the church with their insidious lies about Jesus’ person and with perversions of Jesus’ message.

It is obvious that John writes as one who deeply cares about the brethren and about the purity of the message they have embraced. Therefore, he writes as an apologist to defend Jesus’ nature as to His deity, His humanity, and His messiahship. Frequently the Apostle becomes a polemicist –  one who attacks the errors that are threatening the doctrinal and moral purity of the church. John does not use the term Gnosticism. However, it is quite clear to scholars by his context that the Apostle is warning against and even denouncing and refuting several gnostic errors. Greater definition of those errors will be presented later in this introduction and particularly in the exegetical treatment of the verse by verse commentary on John’s message.