1 John

The first letter from John is the longest of the three letters attributed to John. In certain respects, these three letters fit well with the Gospel according to John. It is not known if the letter was written by the apostle John. The letter was probably written at the end of the first century AD. The letter warns of false teachers who deny that Jesus was ever a human being.

1 John was written in a situation of crisis. This situation then dictates the theme of the writing. One important message is the author’s conviction that Jesus Christ has been sent by God to save humanity. This shows how great is the love with which God loved the world. Whoever believes this, has eternal life. Associated with this is the call to love one’s neighbour.
This message is a warning against division in the churches on the question whether Jesus was really a human being. According to the author, believers must resist the false teachers who say that Jesus was never a human being.
As in the Gospel according to John, in 1 John the emphasis is placed on the division between “the world” and the children of God. The division between the world and believers has become especially important as a result of the conflict, because, according to the author, the deceivers are not among the children of God.

1 John is not a genuine letter — the customary introduction and closing greeting are absent. The writing is not meant as a general text for the whole of Christendom either, as the author is addressing a very specific group of congregations for which he feels responsible.