💠 The Book of 1 John 🌿

💠 The Book of 1 John — Living in Light, Love, and Truth

📖 Overview

• Author: Apostle John, son of Zebedee (the same John who wrote the Gospel of John and Revelation)
• Date Written: Around AD 85–95
• Place: Ephesus, near the end of John's life
• Audience: Believers in Asia Minor

Purpose:

• To assure believers of their salvation
• To combat false teachings (especially Gnosticism)
• To teach that true faith is proven by obedience, love, and truth

Key Verse:

"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." — 1 John 5:13

🌿 Background

False teachers were spreading Gnostic doctrines, claiming:

• Jesus didn't truly come in the flesh,
• Sin doesn't matter if your spirit is "pure,"
• And believers could live in darkness yet still "know God."

John writes passionately to refute these lies — emphasizing that true believers walk in the light, love one another, and obey God's Word.

"God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all." — 1 John 1:5

📚 Structure of 1 John

Section	Chapters	Focus	Theme
1. Fellowship with God	1	Walk in light, not darkness	Confession and cleansing
2. Obedience and Love	2	Keep His commandments	Love one another
3. Children of God	3	Righteousness vs sin	We are born of God
4. Discernment and Love	4	Test the spirits	Perfect love casts out fear
5. Faith and Victory	5	Assurance in Christ	Overcome the world through faith

✨ 1 Walking in the Light (Ch. 1)

John begins with the eternal truth:

"That which was from the beginning... we proclaim concerning the Word of life." — 1 John 1:1

He declares that fellowship with God means walking in His light.

Truth	Lesson
God is light	There's no darkness in Him (1:5)
True fellowship	Walking in the light (1:7)
False claim	Saying we have no sin (1:8)
True cleansing	Confessing sin — God forgives (1:9)

"If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us." — 1 John 1:9

🌈 2 Knowing God Through Obedience and Love (Ch. 2)

Knowing God means keeping His commandments (2:3).

Hatred and love cannot coexist:

"He who hates his brother is in darkness." — 1 John 2:11

John also warns against loving the world:

Worldly Desire	Description
Lust of the flesh	Desires of pleasure
Lust of the eyes	Greed and envy
Pride of life	Self-glory and arrogance

"The world is passing away, but he who does the will of God abides forever." — 1 John 2:17

He warns of antichrists — those denying Jesus as the Christ.

"Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father." — 1 John 2:23

🕊️ 3 Children of God and Righteous Living (Ch. 3)

John contrasts children of God with children of the devil:

Mark of God's Children	Mark of Devil's Children
Practice righteousness	Practice sin
Love one another	Hate and murder
Believe in Jesus	Reject the truth

"Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God!" — 1 John 3:1

"He who does not love his brother abides in death." — 1 John 3:14

John emphasizes that true love is action, not emotion:

"Let us not love in word or tongue, but in deed and in truth." — 1 John 3:18

💎 4 Testing the Spirits (Ch. 4)

John commands believers to test every spirit — not all spiritual claims are from God.

True Spirit	False Spirit
Confesses Jesus came in the flesh	Denies Jesus' incarnation
Produces love and truth	Produces fear and deception

"Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits." — 1 John 4:1

He declares the nature of God plainly:

"God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God." — 1 John 4:16

"Perfect love casts out fear." — 1 John 4:18

✝️ 5 Faith, Victory, and Assurance (Ch. 5)

Faith in Jesus brings new birth and victory over the world.

"Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God." — 1 John 5:1

Gift	Promise
New birth	Born of God (5:1)
Victory	Overcome the world (5:4)
Eternal life	In the Son (5:11–12)
Confidence in prayer	God hears our requests (5:14–15)

"This is the confidence we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us." — 1 John 5:14

He ends by reaffirming:

"We know that the Son of God has come... and we are in Him who is true." — 1 John 5:20

⚖️ Problems Addressed in 1 John

#	Problem	Description	John's Solution	Reference
1	False teachings (Gnosticism)	Denied Christ's humanity	Affirm Jesus as God in the flesh	4:2–3
2	Lack of love	Hatred among believers	Love one another	3:11–18
3	Sin and hypocrisy	Claiming to know God but living in sin	Walk in the light, confess sins	1:6–9
4	Worldliness	Loving material pleasures	Love God, not the world	2:15–17
5	Doubt of salvation	Believers uncertain of eternal life	Assurance through faith in Christ	5:13

🌈 Themes of 1 John

Theme	Description	Key Verse
Fellowship with God	Walking in light and truth	1:7
Obedience	Loving God means keeping His commandments	2:3
Love	God's nature and our call	4:7–8
Truth vs Deception	Test the spirits	4:1
Assurance	We have eternal life through Christ	5:13

💬 Famous Verses

• 1 John 1:9 — "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive."
• 1 John 2:15 — "Do not love the world."
• 1 John 3:1 — "Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us."
• 1 John 4:8 — "God is love."
• 1 John 4:18 — "Perfect love casts out fear."
• 1 John 5:13 — "That you may know you have eternal life."

🕰️ Timeline Summary

AD 85

John pastors the church in Ephesus

AD 90

False doctrines spread across Asia Minor

AD 95

John writes 1 John to strengthen believers in truth and love

🕊️ Spiritual Lessons

True faith is seen in obedience and love.

Confession restores fellowship with God.

Love is the mark of genuine Christianity.

Truth guards us from deception.

We can live with assurance of eternal life.

✨ Summary

1 John is the letter of divine love and holy living.

John teaches that real Christianity is not mere belief, but a life of light, love, and truth — showing we truly belong to God.

"Whoever loves is born of God and knows God." — 1 John 4:7

"He who has the Son has life." — 1 John 5:12

🌿 Key Verse

"We love Him because He first loved us." — 1 John 4:19