I John Introduction

The First Epistle or letter of John lacks the usual characteristics of a Greek letter, i.e. the writers name, the name of the people to whom it was written and the usual greeting and salutation. It seems to have been written to a particular group of people with whom the writer was on good terms. It may even have been a circular letter, circulated amongst the churches of Asia Minor.

Similarities in style and doctrine between this letter and the Gospel of John, seem to establish that both were written by the Apostle John. However, there is some basic differences which may explain why some believe that this letter was written by one of the Apostle's disciples or followers.

The purpose of the letter was to recall its readers back to their fundamental Christian doctrines and to expose a form of Christianity that was being preached by false teachers. The false teachings seem to have been an early form of Gnosticism. The false teachers denied the humanity of Christ. This denial of the Incarnation was probably on the Authors mind when he develops in this letter the inseparability of the risen Christ and the historic Jesus. The author condemns their lack of morality, Christian fellowship and love for one another.

He spends very little time in explaining why these new ideas were false, rather he repeats and reapplies the old Gospel to the needs of the times. Three principal doctrines of Christianity are emphasized:

1. Believers possess and experience now, in this world, eternal life.
2. To know God is to obey His commandments. Christianity has responsibilities as well as freedoms.
3. The mark of eternal life is love or charity. This is borne out by fellowship. John's great contribution to Christian theology is his profound revelation about God, "God is Love".

The Author's arguments are not well organized, his strokes of geneses seems to come in flashes of thought, seldom at the climax of a line or subject. An orderly outline of the letter is next to impossible but we will attempt to study this little book in the manner we have outlined it.

A Study of the First Book of John

The Christian Life
The Basis of the Christian Life	1:1-4
Walking in the Light	1:5-10
Fellowship
Fellowship with the Father	2:1-29
Son ship
The Mark of Sonship	3:1-24
Proofs
Spiritual Discrimination	4:1-6
Sonship	4:7-21
Instructions
Assurances	5:1-20
Guarding Against Idolatry	5:21

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