1 John
The First Epistle of John, usually referred to simply as First
John and often written 1 John, is a book of the New Testament.
This fourth catholic or "general" epistle is attributed to
John the Evangelist, traditionally thought to be the author of
the Gospel of John and the other two Epistles of John. This
Epistle was written in Ephesus between the years 100-110.[1]
The work was written to counter the heresies that Jesus did
not come "in the flesh," but only as a spirit. It also defined
how Christians are to discern true teachers: by their ethics,
their proclamation of Jesus in the flesh, and by their
love.[1]...
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LITERATURE
Among the 7 New Testament epistles which from ancient times
have been called "catholic" (universal) there is a smaller
group of three in which the style alike of thought and
language points to a common authorship, and which are
traditionally associated with the name of the apostle John.
Of these, again, the first differs widely from the other two
in respect not only of intrinsic importance, but of its
early reception in the church and unquestioned canonicity.
THE FIRST EPISTLE
I. General Character.
1. A True Letter:
Not only is the Epistle an anonymous writing; one of its
unique features among the books of the New Testament is that
it does not contain a single proper name (except our
Lord's), or a single definite allusion, personal,
historical, or geographical. It is a composition, however,
which a person calling himself "I" sends to certain other
persons whom he calls "you," and is, in form at least, a
letter. The criticism which has denied that it is more than
formally so is unwarranted. It does not fall under either of
Deissmann's categories--the true letter, intended only for
the perusal of the person or persons to whom it is
addressed, and the epistle, written with literary art and
with an eye to the public. But it does possess that
character of the New Testament epistles in general which is
well described by Sir William Ramsay (Letters to the Seven
Churches of Asia, 24): "They spring from the heart of the
writer and speak direct to the heart of the readers. They
were often called forth by some special crisis in the
history of the persons addressed, so that they rise out of
the actual situation in which the writer conceives the
readers to be placed; they express the writer's keen and
living sympathy with and participation in the fortunes of
the whole class addressed, and are not affected by any
thought of a wider public. .... On the other hand, the
letters of this class express general principles of life and
conduct, religion and ethics, applicable to a wider range of
circumstances than those which called them forth; and they
appeal as emphatically and intimately to all Christians in
all time as they did to those addressed in the first
instance." The 1st Epistle of John could not be more exactly
characterized than by these words. Though its main features
are didactic and controversial, the personal note is
frequently struck, and with much tenderness and depth of
feeling. Under special stress of emotion, the writer's
paternal love, sympathy and solicitude break out in the
affectionate appellation, "little children," or, yet more
endearingly, "my little children." Elsewhere the prefatory
"beloved" shows how deeply he is stirred by the sublimity of
his theme and the sense of its supreme importance to his
readers. He shows himself intimately acquainted with their
religious environment (1 Jn 2:19; 4:1), dangers (1 Jn 2:26;
3:7; 5:21), attainments (1 Jn 2:12-14,21), achievements (1
Jn 4:4) and needs (1 Jn 3:19; 5:13). Further, the Epistle is
addressed primarily to the circle of those among whom the
author has habitually exercised his ministry as evangelist
and teacher. He has been wont to announce to them the things
concerning the Word of Life (1 Jn 1:1,2), that they might
have fellowship with him (1 Jn 1:3), and now, that his (or
their) joy may be full, he writes these things unto them (1
Jn 1:4). He writes as light shines. Love makes the task a
necessity, but also a delight...
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IV. Canonicity and Authorship.
1. Traditional View:
As to the reception of the Epistle in the church, it is
needless to cite any later witness than Eusebius (circa
325), who classes it among the books (homologoumena) whose
canonical rank was undisputed. It is quoted by Dionysius,
bishop of Alexandria (247-265), by the Muratorian Canon,
Cyprian, Origen, Tertullian, Clement of Alexandria, and
Irenaeus. Papias (who is described by Irenaeus as a "hearer
of John and a companion of Polycarp") is stated by Eusebius
to have "used some testimonies from John's former epistle";
and Polycarp's Epistle to the Philippians (circa 115)
contains an almost verbal reproduction of 1 Jn 4:3.
Reminiscences of it are traced in Athenagoras (circa 180),
the Epistle to Diognetus, the Epistle of Barnabas, more
distinctly in Justin (Dial. 123) and in the Didache; but it
is possible that the earliest of these indicate the currency
of Johannine expressions in certain Christian circles rather
than acquaintance with the Epistle itself. The evidence,
however, is indisputable that this Epistle, one of the
latest of the New Testament books, took immediately and
permanently an unchallenged position as a writing of
inspired authority. It is no material qualification of this
statement to add that, in common with the other Johannine
writings, it was rejected, for dogmatic reasons, by Marcion
and the so-called Alogi; and that, like all the catholic
epistles, it was unknown to the Canon of the ancient Syrian
church, and is stated to have been "abrogated" by Theodore
(Bishop of Mopsuestia, 393-428 AD).
2. Critical Views:
The verdict of tradition is equally unanimous that the
Fourth Gospel and the First Epistle are both the legacy of
the apostle John in his old age to the church. All the
Fathers already mentioned as quoting the Epistle (excepting
Polycarp, but including Irenaeus) quote it as the work of
John; and, until the end of the 16th century, this opinion
was held as unquestionable. The first of modern scholars to
challenge it was Joseph Scaliger (1540-1609), who rejected
the entire trio of Johannine Epistles as unapostolic; and in
later times a dual authorship of the Gospel and the First
Epistle has been maintained by Baur, H.J. Holtzmann,
Pfleiderer, von Soden, and others; although on this
particular point other adherents of the critical school like
Julicher, Wrede and Wernle, accept the traditional view.
3. Internal Evidence:
Thus two questions are raised: first, what light does the
Epistle shed upon the personality of its own author? And
second, whether or not, the Gospel and the Epistle are from
the same hand. Now, while the Epistle furnishes no clue by
which we can identify the writer, it enables us very
distinctly to class him. His relation to his readers, as we
have seen, is intimate. The absence of explicit reference to
either writer or readers only shows how intimate it was. For
the writer to declare his identity was superfluous. Thought,
language, tone--all were too familiar to be mistaken. The
Epistle bore its author's signature in every line. His
position toward his readers was, moreover, authoritative. As
has already been said, the natural interpretation of 1 Jn
1:2,3 is that the relation between them was that of teacher
and taught. (By this fact we may account for the enigmatic
brevity of such a passage as that on the "three witnesses."
The writer intended only...
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There can be no doubt that the apostle John was the author of
this epistle. It was probably written from Ephesus, and most
likely at the close of the first century. In the introduction,
ch. 1Jo 1:1-4 the apostle states the purpose of his epistle:
it is to declare the word of life to those whom he is
addressing, in order that he and they might be united in true
communion with each other, and with God the Father and his Son
Jesus Christ. His lesson throughout is that the means of union
with God are, on the part of Christ, his atoning blood, ch.
1Jo 1:7; 2:2; 3:5; 4:10,14; 5:6 and advocacy, ch. 1Jo 2:1 on
the part of man, holiness, ch. 1Jo 1:6, obedience, ch. 1Jo 2:3
purity, ch. 1Jo 3:3 faith, ch. 1Jo 3:23; 4:3; 5:5 and above
all love. ch. 1Jo 2:7; 3:14; 4:7; 5:1
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the fourth of the catholic or "general" epistles. It was
evidently written by John the evangelist, and probably
also at
Ephesus, and when the writer was in advanced age. The
purpose of
the apostle (1:1-4) is to declare the Word of Life to
those to
whom he writes, in order that they might be united in
fellowship
with the Father and his Son Jesus Christ. He shows
that the
means of union with God are, (1) on the part of
Christ, his
atoning work (1:7; 2:2; 3:5; 4:10, 14; 5:11, 12) and
his
advocacy (2:1); and (2), on the part of man, holiness
(1:6),
obedience (2:3), purity (3:3), faith (3:23; 4:3; 5:5),
and love
(2:7, 8; 3:14; 4:7; 5:1).
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