Revised by Elisabeth Johnson, 12/24
SUMMARY
This anonymous sermon or letter, typically attributed to the apostleDerived from a Greek word meaning “one who is sent,” an apostle is a person who embraces and advocates another person’s idea or beliefs. At the beginning of his ministry Jesus called twelve apostles to follow and serve him. Paul became an apostle of Jesus… More John, is about the nature of JesusJesus is the Messiah whose life, death, and resurrection are God’s saving act for humanity. More Christ and what it means to follow Christ in this world. Major themes include the coming of the Son of God fully into the flesh (“incarnationIncarnation literally means “embodied in flesh.” It is a Christian doctrine, based on the witness in John’s Gospel, that God’s Word was made flesh in the person of Jesus Christ. The Apostles’ and Nicene Creeds confess the central importance of the incarnation of Jesus. More”) and the importance of linking faith with life, especially a life filled with the love of God expressed in concrete deeds. John calls all the church to unity in the Spirit that we may be a community of life, light, and love, working against the worldly forces of death, darkness, and hate.
SO WHAT?
There is a strong connection between belief and life. It is important to get our views of Christ correct, yet equally these doctrines are not purely abstract but powerfully connected to our way of life. This book also focuses strongly on love and fellowship as keys to Christian discipleship.
WHERE DO I FIND IT?
The First Letter of John is the 23rd book in the New Testament. It is the first of the three “Johannine Letters,” a collection of writings that share much in common with each other and with the Gospel of John.
WHO WROTE IT?
Similarities among this book, 2 John, and 3 John indicate that the same author (identified as an “elder” in the other two letters) is responsible for all three. The elder and his colleagues may have been the authors or editors of the Gospel of John. Though the Gospel of John and the three Johannine epistles have traditionally been attributed to John the Apostle, son of ZebedeeOne of the first disciples of Jesus and brother of James. More, many scholars question this attribution. In any case, the epistles very likely come from a community influenced and shaped by John’s Gospel One theory is that the author is “John the Elder,” a figure named by the early church historian Eusebius as a discipleA disciple is a person who accepts and follows the pronouncements of a teacher. Jesus chose twelve disciples (also called “apostles” in some of the Gospels) to follow him and bear witness to his message Anyone who (like them) follows Jesus is engaged in Christian… More of the Apostle John.
WHEN WAS IT WRITTEN?
The First Letter of John comes from around 90 CE, during or soon after the time when the Gospel of John was put together.
WHAT’S IT ABOUT?
Believers are to have faith in Jesus Christ, the Son of God made flesh, and are to live a life of love and discipleship in the unity of the Spirit.
HOW DO I READ IT?
Read this letter like you would a sermon, written to encourage faith and life in Christian community. Remember that it was written to a specific time and community, but it speaks to us also. Recognize that the book’s simple language conveys profound theological and ethical points.
