Books of the Bible

The Book of 1 John

New Testament · General Epistles · Genre: Epistle · Author: Attributed by early tradition to John the apostle · Chapters: 5

First John is a warm, searching letter written so that believers may know they have eternal life. It weaves together three great tests of genuine faith, truth, love, and obedience, and returns again and again to its deepest truth: that God is love.

Start reading: 1 John chapter 1

A key verse

He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.1 John 4:8 (KJV)

The setting and background of 1 John

First John is one of the General Epistles, traditionally attributed to the apostle John, the beloved disciple, and it carries the same themes as his Gospel, light and darkness, life and death, truth and love, though in the form of a warm pastoral letter. It was written to give believers assurance, so that they might know for certain that they belong to God and have eternal life.

John writes against the background of false teachers who had left the church, denying that Jesus had truly come in the flesh. In response he sets out three great tests of genuine faith that run through the letter, obedience, love, and right belief, and he returns again and again to his deepest truth, that God is love, shown by sending his Son as the atoning sacrifice for our sins.

First John was written to give believers confidence that they truly know God. In the sweep of Scripture it is one of the most beloved letters in the New Testament, cherished for its warmth and depth, and its declaration that God is love is one of the clearest statements in all of Scripture about the character of God.

The story and structure of 1 John

First John is traditionally attributed to the apostle John, the beloved disciple, and it carries the same themes as his Gospel, light and darkness, life and death, truth and love, though in the form of a warm pastoral letter rather than a narrative. It was written to give believers assurance, so that they might know for certain that they belong to God and have eternal life.

John writes against the background of false teachers who had left the church, denying that Jesus had truly come in the flesh and unsettling the faithful. In response he sets out clear marks of genuine faith, so that believers can distinguish true fellowship with God from mere claims, and can rest secure in the reality of their salvation.

He offers three great tests that run through the letter. There is the moral test of obedience, for those who know God keep his commandments and walk in the light; the relational test of love, for those born of God love one another; and the doctrinal test of belief, for those who are of God confess that Jesus is the Christ come in the flesh.

The letter shines its brightest light on love. God is love, and he showed his love by sending his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins; therefore we ought to love one another. There is no fear in love, for perfect love casts out fear, and the one who does not love does not know God, for love is the very heart of who God is.

John writes plainly, in short and memorable sayings, guarding his readers against deception while assuring them of their standing. He ends with the confident purpose of the whole letter, that these things are written to those who believe in the name of the Son of God so that they may know that they have eternal life.

The great themes of 1 John

Key passages in 1 John

1 John in the sweep of Scripture

First John is one of the most beloved letters in the New Testament, cherished for its warmth, its simplicity, and its profound depth. Its declaration that God is love is one of the clearest statements in all of Scripture about the character of God, and its three tests of true faith, obedience, love, and right belief, have guided believers in examining their own hearts. Written to give assurance, it remains a source of comfort and confidence for all who seek to know that they truly belong to God.

Where Christ is in 1 John

First John rests everything on Jesus, the Son sent as the atoning sacrifice for our sins, in whom God's love was shown and through whom we have eternal life. He is the Word of life whom the apostles heard and saw and touched, the one who came in the flesh, and the ground of the believer's assurance, for whoever has the Son has life.

How to read 1 John well

Read First John slowly and often for assurance, letting its clear marks of true faith help you examine your own heart without robbing you of confidence. Let its simple, profound truth, that God is love, settle deep within you, and let that love free you from fear and move you to love others. Hold fast to the truth that Jesus is the Christ come in the flesh, and rest in the letter's purpose, that you may know you have eternal life in the Son of God.

Explore more: Read 1 John · All 66 books of the Bible · The whole Bible