At a glance
| Aspect | Detail |
|---|---|
| Authorship | John the apostle (traditional) |
| Date | ~90-95 AD |
| Audience | Likely Asian churches, including Ephesus |
| Genre | Pastoral epistle / homily |
| Purpose | Test of true Christianity + assurance + warning against early Gnosticism |
| Chapters | 5 |
Main themes
| Theme | Description |
|---|---|
| God is light | 1Jn.1.5 |
| God is love | 1Jn.4.8, 16 |
| Confession of sin | 1Jn.1.9 |
| Three tests of true faith | Love + righteousness + truth |
| Christ truly human | Against early docetism |
| Assurance | 1Jn.5.13, "that you may know" |
Key passages
- 1Jn.1.5-2.2, light + walking + confession
- 1Jn.2.18-23, antichrists
- 1Jn.3.1-3, children of God
- 1Jn.3.16, Christ's love demonstrated
- 1Jn.4.7-21, God is love
- 1Jn.5.11-13, eternal life + assurance