Introduction to the Letters of John

The three letters, or  “epistles,” of John were written by the apostle John in the latter half of the first century to encourage believers to live in obedience and faithfulness to Jesus Christ. False teachers abounded in John’s day, and so he wanted to give believers the tools to recognize them so they might not be led astray. The message of the letters is a simple one. To love God is to obey Jesus Christ, and to obey Jesus is to love others and leave sin behind. It is a timeless message with great relevance for the church today.

Toward the end of the first century, a teaching called Gnosticism became popular. Gnostics believed that spirit was holy and flesh was evil, and so they denied the humanity of Jesus as the Son of God. In addition, salvation depended on having the right kind of knowledge, further denying Jesus’s sacrifice of atonement for sin. This teaching, which denied the importance of the physical, resulted in lifestyles which were incompatible with Jesus’ teaching. Why love each other when only the spiritual is important? Why avoid sin when the flesh does not matter?

This teaching infected many churches and so John wrote to counter its influence. He does not name himself as the author, but there are strong similarities between the letters and his gospel, and he claims to be an eyewitness to Jesus in 1 John 1:1-2. This is important, because he could verify that Jesus did, in fact, come in the flesh. Second and Third John are not as similar to the gospel, but in them we see the same emphases on love, faithfulness, and abhorrence of sin.

The issue of authorship is a complex one because he does not name himself. He appears, however, to be well-known since he refers to himself as “The Elder” (2Jn 1:1; 3Jn 1:1) and calls the recipients “dear children,” (9 times in 1 John) “the chosen lady,” (2 John 1), and “my dear friend Gaius, whom I love.” (3 John 1). Many early church fathers ascribe the first letter to the apostle John, and at least one, Clement of Alexandria, knew of other letters from him. Jerome, on the other hand, ascribed the second and third letters to John the Presbyter, and this was the accepted position through the middle ages. Many modern scholars, however, argue for the apostle. Good commentaries will guide the reader through the opinions.

John’s first letter encourages believers to be faithful in following Jesus Christ. It is not enough simply to claim to know him (2:4). Faithful believers live in obedience, walking as Jesus did (2:6). The practical expressions of obedience are love for one another (2:9-11) and hatred of sin (2:15-17). Types of antichrists will try to lead them astray by denying that Jesus is the Christ (2:18,22-23; 4:1,3), but they need to persevere in their faith (2:24) so that they will be confident and unashamed when Jesus comes again (2:28). Those who recognize God’s lavish love (3:1) are motivated by their hope to see Jesus and be like him (3:3) and so they leave behind sinful behaviour (3:9; 5:18) in order to take up Jesus’ example of love (3:11,16).  Believers must, therefore, be careful not to follow false teaching (4:1-6). True belief is shown in loving behaviour because God is love (4:7-8), as shown in Jesus’ atoning sacrifice (4:10). In this way, love for God is incompatible with hatred for one’s fellow human (4:20). Furthermore, love for God results in obedience of God’s commands, which are not burdensome (5:3). Finally, believers should have confidence, then, to approach God (3:21-22; 5:14), not only for their own needs, but to intercede on behalf of others (5:16-17).

2 John repeats the call to faithfulness in love and in obedience to God. Love for each other stems from obedience to God’s commands (vv.  5-6). There is great danger from those who do not teach that Jesus came in the flesh. Such people are  deceivers and antichrists (vv. 7-8). Believers need to continue following Jesus Christ and his teaching, lest they give up the reward for which they have worked (v. 8).

3 John is written to a friend and church leader, Gaius (v.1), who faithfully encouraged and helped the “brothers” who were travelling and teaching in the churches (vv.5-7). Gaius stands in contrast with Diotrephes, who refused to listen to anyone else, slandered John, did not welcome the missionaries, and persecuted those who did (vv.9-11). The message is thus to encourage the missionary teachers who were faithful believers (v. 8) and to imitate godly people, of whom Demetrius is a prime example (vv.11-12).

In a world where spirituality without Jesus is becoming increasingly popular, the message of John’s letters is still relevant. The church is in danger on the one side from those who advocate that anything goes in belief and ethics. On the other side it is in danger from those who attack Jesus and his atoning sacrifice. John has a message for us in light of these false teachings. It matters who Jesus Christ is. His true followers believe in him and his atoning sacrifice. We must  obey his teaching and express our love for God in how we treat other people. Finally, we look forward to Jesus’ return, and this ought to motivate us toward holy living.

2007 Rev. Troy Dennis is a pastor and writer. For more Bible reading tips and encouraging newsletters, check www.onfireletter.com.