God gave eternal life to us in His Son, Jesus. The final chapter begins by reminding us the faithful defeat the world (5:1-5). GodвЂ™s love is perfected in us when we love others the same way. God showed his love by sending His Son as a sacrifice for our sins. But if they donвЂ™t acknowledge Jesus, then they are not (4:3).Д«e sure to love each other, for love is from God, and God is love (4:7-8). If someone says Jesus is Word become flesh, then they are Christian-from God. We can know if what we hear is from God or the antichrist. Jesus is truly the Son of God come in the flesh, John writes in Chapter 4 (4:2-3). And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sistersвЂќ (3:16). For, вЂњThis is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down His life for us. Instead, love each other so deeply as to sacrifice our very lives for each other-just as Jesus did. DonвЂ™t be like Cain, hating our brother (3:12-15). As such, we must be in relationship with Jesus and model ourselves after Him ((3:3-10). Our reward is eternal life (2:25).Д¬hapter 3 reminds us of the glorious privilege we have in being children of God (3:1). Remain in the truth, John urges, for those who deny Jesus is the antichrist (2:18-19). Further, he writes, as Christians, we are not to love the world and its evil ways (2:15-17), nor heed false teachings that Jesus is merely a God-inspired teacher or prophet. We cannot disobey GodвЂ™s commands and be counted as one of His, for вЂњWe know that we have come to know Him if we keep His commandsвЂќ (2:3). The second chapter elaborates on this, noting when we obey GodвЂ™s commandments instead of walking in sin, we are in Him-and the light. вЂњBut if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sinвЂќ (1:7). We cannot walk in the dark and simultaneously say we walk with Christ. Next, a key point: God is light, with no darkness in Him at all. In essence, John is saying he wants readers to know the truth in their souls and fully be one with Jesus.ДЇirst John begins with an announcement: we have seen the Gospel firsthand, and offer it again to you so we can all share in this (1-4). Here, the word вЂњfellowshipвЂќ is translated from the Greek word koinonia, meaning a deep communal, covenantal sharing. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus ChristвЂќ ( 1 John 1:3). antichrist, etc.ДЄs John writes, вЂњWe proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us.

It is filled with inspiration and reassurance about the core truths of the Gospel, offering simple yet morally critical parallelisms that underscore the message of the cross: love vs. Main Theme and Purpose of 1 JohnДЎ John reads more like an encouraging speech or sermon rather than an instructional letter. That includes having authentic love for all people, just like Jesus. Indeed, John writes to remind Christians that Jesus truly is GodвЂ™s Son, those who believe are guaranteed eternal life, and if we believe, we must model His ways. вЂњI write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life,вЂќ the letter says ( 1 John 5:13). Still, others struggled with cultural pressure to worship the Roman emperor. Some had returned to Judaism, and others were floundering, confused by messages that Jesus was perhaps not fully human or the actual Son of God. At the time of its writing, many Christians were experiencing a crisis of faith because of persecution and false teaching. It is believed he wrote the letter while living in Ephesus. 85-95 to believers in what is today Turkey. Scholars think 1 John was written around A.D. The slender book of 1 John might seem simplistic on the surface, but its emphases on love, faith, and standing in GodвЂ™s promises of eternal salvation make it one of the more encouraging and helpful books of the New Testament. John, a fisherman, was the son of Zebedee and brother of James, another of the 12 disciples ( Matthew 1:21-22). The apostle John was part of JesusвЂ™ inner circle, one of the 12 disciples chosen by the Lord to walk and learn with Him during His time on earth. Not only do its style, vocabulary, and themes strongly mirror the Gospel of John, but we also know 1 John is written by an eyewitness of ChristвЂ™s ministry ( 1 John 1:1-3).

While the first epistle of John does not identify an author, most scholars believe it was written by the apostle John, who also wrote the Gospel of John.

Jesus and john wayne chapter summaries