1 John

Definition and Meaning

First John is one of the twenty-seven books of the New Testament and belongs to the General Epistles, the letters running from James through Jude. They are so called because they were addressed broadly to multiple churches rather than to a particular congregation, and they are also known as the Catholic Epistles. First John has five chapters. Unlike other letters, it lacks an opening greeting identifying the sender and recipients, so it is often regarded as closer to a sermon or a treatise of exhortation. Its central themes include the following:

• God is light (1 John 1:5).
• God is love (1 John 4:8, 4:16).
• The confession and forgiveness of sin (1 John 1:9).
• The letter's stated purpose: that its readers may know that they have eternal life (1 John 5:13).

Biblical and Historical Background

Church tradition has held that the letter was written by the apostle John, citing its similarity in style and vocabulary to the Gospel of John in support of this view. Some scholars, however, hold that it was written by a disciple of John or by the Johannine community. Many date it to the late first century, and tradition places its composition in Ephesus.

The letter warns against false teachers who had left the community. First John 4:2-3 condemns the spirit that denies that Jesus Christ "is come in the flesh," and many scholars connect this with Docetism, the teaching that Jesus only appeared to have a human body. For this reason, 1 John is frequently cited in support of the doctrine of the Incarnation.

In 1 John 5:7-8, one manuscript tradition includes the words "there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost." This passage appears in later Latin manuscripts and elsewhere and is included in the King James Version, but it is absent from the New Korean Revised Version. The difference is often discussed in debates over Bible translation.

Use in the Korean Church

First John 1:9 is among the most frequently memorized verses in the Korean church. It is widely used in prayers of repentance and in instruction for new believers, while 5:11-13 is often cited in discipleship materials dealing with assurance of salvation. The words of 4:1, "believe not every spirit, but try the spirits," serve as a central text in teaching on discerning heresies.

First John 3:9 ("Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin") is read with different emphases depending on denomination.

• The Wesleyan tradition, including Methodist and Holiness churches, follows John Wesley, who cited this verse in his discussions of Christian perfection. It therefore tends to value the verse as a text showing the real possibility of sanctification.
• The Reformed tradition, including Presbyterian churches, generally interprets the verse as referring to a life of habitual, continuing sin. At the same time, it reads the verse together with 1:8 ("If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves"), emphasizing that believers continue to struggle against sin in this life.