The First Letter of John, traditionally attributed to John the Apostle, addresses early Christian communities grappling with internal divisions, false teachings about the reality or importance of existence in the created world, and external pressures against remaining faithful. Written to encourage and strengthen readers, the letter emphasizes love, truth, and faithfulness to Jesus Christ as the incarnate (having a physical body) Son of God. It calls for a life lived in light and love, urging believers to embody God’s justice and care for one another as reflections of divine love.
Main Themes
God’s Love and Human Response
Love is presented as originating from God, who is love itself. Readers are called to reflect this divine love in their relationships, as genuine love for others demonstrates love for God. Real love is lived in practical and physical actions, not simply in a spiritualized, disembodied existence divorced from the concerns and experiences of people’s daily lives.Incarnation of Jesus Christ
Affirming Jesus Christ’s bodily presence during his life is central to the letter, countering early teachings that denied His incarnation, which was a capitulation to Greek philosophy rather than Hebraic spiritual teaching. Recognizing Jesus as the embodied Son of God is essential for authentic trust and faithfulness to the message of Christ. The Greek philosophies influencing some of the church believed that matter and physical reality were unimportant at best and the source of suffering and evil at worst, which is a direct contradiction to the Torah’s assertion that God created everything and called it “very good.” The practical impact was that people’s material needs, like food and shelter, were being disregarded in favor of purely spiritual activities that seemed to transcend the body.Walking in Light and Truth
The epistle contrasts light and darkness, urging believers to live in the light through transparency and ethical living. John, following Jesus’ example, insisted that being the light of the world must inherently involve loving neighbors in practical ways and caring for their bodily, daily needs. The denial of those needs as important leads to manipulating people into denying basic needs in favor of ideologies that favor power and control, disguising oppression as pious spirituality.Overcoming the World and Deviation
Trusting Jesus empowers people to triumph over worldly systems that oppose God’s purposes, systems that promote priorities of any kind—spiritual or material—over love for people. The letter also emphasizes that denying the reality of deviation prevents accountability and growth toward the purposes God has in mind for those who follow Christ, preventing from walking in the light and truth because people won’t acknowledge they are in darkness and falsehood. Overcoming all these things leads toward a community shaped by Christ’s love.Justice in Action
Genuine love is shown through actions that meet the needs of others. The letter calls readers to move beyond empty words and demonstrate their commitment through tangible care.
Structure
Prologue (1:1-4): Introduces themes of light, fellowship, and the tangible reality of Jesus Christ’s life and ministry.
Chapters 1–2: Calls readers to walk in the light, acknowledge deviations, and follow God’s directions.
Chapters 3–4: Explores the identity of God’s children, emphasizing love as their defining characteristic and urging discernment of true teachings, which lead away from oppression and harm and toward love and well-being.
Chapter 5: Concludes with affirmations of trust in Jesus as the Son of God, the assurance of agelong life, and encouragement to approach God with confidence.
Key Passages
1 John 1:5-7: “This is the message that we heard from him and announced to you: that God is light and there is no darkness in him at all. If we say that we partake in community with him and keep walking in the dark, we are lying and not living out the truth. But if we walk in the light as he is in the light, we partake in community with each other, and the blood of his Son Jesus cleanses us from all deviation.”
1 John 3:16-18: “This is how we have come to understand love: because Jesus set aside his very life for our sake; and we owe it to set aside our very lives for the sake of the members of our Family. But whoever has the world’s kind of life and sees their Family member with a need and locks up compassion toward them—how is the love of God still present within them? Children, we shouldn’t love with speech or the tongue, but instead, with action and in reality.”
1 John 4:18: “Fear is not connected with love; just the opposite, mature love banishes fear because fear engages in punishment, but whoever fears has not been brought to maturity regarding love.”
Takeaways on Liberation and Inclusion
The First Letter of John offers insights into building a community rooted in love, justice, and mutual care. It promotes liberation from fear and self-centeredness, challenges oppressive dynamics, and envisions a world shaped by God’s love and truth.
Liberation from Fear and Punishment:
The letter highlights that “mature love banishes fear” (1 John 4:18), describing fear as a force connected to punishment and control. This liberation from fear reflects a movement toward inner freedom, where individuals are no longer held captive by shame, guilt, oppressive systems, or retribution. Love becomes the catalyst for freedom, fostering healing and courage to live authentically.Inclusion and Mutual Care:
The imperative to love one another as God loves us challenges societal norms of exclusion and hierarchy. The epistle calls believers to embrace everyone as part of the Family, prioritizing compassion and action over empty words (1 John 3:17-18). This active love transcends social, economic, and cultural barriers, creating a vision for an inclusive community that reflects God’s reign.Restoration and Healing Through Confession:
The text emphasizes the transformative power for both individuals and communities of acknowledging deviation (traditionally, ‘sin’) and seeking God’s purposes for our lives. This practice fosters personal and communal healing, restoring relationships and empowering individuals to move beyond cycles of harm.Hope and Assurance:
Readers are reminded of the hope found in their relationship with God and the promise of agelong life (1 John 5:13). This hope is not escapist but grounded in the assurance that God’s transformative love and justice are actively at work in the world, inspiring resilience and perseverance in the face of challenges.Economic Justice and Generosity:
The letter critiques the hoarding of resources and indifference to those in need. “Whoever has the world’s kind of life and sees their Family member with a need and locks up compassion toward them—how is the love of God still present within them?” (1 John 3:17). This statement calls for economic justice, urging believers to use their resources to uplift and restore others, aligning with God’s liberative vision.Resistance to Hierarchy and Domination:
The letter’s focus on equality within the community (“we are God’s children now,” 1 John 3:2) challenges patriarchal and hierarchical structures. By emphasizing the shared identity of all believers as God’s children, the epistle subverts systems that privilege some over others based on gender, ethnicity, status, wealth, or power.Justice in Action:
The epistle defines love not as sentiment but as action grounded in truth. “Children, we shouldn’t love with speech or the tongue, but instead, with action and in reality” (1 John 3:18). This call to justice resonates with restorative practices, urging readers to actively address inequities and embody God’s inclusive love through tangible care.Unity Through Love:
Love is presented as the ultimate force for overcoming division and oppression. The letter rejects hatred and competition as incompatible with belonging to God, encouraging believers to embody love as a transformative power that binds communities together and heals fractured relationships.
The First Letter of John calls believers to embody God’s love in truth and action, fostering inclusive and restorative communities. Its themes of love, light, and truth challenge oppressive systems and inspire hope for a world transformed by God’s liberating justice. Through mutual care, ethical living, and active resistance to harm, 1 John offers a vision of faithfulness that uplifts and restores, inviting believers to participate in God’s inclusive and restorative reign.