WHO WROTE:  John.

 

 

WHAT TIME PERIOD IS COVERED:  90 A.D.?

 

 

WHEN WRITTEN:  John’s fatherly tone in addressing his readers as “little children,” First John 2:1 & 12 & 13 & 18 & 28; 3:7 & 18; 4:4; 5:21, implying it was written in his old age; perhaps 90 A.D., or that he follows his Lord’s normal address (see Mat. 19:14 as an example).

 

 

INTRODUCTION:  There are 105 verses in this Book.  Of them, Jesus occurs 45 times, and our Heavenly Father 12 times.  There is also a fatherly figure being presented in the Book of First John, with the Heavenly Father, as mentioned before, appearing 12 times, and John himself as a father figure of sorts, calling the Church members “little children” (1Jo. 2:18).  The Church members are called children 13 times, fathers and young men each twice, and brothers 13 times.

 

The Greek word “meno,” rendered “to abide,” has also been translated as “to remain in,” “to live in,” “to dwell in,” “to continue in,” “to tarry in.”  I mention this because it occurs 25 times in the Book of First John, and twice in the Book of Second John.

 

As to the genuineness of this Gospel, Polycarp, John’s disciple, in his work, “ad Philippians,” 7, quotes First John 4:3.  Irenaeus, in his work, “Eusebius, H. E.,” verse 8, often quoted passages from First John.  Irenaeus also, in his work “Eusebius, H.E.,” iii. 39, say of Papias, John’s [student] “hearer,” “he used testimonies from the First Epistle of John.”  He then states in “Haeres.” iii. 15, sections 5 & 8, quoting from First John by name, First John 2:18; and in First John 3:16, ibid., section 7, he quotes First John 4:1-3; 5:1; Second John 1:7-8.

 

Clement of Alexandrea, in his work “Strom.” ii. 66, page 664, refers to First John 5:16, as in John’s larger Epistle (compare with “Strom.” iii. 32 & 42; iv. 102.  Tertullian, in his work, “adv. Marcion,” vi. 16, refers to First John 4:1.  Praxean, in his work, “xv” and “contra Gnost.” 12, refers to First John 1:1; and also, First John 1:28.  Cyprian, in his work, “Ep.” 28:24, quotes First John 2:3-4 as belonging to First John.  De Orat. Domini, 5, quotes First John 2:15-17.  De opere et Eleemos. quotes First John 1:8.  De bono Patientiae quotes First John 2:6.

 

John has a style in this Epistle where he clearly intends to point out “Seven Contrasts.”  They are:

 

Light verses Darkness (First John 1:5-2:11);

The Father verses The World (First John 2:12-2:17);

The Messiah (Christ) verses The Antichrist (First John 2:18-2:28);

Good Works versus Evil Works (First John 2:29-3:24);

The Holy Spirit versus Error (First John 4:1-4 & 6);

Love verses Pious Pretense (First John 4:7-4:21);

The Born Again verses Other Types (First John 5:1-5:21).

 

The key phrase used by John in all three of his little Epistles is: “the truth.”  Discover how important this phrase is to him by looking it up in, First John 1:6 & 8; 2:4 & 21 (twice), 3:19; Second John 1:1 (twice), 2; Third John 1:1 & 3 & 8 & 12.

​