1 John

First John is a pastoral letter traditionally attributed to the apostle John, the beloved disciple, writing late in the first century to churches troubled by teachers who had gone out from them. It reads less like a formal epistle and more like a father's appeal -- John repeatedly addresses his readers as 'little children.' He opens exactly as an eyewitness: that which we have heard, seen with our eyes, and our hands have handled of the Word of life. Among the general epistles it is the longest of John's three letters and sets the vocabulary for the other two.

The letter circles through a few great tests. Doctrinally: whoever denies that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God -- that is the spirit of antichrist. Morally: he that saith he knows God and keeps not his commandments is a liar; but if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive. Relationally: he that loveth not his brother abideth in death, for God is love, and we love him because he first loved us. John contrasts light and darkness, love and hatred, the children of God and the world.

First John matters because it was written 'that ye may know that ye have eternal life' -- it is the New Testament's great letter of assurance. Real Christianity, John insists, shows itself in believing the truth about Jesus, walking in the light, and loving one another; perfect love casts out fear.