The Epistles of John

1,2, and 3 John are three letters most probably written by the same author from the same Christian community that produced the gospel of John. The three letters address a problem within a local church community. 2 John is a one page letter from a Christian leader to the local church that is experiencing the problem. It seems to function as a cover letter for 1 John. 3 John is another one page letter from the same church leader to a member of the community in trouble named Gaius. The letter is written to lend support to Gaius during these troubled times.

The letter we will focus on is 1 John, which though labeled a letter is much more like a sermon written to persuade the members of the troubled community to keep the faith. Although the author of the three letters is most probably the same person, most scholars do not believe that the author of the epistles wrote the Fourth Gospel. The letters seem to come from the same church community that produced the gospel, but at a later time. The problem addressed in the letters is the docetist heresy, the idea that Jesus was God and not also fully human. The references in the epistles to an established church leadership suggest a later date for the epistles toward the end of the first century.

Many of the themes in the letters are similar to the gospel of John. Jesus is portrayed as the preexistent son of God (1 John 2: 14). He is the atoning sacrifice that defeats the power of sin (1 John 4: 10). A sharp contrast is drawn between the world of light and the world of darkness (1 John 2: 9-11). One must reject the world, and live instead in the love of Christ (1 John 2: 15-17). Finally, mutual love is the essence of Christianity (1 John 3: 11). There are only two commandments: to believe in the name of Jesus Christ, and to love one another (1 John 3: 23-24).

The one key difference between the letters and the Fourth Gospel is eschatology. As I pointed out in discussing the gospel of John, a realized eschatology exists in the gospel side by side with an apocalyptic eschatology. A realized eschatology posits that the kingdom of God has arrived in the teachings and acts of Jesus, and that this kingdom is essentially a matter of a renewed heart. The kingdom is within. In the letters a more traditional approach to eschatology is advanced involving judgment and the return of Jesus from heaven. These events are seen as imminent (1 John 2: 18).

As I indicated above, the problem the letters address is the heresy of docetism (1 John 4: 1-3 and 2 John 1: 7). Docetism denies the human Jesus. These believers see Jesus only as divine, as God walking on the earth. Jesus only appeared to be human. 1 John makes clear that Jesus was fully human as well as divine. He was seen, heard, touched, looked at (1: 1-2). He came in the flesh (2 John 1: 7). His real blood is what brings salvation (1 John 1: 7). This heresy led to a split within the community with the docetists leaving the church (1 John 2: 19).

As so often happens in disputes of this nature, it became personal. The dissenters are accused of not practicing the commandments of God (1 John 2:4). They fail to love their brothers and sisters in the community (1 John 2: 9-11 and 4: 20). An us versus them mentality is created in which members of the community are to have nothing to do with the dissenters who are viewed as traitors to the faith ( 2 John 1: 10-11).

The Epistles of John represent what is best about the Christian faith, and also one of its real problems. The essence of religion is love (1 John 3: 11), a love that must go beyond mere words and talk. It must be real and active (1 John 3: 18). That’s all that matters. The problem is that, although mutual love defines the essence of the Christian community, that love does not extend beyond the community. You love those who share your values. That’s easy love; and sadly, because it is confined, it has not been able to heal the problems of the larger society.