The First Epistle Of John
Author	John the Apostle. (In addition to the 3 letters bearing his name, John is also the author of the fourth Gospel and the book of the Revelation.)
Date Written	Between A.D. 85 and 96
Title	From the book's author: John
Background	The particular error being propagated is a philosophy of religion called Gnosticism. It is built on the premise that all matter is totally evil, spirit is totally good, and that man will progress spiritually as he increases in this knowledge. This leads to further false teachings about Christ, stating that He could not have been born in the flesh since all flesh is evil. The Gnostic theories are that Jesus Christ is either a ghost that only seems to have a human body, or that He has a dual personality, sometimes divine and sometimes human. John's mission here is to combat these errors.
Where Written	Probably Ephesus
To Whom	To all Christians
Content	This message of John is a warning to the believers not to be deceived by the false doctrines being spread. The union between the Father and the Son is boldly proclaimed, for only as one comes to know Jesus can he know the Father. John's practical instructions include admonitions for the believer to walk in righteousness, to live a spiritual life, and to show brotherly love for others. The Christians are encouraged not to love the things of this world, to beware of antichrists, and to test the spirits to see whether they are from God or Satan. John concludes his letter of happiness and hope for the believers by reassuring them of the power of prayer and their protection in God from the evil one.
Themes	Only the blood of Christ can cleanse us of all our sins. God is life, light, & love. True love will manifest itself in actions, not just in words Perfect love casts out all fears
Key Words	“Fellowship”; “Love.” The emphasis of 1 John is to stress that in order for a believer to have a proper “fellowship” with God, he must walk in obedience and truth. Proper “fellowship” with others is shown by having “love” for one another
Outline	1:1-1:4  Introduction. 1:5-2:14  Walking in the light. 2:15-2:27  Hindrances to fellowship. 2:28-4:21  Abiding in Christ's love. 5:1-5:12  Victory and assurance through faith. 5:13-5:21  Concluding remarks.
More	A more extensive Outline of 1 John Audio of the Book of 1 John

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