First Epistle of John
Encyclopedia
The First Epistle of John, often referred to as First John and written 1 John, is a book of the New Testament
. This fourth catholic or "general" epistle
is attributed to John the Evangelist
, traditionally thought to be the author of the Gospel of John
and the other two Epistles of John
. This Epistle was written in Ephesus
between the years 95–110. The work was written to counter the heresies
that Jesus did not come "in the flesh," but only as a spirit. It also defined how Christian
s are to discern true teachers: by their ethics
, their proclamation of Jesus in the flesh, and by their love
.
, at Ephesus
, when the writer was in advanced age. The epistle's content, language and conceptual style indicate that it was composed by the same author as the Gospel of John
, 2 John, and 3 John, however other modern scholars have challenged this position. arguing "there are no concrete indications of the identity of the author ... We find here a special form of the hortatory or 'paraenetic' style... the writer has his own locutions which give a peculiar stamp to the work... a demonstrative is given first place in a sentence, looking forward to its definition or explanation usually after some article or conjunction... This is one of the features which by its frequency distinguishes the style of the epistle from that of the Gospel of John... He also 'uses the conditional sentence in a variety of rhetorical figures which are unknown to the gospel.'"
The author wrote the Epistle so that the joy of his audience would "be full" (1.4) and that they would "sin not" (2.1) and that "you who believe in the name of the Son of God
... may know that you have eternal life
" (5.13). It appears as though the author was concerned about heretical
teachers that had been influencing churches under his care. Such teachers were considered Antichrist
s (2.18–19) who had once been church leaders but whose teaching became heterodox. It appears that these teachers taught that Jesus
Christ
was a Spirit being without a body (4.2) that his death on the cross was not as atonement for sins (1.7). It appears that John might have also been rebuking a proto-Gnostic named Cerinthus
, who also denied the humanity of Christ.
The purpose of the author (1:1–4) is to declare the Word of Life to those to whom he writes, in order that they might be united in fellowship with the Father and his Son Jesus Christ. He shows that the means of union with God
are, (1) on the part of Christ, his atoning work (1:7; 2:2; 3:5; 4:10, 14; 5:11, 12) and his advocacy (2:1); and (2), on the part of man, holiness (1:6), obedience (2:3), purity (3:3), faith (3:23; 4:3; 5:5), and love (2:7, 8; 3:14; 4:7; 5:1).
, the Comma Johanneum
, (1 John 5:7–8). These verses do not appear in any version of the text prior to the ninth century. About the year 800, the Comma appeared in some texts of the Latin Vulgate, and was subsequently translated into Greek and added to later Greek manuscripts. It was later included in the King James Bible, something Isaac Newton
commented on in An Historical Account of Two Notable Corruptions of Scripture
. This is sometimes used as evidence to counter the King-James-Only Movement. Bart Ehrman suggests in his book Misquoting Jesus that the King James Version would not have included the passage if Desiderius Erasmus
had not given in to pressure to include it in the Textus Receptus
even though he doubted its authenticity.
The majority of modern translations (for example English Standard Version
and New American Standard Bible
) do not include this text. Albert Barnes (1798–1870) said regarding its authenticity:
Related article:
New Testament
The New Testament is the second major division of the Christian biblical canon, the first such division being the much longer Old Testament....
. This fourth catholic or "general" epistle
Epistle
An epistle is a writing directed or sent to a person or group of people, usually an elegant and formal didactic letter. The epistle genre of letter-writing was common in ancient Egypt as part of the scribal-school writing curriculum. The letters in the New Testament from Apostles to Christians...
is attributed to John the Evangelist
John the Evangelist
Saint John the Evangelist is the conventional name for the author of the Gospel of John...
, traditionally thought to be the author of the Gospel of John
Gospel of John
The Gospel According to John , commonly referred to as the Gospel of John or simply John, and often referred to in New Testament scholarship as the Fourth Gospel, is an account of the public ministry of Jesus...
and the other two Epistles of John
Epistles of John
Three books in the New Testament, thought to have been written between 90-100, are collectively called the Epistles of John:*First Epistle of John*Second Epistle of John*Third Epistle of JohnThe traditional author of these letters is John the Evangelist....
. This Epistle was written in Ephesus
Ephesus
Ephesus was an ancient Greek city, and later a major Roman city, on the west coast of Asia Minor, near present-day Selçuk, Izmir Province, Turkey. It was one of the twelve cities of the Ionian League during the Classical Greek era...
between the years 95–110. The work was written to counter the heresies
Heresy
Heresy is a controversial or novel change to a system of beliefs, especially a religion, that conflicts with established dogma. It is distinct from apostasy, which is the formal denunciation of one's religion, principles or cause, and blasphemy, which is irreverence toward religion...
that Jesus did not come "in the flesh," but only as a spirit. It also defined how Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
s are to discern true teachers: by their ethics
Ethics
Ethics, also known as moral philosophy, is a branch of philosophy that addresses questions about morality—that is, concepts such as good and evil, right and wrong, virtue and vice, justice and crime, etc.Major branches of ethics include:...
, their proclamation of Jesus in the flesh, and by their love
Love
Love is an emotion of strong affection and personal attachment. In philosophical context, love is a virtue representing all of human kindness, compassion, and affection. Love is central to many religions, as in the Christian phrase, "God is love" or Agape in the Canonical gospels...
.
Composition
The Epistle is traditionally held to have been composed by John the EvangelistJohn the Evangelist
Saint John the Evangelist is the conventional name for the author of the Gospel of John...
, at Ephesus
Ephesus
Ephesus was an ancient Greek city, and later a major Roman city, on the west coast of Asia Minor, near present-day Selçuk, Izmir Province, Turkey. It was one of the twelve cities of the Ionian League during the Classical Greek era...
, when the writer was in advanced age. The epistle's content, language and conceptual style indicate that it was composed by the same author as the Gospel of John
Gospel of John
The Gospel According to John , commonly referred to as the Gospel of John or simply John, and often referred to in New Testament scholarship as the Fourth Gospel, is an account of the public ministry of Jesus...
, 2 John, and 3 John, however other modern scholars have challenged this position. arguing "there are no concrete indications of the identity of the author ... We find here a special form of the hortatory or 'paraenetic' style... the writer has his own locutions which give a peculiar stamp to the work... a demonstrative is given first place in a sentence, looking forward to its definition or explanation usually after some article or conjunction... This is one of the features which by its frequency distinguishes the style of the epistle from that of the Gospel of John... He also 'uses the conditional sentence in a variety of rhetorical figures which are unknown to the gospel.'"
Purpose
"The Fourth Gospel addresses itself to the challenges posed by Judaism and others outside Johannine circles who have rejected the community's vision of Jesus as preexistent Son, sent by the Father. The epistles" (First, Second, and Third John) "describe the fracturing of the Johannine community itself."The author wrote the Epistle so that the joy of his audience would "be full" (1.4) and that they would "sin not" (2.1) and that "you who believe in the name of the Son of God
Son of God
"Son of God" is a phrase which according to most Christian denominations, Trinitarian in belief, refers to the relationship between Jesus and God, specifically as "God the Son"...
... may know that you have eternal life
Eternal life (Christianity)
In Christianity the term eternal life traditionally refers to continued life after death, rather than immortality. While scholars such as John H. Leith assert that...
" (5.13). It appears as though the author was concerned about heretical
Heresy
Heresy is a controversial or novel change to a system of beliefs, especially a religion, that conflicts with established dogma. It is distinct from apostasy, which is the formal denunciation of one's religion, principles or cause, and blasphemy, which is irreverence toward religion...
teachers that had been influencing churches under his care. Such teachers were considered Antichrist
Antichrist
The term or title antichrist, in Christian theology, refers to a leader who fulfills Biblical prophecies concerning an adversary of Christ, while resembling him in a deceptive manner...
s (2.18–19) who had once been church leaders but whose teaching became heterodox. It appears that these teachers taught that Jesus
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
Christ
Christ
Christ is the English term for the Greek meaning "the anointed one". It is a translation of the Hebrew , usually transliterated into English as Messiah or Mashiach...
was a Spirit being without a body (4.2) that his death on the cross was not as atonement for sins (1.7). It appears that John might have also been rebuking a proto-Gnostic named Cerinthus
Cerinthus
Cerinthus was a gnostic and to some, an early Christian, who was prominent as a "heresiarch" in the view of the early Church Fathers. Contrary to proto-orthodox Christianity, Cerinthus's school followed the Jewish law, used the Gospel according to the Hebrews, denied that the Supreme God had made...
, who also denied the humanity of Christ.
The purpose of the author (1:1–4) is to declare the Word of Life to those to whom he writes, in order that they might be united in fellowship with the Father and his Son Jesus Christ. He shows that the means of union with God
God
God is the English name given to a singular being in theistic and deistic religions who is either the sole deity in monotheism, or a single deity in polytheism....
are, (1) on the part of Christ, his atoning work (1:7; 2:2; 3:5; 4:10, 14; 5:11, 12) and his advocacy (2:1); and (2), on the part of man, holiness (1:6), obedience (2:3), purity (3:3), faith (3:23; 4:3; 5:5), and love (2:7, 8; 3:14; 4:7; 5:1).
Comma Johanneum
Among the most controversial verses of the Bible is an explicit reference to what some people consider the trinityTrinity
The Christian doctrine of the Trinity defines God as three divine persons : the Father, the Son , and the Holy Spirit. The three persons are distinct yet coexist in unity, and are co-equal, co-eternal and consubstantial . Put another way, the three persons of the Trinity are of one being...
, the Comma Johanneum
Comma Johanneum
The Comma Johanneum is a comma in the First Epistle of John according to the Latin Vulgate text as transmitted since the Early Middle Ages, based on Vetus Latina minority readings dating to the 7th century...
, (1 John 5:7–8). These verses do not appear in any version of the text prior to the ninth century. About the year 800, the Comma appeared in some texts of the Latin Vulgate, and was subsequently translated into Greek and added to later Greek manuscripts. It was later included in the King James Bible, something Isaac Newton
Isaac Newton
Sir Isaac Newton PRS was an English physicist, mathematician, astronomer, natural philosopher, alchemist, and theologian, who has been "considered by many to be the greatest and most influential scientist who ever lived."...
commented on in An Historical Account of Two Notable Corruptions of Scripture
An Historical Account of Two Notable Corruptions of Scripture
An Historical Account of Two Notable Corruptions of Scripture is a dissertation by the English mathematician and scholar Sir Isaac Newton. First published in 1754, 27 years after his death, it claimed to review all the textual evidence available from ancient sources on two disputed Bible passages: ...
. This is sometimes used as evidence to counter the King-James-Only Movement. Bart Ehrman suggests in his book Misquoting Jesus that the King James Version would not have included the passage if Desiderius Erasmus
Desiderius Erasmus
Desiderius Erasmus Roterodamus , known as Erasmus of Rotterdam, was a Dutch Renaissance humanist, Catholic priest, and a theologian....
had not given in to pressure to include it in the Textus Receptus
Textus Receptus
Textus Receptus is the name subsequently given to the succession of printed Greek texts of the New Testament which constituted the translation base for the original German Luther Bible, the translation of the New Testament into English by William Tyndale, the King James Version, and for most other...
even though he doubted its authenticity.
The majority of modern translations (for example English Standard Version
English Standard Version
The English Standard Version is an English translation of the Christian Bible. It is a revision of the 1971 edition of the Revised Standard Version...
and New American Standard Bible
New American Standard Bible
The New American Standard Bible , also informally called New American Standard Version , is an English translation of the Bible....
) do not include this text. Albert Barnes (1798–1870) said regarding its authenticity:
On the whole, therefore, the evidence seems to me to be clear that this passage is not a genuine portion of the inspired writings, and should not be appealed to in proof of the doctrine of the Trinity.
See also
- Textual variants in the First Epistle of John
- John the Apostle
- John the Evangelist
External links
Online translations of the First Epistle of JohnRelated article: