1 John — Introduction

This Epistle is not addressed to any one church nor does it mention, like the other New Testament Epistles, the author of the document; it is anonymous. We are not left in doubt who penned this Epistle in spite of its anonymous character. There can be no question that the author of the fourth Gospel is also the author of this Epistle. its opening statement is linked with the opening of the Gospel and throughout it is written in the thought and language of the fourth Gospel. — Gaebelein, page 1171.

All my life, I’ve heard that John wrote his five books late in the first century, probably in the 90’s. I’ve also heard may people say that John was writing to Gentiles. As to the first, there is no proof text in Scripture to support it, and as for the second, there is a very definite proof text to disprove it: “James, Cephas and John, those esteemed as pillars, gave me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship when they recognized the grace given to me. They agreed that we should go to the Gentiles, and they to the circumcised.” (Galatians 2:9).

Since the book was obviously written to the Jews, it made no sense to me that it was written long after the Jews had been set aside (Acts 28:25-28).  I’m not alone in this view.

John was one of the Twelve Apostles who were promised by the Lord to sit upon the twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel in the future earthly kingdom (Matthew 19:28). He was one of the inner circle of chief apostles, along with Peter and James. These men continued to minister to the Jewish remnant as part of an agreement with Paul — that they would confine their daily ministry to the circumcision (Jews) while Paul and his fellow-workers would go to the Gentiles (Galatians 2:7-9). John’s style is authoritative, certain, and befitting of an apostle.

No personal names or locations are mentioned in 1 John. The recipients were Jews scattered among the Gentiles (Acts 8:1,4), the same as those who received the letters of James (James 1:1) and Peter (1 Peter 1:1). Its content is wholly consistent with the preaching of the Gospel of the Kingdom and related kingdom doctrine taught by the Lord Jesus and the Twelve Apostles when they lived among their brethren, the Jews (Matthew 3:2; 4:17, 23; 10:5-7; Acts 1–7).

Early church tradition places the writing of 1 John between AD 85 and 95. However, Paul revealed that he was given the responsibility of fulfilling (or completing) God’s revelation in the Bible (Colossians 1:25), and we know he was martyred in AD 68. Furthermore, since Israel as a nation was set aside in unbelief early in Acts (Acts 7:51-53; Romans 11:7-25), it would be inconsistent for God to be providing inspired epistles for kingdom saints so may decades after the new Dispensation of Grace began. Therefore, all Jewish epistles must have a date much earlier than AD 85-95. The date of the writing of 1 John is likely around AD 54-56 or even earlier. In 1 John we have the record of the Lord fulfilling His promise to the Twelve to send the Spirit to guide them into all truth for the Kingdom (John 16:12-14). — Grace, page 2217.

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Prophetically the Epistle belongs to the future. Its interpretation concerns Hebrew believers during the period immediately prior to the Coming of the Lord (1 John 2:18, 28; 3:2, and 4:3). — Williams, page 1010.

John states the reasons he wrote the epistle in two places; “These things write we unto you that your joy may be full” (1 John 1:4). “These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God” (1 John 5:13).

Several of the commentaries I’m using take the traditional view that John wrote late in the first century to the Church (rather than earlier, to the Jews). I may give samples of this view as I work through the book, but I’m not going to give full voice to it often, feeling strongly that that position is not consistent with other Scriptures. Still, I’ll read what they have to say and get what I can from them. The Introduction to 1 John in the Grace Study Bible refers to the application that members of the Body of Christ can get from John’s writings:

The practical teaching of 1 John for believers today lies chiefly in the acknowledgment of the holy character of God, belief in the person and work of Jesus Christ, the importance of His children partaking of Him, the need to love the brethren, a warning against false teaching, and the importance of rightly dividing the Word of truth. — Grace, page 2217.

The resources I’m using for this study:

Gaebelein’s Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible, by Arno C. Gaebelein — Loizeaux Brothers (Gaebelein)

Grace Study Bible — Berean Bible Society (Grace)

King James Bible Commentary — Thomas Nelson Publishers (KJBC)

The Epistles of John: Light, Love, Life, by W.E. Vine — Zondervan Publishing House (Vine)

Williams’ Complete Bible Commentary, by George Williams — Kregel Publications (Williams)

When I quote from these works, I will use the word in the parentheses.