The Book of 1 John
First John is a letter of assurance, written by an eyewitness of the Word of life so that wavering believers may know they have eternal life. Against teachers who denied that Jesus had truly come in the flesh, John holds out three steady tests of genuine faith—right belief about Christ, obedience to his commands, and love for one another—not to make us anxious but to give us confidence. Through its great refrains—God is light, God is love, we love because he first loved us—the letter draws us into fellowship with the Father and the Son, assuring everyone who believes in the name of the Son of God that the life is in his Son, and that this life is ours.
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Whole-Book Overview
See the whole sweep of 1 John, from the Word of life made visible to the closing assurance that everyone who believes in the Son may know they have eternal life.
Open overview → Chapter 1The Word of Life Revealed
John testifies to the Christ he heard, saw, and touched, announcing that God is light and that walking in that light means honest confession of sin.
Open study → Chapter 2Keep His Commands
We know we truly know Christ when we keep his commandments and love our brother, refusing the world's pull and the antichrists' lies.
Open study → Chapter 3Children of God
The Father's great love makes us his children now; those born of him practice righteousness and lay down their lives for one another in deed and truth.
Open study → Chapter 4God Is Love
Test every spirit by its confession of Christ; because God is love and loved us first, we love one another, and perfect love drives out all fear.
Open study → Chapter 5That You May Know
Faith in Jesus the Son of God overcomes the world, and the testimony stands sure: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.
Open study →Study together
Gather a group, work through a chapter at a time, and journey through 1 John together. Invite a friend to join you.