First Impressions Revisited

When studying a book inductively, we always ask questions: who, what, when, where, why, and how. Those questions help us to observe exactly what the text says. Since 1 John is a letter, there's one question that we're more likely to start with than any of the others. What do you think that is? Well, when you see a letter in your mailbox, what's the first of those question words that pops into your head?

I always wonder--who sent it? Unless you're the only one who gets letters in your mailbox, you'll probably also wonder--for whom was it sent? In other words, you want to know who the author is and who the recipient(s) is or are. So, let's begin our study of 1 John by seeing what the text tells us about the author and the recipients.

The Author
What did this person personally hear and see and handle?
What did this person personally do with what was heard, seen, and handled?
Was this person alone or in a group when he or they heard, saw, and handled?

The Recipient(s)
Who bore witness and proclaimed to them the good news of eternal life?
By what names does the author address the recipient(s)?
Is or are the recipient(s) believers or nonbelievers?
What might lead you to believe that this letter is to more than one person?

So, who do you think the author of this letter was? It sounds as if this person was one of Jesus' disciples, and as an apostle helped to spread the good news outside of Jerusalem. Since this book is traditionally called 1 John, we attribute it to the apostle John, even though he nowhere gives his name. However, if you read the gospel of John, also attributed to the apostle John, you'll notice a lot of similar language and themes. 1 John seems to be a good follow-up for John.

So, who do you think the recipients of this letter were? The writer addresses them as little children, young men, and fathers, indicating that the letter is for more than one person. They all seem to be believers because he tells them that they know what he is writing them. He tells them that they know the truth. He tells them that they have received an anointing from the Holy One.

What was the relationship between the writer and the recipients?
Notice how he calls them beloved or my friends, depending on your translation. Evidently, they knew each other, and he had a genuine love for them. He's concerned about them. Notice how he warns them about those who are trying to deceive them. He speaks about those things that he knows that they know. They seem to have a teacher/student type of relationship or an apostle/disciple type of relationship.

Why did the author write this letter?
He mentions false prophets and teachers. He talks about lies and deception. He speaks about some people who were among them, but who left them. What might that mean? We'll talk about this later.

Lord, thank you for this letter from John to believers. As we read it, ponder it, and study it, help us to understand what was going on then. Enable us to see how Your message to these people through John might speak to us today. Amen.