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John was the youngest of the Apostles, the Disciple whom Jesus loved. John was the last living Apostle. In many ways he seems to have been the one Disciple who was Jesus’ best friend on earth. He is the only one of the Apostles who did not die for the Faith, but he was persecuted and exiled to the remote island of Patmos. These letters were written by John while in Ephesus, before his exile to Patmos. John also wrote the last of the four Gospels. John’s Gospel was written so that you might believe. 1 John is written so that you might know. 1 John is the fourth of the seven general Epistles. These Epistles are not addressed to any specific church and only known by the name of the author, even though he does not mention his name in it. Contrasts and Conflict There are many contrasts: between light and darkness, between life vs. death, love vs. hate and love vs. lust, truth vs. falsehood and lies, righteousness vs. lawlessness, God's Law vs. lawlessness, Heaven vs. hell. Children of God vs. children of the devil, love for God vs. love for the world and ultimately Christ vs. anti-Christ. No Neutrality There is no neutrality. We are either for Christ, or against Him. Choose you this day. The Word of God vs. the world. 1 John was written to counteract false teachers who deny the deity of Jesus Christ, those who deny that Jesus is the Messiah, those who deny that Jesus had come in the flesh. Many people have developed a relaxed attitude towards sin. We must stand firm on Christian belief and for Christian behaviour, opposing false teaching and enduring persecution.
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