Introduction

This letter was written by John the apostle, who wrote John’s Gospel. Both the “letter and Gospel wonderfully agree in the titles and characterisations they give to the Redeemer: The Word, the Life, the Light… They agree in the committing of God’s love to us and in speaking of our regeneration, or being born of God.” 1 John was written to strengthen the church in “their faithfulness to the Lord Christ and to the sacred teachings about his person and work,” and “to encourage them to adorn that doctrine by their love for God and people, and especially for each other, as those who are descended from God, united by the same head, and travelling toward the same eternal life.”

1 John 1:1-2

v1-2: Jesus took on flesh and made Himself known “to the senses of the apostles.” With His mouth He spoke words of the life, and the apostles heard Him with their ears as “they listened to his ministry, heard his public sermons and private expositions.” With their eyes, they “saw him in his life and ministry, saw him in his transfiguration on the mountain, saw him hanging, bleeding, dying, and dead on the cross, and saw him after his return from the grave and resurrection from the dead.” And to their hands, the Lord convinced them of the truth of “his body after his resurrection from the dead.” He did this “so that they would be more authentic witnesses of him to the world.”