The First Epistle of John Research Paper

Main Idea and Outline

1 John 5:13-21: John concludes his letter with a few parting thoughts on the faith of the believers and the confidence they should have in God, as well as encouragement to avoid sin and idolatry, pray for sinners, and flee the world, which is ruled by the devil, and be a true Son of Jesus Christ.

I. John describes why he wrote the epistle (v. 13)

II. John explains why his audience should have faith (vv. 14-15)

III. John urges his audience to pray for sinners that they might convert and identifies a difference between two types of sin (vv. 16-19)

a. the Sin that leads to Death (v. 16)

b. the Sin that does not lead to Death (v. 17)

c. John also alludes to life of grace that exists in the soul when one is faithful to God (vv. 18-19)

IV. John concludes with words of encouragement to his audience that be convinced of the truth that is Christ and flee idols and the devilry of the world (vv. 19-21)

Introduction

1 John 5:13-21 serves as the conclusion of John’s first epistle, which is written to his audience to strengthen them in their faith and to remind them that Christ is not of this world—i.e., that this world is ruled by the anti-Christ, Satan, who works to oppose God through idols and sinfulness. John’s audience had been tempted with false teachings and they were in danger of being led astray. John refers to some who had left the faith (1 John 2:19) and he states that these were never really confirmed in the faith in the first place—i.e., they were not true children of God but seducers only. John, therefore, set out in his first epistle to remind them of the truth of Jesus Christ as the salvation of souls and the importance of fleeing sin and maintaining the life of grace in one’s soul.

To this end, John continuously juxtaposes the life that Christ gives with the death that the world and Satan offer. John urges his audience to remember that Christ is of God and so too are all those who believe in Christ. John also distinguishes between two types of sin—mortal or grievous sin that leads to the death of sanctifying life in the soul, and venial or less serious sin that does not cause the loss of sanctifying life in the soul but rather makes one less than perfect. This is an important distinction in the teaching on sin and John urges his audience to pray for sinners all the same because even those who commit lesser sins may end up falling into grievous sin. For that reason John urges them all to remain committed to Christ and to avoid idols, which are false gods that lead one to Satan, the Father of Lies. Satan is Death, and Christ is Life. That is the ultimate message John delivers in his closing.

Context

Historical-Cultural Context of the Book

Tradition holds that John is the author of this epistle, though authorship is contested by some scholars.[footnoteRef:2] The style of the epistle is similar to the Gospel of John and thus John is traditionally accepted as its author. John was said to have been the only one of the 12 Apostles to be with Jesus Christ at the crucifixion and was especially loved of Jesus[footnoteRef:3]—“the beloved disciple”[footnoteRef:4]—and his gospel depicts this love as it focuses on the loving aspect of God.[footnoteRef:5] His first epistle is also testament to this love by serving as a reminder that those who love, love fully and truly and are not led astray.[footnoteRef:6] Though it is written to a specific audience and is believed to have been written in Ephesus,[footnoteRef:7] it is also meant for all of the faithful everywhere and not just one church.[footnoteRef:8] John’s epistle is thus born out of the same spirit of love that animated his relationship with Christ and that animates his gospel. [2: Wilson, W. G. "An Examination of the Linguistic Evidence Adduced against the unity of Authorship of the First Epistle of John and the Fourth Gospel." The Journal of Theological Studies 49, no. 195/196 (1948): 147-156.] [3: Thomas. Commentary On the Gospel of John. Translated by Fabian R. Larcher and James A. Weisheipl.Thomas Aquinas in Translation Series. (Washington, D.C.: Catholic University of America Press, 2010), 6.] [4: Balz, Horst and Gerhard Schneider, eds. Exegetical Dictionary of the New Testament, 3 (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1990-93), 212.] [5: Akin, Daniel L. 1, 2, 3 John (NAC) (Nashville: Broadman& Holman, 2001), 25.] [6: Harris, Stephen L., Understanding the Bible (Palo Alto: Mayfield, 1985) "1 John," p. 355–356.] [7: Harris, Stephen L., Understanding the Bible (Palo Alto: Mayfield, 1985) "1 John," p. 355–356.] [8: Parker, D. C. An Introduction to the New Testament Manuscripts and Their Texts (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2008), 252.]

At the time the epistle was written, John was concerned about his readers being swayed by a false teaching that Christ was not in the flesh but rather only God in spirit. This idea was known as docetism and was considered a heresy as it denied that God was really in human form and asserted instead that his human form was merely a mirage or a trick. Thus, it is believed that John wrote this epistle with the intention of countering this false belief,[footnoteRef:9] and those who adhered to this belief are called by John the unfaithful who were never really sons of God and therefore should not be followed after (1 John 2:19). John gives special attention in the epistle to reminding his readers that Satan is the evil one who seduces by deception. He exhorts them to remember that Christ was true God and true man and that He is the truth. His conclusion to the epistle reiterates these points vehemently. [9: Harris, Stephen L., Understanding the Bible (Palo Alto: Mayfield, 1985) "1 John," p. 355–356.]

Literary Context of the Passage

The author’s flow…

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…loves those he has been given to look over. Just as Christ gave His Mother to His disciple John at the foot of the cross (John 19:26-27), so too does God give to John the faithful to whom he is now writing. John knows, moreover, how easy it is for the chosen to wander astray. Even when Christ was not two days gone from them after the crucifixion, the disciples were hiding and wandering astray already. They had lost their sense completely. John now speaks lovingly and generously, calling them affectionately his children and in doing so he is calling them to God. He is reminding them that God loves them always and they must respond with love for Him not for idols.[footnoteRef:17] He shows them that they are like children, bumping into things, going this way and that impulsively. He summarily dismisses all the distractions of the world as idolatry, serving the interests of Satan, and with a flash causes the fog to lift and the light of God to shine through. [17: Akin, Daniel L. 1, 2, 3 John (NAC) (Nashville: Broadman& Holman, 2001), 25.]

Application and Conclusion

This passage has several applications to contemporary audiences. First of all, it can be said that this is a post-Christian world. The world has finally it seems turned away from Christ and His name is hated. It cannot be talked about with any validity in public schools or in places of work. Christ is mocked by the world, which has turned to a new kind of paganism in which there is worldly pleasure but ultimately nothing but despair. One who reads this passage can see that this is true and that with God there is love but with the world there is only scorn and mockery and hate.

Secondly, it can remind one in this utterly hopeless world to never give up hope, especially for loved ones who are caught up in sinful habits, such as drug abuse. The opioid crisis has wrecked many lives and drug addiction destroys the will and causes many to become helpless slaves to sin. Pornography addiction is another issue that has come about because of the prevalence of pornography on the Internet and the ease with which one can find it. It robs souls of their will and makes them slaves. Yet those who believe in Christ must pray for them because they are dead like the Centurion’s servant and only Christ’s grace can bring them back to life. It is a show of faith that one must have.

Thirdly, one must remember that though there are many attractions in this modern world—toys, gadgets, money, fame—all of it is empty like the meaningless idols that John speaks of so simply. “Dear children, do not keep with idols,” he says. These words should echo in the hearts of every modern soul and should make one think who one is hanging out with for the company one keeps is a reflection of the state of…