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What Is The Context For Reading 1 John?

Who and what, is being addressed in 1 John 1?

The letter of 1 John is addressed to a group of Christian believers, likely in the region of Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey), who were facing challenges from false teachings and Gnostic ideas. John wrote this while exiled on Patmos (where he also wrote the book of Revelation as well).

1 John 1 has everything to do with refuting the Gnostic’s heresy teaching in the early church. We see evidence of these false teachers’ beliefs throughout the book:

》 They denied that Jesus was the Messiah. John writes,

“Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son.” (1 John. 2:22).

》 They denied the humanity of Jesus. Gnostics believe that Jesus merely “appeared” to be human, but was actually just a ghost or spirit-being. John writes,

“Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God:And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.” (1 John. 4:2-3 KJV).

》 They denied Jesus’ teachings. John writes,

“He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.” (1 John. 2:4 KJV).

“He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now.” (1 John. 2:9 KJV).

》 They denied their own sin. John writes,

“If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.” (1 John 1:8-10 KJV).

John is refuting the false Gnostic heresy running rampant in the church and as an encouragement to eternally saved believers on Christ for righteousness.

We see that John focused on three main issues:

  1.  As believers, standing firm against the false Gnostic heresy teachers.
  2. Reassuring the Christians that they have ETERNAL LIFE.
  3. Encouraging to resist the false Gnostic teaching, and walking close to God.

What SIN is John referring to here?

This is important in understanding the entire letter of 1 John.

FIRST, if a believer’s security is not eternal, why did Christ specifically answer with the words “eternal life”in John 3? How can God guarantee our born again Spirit from the moment we first believed in Christ as seen in Ephesians 1:13-14 and claim that it’s Christ, not us, who keeps us (John 6:37-39, 2 Cor. 1:21)

How can God claim that once He has his hands on us that no one can snatch us away from Him in John 10:27-29 (yes the same writer, John)?

Second, is the context in 1 John 1, being fellowship of believers. How can John tell believers in 1 John 1:8-10, that if we believe we have not sinned as believers, then we are lying and make Jesus out to be a liar. Yet, just 2 chapters later in 1 John 3:9, state that no one born of God continues to sin?

And honestly, where is a believer from all history, never sinned again after believing in Christ for salvation? If it we could lose salvation by OUR WORKS, then no one will be saved as Christ paid for

“..all sins of the whole world” (1 John 2:2 KJV)

Without contradiction, John is not contradicting himself in the same letter, nor the Gospel of John, nor against Paul in Romans 7. He is not writing about any or all sin in 1 John 3 either. He is writing about one specific sin; the sin of the heresy of Gnosticism.

Gnosticism, is the sin John was referring to, not all sins.

Born again believers cannot commit the sin of Gnosticism because Gnostics do not believe in being born again in The Spirit thru belief on Christ for righteousness at all. They don’t believe the Lord’s death saved us but that we’re saved through the acquisition of some secret knowledge they claim and teach.

Then we can read about our dual nature of The Flesh (Corrupt body/mind until the resurrection of the body (1 Cir. 15:50) and our New Born Again Eternally Righteous Spirit which is as eternally righteous as Christ forever (2 Cor. 5:21), with no sin debt because Christ paid for ALL our sins, nailing our old fallen sinful dead spirit to the cross WITH CHRIST (Col. 2) through foreknowledge of who would believe on Christ for salvation and righteousness (Eph. 1).

Apostle Paul taught this in Romans 7: 15-20. From God’s point of view, when a believer sins it’s not the believer doing it, but the sin nature that dwells WITHIN THE MIND of a believer, not our eternally saved and perfected Spirit (once and for all, Hebrews 10:10-14, 2 Cor. 5:21). That is why Paul taught that we should renew, OUR MIND in Romans 12, replacing our corrupt mind thoughts with the truth of God’s Word with help of the indwelling Holy Spirit who guides us.

God sees believers as if we don’t sin. He can do this because all the sins of our life were “BLOTTED OUT” at the cross (Colossians 2).

This is the critical context to understand when reading 1 JOHN, especially when the seemingly difficult passages like 1 John 3:9 (read commentary on 1 John 3:9 here)