Laws in the Letters of John

"The Letters of John include three New Testament writings, all composed sometime around AD 100 and traditionally attributed to John the Evangelist, son of Zebedee and disciple of Jesus. The author of the first letter is not identified, but the writer of the second and third calls himself 'presbyter' (elder). Though the question of authorship has been much discussed, the language and contents of the three letters suggest a common source.

"The first letter was apparently addressed to a group of churches where "false prophets," denounced as Antichrist, denied the incarnation of Jesus and caused a secession so substantial that the orthodox remnant was sadly depleted. The faithful were deeply disturbed that the heresy found favour among pagans, and they apparently felt inferior because those who had left their midst claimed to have profound mystical experiences. The heretics asserted that they possessed perfection, were 'born of God,' and were without sin. By placing themselves above the Commandments, they in fact sanctioned moral laxity. John's letter thus urges the Christian community to hold fast to what they had been taught and to repudiate heretical teachings. Christians are exhorted to persevere in leading a moral life, which meant imitating Christ by keeping the Commandments, especially that of loving one another. The spirit of the letter closely parallels that of the Fourth Gospel.

"The second and third letters are closely akin to the first in language and ideas. The second exhorts a church, fancifully called 'the elect lady and her children,' to boycott heretics who deny the reality of the incarnation. The third letter is addressed to a certain Gaius and complains that 'Diotrephes, who lies to put himself first, does not acknowledge my authority'—a hint that Gnostic teachings were severely disrupting the community." – Encyclopaedia Britannica


God is Light and in Him is no darkness at all. – 1 John 1:5


If we walk in the Light as He is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another. – 1 John 1:7


If we keep his commandments, we know the Christ. – 1 John 2:3


Whoever keeps Christ's word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. – 1 John 2:5


He who says he abides in Christ ought himself also to walk just as he walked. – 1 John 2:6


He who says he is in the Light, and hates his brother, is in darkness. – 1 John 2:9


He who loves his brother abides in the Light. – 1 John 2:10


He who hates his brother is in darkness and walks in darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes. – 1 John 2:11


Do not love the world or the things in the world; if anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. – 1 John 2:15


All that is in the world‑‑the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life‑‑is not of the Father but is of the world. – 1 John 2:16


He is Antichrist who denies the Father and the Son. – 1 John 2:22


Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father either; he who acknowledges the Son has the Father also. – 1 John 2:23


If you know that Christ is righteous, you know that everyone who practices righteousness is born of him. – 1 John 2:29


Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. – 1 John 3:2


Everyone who has this hope in God purifies himself, just as He is pure. – 1 John 3:3


Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness. – 1 John 3:4

The Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. – 1 John 3:8


Let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth. – 1 John 3:18


If our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things. – 1 John 3:20


Whatever we ask we receive from God, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight. – 1 John 3:22


Do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. – 1 John 4:1


By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world. – 1 John 4:2‑3


We are of God. He who knows God hears us; he who is not of God does not hear us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error. – 1 John 4:6


Let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. – 1 John 4:7


He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. – 1 John 4:8


No one has seen God at anytime. – 1 John 4:12


If we love one another; God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us. – 1 John 4:12


By this we know that we abide in God, and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit. – 1 John 4:13


God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him. – 1 John 4:16


There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. – 1 John 4:18


He who fears has not been made perfect in love. – 1 John 4:18


He who loves God must love his brother also. – 1 John 4:21


This is the love of God, that we keep His commandments; and His commandments are not burdensome. – 1 John 5:3


Whatever is born of God overcomes the world, and this is the victory that has overcome the world — our faith. – 1 John 5:4


Three bear witness in heaven: the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit; and these three are one. – 1 John 5:7


Three bear witness on earth: the Spirit, the water, and the blood; and these three agree as one. -1 John 5:8


God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. – 1 John 5:11


If anyone sees his brother sinning a sin which does not lead to death, he will ask, and Christ will give him life for those who commit sin not leading to death. There is sin leading to death. I do not say that he should pray about that. – 1 John 5:16


Do not imitate what is evil, but what is good. He who does good is of God, but he who does evil has not seen God. – 3 John 1:11

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References

The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. "Letters of John," Encyclopædia Britannica. July 31, 2015 [accessed March 4, 2020].

The Holy Bible. King James Version (KJV).

Purchase a Bible here: The Holy Bible, King James Version (KJV). Thomas Nelson, Inc.