Anakalypsis / Unveiling the Word
→
⚙ Annotations & References ▾
Passage sections 1 ▾
Light and Darkness theology 1:1–2:6
Themes 13 ▾
Incarnation 1-2 Light and Darkness 1, 5-7 Word of God 1 Eternal Life 2 Love 3 Church 3 Glory of God 5 Truth 5-6, 8 Obedience and Disobedience 6 Forgiveness 7, 9 Blood 7 Sin 8 Righteousness 9
People 1 ▾
Jesus Life of Christ 3, 7
Symbols 1 ▾
Light cosmic 5
Fulfillment of Prophecy 2 ▾
The Righteous Servant Cleanses Sin 7 A Fountain Opened for Sin 7
Historic voices 24 ▾
Catechism of the Catholic Church 6× 1-4, 6, 8-10 Confessions 2× 1, 8 Church History (Historia Ecclesiastica) 3× 1-2 Heidelberg Catechism 7× 3, 7-8, 10 Homilies on the Gospel of John 1× 5 Commentary on the Gospel of John 1× 5 An Exact Exposition of the Orthodox Faith 2× 5, 7 The Method of Grace 1× 7 A Plain Account of Christian Perfection 2× 7-9 The Scripture Way of Salvation 1× 7 City of God 3× 8 Westminster Shorter Catechism 1× 8 Summa Theologica 1× 8 Canons of Dort 2× 8-9 Small Catechism 1× 9 Ninety-Five Theses 1× 9 Second Helvetic Confession 1× 9-10 Twenty-Five Articles of Religion 1× 9 Smalcald Articles 1× 9 Apostles' Creed 1× 9 Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible 1× 1-9 John Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible 1× 1-10 Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary 1× 1, 5, 8 Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown Commentary 1× 2-10
Manuscript witnesses 4 ▾
Codex Sinaiticus Aleph c. AD 330-360 Codex Vaticanus B c. AD 300-325 Codex Alexandrinus A c. AD 400-440 Codex Ephraemi Rescriptus C c. AD 450
Cross-references 225 ▾
v1
v2
v3
v4
v5
v6
v7
v8
v9
v10
What is 1 John 1 about?

Writing from Ephesus late in the first century, the aged apostle John addresses churches troubled by teachers who denied that the Son of God had truly come in human flesh. He opens as an eyewitness, declaring the One whom he had heard, seen, and handled—the Word of life made manifest—so that his readers might share the fellowship he enjoys with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ. Setting out the message he received, John announces that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all, so that those who claim fellowship with Him must walk in the light, where the blood of Jesus cleanses from all sin. Rather than pretend to sinlessness, believers are to confess their sins to the God who is faithful and just to forgive. From its first lines the letter grounds assurance not in feeling but in the incarnate Christ, whose atoning work opens the way into fellowship with a holy God.

Historical backdrop

By the closing decades of the first century the apostle John was old, settled at Ephesus, the great port and commercial capital of Roman Asia with its vast temple of Artemis. Domitian ruled, and the worship of the emperor pressed harder on the provinces. The eyewitnesses of Jesus were nearly all gone, and new teachers had risen who denied that the Son of God had come in real human flesh.

Matthew Henry on 1 John 1
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on 1 John 1
The Church Fathers on 1 John 1
Cited by the confessions

1 John 1

1 John Chapter 1
1

1That which was from the beginning, that which we have heard, that which we have seen with our eyes, that which we beheld, and our hands handled, concerning the Word of life 2(and the life was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare unto you the life, the eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us); 3that which we have seen and heard declare we unto you also, that ye also may have fellowship with us: yea, and our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ: 4and these things we write, that our joy may be made full. 5And this is the message which we have heard from him and announce unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. 6If we say that we have fellowship with him and walk in the darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: 7but if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanseth us from all sin. 8If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

Chapter 2 →
What is 1 John 1 about?

Writing from Ephesus late in the first century, the aged apostle John addresses churches troubled by teachers who denied that the Son of God had truly come in human flesh. He opens as an eyewitness, declaring the One whom he had heard, seen, and handled—the Word of life made manifest—so that his readers might share the fellowship he enjoys with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ. Setting out the message he received, John announces that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all, so that those who claim fellowship with Him must walk in the light, where the blood of Jesus cleanses from all sin. Rather than pretend to sinlessness, believers are to confess their sins to the God who is faithful and just to forgive. From its first lines the letter grounds assurance not in feeling but in the incarnate Christ, whose atoning work opens the way into fellowship with a holy God.