The Epistles of John

1. The Epistles of John Confident Christians

2. Introduction • The books were written anonymously because his audience knew him well. The author is the Apostle John, son of Zebedee. Early church writers ascribe the letters to John. • Likely written after the gospel of John because they were probably written in response to some wrong interpretations of the Gospel (85-100) • Irenaeus said that John lived out his life as an elder in Ephesus • We don’t know who 1 John was written to • 2 John written to “elect lady and her children” • 3 John written to Gaius

3. The False Teaching • Denied Jesus was the Christ (2:22) • Denied that Jesus had a body (4:2-3) • Claim to have a special revelation (4:1-3) • Obedience to Christ not required (2:4-6) • Loving their brother was overlooked • Declared moral perfection (1:8-10)

4. Early Gnosticism maybe? • Cerinthus was first century false teacher of early “Gnosticism.” • Lived during the time of John • Irenaeus, a second century bishop, says that John would not even bathe in the same bathhouse in Ephesus as Cerinthus • Teachings of Cerinthus: • All matter is evil and only spirit is good, so God becoming flesh would be ridiculous • The “Christ” descended at Jesus’ baptism and left right before his death • Christ did not suffer because spirit cannot suffer

5. Passages to Look at 1 John • Walking in the Light (1:5-2:11) • Who is the antichrist? (2:22) • Love One Another (3:11-24) • Test the Spirits (4:1-6) 2 John 3 John