Introduction to First John

First John is a fitting follow-up to John's Gospel. The gospel account presented Jesus' person and work with the goal that the reader would come to know Him in truth. This epistle, in turn, speaks to the importance and implications of knowing Jesus as the Messiah promised by God. The two documents closely parallel one another in their themes, language, emphases, etc. and many scholars believe John penned this epistle to address misunderstanding and misuse of things he presented in his gospel account. This first message considers general questions of authorship, occasion and purpose and sets some parameters for reading and interpreting First John.