- Abbreviation:
- John
Letters of John
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What are the Letters of John in the New Testament?
The Letters of John are three New Testament writings traditionally attributed to St. John the Apostle. They likely originated around the beginning of the 2nd century in Asia Minor and are part of the seven Catholic Letters.
The letters consist of 1 John, 2 John, and 3 John. Though the author of 1 John is not identified, the other two letters identify the writer as "presbyter" (elder). The letters share similar language and content, suggesting a common source.
These letters address problems facing the early church, such as refuting false doctrines and promoting community solidarity, love, and ethical behavior. They guide Christians in their daily lives within the church. 2 John encourages readers to reject heretics, while 3 John deals with church discipline, encouraging hospitality towards true missionaries.
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How many Letters of John are there, and what are their names?
There are three Letters of John in the New Testament. They are traditionally attributed to St. John the Apostle, a disciple of Jesus.
The names of the three letters are:
* First Letter of John (1 John)
* Second Letter of John (2 John)
* Third Letter of John (3 John)The language and content of the three letters suggest a common source. They are part of the seven Catholic Letters and are typically the 23rd, 24th, and 25th books of the New Testament.
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Who is believed to have written the Letters of John?
Tradition ascribes the Letters of John to St. John the Apostle, son of Zebedee and disciple of Jesus, though debate continues regarding the true authorship of these works. The author of the first letter remains unidentified, while the writers of the second and third letters call themselves "presbyter" (elder). The language and content of the three letters suggest a common source.
The Letters of John, along with the Letter of James, the two Letters of Peter, and the Letter of Jude, form the seven Catholic Letters.
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What are some main themes or messages in the Letters of John?
The Letters of John, found in the New Testament, address themes of Christian love, obedience, and the rejection of heresy.
These letters emphasize adherence to true teachings, particularly regarding the Incarnation of Jesus, and urge Christians to maintain moral lives by following the commandments and loving one another. The letters also highlight the importance of community solidarity, achieved through love and ethical behavior, in the face of internal and external challenges. They stress that love of God is expressed through love for one another and obedience to God's commands.
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How do the Letters of John encourage Christians to act toward others?
The Letters of John urge Christians to persevere in leading a moral life by imitating Christ, especially by loving one another. This love means being self-giving, because Christ gave his life for humanity.
The letters also stress the importance of community solidarity, achieved through love and ethical behavior. Christians are called to show submission, humility, patience, and good conduct, acting as witnesses to their faith through blameless behavior. The letters encourage hospitality towards true missionaries and emphasize the connection between true doctrine and the command to love. A key theme in 1 John is that God's love makes Christians children of God. As such, they keep the commandment of brotherly love and resist evil and false teaching.
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How do the Letters of John differ from other letters found in the New Testament?
The Letters of John, also known as the Johannine Letters, consist of 1 John, 2 John, and 3 John. These letters are part of the seven Catholic Letters. Catholic Letters are those intended for general circulation throughout the church, unlike Pauline letters that address specific congregations.
Written around 100 CE, the Johannine letters share terminology, style, and general themes with the Gospel According to John. The letters emphasize community solidarity, love, and ethics, and they also confront emerging heresies, particularly a type of Gnosticism called Docetism, which denied the reality of Jesus’ earthly life.
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Letters of John, three New Testament writings, all composed sometime around 100 ce and traditionally attributed to St. John the Apostle, 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 three Letters of John, together with the Letter of James, the two Letters of Peter, and the Letter of Jude, are part of the seven so-called Catholic Letters. As the history of the New Testament canon shows, the Catholic Letters were among the last of the literature to be settled on as canonical before the agreement of East and West in 367. During the 2nd and 3rd centuries, only 1 John and 1 Peter were universally recognized. Although their order in the Bible has varied, the three Letters of John typically are the 23rd, 24th, and 25th books of the New Testament.
1 John
The First Letter of John 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 Gospel According to John.
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2 John
The second and third letters are closely akin to the first in language and ideas. The Second Letter of John exhorts a church, fancifully called “the elect lady and her children,” to boycott the docetic heretics (combated in 1 John), who deny the reality of the Incarnation. In 2 John, as in the Gospel According to John and 1 John, the light–darkness images are similar to those of the Dead Sea Scrolls. To “walk in the truth” is to reject heresy and follow the doctrine of Christ.
3 John
The Third Letter of John 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. The writer is concerned about and has responsibility as presbyter for the missionaries of the church. It is somewhat of a short note concerned with church discipline, encouraging hospitality to true missionaries, and thus is not unconnected with true doctrine and the command of love.