I have begun sharing thoughts about the first, second and third Letters that are attributed to John. Dating these letters is truly difficult. There is a consensus that they are later than the gospel of John, most likely written around the year 100 CE. But there is no way of knowing whether all were written at about the same time or whether they might be separated by a decade or more.
Though called a letter, 1 John does not have the typical characteristics of a letter. Its introduction does not refer to the sender or the community to which it was written, and it does not end as a New Testament (NT) letter most often does. In contrast, 2 and 3 John clearly are letters to particular individuals and their communities.
I am sure that if you read these letters, especially 1 John, you will love them as much as I do. They are truly inspirational.
The epistle is of particular value for its declaration of the humanity and divinity of Christ as apostolic teaching and for its development of the intrinsic connection between Christian moral conduct and Christian doctrine. Although the author recognizes that Christian doctrine presents intangible mysteries of faith about Christ, he insists that the concrete Christian life brings to light the deeper realities of the gospel.
With good reason, 1 John has been associated with the gospel of John from the 2nd century on. The two documents have common themes. Those themes are:
Light and darkness
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Word and incarnation
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Abiding in Jesus, God, the Spirit
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Eternal life
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Those who are born of Jesus, God, the Spirit as children of God
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“The world” as that which stands in opposition to God as known in Jesus
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And finally: “Love one another” and “God is love,” as other dominant themes of the letter.
Probably the best known quote from 1 John is the following:
If anyone says, “My love is fixed on God,” yet hates his brother, he is a liar. One who has no love for the brother he has seen cannot love the God he has not seen. The commandment we have from him is this: whoever loves God must also love his brother.
Do take time to pick up the Bible and read 1 John!