Grit & Grace: 1 & 2 Peter + 1, 2 & 3 JohnSample

First John was written to help early Christians confirm their faith and avoid destructive beliefs and behaviors. John gives four purpose statements: 

1. He wrote to promote his readers' fellowship and joy (1 John 1:4) 
2. He wrote to help readers avoid the pitfalls of sin, yet find forgiveness when they stumbled (1 John 2:1) 
3. He wrote to protect believers from false teachers (1 John 2:26) 
4. He wrote so that they might know they had eternal life (1 John 5:13)

The last purpose statement governs the other three and brings them together in a unifying theme.  

First John maps out the three main components of God: faith in Jesus Christ, obedient responses to God’s commands, and love for God and others from the heart. This epistle shows how Jesus expects His followers to honor Him in practical church life and wherever God calls His people to go and serve.

To learn some of the contexts of 1, 2, and 3 John, watch this short video by The Bible Project below. It will help give you a deeper understanding of these books of the bible.