The First Letter of John is something of a mystery. Despite its name, the author never identifies himself, and unlike most New Testament letters, it has neither an opening greeting nor a named recipient.
Early Christian tradition attributed it to John the apostle. Most modern scholars are less certain, though its language and theology closely resemble the Gospel of John. It was probably written near the end of the first century, within a Christian community shaped by that Gospel.
The community appears to have experienced a painful division. Some members had left, and disagreements about Jesus’ identity threatened to pull those remaining further apart.
Against this backdrop, the writer returns repeatedly to a simple conviction: God is love. Knowing God, he insists, cannot be separated from loving one another. For a fractured community, that was both a comfort and a challenge.
