1 John 2:18-26, Introduction to 1 John (2)

2)    The Destination of 1 John: To whom was this letter written?

Perhaps this is a strange question to ask, because the Holy Spirit did not lead John to address this to a specific congregation of person.  Tradition says it was written to the church at Ephesus, but this is only conjecture.  It was apparently not important for us to know this.  And furthermore, maybe it was more of a treatise by John.  There is no salutation at the beginning or personal words at the end, as were not only normal in Paul’s letters but also in 2 John and 3 John. 

However, there is something we should note in this question.  In 1 John 2:12-14 John says he is writing to the little children, the fathers and the young men.  We will discuss this in more detail in our verse-by-verse studies, as to what characterizes these people.  But what we see is that John is saying something that all manner of believers should hear, including new Christians, older Christians, and the Christians in the middle who are in the thick of the battle.  That tells me that 1 John is written for all of us, wherever we are along the path of discipleship.

3)    The Purpose of 1 John: What was John’s purpose in writing to these people?

a)    Let’s stay in 1 John 2:12-14.  John tells us why he writes to each “age group.”  He gives some facts about each.  But look carefully.  The little children are those who might struggle with sin more than the others.  They needed to know they were forgiven, and at the same time they needed encouragement to continue growing.  As Heb. 5:13 puts it, the “little children” are the babes who need milk because they are unskilled in the word of righteousness.  The young men have put on the armor of God and are engaged in the spiritual battle.  They need assurance that their faith has overcome the world, and that greater is the One in them than the one in the world.  The fathers, literally, knew the One that is from the beginning.  Many of them would have actually been alive in the Jesus’ earthly days.  They needed encouragement not to leave behind their faith in the true Christ.  They needed to be faithful when others were departing.  Above all, they needed to abide in Christ.

b)    In the previous paragraph I quoted phrases that are found in 1 John, but I didn’t give you the reference.  We will come to these things in time.  For now, as to John’s purpose, he gives us some specific statements as to why he wrote.

i)      In the context of our fellowship with the Father and the Son, John wrote so that our joy might be full (1:3-4).

ii)   He wrote so that we might know that we have eternal life.  Some see John as sowing seeds of doubt about salvation but that is not the case.

iii)            He wrote so that we (especially the little children) might not sin (2:1).

iv) He wrote so that we might not be deceived concerning Christ (2:24-26).