WHO?
There is every reason to believe that John, the beloved disciple of Jesus, is the author of the letters of John. First, the letters are marked by language of eyewitness testimony to Jesus’ teaching and activity. The very first verse references the fact that the author heard, saw, and touched Jesus. Second, the author writes with a self-conscious sense of authority, not over one congregation, but all the churches to whom he writes. 3 John 9 mentions one of the false teachers refusing to “acknowledge our authority.” Finally, important external writings in the early church assign these letters to Jesus’ disciple.
WHEN?
These letters were likely penned as some of the last of the New Testament books. Often it is thought that this letter was written sometime between 85-100AD for several reasons:
John is believed to have survived his exile to the Isle of Patmos under Domitian and returned to continued his work in Ephesus where he later died.
John addresses doctrinal distortions which are not explicitly addressed in the rest of the New Testament but have similarities to errors that we know were being addressed in the early 2nd century Church.
In 2nd & 3rd John, likely written by the same author, the term “the elder” is used by the author as aself-designation. This could refer to the church office but likely is an indicator of John’s age.
WHY?
John was writing due to some recent unrest caused by false teachers in the Church. They had departed from the congregations (either having been disciplined or left to start their own groups) but John was writing to assure the people of God of their standing with God and thus their continued fellowship with each other, the apostle, and with the LORD. He frequently talks about the marks of a Christian or the marks of one who is most definitely not a Christian with the words, “by this we know.” For that reason, some have described John’s letters as tests of true assurance and fellowship. These markers are both doctrinal and behavioral in character, encompassing both love for God and love for neighbor. He was not writing to sow doubt in their minds but to promote joy and bolster confidence as they walked in truth. As we study 1 John, our prayer is that the working of God’s Spirit through his Word will likewise fill us with assurance and joy as we commit ourselves to sound doctrine, dedicate ourselves to obedience, and humble ourselves to walk in love with one another.