1 John
"God is love"
Two things you can tap
- A verse number shows the Bible’s exact words.
- An underlined word shows what it means.
Read
What does it say?
This is a plain-language guide, not a translation. Check it against the Bible text any time.
Tap a verse number, like , to read the Bible’s exact words.
The whole chapter, in shortThe main points of the whole chapter, in a few sentences.
John, writing to the believers he calls his little children, says that God is light, and "if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us." He marvels at the love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God. Love is not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son for our sins, so we love one another, and "perfect love drives out fear." He wrote so that those who believe in Jesus may know that they have eternal life.
Where it is in the Bible: 1 John 1 to 5
All the sections at a glanceA map of the chapter, with the verses for each section.
Map of the Letter
| Section | Verses | What it says |
|---|---|---|
| 1. What We Have Seen and Touched | 1:1-4 | John was there |
| 2. Walking in the Light | 1:5 to 2:2 | If we confess our sins, God forgives |
| 3. Children of God | 3:1-10 | See how much the Father loves us |
| 4. Love in Action | 3:11-24 | Not just words |
| 5. God Is Love | 4:7-21 | We love because he first loved us |
| 6. So That You May Know | 5:1-13 | Whoever has the Son has life |
Before You Read
Who wrote it. The letter doesn't give a name. Since the earliest days, Christians have said it was John, Jesus's disciple, writing as an old man. It sounds a lot like the Gospel of John.
Who it was for. Churches John cared for, whom he calls "little children." Some people had left the church and were teaching that Jesus wasn't really God come in the flesh (2:19, 4:2-3).
What this letter is. A letter about love and assurance. John wants believers to know for sure that they belong to God and have eternal life (5:13). He keeps returning to three things: God is light, God is love, and Jesus is truly the Son of God.
How to read it. This page walks through the passages read in church, mostly during the Easter season. Listen for the word "know."
Section by Section
Section 1 of 6What We Have Seen and Touched
John begins with the Word of life, which he heard, saw, and touched with his own hands.
He means Jesus. He was really there.
"We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us" (1:3).
Fellowship means sharing life together, with each other and with God.
Section 2 of 6Walking in the Light
"God is light, and in Him there is no darkness at all" (1:5).
If we walk in the light, "the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin" (1:7).
"If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us" (1:8).
"If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1:9).
And if anyone does sin, "we have an advocate before the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One" (2:1).
An advocate is someone who speaks up for you, like a lawyer on your side.
Jesus is the sacrifice for our sins, "and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world" (2:2).
Section 3 of 6Children of God
"Behold what manner of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God. And that is what we are!" (3:1).
We don't know everything about what's ahead. But we know this: "when Christ appears, we will be like Him, for we will see Him as He is" (3:2).
Jesus came to take away sins, and to destroy the devil's work.
God's children don't make a life out of sin. They do what is right and love each other.
Section 4 of 6Love in Action
"This is the message you have heard from the beginning: We should love one another" (3:11).
"By this we know what love is: Jesus laid down His life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers" (3:16).
If you see someone in need and could help, but don't, how can God's love be in you?
"Little children, let us love not in word and speech, but in action and truth" (3:18).
What if your heart condemns you? "God is greater than our hearts, and He knows all things" (3:20).
God's command is simple: believe in Jesus, and love one another.
Section 5 of 6God Is Love
"Beloved, let us love one another, because love comes from God" (4:7).
"Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love" (4:8).
How do we know? "God sent His one and only Son into the world, so that we might live through Him" (4:9).
"And love consists in this: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as the atoning sacrifice for our sins" (4:10).
No one has seen God. But when we love each other, God lives in us.
"There is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear" (4:18).
"We love because He first loved us" (4:19).
You can't love God, whom you haven't seen, and hate the person in front of you.
Section 6 of 6So That You May Know
Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God.
"And this is the victory that has overcome the world: our faith" (5:4).
Jesus came by water and blood: his baptism and his death. The Spirit, the water, and the blood all point to him.
"And this is that testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. Whoever has the Son has life" (5:11-12).
"I have written these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life" (5:13).
Meaning
What does it mean?
Read It
What Does This Mean?
| The text says | It means |
|---|---|
| "God is light" (1:5) | God is pure and true, with nothing hidden. |
| "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us" (1:9) | When we admit our sins, God always forgives. |
| "We have an advocate" (2:1) | Jesus speaks up for us before the Father. |
| "That we should be called children of God" (3:1) | God adopts us into his family. |
| "God is greater than our hearts" (3:20) | God's mercy is bigger than our guilt. |
| "God is love" (4:8) | Love is who God is, not just something he does. |
| "Perfect love drives out fear" (4:18) | God's love takes away fear of punishment. |
| "So that you may know that you have eternal life" (5:13) | Believers can be sure. |
Back Then
Some teachers said Jesus only seemed human. They thought the body was bad, so God couldn't really become flesh. John insists: we touched him (1:1).
John lived longer than any of the other apostles, according to early Christian writers. He may have written this letter from Ephesus.
"Little children" is how an old pastor might talk to the people he loves.
Literal Reader Alert
Does John say Christians never sin? No. He says, "If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves" (1:8). He means God's children don't make sin their way of life.
Does "God is love" mean anything goes? No. God's love is shown in Jesus dying for our sins (4:10). It is holy love that forgives and changes us.
Can I really know I have eternal life? Yes. John wrote so that believers would know (5:13). It rests on Jesus, not on how strong we feel.
How People Feel
| Who | Feeling | Why |
|---|---|---|
| John | Joyful | Sharing what he has seen (1:4) |
| Believers | Condemned by their own hearts | They feel guilty (3:20) |
| Believers | Afraid | Of punishment (4:18) |
| Believers | Sure | They know they have eternal life (5:13) |
For you
What does it mean for me?
Your Turn
What do you need to know today? Tap one.
I feel guilty
If we confess, he is faithful to forgive. God is greater than our hearts.
I'm not sure I'm saved
Whoever has the Son has life. John wrote so you would know.
I'm afraid
Perfect love drives out fear.
I want to love better
We love because he first loved us.
You Might Have Heard
"God loves you if you love him first."
What's true: God calls us to love him with all our heart.
What the passage is mainly about: "Love consists in this: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son" (4:10). God loves first. Our love is the answer.
Where Jesus is: He is the Word of life John touched, our advocate, and the sacrifice for the sins of the whole world.
Good News
You are God's child. That's not a hope. It's a fact.
"Behold what manner of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God. And that is what we are!" (3:1).
God loved you first. If you confess your sins, he forgives. And whoever has the Son has life.
God is love. He loved us first and sent his Son for our sins. We are his children, and we can know we have eternal life in Jesus.
Big Idea
God is light and God is love. He loved us first and sent his Son as the sacrifice for our sins. We are his children, and we love because he first loved us.
If this chapter brings up big feelings, talk with someone you trust, like a parent, pastor, or counselor.
For leaders and parentsLuther, church readings, and notes for teaching.
From Luther
Luther valued 1 John for its comfort. He pointed to 3:20, "God is greater than our hearts," for people tormented by guilt: when your conscience accuses you, God's promise is bigger.
In Church
Many churches follow the Revised Common Lectionary. In Year B, it reads through 1 John on the Sundays of Easter, from the Second Sunday of Easter to the Seventh. 1 John 3:1-3 is read on All Saints Sunday in Year A.
We quote Luther for what he got right about grace. He also wrote terrible things about Jewish people. Read our note on that.
Memorize
How do I keep it?
One line from this story to learn by heart. Practice a little now. It will come back later so it sticks.
We love because He first loved us.
How did that feel?
Using this at church
Read in church on
- Second Sunday of Easter Year BSecond reading, 1 John 1:1—2:2
- Third Sunday of Easter Year BSecond reading, 1 John 3:1-7
- Fourth Sunday of Easter Year BSecond reading, 1 John 3:16-24
- Fifth Sunday of Easter Year BSecond reading, 1 John 4:7-21
- Sixth Sunday of Easter Year BSecond reading, 1 John 5:1-6
- Seventh Sunday of Easter Year BSecond reading, 1 John 5:9-13
For a newsletter or sermon notes
1 John, explained in plain words. An old disciple writes to his "little children": God is light, God is love, and you can know you have eternal life. About 11 minutes. https://freescripture.org/stories/1-john/
Lines for the next eight Sundays, on Digital Lutheran Church