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Every child of God, says John, can win victory.

I John

First John explores love, truth, and living with confidence in faith. Dive into its big themes, and see how the letter explains light, love, and honest living.

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Fascinating Fact:

The book discusses sin and forgiveness, teaching that confession leads to cleansing and restored relationship with God.

In Specialist The Bible, First John is written to help believers feel sure about what they have been taught and how to recognise what is true. It stresses that faith should show up in real life through love, honesty, and choosing what is right. The letter also warns against ideas that sound spiritual but pull people away from the core message, encouraging readers to test teaching by its truth and its fruit.

Key Terms

Fellowship: A close shared life with other believers, built on trust, support, and a common faith.
Antichrist: A term First John uses for those who oppose or deny Christ, especially by spreading deceptive teaching.
Assurance: Confidence that you truly belong to God, shown through belief and a life shaped by love and obedience.

Frequently Asked Questions (Click to see answers)

What is the main message of First John?

The main message of First John is that true faith shows itself in love, truth, and right living, and that believers can have confidence in their relationship with God.

Why does First John talk so much about love?

First John focuses on love because it treats love as evidence of genuine faith, showing that a person’s beliefs are real when they care, forgive, and act fairly towards others.

How does First John say you can recognise false teaching?

First John says false teaching can be recognised when it denies the truth about Christ or produces harmful behaviour, while true teaching points to truth, humility, and love in action.

Try These Related Quizzes

All quotations from the Bible are taken from the Authorised King James Version.

1 .

As well as being liars, according to John, what else are those who deny that Jesus is Christ?

Antichrists

Fools

Devils

Wicked

Whoever denies Jesus, the son, also denies God, His father.

I John 2:22-23
"Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son. Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father: [but] he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also"

2 .

John tells us how to differentiate between a false prophet and a true. What is it that a true prophet will say?

Jesus was God's son

Love your neighbour

Keep the Sabbath

Do not kill

Any prophet who does not say that Jesus was God's son, incarnated in a human body, is speaking from the spirit of the antichrist.

I John 4:1-3
"Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: and every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world"

3 .

Perfect love casts out what, according to John?

Sin

Hate

Envy

Fear

God is love, and so we need not be afraid if we live in love with Him.

I John 4:16-18
"And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him. Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love"

4 .

At the beginning of his letter, John says that Christ, who has been since the dawn of creation, is God's word, or message, of what?

Of peace

Of salvation

Of creation

Of life

Christ came to us with the message of eternal life, to which John can attest, having touched Him with his own hands.

I John 1:1-3
"That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life; (for the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;) that which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ"

5 .

By what means can we tell if we are a Christian, or if we know God?

If we are baptised

If we go to church regularly

If we keep God's commandments

If we give to the poor

Many have said that they are Christians, but have not lived as Jesus told them to.

I John 2:3-6
"And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him. He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked"

6 .

The message which John declares, can be put into three words: God is... what?

Mercy

Light

Mighty

Love

If we live in God's spiritual light, and shun the darkness of sin, then Jesus' blood will cleanse us of our sins.

I John 1:5-7
"This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: but if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin"

7 .

What should a Christian do if he sees a fellow Christian sinning?

He should rebuke the sinner before the church

He should ask God to forgive the sinner

He should report the sinner to the church

He should ask God to punish the sinner

I John 5:16-17
"If any man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death, he shall ask, and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto death. There is a sin unto death: I do not say that he shall pray for it. All unrighteousness is sin: and there is a sin not unto death."

We are unsure what "the sin that ends in death" is exactly. It may be blasphemy, which ends in spiritual death, as we see in Mark 3:29

"but he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation"

8 .

What is it that, through His love, God has allowed Christians to be called?

Chosen of God

Sons of God

Servants of God

Soldiers of God

Because most people do not know God, they don't believe in Christ.

I John 3:1-2
"Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is"

9 .

John tells his readers not to be surprised if they are persecuted, but still, they should love. What is it that John calls anyone who hates?

A fool

A devil

A sinner

A murderer

Jesus gave His own life because of His love for us, and we should be prepared to do likewise if needs be.

I John 3:13-16
"Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you. We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death. Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him. Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren"

10 .

Every child of God, says John, can win victory by overcoming what?

The Devil

Selfishness

The world

Greed

By obeying God, we can overcome the sinful pleasures of this world.

I John 5:4-5
"For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God? "

Author: Graeme Haw