This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down His life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. I John 3:16 (I, II, III John)
The Christian Church was 60+ years old and many attempts had been made to amalgamate the Gospel with prevailing philosophical trends. John, the Apostle wrote three letters, the first a circular letter sent to a large audience and meant to be shared far and near, and two short and very personal letters that were preserved because they were probably attached to the larger correspondence. The objective was to warn against corrupting Christianity with pagan behaviors and thought and restate the Truth.
John was Jesus’ most intimate friend, the one Jesus had asked to care for His own mother at the crucifixion. Following the destruction of Jerusalem, John lived the rest of his life in Ephesus, from where he sent these letters. One misbelief that infiltrated Christian practice was dualism, the idea that body and spirit were separate. The body’s sins did not sully the spirit. This allowed for deeply immoral habits within the Christian community. There were also false prophets claiming to have a superior knowledge of God and denied the incarnate Christ. John had walked intimately with Jesus for three years. He knew He was fully The Son of Man and fully The Son of God.
The Church must cling to the Truth and the Truth is, you must believe Jesus, the Son of a loving God, died for man’s salvation. We have the assurance of eternal life and we show this knowledge of Truth by following God’s command, to love one another.
Love,
Gretchen