A. The writer(s), the place, and the time: According to the structure, tone, and wording, there can be no doubt that this book was written by the same John who wrote the Gospel of John. It was written to all the believers who had received God’s eternal life by believing in the Son of God (5:11-13). According to church history and the contents of the entire book, it must have been written after John had returned from being exiled on the island of Patmos, probably between A.D. 90 and A.D. 95, and it must have been written in Ephesus, where the apostle John last ministered.
B. The subject: the fellowship of the divine life.
C. The background: [Toward the end of the first century, when the apostle John was writing his Gospel, Epistles, and Revelation, there were already heresies concerning the Person of Christ. One heretical teaching was that Christ was God but not man, and another heresy was that Christ was man but not God. Other heretics denied that Jesus was the Christ. Because of such a situation, John was burdened to write concerning the Person of Christ in an all-inclusive way.]
D. The central thought: [In John’s Epistles, especially in the first one, the focus is the mystery of the fellowship of the manifested divine life among the believers with God and with one another. This fellowship is mysterious. Although we are of different races, colors, and nationalities, we enjoy the one fellowship in the manifested divine life. We have a wonderful oneness among us. This is the mystery of the fellowship of the divine life.]
E. The general sketch: [In the Epistle of 1 John there are three main sections: the fellowship of the divine life (1:1—2:11), the teaching of the divine anointing (2:12-27), and the virtues of the divine birth (2:28—5:21).] [The sequence here is very significant. First, John shows us that in the divine life there is the enjoyment of fellowship, and in this fellowship we enjoy the teaching of the anointing.] Then, the [sequence of these sections indicates that the fellowship of the divine life and the teaching of the divine anointing bring us into the virtues of the divine birth.] [In the third section we see how much enjoyment we receive from the divine birth. In particular, this enjoyment is related to the virtues of the divine birth. The divine birth brings in many virtues. Only by the fellowship of the divine life and by the teaching of the divine anointing can we experience and enjoy all the virtues imparted to us through the divine birth.]
F. The sections: 1) the fellowship of the divine life (1:1—2:11), 2) the teaching of the divine anointing (2:12-27), and 3) the virtues of the divine birth (2:28—5:21).