Six Doctrines from John’s Letters

God’s revelation in Scripture doesn’t take the form of a theological treatise. But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t approach biblical doctrines systematically. There’s significant value in summarizing theological concepts and aligning our thinking with God’s. In his volume on 1–3 John in the New American Commentary, Daniel Akin organizes the theology of these epistles into six key doctrinal areas: God, sin, Christ, the Holy Spirit, salvation, and eschatology. Here’s what he has to say about how John speaks to these core doctrines.

The Theology of John’s Epistles

The epistles of John contain a wealth of theological truth that demands careful attention. This fact is not always emphasized as clearly as it ought to be. The issues to which John gives attention and his manner of treatment are often distinct. This allows him to make his own unique contribution to the theology of the New Testament. Just as it is appropriate to talk of Pauline theology, it also is correct to speak of a Johannine theology, even when we restrict our analysis to his epistles. Following is a brief summary of several of the crucial doctrines John emphasizes in his letters.

(1) The Doctrine of God

John highlights two characteristics of God. First, God is light (1 John 1:5). Second, God is love (1 John 4:8). Both of these qualities are essential attributes of God. To walk in the light is to walk in the life of God. To practice love is to demonstrate the character of God. Marshall points out, “The nature of God stands in the sharpest contrast to the devil and the world which are characterized by lies, hatred, and evil.” John also focuses on the fact that “God is revealed as the Father of Jesus Christ (1:2, 3; 2:22, 23, 24; 4:14 [2 John 9]). To love the Son is to love the Father (5:1).”

(2) The Doctrine of Sin

First John 3:8 states that the devil is the source of sin, for he has “sinned from the beginning.” This probably is a reference to the beginning of creation (Gen 1–3) and the devil’s activity in the garden and thereafter (cf. John 8:44; 1 John 3:12). Burdick claims:

“It is apparent that sin in the individual is the result of the devil’s hold upon a person, and victory over sin is in reality victory over the devil himself. The declaration that, ‘the whole world is lying in the evil one’ (5:19, author’s translation) makes it clear that the same evil influence extends to the whole world.”

John affirms that it is for the sins of this “whole world” that Christ was a propitiation (1 John 2:2). John describes sin as darkness (1 John 1:5–7), lawlessness or rebellion (1 John 3:4), and unrighteousness (1 John 5:17). Sin is universal and comprehensive. Therefore every person is a sinner and sins (1 John 1:8, 10).

(3) The Doctrine of Christ

John provides a marvelous balance in addressing the person and work of Christ and the deity and humanity of Christ. “Jesus is presented as the Christ, the Son of God, and the reality of the incarnation of the preexistent Word of God is stressed.” Law referred to this as “the great Christological thesis of the Epistle” and wrote,

“That thesis is the complete, permanent, and personal identification of the historical Jesus with the Divine Being who is the Word of Life (1:1), the “Christ” (4:2) and the Son of God (5:5).”

Twenty-one times he is called the Son in 1 John and twice in 2 John. He is called “the ‘Word of Life’” (1:1), which echoes John 1:1 and the Logos teaching. Further, John states that the Son “was with the Father” and is himself the “life” of God (1 John 1:1–2; cf. John 1:1–2). Jesus is the “true God and eternal life” (1 John 5:20), a direct affirmation of the Son’s deity. He was sinless (1 John 3:5), he made atonement for the sins of the whole world (1 John 2:2; 4:10), and he destroyed the devil’s work (1 John 3:8), accomplishing all of this by his bloody death (1 John 5:6). His death was a demonstration of the Father’s love (1 John 4:9–11) for sinful humanity. He could do all of this because he took on tangible, real human flesh (1 John 1:1–3).

As Burdick asserts, “So important is the doctrine of the Savior’s humanity that it is employed as a criterion for discerning the false prophet from the true (4:1–3).” He was no phantom. The incarnation was a true and genuine wedding of perfect deity and sinless humanity.

(4) The Doctrine of the Holy Spirit

First John does not include an extensive body of material on the Holy Spirit, but what is present is significant. The Spirit primarily witnesses to the believer concerning the true teaching about Jesus the Christ (1 John 2:27; 5:7). The Spirit himself is a gift of anointing “that enables the Christian to enter into true knowledge.” He is a person who is distinct from the Father and Son and yet clearly has equal status with them (1 John 2:27; 4:2, 13; 5:7). He has been given to the believer (3:24) and enables him to overcome the world (4:4). As the Spirit of truth (4:6), he helps the believer to recognize the false prophets who speak and teach wrongly concerning Jesus.

(5) The Doctrine of Salvation

The redemptive work of Jesus Christ has made possible our salvation (1 John 2:2; 3:16; 4:10). By believing and receiving the Son (1 John 5:10–13) one is born again (1 John 5:1), becomes a child of God (1 John 3:1–2), and receives the gift of eternal life. John’s concept of eternal life (1 John 2:25; 5:11) is dualistic but in a Judeo-Christian sense. Ladd explains:

“His theology is structured in the dualism of the past and the future—the already and not yet. … Like the Gospel, the epistle concentrates on the present experience of eternal life. It mentions eternal life at least ten times, always with emphasis upon the present. … However, this experience of eternal life has a future cast. He who does the will of God abides forever (2:17). John looks forward to the realization of all that Christ means at his eschatological parousia (2:28). Although we have received life, although we have been born again (2:29), we are not yet like Christ. We await his parousia, when we shall experience an unimaginable change.”

In our current experience we are able through the new birth to do “what is right” (2:29). We may commit individual acts of sin (1:8, 10; 2:1), but we will not habitually live in sin (3:6, 7–9). We are enabled to “love one another,” which provides assurance that we have been “born of God and know God” (4:7). In salvation God has come to live (abide) in us and we in God (4:15–16). This is a genuinely experiential reality and the basis for transformed living.

(6) The Doctrine of Eschatology

It was noted in the brief survey of salvation personal aspects of Johannine eschatology. To this must be added cosmic insights. John obviously lived in the expectancy that the parousia was imminent, for he said, “This is the last hour” (2:18). John was convinced that the “Christ event” had inaugurated the Messianic Age, and he clearly embraced the tension of the “already-not yet” reality of the reign of Jesus the Messiah. Certain events taking place in the churches gave further support of this perspective. The evidence included the presence of “many antichrists.” Yet John looked to the eschatological coming of Antichrist as well (2:18; 4:3).

Again we see a tension in John’s soteriology and eschatology. Nothing he writes would indicate that he did not expect

“a future consummation of the age, which would include the coming of antichrist, the second advent of Christ, resurrection, judgment, and eternal life. The advocates of realized eschatology have not succeeded in reducing such literal future events to mere present spiritual experiences.”

John does see the world as already passing away (2:17), indicating that the victory of Christ won at the cross is already underway; and yet he awaits a final and climactic resolution. The day of judgment is coming (4:17). Those who live in God and he in them will have confidence in that day and will not have fear (4:18). On that day, when he comes, our transformation will be made complete, for “we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is” (3:2).

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