Readings:
1 Chronicles 27-29
Sirach 11
1 John 1

1 John 1

We’re starting a new epistle today, but unlike our last book, this one has a few more questions attached. First off we don’t know for certain who wrote this letter, because the author never identifies himself like Paul did in all his letters, but ancient Christians believed it was written by the apostle John. We know from the opening of the letter that the author is an eyewitness to the life of Jesus, and so the attribution to one of the apostles makes sense. Also in my opinion there’s no reason to cast doubt upon the opinions of the early church when they said that these three letters were written by John son of Zebedee. Also this first chapter has several themes running through it that sound very familiar and very similar to the prologue of the gospel of John.

Another mystery is the intended recipients of the letter. It’s assumed that if it was the apostle John who wrote it, and he traditionally left Jerusalem for Ephesus, then these letters may have been written to Christian communities in Asia Minor (modern day Turkey) that needed strengthening. The purpose of this letter is much more clear that who wrote it and to whom it was written. Evidently these communities had seen an influx of heretical influences and teachers who the author goes as far as to call “antichrists.”

John writes that we are cleansed from our sins through Jesus Christ, but not if we deny we have sinned. We have to acknowledge our sinfulness and confess them, then we can be completely absolved from them. Sounds very sacramental doesn’t it?

Tomorrow’s Readings:
2 Chronicles 1-3
Sirach 12
1 John 2