God's Fellowship

• Verses 12-14 are like Old Testament Hebrew poetry that we talked about in the very first 3-in-1 conversation God the Father - In the Beginning. Verse 14 restates verses 12-13.
• Some Bible scholars think John was writing to people in three different stages of spiritual maturity:

1. God’s children or little children or dear children=newest believers
2. young in faith or young men=growing believers
3. mature or fathers=mature believers

Others think John was writing to people in just two different stages of spiritual maturity that were both included under the complete umbrella of "God's children," a phrase John often used to describe all followers of Christ:

1. young men=less mature believers
2. fathers=mature believers

Regardless of the word choice, John’s letter is intended for both men and women.

• Even though 1 John is usually included in a list of epistles (the New Testament books that were written as letters to churches) it seems to be something different. Most Bible scholars and teachers think 1 John was written as a sermon or lesson that could be carried from church to church and read aloud to the people.
• 1 John doesn’t move step-by-step through the main points like this:

1. A
2. B
3. C
4. D

Instead, 1 John has a few major points that it keeps cycling through, sort of like this:

1. ABCD
2. ABCD
3. ABCD
4. ABCD