SERIES SUMMARY
If you’re a fan of soul music (or have seen the Austin Powers movies and heard Burt Bacharach’s version) you’re familiar with the song “What the World Needs Now” by Dionne Warwick. The main line of the song is, “what the world needs now is love, sweet love.” Those lyrics couldn’t be truer today than any other time in the world and I believe those lyrics encompass the message of 1 John.
The letters of John were written during a time of division within the early church. The church was growing and getting more established across Asia Minor at that time, and with so many different cultures and backgrounds coming together, you could expect that there were likely to be disagreements. That’s a major reason for why John was writing to these churches and it is driving the message he’s trying to get across, which is to love one another as God has loved everyone. As we’ll see, this love can be shown in different ways, but it is the foundation on which to build everything else.
overview: 1-3 john
As we focus on John’s first letter over the next few months, go further in your study by watching the Bible Project’s overview of 1, 2, 3 John. This video breaks down the literary design of the book and its flow of thought. John calls followers of Jesus to share in God's own life and love by devoting themselves to loving one another.
