The First Letter of John is an epistle that continues the literary style of the Gospel of the same name. This letter was probably written to various churches in Asia Minor, and it highlights the fundamental elements of the doctrine of the Kingdom of God, the commandment of love proclaimed by Jesus, and the new life that this commandment brings to believers.
Although the first letter of John does not touch on themes such as the seven "I am" statements and the spiritual rebirth, which are prominent themes in the Gospel of John, the letter retains the typical mysticism of the apostle John by presenting God as the light that illuminates men and that love that leads men to blessedness.
And the first epistle of John highlights something very important: the true life to which every person who believes in Jesus is called. And this is so because Jesus is that very life, and this is how the apostle explained with wisdom this spiritual truth in his first letter: "God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son" 1 John 5:11.
The concept of Life used in the letter, although not explicitly stated at any point, is that life which arises with the spiritual rebirth, with the perception of the Kingdom of God, with the mind. The apostle John wrote about life to refer to eternal life, that life which once obtained cannot be lost, that is why it is eternal. And this life is a promise made to every Christian; in fact, hope, which is the gift that accompanies faith, is the assurance of receiving eternal life. This is why the apostle John expressed this promise with these words: "Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life" 1 John 5:12. The first letter of John invites us to believe and trust in Jesus, because true life is a gift bestowed by the spirit, a life that frees man from concupiscence and the inclination to error, a life that makes men truly like God in essence.
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