1 John Outline

I. God Is Light and Christ Is the Way (1:1–2:6)

A. Prologue (1:1–4)

B. God’s nature and human sin (1:5–10)

C. Jesus Christ in everyday life (2:1–6)

II. The Abiding Commandment in a Transient World (2:7–17)

A. The primacy of love (2:7–11)

B. The confidence of God’s people (2:12–14)

C. The lure of this fleeting age (2:15–17)

III. Overcoming Antichrist by Confession of the Son (2:18–3:10)

A. Warning and assurance (2:18–27)

B. Christians as children of God (2:28–3:3)

C. Children of God and the forsaking of sin (3:4–10)

IV. Overcoming Evil by Listening to the Apostle (3:11–4:6)

A. Overcoming Cain’s malice (3:11–24)

B. Overcoming the Antichrist’s deception (4:1–6)

V. The Assurance of God through the Love of God (4:7–21)

A. The perfecting of God’s love (4:7–12)

B. The assurance of God’s Spirit (4:13–21)

VI. Faith in the Son as the Way to Life (5:1–12)

A. Faith keeps the commandments of God (5:1–5)

B. Faith receives the testimony of God (5:6–12)

VII. Final Call to Faith and Understanding (5:13–21)

A. The confidence that faith furnishes (5:13)

B. The prayer that faith enables (5:14–17)

C. The understanding that faith grants (5:18–21)