1 John_ Not Written by John or the Apostle

We have discussed John 1:1 in #☦《is-jesus-god》

now we will discuss entire chapter

1 John is an anonymous letter, and its true author is unknown. Though traditionally attributed to the Apostle John, there’s no concrete evidence linking him to it.

The Ignatius Catholic Study Bible: New Testament states, “the question of authorship cannot be decided conclusively.” This means we can’t be certain who wrote 1 John, making its authenticity highly questionable.

The Ignatius Catholic Study Bible: New Testament acknowledges that “it is within the realm of possibility that someone other than John the Apostle could have written 1 John,” raising doubts about its true authorship.

The Ignatius Catholic Study Bible: New Testament states that “some scholars dispute both the apostolic and common authorship of 1, 2, and 3 John. Even in the ancient Church, an opinion circulated that 2 and 3 John did not come from the pen of the apostle,”

Scholars note that very little can be said with confidence about the author of these documents. Like the Fourth Gospel, 1 John is anonymous, adding to the uncertainty of its true authorship.

Biblical scholar Karen H. Jobes states that 1 John is anonymous and does not identify its author, as expected in a personal letter. However, the first four verses show the author’s authority over the topics and suggest they were well known to the original readers.

Historian Judith Lieu notes that the author of 1 John deliberately preserves his anonymity, making his identity unclear. She highlights that his self-presentation in the letter is ambiguous, further adding to the uncertainty about who actually wrote it.

Professor Paul J. Achtemeier explains that 1 John’s authorship is uncertain. The tradition linking it to John, son of Zebedee, is debated, and if 2 and 3 John share the same author, his title as “elder” instead of “apostle” raises doubts.

David Noel Freedman notes that 1 John is anonymous, while 2 and 3 John name the author as “the Elder.” He argues this likely isn’t the Apostle John and that, despite its link to the Fourth Gospel, 1 John’s authorship is uncertain.

Zaine Ridling, Ph.D., states that the theology and language of 1 John suggest it was written around 100 CE by one or more teachers influenced by the evangelist, rather than the evangelist himself.

Biblical scholar Karen H. Jobes notes that most Johannine scholars interpret the “we” in 1 John 1:1-4 as referring to a group, but there is significant debate over who that group actually was.

1 John: Not Written by John or the Apostle

@everyone

TOP