1 John 3:1-10
1, 2, and 3 John are written to a church in turmoil. In fact, their story may sound rather familiar. An argument has arisen in the church and, because of the disagreement, a portion of the church has split off from the rest. The author of the Johannine letters, as they are called, is writing to those who remain with the community in hopes that they will be encouraged and inspired again for their work as the church.
The specific argument that divided the community in these letters was the nature of Christ: Was Christ human and divine, or just divine? This argument may seem like a given to us today, but of particular importance to the author of these letters is that the community would understand that belief is the root of action. If we believe that Jesus is only divine, then he is a being entirely separate from humanity and thus cannot be followed. If we believe that Jesus is human and divine, that God is incarnate in Jesus, then we have a model for faithful living. Such faithful living also is incarnate in that our actions reveal who God is to the world.
Understanding that Jesus is both human and divine means that Jesus reveals both God’s nature and how we are to be in relationship with God. When we look to Jesus, we see the love of God in action. And as followers of Jesus, we are children of God who are identified with God when we love as God loves.
The gospel in a word
I grew up going to church camp. Specifically, I went to Shepherd’s Spring every single summer (minus one) that I was eligible. I loved going to camp. I especially loved (and continue to love) camp songs. I loved silly songs like “Da Moose,” “Herman the Worm,” and “The Merry-Go-Round Broke Down.” I also loved the songs that talked about faith in God in simple, yet profound ways.
The song choices of Pete Haynes make up the soundtrack of most of my formative years at camp. He even wrote the theme song for Shepherd’s Spring that we would sing every summer. He also led us in well-known camp songs like “Shake Another Hand” and “Magic Penny.” One of my favorites was the “Love Round” because of the harmonies it created. The words were simple:
Love, love, love, love.
The gospel in a word is love.
Love your neighbor as yourself.
Love, love, love.
While not directly quoting the greatest commandment, it echoes the way in which Jesus whittles down his purpose and God’s identity to one word—love. On this word hang all the laws and the prophets. For this reason, God gave God’s only son. We gather as a church because of it, and we proclaim it because we have received it.
In his book The Orthodox Heretic: And Other Impossible Tales, Peter Rollins illustrates this through a contemporary parable. He tells an ancient legend that speaks of when God wanted to help humanity understand how to live. God decided to send out angels to gather all the wisdom of the world into one library that all would have access to.
However, when the work was done the library was so vast that no one person could begin to read all that it contained, not to mention that most people were never able to make the trip. So, God instructed the angels to summarize the wisdom into a single encyclopedia. Once again, the angels did as they were told, but the encyclopedia was so large that one person could hardly lift it, let alone both read and practice what it said.
In response, God again asked the angels to craft a single booklet with all the essential information, but the people were either lazy or unable to read.
So, God decided once and for all to refine the essential wisdom into a single word that was distribute by word of mouth and through the life of a messenger. That word was love.
Children of God
When you become a parent, it is not uncommon to hear words and phrases come out of your mouth that are direct quotes of your own parents. At some point, no matter how much we try in our teen years to differentiate ourselves from our parents, we pick up aspects of their identity. This is not true just of families. Friend groups often find themselves becoming like each other in certain aspects. People change people, for better or for worse. And who we spend our time with has an impact on our lifestyle and identity.
The author talks about this by using familial language to describe the relationship between Christians and God. This is in part a callback to the way Israel understood their special relationship with God as the chosen people, a heritage that Jesus-followers can now also claim. In addition, the title “children of God” is meant to impress in these Christians a sense of responsibility to represent their divine parent well. The Christian is to be an apple that doesn’t fall far from the tree.
In 1 John 4:8, the author of these letters states with simple clarity that God is love. He goes on to explain that any love we give or receive is possible only because God first loved us. God’s love was made visible through God’s son, Jesus Christ, and, because of Jesus, we can become children of God. As children of God, we make God known in a similar way to how Jesus made God known—through love. In fact, it is our ability to love one another that is the very sign that we are God’s children.
Sin and the law of love
In the Johannine letters, actions are just as important, if not more important, than words. The author writes, “Let us love, not in word or speech, but in truth and action” (1 John 3:18). This is because our actions often speak louder than words can alone. In the Gospel of John, after Jesus washed the feet of the disciples, he tells them, “I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:34-35).
The Johannine letters remind us of Jesus’ commandment to love, reminding the church that to do as God commanded is to show that we are God’s children. To be unloving is to sin, and sin is not characteristic of God’s children. That’s not to say that the children of God can ever truly be sinless, but children of God are meant to live transformed lives that are outwardly visible.
In this sense, when the author of 1 John says those who are born of God cannot sin, he is likely not referring to a single sinful moment, but rather a characteristic way of acting which avoids sin. In fact, earlier in the letter, the author writes, “If we confess our sins, he who is faithful and just will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us” (1:9-10).
The Johannine letters talk about God’s continued presence in the community when love is expressed. Love expressed between brothers and sisters in Christ is the visible sign that the church is full of God’s children. To be unloving not only hurts our relationship with God and others, but it damages our witness to who God is. What we say and do is of vital importance to us, to our faith family, and to our witness.
Audrey Hollenberg-Duffey and her husband, Tim, are co-pastors of Oakton Church of the Brethren in Vienna, Va. She is also coordinator of English-language ministry training programs with the Brethren Academy for Ministerial Leadership. This study is from A Guide for Biblical Studies, published by Brethren Press.