1 John - Eye Catching Repetitions

This is the third in a 4 part series on 1 John. You can find the other posts here: Part 1- 1 John Introduction, Part 2- Cycles and Repetitions as Means of Emphasis, and Part 4: Cycles as Patterns of Importance

1 John is filled with cycles and repetition. Yesterday we talked about what those two terms mean and gave some examples throughout the Old and New Testament of both cycles and repetition. Today we're going to look at some of the eye-catching repeated words throughout 1 John. 

Repetitions

"Heard"

The word "heard" occurs 8 times throughout 1 John. This word is used by John to communicate an essential aspect of what he has witnessed. John brings up what he's heard when he talks about his own personal, tangible experience of God (1 John 1:1). He again brings up hearing when discussing what he proclaims and tells others about, namely, what he tells others is informed by what he's heard (1 John 1:3). John summarizes the message he has heard about God and tells his audience that summary (1 John 1:5). These first three instances are about what John has heard; the final 5 instances are about what his audience has heard about. His audience had heard about an old command (1 John 2:7), many antichrists including "the" antichrist (1 John 2:18 & 4:3), the message his audience first received (1 John 2:24), and a definition of that message first heard being to love one another (1 John 3:11). 

It's safe to say that when John mentions hearing, we ought to listen up. It's a word John used either to demonstrate the importance of the Gospel, or to reference back to what his audience has heard regarding the Gospel or threats to the Gospel. John's repetition of this word isn't due to a lack of creative writing skills, it's an intentional choice to perk our ears up and help us pay attention to what is important. John could very easily have said "I walked with Jesus so sit down, shut up, and listen to me". But this is not what John wrote. John basis his authority, his message, and his instructions all upon what he himself has heard. His authority is not based in who he is, but in who he's heard. His message isn't something he's come up with but found in who he's heard. His instructions aren't the wisdom of a sagely veteran of life's hardships, but instead rooted in continuing to follow what he's heard. 

"Children"

The word for "children" occurs 15 times in 1 John. Most (9 times) often John refers to his audience as children (1 John 2:1, 12, 14, 18, 2:28, 3:7, 18, 4:4, 5:21). The remaining 6 uses of this word create a contrast between the children of God (first mentioned in 3:1) and the children of the devil (3:10). The core of this contrast is found in the love of the children. The children of God are known by their obedience to God and their love for their fellow children of God (3:10, 5:2). The children of the devil are those who do not do what is right (3:10) or does not love their brother or sister (3:10). 

There is much more thematically that could be said about how John refers to his audience as children. John definitely saw his audience in some way as children. Not only as children of God, but also has his own children through the use of the first-person pronoun "my". John takes some level of responsibility, care, and concern for these people in much the same way a loving parent cares for the well-being of their child. John then extends that language using family as a context to discuss how his audience can be sure, certain in their membership in God's family. In this way, not only does John see his audience as his children, but John also makes it crystal clear that God cares for his people as a perfect heavenly father.

"Love"

This word is used 46 times in 1 John. The book only has a little more than 2,100 words total, and 46 of them are love! Throughout 1 John love is defined (3:16, 4:7, 5:3), commanded (3:11, 14, 18, 5:3), directed towards God and away from the world (2:15, 4:8, 4:20, 5:3), and described (4:16, 19, 5:1). One way to describe 1 John is to say it's a book about love. About God's love in Christ, God's love to his people, God's love changing his people, God's love guiding God's people, God's love overcoming the world's love. 

Love is so prevalent as a word and concept throughout 1 John that it's difficult to summarize without simply quoting the entirety of 1 John. That being said, we may think that love is an abstract concept, without any concrete meaning. Due to the frequent use of the word throughout the letter of 1 John, we may be tempted to treat it as a "throw-away" word of little consequence. That would be just the opposite of John's desire. Love shows up so often because for John it is love that drives the entire Christian experience. It was God's love towards us that first began our faith, and it is God's love which sustains our Christian living. Rather than being a flowery, overromanticized, emotionalized love, the love which John speaks of throughout his epistle is a love of prodigious proportions. 

"Light" and "Darkness"

Both light and darkness occur 5 times in 1 John. Light is used to describe God (1:5, 2:8), and Godly behavior (1:7, 2:9, 10). Darkness is used to describe something that is passing (2:8), something which is completely absent in God (1:5), and wicked behavior (2:6, 9, 11). There are some basic observations that make John's use of these terms quite informative. Light provides for the ability to see. Without light, many activities simply become dangerous or impossible. Light is something which humans experience regardless of background, upbringing, culture, or distinction. We depend on light and find light to be a good thing in almost every circumstance. There is hardly a more fundamental or basic part of the human experience which could be recognized as good. 

As much as light illustrates good in the human experience, so too darkness illustrates evil. Darkness brings with it loneliness, a lack of direction, a loss of purpose, chaos, and things which are only done when no one else could possibly see. While John describes God with light (1:5, 2:8), God has nothing to do with darkness. God has no darkness in him (1:5). Darkness is going the way of the dodo bird (extinction). The eventual downfall of darkness is terrific news for the people of God. The downfall of darkness and triumph of God's light is language used by John in his gospel and in the book of revelation. Light and dark as descriptive aspects of the God of the Bible are a hallmark of John's style and communication preferences. 

There are even more than the above repeated words in 1 John. It is my hope this little introduction to a few of the repetitions in 1 John whet your appetite for deeper study and grow your trust in the God who was at work in John as he wrote. Tomorrow we will examine a few of the cycles in John, with one of the main ones focusing on deception, and truth.