Chunks: The Letters of John

Reading between the lines of John’s letter, we can sense how the controversy that split the community had shaken the confidence of those who remained. Indeed, the very purpose of the letter is to help them regain that confidence. He’s already told them that they must love one another as Jesus commanded. And now he reassures them: when they see that love in action, they know they’re living like Jesus, and that’s the basis of their confidence for when Jesus returns.