Why did John call himself the elder? (v. 1)
This was probably a title he was given to signify his authority in the early church. Some think John may have been an elder in the Ephesian church; Peter held a similar position (1Pe 5:1).
Who was this lady chosen by God? (v. 1)
John likely used this figure of speech to describe a local church receiving the letter, allowing him to emphasize that his readers were God’s children who must be cared for and taught. Some, however, think this may have been an actual unknown Christian woman.
Who or what is the truth? (v. 1)
John highlighted the reality of the presence of Jesus in this church as truth, using the word five times in the first four verses. He was saying that those in fellowship with Christ will have the means to discern right and wrong as well as the power to choose between the two.
Why did some say Jesus did not come in the flesh? (v. 7)
Some people at that time accepted the deity of Jesus but not his humanity. They taught that the divine Christ came on human Jesus at his baptism and then left him at the cross, so that it was only the man Jesus who died. In today’s climate of logic and reason, some say the opposite; they accept Jesus’ humanity but not his deity. The truth combines both: Jesus is both fully God and fully human at the same time.
What do Christians work for? (v. 8)
The Bible teaches that we cannot work to earn our salvation; we are saved by God’s grace (Eph 2:8–9). But once God’s grace has saved us, we can serve God and expect that we will receive rewards for our work in eternity (1Co 3:11–15; 2Co 5:10). John calls us to keep the faith and to persevere.
How can we tell who is in the teaching of Christ? (vv. 9–10)
Anyone who contradicts the clear-cut teachings of the Bible concerning the essentials about who Jesus is cannot be in the teaching of Christ. Nor can anyone who lives a life that is consistently disobedient to God’s commands in his Word.