The New Testaments three letters attributed to John have always provided remarkable theological riches for the Christian tradition, including the assertion God is love. Scholars have struggled to discern if these documents are from the same person who wrote the Gospel of John and have worked to see each of these writings within their own situation and context. Each letter shows how an early Christian author responded to threats against authority by recourse to the correct teachings of the faith and a proper understanding of the relationship between Jesus and God. Together, these letters argue for a bond of unity among believers, based on fidelity to the truth of God.

Judith M. Lieuis Lady Margaret's Professor of Divinity at the University of Cambridge in England. She is the author of numerous books on early Christian identity and a former editor of the journal, New Testament Studies.