New Testament
The First Letter of John
The First Letter of John is the twenty-third of the 27 books of the New Testament: 5 chapters and 105 verses.
About 1 John
About 1 John · Letter on love
First John was written to communities shaken by members who had walked out denying that the Son of God truly came in the flesh. The author, in the tradition of the beloved disciple, writes like an old pastor circling three tests of authentic faith: right confession of Christ, obedience to the commandments, and love of the brethren. It was written so that believers may know they have eternal life, and it contains the New Testament's boldest sentence about God's own nature: God is love.
| Testament | New Testament — book 23 of 27, 69 of 73 in the Bible |
|---|---|
| Canon | Protocanonical (in every Christian canon) |
| Chapters | 5 |
| Verses | 105, as Bless numbers them |
| Latin | Clementine Vulgate, every chapter |
| Bp. Challoner | Summaries of all 5 chapters · 25 notes |
| Catechism | 40 paragraphs cite it |
Chapter by chapter
All 5 chapters, in brief.
Bishop Richard Challoner’s summary of each chapter, from his revision of the Douay-Rheims (1749–52). Open a chapter for the full text.
1 John 1
10 versesHe declares what he has seen and heard of Christ who is the life eternal, to the end that we may have fellowship with God and all good through him. Yet so if we confess our sins.
1 John 2
29 versesChrist is our advocate. We must keep his commandments and love one another. We must not love the world nor give ear to new teachers, but abide by the spirit of God in the church.
1 John 3
24 versesOf the love of God to us. How we may distinguish the children of God and those of the devil. Of loving one another and of purity of conscience.
1 John 4
21 versesWhat spirits are of God, and what are not. We must love one another, because God has loved us.
1 John 5
21 versesOf them that are born of God, and of true charity. Faith overcomes the world. Three that bear witness to Christ. Of faith in his name and of sin that is and is not to death.
Bp. Richard Challoner · chapter summaries
In the comments
What the saints said.
17 quotations from 14 saints linked to passages of 1 John in Bless. Each names the work it comes from.
St. Augustine of Hippo · on 1 John 4:7
On this verse
Love, and do what thou wilt.
Homilies on 1 John, VII.8, c. 407
St. Augustine of Hippo · on 1 John 2:15
On this theme
Two loves have made two cities: love of self unto contempt of God, and love of God unto contempt of self.
City of God, XIV.28, c. 426
St. Peter Damian · on 1 John 3:2
On this theme
To know God, we must ourselves become good.
Sermon on St. Andrew, c. 1060
St. John Chrysostom · on 1 John 3:17
On this theme
Not to share our wealth with the poor is to rob them and take away their livelihood. The riches we possess are not our own but theirs.
Homily on Lazarus, 2, c. 388
St. Francis of Assisi · on 1 John 3:18
On this theme
Blessed is the servant who loves his brother as much when he is sick and useless as when he is well and can be of service to him.
Admonitions, 3, c. 1220
St. Jerome · on 1 John 3:18
On this theme
Let your actions never belie your words.
Letter 52 to Nepotian, 394
11 more, on the chapter pages
- 1 John 3:18St. Ignatius of Loyola
- 1 John 3:18St. Gregory the Great
- 1 John 3:18St. Vincent de Paul
- 1 John 3:18St. John Bosco
- 1 John 4:8St. Catherine of Genoa
- 1 John 4:16St. Thomas Aquinas
- 1 John 4:18St. Thérèse of Lisieux
- 1 John 4:19St. Augustine of Hippo
- 1 John 4:19St. Catherine of Siena
- 1 John 4:19St. Bernard of Clairvaux
- 1 John 4:20St. Vincent de Paul
Coming up
Read at Mass.
From October 29, 2026 to October 28, 2027, 1 John is read at the principal Mass on 22 days in the US calendar. The next 8 readings:
| Date | Celebration | Reading | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|
| All Saints | Second Reading | 1 John 3:1-3 | |
| Friday of the Thirty-first Week in Ordinary Time | Alleluia | 1 John 2:5 | |
| St. Elizabeth of Hungary, Religious | Alleluia | 1 John 4:10b | |
| Holy Innocents, Martyrs | First Reading | 1 John 1:5—2:2 | |
| The Fifth Day in the Octave of Christmas | First Reading | 1 John 2:3-11 | |
| The Sixth Day in the Octave of Christmas | First Reading | 1 John 2:12-17 | |
| The Seventh Day in the Octave of Christmas | First Reading | 1 John 2:18-21 | |
| Sts. Basil the Great and Gregory Nazianzen, Bishops and Doctors of the Church | First Reading | 1 John 2:22-28 | |
| St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, Religious | First Reading | 1 John 3:22—4:6 | |
| St. John Neumann, Bishop | First Reading | 1 John 4:7-10 | |
| Wednesday after Epiphany | First Reading | 1 John 4:11-18 | |
| Thursday after Epiphany | First Reading | 1 John 4:19—5:4 | |
| Friday after Epiphany | First Reading | 1 John 5:5-13 | |
| Saturday after Epiphany | First Reading | 1 John 5:14-21 | |
| Second Sunday of Easter | Second Reading | 1 John 5:1-6 | |
| Third Sunday of Easter | Second Reading | 1 John 2:1-5a | |
| Fourth Sunday of Easter | Second Reading | 1 John 3:1-2 | |
| Fifth Sunday of Easter | Second Reading | 1 John 3:18-24 | |
| Sixth Sunday of Easter | Second Reading | 1 John 4:7-10 | |
| computed | Wednesday of the Twenty-first Week in Ordinary Time | Alleluia | 1 John 2:5 |
| computed | St. Peter Claver, Priest | Alleluia | 1 John 4:12 |
| computed | Twenty-seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time | Alleluia | 1 John 4:12 |
| computed | All Saints | Second Reading | 1 John 3:1-3 |
| computed | Friday of the Thirty-first Week in Ordinary Time | Alleluia | 1 John 2:5 |
No more readings are listed here; the liturgical calendar has every date through December 31, 2028.
Citations as published in the USCCB liturgical calendar (principal Mass, first option). Dates after May 31, 2027 are computed by Bless from the US Lectionary cycle — confirm with your parish.