4. The final word (5:21)

This brief and somewhat abrupt closing exhortation may be a simple, straightforward warning against idolatry. But nothing in the letter anticipates it. In the light of the struggle throughout the letter between the false teaching about the Incarnation and the truth of it, Blaiklock’s suggestion may be correct. He says it means, “Do not abandon the real for the illusory” (quoted in Stott, 196). At the least, it warns us to avoid faulty conceptions of God. The true God is, as the whole letter insists, to be found in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, incarnate in human history.

This epistle is the shortest in the NT. It is closely akin to 1 John and emphasizes the same themes. The author identifies himself as the elder (v.1). This is not necessarily an official ecclesiastical title; it probably refers to one who is known and respected in the community, being of venerable age and a bearer of tradition. In this case, he would seem to be one who provided the link between this community and the origin of the Gospel. (See Introduction for fuller discussion of authorship.)