Place Written: Ephesus, or near

Writing Completed: c. 98 C.E.

2. (a) What indicates that John’s letters were written much later than Matthew, Mark, and the missionary letters? (b) When and where do the letters appear to have been written?

² Judging from the contents, these letters belong to a period much later than the Gospels of Matthew and Mark​—later, also, than the missionary letters of Peter and Paul. Times had changed. There is no reference to Judaism, the big threat to the congregations in the days of their infancy; and there does not appear to be a single direct quotation from the Hebrew Scriptures. On the other hand, John talks about “the last hour” and the appearance of “many antichrists.” (1 John 2:18) He refers to his readers by expressions such as “my little children” and to himself as “the older man.” (1 John 2:1, 12, 13, 18, 28; 3:7, 18; 4:4; 5:21; 2 John 1; 3 John 1) All of this suggests a late date for his three letters. Also, 1 John 1:3, 4 seems to indicate that John’s Gospel was written about the same time. It is generally believed that John’s three letters were completed about 98 C.E., shortly before the apostle’s death, and that they were written in the vicinity of Ephesus.