Doing the truth and the conflict within the Johannine community

Abstract

It is now generally agreed that behind the Johannine literature there is a Johannine community. The history of this community has been the subject of much scholarly inquiry. The consensus which has emerged from these inquiries is that it was a community which had its inception sometime in the 50s, developed through several distinct phases, and finally dissolved sometime around 100 C. E. The latter stages of this history are vividly attested to in 1 John, which describes some of the issues which led to the breakup of the community (I John 2:19). The central focus of my thesis is on the reason for this breakup. 1 John 1:6 says that those who had split away from the community (the "secessionists") did not "do the truth." I examine the possible connotations of this phrase and argue that its use in 1 John is very distinctive and reflects a Hebraic background. The secessionists, on the other hand, understand αληθεια or truth against a Greek intellectual background. This is a fundamental difference which, I suggest, not only throws light on the dispute reflected in 1 John, but also illuminates our general understanding of the development of early Christianity.