How to Understand the Books of 1, 2, 3 John & Jude

Study who wrote the books of 1, 2, 3 John and Jude in the Bible when you use this printable outline to discover historical events, timelines, and themes.

Who Wrote the Bible Books of 1, 2, 3 John?

You may remember that the gospel of John was written by “the disciple whom Jesus loved”. John was an apostle and follower of Jesus during his life and one of Jesus’ closest friends. While Paul has the record for most New Testament books written, John comes in second with:

Gospel of John (John)
3 Letters of John (1, 2, 3 John)
End Times Prophecy (Revelation)

The books of 1, 2, and 3 John are letters from John written to churches or people in Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey) around AD 85-95. Remember Jesus’ death occurred around AD 30, so this was years into John’s ministry of the new Christian church.

He writes 1 John to a group of churches, 2 John to one particular church, and 3 John to a church leader named Gaius. Among some of the most famous verses in these books are that God is love and what that means for us as his children. (Make sure to read chapter 4 for some encouragement, although all three books are very short!)

The Book of Jude

Jude is another short book that I’ve included in this set because it comes right after John’s books and is written by Jesus’ half-brother. James and Jude both wrote New Testament books although these siblings didn’t believe Jesus until after his resurrection. Both of his half-brothers went on to preach the gospel and advocate for Jesus.

Jude’s one-chapter letter warns Jewish Christians to beware of false teachers and to be patient with Jesus’ coming.

Printables for the Bible Books of John and Jude

Want to know more about the breakdown of each of these books? Check out my timelines and work your way to a deeper spiritual understanding of God’s relationship with us as his children. You can order 1, 2, 3 John and Jude here: