About ten to twenty years after the production of the gospel, the Johannine community confronted a new controversy that led to conflict and factionalism within the group. Members of the Johannine community experienced a major crisis through a misunderstanding in which they had expected that their leader would not die before the coming of the end, however, when he did they were confused (Ehrman 119). At this later time, John’s conflict is no longer with rival Jews, but with members of its own group, referred to as the Johannine secessionists.

The Johannine secessionists taught that rather than being a real human being, Jesus was strictly divine. They believed that Jesus only appeared to be human (Ehrman 328). They didn’t see any need for the commandments and thus did not feel compelled to show love to others within the community (Ehrman 330). John’s group however enforced the importance on loving one another, stating multiple times that those who love are from God and they will be loved because God first loved them. By following the commandments given by God, they are showing love (2 John 6). They explained that we are to walk in the light as God walks in the light (1 John 1:7), and also to do what is good (3 John 11), among many other teachings.

There was a lot of misunderstanding and miscommunication that led to the groups becoming separated. The secessionists can be described as “Jews who failed to acknowledge that Jesus is the messiah” (Ehrman 328). However, because John is a member of the Johannines, and he is the author of the letters, we get his perspective of the outlook of the Johannine secessionists. It is believed, because of John’s letters, that the secessionists “taught others to disobey the commandments and live in sin” (Ehrman 330). However, within the letters they can be seen as being described as “false prophets” (1 John 4:1), “antichrist” (1 John 4:3), “from the world” (1 John 4:5). They were specifically described in the letters as “docetists”, a Greek term meaning “appear” or “seem” (Ehrman 328).

Throughout the gospel of John, specifically John 13:34-35 and 15:12, it is stated that we are to love one another just as God has loved you, and that by showing love to one another the world will recognize you as a disciple of God. However, within the letters, 1 John, 2 John, and 3 John, these commandments to love one another have been reinterpreted. Specifically in 1 John 4:7-10, 2 John 4-11, and 3 John 5-10, it is stated that we are to love one another because love is from God (1John v.7), everyone who loves is born from God and knows Him (1John v.7), God showed the ultimate act of love by sending His one and only son into the world so that we may live through him (1John v.10), that by following the commandments given to us by God that we are showing love (2John v.6), to not believe and follow those of the world for they commit evil deeds (2John v.7-11), to do good to those whom you may or may not know (3John v.5), and that everyone must go on their journey for the sake of Christ (3John v.7). Much like how Jesus took the Ten Commandments and went deeper into what exactly they entail, John took the commandment to love one another and dug into it deeper and expanded more on it throughout his letters.