Open AccessThe identity directed message of 1 John: Hermeneutical cohesion of text, situation and theology. A fairly recent stimulating and creative article by Judith Lieu on the hermeneutics of 1 John has prompted the Johannine researchers to react. She analyses 1 John from the viewpoint of a rhetorical reading of the text to exclusively provide the hermeneutical meaning of the text. Her article has merits to stimulate Johannine researchers to react, which did not happen. It is the purpose of this contribution to test her hermeneutical conclusions and rather to propose a multidimensional exegetical approach to unlock the meaning of 1 John. A rhetorical reading is to be combined with a projected reconstruction of the socio-historical situation of the first historical readers as well as an exegetical analysis of the theological content to obtain a balanced hermeneutical result, considering the theological message of 1 John. The presentation of the theological content focuses on the Christian identity of the historically intended believing readers.