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The Letters of John
BC Weekly Digest Monday, April 27 1998 In this issue: 1 John 2:15-17 1 John 2:18 1 John 2:19 1 John 2:20,21 1 John 2:22,23 1 John 2:24 1 John 2:15-17 "The world is passing away..." Material things decay- pass away! Jesus taught from the beginning that we should not be attached to material treasures that decay, but rather set our hearts on heavenly things. We can not love and serve 'mammon' and the living God ( Matthew 6:19-24 ). Paul instructed the Colossian believers to 'seek the things that are above, not the things that are upon the earth'( Colossians 3:1,2 ). In his writing to the Corinthians Paul declares all visible things temporal, it is the unseen things ( spiritual ) that are eternal. Man's body, the outward man, is decaying but the inner spiritual man can be constantly renewed ( 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 ). The world of visible things is destined "to pass away with a great noise ... and the elements shall be dissolved with fervent heat" ( 2 Peter 3: 10-12) - but those who do the will of God will live forever. Read also John 6:47-51; 11:25,26; 17:3. J.Lee Roberts ------------------------------ 1 John 2:18 1 John 2:18 (OPV) 18 Little children, it is the final hour. And as you heard that antichrist was coming, even now many antichrists have arisen, by which we know that it is the final hour. == 2:18 "It is the final hour" Widespread apostasy had been foretold by Christ and His Apostles (Matthew 7:22-27; 24:10-12, 24,25; Acts 20:29,30; 2 Peter 2:1-3). When Paul wrote his second letter to the Thessalonians, which is considered to be among the earlier books of the New Testament, a widespread apostasy had not yet occurred. "Now we beseech you, brethren, touching the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and our gathering together unto him; to the end that ye be not quickly shaken from your mind, nor yet be troubled, either by spirit, or by word, or by epistle as from us, as that the day of the Lord is just at hand; let no man beguile you in any wise: for [it will not be,] except the falling away come first, and the man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition, he that opposeth and exalteth himself against all that is called God or that is worshipped; so that he sitteth in the temple of God, setting himself forth as God. Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things?" (2 Thes 2:1-5 ASV). When Paul wrote this letter, he used the fact that a great apostasy had not yet occurred to refute the false claims of some that Christ's return was already there. The Lord's prediction of an apostasy would have to be fulfilled before the Day could come. But when John wrote his letters, some thirty or forty years later, this prediction had been fulfilled. From then on, Christ could come at any moment. John describes this as being 'the final hour'. 2:18 "And as you heard that antichrist was coming, even now many antichrists have arisen, by which we know that it is the final hour" Some have accused John of an error in thinking it was the final hour when almost two thousand years have passed since then. But the expressions "the final days" and "the final hour" refer to the entire Christian age. In verse 16 John had said, "the world is passing away." The Day of Pentecost was the beginning of the end for this old world. Referring to the coming of the Spirit, Peter said: "But this is that which hath been spoken through the prophet Joel: And it shall be in the last days, saith God, I will pour forth of My Spirit upon all flesh (Acts 2:16,17 ASV). It is still the final hour. Christ can come at any moment. Failing to understand the meaning of "the man of sin," "the son of perdition," "the antichrist," sensationalists in every generation have been quick to identify some prominent personage in their own time as "THE antichrist," not realizing that they themselves were antichrists. In our own times I have heard at least six or seven different men being given this 'honor' including Adolf Hitler and Henry Kissinger. In his second letter John tells us who 'the' antichrist is: "For many deceivers are gone forth into the world, [even] they that confess not that Jesus Christ cometh in the flesh. This is the deceiver and the antichrist" (2 John 7 ASV). The MANY DECEIVERS who go forth into the world are THE antichrist. Peter wrote: "The end of all things is at hand" (1 Peter 4:7). In his second letter he explains that this does not prevent much time passing before the Lord's return: "But forget not this one thing, beloved, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some count slackness; but is longsuffering to you-ward, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance" (2Pet 3:8,9 ASV). Roy Davison ------------------------------ 1 John 2:19 1 John 2:19 (OPV) 19 They went out from us, but they were not of us, for if they had been of us, they would have stayed with us. But [they left] so they could be made known, because all of them are not of us. === 2:19 "They went out from us" These antichrists had formerly been among the faithful believers. Actually, false teachers often do more harm while they are still among the faithful than they do after they leave. A separation usually occurs in time, however. "Shall two walk together, except they have agreed?" (Amos 3:3 ASV). Paul mentions in his letter to Corinth that division is inevitable to separate the faithful from the false. "For first of all, when ye come together in the church, I hear that divisions exist among you; and I partly believe it. For there must be also factions among you, that they that are approved may be made manifest among you" (1 Cor 11:18,19 ASV). What did they leave? They left the fellowship of Christ and His Apostles! Remember that in chapter one John had said: "What we have seen and heard we also proclaim to you so you may also have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son, Jesus Christ" (1 John 1:3 OPV). 2:19 "But they were not of us, for if they had been of us, they would have stayed with us" Jesus had told His Apostles: "He that heareth you heareth me; and he that rejecteth you rejecteth me; and he that rejecteth me rejecteth him that sent me" (Luke 10:16 ASV). Sometimes people think that the problems in Christendom could all be solved if we had living Apostles among us. But not so, for even while Apostles were still living there were false teachers who rejected them! This need not surprise us, since Jesus Himself was crucified by the religious leaders! 2:19 "So they could be made known" Jesus told us how to recognize false teachers. "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are ravening wolves. By their fruits ye shall know them" (Matt 7:15,16a ASV). 2:19 "Because all of them are not of us" Notice that John makes a clear distinction between those who are and who are not of us. In Revelation we find false religion being represented by Babylon. Just as Israel was to flee from Babylon and return to the true religion of God at Jerusalem, so now true believers are charged to come out of all false forms of religion and worship God according to His word: "And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come forth, my people, out of her, that ye have no fellowship with her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues" (Rev 18:4 ASV). Roy Davison ------------------------------ 1 John 2:20,21 1 John 2:20,21 (OPV) 20 But you have an anointment from the Holy One, and all of you know. 21 I did not write to you because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and because no lie is of the truth. === 2:20 "You have an anointment from the Holy One" The word 'Christ,' which is a transliteration of a Greek word into English, means 'The Anointed One'. The word 'Messiah' comes from the Hebrew word with the same meaning. For everyday purposes, scented oil was used to cleanse, refresh and treat the skin (Ruth 3:3). It was a luxury item because oil, and especially perfumed oil, was expensive (Luke 7:44-46). Scented oil was also used religiously to consecrate and appoint priests (Exodus 28:41; 29:7; 30:30; 40:13,15) and kings (Judges 9:8,15; 1 Samuel 9:16; 15:1; 16:3,12; 1 Kings 1:34). It was also used to consecrate items for use in service to God (Exodus 29:36; 30:26; 40:9-11). The prominent idea in connection with religious anointment was consecration. For example, the following expressions are used in the above passages in connection with anointment: "consecrate them, and sanctify them" (Exodus 28:41); "anoint it, to sanctify it" (Exodus 29:36). This description of the anointment of the tabernacle makes the meaning clear: "Moreover Jehovah spake unto Moses, saying, Take thou also unto thee the chief spices: of flowing myrrh five hundred [shekels], and of sweet cinnamon half so much, even two hundred and fifty, and of sweet calamus two hundred and fifty, and of cassia five hundred, after the shekel of the sanctuary, and of olive oil a hin. And thou shalt make it a holy anointing oil, a perfume compounded after the art of the perfumer: it shall be a holy anointing oil. And thou shalt anoint therewith the tent of meeting, and the ark of the testimony, and the table and all the vessels thereof, and the candlestick and the vessels thereof, and the altar of incense, and the altar of burnt-offering with all the vessels thereof, and the laver and the base thereof. And thou shalt sanctify them, that they may be most holy: whatsoever toucheth them shall be holy" (Exodus 30:22-29 ASV). Thus, when John says, "You have an anointment from the Holy One," he is reminding followers of The Anointed One that they too have been consecrated and made holy. Peter wrote: "But ye are a elect race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for [God's] own possession, that ye may show forth the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light" (1 Peter 2:9 ASV). 2:20 "All of you know" "For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel After those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, And on their heart also will I write them: And I will be to them a God, And they shall be to me a people: And they shall not teach every man his fellow-citizen, And every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: For all shall know me, From the least to the greatest of them" (Heb 8:10 ASV). 2:21 "I did not write to you because you do not know the truth, but because you know it" Because of the widespread influence of existentialism, many people today believe that it is not possible to know the truth. They deny that truth exists. For them, 'truth' is simply whatever you think is true. Theologians have been active in promoting this idea. It allows religious people to believe whatever they want, rather than requiring them to submit to the word of God. Actually, this is a fundamental denial of God Himself, "the God of truth" (Ps 31:5; Is 65:16). Jesus told His followers: "You will know the truth, and the truth will make you free" (John 8:32). Paul designates Christians as those "who believe and know the truth" (1 Tim 4:3). In his second letter, John speaks of "all those who know the truth" (2 John 1). 2:21 "No lie is of the truth" John has a way of making an extremely obvious statement, which powerfully exposes the utter stupidity of the false doctrine being opposed. Truth is truth and lie is lie. Truth simply cannot be compromised. Yet the world is full of people who try. Roy Davison ------------------------------ 1 John 2:22,23 1 John 2:22,23 (OPV) 22 Who is the liar but the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, the one denying the Father and the Son. 23 Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father. He who confesses the Son has the Father also. === 2:22 "Who is the liar but the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ?" Belief that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God is the foundation stone of Christianity. Peter had confessed, when Jesus asked him: "But who do you say that I am?" (Matt 16:15): "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God" (Matt 16:16). One cannot become a Christian without confessing Jesus to be the Christ. "Nevertheless even of the rulers many believed on him; but because of the Pharisees they did not confess [it], lest they should be put out of the synagogue: for they loved the glory [that is] of men more than the glory [that is] of God. And Jesus cried and said, He that believeth on me, believeth not on me, but on him that sent me" (John 12:42-44 ASV). The word that saves must be in our heart and in our mouth: "The word is nigh thee, in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach: because if thou shalt confess with thy mouth Jesus [as] Lord, and shalt believe in thy heart that God raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved: for with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation" (Rom 10:8-10 ASV). Confession of Jesus as the Christ is a prerequisite for baptism: "And as they went on the way, they came unto a certain water; and the eunuch saith, Behold, [here is] water; what doth hinder me to be baptized? [And Philip said, If thou believest with all thy heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.]" (Acts 8:36,37 ASV). Confessing Jesus as the Christ means that one accepts Him as King. This is called the good confession. "Fight the good fight of the faith, lay hold on the life eternal, whereunto thou wast called, and didst confess the good confession in the sight of many witnesses. I charge thee in the sight of God, who giveth life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who before Pontius Pilate witnessed the good confession, that thou keep the commandment, without spot, without reproach, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ: which in its own times he shall show, who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords" (1 Tim 6:12-15 ASV). When Pilate asked Jesus if He were a king, He replied: "Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end have I been born, and to this end am I come into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice" (Joh 18:37 ASV). 2:22 "This is the antichrist" Notice that the antichrist is not once certain person, but that anyone who denies Christ is "the antichrist" which is a collective term for anyone who is 'anti' (against) Christ. Anyone doing this is also "the liar." 2:22 "The one denying the Father and the Son" 2:23 "Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father" It is not possible to serve God while denying that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. This truth is repeated several times in this letter. "And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son [as] the Savior of the world. Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God" (1 John 4:14,15 OPV). The Father has given ample testimony for His Son. A rejection of the Son is a rejecting of the testimony of God Himself. "If we receive the testimony of men, the testimony of God is greater, for this is God's testimony, that He has testified concerning His Son! The one believing in the Son of God has the testimony in himself. The one not believing God, has made Him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God has testified concerning His Son" (1 John 5:9,10 OPV). 2:23 "He who confesses the Son has the Father also" Jesus gives us this promise and warning: "Every one therefore who shall confess me before men, him will I also confess before my Father who is in heaven. But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father who is in heaven" (Matt 10:32,33 ASV). Roy Davison ------------------------------ 1 John 2:24 1 John 2:24 (OPV) 24 As for you, let what you heard from the beginning remain in you. If what you heard from the beginning remains in you, you also will remain in the Son and in the Father. === 2:24 "Let what you heard from the beginning remain in you" This is the gospel John and the other Apostles had preached to them. "What we have seen and heard we also proclaim to you" (1 John 1:3). "The old commandment is the word which you heard" (1 John 2:7). "For this is the message which you have heard from the beginning: that we should love one another" (1 John 3:11). John emphasizes the same truth in his second letter: "And now I entreat you, lady, not as though I were writing a new commandment to you, but that which we have had from the beginning, that we should love one another. And this is love: that we walk according to His commandments. This - -- as you have heard from the beginning -- is the commandment in which you should walk" (2 John 5,6 OPV). Luke refers to this original message at the beginning of his Gospel: "Forasmuch as many have taken in hand to draw up a narrative concerning those matters which have been fulfilled among us, even as they delivered them unto us, who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word" (Luke 1:1,2 ASV). Their testimony included the words of Christ, since they had been with Him from the beginning. He had told them: "But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, [even] the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall bear witness of me: and ye also bear witness, because ye have been with me from the beginning" (John 15:26,27 ASV). We must be careful not to drift away from this original message brought by Jesus and reported by His Apostles with the Holy Spirit confirming their word: "Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things that were heard, lest haply we drift away [from them]. For if the word spoken through angels proved steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompense of reward; how shall we escape, if we neglect so great a salvation? which having at the first been spoken through the Lord, was confirmed unto us by them that heard; God also bearing witness with them, both by signs and wonders, and by manifold powers, and by gifts of the Holy Spirit, according to his own will" (Heb 2:1-4 ASV). We must mark and avoid false teachers who teach something different from what we have heard from the beginning: "Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them that are causing the divisions and occasions of stumbling, contrary to the doctrine which ye learned: and turn away from them. For they that are such serve not our Lord Christ, but their own belly; and by their smooth and fair speech they beguile the hearts of the innocent" (Rom 16:17,18 ASV). Jude gives the same admonition in the face of similar false teachings. Some were changing God's grace into license: "Beloved, while I was giving all diligence to write unto you of our common salvation, I was constrained to write unto you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered unto the saints. For there are certain men crept in privily, [even] they who were of old written of beforehand unto this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ" (Jude 1:3,4 ASV). 2:24 "If what you heard from the beginning remains in you, you also will remain in the Son and in the Father" If the word remains in us, we remain in the Son. For the sake of superficial cooperation among denominations with conflicting teachings, many in our time view doctrine as 'unimportant'. This is actually a denial of truth, as John so clearly points out in this letter. The last time I visited Canada, a young man came to me before services and asked if I had a Scripture I would like to have read before my lesson. I told him I would be speaking about the truth, so he could select some suitable passage himself. With an arrogant sneer he replied: "Oh, you are going to talk about 'the' truth, are you?" Only if the word remains in us, do we remain in the Father and in the Son. As John says in his second letter: "Anyone going beyond - -- and not remaining in -- the teaching of Christ, does not have God. He who remains in the teaching, has both the Father and the Son" (2 John 9 OPV). Roy Davison