2002-01-01
Good Morning Faithful Ones,
For a long time, I have referred to the little books of 1JN, 2 JN, and & 3 JN when writing about other subjects. This made me want to know more about them, and I have no doubt the Holy Spirit planted this desire in me. That is why this series of devotions will be about these books of the Scriptures. The first thing one might ask is why were they written? In keeping with my belief that knowing the context in which writings were rendered helps us to have a better understanding of them, let’s look at the situation that existed in 80-95 AD, the time in which it is suggested they were written.
At that time, a group of false prophets called Gnostics arose in an effort to sway believers from the tenets of the Christian faith. Many of Christ’s original disciples had been martyred. John, was now an elderly man and would eventually be imprisoned on the Isle of Patmos off the coast of Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey). The church needed encouragement and reminders of why it should stay focused on the teachings of Christ and Paul. “Gnosis” is the Greek word meaning knowledge. The Gnostics professed to be Christians but claimed to have additional knowledge. They asserted that matter was evil, and therefore, Christ, the Man, could not be God. They made the distinction between Jesus and “the Christ.” “The Christ” was a divine emanation that came upon Jesus at the time of His baptism and left before His death, possibly in the Garden of Gethsemane. According to them, Jesus did die, but “the Christ” did not. The bottom line is that they denied the Incarnation, that Jesus is the Christ, and that Jesus Christ is both God and Man. These teachers claimed that to be saved was to be set free from concern with life in this world, and that salvation had nothing to do with matters of morality or of love for one’s fellow man.
There is considerable evidence that the apostle John wrote these books to rebut these arguments and to encourage the believers not to be sucked into the Gnostic falsehoods. The first four verses of 1 JN show that the author knew Christ well and spent time with Him. The author also wrote the words of an older leader, e.g. “my little children,” etc. His use of simple sentences and choice of language closely match John’s as well.
False teaching has been a long-standing problem from the time of the Tower of Babel; the only difference throughout history is the names given to it. With so many individuals and groups claiming to know the truth, many NT writers felt the need to speak about this threat. Christ prophesied that many false prophets would appear after the disciples were arrested and handed over to be put to death. MT 24: 11, “Then many false prophets will appear and fool many people. Christ’s warning continues in MT 24: 24-25, “For false Messiahs and false prophets will appear; they will perform great miracles and wonders in order to deceive even God’s chosen people, if possible. Listen! I have told you ahead of time.” Paul expressed his concerns about this problem in 2 COR 11: 3, “I am afraid that your minds will be corrupted and that you will abandon you full and pure devotion to Christ-in the same way that Eve was deceived by the serpent’s clever lies.” He elaborated in 2 COR 11: 12-15, “I will go on doing what I am doing now, in order to keep those other ‘apostles’ from having any reason for boasting and saying that they work in the in the same way that we do. ‘Those men are not true apostles-they are false apostles, lie about their work and disguise themselves to look like real apostles of Christ. Well, no wonder! Even Satan can disguise himself to look like an angel of light! So it is no great thing if his servants disguise themselves to look like servants of righteousness. In the end they will get exactly what their actions deserve.” In 2 PET 2: 1, Peter also warned about false prophets. “False prophets appeared in the past among the people, and in the same way false teachers will appear among you. They will bring in destructive, untrue doctrines, and will deny the Master Who redeemed them, and so they will bring upon themselves sudden destruction.”
When we get to chapter 4 of 1 JN, you will see that John also deals with this clear and present threat. So, the next logical question is what is the best defense against it? 2 TIM 3: 16-17 begins the answer of that question. “All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching the truth, rebuking error, correcting faults, and giving instruction for right living, so that they person who serves God may be fully qualified and equipped to do every kind of good deed.” REV 22: 18b-19 leaves us with a warning not to add or subtract from God’s words in any way. The bottom line is that the Holy Spirit speaks to us through study of the word, prayer, our circumstances, and our congregations. When we are willing to listen to Him, we can know the difference between what is the truth and what is a lie. HE 4: 12 defines the truth as “alive an active, sharper than a double-edged sword. It cuts all the way through, to where the soul and spirit meet, to where joints and marrow come together. It judges the desires and thought of man’s heart.” Once we know the truth, we should call to mind Paul’s words in 2 TIM 1: 13-14, “Hold firmly to the true words that I taught you, as the example for you to follow, and remain in the faith and love that are ours in union with Christ Jesus. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, Who lives in us, keep the good things that have been entrusted to you.”
PRAYER: O Lord, as we embark on a study of 1, 2, & 3 JN, we ask you to help us to see the value of the truths within them. Throughout history, the adversary has tempted mankind with lies and deception which come in very alluring forms. We must understand that You have given us a means to combat these lies with the Holy Spirit’s teaching and our willingness to spend time allowing You to reveal Yourself to us through study and prayer. It is not enough, Dear Lord, for us just to learn the truth; we must share it with others who will listen to us. We pray that there will be many of them. We thank You for giving us a way to salvation through the death of Your Son and for gifting us with the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Most of all we humbly and adoringly approach You with our thanks for Your consistent, loving, compassionate, and guiding presence in our lives. We trust, rely on, and honor You. In Christ’s name, amen.
Tomorrow, we will begin looking at the wonderful messages within these little books of 1, 2, & 3 JN. It is my hope that you feel the presence of our loving Abba in your lives. I testify to His love for us, which is consistent and eternal. Peter and I send you our love too.
Grace Be With You Always,
Lynn