Down an Unfamiliar Road

NEW TESTAMENT CONTEXTUAL COMMENTARY

by Dr. Robert R Seyda

FIRST EPISTLE OF JOHN

CHAPTER FOUR (Lesson XV) 02/04/22

^4:2 This is how we know if they have the Spirit of God: If a person claiming to be a prophet acknowledges that Jesus Christ came in a real body, that person has the Spirit of God.

Joseph Benson (1749-1821) notes that many commentators understand this clause, “Every spirit that confesses Jesus is the Anointed One, who is come in the flesh, is of God,” to mean that they acknowledge Him to be the Messiah, the Son of God, the Savior of the world. Therefore, they are devoted both with heart and voice to believing Him to be such, and committed to Him and confessing Him as such. However, this might expose them to the loss of all things, even their property, liberty, and lives. Therefore, we must acknowledge this to be a perfectly Scriptural and excellent standard of testing, proving those in whom it is found possess the Spirit of God and the Anointed One.[1]

Albert Barnes (1798-1870) sees the Apostle John saying here is a test he immediately specifies in verse two. This is how you can recognize God’s Spirit. One spirit says, “I believe that Jesus is the Messiah who came to earth and became a man.” That Spirit is from God. Another spirit refuses to say the same about Jesus. That spirit is not from God. It is the Spirit of the Anointed One’s enemy. You have heard that this enemy is coming, says John, but I’m telling you it is already active in the world.

Those that confess notes Barnes, that is, makes a proper acknowledgment that Jesus is the Anointed Son of God is part of John’s doctrine and gives its rightful place and prominence in his instructions. It cannot be supposed that a mere statement of this in words would show that they were of God in the sense that they were true Christians; but the reasoning is that if this constituted one of the doctrines followed and taught, it would show that they were advocates of truth and not apostles of error. If they did not do this, it would be decisive regarding their character and claims.[2]

Richard Rothe (1799-1867) adds that the whole activity of salvation in the Christian world acknowledges this earthly, historical life of the Anointed One. If He had not come as a human, He couldn’t have died on their behalf; He could not have risen from the dead. This is humanity’s spiritual sanctuary, and anyone who attacks this has the spirit of the Antichrist. But, on the other hand, to labor for its illumination and fuller restoration is the proper task of all who work for God in the world with a clear conscience of what they are doing. The historical Jesus the Anointed One repels those who do not have a godly spirit; those He attracts surely have something of that Spirit. Hence, in all periods of the Church’s history, those tendencies have been the most destructive, which have more or less expressly proclaimed indifference to the historical Anointed One. Nothing can grieve the Christian spirit more than to see cold-blooded people rejoice at the destruction of this image of the Anointed One who is worshiped worldwide. At the same time, a critical study of His historical life is necessary.[3]

Johann P. Lange (1802-1884) says that the Apostle John now gives the test to use on these spirits mentioned in verse one. It is an oral confession of a doctrinal truth.[4] And although this is not mentioned here by John, the verbal confession must agree with the person’s Christian lifestyle.[5] Furthermore, only a confession originating from the heart under the influence of the indwelling Spirit of God can be meant here. That confession is “that Jesus the Anointed One who came in the flesh is God’s Son.”[6] This was extremely important because He had to be human to die on our behalf, and He had to be God so that He had the power and authority to forgive sin.

Daniel Whedon (1808-1885) sees the first test of a true Spirit in the opening of verse two. This test is aimed at the Docetists, who denied the flesh and body of the Anointed One and made Him a phantom. The Apostle John’s language is sweeping when he writes, “Every spirit of that confesses.” that Jesus came in the flesh yet denies other truths. The word “spirit” is with a lower case because it refers to the speakers and their inspiration. Or, as Augustine states: “Arius, and Eunomius, and Macedonius, and Nestorius,[7] acknowledge that Jesus came in the flesh; are they not, therefore, of God?  Augustine answers his question: “Those heresiarchs did not, in fact, confess the Anointed One came in the flesh because whatever they might do in words, they deny Him by their works.[8] They lack kindness because they have no unity; that is, unity with the Church.” Christopher Wordsworth (1807-1885) gives a different answer, which says in effect that to confess the Anointed One has come in the flesh is to acknowledge Him as Messiah, with all it embraces; namely, His divine atonement for our sins.[9]

William E. Jelf (1811-1875) points out that we can see how little similarity there is with Apostolic teaching and the modern notion that we cannot distinguish between truth and falsehood with sufficient certainty. As a Bible School teacher in the 1960s, I was stunned by how many books authored by so called theologians and Scriptural experts found few reasons to give the Apostles any credit for writing the epistles with their names on them. If you go as far back as the days of the Apostle John, there is an overwhelming cloud of witnesses who give John credit for writing both the Gospel and Epistles. And, of course, that cast a shadow over all the doctrines taught by these Apostles.

It is true, says Jelf, that we cannot, generally speaking, demonstrate to these skeptics any testimony to satisfy and persuade those who deny these things. However, that should not prevent being able, for our and others guidance, to assert with certainty which doctrines are true and false. So much is clear from John’s desire that his readers use a particular point of principle to test a teacher’s being or not being in error. Of course, if it had been impossible to say absolutely that this doctrine was objectively true, it could not have been a test of the subjective truth of the teacher. We are to form a definite judgment on doctrines and use them as tests. Again, it shows the weakness of the notion that it is immaterial what a person believes. Everyone’s belief must be true or false, even in points on which Scripture speaks most mysteriously. Humanly speaking, opposing doctrines cannot both be accurate. Those who do not accept either one is so far in error they may be thought and spoken of as such if need be.[10]

Richard H. Tuck (1817-1868) implies that the Apostle John’s readers should know how to detect heretical teachers because God gave them the Spirit. Apparently, they failed to use the Spirit’s wisdom and depended on their debate skills. But John’s message was clear, rely on God’s Spirit, not yours.

One person may assume they have the Spirit; another may have the Spirit: you will know which it is if you discern rightly what the spirit tells them what to say and do. John suggests one test as especially applicable to the delusions in his time. Another way was to insist on the Anointed One’s genuine humanity. It is vital to notice that the heretics of the later apostolic age did not deny the Divinity, but the humanity, of the Anointed One. The spirit of the antichrist inspired them. Observe that the antichrist is not a person but a sentiment, influence, point, and teaching attitude. The essence of apostolic teaching is loyalty to the Anointed One; the nature of the misleading teaching or self-deceived prophets was independence from the Anointed One or hostility toward Him. If any person wants to improve upon the Anointed One’s ministry or teaching, we cannot be wrong in calling them antichrist. And so, John is saying expect even more antichrists to come.[11]

John Stock (1817-1884) says the Apostles, who are inspired and infallible guides, did not leave us without help detecting heretics. The Spirit of God taught them how to prepare and warn the faithful followers of the Anointed One, which the Spirit guided them into all truth.[12] He, by them, leads to the confession of the true faith and the acknowledging of the incarnation of our Lord and Savior Jesus the Anointed One, both God and man, truly God, perfectly man; indivisibly God and man. The Apostles’ Creed was gathered from their epistles, amplified by the Nicene council, called on the Athanasian to lament their errors directed at our ever-blessed Lord. Also, the Arians denied the deity of the Anointed One; the Apollinarians rejected His human nature; Nestorians divided Him into two persons, and the followers of Eutyches could not distinguish between His God/Man personality.

Four things harmonize to complete the stature of our Lord Jesus the Anointed One: His Deity, His humanity, the combination of both, and the distinction of the two joined into one. Thus, theologian Richard Hooker (1554-1600)[13] notes Stock speaks on these sublime matters. The three Creeds of the Church, also our Articles of Faith, affirm what that Holy Spirit teaches touching the two whole and perfect natures: that is to say, the Godhead and manhood, joined in one person, never to be divided, of whom is the Anointed One, wholly God and man.[14]

Stock continues; let us hold on[15] as we see others backsliding and pray God will never take His Holy Spirit from us, without whom no confession is made. Otherwise, we’ll become unprofitable servants. Let us confess that the Anointed One’s offering was a sufficient sacrifice for the sins of the world;[16] that we are saved by God’s grace, through faith in the Anointed One our Lord, who is our one, and only, and all-prevailing Advocate with the Father. The Apostle Peter, and all the Apostles, affirmed, “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is no other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved than the name of Jesus the Anointed One of Nazareth, whom the Jews crucified, whom God raised from the dead,[17] and who was delivered for our offenses and raised again for our justification.”[18] [19]

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[1] Benson, Joseph: Commentary of the Old and New Testaments, Vol. 3, p. 11103

[2] Barnes, Albert: Notes on the New Testament, op. cit., p. 4859

[3] Rothe, Richard: The Expository Times, op. cit., December 1883, pp. 123-124

[4] 2 John 1:10

[5] Cf. 1 John 1:6

[6] Lange, Johann, Exegetical Commentary, op. cit., p. 133

[7] Augustine: The Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Vol. 4, Book 5:5; Book 22:60, 64, op. cit., pp. 278, 520, 522

[8] Titus 1:16

[9] Whedon, Daniel D., Commentary of the Bible, op. cit., pp. 272-273

[10] Jelf, William E., Commentary on First Epistle of John, op. cit., p. 56

[11] Tuck, Richard H., Preacher’s Complete Homiletical Commentary, op. cit., p. 309

[12] John 16:13

[13] The works of that learned and judicious divine Mr. Richard Hooker with an account of his life and death by Isaac Walton arranged by the Rev. John Keble, M.A., late fellow of Oriel College, Oxford, seventh edition, revised by the Very Rev. R. W. Church, M.A., honorary fellow of Oriel College, and dean of St. Paul’s and the Rev. F. Paget, D.D. Canon of Christ Church, and regius professor of pastoral theology in the University of Oxford, Vol. I, Clarendon Press, London, 1888, p. 44

[14] Stock, John: Exposition of the First Epistle of John, op. cit., pp. 421-322

[15] Colossians 2:8

[16] Galatians 1:8; 1 Peter 1:12

[17] Acts of the Apostles 4:12, 10

[18] Romans 4:23

[19] Stock, John: Exposition of the First Epistle of John, op. cit., pp. 324-325

NEW TESTAMENT CONTEXTUAL COMMENTARY

by Dr. Robert R Seyda

FIRST EPISTLE OF JOHN

CHAPTER FOUR (Lesson XIV) 02/03/22

^4:2 This is how we know if they have God’s Spirit: If a person claiming to be a prophetacknowledges that Jesus the Anointed One came in a human body, that person has the Spirit of God.

Then Medieval scholar Bede the Venerable (672-735 AD) brings up another aspect to consider in what John is saying. He states that we must understand that the word “confesses” implies the profession of orthodox faith and the practice of the good works that ought to accompany faith. If it were not so, then there would be some heretics, many schismatics, and many pseudo-orthodox who would confess that Jesus the Anointed One has come in the flesh but who would deny that confession by their behavior, for they have no love. For it was the agápe-love of God toward us which induced His Son to come in the flesh. God showed His agápe-love to us not in words but in deeds, not by talking but by loving.”[1]

John Calvin (1509-1564) says, let us consider what this “confession” includes; for when the Apostle John says that the Anointed One came, we, therefore, conclude that He was before with the Father; by which His eternal divinity proves to be valid. Moreover, by saying that He came in the flesh, that means that by putting on a human body, He became a real man, of the exact nature with us to become our big brother, except that while being free from every sin and corruption, He was still subject to temptation.[2] So it should not surprise us that even after being born again, we are also subject to worldly temptation. And lastly, by saying that He came, the cause of His coming must be noticed, for the Father did not send Him for no reason. Later, it was on this truth that the office and merits of the Anointed One depended.

Now we can see that when the ancient heretics departed from the faith, they denied the Anointed One’s human and divine natures combined in one man, says Calvin. Unfortunately, the Vatican is doing the same thing today. (Calvin is speaking of his day and time.) Although they confess the Anointed One to be both God and man, they rob the Anointed One of His merits by substituting freewill, merits of good works, fictitious modes of worship, depending on all the sacraments for grace, and the advocacy of the saints. So, the question is, how much of the Anointed One is part of the Church’s salvation plan?[3] It not only goes for the Roman Catholic church but other so-called Christian cults and movements such as Mormonism and Jehovah’s Witnesses, etc.

John Trapp (1601-1669) takes the Apostle John’s words here in verse two and says, “Bring it to this test: Gold may be molten, yet it remains natural gold; so, does the truth. Whereas error like glass (bright, but brittle) cannot endure the hammer or fire.”[4]

Matthew Poole (1624-1679) sees the Apostle John giving his readers general rules, both affirmative and negative, which would serve them in judging their current situation; the great controversy of that time with the Apostle John and the Jews: Whether Jesus was the Messiah? And did the Messiah come or not? And with the Gnostics: Whether the Son of God came in the flesh, in true human nature? Or was He, by appearance, a mere apparition? And John affirms: They who confessed the Messiah’s arrival were of God; namely, they were in the right, this truth was of God. Therefore, of the two litigating parties, Jesus was of God, the others not of God; of these two warring parties (God & Gnostics), John took God’s side against those in opposition to Him. Yes, they made a true confession and honestly confessed Him, that is, sincerely, pleasantly, and practically. It allowed them to trust in Him fully, subject themselves to Him, be born of God, His very children, behave, and have the Holy Spirit’s influence in their lives.[5]

English classical scholar theologian and mathematician Isaac Barrow (1630-1677) says that our Savior’s conception by a virgin allowed Him to be born in a form agreeable to the nature of humankind. Thus, He became undeniably human, which excellent mystery is in Scripture[6] variously expressed or implied by the word’s “being made,” or “becoming.” In other words, God manifested in the flesh, taking the form of a servant,[7] being made in the likeness of humans, and being found as a man, assuming the seed of Abraham,[8] partaking of flesh and blood; descending from heaven. Again, God sent His Son into the world, in the likeness of sinful flesh.[9] The result of what is signified by these and like expressions being this: He which before from all eternity did exist in the form or nature of God, being the Son of God, did truly become a man; assuming human nature into the unity of His person, by conjunction and union with the Divine nature incomprehensible and inexpressible.[10]

He was not only (as the Gnostics and some other heretics concede) human in outward appearance, notes Barrow, but in reality, a perfect man. He had a natural body, figured and limited like ours, compacted of flesh and blood, visible and tangible; which was nourished and did grow, and He grew in wisdom and stature,[11] with a will, subject and submissive to the Divine Will,[12] with a normal appetite and need of sleep. Nevertheless, when He attended Lazarus’ grave, His spirit groaned and was troubled. He then and, upon other occasions, wept out of pity and sorrow.[13] The Gospel writers used terms such as being troubled feeling sorrow to describe Him undergoing His passion. The writer of Hebrews wrote, “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are – yet He did not sin.”[14] [15]

Daniel Whitby (1638-1726) explains why he thinks the Apostle John writes about testing the spirits to identify those from God and Satan. He tells us that the Jews were awaiting the coming of the Messiah. But they were divided into two camps: A minority remnant who believed that Messiah already came and Jesus of Nazareth was His name. He was the one promised with Messianic characteristics. But the majority rejected their choice and kept looking for another.

Now, says Whitby, among those who did come pretending to be the Messiah or the prophet promised by Moses,[16] also claimed to have the spirit of prophecy and do what Jewish historian Flavius Josephus said, “pretended to be prophets.”[17] That’s what the Apostle John is saying here, but he calls them “antichrists.” It isn’t so much that they were against the Anointed One; they falsely pretended to be the Anointed One in opposition to the real Messiah. Neither could they belong to Him or confess Him who was the “Word made flesh.”[18]

William Burkitt (1650-1703) says that in this verse, the Apostle John lays down a rule of trial, how we might know that a teacher is inspired by the Spirit of God, from one that was not. The one sent from God daringly and openly, despite the danger, possessed and professed, taught and preached, Jesus the Anointed One in His character, nature, and offices, as the incarnate Word, the Son of God. That He was sent from heaven ascribing virtue and effectiveness to the sacrifice of His death and attributing to Him alone the whole glory of a perfect Savior: this doctrine is of the Spirit of God. However, some teachers would not take that risk for fear of suffering and persecution, so they denied either the Godhead or manhood of the Anointed One and disowned His incarnation, death, and resurrection. Such teachers and such doctrines are not of God but are the very spirit of antichrist, which, says John, you have been foretold should come, and is now already in the world.

Here’s what we learn from this, says Burkitt. Such teachers renounce either His incarnation, works, miracles, and teachings or deny any of the offices of the Anointed One such as Prophet, Priest, and King. Thus, they reject His divinity or the merits of His payment of our debt on the cross as not of God; they are antichrist and will find the Anointed One against them on Judgment Day when they appear before Him.[19]

James Macknight (1721-1800) explains that the passage “Jesus the Anointed One has come in the flesh” introduces two things; First, Jesus is the Jewish prophets’ prophesied Anointed One. Secondly, this divine celebrity came as a human being. Here, the Apostle John had rightly declared that every teacher convinced they are inspired, who confess that Jesus is the Anointed One come in the flesh, is God anointed. For as Paul told the Corinthians,[20] “no one can say Jesus is Lord, except by the Holy Spirit.[21]

John Brown of Haddington (1772-1787) hears the Apostle John say to his readers, “Now you can distinguish the good Spirit from the bad.” They are the ones called of God and preach the Gospel and inspiration of the Spirit because they believe, freely admit, and boldly proclaim their faith in the Anointed One, the Son of God. For it was He who took on our human nature and fulfilled the Law on our behalf to secure our salvation. These are genuinely anointed and authorized by God for the task. So, those who do not believe and adhere to these principles do not have God’s approval.[22]

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[1] Bede the Venerable, Ancient Christian Commentary, Vol. XI, Bray, G. (Ed.), James, 1-2 Peter, 1-3 John

[2] See Matthew 4:1-11

[3] Calvin, John, Commentary on the Catholic Epistles, op. cit., loc. cit.

[4] Trapp, John, op. cit., p. 475

[5] See 1 John 5:1-5; Matthew 16:16-17; 1 Corinthians 12:3

[6] John 1:14

[7] Philippians 2:6-7

[8] Hebrews 2:16

[9] Ibid. 2:14

[10] Ibid. 2:17

[11] Luke 2:52

[12] See Mark 13:32; Luke 2:52; Matthew 26:39; Luke 22:42; John 5:30; Matthew. 21:18; John 4:6, 7

[13] John 11:33, 35

[14] Hebrews 4:15

[15] Barrow, Isaac: The Theological Works, Vo. VII, An Exposition on the Creed, University Press, Cambridge, 1859, pp. 196-197

[16] See Matthew 24:24-26

[17] Josephus, Flavius: The Complete Works, Wars of the Jews, Bk. 2, Ch. 13, Christian Classics Ethereal Library, Grand Rapids, p. 1238

[18] Whitby, Daniel: A Paraphrase with Annotations, 1 John Chapter 4, p. 466

[19] Burkitt, William: Expository Notes on N.T., op. cit., p. 729

[20] 1 Corinthians 12:3

[21] Macknight, James: Literal Paraphrase, op. cit., p. 85

[22] Brown, John of Haddington: Self-interpreting Bible, op. cit., p. 1327

NEW TESTAMENT CONTEXTUAL COMMENTARY

by Dr. Robert R Seyda

FIRST EPISTLE OF JOHN

CHAPTER FOUR (Lesson XIII) 02/02/22

^4:1 Dearly loved friends, don’t always believe everything you hear simply because someone says it is a message from God: test it first to see if it actually is, for there are many false teachers all around.

David Legge (1969) looks at what the Apostle John tells us in this great epistle of assurance. For this great Apostle, every faithful Christian ought to be able to discern between truth and error. That does not mean that you have to be an expert in the cults or world faiths. In fact, it doesn’t have to imply that you’re well-read in the great systematic theologies of Christianity. But it does mean that every true child of God should have enough of a grasp of Christian doctrine to discern between truth and error. So right away, John tells us that there is a need for discernment because not every spirit is of God. We ought not to be naïve and gullible to believe that all who claim to speak for Almighty God are genuine and deliver their message on His behalf. So right away, John’s warning the Church, and consequently warning us, that just because a person talks about God, or preaches from the Bible, or even speaks of Jesus as Lord, it does not mean that they are of God nor a herald from God. We must wake up to the fact that there are spiritual forces who seek to deceive God’s children even today.[1]

Legge is not saying that we should avoid reading or learning about the teachings of cults or other world religions, but our priority must be to understand God’s Word. Familiarity with Christian doctrine is a fundamental necessity in order to discern what is right or wrong in their teachings. To put it another way, you would never be qualified to test a student’s knowledge of algebra if you were not an expert in algebra yourself.

Douglas Sean O’Donnell (1972) says that many Christian communities today want to move us beyond the Word to the Spirit. That is a bizarre estrangement and one that is moving in the wrong direction. We are not missing some spirit-filling experience when we read and teach the Bible. But there must be time for singing and praying and then for the Word. To be led by the Spirit in corporate worship or private devotion is directed back to the inspired apostolic testimony. When the apostles received the Holy Spirit, they were the Anointed One’s witnesses to the world via the preached Word and later the written Word.[2] As we together (discernment is a corporate endeavor) resist the antichrist spirits of our age and guard the truth (as the custodian of apostolic Christology) “once for all delivered to the saints,”[3] let us not divide this God-ordained union of the Spirit and the Word.[4]

David Guzik (1984) says that being able to discern the right spirit from the wrong is the responsibility of every Christian, especially congregational leaders. According to the Apostle Paul (let the others judge) and (test all things; hold fast what is good).[5] Trying the spirits is the work of the body of the Anointed One. This job is done using God’s gifts of discernment to Christians in general, especially pastors, elders, and teachers of a congregation.

Guzik then offers the following points: (i) Scriptural standards judge all prophecy. It is never to be received just because it is dramatic or given by a particular person. We trust in the principle that God will never contradict Himself, and we know what He has already said in His Word. (ii) True prophecy is never of any private interpretation.[6] It means that there will be agreement and confirmation from the body of the Anointed One, though perhaps (or probably) not everyone will agree or confirm.[7]

4:2       This is how you can recognize God’s doctrine.  Every true doctrine teaches that if I confess that Jesus is the Messiah who came to earth and became a man.’  That doctrine is from God.

EXPOSITION

The Apostle John may have taken this from what he states in his Gospel, “The Word became a man and lived among us. We saw His divine greatness – the greatness that belongs to the only Son of the Father. The Word was full of grace and truth. John the Baptizer told people about Him. He shouted, ‘This is the one I was talking about when I said, “The one who is coming after me is greater than I am because He was living before, I was even born.’”  Yes, the Word was full of grace and truth, and from Him, we all received one blessing after another. God gave the Law to us through Moses, but Grace and Truth came through Jesus the Anointed One. No one has ever seen God. Only the Son is the one who has shown us the likeness of God. He is God and is very close to the Father.”[8]

Verse two contains the main subject of the section. To confess the Incarnation is to prove that one draws their inspiration from God through His Spirit. Therefore, the words, “This is how you can recognize” (NIV) may be either imperative in harmony with “believe” and “test” in verse one, or indicative, in harmony with “we know” in 3:16.

The specific doctrine whereby we test to find whether a teacher is false or true is the doctrine of the Anointed One. If a person denies either the deity or the humanity of the Anointed One, they are a false teacher. Some of John’s readers had become convinced that Jesus did not come in the flesh. Cerinthus, a Gnostic, taught that Jesus did not have true humanity. By denying the physical, historical humanity of the Anointed One, they attacked the fundamental doctrine of Redemption. The death of the body of the Anointed One was necessary to pay for our sins. If this did not happen, then it undermines our salvation.

The word “confesses” means to identify. If anyone does not identify with and acknowledge the humanity of the Anointed One, they are pretenders. Belief in the incarnate Son of God is a touchstone of the Christian faith. Candid acknowledgment that the Messiah came in the flesh to forgive sins is the heart of Christian belief. So, the principle here is that by His incarnation, Jesus took part in our life; by regeneration, we take part in Jesus’ life. 

That means Jesus took on humanity that He might die with it. He gave His life that we might have His life. Jesus eternally existed as God but stepped foot on earth and took on humanity at a specific time. In doing this, He did not divest Himself of His deity. Instead, Jesus voluntarily set aside the use of His divinity while living in His humanity. The babe in Bethlehem was far more than a remarkable child; He was God the Son who stepped into a human body. Our Master never ceased to exist as God. He did not begin when He was born. Denial of this is the spirit of the antichrist.[9]

British writer and lay theologian C. S. Lewis (1898-1963) said, “A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher.  He would either be a lunatic – on a level with the man who says he is a poached egg – or else he would be the Devil of Hell.  You must make your choice.  Either this man was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse.” Anything less than viewing Jesus as an eternal God who took on humanity simply throws kisses at Him. It does not take His deity seriously. We cannot whittle Him down and still worship Him in all His glory.[10]

COMMENTARY

One of the earliest Church Fathers, Polycarp (65-155 AD), who was a disciple of the Apostle John, has this to say on what John writes here: “Everyone who does not confess that Jesus the Anointed One has come in the flesh is antichrist. Whoever does not confess the testimony of the cross is of the devil. Whoever perverts the teachings of the Lord to their lusts and says that there is neither resurrection nor judgment, that person is the firstborn of Satan. So let us forsake the vanity of many and their false teachings and turn to the Word which was delivered to us from the beginning.”[11]

Polycarp then goes on to say: “Continuing in prayer, and diligent in fasting; appealing in our requests to the all-seeing God ‘not to lead us into temptation,’ as the Lord has said:[12] ‘The spirit truly is willing, but the flesh is weak.’”[13][14]  If the doctrine that Jesus was either a phantom or that He was a regular human over whom the Holy Spirit took charge so as to appear as a man was already fostering during John’s day, then for sure Polycarp knew about it.

Early Church scholar Andreas Osiander (circa 600-700 AD) points out that if the world can convince believers that Jesus was not God incarnate, but simply a very blessed and inspired prophet, then the heart and soul of Christianity is ripped out. It will die a slow and painful death.[15]  It would eliminate any faith in His sacrificial death and resurrection.  Also, the notion of His ascension and return would become nothing more than wishful thinking.

Œcumenius (500-600 AD) is not hesitant to say that the confession that the Lord has come in the flesh is not made in words but deeds. The Apostle Paul said we constantly experience the benefits of our Lord Jesus in our bodies, but this is so that the life of Jesus can also be visualized in our bodies.[16] Therefore, whoever has Jesus at work inside them is dead to the world and no longer lives for it, but the Anointed One, who carries Him about in their body – this person is of God.[17] Therefore, saying we are in union with Him is not enough unless that union is also manifested in the same works that He did.

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[1] Legge, David: 1,2,3 John, Preach the Word, op. cit., “Discerning Christianity” Part 12

[2] Acts of the Apostles 1:8; 1 John 1-3

[3] Jude 1:3

[4] O’Donnell, Douglas Sean. 1–3 John (Reformed Expository Commentaries), op. cit., loc. cit. Kindle Edition

[5] 1 Corinthians 14:29; 1 Thessalonians 5:21

[6] 2 Peter 1:20-21

[7] Guzik, David: Enduring Word, op. cit., loc. cit.

[8] John 1:14-18

[9] 2 Corinthians 5:18; 1 Timothy 3:16

[10] Lewis, C. S: Mere Christianity, p. 31

[11] Polycarp of Smyrna: Letter to the Philippians Ch. 7

[12] Matthew 6:13

[13] Mark 14:38

[14] Polycarp: op. cit

[15] Andreas: e-Catena

[16] 2 Corinthians 4:10

[17] Œcumenius: (Bray Ed.), James, 1-2 Peter, 1-3 John, Jude, op. cit., loc. cit.

NEW TESTAMENT CONTEXTUAL COMMENTARY

by Dr. Robert R Seyda

FIRST EPISTLE OF JOHN

CHAPTER FOUR (Lesson XII) 02/01/22

^4:1 Dearly loved friends, don’t always believe everything you hear simply because someone says it is a message from God: test it first to see if it actually is, for there are many false teachers all around.

Robert W. Yarbrough (1948) notes that the Apostle John again calls his readers “beloved.” This noun of direct address occurs at key junctures in his first epistle:

            2: 7        Beloved, I write to you not an old but a new commandment.

               3: 2        Beloved, we are children of God; it is not yet evident what we will be.

               3: 21      Beloved, we have confidence before God if our hearts do not condemn.

               4: 1        Beloved, do not give credence to every spirit.

               4: 7        Beloved, let us love one another.

               4: 11      Beloved, if God loved us this way, we ought to love each other.

John employs “beloved” primarily to introduce weighty statements of fact. In 4:1, however, as also in 4:7, “beloved” precedes a command. This word implies a close rapport between John and his readers in all occurrences. In 4:1 and 4:7, it gives particular weight to his commands. John writes not as a distant authority figure but as a mentor with personal, loving regard for his addressees.[1]

Colin G. Kruse (1950) sees the Apostle John explaining to his readers that they may know that they have passed from spiritual death to life if they showed love towards fellow believers. However, it is not only those who, like John, remain faithful to the message heard from the beginning and love fellow believers who claim an experience of the Spirit. Many others maintained their belief that God dwelled in them, received His Spirit, and spoke in His name. The secessionists were included among such people and undoubtedly to the forefront in John’s thinking as he wrote. So, at the beginning of this chapter, he warns his readers to exercise discernment when they encounter people claiming to speak in the name of God but have no resemblance of God’s love working through them to others.[2]

Judith M. Lieu (1951) states that the mention of the gift of the spirit, which earlier climaxed the certainty of divine presence,[3] can be unclear. The Apostle John just reminded them of the command to “believe” the name of the Son of God[4] now; he urges them not to “believe” every spirit. The Greek term itself, pneuma, carries a spectrum of meanings, from that which in the modern world might be understood as natural, “wind”; or as biological, “breath,” which denotes life. Some see “spirit” as the psychological, emotional, and creative part of being human that continues after the body decays or as responsible for extraordinary or abnormal behavior; through the powers of the universe. The pneuma may be essential to the constitution of the living human being or may act upon it from outside; it may be a neutral force or actively good or evil. It lacks personality but working in or on human beings; it can acquire personal characteristics. God, too, acts through His spirit; since God is personal.[5]

Ben Witherington III (1951) observes that the Apostle John was not dealing with a minor church split or the departure of a few disgruntled souls. Still, it is unclear whether he is speaking solely about his house churches or a general problem infecting and affecting the early Christian movement, including his portion of it. In other words, it is uncertain whether we should see the “many” as related to the size of Johannine communities or a more extensive number based on all the churches at that time. In any case, these antichrists were leading prophetic teachers, and they seem to have won various members of these congregations over to their point of view about Jesus. Thus, John tries to arm the audience with criteria to detect the true from the false teachers/prophets. It would appear that the phrase “the spirit of the antichrist” refers to the anti-Christian spirit that motivates and inspires the antichrist. However, possibly “antichrist” here is a synonym for “Satan.”[6] [7]

Gary M. Burge (1952) says it is essential to pause and evaluate this disharmony in the early church. House churches were isolated in cities throughout the Roman empire. There were few formal creeds (such as the later Creed of Nicaea) to give doctrinal guidance in the early years, nor were the Scriptures available as we have them today. No one owned a “New Testament,” At best, the early Christians only had random collections of letters from the apostles and compilations of stories about Jesus. Therefore, oral communication was essential. Churches relied on emissaries from their leaders, who relayed information from other communities and taught. Paul sent out Timothy and Silas in this capacity, and John sent out elders as his spokespersons.[8] [9] So we can see how some of those sent out may have verbally altered the original message sent with them, while others substituted their doctrines.

Bruce G. Schuchard (1958) notes that the passage’s first reference to a/the spirit/Spirit, “a source of assurance,”[10] now speaks to a spirit’s potential to threaten. For there are true spirits, and there are false spirits. Therefore, the Apostle John must now warn that not everything seems to represent the Spirit of God. Just as John’s appeal not to love the things of the world[11] complements his last appeal to brotherly love,[12] so too his urging the Christian community not to believe in any and every spirit complements his prior exhortation to believe in Jesus through the Spirit that Jesus gives.[13] Instead of John pressing everyone to move on to new and higher spiritual ground, he reminds them of the faith they needed to believe that the Anointed One could redeem and save them from sure punishment.[14]

Marianne Meye Thompson (1964) observes that the Apostle John cautions us that anyone who claims to be inspired by the Holy Spirit can and must be tested. Just because someone suggests that they have the Spirit is not proof that they do. Here “spirit” has been variously taken to refer to (1) the anointing that inspires the prophet, (2) to the person who is inspired, or (3) to the message delivered by the prophet. Obviously, the three are related, in testing a person’s words, one is actually examining whether or not that person speaks by divine guidance. In light of the rest of the passage, two things emerge. First, John believes certain individuals are inspired or led to confess or deny the Anointed One by spirits beyond the human individual. Second, ultimately there are only two spirits: God’s Spirit, also called the Spirit of truth, because it guards and inspires truth; and the spirit of antichrist, which inspires falsehood, and especially false confessions of the Anointed One.[15] [16]

Peter Pett (1966) says that the Apostle John’s epistle readers certainly knew of the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of truth. However, John also speaks of the spirit of error,[17] although possibly not having any specific “spirit” in mind. In the light of what has been said elsewhere, it is possible that we might see this spirit of error as hinting at the devil[18] or possibly some of his demons. These are the “evil spirits” of the Gospels, who speak through the antichrists.[19] But then, we might instead have expected him to talk of the “spirit of deception.” The idea of the spirit of error may simply, therefore, be of any “spirit,” whether the inner spirit of the prophet or an external spirit which possesses him, which prophesies error. At certain times, it might well be just a vivid imagination that was at work. Many things can lead to mistakes.[20] In line with Dr. Pett’s reasoning, it is good that John gave his readers some tests to see which indwelling spirits were in harmony with the Bible and which were not.

As a Unitarian, Duncan Heaster (1967) views this opening verse and says that there were other tests of these prophets – if they didn’t accept that Jesus was Lord, they didn’t have the Spirit.[21] If they held false teaching about whether Jesus came in the flesh and discriminated against other Christians, they also were to be rejected.[22] When Paul says that God and the Holy Spirit witness to the truth of what John is writing, he presumably refers to how those with the gift of discerning spirits had tested and approved what he was saying.[23] All this means is that as soon as a genuine prophet gave an anointed prophecy, it was immediately recognized as such because of all these methods of “testing the spirit.”[24] It is curious that Heaster conveniently left out the fact that the spirits were tested to see if they were from God. This could be considered a case of self-incrimination as a Gnostic.

Karen H. Jobes (1968) thinks that the Apostle John wants his readers to recognize that there are other forces at work than the Holy Spirit for professing Christians, and he refers to those forces as “spirits.” They must be tested by the gold standard, not of human experience or opinion, but sound Christology. The association of Jesus, the Spirit, and the Gospel message is very much the Apostle Paul’s point.[25] John’s readers need to understand that not everything said or done by someone who professes to have the Holy Spirit is of God because many false prophets can be found worldwide. John’s necessity of testing the spirits confirms that he uses the Greek word pneuma (“spirit”) to refer to the activating impulse of human behavior, which may be of the Spirit or the world. False prophets are not speaking the truth about God and His work through Jesus the Anointed One regardless of their thoughts.[26] [27] So, beware of those organizations that use the catchphrases, “Church, Christian, Christ,” etc., in their titles.[28]

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[1] Yarbrough, Robert W., 1-3 John (Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament), op. cit., pp. 219-220

[2] Kruse, Colin G., The Letters of John (The Pillar New Testament Commentary (PNTC), op. cit., loc. cit., Kindle Edition

[3] 1 John 3:24

[4] Ibid. 3:23

[5] Lieu, Judith: The New Testament Library, op. cit., pp.162-163

[6] Although the Apostle John is not talking about miracles, it does not eliminate them as possible factors in the ministry of those who left the community. In either case, judgment should not rest on doctrines built upon miracles, but of miracles by doctrines of the Word. Any miracle enforcing what contradicts the Anointed One and His Apostles’ teaching is not “of God” and offers no authority for Christians. In other words, a miracle may be real and yet not of God, just as a word may be inspired and yet not of God. Cf. Deuteronomy 13:1-2; Matthew 24:24; 2 Thessalonians 2:9; Revelation 16:14

[7] Ben Witherington III. Letters and Homilies for Hellenized Christians, op. cit., loc. cit., (Kindle Locations 7072-7077)

[8] 3 John 1:5

[9] Burge, Gary M., The Letters of John (The NIV Application Commentary), op. cit., p. 173

[10] 1 John 3:24

[11] Ibid. 2:15

[12] Ibid. 2:

[13] Ibid. 3:23-24

[14] Schuchard, Bruce G., Concordia Commentary, op. cit., p. 417

[15] 1 John 4:2-3, 6

[16] Thompson, Marianne M., The IVP New Testament Commentary, op. cit., p. 112

[17] Cf. Ibid. 4:6

[18] Ibid. 2:13; 3:8, 10; 5:19

[19] Ibid. 2:18-19; 2:22

[20] Pett, Peter: Commentary on the Bible, PDF, loc cit.

[21] 1 Corinthians 12:3

[22] 1 John 4:1-10

[23] Romans 1:9; 9:1; cf. 2 Corinthians 11:31; Galatians 1:20; 1 Timothy 2:7

[24] Heaster, Duncan: New European Commentary, First John, op. cit., p. 29

[25] 2 Corinthians 11:4; cf. 1 Corinthians 12:3

[26] Cf. 1 Timothy 4:1; Revelation 16:13–14

[27] Jobes, Karen H., 1, 2, and 3 John (Zondervan Exegetical Commentary on The New Testament, Book 18, p. 177

[28] For instance: The Church of Jesus the Anointed One of Latter-Day Saints – Mormons; Worldwide Church of God; Church of the Anointed One, Scientist; Church of Scientology; Seventh Day Church of God; United Pentecostal Church; Christadelphians, etc.

NEW TESTAMENT CONTEXTUAL COMMENTARY

by Dr. Robert R Seyda

FIRST EPISTLE OF JOHN

CHAPTER FOUR (Lesson XI) 01/31/22

^4:1 Dearly loved friends, don’t always believe everything you hear simply because someone says it is a message from God: test it first to see if it actually is, for there are many false teachers all around.

Stephen S. Malley (1931-2018) gives his perspective on the many false prophets gone out into the world. Smalley reads it as false prophets who have “defected” to the world. They are, undoubtedly, the dissenting members of John’s congregation who have spearheaded a secession from the community (having lost faith, as well as, membership) and making a direct reference to this “defection.”[1] Although it is quite possible, says Smalley, that diverse opinions about Jesus were being spread by docetic teaching by unorthodox members of the Johannine congregations. Therefore, those with this outlook led the breakaway.[2] Such heretics are probably in John’s mind. Thus, he refers to them as “false prophets” here (a term which occurs in the Gospel and letters of John at this point alone).[3] In other words, these false prophets were not trying to get into the church but were already part of the church.

Edward J. Malatesta (1932-1998) compares verses 2:12-18 with 4:1-6 and finds that the Apostle John further interiorizes[4] the contrast between belief and unbelief. The inner battlefield is not the believer’s community but the community’s heart. The Apostle John faced the adverse requirements of false love and a positive element to exercise prudent judgment. The reason for this urgent need for such discernment was the presence of the antichrist spirit in the world. It became a case of one energy judging another nature to see which one was from God. Spirit-filled believers can perceive inner energy’s divine or evil origin through outer ways of acting and speaking. Thus, John wanted his audience to have a spirit-tester, and he had one that worked and was ready to go.[5]

Ian Howard Marshall (1934-2015) says that a statement attributable to inspiration by a spirit did not prove that it was God’s Spirit at work. So, John found it necessary to remind his readers that they should not accept every “spirit” as godly. The word “spirit” here must mean either “utterance inspired by a spirit” or “person inspired by a spirit.” In the latter case, the thought is perhaps of the individual spirit of a prophet, which God or Satan might inspire.[6] Since this is the case, the church members must not believe what is said by every individual claiming to be inspired without first testing whether the anointing spirit is from God. Such prophets were the subject of warnings by Jesus;[7] we have seen how John regarded them as manifestations of the antichrist spirit.[8] The critical question is: how do you test such people?[9] [10]

David Stern (1935) says that after years of having lost touch with the spiritual realm altogether, many people are rediscovering it but have not the discernment to know which spirits “are from God.” Not every inner voice or feeling is from God. Some are merely from ourselves, either consequences of being overtired or stressed or expressions of our wishes and fears. Others are genuinely from a spiritual realm, but, unfortunately, from Satan and his demons, not from God and His angels. By the same token, not every prophet or religious teacher is from God; yet some are.[11] As such, these spirits need testing. Not by our imagination or consulting with others, but by the golden measuring stick – God’s Word.

John Painter (1935) notes that the two commands, negative and positive, are introduced. “Do not believe … but test.” The negative command may imply that the Apostle John thought the readers were inclined to believe every spirit. The positive command is also authoritative. The Apostle Paul says that the discernment of spirits is depicted as one of the gifts of the Spirit.[12] This problem continued to haunt the early church, as evidenced in the treatment of this subject in the teachings of the twelve apostles known as the “Didache.”[13] [14]

Muncia Walls (1937) says it would appear, and many commentators agree; John continues his argument against the Gnostics in this chapter as well. While the Gnostics, like many present-day false teachers, claimed to possess the Spirit – in fact, many claimed – as many do today, that they were more spiritual than John’s readers. Hence, we have the warning from John to prove the spirits.[15] One of these modern-day Gnostics claims is they require experiential evidence, not some pie-in-the-sky faith. But there are ways to counteract this. For instance, ask them if they can see a relative who lives far away in another state with their naked eye. The logical answer is, “No.” But do they believe they are there? Yes, of course. Can they pretend to talk to them without a phone or through the internet? Probably. Have they received any letters or packages from them? Probably. And yet, just because we can’t see God with their physical eyes, and even if we can talk to Him without a phone, have received many letters from Him and blessings that have no other source but His generosity, they call us fools.

James Montgomery Boice (1938-2000) states that here is precisely the problem John was dealing with in his churches. It is the question of who is right. And there is one test – a crucial test – by which true and false prophets may be distinguished: fulfillment. In other words, whose prophecies come true? For instance, the incident in the days of King Ahab, when the prophet Micaiah was pitted against 400 other prophets, the king called for consultation. Will Ahab be killed, or will he not? Will Israel be scattered, or will she return victorious?[16] In this case, Micaiah was vindicated. This is the test that Jeremiah gives: “But the prophet who prophesies peace will be recognized as one truly sent by the Lord only if his prediction comes true.”[17] Or, to present it from the negative side, it is also the test given to the Israelites: “If what a prophet proclaims in the name of the Lord does not take place or come true, that is a sign that Lord has not spoken. That prophet has spoken presumptuously. Do not be afraid of him.”[18] [19]

In a way, this is what the Apostle John was telling his readers. Whenever any of these so-called prophets who claim to be inspired by God’s Spirit speak their message, they find out if it comes true as they said, and does it conflict with any of the words spoken by the true messengers of God who speak under the anointing of the Holy Spirit. If so, disregard what they have said, and do not be afraid of them.

Michael Eaton (1942-2017) notes that there are prophecies that come from the Holy Spirit of God. But some prophecies come from the person’s mind, a “deceit of the heart.”[20] Worse still, there are “deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons.”[21] So, what kind of tests did John have in mind? The next verse specifies one, but he may have had others. There are five more I want to suggest, says Eaton. (1) Νοn-fulfilment. Often prophecies have an element. If the prediction does not come true, was it a false revelation? (2) Influence good or evil. A true revelation will lead to holy living. (3) Fundamental. Moses warned of prophets who encouraged people to go after a god other than the LORD God of Israel.[22] (4) Motivation. Prophesying can be a financially rewarding business. The Apostle Paul warned against “peddling” the Word of God for money.[23] (5) Eccentricity. Bizarre and eccentric claims to revelations are to be viewed with caution. For example, Satan urges Jesus to turn stones into bread and suggests a suicide-leap from the pinnacle of the temple. It is worth mentioning, says Eaton, what is not a test of true prophecy are “Signs and wonders.” Moses warned about a prophet who would come “and gives you a sign or a wonder.”[24] Even if the sign or the wonder happens, the prophecy is not to be received if it is against fundamental teaching and orthodox living.[25]

William Loader (1944) says that by encouraging the readers not to trust every spirit but to test the spirits, the Apostle John uses spirit to refer to the power or energy that inspires a particular utterance on a specific occasion. Paul writes, “It is for prophets to control prophetic inspiration;”[26] literally, “the spirits of prophets are subject to prophets.” The Apostles Paul and John share the same world of thought. From this point of view, even when speaking of the activity of the Spirit of God, people used the word spirit in two ways. It generally referred to the Holy Spirit; it was not unusual for people to use the word spirit to refer to the inspiring force behind any such event and speak. They also used the plural “spirits” even when they were sure it was one spirit by which each prophet spoke.[27] So, by testing what was being said with the Gospel and the character of each speaker, allowed them to determine whether they were anointed by the Holy Spirit or a Satanic spirit. The prophets were all vessels of communication; it was a matter of discerning which spirit was operating through them. By so doing, they focused on the message instead of the messenger.

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[1] Cf. 1 John 2:18-19

[2] Cf. 1 John 4:2 and 2 John 1:7

[3] Smalley, Stephen S., Word Biblical Commentary, Vol. 51, op. cit., p. 219

[4] “Interiority” is a character’s thoughts, feelings, reactions, and inner struggles. The moment in question can be big or small, the reaction can be casual or life-changing.

[5] Malatesta, Edward J., Interiority and Covenant, op. cit., p. 283

[6] The plural “spirits” does not refer to a multiplicity of divine spirits or even evil spirits but to a multiplicity of human beings who may be inspired in their spirit by the Spirit of God or the spirit of falsehood.

[7] Matthew 7:15; Mark 13:22

[8] 1 John 2:18

[9] See 1 Thessalonians 5:21; Didache 11:11; 12:1; Hermas, Mandate 11:7; 1 Clement 42:4

[10] Marshall, I. Howard. The Epistles of John, The New International Commentary on the New Testament, op. cit., p. 204

[11] Stern, David H., Jewish New Testament Commentary, op. cit., Kindle Edition

[12] 1 Corinthians 12:10

[13] Didache 11:5; 12:1

[14] Painter, John. Sacra Pagina: 1, 2, and 3 John: Vol. 18

[15] Walls, Muncia: Epistles of John & Jude, op. cit., p.67

[16] 1 Kings 22:5-28

[17] Jeremiah 28:9

[18] Deuteronomy 18:22

[19] Boice, James Montgomery: The Epistles of John, op. cit., p. 107-108

[20] Jeremiah 14:14

[21] 1 Timothy 4:1

[22] Deuteronomy 13:1-3

[23] 2 Corinthians 2:17

[24] Deuteronomy 13:1

[25] Eaton, Michael, Focus on the Bible, 1,2,3 John, op. cit., pp. 131-133

[26] 1 Corinthians 14:32

[27] Loader, William: Epworth Commentary, op. cit., pp. 47-48

For the Christian, the Book of Proverbs is a prime example of wise advice. But what about other quotes by philosophers and wise people from India, China, Africa, Greece, and other civilizations? Here is one for you to think about.

Here’s one to consider by Firdausī (Ferdosi), Abū l‐Qāsim (c.940–1020) Persian poet and author:

If passion gains mastery over reason, the wise will not count you among them.

(Cf. Galatians 5:24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to His cross and crucified them there.)

NEW TESTAMENT CONTEXTUAL COMMENTARY

by Dr. Robert R Seyda

FIRST EPISTLE OF JOHN

CHAPTER FOUR (Lesson X) 01/28/22

^4:1 Dearly loved friends, don’t always believe everything you hear simply because someone says it is a message from God: test it first to see if it actually is, for there are many false teachers all around.

Paul Waitman Hoon (1910-2000) states that side by side with positive Christian faith is a healthy skepticism that makes inquiries into the claims of people and movements of being inspired. (Significantly, no less than nine times does the Apostle John offer his readers a test, by which they may assure themselves that they are of the truth, introduced with such a phrase as in verse six, “By this we know”). The mind of a Christian is not soft-minded, and faith is the farthest thing from being naïve. But observe: the Christian is not to test the spirits, to determine whether they agree with their own opinions, but to see if they are of God.[1] For that test, they turn to God’s Word plus the experience of older and more mature believers. When you ask anyone what they think about a particular ministry or minister, if they begin with, “Well, I think,” make your conversation short.

Rudolf Schnackenburg (1914-2002) says that the caution “test the spirits,”[2] as well as the means used to distinguish the spirits, involved watching out for how they confess Jesus.[3] It had a noticeable echo in the Apostle Paul’s moral rules set up in his communities for extraordinary charismatic manifestations of the Spirit.[4] It was, therefore, suggested that similar things were going on among John’s readers. But this is to overlook the essential differences. The Corinthian charismatics did not face heretical teachers but pagans inspired by demons.

Meanwhile, in Thessalonica, says Schnackenburg, the Apostle Paul seems to be thinking only of testing the various (Christian) charismata to see whether they are helpful to the community (“hold fast what is good”).[5] On the other hand, John in verse one does not suggest enthusiastic forms of speaking in the Spirit. What these heretics are saying was directed by Satan.[6] The orthodox believers could hardly have indulged in unusual patterns of speech. The spirits here are not demonic powers (like, for example, the “deceitful spirits” Paul mentions to Timothy),[7] but human spirits inspired by God or Satan. It reveals the unseen forces that confess the Anointed One and those that deny Him.[8]

Donald W. Burdick (1917-1996) says that we see the urgent occasion for writing this epistle in sentences like verse one. The Apostle John writes to believers, as is evident from the declaration of verse four as well as from the term “beloved.” However, there is an indication that they have been gullible when confronted with the claims of false teachers. John’s Greek construction shows that he urges his readers to “stop believing every spirit.” They had naïvely been assuming the genuineness of every teacher who claimed to be from God. That’s why, John orders, “Try the spirits whether they are of God.” The Greek verb dokimazete (“try”) was the technical term for testing persons for public office. (Today, we would say they were “vetted.”[9]) It should be a continuing practice (present tense) for believers to test spiritual leaders to determine whether they are doctrinally qualified for leadership. The mention of the Spirit brings the author back again to the heretical teachings falsely claimed to be of divine inspiration. The possession of the Spirit of God can also be an illusion.[10]

John R. W. Stott (1921-2011) says that neither Christian belief nor Christian love is haphazard guesses. In particular, the Christian faith is not to be mistaken for gullibility. True faith examines its object before relaxing with confidence in it. So, John tells his readers to test the spirits to see whether they are from God. Every prophet is the mouthpiece or spokesman of some spirit. True prophets are anointed by “the Spirit of God,” who is called “the Spirit of truth” in verse six.” False prophets are motivated by “the spirit of falsehood” or “the spirit of the antichrist.” Therefore, every prophet is inspired by some force, either of God or Satan. It is their origin that matters. We may note the similar command given by the Apostle Paul.[11] Apostles Paul and John assumed that even the humblest Christian possessed “the right of private judgment,” as Reformer John Wesley correctly insisted.[12] Therefore, both could and should apply the objective test John is about to give in the next verse.[13]

John Phillips (1927-2010) aptly describes that the enemy’s primary purpose was to deceive the human race. After all, he started with Eve. The word for “deceive” is found nineteen times in the Final Covenant, and it always has to do with the Devil and his works. Satan does not destroy God’s wheat because he cannot do so.[14] So he imitates it. Wheat and tares look very much alike in the early stages of their growth, but tares are not only worthless; they’re poisonous. God sows His children into the world, and Satan sows his counterfeit agents into the same world.[15] Not all unbelievers are part of the Devil’s brood; the vast majority are simply unregenerate children of Adam. The “offspring of the devil’ are those people Satan has taught, inspired, energized, and sent forth as his emissaries. Historically, every time God sends His anointed servants into the harvest field, Satan sows a crop of his deceivers right behind them.[16]

American Catholic priest and prominent Bible scholar Raymond E. Brown (1928-1998) finds difficulty interpreting verse one. It’s because of the tendency of the translators to paraphrase, “Do not believe every person, that they have the Spirit (of God).” Also, the following line is “Test every manifestation of the Spirit.” But the Apostle John speaks literally about the necessity of believing and testing these “spirits.” He is interested in what lies at the root of a person’s actions, not just their claims. So, John says here, “Do not believe every spirit to be the Spirit that God gave us,” that is, the Spirit that he has just mentioned in the preceding verse.

John thinks of two Spirits, says Brown, divine and devilish, that manifest themselves in human behavior and manifest themselves in true and false confessions of faith. A true confession comes from the Spirit of God. Ask yourself this question, “If I wanted to know the true story about some person, would I choose to listen to someone who only read about them or someone who knew them personally?” A born-again believer knows Jesus personally. Therefore, a false confession indicates the absence of the Spirit of God. Instead, we find the presence of the wicked spirit of deceit. Here, we have an instance of the opposition described between the Paraclete (Spirit of Truth) and the prince of this world,[17] two spiritual forces who exercise their leadership and influence on the children of God and the devil’s brood, respectively.[18]

David E. Hiebert (1928-1995) sees the Apostle John formulating his charge to the readers negatively and positively. Negatively, his command is, “do not believe every spirit.” John spoke against being gullible and believing “every spirit” claiming to be from God. When John says, “believe not,” he warns against an attitude of acceptance and personal trust in the various spirits declaring their message through the human messenger. Some members may have been prone to accept the claims of the spirits energetically, but it is unwarranted to assume that John now censured them by commanding them to stop the practice.

Instead, says Hiebert positively, John insisted that they must never yield to such an attitude of naivety. Let them not “believe” (“to think it’s true, be persuaded by, put confidence in,” or give credence to every spirit that claims to be from God. As those who have personally experienced the divine endowment of the Holy Spirit,[19] they must not enthusiastically accept every spirit speaking through some “inspired” human messenger who claims to be God’s prophet.^[20] People attribute so much popularization of such humanly-inspired messages to the speaker’s fame and personality in today’s world.

Simon J. Kistemaker (1930-2017) says that the Apostle John acted as a wise pastor. First, he addresses his readers with words of tender love. He calls them “dear friends.”[21]  After the address, John tactfully warns the readers against the work of false teachers and tells them not to believe they are all anointed by the same spirit. He wants them to realize that there are two spiritual spheres in this world: one is the domain of the Holy Spirit; the other is the dominion of the devil. The Holy Spirit dwells in the children of God.[22] Still, the devil’s spirit possesses the false prophets who speak in his name.

Apparently, some of the loyal readers of this epistle were beginning to believe the false prophets who said their teaching was a revelation from the Holy Spirit. John encourages the readers to distinguish carefully between the teachings of God’s Spirit and false teachings. Not every message guarantees the anointing of the Holy Spirit. Therefore, John advises the Christians to “test the spirits to see whether they are from God” and verify all teaching in the Light of God’s Word.[23] [24]

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[1] Hoon, Paul W., The Interpreters Bible, op. cit., 1 John, Exegesis, p. 273

[2] Cf. 1 Thessalonians 5:21

[3] 1 Corinthians 12:3

[4] Ibid. 12:10; cf. Acts of the Apostles 17:11

[5] 1 Thessalonians 5:21

[6] 1 John 4:4

[7] 1 Timothy 4:1

[8] Schnackenburg, Rudolf: The Johannine Epistles, op. cit., pp. 199-200

[9] Vetting means to investigate (someone) thoroughly, especially in order to ensure that they are suitable for a job requiring secrecy, loyalty, or trustworthiness.

[10] Burdick, Donald W., The Epistles of John, op. cit., p. 66

[11] 1 Thessalonians 5:19-22

[12] The Right of Private Judgment by Leon O. Hynson, The Asbury Theological Journal, Spring 1003, Vol 60, Num. 1, pp. 95-97, 101

[13] Stott, John. The Letters of John (Tyndale New Testament Commentaries), op. cit., pp. 153-154

[14] Luke 10:19

[15] See Matthew 13

[16] Phillips, John: Exploring the First Epistle of John, op. cit., p. 126

[17] John 16:11

[18] Brown, Raymond E., The Anchor Bible, op. cit., Vol. 30, p. 486

[19] 1 John 3:24

[20] Hiebert, David E., Bibliotheca Sacra, October-December 1989, pp. 421-422

[21] Cf. 1 John 3:21; 4:7

[22] Ibid. 3:24

[23] Cf. 1 Thessalonians 2:4; 5:21

[24] Kistemaker, Simon J., New Testament Commentary, James and I-III John, op. cit., pp. 323-324

NEW TESTAMENT CONTEXTUAL COMMENTARY

by Dr. Robert R Seyda

FIRST EPISTLE OF JOHN

CHAPTER FOUR (Lesson IX) 01/27/22

^4:1 Dearly loved friends, don’t always believe everything you hear simply because someone says it is a message from God: test it first to see if it actually is, for there are many false teachers all around.

In his interpretation of verse one, Wilder says that the Apostle John states that God has given us the Spirit,[1] which is “His Spirit” to be our “witness.”[2] But we are not to believe every spirit, which means not to accept all the messages we hear are genuine. Many evil spirits led weak believers into sin and error; the reality of their supernatural impact was recognized everywhere in the Jewish and Christian literature, specially assigned to the “last hour.” Just as the “evil one” stands against God, so the Antichrist stands against the Anointed One. Likewise, “the spirit of error” against “the spirit of truth”[3] and the “false prophets against the true prophets.” In the First and Final Covenants, the prophet is the bearer of revelation, the mouthpiece of “spirits.”

Examples of the role of prophecy in the Final Covenant, notes Wilder, are offered for our understanding.[4] The central theme in the Apostle Paul’s writings[5] was the contributions to the meetings of the church of those who have the gift of prophecy. The second-century church evidences a widespread hunger for new revelations and visions. However, much offered to meet this need too often took the form of irrational ideas and obscure concepts. The supernatural is not always divine. The rebuke by the prophet Jeremiah of false prophets who gave deceptive assurances of safety[6] illustrates the First Covenant background.

The Church found it necessary, says Wilder, to set up criteria and controls, a difficult thing to do since it involved the danger of smothering the spread of the Gospel. In one of His earliest letters, Paul writes, “Do not quench the Spirit, do not despise prophesying, but test everything.”[7] Other passages that document the discrimination of spirits,[8] viewed as a peculiar gift, and set up the test: “No one who is speaking with the help of God’s Spirit says, ‘Jesus be cursed.’ And no one can say, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ without the help of the Holy Spirit.”[9] In verse one, the false prophets were identified by their reaction to Jesus. In Matthew’s Gospel and the “Teaching of the Twelve Apostles,”[10] we find that their unrighteous conduct and greed branded them. In Torah, it was called “flattery”[11] and “popularism.”[12] [13]

Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899- 1981) writes that the great theme of the Apostle in this Epistle is the possibility of having joy in this world, a joy that comes from God, despite circumstances and conditions. John had made that perfectly clear when he explained, “We write these things to you so that you can be full of joy with us.”[14] That is what he is concerned about, which is the extraordinary thing he unfolds to these people. They were Christians in a very complex and contradicting world, and yet John, now an old man, will tell them that “We know that we are children of God and that the world around us is under the control of the evil one.”[15] Nevertheless, they have God’s joy to the fullest.

And then Lloyd-Jones sees John suggesting that there are two excellent and foremost things that Christians must remember and hold on to come what may. The first is that we have fellowship with God; that the main effect of the coming of the Lord Jesus the Anointed One into this world, and of His work is that we who believe in Him and belong to Him and are in Him have fellowship with God; we are walking with God. The second great thing is that we, as children of God, have fellowship with Him, but we are in that same relationship with others, making us His children.[16]

Ronald Ralph Williams (1906-1970) writes that these two paragraphs contain some of the Apostle John’s most significant and characteristic teaching. In order to interpret it, we must visualize the atmosphere of the primitive church. Let’s rid ourselves of the psychological, scientific environment of the twentieth century. Picture a time when the earth was full of strange spirits, at least how it seemed to the minds of those then living back then. When people broke out into wild, ecstatic speech or song, it was immediately viewed as some form of spiritual or demonic possession.

Religious excitement has often led to extraordinary physical phenomena; for example, during the time of John Wesley, it was common for those who heard him falling to the ground and begin to cry and moan under the influence of his preaching. Today we call this being “slain in the Spirit.” Some might have mistakenly thought of it as the Holy Spirit’s work bringing conviction of sin and then the peace of forgiveness. But to others, it resulted from evil spirits, having as it were a “last fling” before handing over their prey to the Lordship of the Anointed One. Examples of this are in the Scriptures.[17]

In the last part of the 1800s and beginning of the 1900s, when a Pentecostal awakening occurred in Europe and then the United States, this is how many of the nominal churches viewed Pentecostals to which they gave the intended demeaning name “Holy Rollers.” However, when members of the Episcopal and Catholic churches began to experience the same, they chose the term “Neo-Pentecostals.” My fifth great maternal grandfather, Methodist preacher Joshua Thomas of Smith Island in the Chesapeake Bay, recorded many of these phenomena during his tent revival meetings on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. Here’s one example: “One Sunday morning, there was a great meeting, and many professed to be born from above. They shouted all over the ground, and many fell and lay as dead on the ground; when they recovered, they began to praise God wonderfully.”[18]

William Barclay (1907-1978) looks at verse one with the eye of a Greek scholar. He found the recurring Greek preposition ek (“from”) and noun Theo (“God”). There are no arguments over the word “Theo.” It’s the tiny preposition “ek.”  In the KJV it is translated of (366x), from (181x), out of (162x), by (55x), on (34x), with (25x),[19] miscellaneous (98x), example: “which” Matthew 6:27; “among” Matthew 12:11; “went away again” Matthew 26:42; “beyond” Mark 6:51, etc. That is by no means easy to translate. But we need an English translation that interprets the Greek in its most accurate form. It is the phrase that the Revised Standard Version consistently renders of God. Its occurrences Verse 1: “Test the spirits to see whether they are of God.” Verse 2: “Every spirit which confesses that Jesus the Anointed One has come in the flesh is of God.” Verse 3: “Every spirit which does not confess Jesus the Anointed One is not of God.” Verse 4: “Little children, you are of God.” Verse 6: “We are of God. He who is not of God does not listen to us.” Verse 7: “Love is of God.” It is easy to see the solutions various translators used for clarity.

In verses 1-3, James Moffatt translates the phrase as comes from God, and in verses 4, 6, and 7 belongs to God. In the New Testament in Modem Speech, R.F. Weymouth translates it from God in verses 1-3. In verse 4, he translates, You are God’s children. In verse 6, he summarizes: “We are God’s children. He who is not a child of God does not listen to us.” In verse 7, he has: “Love has its origin in God.” In his The New Testament in Plain English, in every case except verse 7, Charles Kingsley Williams translates as from God; in verse 7, he has God.

The difficulty is easy to see in the exchange of “from” and “of.” Yet, it is of prime importance to attach a precise meaning to this. The Greek ek means “out of,” “from,” “by,” and “away from.” and Theos means “God.” The mystery lies in the grammatical case used. The Greek ek is a preposition that signifies the origin of the action or motion proceeds. The Greek Theos is a masculine noun implying the source of the cause, which leads to an effect. So, the translator must decide whether this should read “from” or “of.” So, why is it so important to denote that a person, or a spirit, or a quality is ek tou theo.”)

The most straightforward translation is from God. If the preposition “of” is used, the English reader can understand that the person or spirit is a minor deity, a little lower than the angels, which can, like Lucifer, remain righteous or evil. But when “from” is chosen, it implies that God gave it or sent it. So, John says that we need to test the person or spirit, inspiring them. Therefore, God set them loose on the earth, and some have remained holy and others unholy. But when “from” is used, there is no doubt that Godly Spirit is from God, while the evil spirit is from some other source – the devil.[20]

F. F. Bruce (1910-1990) tells us that in the apostolic churches, as in ancient Israel, communications were made from time to time by “prophets.” They were men and women who spoke as the mouthpieces of a power beyond themselves. Every prophet claimed to be a spokesman of God, inspired by the Spirit of truth. Still, it was necessary to test these claims in the First and Final Covenants. In Elijah’s day, we meet prophets of Baal and prophets of Asherah, spokesmen of Canaanite divinities,[21] as well as those who, like Elijah himself, were prophets of the God of Israel.[22] To distinguish between the former and the latter was no difficult task. It was discerned when prophets made contradictory utterances by claiming to be messengers of God.[23] This same dilemma that the Apostles dealt with is much the same today.

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[1] 1 John 3:24

[2] Ibid. 5:7

[3] Ibid. John 4:6

[4] Acts of the Apostles 11:27-28; 13:1-3; 21:9-12; Revelation 10:11

[5] 1 Corinthians chapters 12 and 14

[6] Jeremiah 14:14

[7] 1 Thessalonians 5:19-20

[8] 1 Corinthians 12:1-11; 14:1-5, 24-33

[9] Ibid. 12:3

[10] Also known as the Didache (Teaching)

[11] Job 17:5; 32:21; Psalm 5:9; 12:2-3; Proverbs 6:24; 7:21; Daniel 11:32

[12] 1 Samuel 16:7; 2 Samuel 3:36; Proverbs 13:20; 14:20; 18:24; 29:23

[13] Wilder Amos N., The Interpreter’s Bible, op. cit., Exposition, pp. 271-273

[14] 1 John 1:4

[15] Ibid. 5:19

[16] Lloyd-Jones, Martyn: Life in the Anointed One, op. cit., 397-398

[17] Mark 9:25-27; Acts of the Apostles 16:16-18

[18] Thomas, Joshua: Parson of the Islands, by Adam Wallace, Published by the Office of the Methodist Home Journal, Philadelphia, 1872, p.30

[19] Cf. Matthew 1:18; 3:17; 2:15; 12:33; 20:21; 27:7

[20] Barclay, Phillip: The Daily Study Bible, op. cit., pp. 103-104

[21] 1 Kings 18:19

[22] Ibid. 18:4, 13, 22

[23] Bruce, F. F., The Epistles of John: A Verse-by-Verse Exposition. Kingsley Books, Inc. Kindle Edition

NEW TESTAMENT CONTEXTUAL COMMENTARY

by Dr. Robert R Seyda

FIRST EPISTLE OF JOHN

CHAPTER FOUR (Lesson VIII) 01/26/22

^4:1 Dearly loved friends, don’t always believe everything you hear simply because someone says it is a message from God: test it first to see if it actually is, for there are many false teachers all around.

Aaron M. Hills (1848-1911) says that we should be aware that the devil may, when given the opportunity, counterfeit emotional feelings in the likeness of what an anointed message may accomplish, for just as a good minister comes with light, so can the devil.[1] And as he can do this in matters of seeing, he can do it in the other issues. Christians who have felt both can quickly tell which were good or evil. But anyone who has never felt either, or perhaps one of them, may easily be deceived. These two may be alike in external feelings. Still, they are different internally. Therefore, they should not desire nor be entertained lightly unless the soul can know the difference to escape being fooled by the spirit of discretion. As the Apostle John tells us: “Trust not every spirit.” That way, by one trial, says Hill, I believe you’ll know the good from the evil.[2]

It starts with the philosophical theory of an incompatible resentment between matter and spirit. David Smith (1866-1932) notes that the Apostle John has just said that the Spirit implants the assurance that God abides in us. And this suggests a warning. The Cerinthian heresy also had much to say about “the spirit.” It boasted a more critical spirituality. As such, they denied the possibility of the Incarnation and distinguished Jesus the Man and Jesus the Anointed One. Their spirit was not “the Spirit of Truth” but “a spirit of error,” and that gave rise to a “proving the spirits” of “verifying” or “testing” as they do paper currency to see if it is fake or counterfeit. If it stood the test, it is approved;[3] if not, it was determined to be worthless.[4] [5]

Albert Barnes (1872-1951) hears the Apostle John cautioning his readers not to take what a person who professes to be under the influences of the Holy Spirit tells you as being factual.[6] The true and the false teachers of religion alike claimed to be under the power of the Spirit of God. It was of importance that believers examine all such pretensions. It was not to be acknowledged just because someone claimed to have been sent by God, as though that was a proven fact. Christians should subject all such claims to the proper proof before acceptance. All pretensions to Divine inspiration, or to being authorized teachers of Christianity, were to be examined by the appropriate tests because many false and delusive teachers went around in the world making such claims.[7] The same is still valid and necessary today.

Harry A. Ironside (1876-1951) states that the Apostle John’s appeal is of tremendous importance today. There are still multitudes who profess to interpret God’s message to humanity and claim to be under the controlling power of the Holy Spirit, who in reality are controlled by evil spirits. They teach things for which they have no Scriptural basis, claiming to have a special revelation from God.  Even God’s Word says it is only money these leaders are after; they’ll self-destruct in no time. Lust for money brings trouble and nothing but trouble. Going down that path, some lose their footing in the faith altogether and live to regret it bitterly ever after.[8] These false teachers can predict the future or arrive with a message from others and say it is from God.[9] A true prophet, says the Apostle Paul, prophesies, strengthens others, encourages them, and comforts them. So, when someone comes professing to be a messenger from God, they must be tested by the Word of God.[10] Most of these charlatans do not have any revelation directly from God, so what they say or prophesy is opinion or supposition.

Charles H. Dodd (1884-1973) believes that the Apostle John is pointing to heretical teachers. They were nominal members of the Church. But, says John, they can never have been loyal members, or else they would have never separated themselves from it.[11] No, their spiritual home is the heathen world; the sources of their teaching are pagan, so they find ready acceptance in the agnostic world.[12] The description would fit the “Gnostics” whose teachings we know, for we must conclude that the pagan element is the fundamental basis in most of them, and the Christian feature is just for show. Some of them (not all) no doubt intended, by “reinterpreting” Christianity in Gnostic terms, were recommending the Gospel to the pagan world. Evidence suggests that their missionary activities made a broad appeal for a time and seriously rivaled orthodox Christianity, with its conservatism and inflexibility to become part of this new version of Christianity.

There was more evidence that the two had separated by the end of the second century, notes Dodd. The Church was almost “out of the woods,” so to speak. Still, behind this lies a period in which central or traditional Christianity had its back to the wall and saw the increasing success of these compromising systems. Unfortunately, very little documentation survived that period. So, this present passage represents this conflict in its early stages.[13] However, there is plenty of evidence that this new version of Christianity is alive and growing today.

Rudolf Bultmann (1884-1976) points to the Apostle John’s instructions to “test the spirits.” Apparently, there were several of these seductive powers, and it is necessary to test them to see “whether they are of God.” Does that mean there are “spirits” among those to be tried in which one could have faith? In support of an affirmative answer, one could appeal to what the Apostle Paul said, “Test everything that you hear and hold on to what is good.”[14] But, according to John, there is only one “Spirit of God,” also called the “Spirit of Truth.” He is opposed to the “spirit of error” or “antichrist spirit.” It is essential to recognize this. When the warning refers to “spirits” in the plural, it is undoubtedly because the “spirit of error” is operative in a plurality of seducers. Accordingly, John provides a warning with a closing clause as its premise: “for many false prophets have gone out into the world.”[15] With this, we can see the possibility that John was not necessarily referring to “many spirits,” but “many with the same spirit.”

Greville P. Lewis (1891-1976) says that the mention of the Spirit reminds the Apostle John that one of the gifts of the Spirit is inspiration. It was what the heretics supposedly took with them when they resigned their membership and “went out into the world.”[16] Some regarded them as inspired “prophets” in the Asia Minor churches. In the first century, the Apostles were the supreme doctrinal authority, for they could bear witness to hearing the prewritten Gospel. Subordinate to them were the “prophets,”[17] those under the Holy Spirit’s influence[18] who interpreted these facts and declared their significance in each developing situation.

But, as Paul discovered, notes Lewis, this prophetic liberty must always be disciplined by the fundamental truths of the Gospel, and John knows that this discipline is urgently needed in his day. It seems that the heretics claimed that their superior knowledge had been imparted to them by God’s Spirit – probably in vision-like experiences and that this particular revelation made John and the Apostle’s primitive faith out-of-date and inadequate.  But, says John, “Don’t believe every spirit.” Prophets may be inspired, not by the Holy Spirit, but by an evil antichrist spirit, and, therefore, producing “fake prophets.”[19] [20]

Amos N. Wilder (1895-1993) says that many have not noticed that the Apostle John’s First Epistle comes in verse form. If one reads this letter with attention to its style, they find recurrent features of balanced phrasing. We may note several examples which we would hardly admit as poetry. We come upon one instance immediately in the opening verse:

That which was from the beginning,

   which we have heard,

   which we have seen with our eyes,

   which we have looked upon

   and touched with our hands.[21]

These are enough evidence to suggest that this letter rests on a poetic source that it continually cites and to which the writer adds his comments and applications. Rudolf Bultmann finds such a source here and through parts of John’s Gospel of John. If this material is not poetry in the sense that the Psalms and Song of Solomon are poetry, it is nevertheless not prose. It is formal rhetoric of a rhythmic character used in the Christian meetings and had its Hellenistic and Hellenistic-Jewish liturgy background.[22] Wilder suggests that the person John selected to write this epistle for him in Greek, no doubt, took his dictation from the Apostle, not in an office secretarial setting, but while listening to John preach or teach this message. Whoever this ghostwriter was, they must have had familiarity with the poetic writing style of the Jews and Greeks. It takes nothing away from the power and truth of what John was teaching. But knowing that Greeks might read it, John wanted it presented in a way that would attract their curiosity and attention. This thinking is speculation and must be taken as theory, not enlightenment from the Holy Spirit. Also, it applies only to portions of the Epistle, not the whole text.

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[1] 2 Corinthians 11:14

[2] Hill, Aaron M., The Scale of Perfection, op. cit., Bk. 1, Part 1, p. 41

[3] 2 Corinthians 10:18;

[4] 2 Corinthians 13:5; Cf. Jeremiah 6:30

[5] Smith, David: Expositors New Testament, op. cit., p. 189

[6] Cf. Matthew 24:4-5

[7] Barnes, Albert: New Testament Notes, op. cit., p. 4858

[8] 1 Timothy 6:9-10 – The Message

[9] See 1 Corinthians 14:3

[10] Ironside, Harry A., The Epistles of John and Jude, op. cit., p. 125

[11] 1 John 2:18-19

[12] Ibid. 4:5

[13] Dodd, Charles H., Moffett Commentary, Johannine Epistles, op. cit., p. 98

[14] 1 Thessalonians 5:21

[15] Bultmann, Rudolf, Hermeneia, A Critical and Historical Commentary, op. cit., pp. 61-62

[16] 1 John 2:19

[17] 1 Corinthians 12:28; 14L1-5; Ephesians 4:11

[18] John 16:13

[19] See Deuteronomy 13:1-2; Jeremiah 14:14; Mark 13:22

[20] Lewis, Greville P., The Johannine Epistles, Epworth Preacher’s Commentary, loc. cit., pp. 93-94

[21] Cf. 1 John 2:9-11, 12-14; 4:2-3, 5-6; 5:1

[22] Wilder, Amos N., Early Christian Rhetoric, op. cit., pp. 114-115

NEW TESTAMENT CONTEXTUAL COMMENTARY

by Dr. Robert R Seyda

FIRST EPISTLE OF JOHN

CHAPTER FOUR (Lesson VII) 01/25/22

^4:1 Dearly loved friends, don’t always believe everything you hear simply because someone says it is a message from God: test it first to see if it actually is, for there are many false teachers all around.

Brooke F. Westcott (1825-1901) suggests this outline for the first part of chapter four in the Apostle John’s First Epistle:

1 There are many spiritual influences at work (verse 1)

2 The trial of spirits lies in the witness to the incarnation (verses 2, 3)

3 The test of people lies in recognition of the Truth (verses 4, 5)

The progress of thought here parallels that in 2:18-29, but John’s argument has passed to a new stage. Then, his teaching centered on the Messiahship, the Sonship of Jesus: here, the Incarnation of Jesus the Anointed One. There John insisted on the original message of the Gospel: here, he appears to regard the fuller interpretation of that message. This section, in fact, presents the conflict of our Faith with its counterfeits as a conflict of spiritual powers, unseen and real.

There are many spiritual powers active among humanity, continues Westcott, and our first impulse is to decide whether to believe them or not. Some of these are evil influences belonging to an unseen source that comes to us under false forms of ambition, power, honor, prestige, prosperity, and knowledge, distinguished from bodily passions. All such spirits are partial revelations of the one force of evil which became embodied in humanity after Adam’s fall. They represent that which is unseen but felt. It all adds up to this; we must discern whether their characteristics and power are from God or some other force. John does not detail how this happens; he only recommends that we ascertain if they recognize Jesus of Nazareth as the Anointed One, the Son of God and that He came to us clothed in human flesh.[1]

Mr. Morgan Dix (1827-1908), in speaking about how we know the spirit of truth, and the enthusiasm of error, says that “time” is attitude. The Germans call it Zeit Geist,[2] the character of the age in which we live. What is that energy? It is the world about us, this age of ours, speaking inarticulately to the soul of man. The world lies all around, a varied, splendid scene; vast, rich, fair, full of wealth and beauty. It is like an adorable body without a soul until it can express itself. But it voices itself in the trends of the times and thus talks to our hearts.

Its mediums are manifold and diverse; among them are art and literature; the voices vary greatly, according to race, age, and environment. It is an age of marvels. Here are scholars studying and speculating; inventors planning and contriving; politicians doing their best as architects of their fortunes. Poets, painters, mechanics, and artisans; are grand cities, growing more splendid yearly. Here we have luxury, comfort, delights of all sorts, music, world’s shows, balls, dances, entertainments, with titles, dress, gala, and glory to the full. What is all this? Mere chaos of activities till the Zeit Geist speaks. It gives what is needed, expression and interpretation; as the musician would say, it interprets the world’s psalm of life.[3] For instance, we often refer to the “Roaring Twenties” and the “Free Love Sixties.”

Henry A. Sawtelle (1832-1913) asks, should we take the word of every person who says they have God’s anointing? Is a person’s vow they have God’s Spirit enough for us? Should we accept them just on their word alone? “No,” says the Apostle John, “it is our responsibility not to believe every spirit without testing everyone thoroughly.” Use appropriate tests to determine whether the nature of those who come to you with their religious claims has been truly anointed with God’s Spirit or is under some other influence. John’s command suggests that we carefully examine and prove all who apply for a place in the Anointed One’s Church. Anyone assuming to be a Christian teacher cannot be convinced otherwise, and their work is labeled an ungodly ministry.[4] Remember, we only apply the test John gives us, not make up one ourselves.

John James Lias (1834-1923) says, we know, from the Apostle Paul,[5] that spiritual manifestations were common in the Apostolic Church and that the prophets were supposed to speak under God’s spiritual influence.[6] The Apostle John here means (and the expression “false prophets” confirms this view) that every person speaking under spiritual inspiration is not, therefore, automatically believed. There are false revelations and true ones. John would have people understand that specific objective tests exist whereby a believer distinguishes authentic disclosures from false ones. What those tests were, the Apostle tells us in verse two.[7] Lias goes on to explain that there is Scriptural proof of this.[8] [9]

Greek Word scholar Marvin Vincent (1834-1921) points out that the term “false prophets” is applied in the Final Convent to rivals of true prophets under the First Covenant and rivals of the Apostles under the Gospel economy.[10] In the Book of Revelation “the embodied power of spiritual falsehood.”[11] The prophets support their claims by signs and wonders[12] which can identify false teachers.[13] It is interesting to note that the only word that changes concerning prophets and teachers is “false.” Prophets are better known today as “preachers.”

Augustus H. Strong (1836-1921) asks, “How could God develop our minds, our power of moral judgment if there were no spirit to be tried, no necessity for discrimination, no discipline of search and challenge and choice?” The blessing of life’s schooling is not knowing the right answer in advance but developing understanding through struggle.[14]

Theodore Zahn (1838-1933) states that the prophets of the apostolic age had to subject themselves to the criticism of their fellow Christians. They were cautioned against over-excitement and the infusion of their thoughts and desires into what was given them by the Spirit. But, on the other hand, every Christian prophet of that time must have been conscious of the contrast between the true and the false prophets who appeared among them, especially with those in their immediate neighborhood.[15] These are, without exception, depicted as immoral individuals, and in some cases, as preachers of false doctrine. But the idea of false prophets involves neither immorality nor false teaching; instead, they falsely pretend to be a prophet receiving divine revelation.[16] They are to be known by their fruits in life and doctrine. First of all, such fruit belongs to the sincerity of their statements and the origin of their preaching. There could be no suspicion of confusion regarding these elemental truths in the early Christian preacher’s or teacher’s case.[17]

Erich Haupt (1841-1926) points out that this trying of the spirits, which the presence of the lying prophets the Apostle John alludes to, was urgently required that all Christians must be aware of and put into practice. John addresses his appeal to the entire Christian community. Indeed, according to the Apostle Paul, there was a “gift of discernment of spirits.”[18] It was related to the charisma (allurement) of the prophets as the interpretation was relayed in spoken language. They presumed that all had the Holy Spirit, negating the possibility that anyone might detect an opposing spirit. John might as well enforce, nevertheless, this testing duty upon all.[19]

Clement Clemance (1845-1886) points out that the confession of the Incarnation was the assurance that the Spirit of God, who is the Spirit of truth, is working in the believer and not the spirit of error. The first six verses teach that two rival influences are contending for power over the souls of humanity. We must test these spirits to see whether they are organs of the Spirit of truth or the spirit of error. The Incarnation of the Son of God as the Anointed One was critical in the Apostle John’s Day because of all the other so-called saviors sent from a higher power. Today, we can see those spirits embodied in the world’s philosophy, psychology, ethics, social customs and traditions, and independence from Christianity in legislation, education, and the judicial system.

Clemence then tells us that “spirits” are principles and tendencies in religion: these need to be tested, for earnestness and enthusiasm are no guarantee of truth. And to test these principles is the duty of the individual Christian as well as the Church in its official capacity. Just as every Athenian was subjected to an examination of their origin and character before they could hold public office, so the spirit of every religious teacher must be examined before their teaching can be accepted.[20] In the early part of the 20^th Century, many preachers, teachers, and evangelists claimed the anointing of the Holy Spirit. But as in the Apostle John’s Day, their stand on the role of Jesus the Anointed One as God’s Son in the process of salvation from sin and resurrection to eternal life must be the same now as it was then.

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[1] Westcott, Brooke F., The Epistles of St. John, op. cit., pp. 139-140

[2] Zeit Geist means “spirit of the time.”

[3] Dix, Morgan: Biblical Illustrator, Joseph Excell, Ed., op. cit., loc. cit.

[4] Sawtelle, Henry A., An American Commentary, Alvah Hovey Ed., pp. 45-46 

[5] 1 Corinthians 14

[6] Observe in this connection the collocation of prophecy and spiritual agency or influence in 1 Corinthians 12:10, 14:32, 37; and 1 Peter 1:10-12

[7] Lias, John James, Exposition of the First Epistle of John, op. cit., p. 289

[8] We are commanded by more than one Apostle to test the doctrines delivered to us. See 1 Thessalonians 5:21. Also 1 Corinthians 2:10, 14, 15, and 10:15. The foundation of our faith is declared to be such. John 6:45, 14:26, 16:13; Ephesians 2:18, 4:21; 1 Thessalonians 4:9; Hebrews 8:10, 11; 1 John 2:27. Also see Romans 14:6; Colossians 2:2; 1 Thessalonians 1:5

[9] Lias, op. cit., Homiletics, p. 287

[10] Matthew 7:15; 24:11; 24:24; Mark 13:22

[11] Revelation 16:13; 19:20; 20:10

[12] Matthew 24:24; Acts of the Apostles 13:6; Revelation 19:20

[13] Vincent, Marvin R., Word Studies in the New Testament, Vol. II, p. 335

[14] Strong, Augustus H., Systematic Theology, Vol. 1, op. cit., p. 381

[15] See Revelation 2:20; cf. Matthew 7:15-23, 24:11, 24; Luke 6:26; 2 Peter 2:1; Revelation 19:20

[16] Revelation 2:20; Jeremiah 14:14; Deuteronomy 18:20-22

[17] Zahn, Theodor: Introduction to the New Testament, op. cit., pp. 386-387

[18] See 1 Corinthians 12:10

[19] Haupt, Erich: The First Epistle of St. John, op. cit., p. 243

[20] Clemance, Clement: First Epistle of John, Pulpit Commentary, Vol. 22, Exposition, op. cit., p. 102