1st JOHN - # 1, Introduction- John warns the early church of false teachers. (2-25-25) скачать в хорошем качестве

1st JOHN - # 1, Introduction- John warns the early church of false teachers. (2-25-25)

-----Complete notes can be downloaded from our website - www.countrybiblechurch.us -----You may contact us at countrybiblechurch.us@gmail.com or cbcbrenham@gmail.com Introduction Like most of the Epistles in the New Testament, all these three letters are special. They are not written as books commonly are at the present time, to elucidate some subject in which the writer is specially interested, without much reference to current events. They are produced for a special occasion, to meet an existing difficulty and danger. The First Epistle is written to grapple with the insidious adj. [harmful but enticing] seductions [something that attracts or charms], of antinomian adj. [one who rejects a socially established morality], Gnosticism, [the practice of various cults whose conviction is that matter is evil and deliverance comes through gnosis (esoteric knowledge of spiritual truth essential for salvation)] as Gnostics threatened the Church at large. The Second Epistle deals with the same danger as it affected a particular family. The third threats of a corresponding danger arising from lawlessness of another kind—high-handed rebellion against apostolic authority. The First Epistle is a companion to the Gospel, and lays the foundations of Christian conduct as a whole. The other two have no special relation to the Gospel, and deal with only one or two points of conduct, the duty of hospitality, and its limits; and the treatment of those who promote heresy and schism. Humanly speaking, we may say that, but for the pressure of Gnosticism upon the Church, the First and Second Epistles, and perhaps also the Gospel of St. John, would never have been written; and again that, but for the turbulence of Diotrephes, the Third Epistle would never have been written. [The name Diotrephes, means “nourished by Zeus.” A church member whom John reprimanded for his contentious behavior (3 John 9). He spoke against John “with evil words” (v 10); had resisted John’s authority by refusing to receive an earlier letter; and refused to show Christian hospitality, urging others to do likewise. He may have been an official in the church who abused his position since he liked “to put himself first” (v 9).] Walter A. Elwell and Barry J. Beitzel, “Diotrephes,” in Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1988), 629. [The paragraph below represents the thinking of the Gnostics.] The gospel was very good as far as it went; but the Gnostics had “a more excellent way.” They understood the gospel better than the apostles themselves. It was a mistake to suppose that the historical facts and moral precepts of the Scriptures were to be taken literally. It was a still greater mistake to suppose that the Scriptures contained all that was necessary for man’s spiritual well-being. There was a higher knowledge, a more profound gnosis (knowledge); which the Gnostic could attain to and impart. The philosopher whose mind was enlightened by this esoteric (superior knowledge) need not trouble himself much about his conduct. His soul was steeped in light, everything else was comparatively of unimportance. Good actions could not greatly increase his enlightenment; bad actions could not seriously detract from it.