{"id":1019,"date":"2012-10-03T19:18:50","date_gmt":"2012-10-04T00:18:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hushbeck.com\/blog\/?p=1019"},"modified":"2012-10-03T19:18:50","modified_gmt":"2012-10-04T00:18:50","slug":"the-epistles-of-john-living-in-truth-and-love-1-john-323-41","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hushbeck.com\/blog\/2012\/10\/the-epistles-of-john-living-in-truth-and-love-1-john-323-41\/","title":{"rendered":"The Epistles of John: Living in Truth and Love. 1 John 3:23-4:1"},"content":{"rendered":"

Week 34: \u00a0Sept 23, 2012<\/p>\n

Study<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 i.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0The Commandment (3:23-3:24)<\/h5>\n

23 \u2013 And this is his commandment: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus the Messiah,[1] and to love one another as he commanded us.<\/p>\n

–\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 John spells out what is expected of us: \u00a0Believe in the name (On name see notes on 2:12). The concept of Name refers to the power and the authority.\u00a0 \u00a0This stems from who Jesus is. Note that John includes Jesus.\u00a0 This is another indication that those who left were a form of proto-Gnostics who would have rejected that the physical Jesus was anything more than just a container for the Messiah.\u00a0 The other part of the command is to Love one another.\u00a0 These are the two tests of a true Christian. \u00a0\u00a0On a side note, just think of all the things the church has at times added to this list. John\u2019s list is much better.<\/p>\n

24 \u2013 The person who keeps his commandments abides in God,[2] and God abides in him.[3] This is how we can be sure that he remains in us: he has given us his Spirit.<\/p>\n

–\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 John once again returns to equating obedience with abiding in God, We in him, and He in us. Marshall points out that obedience here is not so much a condition but an expression of abiding in God.<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 This how we can be sure<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

–\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 While obedience equates to abiding, John give us a further test: \u00a0The Holy Spirit. \u00a0John does not specify how will manifest itself, probably because it is different for different believers. But his does raise the question, how do we know that what we think is the spirit is the Holy Spirit? This is a question to which, John will now turn.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

d.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Test what People Say (4:1-3)<\/h4>\n
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 i.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Test (4:1)<\/h5>\n

1 \u2013 Dear friends, stop believing[4] every spirit. Instead, test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.<\/p>\n

–\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Having just told them that the Spirit confirms that we abide in God, John adds a caution: Not every spirit is from God, it is important not to be deceived. \u00a0\u00a0Mormons, for example, \u00a0base their faith on \u201ctheir Testimony\u201d which they believe to be a message directly from the Holy Spirit. \u00a0\u00a0My faith is based on a message I believe came from the Holy Spirit. \u00a0\u00a0We both cannot be correct. So how\u00a0 can we tell?<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 test the spirits<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

–\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Faith is not simply a belief and nowhere are we told to just blindly accept. \u00a0Christianity is not just an abstract theological system to be believed. It is a faith based grounded in historical events that can and should be tested. For example:<\/p>\n

1\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 John 10 – The claim of who Jesus is in 10:30 is challenged.\u00a0 Note how Jesus basis his claim on evidence in 10:30-37\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

If I am not doing my Father’s works, do not believe me. But if I am doing them, even though you do not believe me, believe the works,<\/p>\n

2\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 John 14:11\u00a0\u00a0 – Jesus told his disciples to believe him, or at least believe the works (i.e., the evidence) that he has been doing.<\/p>\n

3\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Acts 17:11\u00a0 –\u00a0 the Bereans\u00a0 tested everything Paul said<\/p>\n

4\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 1 Thess 5:21 – Test everything<\/p>\n

–\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 many false prophets have gone out into the world<\/p>\n

–\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Not only are there false spirits, but people are deceived by these spirits have gone out into the world. \u00a0How we are to deal with these false prophets was a key message of 2nd<\/sup> John. \u00a0Given the context here, it is most likely, those who left also claimed to be led by the Spirit.<\/p>\n

If you have question or comments about the class, feel free to send me an email at\u00a0elgin@hushbeck.com<\/a>\u00a0and be sure to put \u201cEpistles of John\u201d in the header.<\/em><\/p>\n

See here for references and more background on the class<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

Scripture taken from the Holy Bible: International Standard Version\u00ae<\/sup>. Copyright \u00a9 1996-2008 by The ISV Foundation. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY. Used by permission.\u00a0www.isv.org<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Note: Some places I have modify the text from the ISV version. Passages that I have modified have been noted with and * by the verse number and the ISV text is included in a footnote.<\/em><\/p>\n

\n
\n<\/div>\n

Footnotes:<\/p>\n

[1] 3:23 Or Christ
\n[2] 3:24 Lit. in him
\n[3] 3:24 Lit. and he in him
\n[4] 4:1 Or do not believe<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Week 34: \u00a0Sept 23, 2012 Study \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 i.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0The Commandment (3:23-3:24) 23 \u2013 And this is his commandment: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus the Messiah,[1] and to love one another as he commanded us. –\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 John spells out what is expected of us: \u00a0Believe in the name (On name see notes […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[45,312,369,512,579,638,713,799,805,808,854,1317],"class_list":["post-1019","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-bible","tag-1-john","tag-compassion","tag-darkness","tag-fellowship","tag-gnostics","tag-holy-spirit","tag-jesus","tag-light","tag-living-in-truth-and-love","tag-love","tag-messiah","tag-truth"],"yoast_head":"\nThe Epistles of John: Living in Truth and Love. 1 John 3:23-4:1 - Politics and Religion<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/hushbeck.com\/blog\/2012\/10\/the-epistles-of-john-living-in-truth-and-love-1-john-323-41\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The Epistles of John: Living in Truth and Love. 1 John 3:23-4:1 - Politics and Religion\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Week 34: \u00a0Sept 23, 2012 Study \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 i.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0The Commandment (3:23-3:24) 23 \u2013 And this is his commandment: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus the Messiah,[1] and to love one another as he commanded us. –\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 John spells out what is expected of us: \u00a0Believe in the name (On name see notes […]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/hushbeck.com\/blog\/2012\/10\/the-epistles-of-john-living-in-truth-and-love-1-john-323-41\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Politics and Religion\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2012-10-04T00:18:50+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Elgin Hushbeck\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Elgin Hushbeck\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/hushbeck.com\/blog\/2012\/10\/the-epistles-of-john-living-in-truth-and-love-1-john-323-41\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/hushbeck.com\/blog\/2012\/10\/the-epistles-of-john-living-in-truth-and-love-1-john-323-41\/\",\"name\":\"The Epistles of John: Living in Truth and Love. 1 John 3:23-4:1 - 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