On Sunday, we started digging into the first letter of John, written (most likely) to the church at Ephesus, which had been experiencing a lot of hurt and difficulty as the result of false teachers creating disunity. It had become such a problem there, that John knew he needed to address it.
At The Orchard, we always provide great “deeper classes” to help people grow deeper in their understanding, and to not be susceptible to false teaching as easily. Those classes are taking place this fall. You can find out all about them and sign right up at this link:
Have you ever unknowingly found yourself in the middle of a sales pitch for something like a time share or some kind of pyramid scheme?
What was the person trying to sell you? Were you surprised when you found out the truth of the situation you were in?
What about those calls you get on your cellphone now? For me, they start with something like “This is Angela from the warranty department…” They try to make it sound like they are calling about something that is already in process.
Don’t we have this in a spiritual sense? Aren’t we constantly hit with messages that may feel innocent at first, but in reality contradict the gospel?
John knew this was going on in the ’80’s, so he wanted his readers prepared to fight the false teachers.
1 John 2:18–23 (NLT)
Dear children, the last hour is here. You have heard that the Antichrist is coming, and already many such antichrists have appeared. From this we know that the last hour has come. These people left our churches, but they never really belonged with us; otherwise they would have stayed with us. When they left, it proved that they did not belong with us.
But you are not like that, for the Holy One has given you his Spirit, and all of you know the truth. So I am writing to you not because you don’t know the truth but because you know the difference between truth and lies. And who is a liar? Anyone who says that Jesus is not the Christ. Anyone who denies the Father and the Son is an antichrist. Anyone who denies the Son doesn’t have the Father, either. But anyone who acknowledges the Son has the Father also.
Okay, so when you and I think of “antichrist,” what really comes to our minds?
But that isn’t what John is talking about, is it? John says “many such antichrists have appeared.” Who is he talking about? What do you think qualify them as “anti Christs?”
Of course, in the 1st century, the believers didn’t have formalized creeds, or catechisms, or professors, or seminaries, or even printed Bibles! It is easy to see how they might have been easily deceived to believe something that was just wrong enough to move their faith OFF of Christ, and onto themselves. BUT what is our excuse? What makes false teaching so difficult to recognize, and so easy to fall for in the 21st century?
John says “I am writing to you not because you don’t know the truth but because you know the difference between truth and lies.” He says that the reader knows what they know because “the Holy One has given you his Spirit, and all of you know the truth.”
What is John describing here? We have the ability to know the truth because of what?
Isn’t this contrary to our postmodern thinking? We tend to think that the truth is somewhere inside of us… That each person has their own version of truth. John, however, is making a pretty bold statement. He is saying that the believer has been gifted with something that is EXTERNAL, moving into their life, and bringing an absolute truth with it.
He is also saying that this gift of the Holy Spirit comes to all believers. That it is included as part of your salvation. YOU have this special gift.
1 John 2:24–27 (NLT)
So you must remain faithful to what you have been taught from the beginning. If you do, you will remain in fellowship with the Son and with the Father. And in this fellowship we enjoy the eternal life he promised us.
I am writing these things to warn you about those who want to lead you astray. But you have received the Holy Spirit, and he lives within you, so you don’t need anyone to teach you what is true. For the Spirit teaches you everything you need to know, and what he teaches is true—it is not a lie. So just as he has taught you, remain in fellowship with Christ.
So to keep from becoming anti-Christ, we “must remain faithful” to what we’ve been taught. We do that by good, deep understanding (the goal of our Core Beliefs and Systematic Theology classes)
John says that the Holy Spirit lives in each of us, so we “don’t need anyone to teach you what is true.”
Wait. Does that mean that you and I should NOT have good theological teaching? Am I wasting my time on these dang discussion questions????
I think your life group leader will have some good insight into this. (I sent them some good stuff on this on Friday.)
How does your commitment to the Word of God need to change based on the threat of false teaching?
As you close in prayer, thank God for the gift of His Word and the Holy Spirit. Ask Him to give you the ability to recognize truth and error, and the courage to remain true to what you have heard from the beginning.