1 John
A short homily written by a Christian elder, 1 John instructs the churches concerning a problem that was becoming more serious. Christians were taught that after Jesus left this earth, the Spirit of God would guide and direct the Christian movement. The spirit that was present in Jesus would speak through the apostles, and once the apostles were gone, the spirit would continue to speak through other individuals. As a result of this belief, many people claimed to be the medium through which God's truth was revealed to the churches. All sorts of ideas were advanced by individuals who insisted that the Spirit of God revealed to them whatever it was that they were advocating. Unless some restraint was placed on individuals who made such claims, the situation soon would become chaotic. This letter proposes that two tests be applied before accepting anyone who claims to have been informed by the Spirit of God.
One of these tests is doctrinal in character. It states that anyone who denies that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. This test was directed especially against a form of Gnostic philosophy known as Doceticism. Docetists accepted the idea of Jesus' divinity, but they denied his humanity, insisting that Jesus only appeared to have a physical body. The other test is an ethical one. People who claim to be possessed by the Spirit of God must be examined before being accepted in the church. If their conduct does not harmonize with the ethical teachings of Jesus, they are not to be received into church fellowship. The church is warned against the many false prophets and teachers who have arisen, and the church is urged to apply the test of brotherly love, as well as that of obedience to the commandments of God.
