SeniorSeeker
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Testing Spirits
In 1 John 4:1-6, John picks up again on the theme that he was dealing with in 1 John 2:18-27, the erroneous teachings being promulgated among them. How interesting that so soon among the church the enemy was working, seeking to divide the believers through the introduction of false teaching. Even today, do we as Christians not struggle with the same thing, false teachings that divide us?
1 John 4:1-6 (New International Version)
"Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world. You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. They are from the world and therefore speak from the viewpoint of the world, and the world listens to them. We are from God, and whoever knows God listens to us; but whoever is not from God does not listen to us. This is how we recognize the Spirit[a] of truth and the spirit of falsehood."
Though we don't know all the details, John seems to be struggling with various heretical views about Jesus that many of these former members were promoting. One may have taught that Christ only seemingly had been a human being but actually was not. Another may have stressed that Christ entered the human being Jesus at baptism and left Him before crucifixion. Still others may have rejected Jesus as the Messiah.
Maybe these false teachers claimed to be inspired, which is why he in 1 John 4:1 warned about false prophets. Their erroneous views proved, however, that they were influenced by the spirit of the antichrist.
In 1 John 4:1-6, John picks up again on the theme that he was dealing with in 1 John 2:18-27, the erroneous teachings being promulgated among them. How interesting that so soon among the church the enemy was working, seeking to divide the believers through the introduction of false teaching. Even today, do we as Christians not struggle with the same thing, false teachings that divide us?
1 John 4:1-6 (New International Version)
"Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world. You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. They are from the world and therefore speak from the viewpoint of the world, and the world listens to them. We are from God, and whoever knows God listens to us; but whoever is not from God does not listen to us. This is how we recognize the Spirit[a] of truth and the spirit of falsehood."
Though we don't know all the details, John seems to be struggling with various heretical views about Jesus that many of these former members were promoting. One may have taught that Christ only seemingly had been a human being but actually was not. Another may have stressed that Christ entered the human being Jesus at baptism and left Him before crucifixion. Still others may have rejected Jesus as the Messiah.
Maybe these false teachers claimed to be inspired, which is why he in 1 John 4:1 warned about false prophets. Their erroneous views proved, however, that they were influenced by the spirit of the antichrist.
God Bless! Betty