This is a short letter to the churches in Ephesus, today Turkey, a gleam into the condition at the first century churches. It is consists of teachings of doctrine and spiritual life. The writer is John, he was the disciple whom was asking fire to rain down from heaven to destroy a village (Luke 9:53-54), when he was old, under the king Domitian, he was disperse to Patmos, he wrote letters to rebuke churches’ pride and lukewarm. He had the character like a thunder. He wrote to rebuke the heretics especially the gnostics, he said they are the “antichrist” (2:18), “liars” (2:22) and “children of the devils” (3:10).
At the end of the first century there were winds of heresies and false knowledge to distract new believers. John was openly rebuking those so called ordained but in fact the disciples of the evil one. And there were also, lustful, immoral false prophets. He then explained his experience, to witness the Jesus is the Christ, he wrote that the Creator God is light, is love, and is eternal life, He wanted to save all helpless men who indulged in sins, he declared those who trusted His name will become His children, knowing Him, and dwelling in Him, God’s Word is in them, they will not continue in sinning, but rather love the brethren, sacrifice for others, overcoming sin.
The book begins with “everlasting life” (1:2) and ended with “eternal life” (5:20) if we have faith, we may come to know God and He will grant us eternal life.
Gnostics’ movement was started to influence the churches, they did not accept that the Word had become in flesh. “Gnostics” means “knowledge,” it is a knowledge which is attacking the fundamental belief of Christianity. Sound very familier to us!
Gnosticism’ statement of belief:
1. The highest God is spiritual, living in light, totally separated from darkness.
2. Cosmos is not created by God, cosmos made of material, and they believe all material beings are evil.
3. God did not related with cosmos being, cosmos was created by a secondary god, and this god does not know who is God.
4. They believe man is consists of 2 parts, only a few people had spiritual wisdom, so they need a savior to save them from the evil cosmos.
5. Jesus was only a son of Joseph and Mary, he was not born by a virgin, but his righteousness, patient, wisdom are highest among mankind.
6. After Jesus was baptized, Christ came into Him; Christ came from the Highest God.
7. Christ is in Jesus, so Jesus started to declare the unknown Father in heaven to the world, and working the miracles.
8. Those a few who were enlightened with the spiritual wisdom will come to know God, return to God the Father.
9. Before Jesus was crucified, Christ left Jesus, Christ returned to heaven, on the cross only a mere human was being crucified.
Gnosticism biggest mistake is about the truth of “the Word become flesh.” They do not believe Christ has man and God attributes. So they will purposely distort the truth and the fact that “He becomes flesh.” They made Christ without a flesh and body. And they preached that Jesus was an ordinary man, if an ordinary man was being crucified on the cross, how can He redeem all mankind?
Another mistake is to say that man consists of 2 parts, dualism, a spiritual being with a sinning body; the spiritual being is separated with the physical body. Those sins, lusts and fleshly immoral activities were belong to the physical body, they do not related with the spiritual being, so Gnostics were usually living in lust and sin.
Gnostics were indoctrinating a false teaching, that only those who accepted Gnosticism and their mystical knowledge can be saved, they were enlighten, in other word, they did not depend on the salvation of Jesus Christ. They said they were born from God, they said they can converse directly with God; they said they had seen God. They said they were born sinless, they said they were working righteousness, so they said they do not need the commandments, and they do not need to follow Christ. This is also sound very familiar to us!
This falsehood had infiltrated the church, so John had to correct these mistakes. He wrote in 1 John 2:26 “These things have I written unto you concerning them that seduce you.”
John wrote in this epistle:
1. God is light (1:5), there is no darkness in Him, the children of God must walk in the light, and those who do not walk in the light are not walking the truth.
2. God is life, through Jesus Christ, all man who repented, confessed and depending on Him will bestow eternal life. Holy Spirit is dwelling in the believers, He is teaching the truth, so that they may walk in the truth, and to live Christ’s life. (2:24-29)
3. God is love (4:8), all those who know God, must love one another, because love is from God, all those who believe the Lord must live in love, how God love us? God’s heart is shown when Jesus Christ came to the world. Those who disbelieve God’s word is to make God as a liar (5:10-11)
The contents of the book of 1 John
1. The writer rebuked those false teachers and their mistakes sharply, (2:26),
2. Without hesitation he rebukes their unrighteousness (3:8-10).
3. St. John wanted the believers to believe firmly and trust wholeheartedly that “Jesus Christ is come in the flesh”
4. God had given his believer true knowledge (5:20)
5. The believers can be bestowing the eternal life, solely knowing the truth about Christ.
Beware of those teachers who taught false teachings, some of them teach Gnosticism, they had overdo some truths, especially some had distorted the about the person of Christ Jesus, He is the “Word became flesh!” Some people had certain claims! Some are qualifying as agnosticism and some are qualifying as Gnosticism, so their rational statements that assert a factual claim about the universe that begin "I believe that ...." are simply shorthand for, "Based on my knowledge, understanding, and interpretation of the prevailing evidence, I tentatively believe that...." These scholars assert that human intelligence has a non-material, spiritual element. They affirm that “not being able to see or hold some specific thing does not necessarily negate its existence,” it is sound very familiar, the unseen underlying text!
Indeed, in most Gnostic systems the sufficient cause of salvation is this 'knowledge of' ('acquaintance with') the divine. This is commonly identified with a process of inward 'knowing' or self-exploration, comparable to that encouraged by Plotinus (ca. 205–270 AD). However, as may be seen, the term 'Gnostic' also had precedent usage in several ancient philosophical traditions, which must also be weighed in considering the very subtle implications of its appellation to a set of ancient religious groups. In essence, it had been decided that 'Gnosticism' would become a historically-specific term, restricted to mean the Gnostic movements prevalent in the 3rd century, while 'gnosis' would be a universal term, denoting a system of knowledge retained 'for a privileged elite.'
John 1:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. May the Lord grant us grace and mercy in pursuing the truth about the “Word became flesh.” Jesus Christ came to the world to save sinner. He is come to be obey. Let us adored the “Word became flesh.” Let us preach “The Word became flesh.” Worshiped Him, the Word became flesh. He, the “Word became flesh” is not come to be debated! But to obey Him, and His commandments! He commanded us to love one another!
Do we hear Him, when He said He is, the “Word became flesh,” how does this verse speak to us? When God asked us, to unite in Christ, but we separated the congregation with the perfect underlying Text of the KJV! How about that?
In another place, do not quarrel about word! 1 Timothy 6:4 He is proud, knowing nothing, but doting about questions and strifes of words, whereof cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings.” Are THESE WORDS NOT FROM THE LORD Himself? What for the teaching about the perfect underlying text, the teaching of VPP, is it a type of Gnosticism? How about that?
The Gnostics purposely distort the truth and the fact that “He becomes flesh.” They did not look highly about, “the Word becomes flesh,” they are teaching some thing else, they replace this truth with falsehood. Some had taken lightly the truth “the Word, Jesus becomes flesh.” But they teach some thing else, they just teach the perfect Word, not relating to Jesus Christ, this is to distract people, not to learn the truth how “the Word become flesh” with pointing to the perfect underlying text of KJV, the Word in the underlying text!
John 1:1-5 in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.
Some had taken the UNDERLYING TR HIGHLY, until they disobey the truth? John 1:14 and the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
The word of God has been perfect and preserved, even the Word can becomes flesh. The Bible is perfected and preserved by Jesus Christ. Jots and titles are fulfilled by and in the Lord Jesus Christ. The manuscripts and all the inspired Word of God were being perfected and fulfilled by Jesus Christ. Is He the perfect Word of God, and He is the living Word of God?
What about the Bible? The Bible is also called the Word of God, Westminster Confession. CHAPTER I of the Holy Scripture,
8. The Old Testament in Hebrew (which was the native language of the people of God of old), and the New Testament in Greek (which, at the time of the writing of it, was most generally known to the nations), being immediately inspired by God, and, by his singular care and providence, kept pure in all ages, are therefore authentical[r]; so as, in all controversies of religion, the church is finally to appeal unto them[s]. But, because these original tongues are not known to all the people of God, who have right unto, and interest in the Scriptures, and are commanded, in the fear of God, to read and search them[t], therefore they are to be translated into the vulgar language of every nation unto which they come[u], that, the Word of God dwelling plentifully in all, they may worship him in an acceptable manner[w]; and, through patience and comfort of the Scriptures, may have hope[x].
[r]. Matt. 5:18; Ps. 119:89
[s]. Is. 8:20; Matt. 15:3, 6; Acts 15:15; see II Tim. 3:14-15
[t]. John 5:39; Acts 17:11; Rev. 1:3; see II Tim. 3:14-15
[u]. Matt. 28:19-20; see I Cor. 14:6; Mark 15:34
[w]. Col. 3:16; see Exod. 20:4-6; Matt. 15:7-9
[x]. Rom. 15:4
The Bibles are therefore authentical! It is authentical! Means the Bibles are Genuine. Having a genuine original or authority, in opposition to that which is false, fictitious, counterfeit, or apocryphal; being what it purports to be; genuine; not of doubtful origin; real; as, an authentic paper or register. [1913 Webster] Nothing about perfection of a Bible translation here! Nothing about the perfection of the underlying text, nothing about a perfect single TR, nothing about a perfect KJV, nothing about a perfect version. It means the Bibles are authentical, traced to the first hand writer, that is all it means here. Kept pure until they are authentical. Not perfection in a translation or version.
The theologians are like those 'gnosis' universally, had spend so much time and efforts to fight for the perfect underlying text, those time wasted can be used to defend the truth about the Lord, “The Word become flesh,” and time can be spent to defend the perfect Jesus Christ, to defend the truth about the perfect Christ, to teach the doctrine about Jesus Christ and His salvation.
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