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1JOHN 2:18-29
LESSON #6
THE SPIRIT OF FALSE TEACHERS
MEMORY VERSE: 1JOHN 2:25
READ 1JO 2:18-29
A WARNING TO IMMATURE CHRISTIANS
“LITTLE CHILDREN” = THE IMMATURE CHRISTIANS
THIS IS A WARNING ESPECIALLY TO IMMATURE CHRISTIANS.
REMEMBER THAT JOHN IS WRITING TO DEFEND CHRISTIANITY AGAINST GNOSTICISM. IMMATURECHRISTIANS WERE ESPECIALLY VULNERABLE TO THE FALSE BELIEF OF GNOSTICISM.
CULT GROUPS AND FALSE RELIGIONS USUALLY LIKE TO PERSUADE IMMATURE CHRISTIANS TO JOINTHEM.
“IT IS THE LAST TIME” (18)
HOW COULD IT BE THE LAST DAYS BEFORE THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST IN JOHNS DAY ANDSTILL BE THE LAST DAYS TODAY?
THE PERIOD OF “THE LAST DAYS” BEGAN AT PENTECOST AND WILL CONTINUE UNTILCHRIST COMES IN THE RAPTURE.
“THE ANTICHRIST SHALL COME” (18)
WHY DID JOHN TALK ABOUT “THE ANTICHRIST” WHEN HE WOULD NOT APPEAR FOR ATLEAST 2,000 YEARS?
TO ANSWER THIS QUESTION, WE MUST UNDERSTAND THE USE OF THE WORD “ANTICHRIST”.
“ANTICHRIST” HAS 2 MEANINGS =
1. AGAINST CHRIST
2. IN THE PLACE OF CHRIST
“ANTICHRIST” HAS 3 USES IN THE BIBLE:
1. ONE USE REFERS TO A MAN WHO WILL BE THE ANTICHRIST DURING THE TRIBULATIONPERIOD WHICH IS YET TO COME.
(REV 13:1-10) THIS IS NOT THE PERSON JOHN TALKS ABOUT HERE IN 1JOHN.
2. ONE USE REFERS TO AN EVIL SPIRIT THAT HAS BEEN IN THE WORLD SINCE THE FALL OFLUCIFER WHO BECAME SATAN. (1JO 4:3) IT IS THE SPIRIT BEHIND EVERY FALSE DOCTRINE AND FALSERELIGION THAT WOULD SEEK TO REPLACE JESUS CHRIST.
3. ONE USE REFERS TO ANYONE IN GENERAL WHO
IS PERSUADED BY THE EVIL SPIRIT OF ANTICHRIST TO DO HIS WORK. (1JOH 2:18,
2JOH 7)
THE ANTICHRISTS OF JOHNS DAY:
THE GNOSTICS WERE THE ANTICHRISTS JOHN TALKS ABOUT HERE IN 1JOH 2:18
FALSE TEACHERS — “THEY WENT OUT FROM US” (19)
IT IS INTERESTING TO NOTICE THAT THESE ANTICHRISTS (THE GNOSTICS) WERE ONCE A PART OFTHE CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY. THEY STARTED OUT RIGHT, BUT THEY WENT WRONG AND LEFT THEFELLOWSHIP. IT IS NOT ENDURANCE THAT SAVES, BUT ENDURANCE IS A CHARACTERISTIC OF THE SAVEDPERSON. OUTWARDLY THESE FALSE PEOPLE APPEARED TO BE CHRISTIANS. THEY BELONGED TO A LOCALCHURCH. THEY WERE BAPTIZED AND TOOK COMMUNION, BUT THEY WERE NOT REALLY CHRISTIANS.
THE FOUNDERS OF MOST OF THE FALSE RELIGIONS AND CULTS TODAY BEGAN IN CHRISTIAN CHURCHESAND UNDER CHRISTIAN INFLUENCE. THE BIBLICAL EXAMPLE IS JUDAS.
FOR EXAMPLE:
JEHOVAHS WITNESSES — RUSSELL WAS RAISED IN A CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH.
CHRISTIAN SCIENCE — MARY BAKER EDDY WAS RAISED IN A CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH.
THE PEACE MISSION MOVEMENT (FATHER DIVINE) — GEORGE BAKER WAS A BAPTIST MINISTER.
THEOSOPHY (MODERN GNOSTICISM) — MADAM BLAVATSKY GREW UP UNDER RUSSIAN ORTHODOXY.
UNITY CHURCH (LARGEST MODERN GNOSTIC CULT) — MYRTLE QUIMBY GREW UP IN THE METHODISTCHURCH.
UNITARIAN CHURCH — MARTIN CELLARIUM, A FRIEND OF MARTIN LUTHER.
ROSICRUCIAN FELLOWSHIP — CHRISTIANUS ROSENDREUTZ WAS RAISED IN ROMAN CATHOLICISM.
JIM JONES BEGAN IN AN ASSEMBLY OF GOD CHURCH.
HOW CAN YOU TELL THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE FALSE CULTS AND TRUE CHRISTIANITY OF THEBIBLE?
“WE HAVE AN UNCTION FROM THE HOLY ONE…”(20)
JOHN SAYS THE HOLY SPIRIT WILL REVEAL IT TO YOU.
“UNCTION” MEANS ANOINTING FROM THE HOLY SPIRIT.
OF COURSE, THIS MEANS THAT YOU ARE SEEKING THE TRUTH, AND THAT YOU LISTEN TO THEGUIDANCE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. IF YOU DESIRE TO KNOW THE TRUTH, THE HOLY SPIRIT HAS PROMISEDTO LEAD YOU IN IT. (JOH 16:13)
THE GNOSTICS BELIEVED THEY HAD A SPECIAL ANOINTING FROM GOD WHO GAVE THEM SPECIALKNOWLEDGE. THEY WERE “ILLUMINATED”. HOWEVER, THEY HAD A DIFFERENT DOCTRINE.
THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE MANY ANTICHRISTS:
IN JOHNS DAY AND IN OURS THE CHARACTERISTICS ARE THE SAME.
THE KEY ISSUE: THEY DENY THE DEITY OF CHRIST.(22)
THE GNOSTICS BELIEVED THAT JOSEPH WAS THE FATHER OF JESUS. THEREFORE, THEY BELIEVED HEWAS BORN LIKE EVERY OTHER MAN.
JOHN SAYS THAT IF YOU DENY JESUS, THE SON, YOU ALSO DENY GOD, THE FATHER.
SUMMARY:
THE THREE CHARACTERISTICS OF A FALSE TEACHER:
1. THEY DEPART FROM CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP.(2:18-19)
2. THEY DENY THE FAITH (2:20-25; 4:1-6)
3. THEY TRY TO DECEIVE THE FAITHFUL. (2:26-29) (1TIM 4:1)
TO AVOID FALSE DOCTRINES:
1. LET THE TRUE WORD OF GOD INSTRUCT YOU!
“LET THAT THEREFORE ABIDE IN YOU…” (24)
TO AVOID FALSE DOCTRINES, JOHN ENCOURAGES THE PEOPLE TO BELIEVE WHAT THEY HAD HEARDABOUT JESUS REGARDING HIS LIFE, DEATH, AND RESURRECTION WHEN THEY WERE FIRST SAVED. IFTHEY DID THAT, THEY WOULD HAVE ETERNAL LIFE. (25)
THE GNOSTICS THAT SEDUCED PEOPLE AWAY FROM JESUS CHRIST WOULD HAVE NO EFFECT. (26)
“SEDUCE” MEANS = TO LEAD PEOPLE AWAY FROM THE TRUTH; TO LEAD ASTRAY.
2. LET THE TRUE TEACHER, TEACH YOU!
THE TRUE TEACHER IS THE HOLY SPIRIT (28)
THE ANOINTING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT TEACHES YOU TRUTH SO THAT YOU UNDERSTAND THE WORD OFGOD.
READ JOH 14:26 JOH 16:13-16
THE WORD “ANOINT” IS THE GREEK WORD charisma. IT MEANS = TO SMEAR ON.
WHEN THE OLD TESTAMENT PRIESTS WERE ANOINTED WITH OIL, THE OIL WAS SMEARED ON THEIRBODIES. THIS WAS DONE PHYSICALLY TO INDICATE THEY HAD THE POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT TOENABLE THEM TO PERFORM CERTAIN JOBS.
THE BORN AGAIN BELIEVER HAS THE POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT WHO TEACHES THE BELIEVER ALLTRUTH AND GIVES HIM POWER TO UNDERSTAND IT.
JOHN DOES NOT MEAN WE DO NOT NEED HUMAN TEACHERS. A HUMAN TEACHER CAN TEACH YOU TRUTH,BUT WITHOUT THE POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, THERE IS NO INTERNAL UNDERSTANDING OF IT. (1COR2:14
1COR 2:9-10)
THE SAFEST PLACE TO BE: (28)
“NOW LITTLE CHILDREN” = LITTLE BORN AGAIN ONES
“ABIDE IN HIM” (28)
MANY TIMES JOHN HAS USED THE WORD “ABIDE”.
| 2:6 | IF YOU ABIDE IN CHRIST YOU WILL WALK CORRECTLY. |
| 2:10 | IF YOU LOVE YOUR BROTHER, YOU ABIDE IN LIGHT. |
| 2:14 | IF YOU ARE A STRONG BELIEVER, THE WORD OF GOD ABIDES IN YOU. |
| 2:17 | IF YOU DO THE WILL OF GOD, YOU ABIDE IN CHRIST FOREVER. |
| 2:24 | LET THE TRUTH OF JESUS CHRIST ABIDE IN YOU. |
| 2:27 | THE ANOINTING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT ABIDES IN YOU. |
| 2:28 | ABIDE IN CHRIST JESUS UNTIL HE COMES BACK AGAIN. |
BECAUSE JOHN HAS USED THE WORD SO OFTEN, WE SHOULD PAY ATTENTION TO IT. WHAT DO YOUTHINK THE WORD “ABIDE” MEANS IN THE CHRISTIAN LIFE? (28)
DISCUSSION: WHY WOULD SOME CHRISTIANS BE ASHAMED AT JESUS COMING? (28)
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN “ACCEPTED” AND “ACCEPTABLE”?
THE THIRD TEST (29)
GOD IS A RIGHTEOUS FATHER. HIS CHILDREN WILL LOOK JUST LIKE HIM BECAUSE THEY WALK INTRUTH.
THEREFORE THE TEST OF FELLOWSHIP WITH GOD IS NOT ONLY YOUR LIFESTYLE (OBEDIENCE ANDLOVE–TEST #1 AND TEST #2) BUT THAT YOU HAVE CORRECT DOCTRINE BASED ON TRUTH. IF YOUDONT LOOK LIKE YOUR HEAVENLY FATHER, YOU DONT BELONG TO HIM. (29)
APPLICATION:
DISCUSSION:
1. SOME PEOPLE SAY THAT IT DOES NOT MAKE ANY DIFFERENCE
WHAT YOU BELIEVE AS LONG AS YOU ARE SINCERE. WHY
WOULD JOHN DISAGREE WITH THOSE PEOPLE?
2. WHY WOULD A NEW TESTAMENT JEW WHO SINCERELY WORSHIPED
JEHOVAH GOD STILL NOT BE SAVED?
HOMEWORK
1JOHN 3:1-10
THIS IS A SELF-STUDY. PLEASE DO NOT SEND HOMEWORK ANSWERS TO THE TEACHER FORCORRECTION.
APPLICATION OF 1JOH 2:18-29
HAVE YOU EVER HAD AN EXPERIENCE WHERE YOU HEARD SOMEONE TEACH
AND YOU JUST KNEW IT WAS WRONG EVEN THOUGH YOU DID NOT KNOW
EXACTLY WHAT WAS WRONG? THAT IS AN EXAMPLE OF HOW THE HOLY SPIRIT GUIDES US INTO TRUTH.WRITE YOUR EXPERIENCE HERE.
PREPARATION FOR 1JOH 3:1-10
READ 1JOH 3:1-10
WHY DO YOU THINK GOD GAVE THE LAW (MOSAIC LAW) TO THE JEWS IN THE OLD TESTAMENT?
WHAT ARE THE CHARACTERISTICS OF A TRUE CHILD OF GOD?
WHAT TWO REASONS DOES JOHN GIVE FOR JESUS DEATH ION THE CROSS?
1. (1JO 3:4-6)
2. (1JO 3:7-8)
WHY WILL THE BORN AGAIN BELIEVER NOT HABITUALLY PRACTICE LIVING IN SIN? (1JOH 3:9-10JOH 3:6 1PET 1:23)
MEMORY VERSE: 1JOHN 3:6
