Senior Class Notes – September 19, 2021

Fall 2021 Unit 1 Session 3 – Sure of the Truth – 1 John 2:18-29, PSG p. 38 – 47

September 19, 2021

The Point: Truth is found in Jesus alone.

Inspirational verses: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the word was God. 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.” (John 1:1, 14).

1 John 2:18 Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time. KEY WORDS: The last time – that time between Jesus’ first and second comings, often considered a time of intense conflict between God and Satan. Antichrists – Persons who oppose Christ or substitute themselves for Christ (1 John 2:18, 22; 4:3; 2 John 7) (PSG p. 40). Antichrist: This word is a combination of two Greek words – Anti, meaning “instead of” or “against”; and christos, meaning “anointed one.” Antichrists most likely means those who seek to take the place of Christ (KJVFSB). About twenty years after John wrote this epistle, Polycarp (a disciple of John) sent a letter to the Christians in Philippi. {Polycarp was a Christian bishop of Smyrna. According to the Martyrdom of Polycarp, he died a martyr, bound and burned at the stake, then stabbed when the fire failed to consume his body. Polycarp is regarded as a saint and Church Father in the Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, Catholic, Anglican and Lutheran churches. His name means “much fruit” in Greek. Both Irenaeus and Tertullian record that Polycarp had been a disciple of John the Apostle, one of Jesus’s disciples. In On Illustrious Men, Jerome writes that Polycarp was a disciple of John the Apostle and that John had ordained him as a bishop of Smyrna. Polycarp is regarded as one of three chief Apostolic Fathers, along with Clement of Rome and Ignatius of Antioch. (WIKI)} He wrote: “For everyone who does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is an ‘anti-Christ’; and whosoever does not confess the testimony of the Cross is of the devil: and whosoever perverts the oracles of the Lord for his own lusts, and says that there is neither resurrection, nor judgment, – this man is the first-born of Satan (PSG p. 44). Antichrist probably were misguided or diabolical individuals guilty of the sins that John described and condemned. They opposed and sought to replace the true Christ (KJV). The choice is to love God or love the world, to follow Christ or follow antichrists. John indicated that these false teachers went out from us – at one time professed Christ but now had become apostate. The defining characteristic of such a false teacher was the denial that Jesus is the Christ (KJVTSB). Apostate or apostasy – a falling away from the faith. Apostasy is generally defined as the determined, willful rejection of Christ and His teachings by a Christian believer (Heb. 10:26-29; John 15:22). This is different from false belief, or error, which is the result of ignorance (NCBD). The expression last time is only found here in the New Testament and is synonymous with the idea of the last days. The phrase points to the imminent return of Christ and the final judgment (PSG p. 40).

1 John 2:19 They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us. There had apparently been a division among the church members to whom John wrote. But not all who had been in the church were authentic believers. Their departure from the fellowship and from apostolic truth was proof of this (KJV). Some in the church, but now departed, were never really part of it. Here is a clear distinction between those who merely appear to be Christians, based on outward affiliation, and those who really are, whom the Lord knows and claims as His own (1 Cor. 8:3; Gal. 4:9; 2 Tim. 2:19) (KJSB). They went out from us, but they were not of us: The meaning of this play on words is obvious – they associated with the believers but they were not real believers. John uses a contrary-to-fact condition in Greek to express his proof that the false teachers are imposters (KJBC).

1 John 2:20 But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things. KEY WORDS: Unction – An action, process, or state of being of having the Holy Spirit live in a person and impacting his or her life. Holy One – A title referring to God as separate, distinct; this applies to all three Persons of the Trinity (Father, Son, and Spirit) (PSG p. 40). The unction (anointing) could be the Holy Spirit, but it more likely refers to the gospel or the saving message – the teaching that believers had received (KJV). Our confidence comes from an unction, an anointing from the Holy One (Holy Spirit). Jesus promised that the Holy Spirit would lead the church “into all truth” (John 16:13). This is not a personal feeling about the truth, but the unity the church has in teaching “the apostles’ doctrine” (Acts 2:42) (KJVTSB). But ye have an unction: This is the key concept in the major premise; the word “unction” (Greek chrisma) denotes literally the “oil” or “unguent” with which a person has been anointed. Thus, throughout the New Testament, God’s chosen King, the Messiah, is designated the Christ, meaning in translation, “the anointed One” or the one who had the “oil” (KJBC). John refers to the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit (John 14-16). Yet Scripture does not suggest that God’s Spirit works in hearts apart from God’s Word (i.e. James 1:18, 21). This unction, then, predisposes John’s readers to recognize and respond to God’s truth, but not to arrive at it independently of the biblical and apostolic Word. Had the readers been capable of knowing all things apart from written and spoken instructions, 1 John would not need to have been written (KJSB).

1 John 2:21 I have not written unto you because ye know not the truth, but because ye know it, and that no lie is of the truth. A mark of those who truly know is the ability to admit their lack of knowledge and their desire to learn more. True believers are always “disciples” (learners) (KJV).

1 John 2:22 Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son. The term antichrist refers to anyone usurping the place of Christ or opposing Christ. But the title of the antichrist identifies a person who emerges during the Great Tribulation to lead Satan’s strategy on earth. The term is used five times in the New Testament and only by John, although the Antichrist of the Great Tribulation is identified by many other names and titles in Scripture: “that Wicked” (2 Thess. 2:8); “The son of perdition” (2 Thess. 2:3); “the willful king” (Dan. 11:36). He is chiefly depicted in the Scriptures as an immensely powerful political leader. He apparently heads the revived Roman Empire, but will not be revealed until after the Rapture (2 Thess. 2:3) (KJSB). The false teachers of John’s day blatantly denied the truth of who Christ is. The particular falsehood being taught was called Gnosticism. It had two primary doctrinal errors: (PSG p. 43)

Docetic is from the Greek word dokeo, which means “seems” or “appears.” The Gnostics believed the body is evil. Therefore, God, who is Spirit, could not take on flesh. Thus, according to them, Jesus did not become a man. He did not come in the flesh; it only appeared that He did. They denied a real, human Jesus. This is a blatant denial of the incarnation: God becoming man (PSG p. 43).
Cerinthus was a contemporary of John. He taught that Jesus had a real human body, but that He was not the Christ until the Spirit came upon Him at His baptism. Cerinthus and his followers taught that the Spirit remained upon Jesus throughout His three years of public ministry, but the Spirit left Him before the crucifixion, since the Spirit could not be associated with suffering (PSG p. 43). Therefore, the Messiah (Christ) was not sacrificed for our sins. Salvation came from gaining special knowledge (which the false teachers could impart), not by having sin and guilt removed (KJVTSB).

The Bible teaches that Jesus is fully God who came in human flesh (John 1:1-5, 14). To deny either is defiance against God. Jesus is the eternal God who stepped out of eternity into time, clothed in human flesh, who died upon the cross, and rose from the dead (PSG p. 43). The error John referred to here was not ethical but theological – false teaching about the Father and the Son (KJV). The liar: He is the epitome of a lying deceiver who claims to represent Christianity (as John’s opponents, probably Gnostics, were doing), but who accords Jesus Christ less than His full due as Savior and coequal partner with the Father. These should be sobering words for modern understandings of religion and Christianity which deny Christ His scriptural status by making Him less than fully divine (KJSB).

1 John 2:23 Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father: he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also. This verse affirms the unity and identity of God the Father and the son. Yet it also affirms their distinctiveness (KJV). Because God has chosen to reveal Himself definitively in Christ, it is not possible to know God personally and truly without fully acknowledging Christ in the fullness of His power and being (KJSB). In John’s epistles, denying that Jesus came in the flesh is to deny His status as the Anointed One. A person cannot worship God while denying Jesus’ full deity and full humanity (KJVFSB).

1 John 2:24 Let that therefore abide in you, which ye have heard from the beginning. If that which ye have heard from the beginning shall remain in you, ye also shall continue in the Son, and in the Father. The beginning was the earliest exposure of John’s readers to the gospel. There is a direct tie between what they have heard and their status as abiding with God (KJV). John exhorts his readers to persevere in the face of false teaching and belief. The Greek text emphasizes the readers, in contrast to those who have gone out (v. 19): “You, therefore, let what you have heard from the beginning abide in you” (KJSB).

1 John 2:25 And this is the promise that he hath promised us, even eternal life. Despite John’s earlier ethical warnings to remain faithful, salvation is a matter of God’s faithfulness, not human achievement (KJV).

1 John 2:26 These things have I written unto you concerning them that seduce you. God’s people cannot always avoid conflict; usurpers and destroyers arise, trying to deceive (KJV). John makes it clear that much of his treatise has been called forth by opponents of orthodox teaching (KJSB).

1 John 2:27 But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him. On anointing, see note at verse 20. John was content to entrust his readers to the powerful gospel message (KJV). John reminds his readers that the Holy Spirit resides in them. The anointing they have received is the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit. This provides assurance that they do also indeed (abide) reside in Him – Jesus (KJVCRSB). Saying “ye need not that any man teach you” is not to say we do not need any further teaching. Rather, it was probably a reference to the so-called special knowledge the antichrist promoted. Believers are not missing out on supposed secret truth – we know the truth about who Jesus is and what He did (KJVTSB). Ephesians 4:11-16 indicates that the Spirit often uses human instruments to fulfill His role of enabling believers to distinguish between truth and error. In any case it is the Word of God that furnishes the believer with knowledge, and which the Spirit then makes relevant and applicable in the believer’s life. See Romans 10:17 “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (KJSB).

1 John 2:28 And now, little children, abide in him; that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming. John urged his readers to “abide in him.” We are not to be moved away from the hope of the gospel. We are to hold to the Christ of Scripture, while living for the glory of God so that when Jesus appears, “we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming.” John mentioned two of the benefits of remaining in Christ (PSG p. 45).

Confidence. This could also be translated boldness. God desires that all will prepare to meet Him and will have solid confidence in His return.
Not be ashamed. Sadly, many people do not have confidence; instead they carry the weight of guilt and shame. However, God desires that His people would remain in Him and thus have no reason to be ashamed when Jesus returns.

Ashamed is the guilt and terror of judgment by God (KJV). Wishing to please the Lord, and not be ashamed before him at his coming, ought to motivate believers to stand firm, to abide in him (KJSB).

1 John 2:29 If ye know that he is righteous, ye know that every one that doeth righteousness is born of him. Because many people – including Christians – don’t see the return of Christ on the horizon, they may not see a need to change their routines or live with His return in mind. For the Christian, however, the right belief – including the belief that Christ is returning – must be consistently supported by the right ethic. We look to Christ – the righteous One – and in response to the new birth He offers, we seek to live right in His power (PSG p. 45-46). The doctrinal knowledge of John’s “If” statement sets up the ethical response implied by “doeth righteousness,” but the response is a function of spiritual rebirth (born of him) and not human effort (KJV). The apostles’ doctrine is the shared belief that we abide in him (Jesus) and are born of him (KJVTSB). The idea seems to be that he who practices what is right, being born of God (3:9), need not fear Christ’s coming (v. 28). Spiritual rebirth is stressed in John. See 4:7; 5:1, 4, 18; also John 1:13; 3:3-8 (KJSB).

References: Fall 2021

(CWB) – Commentary on the Whole Bible by Matthew Henry – Marshall, Morgan & Scott, Ltd. Copyright © 1960. Copyright 1961 by Zondervan Publishing House – Grand Rapids, Michigan.
(ESVSB) – The English Standard Version Study Bible, Personal size. Copyright © 2008 by Crossway. Scripture quotations are from the Holy Bible, English Standard Version Copyright © 2001 by Crossway.
(ETB) – Explore The Book by J Sidlow Baxter. Copyright © 1960 by J. Sidlow Baxter. Published 1960 by Zondervan Publishing House – Grand Rapids, Michigan.
(IMO) – On occasion, with the prayerful guidance of the Holy Spirit, I will make comments of my own, based on my understanding of the events. I will indicate such times with – In My O
(KJSB #2) – The King James Study Bible, (previously published as The Liberty Annotated Study Bible and as The Annotated Study Bible, King James Version) © 1988 by Liberty University.
(NIDNTT) – The New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology Copyright © 1967, 1969, 1971 by Theologisher Verlag Rolf Brockhaus, Wuppertal. English Language edition Volume 1 Copyright © 1975, 1986, The Zondervan Corporation, Grand Rapids, Michigan, U.S.A. and The Paternoster Press, Ltd. Exeter, Devon, U.K.
(NIVBTSB) – The New International Version Biblical Theology Study Bible Copyright © 2018 by The Zondervan Corporation. Text from the Holy Bible, New International Version Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. previously published as The New International Version Zondervan Study Bible.
(NIVCBSB) – The New International Version Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible Copyright © 2016 by The Zondervan Corporation text from the Holy Bible, New International Version Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. published by the Zondervan Corporation.
(NIVJSB) – The New International Version Jeremiah Study Bible, Copyright © 2016 by David Jeremiah, Inc. Using the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission of Zondervan.
(NIVMEB) – The New International Version Ministry Essentials Bible, Copyright © 2014 by Hendrickson Publishers Marketing, LLC. Based on The Holy Bible, New International Version NIV Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.
(NIVSB) – The New International Version Study Bible Copyright © 1985 by the Zondervan Corporation text from the Holy Bible, New International Version Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by the New York International Bible Society.
(NIVZSB) – The New International Version Zondervan Study Bible Copyright © 2015 by the Zondervan Corporation. Text from The Holy Bible, New International Version Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.
(NCBD) – The Nelson’s Compact Bible Dictionary Copyright © 2004 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. with Scripture Quotations from the New King James Version of the Bible Copyright © 1979, 1980, 1982, 1990 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.
(NKJVSB) – Holman Study Bible, New King James Version Edition Copyright © 2013 by Holman Bible Publishers Nashville, Tn. Text from the New King James Version Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.
(PSG) – Bible Studies For life – King James Version Adults Personal Study Guide Fall 2021 Vol. 9, No. 1
(QNBD) – Quick Notes Bible Dictionary based on text from the King James Version of the Bible and cross referenced with the NIV and NRSV Bibles. Copyright © 1998 by George W. Knight and Rayburn W. Ray.
(SEC) – Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible with Dictionaries of the Hebrew Bible and the Greek Testament words. Copyright © 1890 by James Strong. Based on the King James Version of the Bible.
(TDNT) – Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.
(THBC) – Today’s Handbook of Bible Characters Copyright © 1979 by E.M. Blaiklock, published by Bethany House Publishers.
(TZPEB) – The Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible, copyright © 1975, 1976 by the Zondervan Corporation, Grand Rapids, Michigan
(WIKI) Wikipedia – internet source.