Adult Bible Fellowship
ADULT BIBLE FELLOWSHIP CLASS
An Exegetical Study of 1 John - September through December 2022
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus warned his hearers to watch out for false teachers. “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will recognize them by their fruits.” (Matthew 7:15-16). The Apostle Paul reiterated Jesus’ words in his second letter to the Church at Corinth, “For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. So it is no surprise if his servants, also, disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their deeds.” (2 Corinthians 11:13-15). Likewise, the Apostle Peter shares a similar warning with readers of his second epistle, “But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction. And many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of truth will be blasphemed. And in their greed they will exploit you with false words. Their condemnation from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep.” (2 Peter 2:1-3).
As these words (and many other biblical examples like them) attest, false teaching is a serious problem for which God’s people must always be on guard. This was certainly the case in the late first century areas of Asia Minor, where at an old age the Apostle John ministered as he approached the closing years of his life. False teachers here had introduced into the church a likely embryonic form of what would later become known as Gnosticism. In 1 John, the apostle responds to this heresy with God-given authority and conviction. His response is polemic, but the polemics are woven into a message of pastoral care directed toward the church. Those godly qualities of submission to our Lord in both doctrine and deed, which were lacking in and thus exposed the false teachers and other pretenders to the faith, are the very qualities that should and will be present in the lives of those who, through the work and power of Christ, are truly walking with God.