In this passage John warns his audience to not only be aware of but also to test the message that false teachers bring to them. This warning certainly applies to us today. We're well aware of the Gnostics that taught falsehood in the first century. There were others that John warned his readers about. Asia Minor and especially Ephesus at that time were filled with magicians and mysticism. Heresy was rampant. The leaders of these cults claimed they were led by the supernatural. How many times have we seen this in modern times; people led astray by the likes of David Koresh or Jim Jones? Of course there are false teachers in the church today also even if they're not as extreme as the two men just mentioned. We need to guard against this. That's the warning in these verses.
I think it's important to note that John instructs his readers to "test the spirits" themselves. It's not the work a preacher. It's our responsibility. The only way we can adequately do this is to have a thorough knowledge of the scriptures.
When reading verse 2, remember the false doctrines in John's day that questioned the Deity of Christ. Others questioned His humanity. This verse like so many others in this letter refutes the Docetic Gnostics. The verb "is come" or "has come" is from a perfect tense verb. It indicates a past action with existing results.
The negative statement of verse 3 tells the same truth that verse 2 stated positively with the additional point that to refute the deity and humanity of Christ is to display the spirit of antichrist. It is possible to have the right spirit (love) of truth and still be in error. It's also possible to have the wrong spirit while knowing much truth. That's why it's so important that we have the right attitude AND stay grounded in the truth.
The word overcome in verse 4 is a perfect tense verb. That means the readers had previously made a decision about false teachers, rejecting them and the conviction of refuting them stayed with the readers.
As true today as when it was written, in verse 5 John points out the popularity of false teachers was due to the fact that their message suits what the world wants to hear. When we're surrounded by people like Joel Osteen who teach nothing but feel good lessons, the words of Paul in Second Timothy 4:1-4 need to be remembered.
I think the important message of verse 6 stems from the words, "We know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error." That word know is a present, active verb. That means we keep on knowing God. We increase in our knowledge of God. If we don't continue to read and study how will it be possible for us to increase our knowledge? Faith is either growing or dying. There is no middle ground.
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