Commentary on the First Letter of John, Chapter 4
It is very important to test whether the teaching that we receive, as « inspired statement », is truly based on the Bible: « Beloved ones, do not believe every inspired statement, but test the inspired statements to see whether they originate with God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2 This is how you know that the inspired statement is from God: Every inspired statement that acknowledges Jesus Christ as having come in the flesh originates with God. 3 But every inspired statement that does not acknowledge Jesus does not originate with God. Furthermore, this is the antichrist’s inspired statement that you have heard was coming, and now it is already in the world. 4 You originate with God, little children, and you have conquered them, because the one who is in union with you is greater than the one who is in union with the world. 5 They originate with the world; that is why they speak what originates with the world and the world listens to them. 6 We originate with God. Whoever comes to know God listens to us; whoever does not originate with God does not listen to us. By this we distinguish the inspired statement of truth from the inspired statement of error » (verses 1-6).
How to « test the inspired statement » to see whether it comes from God? We have a concrete example written in the book of Acts: « Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they accepted the word with the greatest eagerness of mind, carefully examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so » (Acts 17:11). The Bereans, while listening to the teaching of the apostle Paul, tested his « inspired statement », whether it was well based on the Bible.
In verses 2 and 3, John specifies his thought: « Every inspired statement that acknowledges Jesus Christ as having come in the flesh originates with God. But every inspired statement that does not acknowledge Jesus does not originate with God. Furthermore, this is the antichrist’s inspired statement that you have heard was coming, and now it is already in the world ». Why does the apostle John insist so much regarding the faith in Jesus Christ? Because this is the central point of teaching, the central point of Christianity. By attacking this central part of this teaching that is both simple and very important, it can endanger the everlasting future of those who receive this false teaching which frankly denies the fact that Jesus is Christ.
However, it could be very difficult to detect this kind of false teaching. Let us take a concrete example in direct connection with the faith in the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, which leads to everlasting life. Let us talk about the celebration of the memory of the sacrifice of Christ. Jesus said to celebrate it once a year, on the date of the celebration of the former Jewish Passover, on the Nisan, 14, according to the Jewish calendar: « Keep doing this in remembrance of me » (Luke 22:19). This Christian ceremony must be celebrated in the same way as the Passover, that is between faithful Christians, in congregation or in family (Hebrews 10:1; Colossians 2:17; 1 Corinthians 11:33). After the celebration of Passover, Jesus Christ established the pattern of the future celebration of the memorial of his death (Luke 22:12-18). They are in these biblical quotes of the different Gospels: Matthew 26:17-35, Mark 14:12-31, Luke 22:7-38, John Chapter 13 to 17.
The apostle Paul also wrote this: « Christ our Passover lamb has been sacrificed » (1 Corinthians 5:7). The modalities of this Christian celebration which replace the Jewish Passover, are very simple. The Passover Lamb is replaced by what symbolically represents the body of Christ: his flesh is represented by an unfermented bread; his blood is represented by the cup. Just as the circumcised Jews ate the lamb of Passover, thus the Christian is invited, by Jesus Christ to participate in the unfermented bread and drink the cup: « So Jesus said to them: “Most truly I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, you have no life in yourselves. Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has everlasting life, and I will resurrect him on the last day; for my flesh is true food and my blood is true drink” » (John 6:53-55).
Currently and on a global scale, a human « inspired statement » claims that the faithful Christians who have the hope of everlasting life on earth, have no right to take part in the unfermented bread and the cup, contradicting in head-on way, the clear and precise declarations of Christ (Revelation 21:3,4 (Earthly Hope of Everlasting Life); John 6:48-58 (the injunction of Christ to eat the unfermented bread and drink the cup, symbolizing his flesh and his blood)). This dogma of the prohibition to take the emblems has absolutely no biblical foundation and is head-on against the teaching of Christ to take part in the unfermented bread and the cup. Now, taking part in the unfermented bread and the cup is the only visible way that the Christian can demonstrate his faith in the sacrifice of Christ and in the hope of everlasting life (John 3:16,36). Therefore, you, faithful Christians, who test the inspired statement, as encourages the apostle John, during the next celebration of the memorial of the sacrifice of Christ, what will you do?
If we love God, we must also love our neighbor: « Beloved ones, let us continue loving one another, because love is from God, and everyone who loves has been born from God and knows God. 8 Whoever does not love has not come to know God, because God is love. 9 By this the love of God was revealed in our case, that God sent his only-begotten Son into the world so that we might gain life through him. 10 The love is in this respect, not that we have loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a propitiatory sacrifice for our sins. 11 Beloved ones, if this is how God loved us, then we are also under obligation to love one another. 12 No one has seen God at any time. If we continue loving one another, God remains in us and his love is made perfect in us. 13 By this we know that we are remaining in union with him and he in union with us, because he has given his spirit to us. 14 In addition, we ourselves have seen and are bearing witness that the Father has sent his Son as Savior of the world. 15 Whoever acknowledges that Jesus is God’s Son, God remains in union with such one and he in union with God. 16 And we have come to know and believe the love that God has for us. (…) If anyone says, “I love God,” and yet is hating his brother, he is a liar. For the one who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. 21 And we have this commandment from him, that whoever loves God must also love his brother » (verses 7-16a, 20,21).
John encourages us to love our neighbor in the way of God, that is to say by taking the first step: « The love is in this respect, not that we have loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a propitiatory sacrifice for our sins. Beloved ones, if this is how God loved us, then we are also under obligation to love one another » (verses 10 and 11). It was God who loved us first, when in the beginning, we did not love him. Jesus Christ expressed the same idea, namely to take the first step, to love someone who does not love us, as God did with us, but in a different way: « For if you love those loving you, what reward do you have? Are not also the tax collectors doing the same thing? And if you greet your brothers only, what extraordinary thing are you doing? Are not also the people of the nations doing the same thing? You must accordingly be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect » (Matthew 5:46-48). Thus, the manifestation of love, in the way of God, is sublimated by particularly in loving those who do not love us. Maybe, in their hearts, in return, it will born a brotherly love for us, as was the case for our love towards God and his Son Jesus Christ (John 3:16).
Love for God is devoid of all fear: « God is love, and the one who remains in love remains in union with God and God remains in union with him. 17 In this way love has been made perfect in us, so that we may have freeness of speech in the day of judgment, because just as that one is, so are we ourselves in this world. 18 There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts fear out, because fear restrains us. Indeed, the one who is fearful has not been made perfect in love. 19 We love, because he first loved us » (verses 16b-19).
How is it that the apostle John writes to love God without fear, while in other parts of the Bible, it is written that we must fear God (Proverbs 2:5 « The fear of Jehovah »)? The fear of Jehovah God mentioned in Proverbs 2:5 is a feeling of deep respect and deference, a reverential fear. While the fear mentioned by the apostle John is incompatible with love for God because it is another kind of fear. It is a morbid fear, the fear of punishment which is completely incompatible with the love that we could naturally have towards someone who does not scare us and who comforts us.
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