Strength and vision; truth and love

This is the second of three teaching letters on 1 John. In the first, I discussed some reasons why this letter is, for some, quite difficult to understand. I pointed out that it is written as a series of meditations - in cycles - and that reading and re-reading thoughtfully (and, of course, prayerfully) is the best way to approach it.

Here, I will set out the situation of the first readers, a group of small house churches in Ephesus, a Greek port city in the (Greek-speaking) Roman Empire, in modern-day Turkey. It was Paul who planted this church and who spent three years there, laying their foundations. You can read about this in Acts 20. In his farewell address to the elders, he warned that there would be challenges ahead, people from outside coming in with different ideas and even some of their own church members leading people astray. This is precisely what happened. Later, John the apostle and gospel writer settled there and was known as John the Elder. He was a senior figure in the Christian movement and was able to speak with authority as someone who was with Jesus during his earthly ministry.

There were a multitude of gods and ideas about gods in Biblical times. People had no difficulty believing in all of them at the same time. Different cities had different gods and the practice of religion was generally very superstitious. The Greeks (from whom the Romans inherited many things), took a great interest in philosophical ideas and there were plenty of these in the Ephesian air. The God of the Jews and Christians was and is, however, very different. The Jews believed that there was one true God, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob who had revealed himself in history through His great deeds (the exodus from Egypt in particular) and his prophets (from Moses onwards). So, God had acted and God had spoken. This was revelation not 'clever thinking'.

The idea of a God who had revealed himself in Jesus as a man and suffered on the cross was extremely distasteful to some people and this is what lay behind the clash at Ephesus. Such ideas began to blossom towards the end of the first century and flowered over the next couple of hundred years. "If you want to know God and have fellowship with God, you really need to have some special knowledge," they said. The name given to this group was gnostics, taken from the Greek word for knowledge. This of course created the impression of a spiritual elite who were superior to outsiders. It is this that lies behind John's insistence that '...our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ.' (1 John 1:3b).

Another idea with which these Greek philosophical religions struggled was that the true God could have stooped so low as to have become a crucified human being. Surely that was a complete denial of His majesty and divinity they thought. So imaginative ideas were produced to explain that at the last moment Jesus' body was swapped and someone else was crucified instead. Jesus only seemed to have been crucified. The people who claimed this were known as docetists from the Greek word to seem. The idea that someone else would suffer for God is of course a direct contradiction of the wonderful truth that He suffered for us and a denial of the cross as the means of God dealing with the problem of human sin.

Such were the ideas being talked about and taught in the Ephesus of John's day, towards the end of the first century. In later times, a number of so-called false gospels and writings appeared with fanciful and lurid details of what they said really happened, but with very little of historical value.

These ideas, of course, were a total denial and contradiction of the gospel as taught by the first believers. Had they gained acceptance the whole Christian message would have been perverted and distorted, and the foundation laid by Paul demolished.

So, in this letter, John is saying that if you want to know the truth, you need to get it from those who actually knew Jesus - and who saw him, heard him and touched him. Certainly not from clever upstarts who came along later saying that what happened was completely different. If you want true fellowship with God, go to the real Jesus who was a real man, really suffered on the cross and who really dealt with our sins! John does not mince his words. He calls them 'liars'. (1 John 2:22).

These early gnostic ideas, having undermined the atoning sacrifice of Jesus broadened and developed to attack the whole notion of sin in two directions. There were those who said, "My special knowledge means that I don't actually sin anymore! I have no sin!" But, of course, they did and it was plain for all to see. They walked in darkness and their claims to have fellowship with God were a complete deception. Others went in a different direction and seemed to be saying that sin does not matter - just do what you like.  All this was false teaching and John urges them to listen to the Holy Spirit who reveals God's truth.

The fruit of these false ideas was that the people who accepted them did not walk in love. Their actions were contentious, hateful and uncaring. They split away in a hateful and acrimonious manner. This was no amicable parting of the ways. But the hallmark of true Christian faith, according to John, is that it is expressed in love. Love for God evidenced by obedience, and love for others evidenced by practical care and compassion. The final meditative cycle in chapter 4 particularly climaxes on love although it occurs all the way through.

For just a moment, picture yourself as a member of the church at Ephesus. How would you be feeling? 

Some would have been troubled and unsettled. No doubt these false teachers would have been very convincing and persuasive. It is likely that some in the church were wavering. They might have been wondering if behind all the expression of bad-feeling there was some truth. Greek culture put a high value on the ability to argue persuasively. For them John plunges straight in with his first four verses. Unlike Paul's letters it has no personal greeting. It is more like a circular tract. He means business! John writes to give them confidence.

Others might have been shell-shocked. They had experienced a full-on attack of everything they believed in, stood for and had made sacrifices for. Perhaps the split broke bonds of friendship and family ties. To them this letter gave strength: "Stand firm. They are in the wrong!" John makes it clear that if you want to be sure about the ground on which you stand, get it from those who were there at the beginning.

Perhaps those of a more sensitive disposition would be thinking, "Well I don't always love as much as I should or could!" To them, John says, "Look what matters is your basic lifestyle; you do not set out to sin, you do not wilfully choose sin - although you have lapses. There is forgiveness. Confess your sins and know that you are forgiven." To them the letter gives assurance.

For those who were worried about whether these small house churches could really withstand these anti-Christ attacks, John is saying that the true church is founded on the truth about Jesus and empowered by God's love for them and through them. With these two things - truth and love - cemented by obedience, God will keep you safe. The evil one cannot touch you. To these people, and indeed all of us, the letter gives strength and a vision for what the church can be and is called to be. This is surely relevant to all churches, in all places and at all times. So, keep walking around that lake (see part 1). It will feed your vision!

In the final instalment, I will reflect on some of the wrong ideas about God that are challenging today's church. They are not precisely the same and we do need to be alert and discerning.

Chris Moffett