Gnosticism: Why John Wrote 1 John – Brian Orchard leadingtolife.org

The New Testament Church began with great enthusiasm, adding 5,000 people one day and 3,000 shortly after, as recorded in Acts. However, over time, the Church’s “first love” diminished due to Satan’s influence and false teachers infiltrating the Church. Christ rebuked the Church in Ephesus in Revelation for losing its initial passion, and the Apostle John, writing towards the end of the first century, addressed the spiritual decline. Unlike the other Gospels, John’s writings emphasized Jesus Christ as the Son of God, crucial for maintaining a strong connection to the Father.

John’s letters countered two major heresies of the time, Gnosticism and Docetism, which denied the divinity of Christ. Gnosticism, an intellectual exercise, viewed all physical matter as evil, leading to a belief that Christ could not have had a physical body. This belief system distanced believers from the true role of Christ as Savior and the importance of His crucifixion. John refuted these ideas by emphasizing that Christ was both human and divine, a key to maintaining the relationship with the Father.

John also addressed the divisive effects of Gnosticism within the Church, where secret knowledge created an “in-group” and “out-group,” disrupting true fellowship. He stressed that God is light, love, and life, and that true fellowship with God and each other is rooted in these truths. John highlighted the importance of keeping God’s commandments and loving one another as foundational to the Christian faith.

False teachers within the Church sought to disconnect members from Christ, which would also sever their connection to the Father. John’s writings aimed to restore the Church’s original zeal and maintain the unity of belief based on love and truth. His message remains relevant today, urging believers to anchor themselves in Scripture and uphold the truth of God’s word.

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