We declare to you what was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the word of life—” vs. 1
1 John 1:1-4
The three letters of John come from the same period as the gospel of John and were likely sent to believers living in Asia Minor, the area we know as Turkey. Unlike other epistles in the New Testament, this writer never quotes from the Hebrew scriptures. Any authority he has comes through experiences with those who actually knew Jesus. Even though he is likely living in the last decade of the first century he claims a direct connection to the Christ. He’s writing to warn congregations about teachers who are distorting the true faith and encouraging believers to embrace false teachings. He has a pastoral concern for his readers and knows that there is no benefit in division or separation. He pleads with them to return to the true Christ, the one who was in the beginning with God, and who became incarnate in the person of Jesus. This kind of slippage, already apparent in the early church, has continued to plague the Church throughout its history. Always there have been false teachers sniffing people out in congregations, and trying to convince believers that they have new knowledge, teachings that supersede the teachings of Jesus. Against them we are called to remember that it’s the old, old story that contains the essence of truth.
Thought for the Day: How can we discern false teachings?
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