The Blessed Hope

Nestle-Aland Greek New Testament, 28th Edition Chapter 2

26 Ταῦτα ⸆ ἔγραψα ὑμῖν περὶ τῶν πλανώντων ὑμᾶς.* 27 καὶ ὑμεῖς τὸ ⸀χρῖσμα ὃ ἐλάβετε ἀπʼ αὐτοῦ ⸂μένει ἐν ὑμῖν⸃,* καὶ οὐ χρείαν ἔχετε ἵνα τις διδάσκῃ ὑμᾶς,* ⸄ἀλλʼ ὡς⸅ ⸂1τὸ αὐτοῦ χρῖσμα⸃ διδάσκει ὑμᾶς περὶ πάντων, καὶ ἀληθές ἐστιν καὶ οὐκ ἔστιν ψεῦδος, °καὶ καθὼς ἐδίδαξεν ὑμᾶς, ⸁μένετε ἐν αὐτῷ.

28 Καὶ νῦν,* τεκνία, μένετε ἐν αὐτῷ, ἵνα ⸀ἐὰν φανερωθῇ, ⸁σχῶμεν παρρησίαν καὶ μὴ αἰσχυνθῶμεν ⸂ἀπʼ αὐτοῦ ἐν τῇ παρουσίᾳ αὐτοῦ⸃.* 29 ἐὰν ♦⸀εἰδῆτε ὅτι δίκαιός ἐστιν, γινώσκετε ὅτι °καὶ πᾶς ὁ ποιῶν τὴν δικαιοσύνην ἐξ αὐτοῦ γεγέννηται.*

NASB 1 John 2:26-29

26 These things I have written to you concerning those who are trying to deceive you. 27 And as for you, the anointing which you received from Him remains in you, and you have no need for anyone to teach you; but as His anointing teaches you about all things, and is true and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, [a]you remain in Him.

28 Now, little children, remain in Him, so that when He appears, we may have confidence and not draw back from Him in shame at His coming. 29 If you know that He is righteous, you know that everyone who practices righteousness also has been born of Him

Verse 26

John’s focus here is to warn these Christians against a group of ‘so called’ believers who he says are trying to lead them astray. Astray from what? From the gospel, from the true message of Jesus that was what they heard from John in the beginning 1 John 1:1 .

John has spent the past 2 chapters proving that these people who are trying to lead them astray aren’t Christians, they’re false teachers. They’ve departed from the truth, and now they’re attemtping to lead those who they were formerly in fellowship with away with them.

And now John’s addressing them clearly. He doesn’t want to leave the subject of his warnings open to misinterpretation. I’m writing to you concerning these people, not just these teachings, but these people who are doing the teaching.

False teaching doesn’t exist in a vacuum, sadly it always has a teacher and it is the teacher who must be warned against as well as the teaching.

This issue is something of a taboo in much of the church these days. Calling out a false teacher is seen as mean, divisive, unloving and maybe even sinful. Judge not! They say. Are you saying you’re better than them? It’s got nothing to do with that.

A false teacher is someone who teaches another gospel, they most often call themselves Christians, they may be very popular, well liked and influential but the Jesus who they preach is not the Jesus of the Bible. False teachers are people who persist in teaching false doctrine and refuse to listen to correction. They’re not interested in hearing the concerns of well meaning believers. They see criticism of their teaching as simply a projection of a defect in the heart of their critics; they have a critical spirit, they have a religious spirit, they’re just not a person of faith. The concern is dismissed without being heard.

False teaching is dangerous.

2 But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive opinions. They will even deny the Master who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves. 2 Even so, many will follow their licentious ways, and because of these teachers the way of truth will be maligned. 3 And in their greed they will exploit you with deceptive words. Their condemnation, pronounced against them long ago, has not been idle, and their destruction is not asleep.

English Standard Version Chapter 7

15 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves.

Jesus and the apostles in particular took it very seriously and the new testament is full of warnings against deceivers. Paul calls out false teachers by name on six different occasions.

I believe one of the main reasons for the weakness of the charismatic church is that it’s leaders refuse to identify and call out false teaching and yet Paul said;

 I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— 7 not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. 8 But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed.

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (Ga 1:6–8). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.

Commentaries on the Catholic Epistles Chapter 2

we ought always to bear in mind, that it is the duty of a good and diligent pastor not only to gather a flock, but also to drive away wolves: for what will it avail to proclaim the pure gospel, if we connive at the impostures of Satan? No one, then, can faithfully teach the Church, except he is diligent in banishing errors whenever he finds them spread by seducers.

The pastor ought to have two voices: one for gathering the sheep, and another for warding off and driving away wolves and thieves. The Scripture supplies him with the means of doing both; for he who is deeply skilled in it will be able both to govern those who are teachable, and to refute the enemies of the truth.

John Calvin

It’s not loving to prevaricate on the subject of calling out obvious false teaching, it’s hateful, it’s wrong.

Inability to distinguish differences in doctrine is spreading far and wide, and so long as the preacher is “clever” and “earnest,” hundreds seem to think it must be all right, and call you dreadfully “narrow and uncharitable” if you hint that he is unsound!

The issue is that deception is by nature deceptive. Unfortunately for us false teachers don’t have horns or carry red pokers around, they’re very often disguised as Christian ministers. And they look good! They’re appealing in a fleshly sense. They dress well, they’re very often articulate and are strong communicators. They promise a life of luxury, riches health and influence. They preach a Jesus who’s whole mission is to get you whatever you want in life.

No one is ultimately immune from deception, even the elect can be drawn to it for a season. The greatest deception out there is that there are no false teachers, there are no deceivers, there are no workers of darkness masquerading as angels of light. Weigh teaching against the scriptures.

Verse 27

So is there a defence against these false teachers? Have we got any assurance that we won’t be led astray by them. Yes says John! The anointing of the Holy Spirit!

The Holy Spirit is a teacher.

The Spirit of truth will not lie; and he teacheth all things, that is, all things in the present dispensation, all things necessary to our knowledge of God in Christ, and their glory in the gospel. And, (4.) It is of a conservative influence; it will preserve those in whom it abides against seducers and their seduction: - Matt Henry

There are those who take this to mean; well, Ive got the anointing of the Spirit, I don’t need teaching or church. That would be to grossly misunderstand John. What is John writing to them for if not to teach them? The anointing gives the inner witness to the truth of God’s word; which are the scrptures to us.

John makes this clear by saying that the anointing teaches them to abide in Christ, to remain in what they have already received. The anointing verifies the truth of true teaching.

The anointing of the Holy Spirit on a Christian illuminates the heart of the believer to scripture.

It isn’t giving us fresh revelation but leading us deeper into love with the truth of Jesus in the Bible. It keeps us holding on to Christ through trials, change and temptation.

Verse 28