First John/Chapter 1:5-10/Commentary

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First John Chapter 1:5-10

1John 1:5 “And this is the message which we have heard from Him and announce unto you, that God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all” “And this is the message”: John has already spoken of what he had proclaimed (1:3). He now begins to cite specifics in this message, details that exposed the fundamental errors of the Gnostic false teachers. “Which we have heard from Him”: That is from Jesus Christ (1:3). Jesus is the spokesman for the Father during the New Covenant (Heb. 1:1-2; John 16:13-14; Matthew 17:5), therefore what the apostles wrote were the commands of the Lord (1 Cor. 14:37; 2 Peter 3:2). John makes it clear that what he preached originated with God not men. His message was not human speculation or a human philosophy (Galatians 1:12; 2 Peter 1:16). John has spoken of "fellowship with God" and other Christians, now he gives us a test to determine who does and who does not have such a relationship. Stott notes, “In 1:6-2:2 three of the spurious claims of the false teachers are exposed and contradicted. Each is introduced by the formula if we say (1:6,8,10). John supplies tests by which to judge one who professes and calls himself a Christian. Christianity is the only religion that, by emphasizing that God is light, first insists on taking sin seriously and then offers a satisfactory moral solution to the problem of sin. The way to have fellowship with a God who is light is not to deny the facts or effects of sin, but to confess our sins and thankfully appropriate God's provision for our cleansing” (pp. 73-74). From the language in the text it appears that John is dealing with the following three false doctrines. 1. The denial that sin breaks our fellowship with God. 2. The denial that man sins (or the assertion that the truly spiritual do not have to worry about sin). 3. The claim of spiritual perfection.

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