The Doctrine of Christ

[~candice~]

I have just finished a study on 1, 2 and 3 John, which was awesome .

I have one minor issue to nut out, the definition of the doctrine of Christ. See it in context in 2 John:

2Jn 1:7 For many deceivers have entered into the world, who do not confess Jesus Christ coming in the flesh. This is the deceiver and the anti-christ.

2Jn 1:8 Look to yourselves, so that we may not lose those things which we worked out, but that we may receive a full reward.

2Jn 1:9 Everyone transgressing and not abiding in the doctrine of Christ does not have God. He who abides in the doctrine of Christ, he has both the Father and the Son.

2Jn 1:10 If anyone comes to you and does not bring this doctrine, do not receive him into your house, nor speak a greeting to him.

2Jn 1:11 For he who speaks a greeting to him is partaker of his evil deeds.

In context then I would understand this to be Jesus Christ coming in flesh as the propitiation for our sins, but it seems there must be more to it than this. It is not defined, it seems as though the intended audience knows what John means by this. I see many references in 1 John to "that which you have known from the beginning", do you take this to be the same thing? The audience here are Jews, so from the beginning (of what? of their walk with Christ? or their life?) can also refer to their knowledge of God pre salvation, but it seems (reading the style of writing from 1 John, particularly the introduction) that this speaks of the gospel.

Is this doctrine that Christ taught, or doctrine about Christ? My current understanding is that it is the latter.

It is a wonderful issue to grapple with as I am searching for a new church home now that we have moved location. There are many doctrinal issues for which I would still be welcome to receive those people into my home. But it seems that abiding in this doctrine is of great importance.

Please don't make this an OSAS thread.

Candice

[Guest favoured dotty]

which doctrine are you not understanding that i may elaborate on it

[Guest shiloh357]

Is this doctrine that Christ taught, or doctrine about Christ? My current understanding is that it is the latter.

It is the latter. The churches were being infiltrated by cults that either denied the Deity of Jesus (Ebionites) or denied Jesus had been resurrected bodily (gnostics) or that Jesus only appeared human (docetists).

John was writing to demonstrate how one could tell a true believer from false one. Those who either denied Jesus' humanity and/or bodily resurrection or denied His Deity were not to be regarded as true believers. Not that those were the only problematic doctrines being circulated, but those are the ones most prevalent.

[~candice~]

Is this doctrine that Christ taught, or doctrine about Christ? My current understanding is that it is the latter.

It is the latter. The churches were being infiltrated by cults that either denied the Deity of Jesus (Ebionites) or denied Jesus had been resurrected bodily (gnostics) or that Jesus only appeared human (docetists).

John was writing to demonstrate how one could tell a true believer from false one. Those who either denied Jesus' humanity and/or bodily resurrection or denied His Deity were not to be regarded as true believers. Not that those were the only problematic doctrines being circulated, but those are the ones most prevalent.

Not that I doubt you, but where does this historical information come from?

Ta

[Guest shiloh357]

Is this doctrine that Christ taught, or doctrine about Christ? My current understanding is that it is the latter.

It is the latter. The churches were being infiltrated by cults that either denied the Deity of Jesus (Ebionites) or denied Jesus had been resurrected bodily (gnostics) or that Jesus only appeared human (docetists).

John was writing to demonstrate how one could tell a true believer from false one. Those who either denied Jesus' humanity and/or bodily resurrection or denied His Deity were not to be regarded as true believers. Not that those were the only problematic doctrines being circulated, but those are the ones most prevalent.

Not that I doubt you, but where does this historical information come from?

Ta

Last Semester: History of Christianity I. We studied a lot of the early Christian cults that came about in the late 1st century and lasted into the 2nd and 3rd centuries.

[~candice~]

Ta

[Joshua-777]

I have just finished a study on 1, 2 and 3 John, which was awesome .

I have one minor issue to nut out, the definition of the doctrine of Christ. See it in context in 2 John:

2Jn 1:7 For many deceivers have entered into the world, who do not confess Jesus Christ coming in the flesh. This is the deceiver and the anti-christ.

2Jn 1:8 Look to yourselves, so that we may not lose those things which we worked out, but that we may receive a full reward.

2Jn 1:9 Everyone transgressing and not abiding in the doctrine of Christ does not have God. He who abides in the doctrine of Christ, he has both the Father and the Son.

2Jn 1:10 If anyone comes to you and does not bring this doctrine, do not receive him into your house, nor speak a greeting to him.

2Jn 1:11 For he who speaks a greeting to him is partaker of his evil deeds.

In context then I would understand this to be Jesus Christ coming in flesh as the propitiation for our sins, but it seems there must be more to it than this. It is not defined, it seems as though the intended audience knows what John means by this. I see many references in 1 John to "that which you have known from the beginning", do you take this to be the same thing? The audience here are Jews, so from the beginning (of what? of their walk with Christ? or their life?) can also refer to their knowledge of God pre salvation, but it seems (reading the style of writing from 1 John, particularly the introduction) that this speaks of the gospel.

Is this doctrine that Christ taught, or doctrine about Christ? My current understanding is that it is the latter.

It is a wonderful issue to grapple with as I am searching for a new church home now that we have moved location. There are many doctrinal issues for which I would still be welcome to receive those people into my home. But it seems that abiding in this doctrine is of great importance.

Please don't make this an OSAS thread.

Candice

In Gospels class, I learned that John starts out proclaiming Jesus' deity and maintains that as a consistant theme to correct rising early gnostic teachings. His letters reflect this also. Many of the greeks thought that all matter was evil, so if Jesus were to come in the flesh, that would make him evil, or that God is too powerful to come in the flesh. 1 and 2nd John continues to make those distinction also correcting various problems that where happening through the churches.

Another thing I heard in that class I found interesting, after Paul passed away, John became an elder of the church Ephesus, which Ephesus was located in a place where access to all the bordering churches was easy. His Gospel, letters, and Revelation all happened around 90 AD. The gospel and letters were not addressed to a specific church, but to all the churches bordering Ephesus. It's also believed that John and 1st John where written at the same time and connected together.

[Joshua-777]

Is this doctrine that Christ taught, or doctrine about Christ? My current understanding is that it is the latter.

It is the latter. The churches were being infiltrated by cults that either denied the Deity of Jesus (Ebionites) or denied Jesus had been resurrected bodily (gnostics) or that Jesus only appeared human (docetists).

John was writing to demonstrate how one could tell a true believer from false one. Those who either denied Jesus' humanity and/or bodily resurrection or denied His Deity were not to be regarded as true believers. Not that those were the only problematic doctrines being circulated, but those are the ones most prevalent.

Shiloh said it better.

[deut31:12]

I have just finished a study on 1, 2 and 3 John, which was awesome .

I have one minor issue to nut out, the definition of the doctrine of Christ. See it in context in 2 John:

2Jn 1:7 For many deceivers have entered into the world, who do not confess Jesus Christ coming in the flesh. This is the deceiver and the anti-christ.

2Jn 1:8 Look to yourselves, so that we may not lose those things which we worked out, but that we may receive a full reward.

2Jn 1:9 Everyone transgressing and not abiding in the doctrine of Christ does not have God. He who abides in the doctrine of Christ, he has both the Father and the Son.

2Jn 1:10 If anyone comes to you and does not bring this doctrine, do not receive him into your house, nor speak a greeting to him.

2Jn 1:11 For he who speaks a greeting to him is partaker of his evil deeds.

In context then I would understand this to be Jesus Christ coming in flesh as the propitiation for our sins, but it seems there must be more to it than this. It is not defined, it seems as though the intended audience knows what John means by this. I see many references in 1 John to "that which you have known from the beginning", do you take this to be the same thing? The audience here are Jews, so from the beginning (of what? of their walk with Christ? or their life?) can also refer to their knowledge of God pre salvation, but it seems (reading the style of writing from 1 John, particularly the introduction) that this speaks of the gospel.

Is this doctrine that Christ taught, or doctrine about Christ? My current understanding is that it is the latter.

It is a wonderful issue to grapple with as I am searching for a new church home now that we have moved location. There are many doctrinal issues for which I would still be welcome to receive those people into my home. But it seems that abiding in this doctrine is of great importance.

Please don't make this an OSAS thread.

Candice

That which we have know from the beginning is the Doctrine of Christ. The 'doctrine of Christ' is not only about himself, but also of the things that he taught. We know we are Christians and can tell of others who are Christians by our walking in our lives that reflect what Christ taught us on how to walk.

You will notice that is speaks of transgressing and not abiding in the doctrine of Christ does not have God. How we transgress is by not walking in our lives according to the things taught to us in the gospel. When we say that we believe in God and don't walk in accordance to the things that we are taught from the bible we -

1 John 2:3-5 And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him.

God's word and Christ's doctrine are the commandments and if we keep them we are abiding in the doctrine of Christ and keeping God's word.