First let's get something clear about erroneous notions of Paul and his founding a new religion, which he didn't. True, the halakhah of his Judaism switched from the Pharisaic oral law to the Ruach Hakodesh, but his religion was still one of the Judaisms of the time, not a new non-Judaism Gentile religion.

MOSHIACH'S LETTER THROUGH THE SHLIACH YOCHANAN TO THE BRIT CHADASHA KEHILLAH (I)

It is possible to date the Besuras Hageulah of Yochanan as early

as C.E. 65-66 (another possible date is around C.E. 85 or a

little later). Scholars have dated I, II, and III Yochanan at

roughly the same time as the final publication of Yochanan's

Besuras Hageulah.

If one assumes that Yochanan's Besuras Hageulah and Epistles were

written toward the end of the first century (when Yochanan would

have been advanced in age), I Yochanan may have as one of its

targets a heretic named Cerinthus, who was then active in the

western part of what is today modern Turkey. In any case, many

scholars believe that the target of Yochanan's pen in this

general letter is the "pseudo-believer" who is actually a

gnostic.

Cerinthus was an early heretic who taught that Moshiach Yehoshua

was not G-d the Word incarnate but a mere created being. In

Gnosticism G-d is good and matter is evil, so G-d has a series

of "aeons" who radiate out from himself, each containing less

deity than the one before, until at last G-d can in this way

dirty his hands with evil matter by creating the world. Cerinthus

seems to have taught the demonic doctrine that the Moshiach as

such, since he was a quasi-divine spiritual being called an aeon,

was incapable of becoming truly incarnate in matter or of

suffering and dying on an Aitz. Cerinthus taught that the

Moshiach did not die. Docetic Gnostics (the word "docetic" coming

from a Greek word dokeo meaning "seem") taught that it only

seemed that he died, but that he did not in fact shed his blood.

These heresies were of the greatest seriousness and had to be

answered. Heretical teachers were stressing that they

transmitted a "knowledge" that went beyond the Messianic faith or

Judaism (see I Yochanan 2:20-21; II Yochanan 9), and that the

initiates who entered their system would receive more knowledge

the higher they rose in the understanding of their special

"gnostic" philosophy and mysteries.

How did Cerinthus acquire this saving "knowledge," since he was

not a Shliach and did not witness the death of Moshiach or the

Techiyas HaMesim and therefore had not the slightest idea of what

he was talking about? It seems he considered himself a prophet, a

Shliach from G-d, and he was more impressed with his own mystical

"knowledge" than with the testimony of Yochanan the Shliach and

other eye-witnesses of the historical facts of the Brit Chadasha

Besuras Hageulah. Consequently, Cerinthus led many astray from

the truth, like that later Iranian heretic Mani (C.E. 216-277)

who had the audacity to contend that he was the "apostle of

Moshiach Yehoshua."

Ch. 5:13 tells us Yochanan's purpose. The crisis that may have

evoked the writing of I Yochanan is found in ch. 2:19. Those who

refused to love the truth were believing a lie and being deceived

by a powerful spiritual delusion. Many false teachers had gone

out from the Brit Chadasha kehillot and were teaching a different

Besuras Hageulah because they had received a different spirit,

had believed in a different Moshiach Yehoshua, and had proclaimed

a different message. The same anti-Moshiach spirit that energized

Cerinthus and brought him success in winning disciples was

energizing many other false teachers and their converts. They

denied G-d's filial Word Moshiach Yehoshua, and thus revealed

that they lacked the eternal Spirit of G-d and His testimony

within themselves (5:10). Because these false teachers denied the

true Moshiach Yehoshua (4:3), it was impossible to teach them

(2:18-27). They also denied the sacrificial blood of G-d's filial

Word Moshiach Yehoshua (5:6), they denied that the divine and

eternal Word came in human form (4:2-3). They seemed to believe

that the Moshiach descended on the man Moshiach Yehoshua at his

tevilah but departed from him before Golgotha's blood (6:6-12).

Therefore, they proved that they had not the Chayyei Olam

(Eternal Life) of Moshiach Yehoshua the Word of G-d within

themselves, for they had called G-d Himself a liar (5:9-12).

Look at 1:6; 2:4,16. Because of certain pre-Gnostic antinomian

and ascetic tendencies Shliach Sha'ul is already combatting in

his I Corinthians correspondence (C.E. 55) from Ephesus (I Cor.

1:20; 2:6-7; 4:8-16; 15:12; 10:1-10; 13:1-3; 5:1-2; 6:13-7:1), it

is possible that the Shliach Yochanan could be writing I Yochanan

from the area of Ephesus also and much earlier than the end of

the first century, when Cerinthus was influencial.

One highly respected scholar, even among liberals who do not

believe in the claims of Moshiach Yehoshua, J.A.T. Robinson in

his book, Redating The Brit Chadasha Scriptures, (Westminster,

1976) dates I Yochanan roughly C.E. 60-65. Robinson points to the

heresy I Yochanan is refuting, that these false teachers claimed

to give esoteric knowledge and initiation to their gullible

devotees, but that the true knowledge was in the Moshiach alone

through the Ruach Hakodesh and in the teach of the Shluchim (see

I Yochanan 4:6; 5:7-10; 2:20-23,26-27; 5:20).

Apparently some of these gnostic heretics claimed that they were

above sin, that since they were prophets of a higher "knowledge"

they were sinless. G-d speaks through Yochanan to condemn their

heresy: "If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and

the truth is not in us" (1:8). Apparently some of these

"prophets" engage in multiple sexual relationships, take as many

lovers as their lust requires, and indulge themselves in many

forms of wickedness and yet claim that they were walking in their

prophetic "light." G-d again speaks: "G-d is light; in him there

is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him

yet walk in darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth"

(1:5-6). These false teachers were of the devil and loved the

world (2:15-17), the source of their "wisdom" (Ya'akov 3:15). "Do

not let anyone lead you astray...he who does what is sinful is of

the devil" (3:7-8).

No mere prophet is sinless. Only the Word who was with G-d and

was G-d is sinless. He took on human form as a prophet and his

glory was seen among men (Yochanan 1:1,14). He alone is sinless

(Heb. 4:15), in him there is no darkness at all. Who but G-d's

perfect Word can supply flawless mediation between G-d and man?

See 1:1 and 2:1-2. Whoever says they know G-d but does not keep

the Biblical commandments of his Word Moshiach Yehoshua is a liar

(2:3-4). No one who is born of G-d and lives in Him has the habit

of sinning (2:29; see 3:6 where the verb for sin is in the

customary present tense).

Teaching is either from G-d or from the Devil. There is a way to

know the spirit behind the doctrine, a way to test the spirit to

see if it is from G-d. Read 4:1-6. False teachers lack the right

spirit, and there is no witness of the Ruach Hakodesh in them or

in their teaching. They also lack the love of G-d from the Ruach

Hakodesh (see 4:7-21) and the faith that only comes from the Holy

Spirit (5:1-12) as well as the assurance of eternal

life (5:13-21).

Yochanan refers to the unpardonable sin in 5:16. Some Pharisees

had so persisted in their false teaching that they had seared

their consciences and knowingly insulted the Ruach Hakodesh,

calling the Ruach Hakodesh a demon spirit. There was no longer

any forgiveness possible for such a reprobate mind, their sin was

unto death. Yochanan is warning these gnostic false teachers that

they are toying with sealing their fate forever, tempting G-d too

far, committing the unpardonable sin, persisting in their

opposition to the truth until there is no hope for them, until

intercession for their salvation is a waste of time. If anyone

worries that he has committed this sin, his very concern is

evidence that he has not, since those who have committed it are

beyond caring even for their own souls.

How can we have assurance of anything? of salvation? How can we

have certainty? Life is so uncertain; is not our future salvation

also uncertain? How can we know we have the Ruach Hakodesh within

us? How can we know we have the Savior with us? How can we not

only possess deliverance from G-d's righteous fury and possess

salvation from the coming judgment, but also know that we are

saved here and now? I'm talking about having a heart with

pleroforia pisteos (full assurance of faith), as it says in

Hebrews 10:22.

Thomas Aquinas said, "..of himself...no one can know that he has

grace." (Article 5, "Whether Man Can Know That He Has Grace" I

IIae, cxii. 5. Aquinas (1225-74), a Dominican theologian, in his

Summa Theologica defends such false Roman Catholic dogmas as

purgatory, prayer to the saints, and the veneration of Miryam.

Shortly before he died, however, he said of this work, "I can do

no more; such things have been revealed to me that all I have

written seems as straw , and I now await the end of my life."

Generally the so-called Schoolmen (the masters of the

universities of the Middle Ages) knew only a conjectural

knowledge of assurance based on good works, which is true of many

Muslims and Jews today.

But the Bible says of the One, the Moshiach, who is the Word of

G-d, that "in Him was life" (Yochanan 1:4). He is "the

resurrection and the life" (Yochanan 11:25), having the power to

give eternal life and to raise up the dead on the last day

(Yochanan 6:40). I Yochanan 5:12-13 says that he who has the

Moshiach "has life." And he who does not have Him "does not have

life." Then Yochanan says that he is writing so that believers

might not only believe but have assurance. He is writing "so that

you may know that you have Chayyei Olam (Eternal Life)."

So the Bible teaches that saving faith is faith with full

assurance, even as Abraham in his faith was plerophoreo having

been fully assured (Rom. 4:21). Saving faith is sure of what it

hopes for (Heb.11:1). Our salvation is secured (phroureo) in

heaven (I Shimon Kefa 1:5). And about this Yochanan keeps

insisting, we know (ginosko), we know, we can know we are saved

(see I Yochanan 2:3, 5, 29; 3:14, 16, 19, 24; 4:13, 16; 5:15,

18-20).

Those who have received the spirit of error (I Yochanan 4:6) by

imbibing the doctrines of demons (I Tim. 4:1) of false

religions have the spirit of the world (I Cor. 2:12) and the

spirit of Anti-Moshiach (I Yochanan 4:3) and not the Spirit of

G-d. That spirit is often confronted when people in various cults

and false religions hear the Besuras Hageualah.

But I Cor. 2:12 says, "We have received not the spirit of this

world, but the Spirit that is from G-d." And we know we are born

of G-d because we are led by the Spirit of G-d (Rom. 8:14). In

fact, "The Spirit Himself witnesses with our spirit that we are

children of G-d" (Rom. 8:16). So the Ruach Hakodesh provides an

internal, subjective witness to our salvation corresponding to

the external, objective witness of the Scripture, which also

itself assures us. But this is the point: we can sense the Spirit

in us because He dwells in us (Rom. 8:11) and helps us and

intercedes for us with groanings, as it says (Rom. 8:26). So the

person who has the new birth because he has received the Spirit

of G-d knows that this has happened to him. Yochanan 14:17 says,

"The Spirit of Truth, which the world is not able to receive,

because it does not perceive Him nor know Him, you know Him,

because He remains with you and in you."

Without the Spirit of G-d, the natural man is incapable of faith.

"The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of G-d:

for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them,

because they are spiritually discerned" (I Cor. 2:14). The

"things of the Spirit of G-d" referred to are the words of

Scripture, which "the Ruach Hakodesh teaches interpreting

spiritual things with spiritual words (1 Cor. 2:13)." The

natural man scoffs and mocks because, not having the Ruach

Hakodesh, the things of the Ruach Hakodesh are foolishness to

him. Believers have the Moshiach Himself abiding or dwelling in

them (I Yochanan 3:24). This is utter nonsense to the natural

man.

So there is no assurance of salvation in Scripture to the natural

man, whatever his boast. A specific faith and confession is

necessary for this assurance (I Yochanan 5:13; 4:15; 5:l,5). If

we reject His commandments we also reject assurance (see I

Yochanan 2:3-5; 3:24; 5:2; Yochanan 8:31,51; 14:21-24; 15:9-14;

Heb. 5:9). We reject assurance if we love the evil, G-d-rejecting

world (I Yochanan 2:15; 4:4-6; 5:4). We reject assurance if we

habitually practice wickedness (I Yochanan 2:29; 3:7-10). We

reject assurance if we have hardened hearts that are loveless as

far as believers are concerned (I Yochanan 3:14,19; 2:9-l1; 3:23;

4:8,11-12,16,20; 5:1; Yochanan 13:34-35). We reject assurance if

we refuse to live as the Holy Moshiach lived in this evil world

(I Yochanan 2:6; Yochanan 8:12; 13:15). We reject assurance if

we reject the original message of salvation given to the Jewish

prophets and Shluchim (I Yochanan 2:24; 1:1-5; 4:6). We reject

assurance if we reject the Biblical hope of the return of the

Moshiach (I Yochanan 3:2-3; Yochanan 14:1-3).

But, most important, I Yochanan 3:24 says, "by this we know that

He dwells in us, by the Spirit whom to us He gave". Moreover, I

Yochanan 4:13 says, "In this we know that in Him we dwell and He

in us, because of His Spirit He has given to us." This is an

extension of Yochanan 14:17 which says, "the Spirit of Truth,

whom the world is not able to receive, because it does not see

nor know Him. You know Him, because He dwells with you and in

you").

I Yochanan 2:26, "these things I wrote you concerning the ones

deceiving you" (these are the Anti-Moshiach unanointed liars and

children of the devil, who walk in darkness and are part of the

passing-away world, offer you their sectarian fellowship and

require you to accept their worldly teaching, but are unrighteous

and worldly sinners who say they have no sin and who, rejecting

the witness and fellowship of the Shluchim, teach such lies as

that the Moshiach did not come in the flesh, was not Moshiach

Yehoshua, was not the Son of G-d, did not come "in the blood,"