First John: 1 John 4:3a-Teaching Rejecting Jesus is the God-Man Savior is Not Truth Lesson # 149
First John • Sermon • Submitted • Presented • 58:28
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1 John 4:3 and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already. (ESV)
“And every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God” stands in contrast with the previous assertion in 1 John 4:2, which teaches that any spirit which does acknowledge Jesus as the Christ appearing in a human body does originate from God the Holy Spirit.
“Every spirit” is composed of the following: (1) nominative neuter singular form of the adjective pas (πᾶς), “every” (2) nominative neuter singular form of the noun pneuma (πνεῦμα), “spirit.”
As was the case in 1 John 4:2, the nominative neuter singular form of the noun pneuma in 1 John 4:3 means “spirit” in the sense of an outlook or viewpoint expressed through instruction by a teacher which influences people.
In other words, this word refers to teaching propagated by a teacher, which expresses a particular viewpoint.
The noun pneuma is modified by the adjective pas, which means “every, each and every” since the word pertains to totality and is used in a distributive sense emphasizing no exceptions.
“That does not confess Jesus” is composed of the following: (1) nominative neuter singular form of the relative pronoun hos (ὅς), “that” (2) negative particle me (μή), “not” (3) third person singular present active indicative form of the verb homologeō (ὁμολογέω), “confesses” (4) articular accusative masculine singular form of the proper noun Iēsous (Ἰησοῦς), “Jesus.”
The nominative neuter singular form of the relative pronoun hos means “that, which” and refers to any spirit or teaching propagated in the world since word agrees with the noun pneuma in gender (neuter) and number (singular)
The verb homologeō means “to acknowledge” since the word pertains to the acknowledgement that a particular thing is true or is fact.
The word’s meaning is negated by the negative particle me, which denies the idea expressed by this verb.
Therefore, together, they speak of a person not acknowledging Jesus as the Christ appearing in a human body.
The proper name Iēsous is the Greek spelling of the Hebrew word Jehoshua, “Jehovah saves,” and refers to the human nature of the incarnate Son of God, Jesus of Nazareth.
The articular construction of this word is anaphoric which means that it is pointing back to the use of this word at the end of verse 2 indicating that this word is retaining the same meaning and referent here in verse 3.
Thus, John does not employ the phrase Christon en sarki elēlythota (Χριστὸν ἐν σαρκὶ ἐληλυθότα), which I translated “as the Christ, appearing in a human body” to modify Iēsous, “Jesus” here in verse 3.
In other words, the articular construction of this proper name here in verse 3 indicates that John is still thinking of Jesus as the Christ appearing in a human body and is thus implied here in verse 3.
The present tense of the verb homologeō is a gnomic present which is used in a generic statement to describe something that is true “any time.”
Therefore, the gnomic present expresses the idea that any spirit or teaching which “at any time does” not acknowledge Jesus as the Christ appearing in a human body does not originate with God the Holy Spirit.
“Is not from God” is composed of the following: (1) preposition ek (ἐκ), “from” (2) articular genitive masculine singular form of the noun theos (θεός), “God” (3) emphatic negative adverb ouk (οὐκ), “not” (4 third person singular present active indicative form of the verb eimi (εἰμί), “is.”
The third person singular present active indicative form of the verb eimi means “to possess a particular characteristic.”
The verb’s meaning is emphatically negated by the emphatic negative adverb ouk, which means “never, absolutely never, by no means” since the word is expressing an absolute, direct and full negation of the concept expressed by this verb eimi.
Therefore, together, these two words are expressing the idea that any doctrine communicated by any teacher which does not acknowledge Jesus as the Christ appearing in a human body “by no means possesses the characteristic” originating from God the Holy Spirit.
This characteristic is of course truth.
The present tense of this verb is a gnomic present used to make a statement of a general, timeless fact.
Here it is used to make an absolute statement regarding any teaching communicated by any teacher which does not acknowledge Jesus of Nazareth as the Christ appearing in a human body.
Therefore, it expresses the idea that any doctrine communicated by any teacher which does not acknowledge Jesus as the Christ appearing in a human body by no means “as an eternal spiritual truth” possesses the characteristic of truth which originates with God the Holy Spirit.
The noun theos refers to the Spirit which is indicated by its articular construction which is anaphoric which means that the article is pointing back to the use of this word at the end of verse 2 indicating that it retains the same referent and meaning when it is used here in verse 3.
In 1 John 4:2, the noun theos referred to the Spirit and not the Father and this word is the object of the preposition ek which means “from” since the word functions as a marker of source.
Therefore, this prepositional phrase is expressing the idea that any doctrine which does not acknowledge Jesus as the Christ appearing in a human body by no means possesses the characteristic of truth which “originates from or with” God the Holy Spirit.
1 John 4:3 On the other hand, any spirit, which does not acknowledge this same Jesus (as the Christ appearing in human flesh) by no means possesses the characteristic which originates from this the one and only God (who is the Spirit). Specifically, this (type of spirit) does possess the characteristic which can be described as antichrist, which each and every one of you have heard about through instruction is certain to come. In fact, it now presently exists in the state of already being in the world. (Author’s translation)
1 John 4:3 contains an adversative clause which is followed by an epexegetical clause and then an emphatic clause.
The adversative clause asserts that any spirit, which does not acknowledge Jesus of Nazareth as the Christ appearing in human flesh by no means possesses the characteristic which originates with God the Holy Spirit.
This characteristic of course is truth.
This assertion stands in direct contrast with the previous assertion in 1 John 4:2, which teaches that any spirit which does acknowledge Jesus as the Christ appearing in a human body does possess the characteristic which originates with God the Holy Spirit.
Again, this characteristic is truth.
As we noted in our study of verse 2, the apostle John is solemnly presenting to the recipients of First John the specific teaching or doctrine which will help them to identify whether any teacher and his teaching does originate from God the Holy Spirit or from the devil.
Simultaneously, it would also identify for them the means by which they can critically examine any teacher’s doctrine in order to determine if they and their teaching originate from God the Holy Spirit or from the devil.
This doctrine is the hypostatic union since John asserts that any spirit which does acknowledge Jesus as the Christ appearing in a human body does originate from God the Holy Spirit.
The word “spirit” in verses 2 and 3 refers to a particular viewpoint which is communicated publicly by any teacher through instruction.
Therefore, John is teaching that this doctrine is the means by which the recipients of First John can confirm that any teacher’s doctrine does possess the characteristic of truth which originates from the character and nature of God the Holy Spirit or if it does not possess this characteristic.
When John speaks of acknowledging Jesus as the Christ appearing in a human body in 1 John 4:2, he does not mean that these teachers must acknowledge the existence of Jesus Christ.
On the contrary, it speaks of having exercised faith in the Spirit inspired gospel and apostolic that Jesus of Nazareth who is the Christ is the incarnate Son of God.
In other words, it is an expression of faith that Jesus Christ is the incarnate Son of God and thus one’s personal Savior.
This phrase speaks of a person exercising faith in the Spirit’s testimony through the gospel and the apostles’ teaching that Jesus Christ is in the incarnate Son of God.
Faith in the doctrine of the hypostatic union of Jesus Christ is a mark of a child of God since it demonstrates they have thus been declared justified by the Father.
The Scriptures teach that the sinner receives the imputation of divine righteousness as a gift at the moment of conversion or in other words, justification.
After justification, they experience this righteousness by exercising faith in the gospel of Jesus Christ through appropriating by faith their union and identification with Jesus Christ in His crucifixion, death, burial, resurrection and session at the right hand of the Father.
So, the justified sinner appropriates the righteousness of God provided for them through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ by exercising faith in the gospel of Jesus Christ.