1 Jn 4:1-3--The Doctrine Test

The Doctrinal Test (2)
1 John 4:1-3

Introductory Thoughts

· The Doctrinal Test—the Test Most Neglected
· The mindset of the times—lack of appreciation for the Biblical requirement for doctrinal precision
· Culprits: political correctness, doctrinal ignorance, laziness, lack of discipleship.
· Examples of false doctrines

o “God MANIFESTS Himself as a Trinity…”
o “…Jesus gave up His divine powers to come to live among us…”
o “The Holy Spirit is the divine force of God in the universe, it flows over us, and it operates in us…”
o “God makes us righteous so that we will please Him…”
o Jesus was fully God, but only appeared to be human.
o Jesus was created by God before all things.
o Jesus was part man and part God.
o In the Old Testament, God was known as the Father, in the New Testament as the Son, and after Pentecost as the Holy Spirit.
o Jesus only died spiritually on the cross.
o Our salvation is based upon perfect obedience to the Ten Commandments.
o We are saved by grace after all that we can do.
o People who have never heard the gospel are innocent and go the heaven.
o If I die with unconfessed sin, I will go to hell.
o There are certain sins that I can commit which will cause me to lose my salvation.
o The Holy Spirit living inside me enables me to live a victorious life so that I am acceptable to God.

· Common thread—heresy! These statements are all seriously wrong!

1. The Command For Believers—"Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world…”

a. Language

(1) “…do not believe…” present imperative—a continuing command
(2) “every spirit…”—that is, the source of every prophecy or teaching
(3) “test…”—a word used by assayers to describe testing precious metal for genuineness.
(4) “…many false prophets have gone out…”—perfect tense—their departure is a completed and accomplished fact.

b. Exposition—the implications are:

(1) The Christians were being subjected to false teaching from the false prophets who had left the church—see also 2:18-19.

(2) Believers were responsible to test doctrines for Truth and falsehood.

(a) It is a task given to the eldership in a special way, but each believer is also responsible for testing teachers.

(b) False teaching was a major problem even in the days of the apostles.

Mat 7:15 ""Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves."

Mark 13:22-23 ""For false christs and false prophets will rise and show signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. 23 "But take heed; see, I have told you all things beforehand."

2 Pet 2:1 "But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction."

Acts 20:29-30 ""For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. 30 "Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves."


Eph 4:14 "that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting,"

Col 2:8 "Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ."

1 Tim 1:7 "desiring to be teachers of the law, understanding neither what they say nor the things which they affirm."

1 Tim 4:1-3 "Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, 2 speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron, 3 forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from foods which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth."

1 Tim 6:3 "If anyone teaches otherwise and does not consent to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which accords with godliness,"

1 Tim 6:20 "O Timothy! Guard what was committed to your trust, avoiding the profane and idle babblings and contradictions of what is falsely called knowledge;"

Titus 1:9-11 "holding fast the faithful word as he has been taught, that he may be able, by sound doctrine, both to exhort and convict those who contradict. 10 For there are many insubordinate, both idle talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision, 11 "whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole households, teaching things which they ought not, for the sake of dishonest gain."

Heb 13:9 "Do not be carried about with various and strange doctrines. For it is good that the heart be established by grace, not with foods which have not profited those who have been occupied with them."

c. The Doctrine of Doctrine—

(1) Doctrine was the distinctive thing about Jesus’ earthly ministry of preaching and teaching

Mat 7:28 "And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine:"

Mat 22:33 "And when the multitude heard this, they were astonished at his doctrine."

Mark 1:22 "And they were astonished at his doctrine: for he taught them as one that had authority, and not as the scribes."

(2) Doctrine was central to New Testament church life

Acts 2:42 "And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers."

(3) One of the chief goals of the ministry is for every believer to be mature in doctrine:

Eph 4:14 "That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;"

(4) Being wrong on vital doctrine is a matter of life and death, spiritually

2 John 1:9-10 "Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son. 10 If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed:"

(5) It is a basic qualification for an elder that he be skilled in doctrine, both offensively and defensively.

1 Tim 3:2 A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach;

2 Tim 4:2 "Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine."

Titus 1:9 "Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers."

(6) It is the basic task of the eldership to teach doctrine

1 Tim 4:6 "If thou put the brethren in remembrance of these things, thou shalt be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine, whereunto thou hast attained."

1 Tim 4:13 "Till I come, give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine."

1 Tim 4:16 "Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee."

1 Tim 5:17 "Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour, especially they who labour in the word and doctrine."

Titus 2:1 "But speak thou the things which become sound doctrine:"

Titus 2:7 "In all things showing thyself a pattern of good works: in doctrine showing uncorruptness, gravity, sincerity,"


2. The Test—“…2 By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, 3 and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God…”

a. Language

(1) “…by this you know…” present tense of ginosko—to know by experience
(2) “…Confesses…” present tense
(3) “…Jesus Christ…” All He Is
(4) “…has come in the flesh…” perfect participle—He is the one who has come in the flesh, an accomplished fact.

b. Principles

(1) The test is strictly doctrinal in nature.

(2) Confession—to say the same thing as…

Rom 10:9-10 "that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation."

(3) The specific nature of the confession—that The Christ, The Savior, came in the flesh—it is an accomplished fact.

(4) The basis for the test given here in 1 John is the doctrine about the Person and Work of Christ, but the Bible gives us other doctrinal tests in other areas—Gal 1:6-9, 1 Cor 15:1-4

(5) The absolute character of the confession—it is “go, no-go,” or a matter of absolute black and white.

(6) Compare to the absolute character of the OT tests

Deu 13:1-3 ""If there arises among you a prophet or a dreamer of dreams, and he gives you a sign or a wonder, 2 "and the sign or the wonder comes to pass, of which he spoke to you, saying, 'Let us go after other gods'; which you have not known; 'and let us serve them,' 3 "you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams, for the LORD your God is testing you to know whether you love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul."




3. The Identification of the Enemy—“…And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world…”

a. Antichrist—the only places found in the Bible—here, Chapter 2, and in 2 John.

(1) Not the same as “false Christs” (pseudochristoi) in Mat 24, but the concepts are related.

(2) Can antichrist be identified with “the man of sin” of 2 Thessalonians and “The Beast” of Rev. 13? Yes!

(3) Man of sin—2 Thes 2:1-12

(4) The beast—Rev 13:1-8

b. The “spirit of the Antichrist” is already at work—just as the mystery of iniquity in 2 Thes!