Marcion’s, was that postulate of Greek philosophy—the inherent and necessary evil of matter. ‘He said that the world had not been made by the First God, but by a power which is separate from the Authority which is over the Universe and ignorant of the God who is over all. And he supposed that Jesus had not been begotten of a virgin, but had been born of Joseph and Mary asa son in like manner to all the rest of men, and became more righteous and prudent and wise. And after the Baptism the Christ descended into him from the Sovereignty which is over the Universe, in the form of a dove ; and then He proclaimed the unknown Father and accomplished mighty works, but at the end the Christ withdrew from the Jesus, and the Jesus had suffered and been raised, but the Christ had continued throughout impassible, being spiritual.”1 The essence of this is the dissolution (λύσις) of the Person of our Lord, the distinc- tion between the human Jesus and the divine Christ. St. John encountered Cerinthus at Ephesus, and strenuously controverted his error. Irenzeus and Eusebius quote a story of Polycarp’s that the Apostle once visited the public baths, and, seeing Cerinthus within, sprang out of the building. ‘‘Let us flee,” he cried, “lest the building fall, since Cerinthus, the foe of the Truth, is within it!” ? And all through our Epistle he has the heresy in view. See ii. 18- 23, iv. 1-6, 13-15, v. 1-12.
The Epistle has also a religious purpose. Its key-note is Love. ‘‘Locutus est multa,” says St. Augustine, ‘et prope omnia de caritate.” Its doctrine of love is distinctive and profound. The love which it inculcates is love for God and love for the brotherhood of believers—love for God manifesting itself in love for the brother- hood, and love for the brotherhood inspired by the love wherewith the Father has loved all His children. Special emphasis is laid on the latter. It is the whole of religion, it is all that God requires (cf. ii. 8-11, 11. 10-18, iv. 7-v. 2); for it implies love for God, and love for God implies a right attitude of heart and mind toward Him. This is the dominant doctrine of the Epistle, and it was the constant message of the Apostle’s later ministry, so much so that, it is said, _ his people grew weary of its incessant reiteration. See St. Jerome’s story quoted in commentary on iv. 7. ‘
This had not always been his manner. He had not always been the Apostle of Love. He had once been the precise opposite— self-seeking (cf. Mark x. 35-45= Matt. xx. 20-28), fiery, passionate, and vindictive (cf. Luke ix. 51-56), meriting the title which Jesus gave him “the Son of Thunder” (Mark iii. 17). His doctrine of
1Ἱτεῃ. I. xxi. 2Tren. III. iii. 4; Eus. H. E. iv. 14.