The Pulpit Commentary — 1 John — Section 111

Christian cnmp, "JesuR Christ is Lord." There is no halting-place betweer, the two. It ia aijked: 8. Is there, then, to bo no progress in the cour,e of the a::;es ? is all other ■cience lo advance and Christian knowledge remain stationary, eo that in the nineteenth century the sume test of truth applies a~ at the first? We reply: Yes; there is to be progress in tho truth, but not from it. Jesus Christ is what he is. Ifo is wha~ he claims to be, A thousand millions of ages cannot alter that fact. Jesus Christi~" the aame yesterday, and to-day, and for ever." Hence at any point of time, ho"·ever dista•1t, whoever withholds from him his due, cannot be "of God." Note: 1. The "trying the spirits," as prophets and teachers, is not by any means to be confounded with an attempt to decide or to sit in judgrnent upon their spiritual position individually, as in the si.,ht of God. To their own Master they stand or fall. We judge their teachings, not them, 2. At the same time, any one who comes to teach with a view of displacing Jesus from the throne of our hearts, must be prepared to undergo a. scrutinizing ordeal, We can criticize as well as he, and we will. 8, In repelling attacks on the Christian faith, our wisdom lies in (1) setting minor matters in due relation to the rest, and then (2) remaining calmly in our stronghold, compelling an onset there, if any be ventured on at all. 4. Our attitude, perpetually, must be this: "We know Wt> have a Saviour, who has saved us, who is saving others by us, and who is pel""petually provincr what he is by ea.using the lame to walk, the blind to see, and the dead to live; and yo7i must displace these facts before you attempt to disturb our faith." Vers. 1-6.-The power of trying the spirits. In the preceding homily we laid stress on the duty here indicated of "trying the spirits," and also on the test with which we are furnished for applying to them through all time. We moreover there referred almost exclusively to them as 1/,•v6o..-porp,jT,u rather than as .,.,,,6µ.,ua.. Bnt a close study of all the clauses in these six verses will disclose to us teachings of great vividness and power concerning the false prophets themselves-the point from whence they started, the mission on which they are sent, the region to which they a.re bound, and the spirit with which they are inspired. In fact, the apostle views their embassy and action as a part of the great mystery of "a.ntichris~," which had been foretold, which had actually made its appearance, and which would have to be fought against and overcome. It is the right and the duty of Christians to" try the spirits" (as we have seen). But they are not left to go to this warfare at their own charges, or with- out being adequately empowered. To them the right belong~, to them the duty allta.ches, because to them the power is given. Let us see how, in the paragraph. befure us, this is shown. Topic-The power of frying the spirits a Divine bestowment. l. THOUGH SPIRITS ARE VISIBLE AS BUCH, THEY MAY EMBODY THEMSELVES L.'f THE FORM OF PROPHETS. Indeed, it is only as "prophets" bring messages of truth or of falsehood-messages which belong to the spiritual realm-that we have any special concern with them; i.e. as we regard them and their message as above and beyond the sphere of the phenomenal, and a.s representing the noumena.l ( cf. 1 Kings xxii. 20-24:; 2 Pet. i. 21; ii. 1; 1 Tim. iv. 1). Note: It is by clearly apprehending the teachings of the Word of God concerning the spiritual world that we shall best be guardeu against the prying and unholy pretensions of a spurious spiritualism (see homily on Deut. x,·iii.). I!. THE INRUSH OF FALSE PROPHETS FROM TIME TO TI.ME IS TIIE DEVELOPME1-T OF ANTICHRIST. "This is that [spirit] of antichrist" (ver. 3); see homily on eh. ii. 18. "'l'his is tba.t whole power and. principle of the antichrist" (' Speaker's Commentary,' in loc,, where see also a valuable historical note ou ver, 1). !II. THESE FALSE PROPHETS ARE COME FROM AFAR ON A MISSION TO TlllS WORLD, The apostle says of them, they "are gone out into the world"-" on a. mission of evil from their dark home" (Westcott). This world is regarded as the sphere in which they are to propagate their negations. '!'his is but one of the many forms in which Scripture? sets forth the mysterious conflict between good nnd evil, of which this world is at once the theat.re and the witness. 'l'he struggle is between (1) the serpent and Eve; (2) Christ and the tempter; (8) Christ and the world; (4) the tempter and the individual; (5) error and truth; (6) the Church and the world; (7) the Church aml the evil one; (8) the antichristian embassy and the body of believers. IV. 'l'ms ANTICHRISTIAN MISSION 'l'O EARTU IS !~SPIRED UY A SPIRIT OF ElU:OR, And the apostle shows us here, as before (see hom'ly on eh. ii. 18, ut supm), thJ.t it i~  108 THE FIRST EPISTLE GENERAL OF JOHN. [cu. 1v. 1-21,