The Pulpit Commentary — 1 John — Section 131

lnfallible guidance on the spot. But they were not placer! beyond danger, as min,h nevP-r are in this world. Many false prophets had gono out into the world, and wem in their neighhourhood, as they aro in all neighbourhoods where Christ'd truth is published and finding acceptance. The false prophets are Satan's counterpoise to tho truo p1ophets, and, as the true prophets were really under Divine ingpira.tion, the false prophets claimed to be under Divine inHpiration too. Jt'or th:it lie best succeeds whicl1 is made to bear the closest resemblance to the truth that is active. Christianity wa8 at that time wonderfully active in many places. How was it to be counteracted'? \Ve can understand thn.t forming the subject of evil counsel. One way waH to incorporate Judaism with Christianity. Another way was to incorporate Gentile philosnphy with Christianity, to which the name of Gnosticism is given. The general drilt of Griosticisrn is to substitute, for the plain facts of the gospel, philosophic myths. Cerinthus, who was a contemporary of John in proconsular Asia, is described by Neander as "tho intermediate link between the Judaizing and the Gnostic sects." "A8 a Jndaizer, Cerinthus held, with the Ebionitea, that Jesus was only the son of Joseph and :Mary, born in the natural way. As a Gnostic, he maintained that the Christ first descended, in the form of a dove, on the carpenter'd son at his baptism; that he revealed to him the unknown Father, and worked miracles through hiru; aml that at length he took his flight, and left him, so that Jesus alone suffered a.nd rose, while the Christ remained impassible." '!'here is reason for believing that this was the particular danger, or something not unlike it, which beset the circle or circles to which John write.~ in this Epistle. 'rhere therefore arose a necessity for discriminating between the true prophet, and the false prophets, that the one class might be followed and the others shunnerl. How was this necessity to be met? Only by the action of the Christians themselves. '£he duty of discrimination is here laid upon them. For this they were not specially inspired; but they hau the ordinary assistance of the Iloly Spirit. Observe the language in which the duty is described. "Believe not every spirit, but prove the spirits, whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world." 'fhey were not enjoined to sit in judgment upon the pruphets a.s indi- viduals, but in respect of their prophetic teachings, which they claimed to have received from God. There were spirits of God to whom afterward is attributed the confessing of Cbri;t; and there were spirits not of God to whom afterward is attributed the refusal to confess Christ, the organs of the latter being the false prophets. How are we to understaud this plurality of spirits? Are we to think of the spirits of the prophets as objectifierl 7 or are we to think of spirits as connected with separate movements, finding the~· organs in prophets true or false? 'l'he latter view is not excluded by the language; but we know very little of the sphere in question. The practical thing is that there are true teachers and false teachers, between whom a discrimination h:LS to be made. The Christian ministry should be in the service of truth; but it would be vain to think that the teaching from every Christian pulpit is true. There are time:. when many go forth from our theological halls with rationalistic tendencies. What are Christian people to do? They are not to believe every spirit. Whoever the Christian teacher is, the influence resting upon him and giving cbaracter to his utter- ance.s must be tested, to see whether it is of God. There are teachers rising up from time 'to time of commauding ability. They are, or seem to be, burdened with a message for their age. Their influence extends beyond the readers of their books or listeners to thnir orations. It is soon to be found in novels, in magazines, in newspapers, in ccnversation. What are Christiau people to do. They are to discriminate, they aro not to believe every spirit; they are to satisfy themselves that the influence present in the teaching is of God before they yield themselves to it. If they a.re not satisfied, then they must do what they can to mnk.e themselves impervious to, or vigorously tu counteract, the inflneuce. Fur very much depends on what teaching we receive through all channels, it beiug either for our spiritual advancement or for our spiritual deterioration. II. THE TEST TO BE APPLIED. "Hereby know ye the Spirit of God." 1. Posith-e. "Every spirit which confcsseth tha.t Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God." Tea.ching i~ to be judged in rolaLiou to Christ. It is due to Christ that there shoul,l i>e an open declaration in his favour. 'l'be object of confession is (strictly) Jesus Ghrist wme in the flesh. lt is to be borne in mind that Jesus is the historical name. It i~ 128 THE FIRST EPISTLE GENERAL OF JOHN. [en. 1v. 1-21.