1 John, verse-by-verse

Session 12 | 1 John 4:4-11

1 John 4:1-6 | Discernment of Spirits

Verses 1-3, see session 11
Verse 4 —
- The little children is a reference to the nation of Israel, and it is of God. The nation has overcome them, with them being a reference to the false prophets of verse 1.
- There is a real possibility that we have totally misused this verse to make an encouraging promise rather than understand it in its context. “greater is he that is in thee." Thus, even if this was some kind of spiritual empowerment promise, it would only be a promise to a group, like the church, rather than an individual.
- Second, we take the group (the little children“individual Christians" rather than the nation of Israel. Thus we use the eisegetical Third, we take the words, in you, to be a spiritual indwelling. But then the corresponding words, in the world, are taken to be some kind of physical dwelling. It seems the grammar would require both to be taken in the same manner without some explanation, and none is given.
- Fourth, we have taken the first personal pronoun he“God" (as displayed in almost every modern translation). Then we have taken the second he to be Satan. This is purely interpretive and not merited by context.
- “mundane" than we have made it. The verse says“the one in Israel is greater than the one outside of Israel." In verse 1 there are many false prophets who are gone out into the world. In verse 4, the one (any person, not God) who is in you (Israel) is greater than the one (any person, not Satan) who is in the world.
Verse 5 -
- Those who are in the world (v. 4) are now said to be of the world. Being such, speak they of the world, and the world heareth them. This confirms our interpretation he that is in the world (v. 4) is not a reference to Satan, but to the false prophets of verse 1. “outside of the camp" were outside of God's blessing and favor. The writer uses that same concept in these verses to show the need of being part of Israel. Compare 1 John 2:19.
Verse 6 -
- Israel (denoted by the pronoun we) is of God. The reason the first sentence of this verse has a Calvinistic sound to it is because all of Calvinism is built falsely upon the identity of Israel. Without replacement theology, Calvinism is simply not possible.
- In verse 1 the recipients were told to try the spirits. Now the ultimate test is given to know the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error. Namely this: those of Israel who know God will connect themselves with Israel and hear the prophets and apostles of Israel. Those that are of the world will reject Israel's identity and message. “test of the spirits," then an “elitism of the elect" will arise.

1 John 4:7-11 | Israel Must Love One Another

Verse 7 —
- During the days of the tribulation, society will be without natural affection (2 Tim. 3:3). During these same days Israel is to love one another. The author then makes the startling claim that every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. This can *only *be true in the days of the tribulation in which the love of many shall wax cold“wild goose chase."
Verse 8 —
- As in verse 7, I see absolutely no way that this can be taken as true for any time in history other than that which it belongs, that is, in the tribulation. Articles and commentaries that attempt to reconcile this with our age invariable drone into meaningless platitudes.
Verse 9 —
- The greatest manifestation of the love of God is God sending his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. This implies the death, burial, and resurrection, but does not explicitly say so. The words echo John 3:16 to the degree that one could naturally conclude the same author. The ultimate reason (given here) for the sending of God's Son is that we might live through him (we = Israel). This is not a personal salvation verse but a national salvation message. We recognize, of course, that for our dispensation there is an individual aspect that could be built from other passages.
Verse 10 —
- In any dispensation and in any context, there is no greater display of love than that shown by the Father in giving **his Son *****to be ***the propitiation for our sins. Our love of God is but a natural response to hearing and seeing the greatest love.
Verse 11 -
- Since God so loved us (Israel), then we (Israel) ought also to love one another. This, of course, would also be true for anyone who has experienced the love of God.

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