Practical Christianity – Countering the Problem of Division – Application – The division between Christian leaders and ‘outsider’ leaders (I Corinthians 2 v 6 – 8)

Paul then applies the theology to Christian leaders. ‘We are speaking wisdom among the complete and mature, but not the wisdom of this age, nor of the pre-eminent rulers of this age who are being rendered inert and idle. 7 Rather, we are speaking the wisdom of God within a mystery that God predetermined before the ages, having been concealed away, penetrating into our honour and esteem, (I Corinthians 2 v 6, 7). Paul is outlining a stark division or polarisation. But it is not between Christian leaders or between Christians. It is between Christians and ‘outsiders’ or unbelievers, and especially between Christian leaders and leaders within the worldly arrangement. The Apostle John says exactly the same thing in his first letter. The teaching – the theology or doctrine – is that God’s way of summoning Christians and His power in bringing them forth works within a completely different way from how the worldly arrangement operates. Christians are brought forth to exist within a completely different way of being when compared with their previous natural state. They are being summoned to maturity and completion and becoming well-rounded in their perception, thinking and behaviour. It is among the complete and mature, not ‘outsiders’ or unbelievers, that the Apostles, Evangelists, Prophets, faithful Elders and Teachers are speaking the wisdom of God.

But this radical difference between the wisdom of God and the wisdom of the world means that Christian leaders such as the Apostles, Evangelists, Teachers and so on are not charismatic ‘celebrities’ speaking enticing, persuasive words. They are not using worldly principles and methods of education and philosophy. They are not riding the current wave of fashionable trends, or promoting the latest theories and perspectives. Nor are they following the latest line of thinking coming down from emperors, kings or other ruling officials. They are not following and promoting the current ‘State Religion’. Why? Because the present worldly arrangement with its ‘wisdom’, methods, principles and values, together with the arrangement of world leaders, rulers and politicians, is being rendered idle and passing away. In effect, the Millennium Reign is coming in which the Messiah will judge the nations with an iron rod as King of kings.

Instead of worldly ‘wisdom’, Christian leaders like the Apostles and Evangelists are ‘speaking the wisdom of God within a mystery that God predetermined before the ages, having been concealed away, penetrating into our honour and esteem’. The theological knowledge presented by the Apostles and Christian leaders has a number of aspects that place it in contrast to the worldly arrangement and way of doing things. The announcement of the cross of the Messiah is something that –

Has been hidden from all preceding generations,

Now its mystery has been revealed in this present age penetrating towards the honour and esteem of those whom God selects

But the world sees this proclamation as dull, absurd and a cause for stumbling

‘Outsiders’ can understand the words and concepts and they can discuss the cross of the Messiah in a logical fashion. But they do so without persuasion and dismiss or even oppose it in one way or another. It still remains hidden to those who are ‘outsiders’ and remain in ‘darkness’.

Some may think that in talking about ‘mysteries’ and the ‘Breath of God’, Paul is talking about ‘inner spirituality’. But he is presenting the opposite of esoteric teaching, the opposite of accessing ‘inner wisdom’ and experiencing the ‘Isness of Being’. God, in His wisdom, predetermined this arrangement of deliverance away from divine condemnation. He did this before the beginning of the ages of this world. By means of being summoned by God within the Messiah, Christians attain honour and esteem. The Apostles are speaking this wisdom, but it is separate and distinct from the ‘wisdom’ of this present age, (verse 6). It is this wisdom of God and His predetermined plan of deliverance, ‘that none of the primary rulers of this age are coming to know, recognise or perceive. Because if they had perceived and recognised it they would not have crucified the Lord of honour and esteem’, (I Corinthians 2 v 8). It still remains hidden to those who are ‘outsiders’ and who remain in ‘darkness’. The fact that the then-current primary leaders of the world had not and still did not perceive the word of the cross of the Messiah to the point of persuasion and obedience such that they remained in darkness was evidenced by their crucifixion of the Messiah, who God esteemed as the Lord of honour and praiseworthiness. Paul is outlining where the stark division exists. It is not between Christians within the Messiah. It is not between Christian leaders. It is between Christians and ‘outsiders’ or unbelievers.

Practical Christianity – Countering the Problem of Division – Christian leaders and the power of the cross of the Messiah [8] – Personal testimony as evidence supporting this basic theology (I Corinthians 2 v 1 – 5)

In dealing with the practical problem of divisions and splits within the Corinthian Christian assembly, Paul has turned to basic theology to say that God is confounding worldly wisdom when it comes to the word of the cross of the Messiah. Rather than using eloquent influential, charismatic promoters and big campaigns, God is selecting people that ‘outsiders’ see as weak and poor. God is using what seems to be the foolishness of merely stating the word of the cross, often in a faltering or hesitant way, as the means of His power. Paul has pointed to the Corinthian assembly itself as evidence – not many of them are rich, successful social influencers.

Paul continues by pointing to himself as a Christian leader as evidence. ‘I am coming towards you brothers, not coming down from excellence of speech or wisdom, proclaiming to you the evidence of God, 2 because I continued to decide not to be knowing anything among you if not Jesus the Messiah and him having been crucified. 3 I, within weakness, fear and much trembling, became strengthened towards you, 4 my speaking and proclamation not within persuasive, enticing, wise and clever words, but within separation away from it demonstrating and showing the Breath and power 5 so that your persuasion to the point of obedience was not within human wisdom, but within the power of God’ (I Corinthians 2 v 1 – 5). Paul admits that he is not a great orator, not a naturally persuasive speaker, and not skilled in using enticing, clever words. Rather he spoke the word of the cross to them in fear, weakness and trembling. ‘Outsiders’ would not have regarded him as a successful ‘front man’ that they could employ to persuade people. But Paul chose to speak despite his fear, weakness and faltering manner because he decided to be knowledgeable only of Jesus and the cross when he was among them. His fear, weakness and faltering manner may seem to be a recipe for failure, but on the contrary, what he said became strengthened. What he said was not strengthened through worldly skill and wisdom but separated away from it and this demonstrated and showed the Breath and power of God. (Most translations use the word ‘Spirit’ of even ‘Holy Spirit’ here, but the original Greek word – ‘pneuma’ – means ‘breath’. In this case it is capitalised – Pneuma’ – to refer to the ‘Breath of God’). The Corinthian Christians were clearly not persuaded of the word of the cross by Paul’s creative, astute, enticing eloquence or charisma. Rather Paul’s faltering, weak, and by worldly standards ineffective announcement of the word of the cross was made strong by being separated away from worldly eloquence, persuasive speech and wisdom in a demonstration and show of the Breath and the power of God. This has major practical implications with regard to how Christians think about and engage in evangelism, outreach and so on. But Paul is mentioning this basic theology in order to address the division and partisanship within the Corinthian Christian assembly and its leaders.

Practical Christianity – Introduction (3) – Freedom from the Law in the New Covenant of the blood of the Messiah to walk in the breath of God

When it comes to living a godly, clean life, why doesn’t the Apostle point Christians to Sinai Covenant Law such as the Ten Commandments? He explains the problem with trying to live a godly life by deciding to try to keep and obey external written codes, including divine Law, in his letter to the Romans. Divine Law says for example, “You shall not covet”, but the impetus and energy towards missing the mark that is inherent in our fleshly constitution, or old humanity, seizes the opportunity presented by the commandment and produces every kind of coveting within us. Thus, ‘when the commandment came these impulses sprang to life and I died. I found that the very commandment that was intended to bring life actually brought death. Because the energy and impulse of missing the mark within me, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, deceived me and through the commandment put me to death’ (Romans 7 v 9b – 11). Divine Law itself is not at fault – it is God-given and pure. Rather it is a principle, impetus, energy or ‘drive’ within us that is leading us towards missing the mark and failure, an impulse that is inherent in our fleshly constitution. That is the problem. These raw energies at work within my fleshly constitution ‘take hold of’, gain further energy from and ‘use’ such external codes and regulations, even if they are pure God-given injunctions. These energies and impulses use such regulations as a ‘springboard’ or ‘launching pad’ so as to bring their impetus to completion in the form of ungodly, undesirable speech, attitudes and behaviour. This means that we are in error if we turn to divine Law as the means to live a godly life because it is through these very codes that the self-forfeiture earned as a result of missing the mark becomes exceedingly excessive, (Romans 7 v 13).

So what does ‘walking in the breath’ moment by moment mean in practice? Does it mean, as some Christian leaders suggest, that Christians aim to surrender all their efforts to work at living a practical Christian life? Does it mean that Christians surrender all their labour in trying to understand, analyse and reason through doctrine and theology so that they can then follow their inner impulses and inclinations as an expression of the breath of God and their Christian freedom? Christians do indeed express this kind of sentiment reasonably often. Some Christians say things like, ‘I felt the Lord calling me to….’, or, ‘I felt a burden from the Lord to…’; and we hear Christian preachers say, ‘Let go of all your daily concerns and anxieties so as to allow the Spirit to fill your heart…’. By surrendering their efforts in thought, analysis and reasoning things through and ‘letting go’ of making the effort to live a godly life, they instead focus on ‘felt experience’. Christians have become missionaries, church leaders, or began their own Christian or charitable projects by using this kind of approach. I am not completely dismissing such ‘burdens’ and ‘felt experiences’, but I am saying that this is not the means that the Apostle taught with regard to Christians living a godly life day-by-day.

Just as Paul did not exhort Christians to live a godly life by quoting Covenant Law to them and insisting that they make an inner resolve to follow its various regulations, neither did he encourage Christians to ‘let go’ and unquestioningly follow every ‘burden’ or ‘impulse’ that they ‘felt’. When it comes to such seemingly godly feelings and impulses that seem to be guiding and leading our behaviour, no matter how extraordinary, unexpected, involuntary, strong or apparently transcendent they are, the questions are these: How do Christians know that this or that particular impulse or inclination is from God? How do they know that they are not just following their own deceitful fleshly impulses or sub-conscious desires? I am asking, What was Paul’s approach in detail?

Practical Christianity – Introduction (2) – Walking in the breath of God

Rather than ‘getting busy and getting going’ in fellowship projects, the Apostles were concerned that Christians in general began and continued to live a life worthy of their calling, deliverance and adoption by God through the Messiah. Paul taught about Christians possessing and walking in the breath of God. He taught that the breath of God, dwelling in the deep inner core of Christians, provides spiritual insight, illumination, discernment and inclination towards godliness. He also taught that Christians are sometimes tempted away from cleanliness and godliness and that they sometimes quench, ‘grieve’, resist, ignore or oppose the illuminations and inclinations from the breath of God deep within their inner core. Persistence in such opposition and resistance leads to a ‘hardness of heart’, to insensitivity towards God. As we will see, this insensitivity to God leads to ignorance and to following the futility of our own darkened thoughts and reasoning. Along with this we follow the energies and impulses inherent in our fleshly constitution that work in opposition to what God approves of.

It is the illuminating, insightful discernment and (in the main) gentle, subtle impulse of the breath of God dwelling within the Christian’s deep inner core that the Apostle Paul taught as being the basis for the dynamic process of Christians living a godly life. Thus he exhorts Christians to ‘walk around in the breath’, to pay attention to the working energies of the breath of God within them and to work to bring these energies to fruition by bringing them forth in their practical day-by-day speech, attitude and behaviour, making the Messiah complete. ‘The fruit of the breath is love, joy, peace, patient forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Down from these sorts of things there is absolutely no law, 24 and the Messiah, Jesus, crucifies the flesh together with the focus on desires and strong emotions’, (Galatians 5 v 22, 23).

That is the dynamic process that Paul presents in his Epistles with regard to Christians living a godly life. He places this process in contrast to one that refers to external codes, regulations and resolutions to uphold them, even though these regulations or laws may have come down from God. The dynamic process of practical behaviour that the Apostle Paul teaches is for Christians alone, because only they possess the breath of God within. ‘Outsiders’ cannot put into practice the process that he teaches because they do not possess the means to do so. Thus Paul exhorts Christians to walk around day-by-day, moment by moment, within the sphere and influence of the Inner Light and impulse of the breath of God dwelling deep in their inner core. He explains that the New Covenant in the blood of the Messiah is ‘not of the letter [of external written codes] but of the breath, because the letter kills but the breath gives life’, (II Corinthians 3 v 6). He explains in his letter to the Romans that Christians ‘are being put to death to the Law through the body of the Messiah’, (Romans 7 v 4). Christians ‘have been released from the Law so that we serve in the new way of the breath and not in the old way of the written code’, (Romans 7 v 6).

I John 5 v 16 – 18 – Christians missing the mark and in error (5) – Illness and death

Then there are instances and situations in which error or disobedience brings fatal disease upon the offender. There is an example of this in I Corinthians. ‘Whoever is eating the bread or drinking the contents of the cup of the master not to its real value and worth will be liable and held in by the Lord’s body and the blood. 28 A man should be scrutinizing himself to see that he is genuine and acceptable, and in this way be eating from out of the bread and be drinking from out of the cup. 29 Because the one eating and drinking not thoroughly and closely reasoning, separating out and distinguishing the body is eating and drinking a judgment on himself. 30 Through this, many within you are weak and infirm, and have reached falling asleep. 31 But if we are discriminating and scrutinizing ourselves we would absolutely not be picked out and separated’ (I Corinthians 11 v 27 – 31). Some Christians within the Corinthian fellowship were treating the fellowship meal and Lord’s Supper with disdain because those who had food were eating even whilst those who were poor and unable to afford food were going hungry. There was also disorder and a lack of proper self-examination when it came to the bread and the wine. The implication is that there were some ‘outsiders’ in the fellowship partaking of the bread and wine, and that there were some Christians who were wilfully engaged in fleshly or worldly behaviour and not coming to the Lord’s Supper with appropriate sober consideration. The result, says Paul, was that ‘many within you are weak and infirm, and have reached falling asleep’. In other words many of them were lacking in strength and good health, and some had died. The Apostle links these instances of poor health and death to their lack of reverence and self-examination with regards to the bread and wine. He says that ‘the one eating and drinking not thoroughly and closely reasoning, separating out and distinguishing the body is eating and drinking a judgment on himself’.

God’s Judgement is not entirely or solely reserved for some future date – we see the wrath of God being revealed from heaven even now at this present time. For ‘outsiders’ this judgement may lead to their death, and for Christians too, wilful persistence in error and disobedience may lead to such a degree of training and discipline from God as to lead to their illness or death.

But we cannot understand very much in the way of guidance from God’s providence. Job suffered various calamities yet he was counted as a righteous man. He suffered because of disputes in the unseen heavenly realm. Similarly the Psalmists complain that the wicked and the ungodly seem to prosper. In terms of guidance, providence – God’s arrangement of our circumstances and situations – remains a mystery, and without some kind of revelation Christians cannot assume that because a person is ill or facing adverse circumstances that they are therefore engaged in some sinful, erroneous activity. It is not as simple and formulaic as that. All that we can say is that in general terms there is a principle that Christians engaging in ‘serious’ error may incur discipline and strict training in terms of God arranging adverse circumstances for them, but adverse circumstances do not necessarily point to an individual being in error or disobedient.

Error that leads to death – summary conclusion

By way of summing up a conclusion with regards to ‘error that leads to death’ another Bible Commentator states, ‘It is possible [for an individual] to close [their] heart against the influences of God’s Spirit so obstinately and persistently that repentance becomes a moral impossibility….‘Sin unto death’, therefore, is not any [single] act of sin, however heinous, but a state or habit of sin wilfully chosen and persisted in: It is constant and consummate opposition to God.’ In the phraseology of John’s letter we might say that it is an individual’s deliberate preference for darkness as opposed to light, of falsehood to truth, of sin to righteousness, of the world to the Father, of spiritual death to eternal life, of wilfully, deliberately and persistently slandering the breath of God so as to declare the breath of God to be evil, mischievous or Satanic. It is willfully and persistently bringing God, His Messiah, His people and the gospel into scandalous public disrepute such that the individual’s path towards death – be it insensitivity and lack of response to God, or physical death and illness – is begun with excommunication, with being ‘disowned and dis-identified with by the fellowship, such that the individual is handed over to Satan and the worldly arrangement.

Such persistent opposition by a Christian in their speech and behaviour is clearly seen and clearly bringing God and His purposes, as well as Christians, into disrepute. Such a person is disowned and no longer identified with by the fellowship because if such an individual persists in their error then their persuasion to the point of obedience and their inclusion as an ‘adopted son’ in God’s house is no longer in evidence. Rather they evidence themselves to be ‘dead’, ‘lifeless’ ‘outsiders’.

I John 5 v 16 – 18 – Christians missing the mark and in error (4) – Covenant Law and behaviour demanding the death penalty

It is of course quite possible that a Christian can engage in serious error as defined under Sinai Covenant Law in the case of Jews, or as defined by Civil Law in the case of Gentiles. The purpose of Sinai Covenant Law was not to punish offenders but to instil Justice and lead offenders to repentance through paying the recompense that the Law prescribed. Even in some cases of a death sentence being prescribed, a substitution payment could be made to redeem the life of the offender. But this was not so in all cases – some errors demanded the death penalty with no opportunity for ruling officials to commute the sentence. We have also seen an example of this position of hopelessness in the New Testament with regards to constantly and wilfully slandering the breath of God. Similar situations can occur under Gentile Civil Laws. In some countries the death penalty is retained for what are considered to be serious crimes, and there may be no provision for a reprieve. All of these situations certainly portray a missing the mark leading towards death, but given the context of John’s letter, this is probably not what is in John’s mind. I think that he is more likely to be thinking of slandering the breath of God – the breath that he has just described as being an element of God’s testimony to His Son as the Messiah.

I John 5 v 16 – 18 – Christians missing the mark and in error (2) – Slandering the breath of God

John is saying that there is a degree of error and missing the mark that Christians can engage in such that they come to a position where they speak and behave like an ‘outsider’. John says that Christians should not implore God all around such error (verse 16). This kind and degree of error is ‘missing the mark leading towards death’

But when it comes to specifics, differences of opinion arise between Bible Commentators who are by no means unified and settled as to what ‘missing the mark leading towards death’ actually means. A list of their various opinions reveals that in their opinion, ‘missing the mark leading towards death’ is error that is

Slandering the breath of God
More serious error, such as murder
That which is punishable by death under Sinai Covenant Law
Behaviour that requires excommunication
A cause of fatal disease upon the offender
Behaviour that breaks a civil law that demands the death penalty where there is no power given to a Magistrate to pardon the offender

Each of these has been proposed as a definition of ‘error leading to death’. Some of these are quite similar, so we may be justified in reducing them to a smaller, more manageable list such that we say that ‘missing the mark leading towards death’ is

Slandering the breath of God
Behaviour that demands excommunication from the fellowship
Behaviour seriously condemned by Covenant or Civil Law – demanding the death penalty
Behaviour that brings fatal disease upon the offender

Missing the mark against the breath of God or ‘Holy Spirit’ is often a cause of concern for Christians who may ask themselves if they have somehow, inadvertently committed this error and as a result lost their deliverance. Because this is the one self-forfeiture and missing of the mark that Jesus says is unpardonable both in this age and the next (Matthew 12 v 31; Mark 3 v 29). Bible Commentator Matthew Poole says that ‘those who have missed the mark leading towards death have apostatized from their former weak, superficial and inadequate profession of faith. They have not only turned away from their former persuasion of the truth towards erroneous teaching, false understanding and fleshly behaviour, but they obstinately continue in this path, resisting and opposing all methods of recovery such that they are twice dead’.

Missing the mark against the breath of God involves this deliberate, willful and persistent opposition to the breath of God in which a person identifies the breath of God as being Satanic, mischievous and of bad intent. They persist in ascribing the breath of God to the ultimate opposite of God –Satan. This is not someone testing the breaths, speculating and reasoning to come to a conclusion whether the breath that they are experiencing is of God or not. Rather, it is a persistent, willful and deliberate conclusion that the breath of God is satanic. It was precisely within this context that Jesus makes this statement about ‘slandering the breath of God’. The Pharisees had seen Jesus heal a man who held an unclean breath and they then concluded, “It is only by Beelzebul, the prince of demons, that this fellow drives out demons” (Matthew 12 v 24). Jesus responded by correcting their mistaken thinking and he concluded by saying, ‘“I tell you, when it comes to calling something good that really is good, or slowness to identify something that really is bad as being bad, every kind of transgression and sluggishness will be sent away and discharged. However, the men who slander the breath will not be sent away and discharged. 32 Whoever says a word against the Son of Man will be discharged. But whoever continues to speak against the breath that is different and set apart will not be discharged and sent away, neither in this age nor in the age that is about to come”’ (Matthew 12 v 31, 32).

I John 5 v 5 – 13 – Divine testimony concerning Jesus (5) – Christian Assurance

We are now moving to a point at which the three aspects that testify and bear witness to the Son – his physical birth, sacrificial lifeblood and the witness of the breath of God – are portrayed as self-evidencing. Light is self-evidencing – it needs no further external support to prove and demonstrate its existence. If a person is blind and cannot see the light, it does not mean that there is fault in the light itself. The problem lies in the person’s inability (or unwillingness) to look and see. In our natural state, as ‘outsiders’, our fleshly impulses lead us to faulty thinking that in turn lead us to engage in erroneous, divinely disapproved of behaviour. This behaviour leads us to seek to satisfy our fleshly impulses, to release the ‘pressure’ and energy that they create, and this leads us to yet more faulty thinking. It is a vicious circle that we are enslaved to by our nature or constitution. Within this entrapment in the darkness of ignorance and futile, empty reasoning, in our natural state we make God out to be a liar when we are faced with the threefold divine evidential testimony regarding His Son. In this way, ‘outsiders’ separate themselves away from God. ‘Because God does not send away the Son into the orderly arrangement of the world in order to pick out and separate the orderly system of the world, but that the orderly arrangement of the world might be successfully delivered out of danger and across into safety on account of Him. 18 Those persuaded and entrusting in Him are not picked out and separated, but those not persuaded and entrusting in Him are even now picked out and separated because they are not persuaded, entrusting and penetrating into the character and authority of the one and only of a kind – the unique Son of God. 19 Indeed, now this is the separation and picking out, because the Source of Light is here, penetrating into the ordered system of the world, and men prefer to love the darkness more than the Source of light, because their work and behaviour is hurtful and ridden with pain’ (John 3 v 17 – 19).

What do these three aspects point to with one purpose? ‘This is the testimony: that God has given perpetual life to us, and this is the life within his Son’ (Verse 11). There is the polarization between the children of God and the children of the devil. ‘Outsiders’ are not persuaded of the Son of God as Messiah in their personal experience. But Christians know within themselves, in their personal experience, that God has given them perpetual life within the Son of God. Christians are made alive within Jesus such that they co-share in his perpetual life.

The ultimate conclusion of this polarization is this, ‘The one holding and possessing the Son has life; the one not having and possessing the Son absolutely does not have life’ (Verse 12). Throughout his letter John has been going through distinctive and unique qualities that only Christians can hold and possess. They do not hold and possess these qualities because of their own efforts, skills, abilities or intellect, but because they have been brought forth by God. John says that it is impossible for ‘outsiders’ to possess these qualities and characteristics. Therefore, if an individual does possess these qualities they serve as ‘markers’ or evidence that they are indeed a ‘child of God’, delivered from God’s judicial condemnation and that they have a share in a divinely allotted inheritance. In other words,

The one in possession of these qualities gains assurance and confident anticipation and expectation of perpetual life

In this way we are led nicely into John’s conclusion. ‘I am writing these things in order that you may know and appreciate that you hold and possess perpetual life, to you [who are] entrusting penetrating towards the name of the son of God’ (Verse 13). This is the conclusion of his teaching about individual Christians knowing in personal experience that they have perpetual life. But as with all such theological teaching, Christians are meant to think this teaching about personal assurance through to its logical conclusions and to carry it across into their speech and behaviour.

I John 5 v 5 – 13 – Divine testimony concerning Jesus (4) – Christian Assurance

Having looked at the three important elements of testimony and witness to the truth – water/physical birth, life-blood, and the different set apart breath of God, John says, ‘these three are penetrating towards one purpose’ (Verse 8). Each of these aspects of truthful testimony are in agreement, bearing witness towards the same purpose. He tells us the purpose or goal of this testimony a few verses later, ‘this is the testimony: that God has given perpetual life to us, and this is the life within his son’ (Verse 11). But before he states this purpose he has a few more things to say.

‘If we take hold of human testimony, the testimony of God is greater’ (Verse 9a). John says to his Hebrew Christian readers, ‘You may be listening to and be persuaded of human testimony, you may believe reports and anecdotes given by other people, by other Christians. You may be persuaded of our eyewitness reports as Apostles who were there with Jesus, who saw his miracles and heard his teaching. But the testimony of God is greater, bigger, larger and by implication more trustworthy, ‘because this is the testimony of God that He has testified around his Son’ (Verse 9b). These three aspects of truthful testimony and witness – the physical birth of Jesus, his lifeblood, and the testimony of the breath of God – constitute God’s testimony around His Son. They do not constitute mere hearsay, or human opinions or conjectures about Jesus, rather they present the divine witness and testimony concerning God’s Son as His chosen and anointed deliverer.

Then John says, ‘The one persuaded and entrusting penetrating towards the Son of God is holding the testimony within himself’ (Verse 10a). In these days where modern science has considerable influence, we are used to looking ‘out there’ to find solid, replicable material evidence or ‘proof’ that supports the hypothesis, perspective or beliefs that we hold on to. If we believe in a global flood at the time of Noah then we tend to look to archaeological experts to find tangible, material objective evidence to support and confirm this idea and thus give us assurance that our belief is correct and true. This kind of approach pervades the thinking of many people in many areas of life, whether they are Christians or ‘outsiders’. Indeed, such an approach can be and often is a helpful and important approach giving us advances in areas such as health and medicine.

But the ways of God are often separate and distinct from the values and approaches of the orderly arrangement of the world. For Christians, the testimony, the faithful truthful witness regarding Jesus being the Son of God and the Messiah is ultimately held within themselves. It is an inner perception, enlightened insight, illuminated knowledge and understanding within that leads to persuasion deep in their inner core, thanks to the enlightening and empowering work of the breath residing and remaining in their heart as a result of the free gift of God.

In contrast to this, ‘The one not persuaded towards God is making Him a liar, because he has not been persuaded and entrusted the testimony that God has given about His son’ (Verse 10b). John brings us back to the strong polarizing demarcation line between Christians and ‘outsiders’. Given the threefold divine testimony concerning Jesus – his physical birth, sacrificial life-blood and the witness of the breath of truth – if a person still lacks persuasion, refusing to acknowledge Jesus as the Son of God and Messiah, then the verdict and conclusion is that what they are constructing makes God out to be a liar and deceiver. This quality of lying and deceiving is, as we have seen, the character of Satan. It is a position that is highly insulting to God.

I John 5 v 5 – 13 – Divine testimony concerning Jesus (3)

John has been saying that Jesus is brought forth within water and blood and that only Christians are persuaded of this to the point of obedience because of the work of the breath of God. This then takes us comfortably into John’s next statement. ‘And the breath is testifying and bearing witness’ (Verse 6c). The different set apart breath of God, the ‘Holy Spirit’ if you prefer, is dwelling and remaining in the Christian’s heart, giving unction and enlightenment. The breath is bearing witness along with the physical birth and life-blood of the Messiah. The breath is enabling Christians to perceive the light of these facts so that they no longer remain in the darkness of ignorance and error, but rather, their eyes are opened and they are enabled to see what is true to the facts with regard to unseen realities.

The breath is bearing witness ‘because the breath is the truth’ (Verse 6d). The breath from out of God and His Messiah is not a false, lying, deceiving breath. It is not the breath of Satan, nor of one of his followers, nor a movement or current that emerges from the worldly arrangement, nor the breath of human nature, conjecture and creativity. The breath of God is truth because it proceeds from God Who is Truth.

‘For there are three bearing witness’ (Verse 7a). In Scriptural numerology, three represents perfection. These three constitute a perfect and complete witness and testimony – the breath, the water and the blood – all bearing witness and testifying according to the facts, all giving an accurate, truthful report. So far, so good, but before we can go any further we now come across another problem.

The text continues, ‘within heaven: The Father, the Word and the breath set apart – these three are one’ (Verse 7b). Now here I am in agreement with many scholars and Bible Commentators who say that verse 7b is spurious. In other words its authenticity is in doubt. This phrase is missing in all of the earlier Greek manuscripts and it is not found in any Greek manuscript written before the 16th century. It is missing in the earliest versions of the New Testament that were made in all former times. In their controversies and debates concerning teaching about the Trinity, the Greek Fathers never refer to it. Yet it is a statement which is so relevant to that debate that it could not have failed to be quoted if it were genuine.

In addition, it does not advance what John is saying, but instead entirely breaks the thread of his argument. Martin Luther says, “It appears as if this verse was inserted by the orthodox against the Arians which, however, cannot suitably be done because both here and there he speaks not of witnesses in heaven, but of witnesses on earth”. If there is one thing certain in textual criticism, it is that this famous statement is not genuine. I am in agreement with these criticisms so I am not going to spend any more time on these words. The result of this conclusion means that what is generally considered to be the authentic text actually reads like this: ‘For there are three bearing witness, the breath, the water and the blood; and these three are penetrating towards one purpose’ (verse 7a, 8).