The Highway Forums General Discussion Theology Discussion Forum DoctrineOf Christ

What are the specifics of the 'doctrine of Christ' that John wrote about?

Can you clarify your question just a bit? The Gospel and Epistles of John give LOTS of information concerning Jesus Christ. Are you looking for something in particular?

2 John 1:9
Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son.


Im curious about exactly what John meant at the time.

Specifically how his version relates to the Trinity.

Im sure you've heard the old bit Christ is not God but the Son of God, the first creation, that sort of thing. 'The term used 'Christ is not God but the Son of God' used as a half truth, rather than a way to distinguish the Second member of the Trinity.

So its seems a non trinitarian definition of Christ violates John's doctrine. Meeting his definition of antichrist.

Below is part of an ongoing exchange;

.

That is correct.

Let's look at an example:

Jesus asked Peter, "Who do you say I am?"

Matthew 16:16 "And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God."

Jesus did not then beat Peter with words telling him that he had to know he was God. But instead Jesus said: "Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven."

What would the antichrist do that misrepreents who Jesus is? He would portray Jesus to be insistant that Peter say, "Thou art God." And thus he would be misrepreenting Jesus' holy nature in that Jesus' holy nature does not so insist on such things to the point of argument.

The antichrist makes it seem as though Jesus says, "I will crush you here and now if you do not believe I am God." Or the antichrist slyly tries to make it look like Peter actually said Jesus was God. He will do anything to get his way about what he believes and so represents a Christ that would also do that.

But Jesus' holiness of love looks for even a little faith upon which he may lovingly build with patience over time. John 16:12 I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now.

That has not changed since the Holy Spirit has arrived. Since the Holy Spirit has arrived we merely have less excuse for not acting as Christ acted.



A little later;



Response;

Point well taken. I am not promoting either view over the other.


I then told him it was high time he did stand one way or the other , and even after posting that a second time he has not addressed the matter.

Hitch,

What John wrote in his second Epistle is consistent with and repetitive of what he previously wrote in his Gospel and the other two Epistles. In other words, you can come to understand the meaning of "doctrine of Christ" both from the immediate context (verses preceding and following the text) AND from the far context, the remainder of the Epistle and then comparing that to his other writings and finally to all of Scripture; aka: Analogy of Faith.

I think R.C.H. Lenski puts it accurately when he writes:

...'doctrine' is correct [vs 'teaching']. "Of Christ is the subjective genitive: the doctrine of Christ taught and still teaches through his apostles, John 1:18. This word does not occur in First John, but its equivalents, "The light, the truth, the Word," are found. "The doctrine," like "the Word," means that the truth is put into words which we hear (verse 6), and so the truth comes to be taught, realized and apprehended (ginoskein, verse 1), which means "believed," trusted....

No matter in what direction one goes forward and does not remain in the doctrine of Christ, "he has not God" although he may shout ever so loudly, "I know him!" (I John 2:4). This is the great delusion. I John 2:23. God, the real God (I John 5:20, is found only in Christ (John 14:9; 11; 20:30), hence only in the doctrine of Christ (John 1:18). John does not need to add "and has not Christ" because he who forsakes Christ's doctrine certainly also forsakes Christ.

The one remaining in the doctrine, this one, this one alone, "has both the Father and the Son." By having the one he has the other; a separation of the two is impossible. To have them is to have salvation. Not for nought does John say "has not God" and now "has both the Father and the Son." These Gnostics imagined that they had "God," but in their estimation he was not "the Father" of "the Son"; to true believers in Christ and in his doctrine God is "the Father" of "his Son Jesus Christ" (I John 1:3).

In short, the "doctrine of Christ" is both the reality of Christ's personal identity; the incarnate second person of the Trinity, and that body of truth which He taught; the Word of God. Deny Christ's deity and you deny the biblical God.

Here are some articles on the deity of Christ:

- "The Eternal Sonship of the Lord Jesus Christ"- J.C. Philpot [Book]
- "What Think Ye of Christ?" - John A. Witmer
- "The Divine and Human Nature of Christ" - Herman Bavinck
- "The Divinity of Christ" - J. Ligon Duncan
- "The Deity of Jesus Christ" - Michael Bremmer
- "A Primer on the Deity of Christ" - Dr. John H. Gerstner
• Part I
• Part II
- "On the Deity of Christ" - J. Gresham Machen

Today on the Who is the antichrist? thread.






Quote Originally Posted by Hitch View Post

Response




Hitch;





I bring this for two reasons.

1. To see what some here think of what is posted.

2. To avoid mistaking what looks vary much like to me as a classic wolf in sheeps clothing.


Good reasons to avoid this question ;

Is Christ God incarnate? Yea or nay? are very rare.



http://www.christianforums.net/f20/who-antichrist-34964/index5.html#post525428

For this person to deny the deity of Christ, i.e., Jesus Christ was incarnate God is of course damnable heresy and a total denial of clear biblical teaching.

The classic text, of course, to show that Jesus of Nazareth was truly God, is found in John 1:1,4. There are myriad biblical passages which prove the deity of the LORD (Jehovah) Jesus Christ, e.g., Isa 7:14; 9:6; Jer 23:5,6; Mic 5:2; Matt 1:23; Acts 20:28; Rom 9:5; Phil 2:6-8; Col 1:16-18; 1Tim 3:16, Heb 1:3; Rev 1:8,17,18; 22:12,13 (cp Isa 41:4; 43:10,11; 44:6,8; 48:12). Of course, there is the accounts of the Pharisees desiring to stone Christ for blaspheme because He himself claimed to be God; Jh 5:18; 10:33.

1 John 4:2-3 (ASV) "Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: and every spirit that confesseth not Jesus is not of God: and this is the [spirit] of the antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it cometh; and now it is in the world already.

2 John 1:7 (ASV) "For many deceivers are gone forth into the world, [even] they that confess not that Jesus Christ cometh in the flesh. This is the deceiver and the antichrist."

"As having come in the flesh" describes the vital point confessed about "Jesus Christ," namely His deity, incarnate in the flesh or human nature, once incarnate and remaining so. This person "Jesus (personal name: Savior) Christ" (the name which is derived from His office: Anointed to be our Prophet, High Priest, and King), who as God's Son (1:3,7; 2:22,23) existed from eternity, "has come" in the fulness of time "in flesh" (Jh 1:14).

This is the very essence of the Gospel and thus to deny it is to deny not only the message of salvation but the one and only God Himself, the One Who exists in three persons; Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

Thanx Pilgrim.

Usually Im happy about being right ,this time its like watching some body die.