April 12, 2015

Background Scripture: 1 John 3:11-24

Devotional Reading: John 13:31-35

In preparing this column, I decided to research in my Bible concordance the terms “heresy” and “heretic.” I was shocked to find that neither term appears in the RSV Bible. In fact, I found only the plural term “heresies” (2 Peter 2:01) in the King James Version, the RSV, the New English Bible and the Phillips Modern English. The Living Bible uses the term “lies about God” and the Jerusalem Bible speaks of disruptive views.”

So, why was I shocked? Because “heresy” is a term frequently used in discussing or arguing Christian beliefs, doctrines and creeds. Originally the term probably meant “to choose” and in time, “to choose wrongly” – “I have chosen the right belief, but you have chosen the wrong one; in fact, the evil one!”

One writer says of I John that it might easily bear the title of  “Against Heretics.” But putting it in a positive rather than negative frame of reference, he goes on to substitute “being for True Christianity,” instead of  “being against Heresy.” In other words, it is a matter of accentuating the positive rather than the negative – not that we shouldn’t oppose evil, but rather that we do so, as much as possible, by affirming the good.

Christians are too often identified for what we are against. We cannot keep others from misinterpreting the Gospel, but we must do all we can to help others see what Christianity is really about.

It is obvious that 1 John was written to refute the negative influence of a group of “false prophets or teachers” who had split off from the Corinthian Church and were taking some Christians along with them. They probably were denying some teachings of the Gospel and holding that they alone were on intimate terms with God and walking “in the light.”

Schismatic Christians?

It is also probable these schismatics were proposing lifestyles and practices not in harmony with the Gospel.

Scholars suggest they were distorting the Gospel because they believed the truth of Christianity was the property of a chosen few. Eventually this became known as “Gnosticism” and was regarded as one of Christianity’s greatest threats.

The writer of 1 John was certainly justified in identifying this threat and opposing it. That these schismatics needed to be opposed by the Corinthian church was obvious. The real question for the Corinthian Christians was not “whether,” but “how.”

That has been one of the most troubling conflicts in the more than 2,000 years of Christian history. And even if we don’t call it “Gnosticism” today, it is still a threat to the Church of Christ. In fact, it is one of the most divisive threats to Christian unity.

Ironically, Christians today can identify harmful conflict in other religions, notably as between Sunni and Shiite Muslims, between Orthodox and Reformed Jews, between Roman Catholics and Protestants, between Evangelicals and whatever they call the rest of us. “Why can’t they learn to work out their differences?” we ask.

But who among us have shown the way?

Perhaps you have wondered whether the author of 1 John is the same person who wrote the Gospel According to John. There are opinions on this question ranging from “yes, certainly” to “no, of course not.” One reason some believe he is the same man is because he places the same emphasis on Christian love as the writer of the gospel.

I am dismayed to acknowledge that after 2,000 years of Christian preaching and teaching most Christians do not have a clue as to how to handle conflict among religions and peoples. There are some exceptions, of course – I admire greatly the pioneering work of the Mennonites in teaching people and congregations how to resolve conflicts in a loving, Christian manner.

Is anyone unlovable?

Whoever the writer of 1 John is (and possibly 2 John, 3 John and the Gospel of John), there is a recurring theme of Christian love. Of course, we know the importance of Christian love. The problem is most of us don’t understand what it is and how to do it.

We make the mistake of regarding it as a loving emotion. If that were true, the limits of our “love” would not extend far. There are lots of people who, if love is a lovable feeling, are downright “unlovable” and “unloving.” The crowds who called for Jesus’ death were not lovable. Pilate was not lovable. The men who nailed Jesus to the cross were not lovable.

No, what they elicited from Jesus was his commitment to the Father: He responded to hatred with a saving compassion. Christian love is a sense of commitment that exceeds our judgmental feelings.

Yes, the Gnostic heretics were wrong, wrong, wrong! Yes, they were giving Christianity a bad reputation. Yes, they were splintering the Christian community in Corinth. And, yes the Christians needed to combat this heresy – but not with hostility and hatred.

“For this is the message you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another … Whoever does not love abides in death. All who hate a brother or sister are murderers, and you know that murderers do not have eternal life abiding in them … Little children, let us love, not in word or speech, but in truth and action.”

Is that what outsiders see going on within and among the churches? With all the church schisms, with Christians joining in the hateful and sinful national political disgrace, what must people on the fringe or outside wonder about the Gospel? Once again, what is this love to which we are called?

St. Thomas Aquinas said: “To love anyone is nothing else than to wish that person good.” Those words may not lead us to a cross, but they are a good place to start.

The views and opinions expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of Farm World. Readers with questions or comments for Rev. Althouse may write to him in care of this publication.