Smoodock's Blog

John warned his readers against the deception of the false teachers, who had come into their local assemblies (1John 3:7; cp. 1John 2:18-19), and had been preaching that one was able to have a relationship with God without Christ (1John 1:6-10). They taught that correct doctrine (the Oral and the Mosaic Laws) was enough. According to them, it was teaching handed down directly by God to Moses, so why would anyone need Jesus to tell them who God is or what he is like? That’s already revealed.[1] The problem with such an idea is that it doesn’t originate with Christ, who claimed a tree is known by its fruit (Matthew 12:33; Luke 6:44). Doctrine could never be the litmus test for who has a relationship with God. Rather, it is good works that identifies a man or woman as a child of God (1John 3:7; cp. James 2:14-26).

In 1John 3:8 we are told, “the one who practices sin is of the devil; for the devil has sinned from the beginning.” John seems to be referring to something Jesus said to the Jewish authorities:

“You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies…” (John 8:44).

One could read both of these texts and remind ourselves of Genesis 3 or the time of creation when mankind rebelled from God. This would be true, but I think John’s reference to the beginning has to do with the office of leadership. The Greek word for beginning is arche (G746) and often refers to human authorities (Ephesians 1:21; Colossians 2:15; Titus 3:1). Jesus, himself is referred to as the Beginning in Colossians 1:18 (see also Revelation 1:8; 3:14; 21:6; 22:13). The beginning (G746) in this context refers to the power or authority that is responsible for the subject at hand. In the case of human authorities, they are responsible for law and order and the course of human events under their control. Concerning Jesus, he is responsible for the new creation (2Corinthians 5:17; Galatians 6:15; cp. John 3:3; Ephesians 2:10). He both originated it and keeps it in existence.

It is in this context, I believe, we need to read 1John 3:8. The beginning John refers to is Adam. He is responsible for the course human events have taken, since he rebelled against God. He is the liar Jesus referred to in John 8:44, and the slanderer (devil) John mentions in 1John 3:8. Adam lied to his wife about what God had told him (Genesis 3:2-3; cp. 2:17). Eve thought she would die, if she touched the tree, but Adam was told he would die, only if he ate the fruit of the tree. Therefore, he lied to her, thus slandering God, and got her to not only touch the tree, which showed she wouldn’t die in doing so, and this act (the lie) implied that God lied to them (cp. 1John 1:10).

John’s whole argument revolves around who one would image (cp. Genesis 1:27) or imitate, Adam, the first man, or the second man, Christ (1Corinthians 15:45). The deceivers, antichrists, had rejected Christ in favor of continuing the rebellion, because rejecting Christ rejected God who sent him (John 5:30; 8:42; 12:49). It was for this very reason that Jesus was manifest to the world (John 1:14; cp. 1John 3:5, 8), not to destroy the world, but to destroy the works of the author (beginning) of this world’s course.

The one who is born of God (cp. John 3:3; Ephesians 2:10) doesn’t work sin. That is, he doesn’t remain in rebellion against God (1John 3:9), because his seed or the Spirit of Christ dwells in him (cp. Colossians 1:27), and Christ produces the righteous fruit in our lives (Matthew 7:17-18; Galatians 2:20). Therefore, it is by works that we are justified (James 2:24), for it is by our good works that the children of God are made manifest to the world, which is in contrast to the children of the slanderer, whose works do not reveal the righteousness of God or his love for his brother (1John 3:2; cp. verse-2).

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[1] See my previous studies: How Fellowship with God is Possible and John’s Three Arguments.