1 John 3:10-16

[Hidden In Him]

Letting Murderers Into The Churches Could Have Consequences


       

     According to some chronologers, by the time John was writing his epistles, the Roman persecution of Christians had already begun. Emperor Nero was now having Christians sown into animal skins and mauled to death by wild dogs, and burned alive at the stake to light his dinner parties. This persecution began in 64 A.D., and many date John's epistles to roughly 65 A.D., which means that when John was talking about murder in our next passage, he was likely making a comparison to those in his own time who were now reporting Christians to the authorities so that they could be put to death.

     In this the children of God are made manifest, and the children of the Devil: Everyone not practicing righteousness is not of God, and the one not loving his brother, because this the message which you heard from the beginning, that we should love one another, not as Cain, who was of the wicked one, and murdered his brother. And on what account did he murder him? Because his works were wicked, but his brother's were righteous. We know that we have passed from death to life because we love the brethren. The one not loving them abides in death. Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding within himself. But in this we have known love, in that He laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. (1 John 3:10-16)

     These events were in fact predicted in Matthew 24, when Jesus prophesied that betrayal was eventually going to take place on a large scale within Christendom:

     Many will come in My name, saying, "I am the Christ," and they will mislead many... Then will they deliver you up to affliction and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name's sake. And then shall many be scandalized, and they will deliver one another up and hate one another. And many false prophets shall arise and mislead many. And because lawlessness will be multiplied, the love of many will increasingly grow cold. (Matthew 24:5, 9-12)
 
     That persecution and betrayal was now going on also makes sense of why John seemed reluctant to mention his readers by name in his epistles. Apparently he was taking pains not to reveal their identities. As one writer stated, "In 2nd John, there is an unusual level of intentional anonymity - 'the elder', 'the elect lady', 'her children', 'the children of your elect sister' (2 John 1, 13), which might indicate a time of persecution. A date around of 65 A.D. for all three letters would seem appropriate." (John, DatingTheNewTestament.com)
     So what were the Christians of John's day being persecuted for, and why did the persecution start? The Roman historian Tacitus gives some insight into this. Making reference to how Nero blamed Christians for starting a fire in Rome, and how he did so in order to deflect attention away from rumors he himself started it, Tacitus wrote the following:

     To stop the rumor, [Emperor Nero] falsely charged with guilt and punished with the most fearful tortures those persons commonly called Christians, who were hated for their enormities. Christus, the founder of that name, was put to death as a criminal by Pontius Pilate, procurator of Judea, in the reign of Tiberius, but the pernicious superstition, repressed for a time, broke out yet again, not only throughout Judea where the mischief originated but through the city of Rome also, whither all things horrible and disgraceful flow from all quarters as to a common receptacle, and where they are encouraged. Accordingly, first those were arrested who confessed they were Christians. Next, on their information, a vast multitude were convicted, not so much on the charge of burning the city as of "hating the human race." (Tacitus, Annals)

     That the Romans hated them "for their enormities" means that they hated these so-called "Christians" because they were committing especially grievous and "enormous" sins. Likewise, concerning their beliefs and practices, Tacitus mentioned how "all things horrible and disgraceful flow" to the city Rome. Thus, it appears it was actually the Gnostics whom the Romans hated, for it was the Gnostics who were known for committing disgraceful sins, ones no true Christians would ever take part in. And in no way, shape or form could it be said that true Christians "hated the human race." As John pointed out several times in this letter, the defining characteristic of true Christians was that they walked in love towards others, which could most certainly not be said of the Gnostics.
     Notice also the progression described by Tacitus of how the events took place. First, some who professed to be Christians were arrested. As the early church writers made clear, the Gnostics openly called themselves "Christians" but preached an entirely different "Christ." Certainly the Romans would have not initially gone after true Christians who were engaging in continual prayer and giving alms to the poor. Given Tacitus' description of those they were going after, they went looking for those engaging in pernicious and "disgraceful" acts. Then, it was on the information provided by these after they were arrested that "a vast multitude" was subsequently convicted and then put to death. Thus, the Gnostics were very likely the ones originally arrested, and in order to save themselves, they coughed up information on true Christians, and the mass murder of believers in the Lord Jesus Christ then began taking place on a large scale.
     Gnostics regularly infiltrated Christian congregations, so they would have most certainly known exactly where the Christian congregations were located. And from everything we know about the Gnostics they likely had no problems turning in true Christians in order to save themselves. Moreover, given how John was now comparing them to Cain, the first person to murder his own brother, all of it suggests the Gnostics were the ones initially behind the betrayal of true Christians to the hands of the Romans.
     It also further explains why, from the outset of this letter, John made repeated reference to the Gnostics walking in hate rather than love:

     Again I write a new commandment unto you, which is true in Him and in you, because the darkness is passing away and the true light already shines: The one professing to abide in the light yet hating his brother is in darkness until now. (1 John 2:8 )


Cain And Abel, And The Argument About God

      Why did John make specific reference to Cain? According to Jewish tradition, Cain actually murdered Abel over an argument concerning God, with Cain trying to convince Abel that God was evil and unjust. Because Abel maintained his faith in the goodness of God, it led to an argument that became increasingly heated, until finally Cain murdered Abel in anger. This argument is what Jewish tradition says scripture is referring to when the Genesis account says that Cain "talked" with his brother Abel:

     And the Lord looked to Abel and His offering. But He did not look to Cain and His offering. And Cain grew angry, and his face became downcast. Then the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at the door, and its desire is to have you, but you should rule over it.” And Cain talked with his brother Abel. And as they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel and killed him. (Genesis 4:6-8 )

     Why would scripture record that Cain "talked" with his brother if it were not important to the narrative? According to tradition, it was in an attempt to save face after his offering was rejected that Cain deliberately took Abel into the field, out of ear's reach of his parents, in hopes of trying to convince Abel that God was lying about his promises of an afterlife, and that He was actually a liar, and a cruel and unjust God who was trying to dictate over His creation tyrannically.
     As the Fragmentary Targum tells it:

     Cain said to Abel his brother, "Come let the two of us go out to the open filed." And it was when the two of them had gone out to the open field, Cain answered and said to Abel, "There is no judgment, and there is no Judge, and there is no other world, and there is no gift of good reward for the righteous, and no punishment for the wicked. And the world was not created in mercy and it is not governed in mercy. For what reason was your offering accepted from you with favor, but from me it was not accepted with favor?" Abel answered and said to Cain, "There is judgment, and there is a Judge, and there is another world, and there is a gift of good reward for the righteous, and punishment for the wicked. The world was created in mercy and it is governed in mercy. Because the fruits of my works were better than yours, my offering was accepted from me with favor, but from you it was not accepted with favor." And the two of them were arguing in the open field, and Cain rose up against Abel his brother and killed him. (Fragment Targum on Genesis 4:8 )

     Since the Gnostics likewise claimed God was evil and unjust, it only stands to reason that they would also betray true Christians to their deaths just as Cain did to Abel, which is why John likely mentioned Cain by way of comparison. True Christians likewise insisted their God was holy and just, which was also likely playing a part in what led to their betrayal and death.
     Not surprisingly, there was even a Gnostic sect that named themselves after Cain in the early church era called "the Cainites." They apparently regarded Cain as a type of hero figure, and given the account of Irenaeus, it appears the same Devil that influenced Cain in his actions and beliefs influenced them in theirs, because they called out to an "angel" to empower them in every sinful act they undertook:

     Others again declare that Cain derived his being from the Power above, and acknowledge that Esau, Korah, the Sodomites, and all such persons are related to themselves. On this account, they add, they have been assailed by the Creator, yet no one of them has suffered injury... An angel, they maintain, attends them in every one of their sinful and abominable actions, and urges them to venture on audacity and incur pollution. Whatever may be the nature of the action, they declare that they do it in the name of the angel, saying, “Oh thou angel, I use your work. Oh thou power, I accomplish your operation!” And they maintain that this is “perfect knowledge,” without shrinking to rush into such actions as it is not lawful even to name. (Irenaeus, Against Heresies, XXXI:1-2)


Will History Be Repeating Itself Once Again?

     The Islamic Caliphate will be the end-time counterpart to the Roman Empire, and they have even less patience with religions espousing sorcery and sexual licentiousness than the Romans did. Even now they consider Christianity a religion that excuses gross sin, based on what they see "Christian" nations like America spreading to the rest of the world through the porn industry. What will they do when false Christs appear in the earth once more and begin initiating their followers into the sexual "mysteries of Christ"? They will have all the more reason to believe Christianity is a false and wicked religion that should be wiped off the planet, and whenever they assume control over a region, the Muslims will eventually have such people put to death.
     If so, it will be no accident. The Devil will again be arranging all of it, so that true Christians are falsely accused and killed for things they didn't do. As Justin Martyr pointed out, from the rise of Gnosticism and the false Christs to the persecution of Christians, all of it was being orchestrated by demonic spirits during the days of the early church:

     But the evil spirits... put forward other men, the Samaritans Simon and Menander, who did many mighty works by magic and deceived many... [Yet] the devils cannot persuade men that there will be no conflagration for the punishment of the wicked... This only can they effect, that those who live irrationally and are prejudiced in their own opinions, should kill and hate us, whom we not only do not hate, but, as is proved, pity and endeavor to lead to repentance. (Justin Martyr, First Apology Of Justin, LVI-LVII)

     So what can be done to keep history from repeating itself? I would agree with the comments of Rick Joyner here, that the church will increasingly need to operate in the gift of discernment, and possess a greater understanding of the dangers involved in simply letting just anyone enter into the churches. The end-time harvest will be great, but letting people in indiscriminately could eventually lead to the deaths of many true believers, should history happen to begin repeating itself once more.

     As great multitudes start coming to the Lord it is important that these are in fact being converted and are not just being swept in by the excitement. Those converted to the church, to personalities, to doctrines, or to have their needs met will often become betrayers during persecution. A church's tendency to make it too easy for inclusion may cost many lives. We must not make it overly difficult or become suspicious of every new believer, but we must come to trust the gift of discernment of spirits and we must insist on real conversion before admittance to the holy assembly. There is only one Door to the church. We must insist that no one enter except through Him. A door is used to both let people in and to keep them out when necessary. (Joyner, The Harvest, P.161)




Sources:
http://www.datingthenewtestament.com/John.htm