2. Testing The Spirits
1 John 4:1-6

3. Timeline of New Testament
(when books were written)
1 John
2 John
Mark
Luke
Matthew
John
3 John
Acts
Revelation 30 40 50 60 70 80 90
100
Galatians
1 Thess.
1 Cor.
Ephesians
1 Tim.
1 Peter
James
2 Thess.
2 Cor.
Philippians
2 Tim.
2 Peter
Romans
Colossians
Titus
Jude
Philemon
Hebrews

4. Does The Teaching Confess Christ? (1-3)
Anyone can claim to be some great thing of God (cf. Acts 8:9-11)
Do not allow the "wool to be pulled over your eyes"
They should be "tested" as with anything else (1 Thess. 5:21; Acts 17:11)
It is an enduring problem (1 Tim. 4:1)
Approval comes from God {in His word} (2 Cor. 10:18)

5. Confessing Christ in that He has come in the flesh
He is or He isn't
It is connected to mutual identification (Heb. 2:14-17)
John uses strong words in order to underscore the seriousness of this (1 Jn. 2:18-19, 22-23)
The anti-Christ is not some future evil super power
Existed in John's day: "even now already is it in the world"
There are many, not just one (1 Jn. 2:18; 2 Jn. 7)

6. Does It Oppose Worldliness? (4-5)

7. Does It Oppose Worldliness? (4-5)

8. Does It Oppose Worldliness? (4-5)
John wrote, "Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in Him" (1 Jn. 2:15)

9. The world is insignificant (Matt. 16:26)
Jesus and His disciples are not "of the world" (Jn. 15:19; 17:14; cf. Matt. 6:25)
The devil is the master/god of this world (Jn. 12:31; 14:30; 16:11; cf. 2 Cor. 4:4)
Our Master is Jesus (Jn. 14:30)
He is the one who is in us
The world is insignificant (Matt. 16:26)

10. Does It Point People To The Word? (6)
Truth and error decided by God's word, not personalities
Jesus said this (Lk. 10:16; Jn. 13:20)
We are to "...remember ye the words which were spoken before of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ" (Jude 17)
Let us point to nothing other than Christ (1 Cor. 2:2)

11. Does It Produce Love For God and Others? (7-8)
The greatest commandment (Matt. 22:37)
The second (Matt. 22:38-39)
Care and compassion for one another (Phil. 2:1-4)