Johannine Epistles.

 Canonical History
– With 1 Peter, 1 John is one of the earliest of the
“catholic letters” included in the incipient NT
canon.
 The Didache (ca 90-120)
– 10:5 and 1 John share theme of the church being
perfected in love
– 10:6 reflects 1 Jn 2:17, the world passing away.
 Ignatius of Antioch ( 110-115)
– IEph 11:1 reflects 1 Jn 2:18
– IEph 15:3 reflects 1 Jn 5:3.
Johannine Epistles:
Canonical History
 Shepherd of Hermas:
– Mandate 3:1, “The Lord is truthful in
every word and in him there is no lie (cf.
1 Jn 2:27).
– Mandate 12.3.5 “You will easily observe
the commandments, for they are not
hard” (cf. 1 Jn. 5:3).
Johannine Epistles:
Canonical History
 1-2 John
– Irenaeus, Bishop of Lyons, ca. 180-200.
 In AH quotes 2 Jn 11 (1.16.3).
 Quotes 2 Jn 7-8 and 1 Jn 2:18-19, 21, 22, and 4:1-2;
5:1 in AH 3.18.8.
– Clement of Alexandria
 Of the general epistles, only quotes from 1 Peter, Jude
and 1 John, which he refers to as the “greater” letter
of John.
 The title “greater letter” seems to indicate that he
knows of a “lesser” letter, usually thought to be 2
John.
Johannine Epistles:
Canonical History
 Muratorian Fragment.
– Mentions “The Epistle of Jude and the
aforementioned two epistles of John”
– It appears the Muratorian canon knows
only 1 and 2 John.
Johannine Epistles:
Canonical History
 3 John
– In Latin Tradition
 Both 1-2 John are acknowledged relatively early.
 The same is not the case for 3 John.
– In the Greek Church, Eusebius mentions 1 John
among the homolegoumena, the recognized
books.
– Both 2-3 John are among the antilegoumena,
the disputed books.
Johannine Epistles:
Canonical History
 Conclusions.
– 1 John is adopted rather early
– 2-3 John are questioned
– 2-3 John are considered apostolic by some
churches.
 The letters identify their author as the “Elder.”
 They are shorter, and bear characteristics that seem to
differ from both the Gospel of John and 1 John
 This observation applies especially to 1 John.
Johannine Epistles:
Canonical History
 Later attestation.
– In 367, Athanasius in his Paschal letter defines
the books of the canon, including 1-3 John.
– In 405, Pope Innocent I makes the Athanasian
canon standard.
– In the Syriac church, however, in the 5th
century, only James, 1 Peter and 1 John among
the general epistles are accepted in the canon.
 2 Peter, 2-3 John and Jude are excluded.
 As is the Apocalypse of John.
Johannine Letters:
Authorship.
 Relationship with Gospel of John
– Attributed, with Gospel, to John, son of
Zebedee by tradition.
– Tradition recorded in EH 3.2.1-3.
 John, Apostle and Evangelist returned from
banishment under Domitian
 He wrote Gospel and letters in Ephesus, and
died in the time of the emperor Nerva.
Epistles of John:
Authorship
 Questions about the traditional authorship.
– Traditional ascription assumes that the “Beloved
Disciple” of John’s Gospel is John, son of
Zebedee, and is author of the epistles.
– Yet, questions arise from a close reading of
John’s Gospel.
 “Beloved Disciple” appears to be a resident of
Jerusalem, not Galilee.
 In Jn. 21:22-23, is questionable that the “Beloved
Disciple” was alive at time of final edition of Gospel.
 In Jn. 18:15-16, the “other disciple” (another phrase
for the “Beloved Disciple”) is known to the High Priest.
Epistles of John:
Authorship
 Geography of John:
– John focuses on Jerusalem ministry, with
only a few incidents in Galilee.
 Why would a Galilean companion of Jesus
neglect Jesus’ Galilean ministry?
 This phenomenon makes sense for a follower
of Jesus who is from Jerusalem.
Epistles of John:
Authorship
 Results
– Johannine community traces its roots to an original
follower of Jesus.
– This unnamed follower was close to Jesus, but likely not
one of the Twelve.
– The community had its origins in Jerusalem, and left some
time around the time of the Jewish revolt, likely relocating
to Syria.
– The close connection with Jesus, and designation “the
Beloved Disciple” eventually got confused, and this figure
was seen as John the son of Zebedee, perhaps because of
the influence of the Apocalypse, written by a Christian
prophet named “John.”
Johannine Epistles:
Relationship to the Gospel
 Where Johannine letters and Gospel of John
written by the same person?
 If letters were written after the Gospel, are
they likely to have been written by different
people?
 Vocabulary.
– “Advocate” 1 Jn 2:2 means Jesus, in Gospel
(14:16, 26; 15:26; 16:7) it refers to the Holy
Spirit.
Johannine Epistles:
Relationship to the Gospel
 Vocabulary
– Verb, “to believe” found 9 times in epistles,
noun, “belief” found once.
 Words are used differently than in the Gospel.
 In Gospel, idea is trust in God and in Jesus.
 In 1 Jn 3:23, that we should believe in the name of his
son Jesus Christ and love one another” i.e. remain
members of the community and share a common
confession.
 4:1, readers exhorted not to “believe every spirit.”
 5:1,5, confessional aspect further emphasized.
Johannine Epistles:
Relationship to the Gospel
 Vocabulary
– Verb “to remain used differently in 1 Jn.
 In Gospel, one “remains” in Jesus or God.
 In 1 Jn, especially 1 Jn 5, one “remains in” the teaching of
the Johannine community.
 Results.
– Same words are used, but seem to mean different things.
– Slight differences may mean a common community, but
different author.
– For different conclusion, see M. Hengel, The Johannine
Question, who decides works are from the same hand.
History of Johannine
Community
 The following discussion based on the work
of R.E. Brown, Community of the Beloved
Disciple as well as his commentaries on
John and the Johannine Epistles.
– Not all scholars agree.
– For example, Strecker conjectures that the
epistles were written before the Gospel.
– But Brown’s views have been highly influential.
History of the Johannine
Community.
 First phase, 50’s to 80’s
– Originally group from Palestine, including
followers of John the Baptist, and
including the “Beloved Disciple” come to
regard Jesus as the Davidic Messiah.
– This group is joined by second group with
anti-temple bias, who regard Jesus as the
Mosaic Messiah (see the messianic
speculation of the Qumran community)
History of the Johannine
Community
 Phase 2, the original group joined by Gentile
Christians.
– They regard majority of Jews, who do not
acknowledge Jesus as Messiah as “blind” (see Jn
9).
– Christians should not belong to world, Satan’s
arena
– A follower of the “Beloved Disciple” writes the
Gospel of John.
– The community experiences a split.
History of the Johannine
Community
 In Phase 3, the results of the split.
– Adherents of the author of the epistles form one
group.
 They focus on faith that Jesus came in the flesh.
 They focus on love commandment, manifested in not
separating from the community.
– Secessionists are regarded as “children of the
devil.”
 This group sees Jesus as so Divine that his earthly
existence has no salvific importance.
 Only knowledge of the heavenly Son of God is
important for salvation.
History of the Johannine
Community
 Ultimately the two groups have two
different destinies.
– The community of the author of the epistles
joins the great church, and is incorporated into
“Catholic orthodoxy.”
 A byproduct is the rescue of John’s Gospel for the
church.
 Otherwise, the gospel would have become seen as a
Gnostic document (indeed, the first commentator on
the Gospel of John was the Valentinian Gnostic,
Heraclyon
– The second group joins emerging “Gnosticism.”
Epistles of John: Major
Themes
 The Gospel heard from the “beginning”
– 1:1, this gospel is heard
– It is seen.
– It is touched
– It is nothing less than the gospel the Johannine
community proclaims
 The understanding of “beginning” here is different
from the understanding in Jn 1:1-18.
– In Jn 1:1-18 focus is on the beginning of creation.
– In 1 Jn 1:1-5, focus is the “beginning” of Christian
proclamation.
– It is the proclamation that God is light, and in God is no
darkness.
Epistles of John: Major
Themes
 Light vs. Darkness.
– Light is the characteristic of God (1:4), in whom
there is no darkness.
– It is opposite of sin, being in darkness (1:8).
– One knows if one is in the “light” by “walking” in
the light (note Jewish term for way of life,
“walk”).
 It is accomplished by confessing sin (1:8-2:2)
 It is manifested in keeping the commandment (2:3-
11), the love commandment.
 If one “hates” a fellow believer, one is blind (2:11) and
guilty of the sin of Cain (3:11-12).
Epistles of John: Major
Themes
 Walking in the light
– “Walking in the Light” defined by nonconformity
with the “world” (2:15-17)
– Indeed, world hates those “walking in the light”
(3:13-18).
– Why does “world” hate believers”
 They are not from God (see 4:4-6)
 Those from God hear and believe proclamation of the
Johannine community (see 3:1)
 Disbelief, and withdrawal from the community means
one is not from God.
 Why unity is so important for our writer.
Epistles of John: Major
Themes
 Importance of Unity of Community
– Remaining in the community is main evidence of
“remaining” in God
– It is by remaining in the community one “tests
the spirits” (4:1)
– The test is adherence to the gospel heard, seen
and touched (1:1), that Jesus has “come in the
flesh” (4:3).
– Unity affirmed by those who obey the
proclamation of the Johannine community (4:4-
6).
Epistles of John: Major
Themes
 Unity of the community
– Unity is further affirmed in the hymnic fragment
of 4:7-10, confession we love God because God
first loved us.
– It is also manifested in actions (3:16-18)
 Language reminiscent of Jas. 3:16-17.
 Love is manifested to fellow believers (3:17), not world
at large.
 This point is clarified by warning against “antichrists”
with whom one is not to associate (see 2 Jn).
Epistles of John: Major
Themes
 The “antichrists”
– 1-2 John are the only places in NT where
term “antichrist” is used.
 Used in specific manner.
 Is not like the eschatological “man of sin (2
Thess. 2) or tradition underlying Rev. 12-13.
 It is not a single individual.
 Are many “antichrists,” who appear now, and
whose message and behavior provide
evidence of their condemnation.
Epistles of John: Major
Themes
 “Antichrists”
– In 1 Jn 2:18-25, defined:
 They are evidence of the “last hour,” which applies to life of
the community.
 They “went out from us”
– Withdrawal of secessionists is sign of their
condemnation.
– They do not remain within Johannine community.
– They are, therefore, understood as “antichrists”
 Also they deny central Christian doctrine.
– Deny Jesus Christ has “come in the flesh” (1 Jn 2:22;
4:3; 2 Jn 7)
– See Brown’s reconstruction on denial of salvific
importance of Jesus’ earthly life.
– For author of 1-2 John, Jesus’ earthly life of vital
importance.
Johannine Epistles: Major
Themes
 “Antichrists”
– How is one supposed to behave toward such
peoples?
 In 2 Jn 7-8, see further hardening of position.
 They are to be denied hospitality.
 Why?
– Were wandering preachers, representing both Johannine
community and the secessionists.
– Becomes increasingly important to tell difference
between groups, see warnings about false teachers in
the Didache.
– So, in 2 Jn, those who deny Christ’s coming “in the
flesh” are not to be granted hosptitality.
Johannine Epistles: Major
Themes
 Denial of hospitality to “antichrists”
– Some see in the warning against the “antichrists” the
beginning of a monarchical oversight of the church, where
the leader, here the “Elder,” has authority to
excommunicate the “heterodox.
– Not as advanced as in Ignatius of Antioch, but can see
here the beginnings of the claims of control of a church
official over a broader region than a local community, a
situation very different from Paul
– But what if roles are reversed, and Johannine officials are
denied hospitality?
– Such appears to be the case in 3 John.
Johannine Epistles: Major
Themes
 Hospitality in 3 John
– Break into groups. Who are the following
people: Gaius, Diotrophes, Demetrius?
– What is the sin of Diotrophes?
– What is his motive?
– What is he trying to accomplish?
– What is the meaning of 3 Jn 11, the difference
between “doing good” and “doing evil”?
– Why is Demetrius commended?
Johannine Epistles: Major
Themes
 3 John, Elder is on receiving end of his
advice in 2 John.
– Diotrphes has refused fellowship and support of
representatives of the “Elder”
– Details are not stated, only “Diotrophes does not
receive us” and “loves to be first.”
 Diotrophes is usurping authority.
 This usurpation is manifested by dishonoring the
Elder’s representatives.
 Is this action motivated by Diotrophes adherence to
the teaching of the secessionists?
Johannine Epistles: Major
themes
 Conclusions.
– Secessionists appear to have separated themselves from the
community.
– Their action, as well as the associated doctrines, are understood
by the elder as indications that the secessionists are opposed to
the work of God, are “antichrists.”
– Evidence is manifested by their leaving the Johannine
community.
– Remedy.
 Adherence to the teaching of the Johannine gospel.
 Remaining in the community.
– Secessionists are denied hospitality (2 John).
– Crisis and conflict in the community is multifaceted (3 John)
Revelation, or, The
Apocalypse of John
 Many Christians wary of the
Apocalypse of John
– This wariness is due to misuse of
Revelation.
– It is used by many preachers to establish
an eschatological agenda.
 Yet, Revelation is a powerful visionary
witness to the exclusive claims of God
and Christ upon the Christian.
Revelation

 To accomplish his goal, John employs

themes from various sources to
describe his vision.
– The traditions of Israel, especially as
found in the Hebrew Bible, especially
Isaiah and Ezekiel
– Traditions of the ancient Near East
– Greco-Roman cult ritual.
Revelation
 Purpose of traditions.
– Warning to godless of God’s impending
judgment.
– Warning to Christians not to compromise.
 Meaning.
– Revelation is a resource for churches undergoing
persecution of the ultimate triumph of God and
Christ.
– Has been a favorite for liberation theology,
focusing on God’s judgment of the powerful (see
E. Schussler-Fiorenza, The Book of Revelation:
Justice and Judgment)
Revelation: Canonical
History
 Like several “general” epistles, Revelation
has checkered canonical history.
 It was accepted by some early church
fathers in the 2nd century.
– According to Papias, written by either John the
Apostle or Elder.
 Papias’ exact sentiments are not known, since his
works are lost.
 What we have is from Eusebius, in HE 3.39.12, who
notes that Papias believed in a literal millennium
– Eusebius faithfully represents Papias’ belief.
– Eusebius sees Papias’ understanding evidence that
Papias was somewhat intellectually dull.
Revelation: Canonical
History
 Revelation is quoted by Ignatius of Antioch
and Irenaeus of Lyons
– Irenaeus, likewise accepts a literal millennium
– Reason: creation is good, and needs the
millennium to be restored.
 Justin Martyr also accepts Revelation as well
as a literal millennium.
 Revelation is listed in the Muratorian canon.
Revelation: Canonical
History
 Despite good and early attestation,
others in the church did not accept
Revelation.
– It appears unknown by the Shepherd of
Hermas.
– Hippolytus attributes the work to John’s
arch enemy, the Gnostic teacher
Cerenthius.
Revelation: Canonical
History
 In the Eastern Church, great hesitancy
about accepting the Apocalypse.
– Church father Dionysius of Alexandria rejects
apostolic authority.
 On linguistic grounds, points to the difference between
the Greek of Revelation and the Johannine Gospel and
Epistles.
 Thus, John, son of Zebedee could not have written
Revelation
 These observations resurface in the 19th century
 Dionysius’ arguments effective in the East
 Revelation is among the antilegoumena in Eusebius.
Revelation: Canonical
History
 Accepted into the canon was a
compromise
– Eastern church agreed to accept
Revelation, and Western church agreed
to accept Hebrews.
– By 367 it is accepted as canonical in
Athanasius’ festal letter.
– It was not accepted by the Syriac church.
Authorship and Relationship
to other Johannine writings
 Relationship to Johannine writings has been
question.
 Traditionally associated with John, son of
Zebedee, but the author makes no apostolic
claim
– This differs from Paul (see Rom 1:1; 1 Cor 1:1; 2
Cor 1:1; Gal. 1:1, etc.).
– Could this be because the John of Revelation
was not considered an apostle either by himself
or his readers/hearers?
Authorship and Relationship
to other Johannine Writings
 Other possibilities.
– Author member of a “Johannine School.”
 Both Gospel of John and Revelation use
Logos as a title for Christ (Jn 1; Rev 19)
 Some commentators, such as Lohmeyer, see
the theologies of the two works as
complementing each other.
Relationship to Other
Johannine Writings
 Not a member of a Johannine School.
– E. Schussler-Fiorenza in “Quest for a Johannine
School (NTS 23 [1976-77], 402-427, reprinted in
The Book of Revelation: Justice and Judgment)
contests the common assumption of a Johannine
school.
 Term Logos is not common in Revelation or John, and
may derive from a common source.
 The eschatology of the two works is very different.
– John’s eschatology is “realized.”
– Revelation’s eschatology is “apocalyptic.”
Relationship to Other
Johannine Writings
 Johannine school? Schussler-Fiorenza’s
objections.
– The two books are far too different to come
from the same community.
– Revelation has as many affinities to the “Q” and
Pauline traditions as it does to Johannine.
– Revelation, therefore, derives from a Christian
apocalyptic “school,” which had access to
Johannine and Pauline traditions.
– There is no evidence for a “Johannine School.”
Authorship

 Connections with Palestine.

– There are natural affinities between Revelation
and the Qumran community.
– There are also some common themes between
Revelation and 4 Ezra (Ezra writing from
“Babylon”=Rome; Babylon=Rome in Revelation).
– Revelation 11 appears to be based on
Palestinian prophetic traditions from the time of
the siege of Jerusalem (see R.H. Charles).
Authorship
 Conclusions
– Author is a Jewish Christian prophet, likely from
Palestine, named John.
– He knows the situation of the addressees, and is
known by them (see Rev 2-3)
– He is an individual of some authority
 Indicated in part by epistolary structure.
 The letter structure is employed in the Christian church
by those whose authority is recognized by recipients
(Paul, Clement of Rome, Ignatius of Antioch).
 More than this we cannot assert.
Genre

 Revelation is an “apocalypse”
– Term comes from the first word of the
Book of Revelation, apocalypsis
– An “apocalypse,” then, is a book with
characteristics similar to Revelation.
– The term is a modern scholarly
convenience, and no one in the ancient
world self consciously would say, “I am
writing an apocalypse.”
Genre

 Definition, commonly used is from Semeia

14 (1979)
– “Apocalypse is a genre of revelatory literature
with a narrative framework, in which a revelation
is mediated by an otherworldly being to a
human recipient, disclosing a transcendent
reality which is both temporal, insofar as it
envisages eschatological salvation, and spatial,
insofar as it involves another, supernatural
world.”
Genre

 Semeia 14 definition shows two

aspects of an apocalypse
– Eschatological expectation.
– Contains a view of spiritual reality.
– The form is narrative, not poetic
Genre
 Definition criticized by D. Aune in Semeia 36
(1986).
– Inductive, but not helpful.
– Aune notes three elements that make Revelation an
apocalypse.
 Autobiographical in format.
 Content: Communication of transcendent, but not always
eschatological perspective on human experience.
 Function.
– Legitimates the transcendent authorization of the message.
– Mediates new revelatory experience.
– Encourages recipients to modify their behavior.
Genre

 Semeia 14 definition is still dominant

in scholarly circles.
 Aune’s criticism, that there needs to
be a consideration of function, is a
helpful corrective, and needs to be
taken into account.
Emperor Cult in Asia Minor
and John’s Response
 John addresses reality of the emperor cult.
– His primary message is a word of God warning
against the seduction of the power of Rome.
– This points to our interpretive principle for
understanding Revelation.
 It needed to mean something to its original
audience
 It is less a “foretelling” of the future than a
“forth telling” of God’s judgment against a
system that opposes all that is godly and
true.
Emperor Cult of Asia
Minor
 Was not imposed by Rome
 It had a long history, and was an expression of
gratitude by the people
– After the Battle of Actium, Rome restores peace to the
provinces.
– Rome is responsible for the prosperity of the east, for
which the population is grateful.
– Detailed study may be found in S.R.F. Price, Rituals and
Power: The Roman Imperial Cult in Asia Minor.
– See also discussion in deSilva.
– See also A. Yarbro Collins, Crisis and Catharsis: The Power
of the Apocalypse.
John’s response
 Rome’s claims are blasphemy.
– Rome claims illegitimately what belongs only to
God and Christ by right.
– This point is made in the descriptions of the
heavenly throne in Rev 4-5 and 7:9-17
 John employs imagery derived from imperial court,
including acclamation and hymn
 Why?
 He shows that true honor belongs to God and Christ
 Roman appropriation of divine honor is a mere parody
 Rome’s blasphemous usurpation of God’s authority
must be resisted by Christians.
John’s response

 Rome is the 2 beasts of Rev. 13,

inspired by the dragon of Rev 12.
 Rome is also the harlot of Rev 17.
 At her destruction, the powerful of the
earth mourn, but the heavens rejoice.
John’s response

 If Rome is the city that opposes all that is of

God, the believer hopes in another city.
– The vision of the New Jerusalem, the perfect
cube shaped celestial city of ancient speculation,
is God’s response for the faithful.
– If Rome is the Harlot, the New Jerusalem is the
Pure Bride.
– Again, the claims of Rome are shown to be a vile
and imperfect attempt to imitate the true glory
that awaits the believer.
John’s Response.
 In contrast to the Roman imperial eagle, John
proposes the figure of the Lamb who is slain (5:6),
yet who conquers (5:5) and reigns (21:22-23)
– The Lamb receives worship, equivalent to God (5:8, 12-
13; 7:9, 10, 14, 17)
– It is the Lamb who initiates judgment (6:1) and from
whom the people cringe in fear (6:16), a rather unusual
image.
– It is by the blood of the lamb the saints conquer (12:11,
14:1-4), again, a striking contrast from worldly
expectations of power.
– It is against the Lamb the nations wage a war in vain, for
it is the Lamb who conquers (17:14).
Two minute writing

 We see how John has utilized

traditional themes to oppose those
powers and symbols he sees as
opposing God.
 How may we utilize the themes of
Revelation as “forth telling” against
contemporary opponents of God in our
own society?
Wrap Up

 Is there a common thread to the message

of the documents we studied.
 We have seen various forms of literature
– History in Acts
– Letters in Paul and the general epistles.
– Sermon in Hebrews
– Apocalypse in Revelation
Wrap up

 Common Message?
– All these books portray that God has
acted in Jesus Christ, and initiates a new,
eschatological age.
 Believers are members of a new reality, a
new covenant (see Paul and Hebrews)
 That community demands foremost loyalty.
Wrap Up
 Acts “God has made him Lord and Christ,
this Jesus whom you have crucified.”
– Acts 10, Peter narrates actions of Jesus, who
went about dong good, was executed, but whom
God vindicates (see also Peter’s Pentecost
Sermon in Acts 2).
– In Acts 14 and 17, God permitted gentiles to live
in ignorance in times past.
– In conclusion, Paul speaks to the Jews at Rome
 Do they listen
 The gospel goes to the gentiles.
Wrap Up
 In Paul God has acted in a new way in Jesus Christ
– God justifies, makes righteous, through Christ, outside of
the works of the law.
– Christians are part of a new eschatological realm
 In Hebrews, Christians are participants in the
promise, of the new hope. They have to hold firm.
– They are to show gratitude to their new master.
– To abandon Christ is to demonstrate crass ingratitude, for
which there is no possible repentance.
Wrap up

 In 1 Peter, Christians are “strangers

and aliens” in a hostile land.
– They have the example of Christ before
them.
– They are to imitate that example giving
evidence of their hope in Christ.
Wrap Up

 2 Peter and Jude, writers of the late

1st or early 2nd century, call on
Christians to hold fast.
– To maintain faith, as Jude says, was
“once delivered to the saints.”
– 2 Peter reminds the readers of the
apostolic traditions, and to retain hope in
Christ’s coming.
Wrap up
 In James, The Christian hope is expressed
in paraenetic wisdom, to live consistently
with calling.
 In 1-3 John, warning against separating
from the community
– God has acted in Christ.
– This is the truth seen, heard and handled by the
first believers.
– To separate oneself from the community is to
deny God’s work, to alienate oneself from God.
Wrap Up
 Revelation, warning against compromise
with a system that does not accept God’s
action
– Rome provides a pale and demonic parody of
the Christian hope, found only in faithfulness to
God and Christ.
– Christians are to reject the claims of Rome.
– They will suffer.
– But, they will escape the condemnation coming
upon Rome and all whose loyalty is to that
demonic city.
Unifying theme?
 God’s promises to Israel are fulfilled,
because God has acted decisively in Christ.
 Christians are heirs of God’s promise
through the work of the Holy Spirit.
 As heirs, Christians inhabit a new realm,
where the grace of God rules, but that also
demands exclusive loyalty.
– The spirit of God is God’s active presence among
Christians.
– As such, the Spirit bears witness that Christians
are God’s children.
Unifying theme?
 Although heirs of eschatological promise,
Christians also live “in between times” in
this world as aliens.
– They will experience hostility from a world that
does not acknowledge Christ.
– Christians will face demonic opposition through
false teachers, who always want to proclaim
“Christ plus” something from the old age.
– Christians must always resist the temptation to
compromise, living in exclusive obedience to God
and Christ.