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Notes for15 January 2022

 
For Jo1 4:2-3 

The apostle speaks to us about the necessity of trying the spirits, which is the distinction between what is of God and what is of Satan in life. Before these words, the apostle underlines that faith, fulfillment of the commandments and heart opened before God are characteristic of the Christian. And he formulates the famous words, sometimes called "the criterion of the apostle John". Any spirit, says the apostle, who confesses Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God. If we gaze attentively at the history of the dogmatic development of Christianity at the time of the ecumenical Councils, we shall see that in the long run all the false doctrines were rejected by the Church particularly according to this criterion. And, on the opposite, conformity with this criterion helps to distinguish the Christian confessions from the quasichristian sects.

But except the dogmatic and historic meanings, these words are also very important in Christians’ practical life. The apostle John speaks first of all about the distinction of the spirits speaking in man’s heart. What is correct and what is incorrect, what is worthy for a Christian, and what is unworthy - to a large extend it is necessary to use exactly the criterion of the apostle John for distinction (discernment) in one’s own life.

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The apostle speaks to us about the necessity of trying the spirits, which is the distinction between what is of God and what is of Satan in life. Before these words, the apostle underlines that faith...

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The apostle speaks to us about the necessity of trying the spirits, which is the distinction between what is of God and what is of Satan in life. Before these words, the apostle underlines that faith...  Read more

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