Does this refer to Jesus being in the flesh before or after His resurrection?
1 John 4:2-3 2 By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, 3 and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already.
1 John 4:1 - 21
ESV - 1 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2 By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God.
Anonymous
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Ezekiel Kimosop
Supporter
Does this refer to Jesus being in the flesh before or after His resurrection? 1 John 4:2-3 1 John 4:2-3 says "By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, 3 and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world." (NKJV). Jesus' incarnation ended at the cross of Calvary. When he was crucified, died, and was buried, He resurrected on the third day with a spiritual body. 1 John 4:2-3, speaks of Jesus' incarnate coming and His earthly ministry during which He proclaimed the advent of the kingdom of God. The writer of 1 John 4:2-3 concerns an exhortation against a gnostic Christian heresy that denied Jesus' incarnation coming. This false teaching was prevalent during the latter New Testament church period. The Greeks denied that the divinity could incarnate in humanity. In v. 3, the writer mentions the incarnation in the past perfect tense. Jesus had already come as God incarnate. This doctrine stood at the centre of the gospel of Jesus Christ. To deny Jesus' incarnate coming is to deny the gospel. The statement of 1 John 4:2-3 therefore consolidates Jesus' incarnation and His resurrection. The revelation of the gospel began with Jesus' incarnation. It was consummated upon His death at the cross of Calvary and continued beyond His ascension to heaven.
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