Just the Bible
F a l s e t e a c h i n g s e x p o s e d
Commentary on the New Testament
Epistles - Page 4
1st Peter 3,18-20
18 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to GOD. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit: 19 By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison— 20 to those who were disobedient long ago when GOD waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. In it only a few people, eight in all, were saved through water (...).
After his resurrection, Jesus went to the spirits in prison to announce his victory to them. "In spirit" can mean vision wrought either in the glorified (spiritual) body or by means of GOD's Spirit. The prophet Ezekiel was in the Spirit when GOD showed him the various visions. John also received the revelation while he was in the Spirit. The word "spirits" here refers to fallen angels who disobeyed in Noah's time by leaving their heavenly abode to commit sexual sin against the daughters of men (Genesis 6,1-4). From this abnormal union emerged the so-called giants, who are mentioned in several places in the Old Testament. Due to the seriousness of this offense and as a deterrent measure, GOD locked the angels in the underground (Old Greek: tartarus), where they have been awaiting sentencing on the Day of Judgment ever since. In the Bible, angels are often called "spirits" (Old Greek: pneuma), while people are in most cases referred to as "souls" (Hebrew: nephesh / Old Greek: psyche). This verse is not evidence of Jesus' preexistence or his alleged "descend to hell." For one thing, Jesus was dead before he was resurrected by GOD. On the other hand, we are talking about a point in time after Jesus' crucifixion and resurrection.
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2nd Peter 1,1 f.
1 Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who through the righteousness of our GOD and Savior Jesus Christ have received a faith as precious as ours: 2 Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of GOD and of Jesus our Lord.
There are two different versions of how verse 1 is translated: "One is with the righteousness of our GOD and Savior Jesus Christ" or "with the righteousness of GOD and our Savior Jesus Christ". There is similar language in Titus 2,13. In 1st Peter 1,3 Peter uses the phrase "Praise be to GOD, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ". The very fact that Peter separates GOD and Jesus in verse 2 refutes the claim that he would equate GOD and Jesus in verse 1. If the GOD in verse 2 is distinguished from Jesus because he is the Father, he cannot be identical with the Son in verse 1, otherwise it is either modalism - according to which the Father is also the Son - or two gods would act.
Peter also calls Jesus "Lord and Savior" in other places. The expression "GOD and Savior" in connection with Jesus, however, is not found anywhere else in the two letters of Peter; nor in any other letter of the apostles. If you study the opening verses of all the apostolic letters in the New Testament, you will see that both GOD (the Father) and Jesus Christ (our Lord) are mentioned separately each time. GOD devised the plan of salvation righteously and carried it out through Jesus Christ. Both GOD the Father and Jesus had to be righteous in order for us to maintain our current status in the faith. Therefore, the term divine power in verse 3 refers to GOD the Father and not to Jesus. Therefore the correct translation is:
1 Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who through the righteousness of GOD and our Savior Jesus Christ have received a faith as precious as ours: 2 grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of GOD and of Jesus our Lord.
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1st John 2,
1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched—this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. 2 The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. 3 We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ.
John begins his first letter with a similar wording to that in the Gospel of John. The word "beginning" (Old Greek: archē) refers to the beginning of what is being referred to in the context. "Archē" is used in Scripture for various things, including the creation of the earth (Hebrews 1,10 / 2nd Peter 3,4), the beginning of humanity (Matthew 19,4), the great tribulation (Matthew 24,8) , the world (Matthew 24,21), the good news (Mark 1,1), the signs and wonders of Jesus (John 2,11), Jesus' public work (John 15,27), the beginning of the training of Jesus' disciples (John 16,4), the Christian church (Acts 11,15), the early life of the Apostle Paul (Acts 26,4), Paul's missionary work (Philippians 4,15), the doctrine of salvation through Jesus (Hebrews 2,3), the commandment of love (1st John 3,11) and sin (1st John 3,8). As in the prologue of the Gospel of John, the word "beginning" also refers to the message of life in 1st John 1,1. The word "we" that John uses is not specified. However, it is clear from the context that these are people who were with Jesus and who saw, heard and touched him and who were still connected to the apostle John years later.
The subject matter of the Johannine letters is eternal life, which GOD promised to humanity in the Gospel. "The word of life" (= the plan of salvation) was with the Father in the beginning (John 1,1 f.); i.e. the father is the source of salvation. In this plan, at the center of which is the Messiah – the perfect man – life was hidden (John 1,4). GOD the Father is the one from whom everything proceeds and who exists from the beginning (1st John 2,13 f.); not the Son. First, GOD announced the coming of the Savior through His prophets. When the time was fulfilled, GOD realized His plan and revealed the Messiah to humanity (Luke 10,21 / Colossians 1,26 / 1st Peter 1,20 f.). Life appeared in the form of the Messiah (verse 2). As GOD'S word/plan/decision became flesh (John 1,14), GOD'S promise became reality. Through Jesus, eternal life became tangible (verse 1). Through him people understood what true knowledge of GOD means (John 17,3). They saw / heard / recognized in Jesus' actions what the true will of GOD is and what true life looks like. John does not write that the Son is eternal, but rather life (1st John 5,12 f.). Eternal life means the imperishable life in the world to come. Through the Son we have the promise of this life (1st John 4,9 f.). Jesus is the guide to GOD the Father (John 14,6). His message brings eternal life to all who accept it and follow the Son (John 6,63). The goal of faith is communion with GOD, the Father. Jesus is the human mediator who made the Father known (John 1,18 / 1st Timothy 2,5). By recognizing Jesus, i.e. following his example and acting according to his commandments (John 14,24), we recognize the Father, the true One (1st John 5,20). In this way we have fellowship with GOD, the Father, and with Jesus, His Son (John 14,6-10 / John 17,3 / 1st John 2,3-6 / 1st John 3,6 / 1st John 5,20) and among each other (1st John 1,7). An analogous translation is:
1 What we have heard from the beginning, seen with our eyes, and touched with our hands concerning GOD's plan, that brings uns life— 2 and the life was manifest, and we have seen and testify and proclaim to you eternal life, which at first was hidden in the plan of the Father and has now been revealed to us in Jesus— 3 what we have seen and heard we also proclaim to you, so that you also may have fellowship with us; and our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ.
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1st John 2,22 f.
22 Who is the liar? It is whoever denies that Jesus is the Christ. Such a person is the antichrist—denying the Father and the Son. 23 No one who denies the Son has the Father; whoever acknowledges the Son has the Father also.
In this passage, too, there is no mention of a Trinity or the deity of Jesus; especially since the Holy Spirit is not mentioned at all. In verse 22, the writer declares that Jesus is the Anointed One of GOD (not GOD himself). This is the biblical creed. GOD sent His human Son as the Savior of humanity. Whoever denies this fundamental truth reveals himself as an antichrist. It is not about confessing Jesus as GOD, but about recognizing Jesus in His mediatorial role as Savior (1st Timothy 2,5). Whoever recognizes Jesus as Savior recognizes GOD. Whoever rejects Jesus as Savior rejects GOD. A similar formulation is found in John 5,22-24. Thus, an analogous translation could be:
2 Who is a liar but the one who denies that Jesus is the Anointed One of GOD? This is the Antichrist, who denies both GOD and His Messiah. 3 Whoever does not acknowledge the Messiah does not acknowledge GOD; whoever acknowledges the Messiah acknowledges GOD.
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1st John 4,2 f.
2 This is how you can recognize the Spirit of GOD: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from GOD, 3 but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from GOD. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world.
This verse does not testify that GOD came in the flesh (= as a man), as it is traditionally understood. The one who came in the flesh is Jesus Christ. In verse 3 the expression is not repeated in the flesh. This suggests that the emphasis is not on the fact that Jesus came in the flesh, but on the fact that he appeared as a Savior. The addition in the flesh (verse 2) is only intended to make it clear that the Son of GOD is fully human and did not merely have a fictitious body, as Gnostics taught. If you look at this verse together with John 4,15 and John 5,1, it is about believing that Jesus is the Christ / Son of GOD who has already appeared in the flesh (as a real man). This confession also excludes another person as a bringer of salvation. So anyone who claims that the man Jesus is not the Savior promised by GOD, whom the apostles testify to, is revealing the spirit of the Antichrist. There is no mention here of the Holy Spirit or of a Trinity.
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1st John 5,6-8
6 This is the one who came by water and blood—Jesus Christ. He did not come by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth. 7 For there are three that testify: 8 the Spirit, the water and the blood; and the three are in agreement.
These two verses, referred to by scribes as the "Comma Johanneum", are an addition that was not originally included in John's letter. There is not a single ancient Greek manuscript or New Testament translation before the 16th century that contains these verses. Some translations draw attention to this insertion in the form of a footnote. Other translations omit these two verses entirely. Without this addition there remains no evidence of a Trinity. The context speaks of the belief that Jesus is the Son of GOD (verses 5 + 10). There are three that testify to this truth, 1. the Spirit that Jesus received at his baptism, 2. the water of his baptism, and 3. the blood that Jesus shed for us on the cross.
Even if this verse were original, it would not be proof of the Trinity, since being one does not refer to the essence of GOD. Rather, it is a matter of all three (the Spirit, the water, and the blood) agreeing in their testimony of the truth. GOD, the Father, is not even mentioned at this point. If the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit were one GOD, all the apostles would have stated this so clearly. But one looks in vain for such a confession throughout the New Testament.
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1st John 5,20
20 We know also that the Son of GOD has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true. And we are in him who is true by being in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true GOD and eternal life.
The claim that John is declaring Jesus to be GOD in this verse is a serious misinterpretation. Both in the Gospel and in all three letters, John consistently distinguishes between GOD and His Son Jesus. In verse 20 the word "who is true" (Old Greek: alēthinos) appears twice. Both times it clearly refers to GOD, with John using the terms GOD and Father interchangeably. Even though Jesus is described as truthful in some places, only the Father is called "true GOD" in the Old and New Testaments. Jesus himself called the Father "the only true GOD" (John 17,3). John also calls the Father "who is true" and Jesus "the Son of Him who is true". If alēthinos referred to Jesus, there would be two true gods. However, there is no reason to assume that John calls GOD the Father and then the Son "who is true" in the same sentence. The Son has revealed the True One. Jesus came to make GOD the Father known (John 1,18) and not to reveal Himself as GOD.
The phrase "in His Son" expresses a relationship. Through Jesus the Son we are connected to GOD the Father (the True One). Jesus is the way to GOD (John 14,6-11). The human son shows us the way to the heavenly Father. "In His Son" is to be understood as an insertion at this point, without changing the main statement, which refers to GOD, the Father. GOD (the Father) is the Source of Eternal Life (verse 20), since no one else possesses immortality by nature and therefore He alone can bestow Eternal Life. However, verses 9-12 explain that GOD linked life with faith in His Son. The precondition for obtaining eternal life is to believe in Jesus and to follow the commandments that he gives us from the Father. Because Jesus, who is himself a human being, is the mediator appointed by GOD between GOD and people (1st Timothy 2,5). The word "he" (Old Greek: houtos) can refer to both GOD and His Son. Referring to the nearest noun is not a hard and fast rule of Greek grammar, as can be seen in 1st John 2,22, where a similar phrase is used. Since "in His Son" is an insertion that does not directly affect the main statement that refers to the father, the use of "he" (houtos) is more suitable than the word "that one" (Old Greek: ekeinos). For the reasons mentioned, the interpretation in favor of the Father as the true GOD is becoming increasingly popular among theologians. A more understandable rendering of the verse reads:
20 But we know that the Son of GOD came and gave us insight so that we could know the True One (= the Father). And we are connected to the True One (= the Father) by being connected to His Son Jesus Christ. This (= the father) is the true GOD and eternal life.
Jer 10,10 / Joh 17,3 / Acts 4,10 f. / Acts 7,18 f. / 1st Thes 1,9 / 1st Joh 1,3 + 7 / 1st Joh 2,1 + 22 / 1st Joh 4,2 f. + 9 f. + 15 / 1st Joh 5,1 + 9-12 / 1st Joh 5,18
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Jude 1,4
1 For certain individuals whose condemnation was written about long ago have secretly slipped in among you. They are ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our GOD into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord.
Judas also distinguishes between GOD and Jesus. The words "Souvereign" (Old Greek: despotēs) and "Lord" (Old Greek: kyrios) mean the authority of Jesus as the king anointed / appointed by GOD (Acts 2,36). Jude does not claim that Jesus is GOD, but rather expresses that for Christians there is only one Lord to follow and only one path to GOD and salvation.