1 John 4:2

[MichaelBurk]

How did the Church Fathers interpret 1 John 4:2 ("every spirit that confesses Jesus Christ come in the flesh is of God"), and did any see any connection to 2 Cor. 11:4 ("another Jesus")?

 

[CGL1023]

How did the Church Fathers interpret 1 John 4:2 ("every spirit that confesses Jesus Christ come in the flesh is of God"), and did any see any connection to 2 Cor. 11:4 ("another Jesus")?

I have been taught that the connection to 1 John 4:2 is 2 Cor 4:11. Both involve the idea of Christ (the annointed One) coming to live in our flesh. That is the idea that the devil wants to suppress.

 

[John 1720]

How did the Church Fathers interpret 1 John 4:2 ("every spirit that confesses Jesus Christ come in the flesh is of God"), and did any see any connection to 2 Cor. 11:4 ("another Jesus")?

They had heard the Gospel from the mouths of the Apostles yet there were corrupting influences, such as the Gnostics who claimed Jesus didn't really come in the flesh or that He really didn't die on the cross, etc, ect.

It was a world of Pantheism where people blended their favorite gods with Christianity. I imagine there were manifestations of spirits present too. The kind where trances, and eyeballs cross, and demonic influences are present rather than the the true gifts of the Holy Spirit, which Paul also reported.

I Corinthians 12:4-12
There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all. But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all: for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills. For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ.

The verse you infer is similar is 2 Corinthian 11:4

For if he who comes preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or if you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted--you may well put up with it! 2 Corinthians 11:4

I would further add that St. Paul gave this warning to other churches, an example would be to Galatians, where he stated even if they should later hear a different Gospel and portrayal of Jesus from his own person they should not believe it.

Galatians 1:8-9
But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed.

Now this was the Gospel as Paul saw it:

1 Corinthians 15:1-28
1 Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand, 2 by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. 3 For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, 5 and that He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve. 6 After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep. 7 After that He was seen by James, then by all the apostles. 8 Then last of all He was seen by me also, as by one born out of due time. 9 For I am the least of the apostles, who am not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me. 11 Therefore, whether it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed. 12 Now if Christ is preached that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? 13 But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ is not risen. 14 And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty and your faith is also empty. 15 Yes, and we are found false witnesses of God, because we have testified of God that He raised up Christ, whom He did not raise up—if in fact the dead do not rise. 16 For if the dead do not rise, then Christ is not risen. 17 And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins! 18 Then also those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. 19 If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable. 20 But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21 For since by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive. 23 But each one in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, afterward those who are Christ’s at His coming. 24 Then comes the end, when He delivers the kingdom to God the Father, when He puts an end to all rule and all authority and power. 25 For He must reign till He has put all enemies under His feet. 26 The last enemy that will be destroyed is death. 27 For “He has put all things under His feet.” But when He says “all things are put under Him,” it is evident that He who put all things under Him is excepted. 28 Now when all things are made subject to Him, then the Son Himself will also be subject to Him who put all things under Him, that God may be all in all.

So I believe we've established what the Gospel was that Paul and the other Apostles taught, as well as establishing that there was no other Gospel that should be accepted. This was to be their stand - There were to be no other words; neither additions or subtractions. It is interesting to note that even the Apostles had to combat false and even demonic influences trying to subvert the Church. At least back then you had Apostolic eyewitness authority that could a Paul, a Peter, a Matthew, a John could lock on to and target as a false gospel. There were the legalists, those who tried to add circumcision as a requirement to faith, as well as those who condones and liberally mixed sin with their faith, bring shame to the blessed Savior's Name. We read in Revelation of the Nicolaitians, which were purported to be derived from a hand picked deacon who had gone astray and lived hedonistically while claiming to be Christians. All these tried to subvert the Church. Through the prophesy of John we see that even Jesus Himself takes the Nicolaitians specifically to task, stating He hates their deeds.

Rev 2:6 "But this you have, that you hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.
Rev 2:15 "Thus you also have those who hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate.

I think what John was specifically dealing with in 1 John was the gnostic influences; those who thought Jesus was the Son of God or who was somehow related to the Godhead but had not really come in the flesh. He was really a phantom a mirage. These particular Gnostics saw the material world as evil so therefore it was impossible for the Incarnation to have taken place. Even moreso the crucifixion and resurrection. So if John singles out those who claim Jesus did not come in the flesh he was being specific to those enemies of Christ who were trying to subvert the Church in the late or perhaps the last decade of the first century. Unfortunately the spirit of these doctrines will be with us until Christ comes in power a second time, when all the enemies of the Gospel will be His footstool. We see more evidences this did not go away after the death of John. Docetism was alive and well in the 2nd century. We even see it traveling along North Africa as elements of it appear in Islam as well (e.g. Jesus only feigned death on the cross).
Barnabas, (whether this was the Barnabas that traveled with Pauled is highly debateable but this was an early Christian epistle and was even incorporated in the Oltest complete New Testament we have "The Codex Sinaiticus".

Epistle of Barnabas
Barnabas 5:1 For to this end the Lord endured to deliver His flesh unto corruption, that by the remission of sins we might be cleansed, which cleansing is through the blood of His sprinkling.
Barnabas 5:6 Understand ye. The prophets, receiving grace from Him, prophesied concerning Him. But He Himself endured that He might destroy death and show forth the resurrection of the dead, for that He must needs be manifested in the flesh;

Barnabas 5:10-11 For if He had not come in the flesh neither would men have looked upon Him and been saved, forasmuch as when they look upon the sun that shall cease to be, which is the work of His own hands, they cannot face its rays. Therefore the Son of God came in the flesh to this end, that He might sum up the complete tale of their sins against those who persecuted and slew His prophets.
Barnabas 5:13-14 But He Himself desired so to suffer; for it was necessary for Him to suffer on a tree. For he that prophesied said concerning Him, Spare My soul from the sword; and, Pierce My flesh with nails, for the congregations of evil-doers have risen up against Me. And again He saith; Behold I have given My back to stripes, and My cheeks to smitings, and My face did I set as a hard rock.
Barnabas 6:7
Forasmuch then as He was about to be manifested in the flesh and to suffer, His suffering was manifested beforehand. For the prophet saith concerning Israel; Woe unto their soul, for they have counseled evil counsel against themselves saying, Let us bind the righteous one, for he is unprofitable for us.

And there are many more instances of this type of language in Barnabas, which proclaims a historical suffering prophesied of old and manifested on the Cross of Christ.

Letter to the Smyrnaeans 5:2

Ignatius was martyred in AD107 and in this epistle he mentions a heresy denying the Incarnation and living lawlessly as antionomians (continuing a sinful lifestyle with no regard for the washing in Christ). These were false believers who false "do not confess that He (Christ) was clothed in flesh"

Another early Christian figure and early Church father was Polycarp, who was martyred in AD 155 after a long run as a Christian for 86 years. This places his baptism to the year AD 69. Polycarp was the Pastor of the Chruch at Smyrna - one of the seven Churches that John wrote to in AD96 - John's influence on him is unmistakeable

Letter to the Philippians ~ AD107-110
7:1 (Belief and Faith in Christ first and foremost)
For every one who shall not confess that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh, is antichrist: and whosoever shall not confess the testimony of the Cross, is of the devil; and whosoever shall pervert the oracles of the Lord to his own lusts and say that there is neither resurrection nor judgment, that man is the firstborn of Satan.

There are of course many others but this is a decent start.

May the Lord Bless, John 1720