1,2,3 John: Lesson 9-22-24
Overview
What Does It Mean to Be a Christian?
As John continues to address the heresy of Gnosticism in his first letter, he raises a piercing question for every believer: what does it mean to be a Christian? While faithful answers might point to trust in Christ alone for salvation, baptism, hearing God's Word, and receiving the Lord's Supper, John highlights another mark that flows from genuine faith—obedience. "Now by this we may be sure that we know him, if we keep his commandments" 1 John 2:3. Jesus himself ties love and obedience together: "If you love me, you will keep my commandments" (John 14:15; see also John 15:10; 1 John 5:3).
When John says God's love is "perfected" in those who keep His word, he is not teaching Christian perfectionism—the dangerous notion that believers can attain sinless love for God this side of heaven. Scripture confesses we remain in bondage to sin and cannot free ourselves; Luther rightly summarized that we are simultaneously saint and sinner until the Lord brings us home. The word "perfected" means completed. As 1 John 4:12 clarifies, it is God's love that is brought to completion in us as He works obedience through us. Equally dangerous is the opposite error of moral indifference, which abuses the forgiveness of sins. The plumb line for the Christian life remains Christ himself: "Whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked."
A Commandment Old and New
John then calls his readers to love one another—a commandment both old and new 1 John 2:7-8. The content of the law of love is ancient, but its starting point is new in Christ: "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you" (John 13:34; John 15:12). Anyone can love another human being, but the Spirit-born love of Christ has a different quality—it puts the love of Jesus on display before a watching world. John's declarative reminders to "little children," "fathers," and "young people" 1 John 2:12-14 press home that we must continually hear the gospel. Without that constant lightning-bolt reminder of what Christ has done, we either presume we can overcome evil on our own or sink into despair over our failings.
Warnings: The World and the Antichrist
Having shown that obedience and love mark the Christian life, John issues warnings. We cannot love both the Father and the world (1 John 2:15-17; James 4:4; Matthew 6:24). The desires of the flesh, the desires of the eyes, and the pride of life are passing away, but those who do God's will abide forever. John then warns of the antichrist and "many antichrists" who have already come 1 John 2:18-25. The last hour began with Christ's coming, and we live in it now. Confessional Lutheranism identifies the antichrist with the office of the papacy (not any individual pope) because that office bears the scriptural marks of antichrist; we also recognize that the historic form of antichrist can shift. More broadly, anything that deviates from apostolic teaching is "antichrist."
Two marks especially stand out. First, denial of the incarnation: "every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God; this is the spirit of the antichrist" 1 John 4:2-3. Second, denial of the Son—and with him, the Father: "No one who denies the Son has the Father" 1 John 2:22-23. This is a direct word for our pluralistic age. The popular claim that all religions worship the same God under different names contradicts Scripture; to deny Christ is to be without the Father. This verse equips us for faithful witness: we share the same God only with those who confess the Son.
Pastoral Application
Hold fast to what you have heard from the beginning. Let the gospel hit you afresh each week so that obedience grows not from gritted self-effort but from God's love completed in you. Examine your walk by asking, "Can I picture Christ doing this? Can I picture Christ saying this?" Love your brothers and sisters with the distinctive love that catches the world's attention. Guard the apostolic confession of Christ—true God and true man, the only Son of the Father—and encourage one another with that word, for "this is what he has promised us, eternal life."
Transcript
Good morning. 3s
Let's pray together, please. 6s
Merciful God, we humbly implore you to cast the bright beams of your light upon your 9s
church that we being instructed by the doctrine of the blessed apostles may walk in the light 16s
of your truth and finally attain to the light of everlasting life. 23s
Through Jesus Christ our Lord. 29s
Amen. 32s
Well we continue our study today on 1 John, and of course we're going to be going in the 33s
second and third John as the weeks go on. 38s
We studied last week chapter 1 and started to sneak into chapter 2. 41s
We took a look at a heresy that was facing the early church. 47s
The heresy called gnosticism. 51s
And there were several different components to gnosticism. 55s
You'll recall that one of the components of gnosticism was the understanding that matter, 59s
the body is evil. 65s
So matter is evil. 68s
Salvation was an escape from the body through a special knowledge. 70s
So it's very, very mystical where you had this mystical communion with God. 77s
This all led to harsh treatment of the body because there was an understanding that the 83s
body was evil, the body was sinful, and so there was a harsh treatment of it. 89s
It also conversely led to licensuousness because you had a split ban or distinction where 95s
the person would say, oh these terrible things that I do, that's the body, but that doesn't 101s
touch me so I can do whatever I want. 110s
It's the body's fault, it's not my fault. 114s
So it led either to harshness or led to licensuousness. 117s
Also the two natures of Christ was denied that Christ is truly God and truly human. 120s
That was denied. 127s
So this heresy of gnosticism is very, very difficult problem in the early church and a terrible, 129s
terrible heresy. 138s
We discussed how it is that we come to know God and the danger of turning inward upon ourselves 141s
to determine who God is because we're then looking inward upon our sinful self to define 148s
God as opposed to outward and allowing the scriptures to define Him. 154s
We saw how John then dealt with the heretics and we saw an outline that he continued to 160s
follow with regard to addressing the heresy and the components where he would introduce 167s
the distortion, he would then contradict the distortion and then give the statement of truth. 173s
And lastly we came to the conclusion that we only know ourselves fully. 179s
We only know ourselves fully when we know ourselves in the light of Jesus Christ and the forgiveness 184s
that is ours through Him. 191s
Well today we're going to finish up chapter 2 of 1 John and as we start into chapter 192s
2 of 1 John, a question helps us to understand what John is getting at. 201s
And that is what does it mean to be a Christian? 207s
What does it mean to be a Christian? 213s
Well one could say a Christian is one who trusts in the Lord Jesus Christ that they are saved 217s
by grace through faith in the Lord Jesus, that they trust in Christ and Christ alone for salvation. 225s
Another answer can be one who is baptized in the Lord Jesus Christ who hears God's word 231s
and attends and receives communion frequently. 241s
Those are good answers. 246s
Another answer to that question emerges from our text from today and that is obedience. 248s
What does it mean to be a Christian and John reveals the topic of obedience? 262s
So let's look at 1 John chapter 2 and we'll pick up where we left off verse 3. 270s
1 John chapter 2 verse 3. 279s
Now by this we may be sure that we know Him if we obey His commandments. 284s
Now by this we may be sure that we know Him if we obey His commandments. 293s
Turn over. 300s
Would you please to 1 John chapter 5 verse 3? 300s
For the love of God is this, that we obey His commandments and His commandments are not burdensome. 310s
Let's go to the gospel of John the 14th chapter. 323s
Matthew, Mark, Luke and then John. 328s
John chapter 14 will pick up in verse 15. 330s
John 14 verse 15. 338s
I'm in the book of Acts. 350s
No wonder that didn't make sense. 352s
Just looking at that and I go, why in the world did I choose that? 355s
Oh, okay. 358s
Oh, this works a lot better. 359s
John 14 verse 15. 361s
If you love me, you will keep my commandments. 363s
Jumping down into verse 21. 369s
They who have my commandments and keep them are those who love me. 372s
And those who love me will be loved by my father and I'll love them and reveal myself to them. 378s
Verse 23. 385s
Jesus answered him, those who love me will keep my word and my father will love them and will come to them and make our home with them. 388s
Then moving over into John chapter 15 verse 10. 399s
If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love just as I have kept my father's commandments and abide in His love. 405s
So an aspect then of what does it mean to be a Christian? 418s
Well, one answer that one can give gets right at the word obedience. 423s
Let's go to first John chapter 2. 430s
John now begins to unpack this, picking up in verse 4. 438s
Whoever says I have come to know him but does not obey his commandments is a liar and in such a person the truth does not exist. 446s
But whoever obeys his word truly in this person, the love of God has reached perfection. 458s
By this we may be sure that we are in him. 467s
Whoever says I abide in him ought to walk just as he walked. 471s
Notice the reference there at the end of five or just let's take five in its totality. 478s
But whoever obeys his word truly in this person the love of God has reached perfection. 484s
Christian perfectionism is a dangerous idea in the church. 494s
It has nothing to do with this. 501s
But Christian perfectionism is a dangerous, dangerous idea. 505s
So also is moral indifference. 511s
So Christian perfectionism and moral indifference are two very dangerous ideas. 515s
The first one, Christian perfectionism, it deludes a person into thinking of themselves higher than they ought to think. 521s
That they can this side of heaven have a perfectionism with regard to their walk in faith. 533s
The second abuse, moral indifference, that abuses the forgiveness of sins. 541s
Probably the most well-known advocate for Christian perfectionism was John Wesley, who is the founder of Methodism. 553s
And what Wesley offered and what Christian perfectionism gets at is that this side of heaven, 566s
a person can come to a point where they love the Lord their God with all of their heart and with all of their mind and with all of their soul. 575s
There's no guarantee that one can achieve that level in the understanding of Christian perfectionism. 590s
So in other words, the condition is not inevitable and once achieved by those that uphold this once achieved, it can be lost. 598s
Those that adhere to Christian perfectionism, they would say it does not prevent outbursts of sin. 610s
But what it does mean is that a person will no longer choose to sin. 620s
That all sounds really good, doesn't it? 629s
The problem is there's no scriptural warrant for it. 632s
There's no scriptural warrant. 639s
We confess and rightly so echoing scripture that we are in bondage to sin and we cannot free ourselves. 641s
So in understanding that in terms of our sanctification, this side of heaven, that we can reach a moral perfectionism here, 651s
is a Christian perfectionism, is a dangerous thought. 661s
So what's being talked about here? 669s
Let's go back into chapter 4, verse 12 of 1 John, chapter 4, verse 12. 672s
No one has ever seen God. 688s
If we love one another, God lives in us and His love is perfected in us. 691s
So when there's the reference to perfectionism here in chapter 2, that's God's love for the person. 702s
Made perfect, or the word for perfection in the Greek also means complete. 711s
So it's God's love for the person made complete as it is expressed in obedience. 718s
John is not saying that we can come to a point of Christian perfectionism this side of heaven. 726s
Not saying that, he's pointing to God whose love becomes complete in us as God bursts for us and brings out of us this obedience. 736s
Back again to chapter 4, verse 12 again. 752s
No one has ever seen God if we love one another, God lives in us and His love is perfected in us. 756s
It's God's action, God's living in us and God manifesting the obedience. 768s
Will we continually fall short? Absolutely. 776s
Remember what Luther held up, he held up, we are simultaneously saint and sinner. 779s
And the sinner part doesn't go away until the Lord takes his home to be with him in heaven. 786s
So his John offering, what can be termed Christian perfectionism, bottom line, absolutely not. 792s
Absolutely not. 799s
Verse 6. 801s
Whoever says I abide in him ought to walk just as he walked. 804s
That's the question for us to ask ourselves, isn't it? 811s
Can I picture Christ doing this? 816s
Can I picture Christ saying this? 821s
Christ then is the standard for us. 826s
Is it God pleasing? 832s
We see that faith in Christ, faith is a gift, bears fruit and a fruit that we see from Matthew the third chapter is repentance. 835s
Remember the call, bear fruit that is worthy of repentance. 847s
Repentance then is turning around as going that different direction that we are going on. 854s
Repent here, that's the manifestation where there is faith, there is then by God's grace, repentance. 861s
So to help to understand chapter 2 then, a question that John is asking here is, 870s
well what does it mean to be a Christian? 880s
One of the answers is, it's obedience. 883s
It's obedience. 888s
John then says, here's another aspect. 891s
This is another aspect of what it means to be a Christian. 894s
God by His grace brings out obedience and God by His grace brings out love from us. 899s
Verse 7 of chapter 2. 910s
Beloved, I am writing you no new commandment, but an old commandment that you have had from the beginning. 917s
The old commandment is the word that you have heard. 927s
Yet I am writing you a new commandment that is true in Him and in you. 931s
Because the darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining. 937s
Whoever says I am in the light, while hating a brother or sister is still in the darkness, 946s
whoever loves a brother or sister lives in the light and in such a person there is no cause for stumbling. 953s
But whoever hates another believer is in the darkness, walks in the darkness and does not know the way to go. 961s
Because the darkness has brought on blindness. 970s
Okay, back up to 7 again, verse 7. 976s
Beloved, I am writing you no new commandment, but an old commandment that you have had from the beginning. 981s
The old commandment is the word that you have heard. 988s
Verse 8. 991s
Yet I am writing you a new commandment that is true in Him and He and you. 993s
Because the darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining. 998s
Which begs the question, so what is it? 1005s
Right? Is it an old commandment or is a new commandment? 1008s
Because John seems to be saying two things here at the same time. 1012s
What is new about the law of love for the Christian? 1020s
What is new about the law of love? 1025s
Is not the content of the law of love. 1027s
It is the starting point and the starting point, the newness is the Lord Jesus. 1033s
Let's go to the gospel of John. 1042s
John chapter 13, verse 34. 1046s
Matthew, Mark, Luke, and then John. 1049s
John 13, verse 34. 1053s
I give you a new commandment that you love one another. 1064s
Now here's the newness of it because of the starting point of it. 1070s
Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. 1075s
Just as I have loved you. 1083s
The commandment of love is not new. 1087s
The starting point of Jesus Christ with regard to the commandment to love. 1091s
That starting point is new. 1099s
That we are to love like Christ loved. 1101s
Over into John chapter 15, verse 12. 1106s
It's echoed once again. 1110s
This is my commandment that you love one another as I have loved you. 1113s
The Holy Spirit then dwelling in us prompts us to respond to Christ's love 1121s
and action toward us with love. 1128s
What's a fruit of the Spirit? 1132s
A fruit of the Spirit. 1133s
One of them is love. 1134s
Joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, and so on. 1136s
Love. 1139s
It is the impact and the witness on the world when his love is put on display. 1141s
His love is put on display. 1151s
That is a different character to that love. 1152s
Every human being has the capacity to love another person. 1158s
You can get into personality disorders and that type of thing that gets us out of the field here where we want to stay. 1165s
But a non-Christian can certainly love another person. 1174s
But the type of love, the standard of love that is born of the Holy Spirit, 1181s
born out of the response that the Spirit births forth in us because of what Christ has done. 1187s
That is a different kind of. 1195s
That is a different quality of. 1198s
That is a love that catches attention of the world. 1200s
And that is our call, isn't it? 1207s
Let's go back now to the first John, the second chapter. 1212s
So under the banner here, what does it mean to be a Christian? 1218s
We see the theme John says of obedience. 1222s
He says it in law. He says also it is the manifestation of love. 1224s
He continues on now in chapter 2, verse 12. 1231s
I am writing to you little children because your sins are forgiven on account of his name. 1238s
I am writing to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning. 1246s
I am writing to you young people because you have conquered the evil one. 1252s
I write to you children because you know the father. 1257s
I write to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning. 1261s
I write to you young people because you are strong and the word of God abides in you 1267s
and you have overcome the evil one. 1272s
Do not love the world or the things in the world. 1278s
The love of the father is not in those who love the world. 1281s
For all that is in the world, the desire of the flesh, the desire of the eye, 1285s
the pride and riches comes not from the father, but from the world. 1289s
And the world and its desire are passing away for those who do the will of God, 1294s
live forever. 1301s
When you look at this section here, it is so interesting when he says, 1303s
I write to you children, verse 12, because your sins are forgiven, 13, 1309s
you know him who is from the beginning. 1315s
Last part of the 13, you have conquered the evil one. 1320s
Next part of verse 14, because you know the father, then staying in 14, 1325s
because you know him who is from the beginning, then because you are strong 1332s
and the word of God abides in you, so the question then comes, 1337s
well, where are you writing them? 1340s
Because this is declarative statements and that is an important reminder for us. 1343s
Is it not? 1348s
We have to continually hear this word. 1351s
We have to continually hear it, be reminded of it, be strengthened by it, 1355s
encourage one another with this word. 1364s
We have to continually hear what Christ has done for us. 1368s
We have to continually, as a former professor of mine would say, 1372s
be hit anew with a lightning bolt of the gospel. 1376s
That is constantly, constantly, to be strengthened in our faith. 1378s
Because without hearing that, we can then be tempted to be a people 1384s
that think we have to overcome the evil one on our own. 1390s
Or we become a people that sink into despair because we see the failures in our lives. 1395s
It is that continually what the Spirit does is call us and gather us together for what purpose, 1403s
because He has something to give us, and that is His precious word. 1412s
And that is the word that we have to share with one another, to encourage one another with. 1418s
So obedience, love, here, we encourage one another with those words. 1427s
And He moves into warning. 1435s
So what does it mean to be a Christian? 1440s
Well, here's aspects of it, obedience and love. 1442s
Now He moves into warning, warning for Christians, back in verse 15 again. 1444s
Do not love the world or the things in the world. 1452s
The love of the Father is not in those who love the world. 1457s
For all that is in the world, the desire of the flesh, the desire of the eyes, the pride and riches, 1462s
come not from the Father but from the world, in the world, and its desire are passing away. 1467s
But those who do the will of God live forever. 1475s
That word world is used six times in those two verses. 1479s
World can mean people, John 3.16, for God's will love the world that He gave His only Son, 1485s
or it can mean an evil system under the dominion of Satan. 1492s
What's John saying in these verses? 1501s
We can't love the world and God at the same time. 1502s
We can't. 1510s
Let me just give you two references there. 1512s
James 4.4 gets at that point. 1516s
Matthew 6.24 gets at the point. 1519s
So He says, here's aspects of what it means to be a Christian obedience and love. 1525s
That's what God isn't work in us, bearing in us. 1529s
Here's a warning now as you live your life here by God's grace of obedience and love. 1534s
As you can't love God, John says, and the world at the same time. 1542s
He goes on with His warning. 1548s
Children, it's the last hour. 1551s
As you've heard that Antichrist is coming, so now many Antichrists have come. 1554s
For this we know that it's the last hour. 1560s
They went out from us, but they did not belong to us. 1563s
For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us. 1567s
But by going out, they made it plain that none of them belongs to us. 1571s
But you have been anointed by the Holy One. 1578s
And all of you have knowledge. 1581s
I write to you not because you do not know the truth, but because you know it. 1583s
And you know that no lie comes from the truth. 1589s
Who's the liar but the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ? 1595s
This is the Antichrist, the one who denies the Father and the Son. 1599s
No one who denies the Son has the Father. 1607s
Everyone who confesses the Son has the Father also. 1609s
Let what you heard from the beginning abide in you. 1614s
If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, then you will abide in the Son and the Father. 1617s
And this is what He has promised us, eternal life. 1623s
Okay, let's break this down a little bit. 1629s
Children, it's the last hour. 1632s
It's the last hour. 1635s
The new age began in Christ, right? 1638s
So are we living in the last days? 1641s
Absolutely, we are. 1644s
When did the last days begin? 1645s
Well, it began with Christ. 1648s
So are we in the last days? 1651s
Most certainly. 1653s
We're in the last days. 1655s
The same phrase there. 1656s
It's the last hour. 1658s
The same phrase. 1662s
It's the last days. 1663s
Verse 18 again, children, it's the last hour. 1667s
As you've heard that Antichrist is coming, okay? 1669s
Let's pause there. 1673s
What is the Antichrist? 1677s
The Antichrist is an enemy of God and His people that comes during the 1679s
last times here, that rises before Christ's return. 1687s
Well, who's the Antichrist? 1694s
Lutheran orthodoxy in our confessional writings. 1698s
Our confessional writings is the doctrine of the Lutheran church. 1704s
In our confessional writings, it identifies the Antichrist as the 1710s
office of the papacy. 1715s
So, if someone says, who's the Antichrist? 1718s
As Lutherans, we have already answered. 1723s
The Antichrist is the office of the papacy. 1726s
Why? 1729s
It fulfills every single one of the marks of the scriptural marks of the 1730s
Antichrist in Scripture. 1737s
That's a different subject. 1741s
We don't have time to go through the marks today. 1742s
But it fills every single mark. 1745s
So, Lutherans historically, confessionally, orthodox expression of 1748s
Lutheranism, if you look at our doctrinal writings here, what was the 1754s
position of Luther, obviously, reflected in the doctrinal writings here, 1760s
is that the office of the papacy is the Antichrist. 1764s
That's not saying that each individual pope is the Antichrist. 1769s
What's the key word? 1777s
The office of the papacy is the Antichrist because it fulfills the marks of 1779s
them. 1787s
So, when John says, we love it, I'm verse 15, do not love the world of 1788s
things in it. 1795s
Oh, excuse me, 18. 1796s
Children, it's the last hour as you have heard that Antichrist is coming. 1798s
Us Lutherans would say, Antichrist has come and Antichrist still is. 1803s
It is the office of the papacy. 1812s
We would also say that the historic form of the Antichrist can change. 1814s
So, do we say, is there an office of the papacy? 1825s
Yep. 1831s
Does it hit the marks of what the Antichrist is? 1832s
Yep. 1836s
Right? 1838s
Can we also say that the form of the Antichrist can change historically? 1839s
Yep. 1845s
We would say that. 1846s
That also. 1847s
So, as Lutherans then, we would then say, Antichrist is the office, and again, 1849s
not individual people that hold it, it's the office of the papacy that is held by the 1860s
people, is the Antichrist. 1867s
Okay, then he goes on. 1869s
So now, many Antichrists have come from this we know that it is the last hour. 1871s
Well, what are the little Antichrists then? 1883s
If the office of the papacy is understood as the Antichrist, what are these little Antichrists? 1886s
And to that, we would say that anything that deviates from the apostolic teaching recorded in 1894s
Holy Scripture, anything that deviates from that apostolic teaching is Antichrist, 1903s
is Antichrist, because it's a deviation of the God-exhailed word that has been given to us. 1910s
John helps us to see characteristics of this. 1920s
Let's go to 1 John chapter 4, verse 2. 1926s
By this you know, the Spirit of God, every Spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God. 1934s
And then, 1 John 4, verse 3, and every Spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God, 1946s
and this is the Spirit of the Antichrist of which you have heard that it is coming, 1955s
and now it is already in the world. 1962s
So what you have then with the Antichrist is a denial of the incarnation, a denial of the incarnation, 1968s
where the second member of the Trinity takes on flesh. 1985s
So that is an aspect of false beliefs here in which people deny that Jesus is truly God and truly a man. 1989s
You also have another form of denying apostolic teaching, Antichrist, a small letter A here, 2000s
if we want to put those terms on it, would be a denial of the divinity of Christ. 2009s
Let's go to verse 22 of chapter 2. 2016s
So we're in 2, 22. 2025s
Who is the liar, but the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ? 2027s
This is the Antichrist, the one who denies the Father and the Son. 2032s
So you have the denial then of the divinity of Christ, 2040s
you have the denial of the Father. 2048s
Now, hear this phrase, when people say, we all worship the same God, every religion does. 2052s
We all worship the same God. We just call God different things. 2064s
Now, hear that in light of verse 22 again. 2071s
Who is the liar, but the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ? 2077s
This is the Antichrist, the one who denies the Father and the Son, then in verse 23. 2082s
No one who denies the Son has the Father. 2090s
No one who denies the Son has the Father. 2097s
So for those then that would maintain that every religion is simply one religion, 2100s
we're all worshiping the same God. 2108s
Direct contradiction to Scripture, isn't it? 2111s
Because every other religion outside of Christianity denies that Jesus is the Christ. 2114s
And so it says, if you deny that Jesus is the Christ, you don't have the Father. 2124s
In other words, we're not worshiping the same God. 2133s
So when it comes to witnessing to people, and if they say, you know, I just think we're all worshiping the same God. 2136s
Everybody just calls God differently. 2149s
Here is a great verse to go to. 2152s
And to say, let me share this verse here and what that means on this. 2155s
And so that belief, that we're all worshiping the same God, we just call Him differently, that's Antichrist. 2163s
Because why? Because it's a Nile of apostolic teaching. 2174s
Anything that deviates from the apostolic gospel is Antichrist. 2181s
I'm going to pause here and I want to pick this up next week because I'm out of time here. 2188s
And it's going to be really awkward if the first hymn starts here. 2196s
And so we're going to stop it here. 2202s
I'll pick it up here. 2205s
Remember where John is, and we'll just pick up and conclude it next week and then go into three. 2207s
He's talking about what does it mean to be a Christian and aspects of it as obedience and love. 2213s
And then he goes into the section of warnings. 2220s
And the section of warnings has to do with that which denies apostolic teaching. 2223s
We're going to pick it up right here next week. 2230s