It is not supposable that the Apostle John was contradicting the Apostle Paul and the other apostles – all of whom were teachers and who instructed the Church to seek out the Spirit’s choice of pastors, teachers and overseers, and to honor those who thus had the “rule over” the Church and who were to watch for the interests of souls as those who must give an account to the Lord. (Heb 13:17)

It was undoubtedly in full accord with the Apostle Paul’s advice that the Church had need to select as its servants’ men “apt at teaching,” “able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers,” and when necessary to “rebuke sharply that they may be sound in faith.” They were to recognize under-shepherds, who would not “lord it over God’s heritage,” but would “feed the flock” with meat in due season – avoiding teachers having ears which itched for popularity and flattery. 1 Pet 5:2-4; 1 Tim 3:2; 2 Tim 2:25; Titus 1:9, 13

Furthermore, John himself was a teacher, and in this very epistle was teaching what he and we appreciate as sound doctrine – necessary to be taught. Surely no one reading John’s writings could draw the inference that he meant them merely as social letters, devoid of doctrine or teaching. Does he not open the epistle by saying, “That which we have seen and heard declare [teach] we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us?” (John 1:3)

Again, he says, “These things write I unto you [to teach you] that you sin not.” (John 2:1)

Again, “A new commandment [teaching] I write unto you.” (John 2:8)

Again, “Little children, let no man deceive you [but heed my teaching]: he that doeth righteousness is righteous.” (John 3:7)

Again, “We are of God: he that knows God heareth us [obeys our instructions, our teachings].” (John 4:6)

Again, “These things have I written unto you…that you may know [be taught].” (Rom 5:13)

He closes his epistle with a very important teaching, saying, “Little children, keep yourselves from idols [permit no person or thing to supplant God himself in your affections and reverence].”

Seeing then that the Apostle cannot be understood as meaning that the Church has no need of human teachers – seeing on the contrary that he recognized human teachers as the agency employed by the holy Spirit specially “set in the Church” for this very service,

What can he mean by these words, “You need not that any man teach you,” and “the same anointing teaches you all things“?

The proper answer to this query will be readily seen by examining the context in the light of facts already discussed.

This epistle is supposed by scholars to have been written in the year A.D. 90. By that date Christianity had attained considerable prominence in the world. It had gathered the “remnant” of fleshly Israel and drawn upon itself the hatred and persecution of the vast blinded majority of that people and been scattered everywhere throughout the then civilized world.

Many things in Christianity commended it to the Greek philosophers of that time who sought to combine with it and to become philosophic Christians and Christian philosophers – still holding their philosophies which the Apostle Paul points out were “falsely so-called.” (1 Tim 6:20) These philosophers were quite willing to acknowledge Jesus as a good man and a wise teacher but not as the Son of God who left a spirit nature, “a form of God,” and was “made flesh,” to thereby become man’s Redeemer, and the author of eternal life to all who obey him. They were, however, teaching a future, eternal life and were glad to find Christians teaching the same: the difference being that the philosophers (Plato and others) taught that eternal life is a human quality, an inherent power in mankind – deathlessness, immortality, whereas the Christians taught that eternal life was not inherent in man but a gift of God through Christ, intended only for those who accept him. Rom 2:7; 5:25, 21; 6:23; 2 Cor 9:15

These philosophers practically said to the Christians – We are glad to meet so respectable and sensible and free a people. Your great teacher, Jesus, surely did make you free from many of the customs and superstitions of the Jews and we congratulate you accordingly. But you are still in a measure of bondage: when you have investigated our philosophies you will have still more liberty and will find that much you still hold in common with the Jews – their hopes of a Messianic kingdom, their peculiar ideas of one God and your peculiar ideas that your Teacher, Jesus, was his only Son, etc., these things you will soon outgrow, with the aid of our philosophy. 2 Pet 2:19; Jude 4

John’s epistle is written to fortify Christians against these subversive doctrines. He exhorts them in this chapter (John 2:24) to hold fast the teachings heard by them from the beginning and to consider these philosophizing teachings as lies and all such false teachers’ representatives of the Antichrist which they had so often heard would be manifested in the Church. (2 Thess 2:3-7; 1 John 2:18) He says, “These things have I written unto you concerning them that [seek to] seduce you [from Christ].” Verse 26

Then comes the peculiar language of Verse 27, now under discussion, which we paraphrase thus:

But, dearly beloved, the true children of God cannot be seduced by any such philosophies: with us no philosophy can take the place of Christ in our hearts – no theory could cause us to question the fulness and the correctness of the great message which we received as the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ – the Father’s Beloved, the Father’s Anointed. Besides the reasonableness of “the faith once delivered unto the saints,” consider the marvelous effect of that message upon you: it was accompanied by miraculous “gifts” of “tongues,” “miracles,” etc., which these philosophers declare are duplicated by the fakirs of the East; but aside from this you have another testimony in your own new hearts – in the anointing which has transformed and renewed your minds, producing in your daily life fruits of the Spirit of holiness which the fakirs cannot duplicate and which the philosophers who would seduce you cannot deny.

On these fundamentals of our holy religion – that Christ Jesus was not an impostor but the very Son of God and our Redeemer; and that eternal life can be obtained only through vital union with him – you have no need of instruction, neither from these false teachers nor from me. And so long as you have this holy Spirit of love abiding in you, it will serve as a guard against all such blasphemous, antichristian theories. So long as you remember that “the peace of God which passes all understanding” came to your hearts through an acceptance of Jesus as the Son of God and the only power of God unto salvation, so long will this spirit hold you firm, steadfast, on this point. And you will find this same test (of loyalty to the holy Spirit of love received through the Father and the Son) helpful in proving all matters: for whatever contradicts or ignores this Spirit of love is an unholy spirit – a false teaching. And remember that its teaching is that if we would receive any reward we must “abide in him” – to abandon Christ is to abandon all.” E281