|
"Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen."
(1 John 5:21)
Verse 21 is the closing sentence in the letter. Pastor John affectionately refers to those in the church as his little children. He tells them to keep (phulasso) themselves from idols. He uses the imperative mood of command. The word means to isolate, watch, be on guard, and avoid.
To understand John's usage of the word "idols", it is important to keep in mind that John is writing from Ephesus where many in the city worshiped the false god Artemis, also called Diana. The temple to the goddess Diana was one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. The temple was 425 ft. by 225, and it had 127 columns, each one 60 ft. high. Acts 19 explains that the silversmiths made little replicas or idols of the massive temple and sold them for not a small profit. These silversmiths at Ephesus were ready to kill Paul when he preached in Ephesus that their works were not gods (see Acts 19:26). (Source: ISBE, vol. 1, p. 307)
Notice that they and we are commanded to keep away from idols. I like the way the Living Bible puts it: "Dear children, keep away from anything that might take God's place in your hearts."
The Apostle John knew Jesus, and he boldly proclaimed who Jesus was. His doctrine is aligned with the person and work of Jesus, who He is, and what He has done. John calls out those who are not of the truth, like the Gnostics. By doing this, was he being unkind or mean-spirited? No, he was not. He was telling the truth. Facts are stubborn things, to borrow a quote from John Adams. We can embrace the truth of who Jesus is and be blessed, both now and forever, or we can reject Jesus, not worship Him for who He is, and suffer the consequences.
"Two battleships assigned to the training squadron had been at sea on maneuvers in heavy weather for several days. I was serving on the lead battleship and was on watch on the bridge as night fell. The visibility was poor with patchy fog, so the captain remained on the bridge, keeping an eye on all activities. Shortly after dark, the lookout on the wing of the bridge reported, 'Light, bearing on the starboard bow.' Is it steady or moving astern? the captain called out. Lookout replied: 'Steady, captain,' which meant we were on a dangerous collision course with that ship. The captain then called to the signalman, 'Signal that ship: We are on a collision course, advise you change course 20 degrees.' Back came a signal, 'Advisable for you to change course 20 degrees.' The captain said, 'Send, I'm a captain, change course 20 degrees. 'I'm a seaman second class,' came the reply. 'You had better change course 20 degrees.' By that time, the captain was furious. He spat out, 'Send, I'm a battleship. Change course 20 degrees. Back came the flashing light, 'I'm a lighthouse.' We changed course." (Source: From the Naval Institute, called "Proceedings." I read it in Jay Strack's weekly devotions via email, dated March 25, 2002.)
Jay Strack wrote, "Remember, God's laws are like the lighthouse: They are immovable, and they guide us to safety through the fog. As leaders we must honor the Creator and obey His words and never expect to bend or adapt the Word of God to fit our circumstances. Chart your course for life, check your navigation often, and make the adjustments to stay on course." (Source: Ibid)
|
Apple
Spotify
Deezer
YouTube
