By Jeffery M. Leonard, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Biblical & Religious Studies, Samford University
IS JESUS THE ONLY WAY TO GOD?
1 John 5:1–13
Because the events of the Old Testament stretch over such a long period of time (more than 1,000 years), it is not surprising to see beliefs and practices develop along the way. Early on, for example, we find no shrine at all for worship. Later, God gives instructions for constructing the tabernacle. Finally, God allows Solomon to build the temple.
Although the New Testament period is far shorter than that of the Old (barely a century), we can still see the same sort of theological development at work. One of the areas where we see this especially is in considering just who Jesus Christ is.
At the moment of Jesus’ crucifixion, even the disciples — the group of men who had been closest to Jesus during His ministry — had failed to fully understand who Jesus was. It took time for the Holy Spirit to lead the authors of the New Testament to a more complete understanding of who God’s Son was.
One of the most difficult challenges for understanding the person of Christ was that of reconciling Jesus’ full humanity and divinity.
Some groups would actually develop beliefs about Jesus that would fall outside the bounds for right belief established by the New Testament. Two of these were the Ebionites and the Docetists.
The Ebionites were part of early Jewish Christianity, and their monotheistic heritage in Judaism made it difficult to accept that Jesus could be divine. The Docetists, on the other hand, were part of Hellenistic Christianity; their struggle lay in believing Jesus could be human. First John 5 seems particularly keen on addressing the beliefs of this latter group.
We become God’s children when we believe in Jesus. (1–5)
Accustomed as we are to hearing the word pair “Jesus Christ,” we are apt to miss the challenge about Jesus being the Christ.
In rejecting the humanity of Jesus, some Docetists went so far as to claim that “Jesus” and “the Christ” were two different beings.
The divine Christ was important in their minds; the human Jesus was not. This is the background that stands behind Paul’s odd admonition in 1 Corinthians 12:3. Because they thought the human Jesus was of no importance, the Docetists just might pronounce a curse on Jesus. First John challenges the Docetists by insisting that it is, in fact, Jesus who is the Christ. To be born of God, one must believe this.
God gives testimony that Jesus is the Son of God. (6–10)
Verses 6–10 continue the theological challenge. As part of their rejection of Jesus’ humanity, some Docetists imagined that the divine Christ “possessed” the human Jesus at His baptism and departed from Him before He endured the cross.
This was their reading of the dove descending at Jesus’ baptism and then Jesus’ words on the cross asking why God had abandoned Him.
John counters this by insisting that it was Jesus Christ who came by water (referring to His baptism) and by blood (referring to His death on the cross).
The same person declared to be God’s beloved Son at His baptism is the One who suffered the indignity of crucifixion.
We have eternal life only through Jesus. (11–13)
First John both assures its readers that “God has given us eternal life” and insists that this life is found nowhere else. In the letter’s own precise theological formulation: “The one who has the Son has life. The one who does not have the Son of God does not have life.”
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