The first letter of the apostle John is marked by an emotional tone. Everything the apostle wants to say to the Christians, to whom he writes, is tersely summed up in the concluding exhortation: “Dear children, keep yourselves from idols.” (Cf. 1 Jn 5:21.)  With these “idols” John means the dark powers of unbelief and apostasy that threaten the congregation. His whole letter culminates in the serious warning to be on guard against everything that wants to draw the congregation away from the apostolic proclamation.

There were good reasons for this warning. False teachers - John calls them “false prophets,” “liars,” and “antichrists” - propagated a horrible heresy. They decidedly rejected the gospel that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God.  They found intolerable the thought that God had descended from his heaven on high, to lie down in a manger as a helpless child. Jesus was a man, a very special man, but that was all. They called the idea that the eternal Word had become flesh, blasphemous.  The Jesus who died on Calvary’s cross was definitely not the only begotten Son of God.

The apostle John characterizes them very sharply as antichrists. But he hits the nail on the head. For these false prophets attacked the heart of the gospel. Their heresy nullified the apostolic proclamation. With their heresy they erased the central message of the gospel: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

In addition to their horrible heresy, these false brethren had a very proud and arrogant attitude. They considered themselves deeply initiated Christians who possessed a higher knowledge of God. They looked down with contempt on the average member of the church who had considerably less knowledge than they had. They were very pretentious: the ordinary church members had to sit at their feet to be “taught” by them, to be further initiated into the mysteries of the kingdom of God.

Although these false prophets had left the congregation (cf. 1 Jn 2:19), their vicious heresy still had a great influence.       

It is against this heresy that John wants to warn. The new Christians to whom he writes have to guard themselves against the idols. They should not let themselves become confused but should faithfully hold on to the apostolic preaching without wavering.

They can do so because they have been elevated to the level of Pentecost. The congregation is not inferior and does not lack the necessary knowledge of faith. John says it very positively in our text, “... you do not need anyone to teach you.” When Christians as underage children look up to those deeply initiated false teachers, they forget the riches of Pentecost. The Holy Spirit has been poured out on all flesh. That means, the believers have an anointing and by that anointing they know everything needed to understand the gospel and recognize heresy. In verse 20 the apostle says quite tersely, “But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you all know.” A better translation would be: “... and you know all things.”

With the words “Holy One” John refers to Christ as appears from our text. He has obtained the gift of the Spirit for his people. On Pentecost the Spirit comes as the Spirit of Christ, to teach the congregation about all things.

That the anointing of which John speaks refers to the gift of the Holy Spirit is apparent from 2 Corinthians 1:22 where Paul in one breath speaks of being anointed and receiving the Holy Spirit. We may also think of the meaning of anointing of which the Old Testament speaks. Kings, priests, and prophets were anointed (cf. 1 Sam 10:1; Lev 4:3; 1 Kings 19:16).  They were anointed with holy oil, a symbol of the Holy Spirit (cf. Zech 4). In Israel the anointing spoke of the divine calling and divine qualifying. When Samuel anointed David, the Spirit of the Lord came mightily upon him (cf. 1 Sam 16:13). We also read of the Servant of the LORD that the Spirit of the LORD was upon him, because the LORD had anointed him (cf. Is 61:1).

In light of the Old Testament it becomes clear that John with “anointing” means the gift of the Holy Spirit. By this anointing we will have to think of the working of the Spirit who enables the believers to function as mature Christians. “The gracious working of the Holy Spirit, whereby they are born again and enlightened and strengthened by the saving knowledge of Christ, which is compared to the pouring out of a costly perfume.” ¹

Just as in Israel the Holy Spirit qualified and equipped kings, priests, and prophets for their office, so he gives the believers in the new dispensation everything they need to understand the gospel and discern heresy. It is exactly by this working of the Spirit that they know “all things” (cf. 1 Jn 2:20). This is how they can overcome the evil one and be strong (cf. 1 Jn 2:14).

The Christians to whom John is writing do not need the views and speculations of the false teachers in order to be really mature and obtain knowledge. The anointing that is and remains on them, teaches them “about all things.”  All the things of the gospel and of the apostolic proclamation are clear to them. For the Spirit who dwells in them “teaches” them.  The Greek word for “teaching” points to a further unfolding and explanation of all that God has revealed in Christ.

The Holy Spirit is the great Teacher of the church. He unfolds the gospel further for the congregation and makes her understand more and more the truth of God over against heresy.

With the word “teach” we should not think of a voice in the heart of the believer, but of the official proclamation of the Word. Christ commissioned his apostles to teach (cf. Mt 28:19). By their letters they have indeed taught the congregation. And the Holy Spirit still uses this teaching of the apostles to teach believers today. By the apostolic Word he enlightens our understanding, increases our knowledge, and makes us wise unto salvation. We are not defenseless in our fight against false teaching. We have the anointing of the Holy One! This anointing equips us, strengthens us, and teaches us to understand the gospel of the Lord Jesus.

Also today there are many antichrists. Influential modern theologians deny emphatically that Jesus is the only begotten Son of God. They call him the true partner in the covenant who received the name “Son of God” as an honorary title. The evil one is still always busy to draw the church away from the central message of the gospel.

When we let ourselves be made strong by the Spirit and taught in the Word, we will not be blinded by their pious-sounding stories.

We do not have to be inferior and ignorant. For there is an anointing that is and remains on us. And that anointing teaches us about all things.

The Spirit of Christ enables us to defend ourselves and takes care that it can also be said of us: “You are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one.” (1 Jn 2:14.)