Pauls Revelation: The Gospel of Reconciliation

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After Israel repents Matthew It is at this time that the New Covenant will reach complete fulfillment for Israel will have the Law written upon their hearts according to prophecy. It is described in Exodus As you state correctly, it was for Israel, not Gentiles. So too the New Covenant. It was for Israel. God revealed no blessings to Gentiles except through Israel. God made no covenants with Gentiles. From the time of Abraham He dealt with Jew only, with few exceptions. It does not state He reveals all secrets to all prophets at the same time. God keeps certain things hidden. For example, see Luke God kept the secrets Paul revealed secret until He wished to reveal them.

When you talk about being obedient to the Law do you meant the whole Law or part of it? Is the New Covenant described in Deuteronomy Are Christians now participating in the New Covenant? Please answer all of the above questions.

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I think when you speak of the Law you mean the moral law. The moral law applies to all mankind. But God gave Israel more than the moral law. It was a unity. To pick up a stick on the Sabbath was an offense just as murder was. But the New Covenant is the Law written on the heart Hebrews 8. Paul taught we are not under the administration of the Law as were the Jews but keep the Law through the administration of the Holy Spirit.

The only way to keep the Law is through a different power—the power of the Holy Spirit Romans 8. Amos had no more idea that Jesus would die on a Roman cross than did the disciples. The prophets understood none of it. Psalms entire chapter. Could it be that the same Spirit that motivated the writing of these inspired scriptures, and the one motivating your thoughts are different? Michael, Do I understand you do no work on Saturday? How do you decide which of the commandments to follow and which not to follow?

One motivated by the Spirit of God would have the same attitude. How many man-made rules have we submitted ourselves to over the years? Probably as many, if not many more. Michael, What I read by your reply is you choose the laws that you wish to obey. The Law says no work on Saturday, not whether you have a job that requires work on Saturday. The only way to keep the Law is through the power of the Holy Spirit. How many times have I brought Ezekiel How is the Law of God the power of sin?

Michael, Then you should have no problem with Paul for that is exactly what he taught. You claim he taught against the Law and was a false apostle. Grace is greater than Law for grace works by love and the power of the Holy Spirit. The purpose of the Moasaic Law was to reveal sin, not make one good. Law has NO power to make one good. The Law is the power of sin for it exacerbates sin. It makes sin come alive. The problem is not with the Law; it is with us. Our Adamic nature rebels against the Law.

That is what Paul meant. What did Peter call the Law? You may have to read it several times because it is not easy. In addition, Paul wrote the whole book of Galatians to explain the Law. I cover this in my article Paul and the Law. You have a choice: Michael, The best thing is to let the Scriptures speak for themselves. For this, I suggest you read Galatians. I cover this subject matter in my article, Paul and the Law. I watch a lot of these two and also Jimmy Swaggart who preaches the cross. For example if we have a bad thought come into our head which we know is from the devil should we go around and ask for repentance for this.

It seems that we would be continually asking for forgiveness. Joseph Prince says no and Swaggart says yes. Andrew Wommack believes that when we are born again that we have salvation, and healing alone with deliverance. So if we get sick or a disease it comes down to us just receiving our healing which we already have when Jesus paid the debt on the cross. To receive this we just have to take what we have in the spirit and transfer it to the physical by believing.

Please let me know your thoughts. For forgiveness, see Ephesians 4. Forgiveness is an accomplished fact. God can heal but do not neglect seeing a doctor. Paul, while he could heal in his early ministry, i.

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He traveled with a personal physician, Luke. It would seem we would be only teaching half the gospel if the cross only meant salvation. And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him. Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. Peter is making this declaration in relation to Isaiah We receive healing the same way we receive forgiveness of our sins: Scott The Scriptures do not support such thinking.

Ultimately, God will heal believers from sin, disease, and death based on the work of Christ but this will not occur until God gives us new bodies. We can ask God to heal but to think He is obligated to heal is wishful thinking and a misreading of Scripture. James wrote to believing Jews, not to Christians. Is forgiveness future or past? It is imperative to interpret a passage in context: Is every prayer of yours answered?

If not, why not? What then does John Were their prayers answered re healing. Are you saying that believing Jews are healed only Isaish When will they get new bodies? Wow, Don, you have opened up a whole new way of thinking here. Sue, Jesus spoke these words to the Twelve.

His words were fulfilled in early Acts. We find no indication of sin among these believers except with Ananias and Sapphira which the Lord dealt with promptly and healing and miracles occurred associated with the Twelve.

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Christ in His earthly ministry dealt only with the nation of Israel, not the Church. Ultimately, every believer, whenever or however he believed in Christ will receive a glorified, resurrection body. This body will not be subject to sin, disease, or death. But all do not receive resurrection bodies at the same time.

See my article, The Resurrection , for more on this. Here are my convictions: Is the Holy Spirit doing a continuous work of Grace in me or I am now a robot, fully righteous? That is how people like Joseph Prince see Grace. Once saved, always saved. So, throw more light on it. It seems that is what alot of people are asking indirectly. What is different is the Church is under the administration of grace Romans 6.

Sanctification is an ongoing process. God is conforming us to the image of Christ Romans 8. Victory in the Christian life is by faith. See my article, Identification With Christ. First, let me commend you for writing this article, for using ample scripture and most especially for being willing to answer comments.

The Mysteries of Paul: Is the list provided above exhaustive? I have, in addition to the ones mentioned, the following as the mysteries entrusted to Paul: There was mention of blessings flowing to Gentile believers through Israel in the original plan. I agree with this but I was hoping there were other verses that were a bit stronger as the ones provided could be made to seem like the process would be simultaneous, not consecutive, in that it could be referencing blessing coming from the Messiah to both Israel and Gentiles as opposed to Israel and then the gentiles, through them.

These are the verses in question: While I think Acts 1: Any thoughts on how to present this? It will likely feel like the rug or their biblical foundation is being removed from underneath them which means pride will be in the way and it will be delicate.

This last one is just a comment 5. The same goes for saying that God died on a cross. God is spirit John 4: And the Word was made flesh John 1: Jesus , God was manifest in the flesh 1 Tim 3: Jesus , …Jesus Christ has come in the flesh 1 John 4: Jesus , He is the visible image of the invisible God. All these emphasis physical traits, visibility, sensory aspects. If you read Paul carefully, pretty much everything he wrote was unknown to the Twelve. Blessings to Gentiles according to the prophetic plan could only occur after Israel accepted their Messiah according to the prophetic plan.

This is what the OT verses you noted reveal. On promises, Israel was promised a land. The Church is never promised a land. The concept of dying and going to heaven is completely alien to Jewish theology. Read what Jesus said to the Canaanite woman. Read the first two chapters of Luke. If these will not convince, nothing will.

My article, Are the Gospels Christian? I totally agree on this. Many christians have not known this. They are hoping for an earthly land, healing and prosperity. Those things are optional. God can choose to but they are NOT eternal promises given to the church. Thanks for these truths. Satan knows when these truths are known and taught the Church is strong and therefore constantly fights against them.

You are exactly right. Paul is the apostle to the Gentiles, the apostle of grace and of the church. What Paul has received from the Lord and revealed to us in his epistles is critical to the well-being of the church. But there is so much mixture out there, i. Your article has cleared up a lot of things for me and I am so grateful. Hi Don, I have a brother with whom i have shared a couple of your studies. He was resistant to them. I left it at that.

He then recently wrote me this: In chapter 15 verse 7 God commissioned him to preach to the gentiles by his own mouth. This is the same message that Jesus gave to Paul to teach. Why would Peter say it is unlawful for him to come unto one of another nation when Jesus had specifically commanded him and the other apostles to go to all nations?

Becky, A careful reading of Acts and 15 will reveal the following: All this took place several years after Pentecost. So no ministry had been done with Gentiles. Most significantly, this occurred after the salvation and commission of Paul as the apostle of the Gentiles. We have no indication the 12 had a ministry to Gentiles after this.

Acts 15 is a decade later 51 A. Peter was able to help Paul. See my article, The Great Hinge, for more on this. This is just amazing. So much fog to clear out. I am going to print and study your answer until it sinks in and I can make the connections. And I will definitely print out The Great Hinge.

When you say Peter was upbraided for his action, was that what Gal 2: Also, can you explain Acts With my new understanding, it sounds like he is trying to make sure the Gentiles dont offend the Jews? James feared believing Gentiles would offend Jews so he wanted them to abstain from certain things against the Law v. James never got beyond the Mosaic Law Acts Acts 2 talks about the day of Pentecost where Peter preached and come to Christ. The Bible says people were from all languages. And not just Jews. Ding, Read Acts 2 again. Hi Ding, Just like you I use to think they were not all Jews till I discovered that Jews would never socialise with Gentiles unless they were converted proselytes.

Why did Jesus at first refuse to speak to the Canaanite woman? We know He had no problem crossing gender and racial barriers, as seen e. Then do a study on Pentecost and when it began and why. Hope you enjoy your search. I was taught that as long as Christ was alive he was also bond by the law. Grace had to be kept secret because if satan had known of it he would have done his best to keep Christ from fulfilling it.

Satan thought, as the apostles first thought, that the Law would still have to be obeyed after Christ death. He as knew as God knew the Law was impossible keep. The Law continued for Jews until 70 A. Gentiles were never under the Law unless they became proselytes of Judaism before Paul.

He does not know of the events recorded in Revelation and how they will lead to his ultimate doom. He is talking about the gospel of the grace of God or salvation by faith alone. I really like your writing and what I have read so far, I agree with. I even asked a friend to study with me. She did for a bit but she got upset with Salvation without repenting.

Can you explain this to me in simple terms so that I can expalin it to her. He only used repentance in terms of the unbeliever once in his letters—Romans 2. Paul did not tell the Philippian jailer when he asked what he must do to be saved to repent. He told him to believe cf. My task is to teach what the Scriptures teach, not what one may want them to say. When one examines the ministry of John the Baptist, Jesus, the Twelve one finds a much greater emphasis upon repentance.

They ministered to Israel. Paul ministered primarily to Gentiles and God revealed to him an entirely new program based upon salvation by faith alone. Repentance is a change of mind. One must recognize he is a sinner without hope apart from Christ. Because of this, vast theological confusion and error exists within the Church. Sadly, the vast majority of theologians, scholars, and teachers throughout Christendom remain ignorant of this great fact.

I would suggest the latter. Remember that these ideas are not new and not mine, but I believe they are worthy of consideration. It fit right in with all the other exciting and entertaining Roman mystery religions and deities. It had a complex communication network made up of bishops scattered across the known world who were in pretty much constant communication with each other. What could possibly go wrong?

His new religion was a tremendous success and eventually evolved into what we see today in the 21st century. Now his followers were getting older; some had already died. Theories abounded about why God was taking his time in sending Jesus back to establish his kingdom on earth. And, to be fair, it has been a long time; over 2, years and counting. When that happened, the Messianic movement Jesus had started began to get weird. His simple message of loving God, loving others as you love yourself, taking care of the poor and down-and-out types, what he promised about life after death; it all started to become a mishmash of teachings, some true, some made-up.

What happened then was nothing short of disastrous, at least from the perspective of the twelve: Not a pretty picture: One person, as we now know, can change the course of history: Alexander the Great, Constantine, Napoleon, Hitler; the list goes on and on and on. But the one man in the first century, Paul of Tarsus, changed the greatest message ever given to humankind.

Pauls Revelation The Gospel of Reconciliation, Kenneth Hagin. (Paperback )

To conclude, as Christians I believe we have a big decision to make. Do we accept that God actually chose Paul of Tarsus to begin a new religion, or do we return to the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth? Few would argue that orthodox Christianity today is fraught with strife. Perhaps it is, but that would seem to implicate God as the author of confusion, would it not?

I write these things with trepidation; my intent is not to divide us as brothers and sisters in Christ, but to challenge us all to know why we believe what we believe. Before his death he wrote that all in Asia had abandoned him 2 Timothy 1. His letter to the Galatians was his effort to combat this. That is what I call the Christian Myth and what Constantine legalized. It what is practiced in most churches today. Peter and the other apostles ministered to Jews alone.

They never ministered to Gentiles. The only God-appointed minister to Gentiles was Paul. I do appreciate your well thought-out responses. Your post makes me wonder: Is it merely because Paul claimed authority based on his Damascus Road experience? In other words, from where does Paul derive his authority? Why should we believe him? Why believe what Paul wrote and taught is more authoritative than what others have written and taught, say, Joseph Smith or William Miller?

In reading his letters, replete with out-of-context quotes from the Old Testament and often times couched in vicious caricatures, what evidence does he provide for believing him to be appointed by God? How are we to know? How is Paul any different? Roger, We have several evidentiary bases. Something dramatic clearly happened to him.

His life turned degrees. Why would Paul do what he did? Who goes from being wealthy, respected, a rising star, etc. Another is his relationship with Peter. At the Council of Jerusalem Peter sided with Paul against the rest of the apostles. See my article, The Great Hinge. Even though Paul upbraided Peter after this Galatians 2. Luke was with Paul throughout his missionary journeys.

He alone was with Paul at his death 2 Timothy 4. Luke knew him and stuck by him. If he were false, does it make sense he would do this? No other writer exalts Christ to the degree of Paul. No other writer exhorts believers more to holy righteous living than Paul. No other writer expounds on the blessing of Christ to the believer more than Paul. Thank you so much for your thoughtful responses. Your knowledge of the Bible is amazing. In the interim, I believe, God led me to this wonderful discussion group.

Thank you for hosting it. It does get complicated in my mind and your response to this and other questions is helping me to crystallize my thinking about these important matters. Please give me a gentle reminder if I get argumentative or redundant. I believe that God led me to this site to help me better understand why I believe what I believe. I have a Christian friend who told me that God revealed to him that the universe is teeming with intelligent life on other planets. Am I to take him at his word because he is a Christian? I told him that the Bible is silent on that matter, but he insists that he now knows it is true because God revealed it to him.

So, upon reflection, my questions is: Please forgive the circuitous nature of my question s. Thank you for your patience with me. Roger, All Scripture was written by Jews Romans 3. A good case can be made from 1 Corinthians 13 and Colossians 1. Revelation or Scripture must accord with other Scripture. I just would like a response to one thing you wrote. Is that not true? Roger, Luke was not a Gentile. He was a Jew. The idea Luke was a Gentile is based upon paper-thin arguments. One is his name: Jews frequently had Graeco-Roman names. The whole region became Hellenized after Alexander.

One can only wonder what led to this idea. How anyone who has read Luke can reach this conclusion is beyond me. Paul used this phrase to identify men of the Jerusalem Assembly cf. If Luke was a Gentile he would be the only non-Jew to write Scripture. Furthermore, Luke was far too familiar with Jewish law, tradition, and the Scriptures, and employed too many Semitisms, Jewish idioms, to be a Gentile see H. You make a good point. No need to list those scholars and their arguments here; just making an observation. The deeper issue has to do with supporting your argument with Romans 3: It cuts to the core of how we view inspiration.

How does one reconcile a compelling argument e. But are you really comfortable saying that Luke cannot be Gentile merely because Paul says that all scripture was written by Jews? My point is, using Col. Roger, I find the arguments that Luke was a Gentile to be extremely weak and without Scriptural support. The Colossians passage which is used I addressed. Also you indicated when Peter realized that the Jews were saved as were the Gentiles, did that qualify Peter for the body of Christ as it did Paul?

George, I think those saved in the kingdom program stayed in that program. Paul was saved under the gospel of the kingdom program. Because of what he wrote in 1 Timothy 1. See my article, Paul: What Aquila and Priscilla told Apollos is unclear. But at the least, they told him Jesus the Christ had died for our sins.

Thank you, I really appreciate this website, helping us rightly divide the word of truth. The Law had been in operation for 1, years. It was almost incomprehensible for a Jew not to be under it. Paul, the Pharisee, would have never have gotten there except by direct revelation. I spent 30 years in total confusion until I learned about dispensations; then, it all clicked, the light bulb came on, and WOW. My first emotions were excitement, praise, and thanks in Christ Jesus for leading me to truth.

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Then, my emotions went to anger because of realizing just how many pastors whom I consider leaders in the church today are NOT teaching this, and keeping people in the bondage of confusion. I truly believe and endorse, that before a new christian even thinks about studying the bible, they first must be taught dispensations according to scripture and how it applies to learning of scripture.

See you at the rapture!! Blessings and Peace in Christ Jesus be with you. That was a Pauline revelation, unknown to the Twelve. I was watching a video on youtube and while reading the comments came across this link, I just wanted to say Thank you for your work and making this so easy to understand. I quit going to church years ago because of the teachings and now just study on my own while watching a few select pastors on the internet. I believe I was led here for a reason. God bless and keep you, your sister in Christ Jesus! Hi Don, When the Holy Spirit came down for the first time tongues of fire was seen above there heads.

Yet today we dont see that. Why do you think that is? And yet fire speaks of judgement but in this case something else was happening. Had they received the Holy Spirit in the same manner as we do I would understand but I battling to reconcile the night they received tongues of fire with rushing wind. Please dont think me foolish but the manner in which they received the Holy Spirit is very different in which we do today. I wrestle with this. They had no choice. This is driving me crazy and I cannot find any subject on this matter on Google.

Just because we call ourselves Christians today we assume we have the Holy Spirit but many do not have that assurance. Hence the tongue movement saying the evidence of the Holy Spirit living in you is Tongues. I have so many questions. Vanessa, Pentecost was all Jewish and indicated the beginning of the fulfillment of Ezekiel 36 and Jeremiah It is a matter of trusting God, not having an experience.

The problem with the tongues folks is they elevate experience above the Word of God and faith. We considered the problem: Man is separated from God because of sin. He cannot obey God and will not seek God. Here is the next question. How then can man be reconciled to God? What does Paul teach as the source of reconciliation? How can this be? This teaches a truth seen throughout Scripture called substitution. Under the Mosaic Law, God set up a sacrificial system to instruct man about this.

However, God symbolically punished the sins of man on a sacrificed lamb so that the people could enter his presence and worship him. After Adam sinned, God immediately killed an animal and clothed Adam and Eve. The wages of sin is death Rom. From the beginning, God showed mercy to man by allowing a substitute. However, the sacrificial animal never took away the sins of the world; it only symbolized a future reality. The lamb in the Old Testament was only a picture of substitution.

The lamb without blemish was a picture of being without sin. The people symbolically received the sinless life of the lamb, and the lamb bore the sins of the people and died for them. This symbolized the perfect lamb that would die for the sins of the entire world: What happened with Jesus, however, was not a symbol; it was the reality. There, literally, was a substitution when he died on the cross for the sins of the people. He took the sins of every person in the world and bore the wrath of God for them.

Those who accept Christ as their Lord and Savior will have his work on the cross applied to their account. He bore our sin and the just wrath of God and we took on his perfect righteousness. He took our sin and we received his righteousness. This is what Paul means when he says we are to be presented holy, blameless, and free of accusation in his sight. Listen again to what he says: The only way for man, and therefore creation, to be reconciled was by the substitutionary death of the perfect lamb.

We are now acceptable to God because he sees us as his perfect Son. His righteousness is now applied to our account. Those who are truly born again will naturally desire to live a righteous life. In this substitution, a person truly becomes a new creation in Christ. He changed us so that we can glorify him through the new life and the new righteousness he has given us. True salvation will always result in good works.

Are we living out our new reality in Christ? We are his righteousness and we must seek to live this out daily. He will condemn the believer for his failures and seek to use this condemnation to draw us away from God. There is a difference between conviction and condemnation. A true believer should feel conviction when he sins. True conviction draws us to God and away from sin. However, condemnation will draw us away from God and into sin.

Condemnation will bring depression and anger and will often cause believers to go into seclusion or into worse sin. Do not accept any condemnation from the devil.

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Christ knew and paid in full for each sin we would commit when he died on the cross. This does not give us license to continue in sin. But it should give us confidence to accept his forgiveness and turn from it. Listen to what Paul says: Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen?

It is God who justifies. Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us Rom. Who can rightly bring a charge against a believer? No one can rightly condemn us—not Satan or ourselves. When we fail we must seek forgiveness and continue to walk according to what Christ has done in our lives and who we are in him. In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.

Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness. For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace Rom. Jesus makes us holy through his death 2 Cor. Therefore, we must reject condemnation that comes through our flesh, the devil, or others.

In what ways does Satan commonly come against you with condemnation? How do you discern these lies and battle against them? What is the condition Paul gives for man to be reconciled? How does a person take this step? How does a person receive reconciliation with God? How do they have their friendship renewed? Paul teaches in this text that a person is saved through faith in Christ.

Look again at what he says:. Scripture everywhere would teach that salvation, and thus reconciliation, is by grace. It is by unmerited favor that anyone is saved. We cannot earn it; we cannot work for it. It is a work of grace, but this grace gives us the faith to put our trust in Christ. A person receives this grace from God through an act of faith, an act of trust. What are the characteristics of this faith in Christ that brings reconciliation to those who trust in him? Paul declares that in order for a person to be saved he must have belief or faith.

However, faith is only as good as the object. Because of our sins we are totally separated from a holy God. We will ultimately be separated from him eternally in a burning fire that will not be quenched. It is this reality that drives a person to come to Christ and be saved. He realizes that he needs a savior.

By this gospel you are saved , if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain. For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: This is the content of the gospel. Before recognizing the gospel, we must again understand the bad news. We are separated and under the wrath of a just God because of our sins. This is important to say because there are some in Christianity who would say intellectual belief is enough, but James says even the demons believe and shudder James 2: It has to do with a commitment of the will in following and obeying him.

For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. To believe means to accept Jesus Christ as Lord of our life. It also includes an element of repentance as a person ceases to live his former life and accepts Christ as Lord of his life. A transference of leadership takes place. This is important because many make false confessions.

Christ warned about this in the Sermon on the Mount. Listen to what he said:. Many in the church have only belief, only profession. They have right doctrine. They know that Christ is Lord, and they even serve him in the church but are not truly saved. They have just as much unforgiveness and bitterness as the world.

Away from me, you evildoers. However, after the ceremony this man never sees the lady again. He wears a ring and tells people he is married, but he has no relationship with this wonderful woman. He even has relationships with other women. Is that a marriage? Similarly, lots of people come to church and put on a display before people, but they have no real relationship with Christ.

The message of reconciliation is that we are reconciled to God by faith in the Son. This faith has a doctrinal element: But it also has an element of commitment and obedience to him. When you really believe something it should affect how you live. This is the problem with much of Christianity.

Do you think there is an overwhelming lack of true saving faith in the church? It also should be noted that this faith in Christ that brings reconciliation with God has more to it than a committed belief. Paul gives a conditional clause. If you continue in your faith , established and firm, not moved from the hope held out in the gospel. This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a servant Col. Perseverance of true saving faith is taught throughout Scripture.

True faith will last and spurious faith—false faith—will not. We see a good example of false faith in the Parable of the Sower. Look at the stony ground:. The one who received the seed that fell on rocky places is the man who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. But since he has no root, he lasts only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, he quickly falls away Matt. Jesus taught that many would hear the word of the gospel and even receive it with joy. A plant without roots will die when the wind or the storm comes.

It has nothing to sustain it. This root represents true faith. Many in the church who have emotional displays when they accept Christ fall away and never return after they face peer pressure from friends or family, their faith starts to cost something, or God allows some trial to happen in their life. In the church of Ephesus a Gnostic cult attacked the church and many members fell away from Christ. John said if they belonged to us, meaning if they were truly saved, they would have remained.

He is not simply dealing with members leaving the church. This was a deeper issue. They were leaving the church to follow a false gospel that attacked the deity and humanity of Christ.