Literature

From the Beginning

The Apostle John was in the midst of a savage persecution. He was prob­ably imprisoned on the isle of Patmos when he wrote his three epistles. Traitors were taking control of God’s own churches. John’s response was to teach them what is probably the most profound truth in the Bible. Tragic­ally, most of God’s own people didn’t get it! His message may apply even more to God’s people in this end time—in the midst of a great falling away. Our greatest challenge today is to comprehend what John taught!

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Excerpt

God has revealed to me a much deeper understanding of the Apostle John’s epistles. I believe the subject “from the beginning” is the very deepest in the Bible! Only people who are strongly dedicated to God can hope to have this understanding revealed to them!

John was an old man when he wrote i, ii and iii John. He was the only original apostle left alive. A violent persecution was raging against God’s Church. Many biblical scholars think John was writing these epistles from the isle of Patmos, where he was a prisoner. False leaders were getting control of some of God’s own churches. Diotrephes rebelled and took over one church area from John. The Apostle John saw these problems coming and gave God’s people the most profound and magnificent truth to combat this heresy. But most of them didn’t get it.

We must get John’s message, or we are certain to be deceived! I will show you that this is a message to all of God’s churches—especially to God’s Church in this end time.

John was preaching to many Gentiles. “Because that for his name’s sake they went forth, taking nothing of the Gentiles” (iii John 7). John had taken over Paul’s work to the Gentiles because Paul was beheaded about a.d. 67. The persecution continued to rage. These Gentiles were not even asked to support God’s work in Ephesus (located in Turkey today). John thought that asking for God’s commanded tithes could add a stumbling block at this stage.

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Table of Contents

Chapter 1: God and the Word Read
Chapter 2: The Two Trees Read
Chapter 3: How Lucifer Failed Read
Chapter 4: The Laodicean Era Read

About The Author

Gerald Flurry is the presenter of the Key of David television program and the editor in chief of the Philadelphia Trumpet newsmagazine. He is the founder and pastor general of the Philadelphia Church of God, chancellor of Herbert W. Armstrong College and chairman of the Armstrong International Cultural Foundation.
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