The first letter of John continues to speak to christian communities today. Every so often we find people who share our baptism and anointing go on to speak as if they are valid christians, but who do not speak the truth. John speaking of the end times may be an echo of the early christians (those in the first few years following Christ's resurrection) who believed that the end of all time was imminent, but by the time John was writing this letter it is perhaps more likely that John is simply reminding us that we each of us will face the judgement together at the end of time. So, those who have had every reason to believe the truth but have chosen to speak against it - they have made their own choice about their judgement. We can be sad about this, but must simply continue to be witnesses to the truth by the lives that we lead.
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