Foreword -- Table of Contents -- Introduction -- Chapter 1: Options for Identifying the Opponents of 1 John -- I. The Basic Questions -- II. Five Views of the Opponents -- III. Ultra-Johannine Opponents -- A. The Role of the Johannine Community Hypothesis -- B. Reconstructions of the Community's History -- C. Weaknesses of the Ultra-Johannine Theory -- IV. Gnostic Opponents -- A. Exegetical Basis for the Theory of Gnostic Opponents -- B. Weaknesses with the Theory of Gnostic Opponents -- 1. Dating Issues -- 2. Methodological Issues -- 3. Gnostic Use of 1 John -- 4. The Definition Debate -- a. Methods of Definition -- b. The Messina Definition -- c. Two Recent Contributions -- d. Earlier Challenges -- e. Incipient Gnosticism? -- C. Conclusion -- V. Docetic Opponents -- A. Exegetical Basis for the Theory of Docetic Opponents -- 1. Explicitly Anti-Docetic Passages -- 2. Implicitly Anti-Docetic Passages -- B. Types of Docetism -- 1. Monophysite Theories -- a. Marcion and Saturninus -- b. The Opponents of Ignatius of Antioch -- c. The Acts of John -- d. Other Texts -- 2. Ouranosarkic Theories -- 3. Replacement Theories -- C. Origins of Docetism -- 1. Greek Dualism -- 2. High Christology -- 3. Christological Prophecy -- D. Weaknesses with the Theory of Docetic Opponents -- VI. Cerinthian Opponents -- A. Exegetical Basis for the Theory of Cerinthian Opponents -- B. Ancient Evidence for Cerinthianism and Johannine Anti-Cerinthianism -- 1. Epistula Apostolorum -- 2. Irenaeus -- 3. Hippolytus -- 4. Pseudo-Tertullian -- 5. Victorinus -- 6. Dionysius of Alexandria -- 7. Eusebius -- 8. Epiphanius -- C. Scholarly Reconstructions of Cerinthus -- 1. Cerinthus the Chiliast -- 2. Cerinthus the Gnostic -- 3. Cerinthus the Jewish Gnostic -- D. Weaknesses of the Theory of Cerinthian Opponents.

1. The Dearth of Reliable Ancient Evidence -- 2. The Questionable Relevance of the Ancient Evidence -- 3. Other Possible Separationist Opponents -- VII. Opponents Who Devalue Jesus -- A. Exegetical Basis for the Theory of Opponents who Devalue Jesus -- 1. Raymond Brown's Reconstruction -- 2. Urban Von Wahlde's Reconstruction -- B. Weaknesses of the Theory of Opponents who Devalue Jesus -- 1. Weaknesses of Brown's Proposal -- 2. Weaknesses of Von Wahlde's Proposal -- VIII. Jewish Opponents -- A. The Exegetical Basis for the Theory of Jewish Opponents -- B. Previous Contributions to the Jewish Apostate View -- 1. Alois Wurm -- 2. J. C. O'Neill -- 3. Hartwig Thyen -- 4. Dietrich Rusam -- 5. Terry Griffith -- 6. Birger Olsson -- 7. Ben Witherington -- C. Objections to the Jewish Apostate View -- 1. The Opponents are "Christians" -- 2. The Non-Jewish Context of the Epistles -- 3. The Lack of Scriptural Citations -- IX. Conclusion -- Chapter 2: The Methodology of Mirror-Reading -- I. The Maximalist Mirror-Reading Approach -- A. Kenneth Grayston's Reconstruction -- B. Raymond Brown's Reconstruction -- C. The Interpretive Logic of Maximalist Mirror-Readings of 1 John -- II. An Alternative Approach -- A. The Limited Role of the Secession in the Letter -- B. The Generalized Nature of the Warnings -- C. Pastoral Discourse in 1 John 2:18-27 -- D. The Preventative Nature of the Warnings in 1 John 4:1-6 -- E. The Reassuring Rhetoric of 1 John 5:6 -- F. The Pastoral Intent of the Ethical Instruction -- G. The Illegitimacy of the Schlagwörter Approach -- H. The Use and Misuse of Historical Parallels -- I. A Call for Restraint and Realism -- III. Conclusion -- Chapter 3: 1 John 2:18-27: Jesus is the Messiah -- I. Major Interpretations of this Passage -- A. Anti-Cerinthian -- B. Weaknesses of the Anti-Cerinthian View -- C. Anti-Docetist.

D. Weaknesses of the Anti-Docetist View -- E. Against Devaluation of Jesus -- F. Weaknesses of the Anti-Devaluation View -- G. Anti-Ebionite -- H. Weaknesses of the Anti-Ebionite View -- II. An Alternative: Jewish-Christian Apostates -- A. The Eschatological Setting of the Secession (v. 18) -- B. The Secession and its Purpose (v. 19) -- C. Anointing and Knowledge (vv. 20-21) -- 1. Reassurance of the Audience's Status -- 2. The Anointing from the Holy One -- D. The Antichrists' Denial (vv. 22-23) -- 1. Truth and Falsehood in the Eschatological Crisis -- 2. Proper Relation to the Father Depends upon Confession of the Son -- 3. The Main Issue: Jesus' Messiahship -- E. Maintaining the Original Message (vv. 24-25) -- 1. The Nature of the Message -- 2. The Beginning -- F. Further Reassurance (vv. 26-27) -- G. Summary -- III. Conclusion -- Chapter 4: 1 John 4:1-6: Jesus is the Messiah in the Flesh -- I. Opposing Overspiritualized Christianity -- II. Opposing Anti-Sacramentalism -- III. Opposing Cerinthian Christology -- A. Not Confessing "Jesus" -- B. The Text-Critical Question in 1 John 4:3 -- C. Weaknesses of the Anti-Cerinthian Interpretation -- 1. The Meaning of Xqictoc -- 2. Could a Cerinthian Confess Inaoüv Xqictov èv aaQKi eAnAuGoxa? -- 3. Does the Perfect Tense Indicate Permanence? -- IV. Opposing Docetic Christology -- A. Early Anti-Docetic Interpretation of 1 John 4:2 -- 1. Polycarp -- 2. Tertullian -- 3. Third Corinthians -- B. Weaknesses of the Anti-Docetic Interpretation -- 1. Grammatical Issues -- 2. The Use of "Jesus" in 4:3 -- 3. Methodological Issues -- 4. The Value of Early Interpretations of 1 John 4:2 -- 5. The Brevity, Lack of Elaboration, and Obscurity of the Confession -- 6. Docetist Confessions of the Flesh of Jesus Christ -- a. Ways of Affirming the Incarnation Docetically.

b. The Excerpta ex Theodoto -- c. The Gospel of Philip -- d. The Tripartite Tractate -- e. The Treatise on the Resurrection -- f. The Trimorphic Protennoia -- g. The Gospel of Thomas -- 7. A Possible Response -- 8. Non-Polemical Parallels to 1 John 4:2 -- a. Romans 1:3-4 -- b. Romans 8:3 -- c. Romans 9:5 -- d. First Timothy 3:16 -- e. First Peter 3:18, 22 -- f. Other NT Texts -- g. ? Psalmic Source? -- h. The Epistle of Barnabas -- i. The Testament of Benjamin -- j. Gnostic Texts -- k. "In Flesh" as Simple Presence -- l. Conclusion -- V. Opposing the Devaluation of the Earthly Life of Jesus -- A. The Meaning of "Flesh" -- B. The Meaning of "Coming" -- C. Not Confessing Jesus -- D. The Johannine Origins of the Opponents' Error -- 1. Overemphasis on Pre-Existence -- 2. Overemphasis on the Spirit -- E. The Ethical Byproduct of Devaluing Jesus -- VI. Opposing the Devaluation of the Death of Jesus -- A. "Coming in the Flesh" as Death -- B. Overemphasis on Jesus' Baptism -- C. Ethical Implications -- D. Relationship of 1 John 4:2 to Other Opponent Passages in the Letter -- E. Weaknesses of the Anti-Devaluation View -- 1. An Unlikely Interpretation of "Coming in Flesh" -- 2. "Coming in Flesh" Does Not Refer to Jesus' Death -- 3. A Johannine Origin for the Opponents' View? -- 4. Is 1 John 4:2 an Expanded Confession? -- 5. The Use of "Jesus" in 1 John 4:3 -- VII. An Alternative Interpretation -- A. The Immediate Context -- B. Testing the Spirits (v. 1) -- 1. Testing the Spirits in Other Early Christian Texts -- 2. The Apocalyptic Setting -- 3. The Mission of the False Prophets -- 4. The OT Background of Testing the Prophets -- C. The Criteria of Testing (vv. 2-3) -- D. Assurance of Victory (v. 4) -- E. The World's Reception of the False Prophets (vv. 5-6) -- F. The Confession of 4:2-3 in Context.

1. The Confession Deals with the Foundational Belief of the Community -- 2. The Confession is the Community's Original Confession -- 3. The Confession is Materially the Same as That of 2:22 -- G. The Grammar of the Confession -- 1. The Use of Χριστός -- 2. Χριστός as a Title -- 3. The Lack of the Article -- a. John 9:22 -- b. Other Anarthrous Parallels -- c. Second-Century Evidence -- d. Evidence from Ancient Titulature -- e. The Compressed Character of Confessions -- 4. Where is the Emphasis? -- a. The Participial Grammar -- b. The Confession of "Jesus" -- c. The Role of èv craoKL -- 5. The Confessional Character of 1 John 4:2 -- 6. The Primitive and Catholic Character of 1 John 4:2 -- 7. The Confession of the Coming Messiah in the Fourth Gospel -- H. The Identity of the Opponents in 1 John 4:1-6 -- 1. Methodological Caution in Mirror-Reading 1 John 4:1-6 -- 2. The Opponents as Visiting Jewish Prophets -- 3. Are the False Prophets Secessionists? -- 4. The Reuse of the Fourth Gospel's Polemic -- VIII. Conclusion -- Chapter 5: 1 John 5:6-12: Three Witnesses to Jesus the Messiah -- I. Against Docetism -- A. "Water and Blood" Refers to Real Physical Birth -- 1. Water and Blood in Ancient Reproductive Science -- 2. A Variation: "Water" = Physical Birth -- B. "Water and Blood" Refers to Real Physical Death -- C. Weaknesses of the Anti-Docetic Interpretation -- 1. Problems with the Mandaean Parallel -- 2. Problems with the Parallel in the Acts of John -- 3. Blood and Water in Other Docetic Texts -- 4. Lack of Evidence for "Water and Blood" as Birth -- 5. Anti-docetism and John 19:34-35 -- 6. The Role of the Spirit -- 7. Water and Blood as Witnesses -- II. Against Anti-Sacramentalism -- A. The Symbolic Use of Water and Blood for the Sacraments -- B. Polemic against Anti-Sacramentalism.

C. Water-only Eucharists in the Early Church.