At the time when those words were spoken the prophetic plan was still in view. But after Israel was temporarily set aside things changed. The Jewish believers were told to be expecting the appearance of the Lord Jesus and that when that happened they would put on bodies just like His body at the rapture:
"Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is" (1 Jn.3:2).
Since only members of the Body of Christ will be caught up at the rapture we know that John's epistles were addressed to members of the Church, which is His Body.
More like since YOU insist that YOUR two plus two equals five...
For not only have you just now contradicted your post to me above that one to DanP, but you have also proven once more your inability to sort out even a simple passage like 1 John 3:2, due to your arriving at it with some other idea already in mind.
That passage is referring to the "Prophesied" 2nd Coming NOT to the Mystery's UnProphesied Pre-Trib Rapture.
Overall N-A-R-R-A-T-I-V-E Jerry - overall Flow - Of - Thought....
:doh:
John 1:10 He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. 1:11 He came unto his own, and his own received him not. 1:12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: 1:13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. 1:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
"The world" John is referring to is obvious...
"His Own" - Believing and Unbelieving Israelites...
John 5:39 Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me. 5:40 And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life. 5:41 I receive not honour from men. 5:42 But I know you, that ye have not the love of God in you. 5:43 I am come in my Father's name, and ye receive me not: if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive. 5:44 How can ye believe, which receive honour one of another, and seek not the honour that cometh from God only? 5:45 Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father: there is one that accuseth you, even Moses, in whom ye trust. 5:46 For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me: for he wrote of me. 5:47 But if ye believe not his writings, how shall ye believe my words?
In contrast to...
John 15:14 Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you. 15:15 Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you. 15:16 Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you. 15:17 These things I command you, that ye love one another. 15:18 If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. 15:19 If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. 15:20 Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also. 15:21 But all these things will they do unto you for my name's sake, because they know not him that sent me.
What does 1 John begin with - these same issues...
1 John 1:1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life; 1:2 (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us; ) 1:3 That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.
Which gives us the ACTUAL sense of the following...
1 John 3:1 Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. 3:2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. 3:3 And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure. 3:4 Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law. 3:5 And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin.
The ACTUAL sense of the following then?
A bit more on this "world" that John is ACTUALLY referring to...
Acts 2:5 And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven. 2:6 Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language. 2:7 And they were all amazed and marvelled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak Galilaeans?
2:12 And they were all amazed, and were in doubt, saying one to another, What meaneth this? 2:13 Others mocking said, These men are full of new wine. 2:14 But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said unto them, Ye men of Judaea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my words:
2:22 Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know:
Now, in light of ALL THAT, lets attempt to sort out the ACTUAL sense of the following...
Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us (the Little Flock), that we (the Little Flock) should be called the sons of God: therefore the world (Unbelieving Israel) knoweth us not, because it knew him not. Beloved, NOW ARE WE (the Little Flock) TYE SONS OF GOD, and (BUT) it doth NOT YET appear (to Unbelieving Israel) what we (the Little Flock) shall be (before Unbelieving Iarael's very eyes): BUT WE KNOW that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.
The ACTUAL sense of the rest of that?
John 1:47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and saith of him, Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile!
1:49 Nathanael answered and saith unto him, Rabbi, thou art the Son of God; thou art the King of Israel.
1:51 And he saith unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Hereafter ye shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man.
When, as to verse 51?
Genesis 28:10 And Jacob went out from Beersheba, and went toward Haran. 28:11 And he lighted upon a certain place, and tarried there all night, because the sun was set; and he took of the stones of that place, and put them for his pillows, and lay down in that place to sleep. 28:12 And he dreamed, and behold a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven: and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it. 28:13 And, behold, the LORD stood above it, and said, I am the LORD God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac: the land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed; 28:14 And thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and thou shalt spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south: and in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed.
1 John 3:3 And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.
Bad enough that incompetents - who continually fail to rightly divide the word of truth as to its things that differ - have failed to see the CONTINUANCE of ISRAEL's Land Promise in MANY a nuance WITHIN the Lord's various assertions - including those assertions of His having to do with His RETURN...
Matthew 25:31 When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:
You, on the other hand, Jerry, have no excuse for insisting on fusing together into your hybrid, those things that differ in Scripture, between Israel's and the Body's Promises.
For you, supposedly hold a "Mid-Acts Perspective."
Rom. 14: 5; in memory of Rom. 5: 6-8 - in each our stead.