One of the major heresies...
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One of the major heresies that threatened the early church was the heresy of Gnosticism which over-emphasized the world of the spirit at the expense of the flesh. The writer of this first letter of John sought to combat such heresy by showing that the disciples not only heard Jesus speak but that they saw him, touched him, and knew him intimately.
An example of the Gnostic heresy is seen in Irenaeus' book, Against Heresies, where he describes Cerinthus' teaching:
"A certain Cerinthus also in Asia taught that the world was not made by the first God but by a certain virtue far separated and removed from the principality, which is above all things, a virtue that knows not the God over all. He added that Jesus was not born of a virgin but was the son of Joseph and Mary, like other men... and that after his baptism, Christ descended upon him in the form of a dove; from that principality which is above all things and that then he revealed the unknown Father and performed deeds of virtue, but in the end Christ flew back, leaving Jesus, and Jesus suffered and rose again, but Christ remained impassible, being by nature spiritual."
An example of the Gnostic heresy is seen in Irenaeus' book, Against Heresies, where he describes Cerinthus' teaching:
"A certain Cerinthus also in Asia taught that the world was not made by the first God but by a certain virtue far separated and removed from the principality, which is above all things, a virtue that knows not the God over all. He added that Jesus was not born of a virgin but was the son of Joseph and Mary, like other men... and that after his baptism, Christ descended upon him in the form of a dove; from that principality which is above all things and that then he revealed the unknown Father and performed deeds of virtue, but in the end Christ flew back, leaving Jesus, and Jesus suffered and rose again, but Christ remained impassible, being by nature spiritual."
