Any contradictions I’ve read on calendars over the years usually seem to come about when writers quote from New Age versions and not the true Bible. Something of this nature happened again on the 20 August 2013 calendar.

The ideas behind what the writer K C U shared were probably fair enough but right in the middle of the comment we read:

The whole world lies in the wicked one.
(1 John 5:19 most New Age ‘versions’)
and in the same breath the writer is quoting from a passage that also says:

and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ (1 John 5:20)

The present ‘god of this world’ would like to think that we are all in his power, as in the New Age version of verse 19. But this verse is not a discussion about that. What verse 19 really says is: And we know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness. [not in the wicked one as the New Age bibles will say.]

This is quite in keeping with what verse 18 says when it points out: We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not; but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not.

The believer is not as the unbeliever who freely does the works of the “wicked one” (v18 not 19). The believer is begotten of God and keepeth himself, and because of this that wicked one toucheth him not. (italics quoted from verse 18) In complete contrast to the believer, those who are not believers, i.e. the whole world, that group lieth in wickedness. (italics quoted from verse 19)

The context of this is the earlier group of verses (16 & 17) that speak about sin. The believer’s new life in Christ is not characterised by sin as is the life of the unbeliever (v18). Then verse 19 says that the believer knows that they are of God, but the whole world (speaking of unbelievers) lieth in wickedness. Now get this: the unbeliever is so busy living in wickedness, as described in the context of verses 16-18 (and what verse 19 puts as lieth in wickedness) that they don’t even know who their master is. Think about it – you know that’s the truth because if they did really know, they would do something about it. And they don’t.

For some thoughts on something similar see 16 August 2012 Calendar Reading.