Many Antichrists Have Come
Truth Taught- Anyone who denies the essential truths found in the Scriptures is the Antichrist
We must guard against desiring new and novel things when it comes to Christianity.
As fallen sinners, we are tempted to always seek something new. Mankind is always on the quest for new and better than what he already has. Sometimes this is good. Usually, it’s not good. It’s good when your car is on its last leg and its better to purchase something safer and more reliable. It’s not good when it pushes your mind and finances to always have the latest thing so as to keep up with everyone else.
When it comes to our faith, it’s not good to be searching for the latest thing someone has taught. A new teaching is not good because it will be deficient or completely wrong. Rather than desiring some new teaching much like the sophists and Greek philosophers did, we must go back. We must seek to learn the Gospel as the Apostles taught it, not a new gospel taught by modern man.
The early Church sought to achieve a safeguard in this area when she developed the Doctrine of Apostolic Succession. What Apostolic Succession is, is the teaching that if you can trace back through and get to the Apostles then you can arrive at truth. So, for example the Apostle Peter and Mark were together and so if you can learn who they taught in the years to follow and then who that person taught and so one down through the centuries you will be guarded against false teaching. All that sounds okay on the surface but there is a major flaw. You cannot do that because we don’t have the sources to tell us the order. Then another flaw in that thinking is we already have the writings of the original Apostles why not just go with what they tell us as God’s selected spokesmen.
So, the Catholic Church in seeking truth swerved off the road into a ditch as the Church began electing Popes who were to be those in the succession of the Apostles and raised their teaching equal to or even above the Scriptures. This was a major flaw in their thinking and teaching and to blame for where they are today.
All that to say, we must go back to the original Apostles and what they taught found in the Scriptures rather than moving forward into man’s wisdom.
This is what John is seeking to teach his church.
These who were trying to teach false doctrines to his Church were former Church members who had broken away and left the Church. Commentators refer to these people as the secessionists. These are the anti-Christs John refers to here in this section.
Because of our modern-day fascination with end-times, every time we hear the title anti-christ, we assume some world ruler who will do Satan’s bidding at the last day. That’s not what John is referring to here. Here, the anti-christ is anyone who denies that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and teaches something different than the true Gospel.
1 John 2:18–27 (ESV)
18 Children, it is the last hour, and as you have heard that antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have come. Therefore we know that it is the last hour. 19 They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out, that it might become plain that they all are not of us. 20 But you have been anointed by the Holy One, and you all have knowledge. 21 I write to you, not because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and because no lie is of the truth. 22 Who is the liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, he who denies the Father and the Son. 23 No one who denies the Son has the Father. Whoever confesses the Son has the Father also. 24 Let what you heard from the beginning abide in you. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, then you too will abide in the Son and in the Father. 25 And this is the promise that he made to us—eternal life.
26 I write these things to you about those who are trying to deceive you. 27 But the anointing that you received from him abides in you, and you have no need that anyone should teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about everything, and is true, and is no lie—just as it has taught you, abide in him.
1. Many Antichrists Have Already Come (2:18-19)
18 Children, it is the last hour, and as you have heard that antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have come. Therefore we know that it is the last hour. 19 They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out, that it might become plain that they all are not of us.
John wants his Church and our Church to understand the time in which we live. We live first of all in the New Covenant marked by the appearing of the Messiah, Jesus the Son of God. John tells us that we are in not just the Last Days but the last hour. By this designation which is the only time this phrase is used in the Bible, John wants us to see when we live and with whom we live… we live in time of the anti-christs
John addresses his Church and us as Children or Little Children. He sees them as a parent would see his children and have a desire to watch over them and protect them. John is a shepherd of his Church and desires to care for the flock that God has given him.
His heart is to guard them especially from false teaching. Here he identifies those teachers as the ones who had once been a part of the Church but have left. They know who they are and John calls them the antichrist.
We don’t know why they left but it had something to do with a different doctrine and practices that John and the rest of the Church had.
With what John calls these people who left, it seems there is a strong connection to them and their teaching to what would become the Roman Catholic Church.
When John uses the term antichrist he is telling us that they and their teaching not only oppose Jesus but they seek to replace Him.
When the Greek anti– is placed as a prefix to a name, here it’s antichristos then it means that another person seeks to show opposition to, be equal to, or substitute for that person.
This is exactly what the role of the Catholic Pope has been through the centuries. He has set himself up as an antichrist and perhaps even the Antichrist as the reformers thought.
Mark 13:22–23 (ESV)
22 For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform signs and wonders, to lead astray, if possible, the elect. 23 But be on guard; I have told you all things beforehand.
The Antichrist figure is presented in 2 Thess 2, Matthew 24, Mark 13, 1,2 John and Revelation 12,13.
In each case there are things very helpful for our understanding of our text for today. First, there is coming a very powerful antichrist figure. Second there is a distinction within the Scriptures that separate the Antichrist figure with the spirit of antichrist or lesser antichrists whose influence is already felt. Third, the function or purpose of the antichrists or the Antichrist is to deceive the Church.
Here, John identifies his opponents who had created a schism within the Church and then later seeking to draw others away with a different teaching as antichrist. About a century later the Church Father Tertullian would also encounter adversaries and label them as antichrists. We know that in the centuries to follow, the Reformers labeled their opponents, the Catholic Church as antichrist.
From John to Tertullian to the Reformers to our modern day, the antichrist will seek to divide the Church and create breaks within the fellowship and then after a portion leaves the Church, false doctrine and teaching will take place. Probably, this is due to the fact that the new community must show itself different than the old. The goal is to deceive and draw away.
Throughout the Middle Ages, the Church was for the most part following the antichrist. He had led them astray and the true Church was the great minority until the reformation came.
Because antichrists are present now and will always set themselves up against the true Church, John gives us armament to be used against them…
2. Armed Against Being Deceived (2:19-25)
19 They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out, that it might become plain that they all are not of us. 20 But you have been anointed by the Holy One, and you all have knowledge. 21 I write to you, not because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and because no lie is of the truth. 22 Who is the liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, he who denies the Father and the Son. 23 No one who denies the Son has the Father. Whoever confesses the Son has the Father also. 24 Let what you heard from the beginning abide in you. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, then you too will abide in the Son and in the Father. 25 And this is the promise that he made to us—eternal life.
What the Antichrists did…
The First thing they did was that when the Gospel and truth was continually preached and taught, eventually the group left the Church.
19 They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out, that it might become plain that they all are not of us.
Here the Greek is very clear and direct. It was their leaving that proved who they were. They were not really believers and they were not really Christians. The constant truth presented in the Church eventually wore them down and they left. Their souls were not fed when the truth was presented. They did not love the truth. They were never satisfied with only truth they wanted more. They wanted something flashier than truth. They were of the opinion that the Bible taught and preached would never grow a church there had to be more. They didn’t love the Scriptures nor did they spend time reading and studying them. They just were not all that interested in the Bible and in truth so they finally left.
Secondly, John shows us the difference between the antichrists and the Church.
20 But you have been anointed by the Holy One, and you all have knowledge. 21 I write to you, not because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and because no lie is of the truth
As believers we have an anointing. You know this is the only place where the Greek word translated as anointing appears in the entire Bible. Anointed appears but there it’s mostly used to refer to Jesus being anointed with the Holy Spirit.
So, what is our anointing all about? It has to do with discernment and knowledge when it comes to the teaching of the Scriptures. We, the Church, who are converted have this anointing and those who do not believe and do not have the Holy Spirit don’t have it.
At salvation we who believe are endowed with the Holy Spirit and here in this case John highlights the fact that the Holy Spirit will give us knowledge of the Scriptures and of Jesus as we read them.
Third, the Antichrist is the liar who denies that Jesus is the Son of God
22 Who is the liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, he who denies the Father and the Son. 23 No one who denies the Son has the Father. Whoever confesses the Son has the Father also.
Antichrists lie and seek to lure away the Church with cunning deceptions that seem to be, at least on the surface, good sounding theology.
These would be groups who deny the Trinity…
Mormons, Jehovah Witnesses, Christian Science, Armstrongism, Oneness Pentecostals, Unification Church, Scientologists, Unitarians.
Mormons and JWs are those who teach Jesus is a created being, they are the antichrist.
These groups would be considered antichrists. They seek to lead away the true Church because they call themselves Christians and yet they teach contrary to the plain and clear teaching of the Bible.
23 No one who denies the Son has the Father. Whoever confesses the Son has the Father also.
Forth, the true Christian abides in the old teachings.
24 Let what you heard from the beginning abide in you. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, then you too will abide in the Son and in the Father. 25 And this is the promise that he made to us—eternal life.
Beloved hold fast to the Gospel preached by Jesus and the Apostles. Maintain that original truth. Realize all new teachings are wrong and do not align with the Bible. When someone expressesd some new teaching understand that we have over 2000 years now of people studying the Bible and this person presenting a new teaching, thinks that they have found something that others for 2000 years have missed they are wrong. The new teachings of Joseph Smith and Charles Taze Russell are wrong. Do not follow them.
John tells us to abide in the old Gospel message that when we heard it, we were saved. Don’t let go of that and chase some new thing.
We who abide in Christ and the original Gospel have a promise from God. John tells us that we are promised eternal life. No new teaching can lead us to eternal life.
3. John’s Purpose (2:26-27)
26 I write these things to you about those who are trying to deceive you. 27 But the anointing that you received from him abides in you, and you have no need that anyone should teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about everything, and is true, and is no lie—just as it has taught you, abide in him.
We see here that John’s Church is being targeted by those who left the Church. These are the seducers who would seek to draw away those from the true Church to begin another Church with what they promote as better theology.
John tells us that we have the Holy Spirit who teaches us Christ. As we read the Bible our hearts are warmed as we read about Jesus. He is the perfect match for our souls. It’s like we are the iron filings and Jesus is the magnet. We are drawn to Him through the truths of Scripture.
you have no need that anyone should teach you- This means to teach you something new. We have a great need for gifted pastors and teachers who teach truth to teach us but no need to be taught something new.
Application-
What is the Gospel that was preached by the Apostles in which those original Christians believed unto salvation?
1 Corinthians 15:1–6 (ESV)
15 Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, 2 and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain.
3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. 6 Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep.
Jesus died for the purpose of paying our sin debt and freeing us from the penalty of our sin.
Jesus was dead and buried.
Jesus rose from the dead on the third day.
Jesus appeared to many after the resurrection.
Trust in these truths that all the Apostles have taught us in the Bible is absolutely true and must be believed in order to have eternal life.
Exalt Christ
Resources Used:
1 John by Kruse
1 John by Marshall
Words of Blessing
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