The antichrists and the Antichrist

April 5 (Tuesday)

 

Late in the first century, the church expected Jesus to return. This return was expected in their generation. Eventually, that hope faded and returned to consciousness over the next two thousand years. One of the key concepts was the “Antichrist.”

 

The only New Testament writer to specifically address this specifically by the name "antichrist" was John. We tend to understand "antichrist" as both a spirit and a person (generally a specific person with the "a" capitalized). Let’s start with how John describes the antichrist. “Little children, it is the last hour. Just as you have heard that the antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have appeared. This is how we know it is the last hour.” [1 John 2:18 CEB]

 

It appears as if John did not originate the word, but only used it as a word already circulating. Most likely, this word developed from Jesus’ warning. “False christs and false prophets will appear, and they will offer great signs and wonders in order to deceive, if possible, even those whom God has chosen.” [Matthew 24:24 CEB] We know of one individual who was known by an apostle's name who was a sorcerer.

 

However, it is likely John is applying the word to a specific cult teaching that plagued the early church. John claims, “Who is the liar? Isn’t it the person who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This person is the antichrist: the one who denies the Father and the Son.” [1 John 2:22 CEB] Specifically, these false teachers denied the deity of Jesus. Doing so, they deny the way and means of salvation is only through Jesus. You and look at it this way: deny Jesus as the only way and means of salvation equals denying His divinity.

 

John is concerned, “If what you heard from the beginning remains in you, you will also remain in relationship to the Son and in the Father.” [1 John 2:24b CEB] The “if’ conveys uncertainty or the possibility those John wrote to would be deceived, drawn away, and (by implication) destroyed by this lie. The older I get, the less I like the possibility.