What characteristics identify "many antichrists" mentioned in 1 John 2:18? The Setting in 1 John 2:18 “Children, it is the last hour; and 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.” Why Their Appearance Matters • Their presence signals “the last hour” (imminence, urgency). • They preview the ultimate “antichrist” still to come. Core Characteristics Drawn from 1 John 2 and Related Passages • Deny Jesus as the Messiah – “Who is the liar if not the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist…” (1 John 2:22). • Reject the Father-Son relationship – “…He who denies the Father and the Son.” (1 John 2:22-23). • Depart from true fellowship – “They went out from us, but they did not belong to us…” (1 John 2:19). – Their exit reveals a lack of genuine conversion. • Operate through deception and lies – “I have not written to you because you do not know the truth, but because you do know it, and because no lie comes from the truth.” (1 John 2:21). – They twist doctrine while claiming enlightenment. • Lack the Spirit’s anointing – True believers “have an anointing from the Holy One” (1 John 2:20); antichrists do not, even if they claim spiritual insight. • Refuse to acknowledge Jesus’ incarnation – “Every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist…” (1 John 4:3). – “Many deceivers…do not confess Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh; this is the deceiver and the antichrist.” (2 John 7). Additional Biblical Markers • Claim authority or salvation apart from Christ (Matthew 24:5, 24). • Promote lawlessness and self-exaltation (2 Thessalonians 2:3-4). • Introduce destructive heresies while denying the Master (2 Peter 2:1). Practical Takeaways for Believers • Stay anchored in the apostolic message (1 John 2:24). • Rely on the Spirit’s anointing for discernment (1 John 2:27). • Test every teaching against the confession that Jesus is the Christ come in the flesh (1 John 4:2). |
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