Antichrist?

We in the 21st century Church often look back on the first century church as if it was "the good ole days". We read about the early church in the books of Acts and the letters of Paul and assume it was this loving, problem-free community of believers who "had everything in common, selling property and possessions to give to anyone who had need" (Acts 2:44-45). We imagine them huddled around a fire together holding hands and singing "Kum Ba Yah."

But the early church was wrought with challenges, some of the most notable being the dangerous sects and cults which developed. One of these cults in particular, the "Gnostics", began teaching that Jesus didn't actually come to earth in bodily form, but only as a spirit, or ghost. The reasoning behind this was that they believed everything physical that we can see with our eyes is evil (such as the human body), and everything invisible that we cannot see is good (such as the human spirit & soul). Therefore, they thought Jesus couldn't have actually had a real body because that would have made Him evil, and He certainly wasn't evil.

This teaching was particularly dangerous because if Jesus didn't have a real human body, He couldn't have actually spilled His blood on the cross, and it's only by His shed blood that we are forgiven, for "without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness" (Heb. 9:22). As crazy as this teaching sounds, it was a major deception in the early church and led many people astray.

Those in the cult of gnosticism were known as being "antichrist" because they were "against" Christ or "ANTI" Jesus coming in the flesh.

The disciple John was very close with Jesus. In his gospel, John referred to himself as the disciple whom Jesus loved. John was also the disciple who laid his head upon Jesus' chest at the last supper, and the disciple who stood at the foot of the cross while Jesus was being crucified, watching his blood being spilled out. Before His death Jesus even told John to watch over his mother Mary. It's safe to say that John was probably closer to Jesus than anyone. And, John definitely knew that Jesus had a physical body. He laid his head on Jesus' chest for crying out loud.

So, John addressed this heresy head on. John wrote four books in the New Testament: the gospel of John along with three letters. In the first two of his letters, we read about this false teaching called "antichrist." These short two letters are the only places in the Bible which refer to "antichrist."

"For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist." - 2 John 1:7

"This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world." - 1 John 4:2-3 [Note that "antichrist" was already in the world in the first century]

"Dear children, this is the last hour; and as you have heard that the antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come. This is how we know it is the last hour.." - 1 John 2:18 [Also note that according to John, the "last hour" was in the first century]

"Who is a liar but he that denies that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denies the Father and the Son." - 1 John 2:22

The above verses from the letters of John are the ONLY places the word "antichrist" is used in the Bible and each time he is addressing the false teaching of gnosticism. Interestingly, the word "antichrist" is nowhere in the book of Revelation.

"Antichrist" is nothing more than the first century cult of gnosticism along with those to taught it. In spite of what we might read in the fictional book series "Left Behind", Hollywood movies and many well-intentioned pastors today, gnosticism (antichrist) is 2000 years behind us.

What a tangled web we have weaved since then. Because we have distanced ourselves so far from the historical context, we have made the first century cult of antichrist about a future Satan-inspired one world ruler. It's not exactly what John had in mind.

There is often a big difference between popular Christianity and historical Christianity. We need not fear a future world leader named "antichrist". When Jesus said He now has all authority in heaven and on earth, He meant it.

"That which was from the beginning, which we have HEARD, which we have SEEN with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have TOUCHED—this we proclaim concerning the Word of life." - 1 John 1:1