Ep 237: The Antichrists

In this episode I discuss the antichrists” a group of people who appear exclusively in 1 and 2 John. John describes “the antichrists” in 1 John 2:18-25, 4:1-6, and 2 John 1:7-11. Despite many popular eschatological interpretations which a singular antichrist figure who signals the end of time, John specifically defines what he means by the term. The antichrists (John uses the plural) are literally ‘against Christ’; they were once a part of the believing community but chose to leave and are not an individual but rather a type of person. They are characterized by denying two beliefs: one, that Jesus is the Messiah, or ‘Christ’ (hence antichrist) and two, denying that Jesus came in the flesh. The term ‘antichrist’ appears nowhere else in the New Testament. I discuss how modern statist Christians are essentially denying the Messianic identity of Jesus, denying that which makes him Christ, and are in danger of following down the path of those John labels antichrists.