Exhortation #4: Renounce and reject those who distort truth

Bible Passage: 1 John 2:18-27

“John argues that not every idea about Jesus Christ is simply a different perspective on the truth, but there are limits beyond which the truth does not extent”

We must not be mislead to embrace ideas that deny Christ’s life, death, and bodily resurrection.

“It is the last hour”. What does he mean by this. Its an eschatological reference meaning after christs resurrection but before his return. It does differ slightly from the term the last day...which seems to refer only to Christ’s return and the day of judgement.

Little “a” antichrists of which there are many. etymology of the word used here. Its a term only used by John. They aren’t just near the end times but were in Johns day and our day today. Literally means adversary of Christ

23 Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There he is!’ do not believe it. 24 For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect.

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Mt 24:23–24). (2025). Crossway Bibles.

We often expect this larger than life type of evil that will be easy to see but just as in Johns day we see the enemy being more subtle than that. These were people that had been a part of the church but have now left and are preaching, well we aren’t told explicitly but we are told it denies Christ.

John shows that we must call out false teaching. We are told to warn our brothers and sisters in Christ as John does here with the antichrists going out with false teachings. Interestingly we don’t know the exact heresy they stated, were the gnostics or docetic? It doesn’t really matter in the end it is a warning against false gospels.

But where do we draw the line? John lists out some non negotiables like Jesus was the Christ, he was the son of God the Father. Whoever confesses the son has the father also . How can we compare this action against what John is talking about in verse 2:10

This idea persists today in the progressive christian community and can be alluring but doctrinally dangerous. Antichrists are those who have and teach a distorted understanding of Christ.

The gospel is true and not a lie. We can abide in that. The word of God is the objective standard of truth against which we must measure all claims of spiritual knowledge.

This letter is written to the churhc those that already know the truth.

Truth is objective and exclusive “because no lie is of the truth”