1 John 2:18-24

Observations:

v. 18, ANTICHRIST! Notes antichrists, which flies in the face of Hollywood’s theology; what is “that antichrist”? What are the many antichrists? What is their association with the last hour?

v. 19, John characterizes those antichrists as people who came from among the church’s own.

v. 20-22, in contrast to those who left from the congregation, John’s audience “knows” in light of their anointing from the Holy One; this knowing apparently is of the truth, and the truth is likely that Jesus is the Christ. The one who lies and denies Jesus and the Father is the antichrist

v. 23, Denying Christ is disconnected from the Father; confessing the Son has the Father

v. 24, John calls his audience to let abide the truth they heard from the beginning; if the truth abides in us, we will abide in the Son and the Father

Intro:

Recap on last week, Read 1 John 2:18-24

Head- What does it mean?

(10-15 min.)

v. 18-19

v. 18, John’s general warning against the world is now followed by a bid to note that it is in fact approaching its end. It is the last hour and John presents a main concern with the rise of a group of opponents of the Christian faith

In regards to the last hour, although this word can mean a short period or point of time, it can refer to a period of some length (Jn. 4:23; 16:2). While the phrase “the last day” refers more specifically to the final point in world history, the day of the coming of Christ and the judgment, the last hour has a sense more like that of “the last days.”

ANTICHRIST! They are opposed to the true teaching about Christ. The word could also signify people who stand in the place of Christ and claim that they are Christ. Within the New Testament the term is used only in the Johannine letters. John’s use may be traced back to two possible roots.

First, in the teaching of Jesus about the future there is a warning about the coming of “false Christs and false prophets” who “will appear and perform signs and miracles to deceive the elect—if that were possible” (Mk. 13:22 par. Mt. 24:24)

The difference from Mark 13:22 is that here the antichrists do not appear to be claiming that they themselves are the true Christ: the thought is purely the negative one of their denial that Jesus is the Christ, as is apparent from verse 22.

Second, We may compare the imagery of the beast and the false prophet in Revelation 13; 19:20, where the false prophet promotes the worship of the beast. But this passage in Revelation leads us to the second possible root of John’s language in the expectation of one particular arch-opponent of Christ, the Anti-Christ

He also says here that his readers have heard that the antichrist is coming, and that even now many antichrists have come. It seems, therefore, that he regarded the false teachers of his day as being possessed by the spirit of the antichrist (1 John 4:3), whose own coming still lay in the future.

It is a striking fact that there is no pre-Christian evidence for the application of the title “Antichrist” to this figure.

v. 19, But although these people had gone out from the church, it did not follow that they had at one time truly belonged to it. They had been only apparent members. Here is one of the clearest expressions in the New Testament of the way in which we must distinguish between the church visible, composed of those who outwardly belong to it, and the church invisible, composed of those whom the Lord knows to be his (2 Tim. 2:19).

v. 20-23

v. 20-22, in contrast to those who left from the congregation, John’s audience “knows” in light of their anointing from the Holy One; this knowing apparently is of the truth, and the truth is likely that Jesus is the Christ. The one who lies and denies Jesus and the Father is the antichrist

The anointing here is the Spirit who comes to teach believers and to guide them into all truth.

R. Schnackenburg has observed how what is said here in 1 John about the anointing is paralleled by what is said in John 14:17; 15:26; 16:13 about the activity of the Paraclete, the Holy Spirit. In the same way Paul describes the work of God in the believer: “He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come” (2 Cor. 1:21f.).

v. 23, Denying Christ is to be disconnected from, have no relation with, the Father; confessing the Son has the Father

v. 24

v. 24, John calls his audience to let abide the truth they heard from the beginning; if the truth abides in us, we will abide in the Son and the Father

The readers are contrasted with the false teachers who have lost their grip on the truth, and they are urged to let the teaching which they have received in the past continue to control their thinking and action. “From the beginning” refers most naturally to the commencement of their own Christian lives. The antidote to heresy is a return to the teaching given at the beginning.

Heart- Do I buy it?

(20-30 min)

Is there anything in this passage that is challenging you?

In what ways should we be concerned about antichrists today?

How do we guard ourselves from false teaching/theology?

How do we let the truth abide in us?

Study and engage the Word

“What I believe in my heart must make sense in my head”

Guard our hearts from false teaching

Hands- So What? How then should I live?

(10-15 min)

Walk with God: What does letting the truth abide in you look like personally in your walk with God?

Keep Christ first: What does letting the truth abide in you look like personally when we keep Christ first?

Keep sin out of your life: What does letting the truth abide in you look like personally when you are keeping sin out of your life?

Personally, guarding my time doing my prayer and devotional; I know that my wife is more susceptible to false teaching than I am and I also have a responsibility to guard her heart as well through solid, graceful discipleship