THE RISE OF THE ANTICHRISTS - 1 JOHN 2:18

Verse 18: Children, it is the last hour; and just as you heard that antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have appeared; from this we know that it is the last hour.

John addresses his readers with a different Greek word for children than he uses throughout this epistle. It is more endearing, needing our full attention for this matter of present importance.

In the previous verse, John has just informed us that the “world is passing away” and now he follows this up with an absolute fact that “it is the last hour.” What is he inferring by the phrase “last hour”?

Based upon John’s usage of the word ‘hour’ in his Gospel account1, he seems to be suggesting a particular period of time. Within the context of verses 18-28, the “last hour” may refer to a momentous phase of the Church Age beginning with the emergence of the antichrists. It is important to determine whether John is referring to the Rapture of the Church (1 Thessalonians 4:15-17) or to Christ’s Second Coming (1 John 2:28; Revelation 19:11-16).

However, according to historical evidence John was the last living Apostle and while writing this epistle around 90 A.D. he was aware that the apostolic age of the 1^st Century was coming to a close. Therefore, it seems logical that John perceives that this “last hour” is the critical phase of the Church Age prior to the Rapture of the Church. When the Rapture of the Church will occur is unknown, but when it does it will come about at an unexpected moment just like “a thief in the night” (1 Thessalonians 5:2, 4). And yet this is not a warning that we are in the last hour of the Church Age, but that the present undermining activity of the antichrists is characteristic of what the entirety of the last hour will resemble.

Antichrist is Coming

During John’s long life he had the privilege of witnessing marvelous events and some with dire consequences: his personal association with Jesus Christ during His earthly life; the successful propagation of Our Lord’s salvation message “to the Jew first and also to the Greek” (Romans 1:16); the rise of the Apostle Paul and his extensive missionary endeavors; the heartrending martyrdom of fellow apostles. In addition, inspired by the Holy Spirit, he participated in the compilation of the doctrinal instructions for Church Age believers along with Paul, Peter, James, Jude and the writer of Hebrews.

As Luke recorded in the history of the Acts of the Apostles, John was present to see many people saved and “added to their number” (Acts 2:47; cf. Acts 4:4). But Luke also noted that there were many who rejected or opposed the Apostle’s message (Acts 4:1-3; 8:3; 12:1-2; 14:19; 18:6)—for this is the backdrop for the passage under consideration.

John is the only New Testament writer to use this term “antichrist”—4 times in this epistle and once in 2 John 7. Many Bible scholars believe that John’s statement “that antichrist is coming” has great end-times significance and may have a dual connotation. Therefore it is important to determine to exactly which he is referring.

For it is true that an individual will arrive upon the world stage as identified by the Apostle Paul as “the man of lawlessness” (2 Thessalonians 2:3-4), who will oppose God during the Tribulation period. Many Bible scholars believe him to be “the beast” as detailed in the book of Revelation2 and attribute to him the name Antichrist. However, John never refers to him by that designation in Revelation.

But looking closely at the 5 references of “antichrist” that John makes, it might be beneficial to consider what Dr. Pentecost suggests:

A study of these references will reveal that John is principally concerned with an immediate doctrinal error—the denial of the person of Christ. The emphasis is not on a future revelation of an individual, but rather on the present manifestation of false doctrine.3

Considering that there is strong tradition that John spent his later years in Ephesus,4 look again at what John states: “just as you heard that antichrist is coming.” How would a believer in Ephesus have heard this? We find that it was the Apostle Paul, who 30 years prior had forewarned of this when he informed the Ephesian elders that after his departure “savage wolves” will come and speak misleading things to scatter the disciples (Acts 20:29-30). John is most certainly referring to the fulfillment of Paul’s warning, that these “savage wolves” have arrived and that they represent, not an individual, but many, who personify the antichrist characteristic of the present age. Their prime objectives are the distortion of Biblical doctrine, the corruption of believers and the discrediting of Christianity. The German’s have a phrase for this: zeitgeist, the spirit of the times. Antichrist is the spirit of our times as defined by John; literally the spirit of opposition to Christ (4:3) and deception (2 John 7) infiltrating the minds of mankind and even believers. John’s warning is that presently, there is an intensification of this opposition and deception that will be pervasive throughout the remainder of the Church Age.

The Many Antichrists

  John’s announcement that “even now many antichrists have appeared” implies not just a few but many, since antichrist is plural it indicates a very large amount.5 These are individuals who predominantly come forth in opposition to Jesus Christ—His person and His gospel. Who are these individuals? As mentioned in the introductory material to this epistle, John was confronted by the false teachings of the Gnostic heresy. These advocates of Gnosticism believed that they were in “possession of a superior wisdom, which is hidden from others”6 and claimed to have a “private knowledge over and above that of the Bible.”7 Their most contemptuous belief was that all matter was inherently evil, including the human body. This led to their false teaching, that since the human body is evil then Jesus could not be true humanity, that He had only a superficial body and “not a real physical body.”8 This subjective and outrageous assault upon Our Lord is precisely what the Apostle Paul warned against:

See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ. (Colossians 2:8)

 John’s conclusion is indisputable, that the emergence of antichrists is the positive proof that this is indeed characteristic of the “last hour” which we are living in today.

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[1] See John 2:4; 4:21, 23; 5:25, 28; 7:30; 8:20; 12:23, 27; 13:1; 16:2, 4, 21, 25, 32; 17:1.

[2] Revelation 11:7; 13:1; 14:9, 11; 15:2; 16:2; 17:3, 13; 19:20; 20:10

[3] Pentecost, J. Dwight (1964). Things to Come, Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, p. 337.

[4] Ryrie, C. C. (1995). Ryrie Study Bible: New American Standard Bible, 1995 Update. Chicago: Moody Press, p. 1990.

[5] Vine, W. E., Unger, M. F., & White, W., Jr. (1996). In Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words. Nashville, TN: T. Nelson, 2.279.

[6] Lightfoot, J.B. (1999). St. Paul’s Epistles to the Colossians and Philemon, Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, p. 77.

[7] Wuest, K. S. (1997). Wuest’s Word Studies from the Greek New Testament, Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 13.89.

[8] Wuest, 13.89.

 

© 2024 David M. Rossi

 

DO NOT LOVE THE WORLD: PART II - 1 JOHN 2:16-17

Verses 16-17: For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever.

John continues his train of thought from verse 15, simply put, that those who love the world do not have a personal love for God the Father because they have been distracted by “the things in the world”—the details of life. Now John itemizes the specific patterns of sinfulness: lusts of the flesh and eyes and the boastful pride of life. This is what energizes the believer’s love for “the things in the world.” John states as an absolute fact that these patterns of sinfulness do not have their origin “from the Father.” For James proclaimed that God is holy and “does not tempt anyone” (James 1:13b), and then he correctly holds exactly who is responsible for sin:

But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust. (James 1:14)

Lust of the Flesh

At the outset, let us not be confused with the word ‘lust.’ Dr. Kenneth Wuest observes that “the present day usage confines its meaning to an immoral desire.”1 But the Greek expresses the word in a broader sense than the English, suggesting a strong desire or craving that could be for something good or evil. Here John uses it to refer to evil desires and appetites where “the thought of satisfaction gives pleasure and that of non-satisfaction gives pain.”2

John defines lusts in two categories: flesh and eyes. They are interrelated and indicative of inordinate desires and cravings. The “lusts of the flesh” are descriptive of external sins acted out; while the “lusts of the eyes” are internal sins responding to cravings of what is seen. Both have their origin from the believer’s old sin nature which the Apostle Paul defines as the “old self” (Romans 6:6; Ephesians 4:22; Colossians 3:9). Dr. Ryrie explains what the old self is:

All that a person is before salvation, which is made “old” by reason of the presence of the new life in Christ. Though separated from its power, its presence has not been eradicated; therefore, we are exhorted to lay it aside (Ephesians 4:22).3

The fact that the old self is never eradicated causes spiritual tension for the believer. Paul explains this as the believer’s inner struggle to do good or to practice evil (Romans 7:14-25). Believers should carefully study the Apostle Paul’s list of the deeds of the flesh in Galatians 5:16-21 to avoid involvement in these activities and to avail themselves of His grace provision to “equip you in every good thing to do His will” (Hebrews 13:21a). The equipping must be sound Biblical teaching in order to overcome the inner struggle of the flesh.

Lust of the Eyes

R.C.H. Lenski describes the lust of the eyes to include “the lust that reaches out beyond what a person can actually get a hold of in his sinning. The lustful eyes rove afar for sinful pleasure.”4 There are two examples of this from the Old Testament regarding Eve and King David. Eve saw with her eyes that the forbidden tree was good, a delight to the eyes and desirable (Genesis 3:6) and proceeded to sin. King David saw with his eyes, Bathsheba, a very beautiful woman bathing and he pursued her for his sexual gratification. He eventually had her husband killed in battle hoping to conceal his sin (2 Samuel 11:2ff). During Our Lord’s Sermon on the Mount, He discussed how the eyes are the gateway to the sin of adultery:

 “But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” (Matthew 5:28)

Do we take pleasure in viewing things that are immoral? In our age of technology we are overwhelmed with rampant pornography and provocatively dressed entertainers.  As believers, we should be mindful of what our eyes are looking at and ask ourselves if this is “from the Father”?  The Psalmist offers us some sound advice for what we should pray:

Turn my eyes from looking at worthless things; and give me life in your ways. (Psalm 119:37ESV)

Boastful Pride of Life

This phrase, the boastful pride of life, is descriptive of the arrogant person who brags about what he possesses and does. The word “life” here refers to the details of life namely food, shelter, clothing, entertainment, travel, etc. Again, we must honestly ask ourselves if we are guilty of being a braggart of life’s good fortune. To needlessly boast about the details of life which we have been blessed with and then add “Isn’t God wonderful?” This is phony and it would be better to say nothing at all.

However, Scripture outlines what we should boast about: 

Thus says the Lord, “Let not a wise man boast of his wisdom, and let not the mighty man boast of his might, let not a rich man boast of his riches; but let him who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the Lord who exercises lovingkindness, justice and righteousness on earth; for I delight in these things,” declares the Lord. (Jeremiah 9:23–24)

Additionally, the Apostle Paul stated:

 Therefore in Christ Jesus I have found reason for boasting in things pertaining to God. (Romans 15:17)

But may it never be that I would boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. (Galatians 6:14)

We need to imitate Paul and only boast in “things pertaining to God” for that we can be assured is “from the Father.”

It’s All Passing Away

John instructs us of the fact that the lusts he has pointed out are passing away, just as the world is passing away by the will of the Father. John knows this from having heard Our Lord state this on two occasions: the Sermon on the Mount and the Olivet Discourse.

“Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away.” (Matthew 24:35; cf. 5:18)

He also recorded in the book of Revelation:

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea. (Revelation 21:1)

The Apostle Peter described this event in vivid detail: “the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up.” (2 Peter 3:10)

Since the world is passing away, according to Peter we ought to be the sort of people that live holy and godly lives (2 Peter 3:11b). For John regards those who live this type of life are those who are doing the will of God, and they will live forever. So, what this essentially means is that doing the will of God is the exact opposite of loving the world5 and being preoccupied with things—the details of life.

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[1] Wuest, K. S. (1997). Wuest’s Word Studies from the Greek New Testament. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 13.127.

[2] Büchsel, F. (1964–). ἐπιθυμία. In Theological Dictionary of the New Testament (G. Kittel, G. W. Bromiley, & G. Friedrich, Eds.). Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 3.171.

[3] Ryrie, C. C. (1995). Ryrie Study Bible: New American Standard Bible, 1995 update. Chicago: Moody Press, p. 1799 note.

[4] Lenski, R.C.H. (2001). Commentary on the New Testament, Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 11.426.

[5] Ryrie, p. 1994 note.

 

© 2024 David M. Rossi
 

DO NOT LOVE THE WORLD: PART I - 1 JOHN 2:15

Verse 15: Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

Verses 15-17 comprise John’s appeal to believers to separate from their affection for the present world. But first, it is necessary to understand what Scripture describes as the world concerning its character, the ruler, the occupants and its future.

The reason this particular study is so vitally important for believers is stated concisely by Dr. Lewis Sperry Chafer:

It is this, the specific study of what is one of the greatest doctrines of the New Testament, which many worthy men have failed to pursue; and, because this body of truth is so little apprehended, the great company of believers are unaware of the enmity which the world system sustains towards God and His people.1

So what is this world we are not supposed to love?

World Defined

In the New Testament, the predominantly used Greek word cosmos [κόσμος] is translated 186 times in our English for ‘world’. Bishop Trench explains the classical usage of this word:

‘Ornament,’ and obtaining this meaning only once in the New Testament (1 Peter 3:3), where we render it ‘adorning’…from this it passed to that of order, or arrangement.2

Biblical language scholars appear to agree with this analysis that Scripture employs the word cosmos to describe an orderly arrangement and specifically that it indicates an order in opposition to God:

The world, and everything that belongs to it, appears as that which is hostile to God, i.e. lost in sin, wholly at odds with anything divine, ruined and depraved.3

The New Testament writers clearly portray that the world is at odds with anything Divine, and that we are commanded to avoid being stained by the world (James 1:27), becoming friends with it (James 4:4) and embracing its lusts (1 John 2:16).

Who Rules?

The significance of cosmos is descriptive of the culture in which we live; that there is one who rules, wielding unscrupulous control over a cleverly structured order. While most people believe the world is the sum of all its parts, all the varying ideas and personalities, all of the different races and sexes, the Scriptures state otherwise. They reveal the ruler of this world (John 12:31; 14:30; 16:11), and that “the whole world lies in the power of” this ruler, described as “the evil one” (1 John 5:19). This evil one is a real person, Satan, “the prince of the power of the air” (Ephesians 2:2) and identified as “the god of this world” (2 Corinthians 4:4).

Satan boldly asserted his controlling powers over the world when he tempted Our Lord in the wilderness:

  “I will give You all this domain and its glory; for it has been handed over to me, and I give it to whomever I wish.” (Luke 4:6)

Dr. Alva McClain observes:

It is significant that Christ did not challenge Satan’s right to make the offer to surrender these Kingdoms. He viewed them as in Satan’s domain, so that Satan had the right to do with them as he willed.4

Our Lord proclaimed that Satan’s rule is only temporary and will eventually be cast out (John 12:31) and was eternally doomed (Revelation 20:10). However, we are assured by the Apostle Paul that Jesus Christ “is the head over all rule and authority” (Colossians 2:10).

The Wisdom of the World

It should be observed that for someone to rule they must have a plan of action, a philosophy that moves their plan forward. Scripture identifies that Satan’s wisdom is designed to oppose God’s wisdom. Paul asserted that “the world through its wisdom did not come to know God” (1 Corinthians 1:21a), and warned believers about this Satanic wisdom:

See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ. (Colossians 2:8; cf. Galatians 4:3)

The ‘elementary principles of the world’ is descriptive of cosmic thinking that comprises all the opinions, values, aspirations, norms and standards of Satan’s world system that are indifferent to the Word of God. Against which Paul commands believers:

And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing [renovating] of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect. (Romans 12:2)

The Occupants

There are only two categories of people that occupy the world according to God’s Word: (1) those who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and (2) those under the controlling influence of Satan. There is no third possibility. Mankind, including believers, will either follow the wisdom of the Creator contained in the Word of God or they will embrace knowingly or obliviously the ‘elementary principles’ of Satan’s world system.

For most of those who have believed in Jesus Christ as their Savior, their eyes have been opened “so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the dominion of Satan to God” (Acts 26:18). While, those who have rejected Jesus Christ go about their lives unaware of Satan’s reign since he has blinded their eyes so that the light of the truth of Jesus Christ is obscured (2 Corinthians 4:4).

The Scripture makes it apparent that regrettably many believers are captivated by Satan’s world system and embrace his wisdom. Otherwise, the warnings to believers to “not love the world” would be unnecessary.

Conclusion

Believer’s today need to realize that our culture is ensnared by this Satan controlled world. It is considered ‘normal’ only based upon what the satanically influenced majority deem to be normal. It is a very foul place because of its ruler who blinds the eyes of mankind and has also been doing a rather nice job of blinding the eyes of God’s people. Satan does not work alone. He has his children of wrath and his demons—the “spiritual forces of wickedness” (Ephesians 6:12), indulging themselves with “the desires of the flesh and of the mind” (Ephesians 2:2-3). With Satan, they “unite as the ‘world’ to oppose the course of the believer.”5 But just as he is not alone in his efforts, we too are not alone. For John writes:

You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He who is in you than he [Satan] who is in the world. (1 John 4:4)

The hope and assurance of the Church is that Jesus Christ controls history (Revelation 1:8, 17b; 22:13), “despite the existence of opposition and evil in the world.”6 Therefore, we can overcome the corruption of this satanic world system. But we must become unified in our efforts to confront the ‘world’ according to Divine directives which have been given to us in God’s Word on how to live in this world even though we “are not of this world” (John 15:19).

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[1] Chafer, (1976). Systematic Theology, Dallas, TX: Dallas Seminary Press, 6.180.

[2] Trench, Richard C., (1975). Synonyms of the New Testament, Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., p.214.

[3] Arndt, W.F., Gingrich, F.W., (1957). A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press, p.446.

[4] McClain, Alva J. (2009). The Greatness of the Kingdom. Winona Lake, IN: BMH Books, p. 432.

 [5] Barnhouse, Donald Grey, (1965). The Invisible War, Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, p. 81.

[6] Thieme, R.B., Jr. (2022). Thieme’s Bible Doctrine Dictionary, Houston, TX: R.B. Thieme, Jr., Bible Ministries, p. 146.

© 2024 David M. Rossi