The Antichrist
The Antichrist
2 John
The elder, to the lady chosen by God and her children, whom I love in the truth ...
I want to take this morning to explore the small letter, the second letter of the apostle John. I don’t know about you, but I don’t think I have ever heard a sermon from this letter, or heard it very much quoted. In fact, I discovered that it was not often cited even in the early church. Part of the reason may be that it seems to be a personal letter.
That is a point of some debate among scholars. Was the letter written to an individual, perhaps a friend of John’s, a prophetess in the church? Or was it written to a congregation? The problem stems from the fact that, like ships, churches are often referred to in the feminine form. There is some convention, based on the fact that the Scripture refers to the Church as the Bride of Christ, that we ought to refer to the Church as “she” or “her.” That is the case, even though the vast majority of church leadership is male, the apostles were mostly male (Paul refers, in Romans 16:7 to Junia as outstanding among the apostles), and much of Paul’s imagery is of battle and sport, largely masculine ventures in his time. But it could just as easily have been written to a particular woman that John knew. There is very little in the letter to point us firmly in either direction.
Some of your translations will address the letter to the elect lady. If to a church, John would be thinking of the church as God’s chosen vessel to advance the kingdom in the world. If to an individual, John would be thinking of that person’s calling to serve in some form of ministry or leadership in the church. The problem for us is that the word “elect” carries a lot of unwarranted baggage, baggage we’d like to see misplaced by the airlines. But, I’m going to proceed as if this were written to a church, and we’ll note, in passing, particular warnings or instructions that also apply to the individual.
... whom I love in the truth ... This is not a romantic letter, not a love letter in the cultural sense. But it is a love letter in the Christian sense, using the word John used so much in his first letter to reflect the sort of love Christ commanded and exemplified. It is out of that love that John writes. And it is out of a love for the truth that John writes. This is a letter of warning, and it is because of his love for the church, or for the lady, that John feels compelled to write.
... and not I alone, but also all who know the truth – because of the truth that dwells in us and will be with us eternally. John does not claim to be the only one who loves the church; all who know the truth love the church. It is almost fashionable these days for many who call themselves Christian to deny the church, to express contempt for the church, or to abandon the church. We know that Christians are not perfect, and many churches fall very far short of the standard Jesus calls us to. But the Bible is clear: it is the Church that is the Bride of Christ; it is the Church for which Christ died; it is his Church that he inaugurated and is building. It is the Church that is the Body of Christ, and then we abandon the church, we abandon Christ. We abandon that for which Christ died. And we declare that we are not willing to be part of the very Bride of Christ. Jesus’ message in John 14-15 is that when cut ourselves off from the vine, from him, we die. The Church is not individual cells or organs. Read 1 Corinthians 12 where Paul talks about the Body. A hand ceases to function when it separates from the Body. Yes, you can worship God anywhere – and you should worship him everywhere. But Christ has called us together – at Peter’s confession: “Upon this rock I will build my church.” It is his church, his chosen vessel to take the news of salvation and eternal life to the world.
I would also note that John begin with truth. And this: we are to be lovers of the truth because of the truth of Christ that lives in us. Lovers and defenders of truth In the first letter, he talked a lot about truth and how we knew the truth. Remember his frequent use of “we know,” and “this is how we know.” It is, in fact, the truth of the gospel, the truth about Christ, that undergirds this warning letter. We’ll come back to this in a bit.
Truth also forms an essential part of John’s benediction: Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and from Jesus Christ, the Father’s Son, will be with us in truth and love. It is vital that we hold truth and love in their rightful place. Grace, mercy and peace from God are rooted in his truth and in his love for us.
It has given me great joy to find some of your children walking in the truth, just as the Father commanded us. John sees a positive, but there is, for me, a twinge of sorrow in that word “some.” It is a wonderful thing that some are walking in truth, but it is sad that only some are and not all. If John is writing to a church, we would understand that there are some who claim to be followers of Jesus who are not really obedient to Christ. True of every church, perhaps. Some attend out of habit – not a bad habit to have, but we need to move past mere habit. Some attend because of a family member. A gentleman told me years ago that he was a Baptist because his mother was a Baptist. I don’t care what your denominational history or affiliation is, but you need to choose for yourself to follow Christ, not a denomination. Some attend because that is their social circle. The point is that not all come because they are obedient to the truth and are disciples of Jesus. Those who do follow the truth and are obedient disciples bring us great joy. We rejoice in your faithful allegiance to Jesus.
I would add that if John is writing to an individual, there is perhaps a bit of sorrow that one or more of her children have rebelled or have turned away from the truth. We pray for the salvation of our children. We want them with us when we stand at Jesus’ side in glory. We want the family circle to be unbroken, and it breaks our hearts when a child is far from Christ. But, at the same time, we rejoice in those who draw near and follow the Savior.
Following the Savior, of course, means obedience to his commands, the first of which is to love one another. And this is love – the love we have for Christ – that we walk in obedience to his commands. These words are in a plural form, referring not just to an individual but to a group, her family, perhaps, or the church. From the very beginning we have been taught to love one another. John says, This is his command, that you walk in it (love is implied). It is important to note the continuity implied in the word “walk”. In the Greek, the form of the word is a present active. That is to say, we are to be walking, daily walking, continually walking. It is not one and done, but a constant state of being. We are walking in his love, moment by moment – love for Christ and love for one another.
How many times did Jesus say it? How many times did John say it in the first letter? Now he says it again. He reminds us to walk in love. He reminds us to walk in truth and to live by the truth of Christ. Repetition has two functions: it is for emphasis, and it is for memory. John does it for both. But here, memory is crucial, especially memory of the truth. This is vital, and it’s why we encourage memorization of Scripture. We not only want you to read the Bible, we want you to remember it. That, by the way, was the function of the Jewish festivals. The reason they celebrate Passover is to remember slavery and exodus, and rejoice in freedom. The reason for Rosh Hashanah is to remember when God formed the nation by giving the Torah. The reason for Yom Kippur was to remember our sins and God’s amazing grace. The reason for Thanksgiving is to remember God’s provision. And the reason for remembering the truth of Christ is to protect us from deceivers.
I say this, John writes, because many deceivers ... have gone out into the world. Many. Hundreds. And you will find them everywhere – in Congress, in public schools, in the news media, in sports, on social media, and even in the church. And if we aren’t careful ... and if we are not discerning ... and if we don’t remember the truth of Christ, we may be deceived. We don’t want that! John names those deceivers antichrists because the one thing they do is deny Christ. The docetists of John’s day denied that Jesus came in the flesh. The Arians denied Jesus immortality, holding that he was a created being. The Gnostics denied that Jesus was the Savior, that we are saved instead through initiation into secret knowledge. The Muslims deny that Jesus is God. The Mormons believe that Jesus is the brother of Satan. Jehovah’s Witnesses believe that Jesus is a lesser god. The Hindus simply add Jesus to their pantheon. What they tell you about Jesus tells you whether they are deceivers, whether they are antichrist. I say this because many deceivers, who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh, have gone out into the world. Any such person, John says, is the deceiver and the antichrist.
Here’s the safety net: know Jesus so well, know what the Bible says about Jesus so well, that you will know the deceivers when you hear them. Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching ... Then you will know the truth” (Jn 8:32). Know the truth so well that you can instantly recognize the lie. Watch out, John continues, that you do not lose what we have worked for, but that you may be rewarded fully. Discernment may be a spiritual gift, but it is also a spiritual discipline.
In recent years, there have been those who claim to have “new light,” or new insight into the Scripture. There are those who have been trying to revive the Gnostic “scriptures.” One tactic I’ve seen is the claim that since Jude quotes the book of Enoch, Enoch must be a forgotten or excluded “scripture,” and your Bible is incomplete without it. Just a note: in Paul’s letter to Titus, Paul quotes the Cretan philosopher Epimenides, and in Acts 17, he quotes Epimenides and the Cilician poet Aratus. If quoting Enoch means that Enoch is scripture, then quoting the pagan philosophers and poets, Epimenides and Aratus, means they are also “scripture.” No, it doesn’t. The claims don’t pass the “smell test.” There are those touting the so-called Ethiopian Bible, claiming that it contains books “removed” by the church. Those books weren’t removed because they were never included. They didn’t meed the rules of the canon. John warns about those who “run ahead,” who don’t continue in the teaching of Christ. They are not of God. They are deceivers and antichrists.
So, how are we to respond to them? I have quoted this many times. Mormon missionaries come to your door, but you are not familiar with their theology and are not equipped to discuss or debate with them. Jehovah’s Witnesses knock on your door and want to have a Bible study with you. What do you do?
First of all, Paul’s advice to the Corinthians applies here. Paul wrote, Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? (2 Cor 6:14). If you know they are deceivers, you are to have nothing to do with them. What if they are family members? Pray for them and refuse to discuss their beliefs. We cannot, as followers and lovers of the truth, have anything to do with deception, especially deception about Jesus.
John wrote, If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching – that is, the proper teaching of Christ – do not take them into your home or welcome them. Don’t invite them in. Don’t offer them a blessing. Do not allow them to sow any seeds of doubt in your mind. Don’t host their Bible study, because you would be abetting the deceit. Christian, you do not have to welcome heresy or deceit into your home. Your job is to be a gatekeeper for your home to keep deceit out. It’s not wrong, though it may feel impolite, to say simply, “I’m not interested,” and close the door to them.
Quick word study: the word translated welcome in the NIV, wish him God speed in the KJV, is from a Greek noun meaning “joy”, verb “rejoice.” The point here is, do not bless them; do not wish them joy; do not wish them success – because you do not want the antichrist deception to succeed. It was customary in Jewish society, and still is, to greet people with shalom, the blessing of peace. We do not want deceivers to have peace, until they find peace in the truth of Christ. In the Dead Sea Scrolls, to provide for an apostate was to be considered an apostate sympathizer, and that person was rejected by the community, the same as if he were the apostate. And John finishes with that: Anyone who welcomes them – wishes them joy – shares in their wicked work.
There is more, but apparently John conveys it face to face. The letter is short, though he has much to say, because, rather than expend the cost of papyrus and ink, he intends to visit and finish the conversation in person. But a quick recap: Remember the truth of Christ. Hold to it carefully. Be aware of the deceivers - and there are many who oppose the truth - and have nothing to do with them. Do not welcome them. Do not bless them. Do not assist them. Be strong in your faith, and in the truth of Christ.