The Pulpit Commentary — 1 John — Section 44

expressione, "1mtichrist," "many antichrists." Topic--Antichri3t; a manifold series of neg,ieions. l. SINCE THE DEOINNINQ OF THE CHRISTIAN AG~;, THE SUPREME TEST OF TRUTH AND FALSEIIOOD IN IIELIOION 1B THEIR RELATION TO nm Lorrn JESUS CHRIST. Cf. Matt. xii. 30, where our Lord showe that there is no neutrality in reference to himself. Either for or against. And we know the apostle himself received a sharp rebuke and a touching lesson when forbidding one, who was casting out devils, because he did not follow with them. Our Lord then took occasion to give the converse of the former expression, saying, "He that is not ago.inst us is on our part." So that it is no wonder, after such a lesson (which he could not forget), that the one test of truth should be with John-How does it stand with reference to the Master? Does it enthrone or dethrone him 1 If the former, a wide divergence on minor topics would be allowed. If the latter, hr,wever specious its pretence, he would brnncl it as anticl.rist. This word (in th~ New Te3ta• ment) is peculiar to John. It is found in vers. 18, 22; eh. iv. 3; 2 J0hn 7. It is not at all improbable that he coined the word, although (so W,·stcott) the absence of the article in this verse indicates that it had become current as a technical name. II. TIELIEVEI\S IIAD DEEN PI'.EPAilED TO EXPECT THE msz OF AN'l'ICIII\ISTIAN IIERESY. (Of. Matt. xxiv. 5, 24; l\Iark xiii. 6; Acts xx. 29, 30; 2 Tbess. ii. 3; 1 Tim. iv. 1.) And no one can read the Epistles to the Corinthians, Colossians, and to the seven Churches without seeing how very early, even during the lifetime of the apostles, sundry antichristian heresies threatened to make havoc of the Church. It would be inaccurate to fix the term "antichrist" solely on one individual or one system, even if our knowledge of this or that one were complete enough to enable us to identify it or him as one fo1m of antichrist. For in the prophetic passages referred to such forms are pointed out as manifold. And the apostle declares that manifold are the forms already seen; for, says he, "even now are there mruiy antichrists." So that we are forbi,lden by the terms of the passage to fasten on any one form of heresy to the exclusio11 of others. Ill. THOUGH PnOPHECY AND FACT SIIOW MANY ANTICHRISTS, THERE IS ONE FE.l.TURE MARKING THEM ALL, viz. NEGATION. (Ver. 22.) "He is antichrist that denieth the Father and the Son." Thus the apostle himself, if he seems to plung,i us into uncertainty as to who is antichrist, when he declares that there are many, speedily relieves us of the uncertainty, by giving us one mark by which autichrist may be distinguished any- where and in all ages, whatever the name he assuwes, whatever the garb he wears. So far, of course, as the word goes, if (1) any one else professed to be the Christ; (2) if any one, under the guise of a prophet, opposed Christ; (3) if any one, under pretc·nce of honouring his Person, denied his redeeming work; or (4) if any one set himself openly and entirely against Christ ;-in either case the word" antichrist" would apply. Whether a. man or a system opposes Christ's Person, mission, revelation, redewption, or com- mandments, he or H would be a deceiver and an antichrist. llut the apostle lays most stress, yea, the entire stress, on the thought of o. denial. "Every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh . . . this is the [mark] of the antichrist." What may be its claims for itself does not enter seriously into the apostle's mind thereon; iC it will not yield Ghrist his r,/aims, it is antichrist. For in denying the Son, it denies all the faith. If any one denies the Son, he denies the Incarnation. Denying the Incarnation, he denies revelation of God, and a Mediator betwren God and man. He denies, consequently, any link between man aod God. Christ united n,an to God. Antichrist would disown or break the tic, so that r;ian is cut off from God, thus brioging out the terrible result, "He that dcnieth the Son, the same bath not the Father." Thus everything distinctive of the Christian faith goes in a moment, when once the incarnation of the Lord Jesus Christ is dtmied (see Westcott, i·n Zoe.). This-this is nntfohrist I He would take away the ladder between earth and heaven ! IV. THE DEVELOPMENTS OF HISTORY SHOW US THIS ANTICHRlS'l'I.l.N SPIRIT IN GREAT DIVERSITY OF FO!lM. Obviously, all we have space for is to name some of the more prominent of these forms of error. 1. The heresies of the apostolic age. 1 These are indicated in the apostolic Epistles and in the Apocalypse. Notably, there was Gnosticism. 2. Sacerdotalism. In the multiplication of priests and mediators the all-sufficiency of the one Priest nnd Mediator is denied. In the Church of Rome this evil has reached ' See Dr. Burton's Hampton Lecture on this theme.  THE FIRST EPISTLE GENERAL OF JOHN. torr. 11. 1-29.