The Pulpit Commentary — 1 John — Section 73

mdichrislia.n manifestation. John is the only New Testament ,vriter who uses the- term "autichrist," Paul's designation is" he who opposeth himself." Antichrist is morn than opro~cr; he is one who opposes under the guise of Christ. He is ono who would supplant. Christ by Msuming to be and to do what Christ is and does, Our Lord had said that many would come in his name, saying, "I nm Christ." 'l'his was doubtless the foundation for the teaching about the coming of antichrist. John follows the Master in referring to a plurality of antichrists, It would seem to follow that the personal element changes; the spirit remains. Those who represent separate anti- christian ma~ifesta_tio°:s are antichrists; the whole of these manifestations, personally represented, 1s ant1clmst. In the apostle's day there were not wanting quasi-Chris- tian mo\"'ements; they are not wanting still. When Christianity is active, attempts are made to meet the demand it makes, with something spurious, resembling Chri.-i- tianity, but not really Christianity. There is a displacing of Christ by priostly pretension, by the multiplication of rites, by the authority of the Church, by the merits of the saints: or there is, on the other hand, an explaining a.way of the lncaooation and the substit,ution, hero-worship, the gospel of mere science. Such antichrisLian developments, however much to be regretted, are only to be expected. John would seem to say that they are the writhings of the last hour, the rising up of evil against him by whom it is being destroyed, increasing in bilterness as the end approaches. II. RELATION OF THE A:NTICB:RISTS TO THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH, " '!'hey went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have con- tinued with us : but they went out, that they might be made manifest how that they all are ;:iot of us." 'l'he same idea is brought out by Paul when he describes the development as an apostasy, i.e. a falling away from the Christian position once occupied. The leaders were apostates, perverts, men who used the intellectual quicken• ing, general enlightenment, and even the forms of thought they had got from Chris- tianity, against its essential principles, The leaving of the Christian society by the autichrists of John's day was to be accounted for by their not being animated by the common sentiment, or rather, as it is put, by their not being sustained in their life from the society, but from some other source·. They had never been able to say that all tht.ir springs were in the Church (Ps. lxxxvii. 7). If they had thus derived from the Church, they would have remained in the Church. But not being the Church's true progrny and upbringing, they went out. By this there was served a good probationary purpose. Their true character and position were clearly brought out. They were known as persons whom the Church did not own. It is well, when there is so much life in Christian societies, that those who a.re not of them feel the necessity of going out. It is well, also, when it is made clear with whom we have to do. III. CoNFIDENCE IN THE CRRISTLAN DISCERNMENT OF ms READERS. "And ye have an anointing from the Holy One, and ye know all things. I have not written unto you because ye know not the truth, but because ye know it, and because no lie is of the truth." Christ has not left his people without suitable provision against deception. He is here called the Holy One; and we may conclude that his own holiness has to do with his discernment. It is through his own holy experience, acquired in this world, that he sees things. And so it is the good who have true discernment. "Then shall ye return. and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not." Without holy exRerience, intellectual giants and the most successful men of business are blind. Christ s provision is closely allied to his own name, viz. chrism. It is he who is himself the Christ, the Anointed of God, that supplies the chrism, the anointing oil for his people, After the tabernacle bad been constructed, it had to be consecrated by the application, to all its parts and furniture, of the holy anointing oil, for the preparation of which special instructions were given. When Samuel poured the vial of oil on Saul's head be said, "And the Spirit of the Lord shall come upon thee." The anointing of David is thus described: "Then Samuel took the born of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brethren; and the Spirit of the Lord came upon David from that day forward." What wali conferred on prophets and priests and kings is now conferred on Christians, v!z· the o.nointing Spirit. The Spirit gives us a pure, deep, rich experience through which we can see things. We a.re here described ideally, as those who, with the anoioting of the Spirit, krv.JW all things. As we are sa.id to be omnipotent within the sphere of O\U" OJT. It. 1~29.J THE FIRST EPISTLE GENERAL OF JOHN. 69