The Pulpit Commentary — 1 John — Section 74

doing, ~o we are said to be omniscient within the sphere of our knowing, As in the one case we must think of what is proper for us to do, so in the other case we must think of what is proper for us to know. We are to regard this as guarantee against deception. "For there shall arise false Christa and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect." Dut it is not possible with what provision we have secured to us. There is no false appearance beneath which it is impossible for us to see, no truth into which it is impossible for us to penetrate, In writing, John recognized the favoured condition of his readora d~ qualified to know the truth, and to detect every lie as belonging to another category. IV. ANTICHRIST DEFINED. "Who is the liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? '!'his is the antichrist, even he that denieth the Father and the Son. Whoso- ever denieth the Son, the same bath not the Father: he that confesseth the Son hath the Father also." Having recognized their power to detect every lie (passing from the abstract), he asks vividly, "Who is the liar?" i.e. the utterer of the supreme lie, the denier of truth by pre-eminence? His answer is virtually a definition of antichrist, viz. "he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ." Jesus was a historical Person, who had been seen, heard, handled; what was to be predicated of him? As there wM a definite- ness about Jesus, so there was a definiteness about the Christ, or the Messiah, i.e. there were certain ideas which the Old Testament put into the worrl, and which the Jews were trained to associate with it. There were these ideas in the Jewish mind as to the work of the Messiah-that he would tell all things (John iv. 25), that he would be a King, that he would be the Saviour of the world (John iv. 4~), in a word, meet all spiritual need. There were these ideas as to his Person-that it would not be known whence he was (John vii. 27), that he would abide for ever (John xii. 34), th&t he would be the Son of God (John i. 49). These ideas were far from being distinctly or consistently held; but they were founded on the Old Testament. When Jesus claimed to be the Christ, it was according to the pure Old Testament conception. The distinguishing part of the conception was his being the Son of God. This was under- stood by Peter (Matt. xvi. 16), and also by the high priest (Matt. :u:.vi. 63). The liar here is defined to be he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ; and then this denier of Christ-named antichrist-is regarded as denying therewith the Father and the Son. The antichristian lie, then, comes to be the denial of the Incarnation, which is the key-note of the Epistle, viz. the union of the Son of God and man. The Jewish anti- christ refused to recognize Jesus as the Messiah, declared him to be an impostor, and thus set aside the Incarnation. The Gnostic antichrist, which is more pointed at here, taught that the mon, Christ, descended on the man Jesus at his baptism, and left him before the Passion, 'rhe antichrist is not confined to one shape or to two shapes, but is protean; its inmost character, however, always is the setting aside of the Incarnation. If God has not formed the connection with humanity, which is pointed to in the Incar- nation, then his Fatherhood is not revealed; and we do not have the Father, i.e. possess him in living fellowship. Denying the Incarnation, we cannot have the joy of the thought that he has gone tho length of sacrificing his Son for us. But, confessing God Incarnate, we have the joy of the Son dying for us, and of the Father giving him up to the death for us. V. ADVANTAGE OF HOLDING TO THE CHRISTIAN POSITION. "As for you, let that abide in you which ye heard from the beginning. If that which ye heard from the beginning abide in you, ye also shall abide in the Son, and in the Father. And this is the promise which he promised us, even the life eternal." '!'hat which they heard from the begiuning was tbEI truth about the Incai·nation. If that abode in them, constantly mingled with their being, then they would also abide in the Son and in the Father- would have constant co=union, not only with the incarnate Son, but with his Father. 'J.'he promise contained in the Incarnation is the life eternal. What could such con- descending Jove mean but that, in co=union with the Son and the Father, we should have our highest well-being inalienably secured to us? Let, then, the Incarnation dwell in our minds. Let it elevate our conception of God; let it touch our hearts; let it be motive-power to our wills. According as it takes possession of us do we advance toward the goal of our being. VI. RENEWED EXPRESSION OF OONFIDEN0E IN ms HEARERS. " These things have 'iO THE FIHST EPISTLE GENERAL OF JOHN. [crt. m. 1-24,