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. 19 They went out from us, but they were not really of us; for if they had been of us, they would have remained with us; but they went out, so that it would be shown that they all are not of us.20 But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you all know. (1 John 2:18–20)
This last hour in which we live has produced many “antichrists.” The word is plural for a reason. They’re all around us and must be ferreted out diligently. They’ll always want to drive a wedge between us and the one true God, and each other. Seems they find church bodies a target rich environment.
These “antichrists” are usually quite adroit at it, using subtle means to win us over. It always seems to be about Jesus. In John’s day there were some who denied his humanity, and therefore rendered his commands invalid. “They rejected Jesus. They rejected their own sinfulness, their need of forgiveness, the life of love, and the ‘fellowship’ with the Father and the Son.”1 John was calling them out, in more ways than one.
When these “antichrists” leave us, it’s not our lack of love. It’s our adherence to the word of God and sound doctrine. This is the barrier. We should not shy away from defending the truth, which demands that we know it in the first place.
We should not worry about this parting, it is not “sweet sorrow,” but pray that these people finally experience the “anointing from the Holy One,” the saving knowledge and simplicity of the gospel brought about by faith in Jesus. In the church there must be oneness, not only in fellowship, but in doctrine.
Beloved, while I was making every effort to write you about our common salvation, I felt the necessity to write to you appealing that you contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all handed down to the saints. (Jude 3)
1Barker, G. W. (1981). 1 John. In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Hebrews through Revelation (Vol. 12, p. 326). Zondervan Publishing House.
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