Antichrists

John has just warned his readers/listeners about the danger of getting involved with the world, which is passing away.
Read 1 John 2:18-23.
Who is John warning his readers about in these verses?
Use your Strongs and Vines to do a word study of "antichrist." www.tgm.org/bible.htm.

From your study, Whom does the antichrist(s) oppose?
Who might he or they try to take the place of? (Assume the guise of?)

What does John say that these antichrists did?
Whom does he say they came out from?
Who do you think "us" is?
Remember that this is John the Apostle speaking, one of the original members of Christ's church upon the earth. It's often thought, and I used to think this, that these antichrists, or false teachers, arose from out of these believers' churches, but if you look at some of the evidence, it well may be the case that these antichrists came from among the original early members of the Jerusalem church, so they would be looked upon by those they went out to as leaders, as authority figures, as those who could be listened to and trusted. They would be able to disguise themselves as leaders of the true church and would therefore be difficult for your these believers to recognize as a false teacher. What evidences caused me to change my mind? If these antichrists had arisen within the believers' churches and then left the church, why would they be dangerous to those believers--they're gone. However, if they had arisen within the original church along with John and Peter and James, etc., and they had gone out from that church, then they could be a threat to the believers to whom John is speaking. Also, notice that he's talking about "us" in verse 19. You would think that could mean John and these believers, but notice how the next verse, addressed to his readers, begins: But you . . . The But indicates a contrast, showing that the "us" must not have included the readers.

In contrast to those he just spoke about in verse 19, what do his readers have (according to verse 20)?
And what does this anointing from the Holy One give them the capacity to do?
Know what? Read verse 21. What do they know?
What isn't of the truth?
Who is the liar?
What does the liar do?
In verse 22, how does John define or describe the antichrist?
In verse 22, if a person denies that Jesus is the Christ, what else does he deny?
What contrast do you see in verse 23?
What is the opposite of deny?
If you deny the Son, what don't you have?
If you confess the Son, what do you have?
Read 1 John 1:6-10.
How do these verses relate to what you just read in 1 John 2:21-23?
What similar teaching do you see in these two passages?
On your light/dark chart, fill in any new information you learned from 1 John 2:20-23.

Read over 1 John 2:3-23.
What did we study today that struck you as something God would like you to think about? believe? apply to your life?