1 John is written to a community where sound doctrine and, by implication, sound ethics were under threat. John refers to a group who has left the community of believers and is trying to persuade them away from sound doctrine, in particular, the apostolic gospel message about Christ. In response, he reminds readers of the teaching they received in the beginning, and how it ought to be fleshed out in their lives.
In 1 John 2:18–28, John addresses this issue head on as he introduces opponents called the antichrists. While much ink has been spilled about the identity and teaching of this group, I believe there is more to this section. Amid the waves of false doctrine and ethical decline, John identifies six theological anchors to keep his readers from drifting:
- Truth versus Lie
The first anchor that John offers is the reality of dichotomy. For John, there is either light or darkness, love or hate, belonging to God or the world, and, in this section, truth versus a lie. John uses a bold word, “antichrist” for the opponents who peddle false teaching and undermine the gospel (v. 18). Note that he is not calling them “half Christs” or “almost Christs.” He is illustrating that they are fundamentally opposed to Christ, because they undermine apostolic doctrine about Jesus. He also reminds his hearers that no lie comes from the truth (v. 21). In a post-truth world, it is important to remind ourselves that, when it comes to the basic doctrines of our faith, there are truths and there are lies. Jobes (2014, 134) aptly states,
But not every idea about God in our world today is simply a matter of looking at him from a different perspective. There is a difference between truth and falsehood.
When we hear doctrine that fundamentally opposes what we know about God from the Scriptures, we do not entertain it, we do not think of it as a fresh idea about God. We should see it as a falsehood.
- The Faithful Church
The second anchor is the faithful church. John points out that the antichrists have gone out from the faithful church (v. 19). He mentions them leaving the “us.” Whether he is speaking of the church he is writing to or of a group he is representing, what is clear is that the antichrists are no longer in the life of the church. They are, however, trying to come in and influence the believers. There is no good theologizing outside of the church. Theology belongs to the church and so do we. If we are not giving ourselves to a local church, we have no business teaching the saints.
- The Holy Spirit
John speaks of an anointing from the Holy One (v. 20). It is likely that this group of antichrists were claiming a special anointing with their false teaching. John reminds his readers that it was the anointing that enabled them to receive the apostolic message of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus (v. 27). They need no additional gospel or teaching. This same working of the Holy Spirit will keep them and help them discern truth from lies.
- A High View of Christ
John writes, “Who is the liar? It is whoever denies that Jesus is the Christ. Such a person is the antichrist—denying the Father and the Son” (v. 22). Essentially, Christology, the doctrine about Christ, was being undermined and distorted by these false teachers. Denying Jesus as Christ could mean a few things, among others, denying that he is the Messiah, that he is God, and that he rose again. John calls on his readers to remain Christ-centred, reminding them that denying the Son disqualifies one from having the Father (vv. 22–23). I firmly believe that a low view of Christ is one of the most pressing theological threats on our continent. From those who call him nothing more than a man, to those who call him nothing more than an ancestor, a denial of Jesus as the anointed one and the unique Son of God is dangerous.
- The Apostolic Teaching
Throughout the letter, John calls his hearers to hold on to what they received in the beginning. This likely refers to the apostolic teaching received from the witnesses of Jesus’s life, death, and resurrection, and what that implies in the lives of the hearers (see 1 John 1:1–2). John commands, “As for you, see that what you have heard from the beginning remains in you. If it does, you also will remain in the Son and in the Father” (1 John 2:24). Part of the apostolic teaching for us is the Scriptures. It is our call and our duty to stay close to the Scriptures and to regard them as authoritative, lest we stray from the apostolic teachings of old.
- Christ’s Return
In verse 28, John says. “And now, dear children, continue him, so that when he appears we may be confident and unashamed before him at his coming.” We can call this last one the eschatological anchor. John is not only referring his hearers back to what they heard in the beginning, but also pointing them forward to a Christ who will return to commend, reward, and also judge.
None of us are above theological drift. Theological institutions are especially vulnerable. Often the drift is slow and gradual. For this we need multiple anchors in place. Avoiding grey areas in primary matters, belonging to a local church, relying on the Holy Spirit, holding to a high view of Christ and the Scriptures, and living in anticipation of Christ’s return are weights that can safeguard us from doctrinal drift.
Dr Cornelia van Deventer obtained her PhD in New Testament from Stellenbosch University in 2018. She serves as the Coordinator of Faculty Research and Publishing at the South African Theological Seminary and the Editor of Conspectus (see here). Her research interests lie in the Gospel of John and its impact on the daily lives of its readers and hearers. Cornelia lives in Worcester with her husband, Johann, and two sons, Ezra and Amo. They also have a late son, Ilan. Cornelia serves alongside her husband, who leads Joshua Generation Church in Worcester.
