World Without End

Tackling the Antichrist: Part 2 True Devotion

In the last post we looked quickly at the only four occurrences of “antichrist” in the scriptures (1 Jn 2:18,22 4:3 and 2 Jn 7). At the end of the post I asked the reader to spend some time in these verses alone and answer this question.

How would you define antichrist?

When looking at the verses, I think 2 John 7 really sums up everything.

2 John 7  Many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh; any such person is the deceiver and the antichrist! (NRSV)

The theme of antichrist (ἀντίχριστοι) follows the larger theme of idolatry, prophecy and devotion  of the entire scriptures.  The desires that cause us to fall away from God are not grey matter...but they are the works of what tear us away from God.  What fights for our allegiance away from God?

1 Jn 2:19 gives us more of look at what and where the issues stems from. “...But by going out they made it plain that none of them belongs to us”.  The larger discussion in chapter 2 about antichrist surrounds what defines Christian orthodoxy, a very important matter in those days.  It was necessary to have proper thought about who Jesus was in relation to YHWH, the chain of Father->Son was crucial.

John doesn’t write from the place of the academic theologian, but from the place of the pastor. He cared about his people.  His primary concern is voiced at the end of this section in v.28

1 John 2:28  And now, little children, abide in him, so that when he is revealed we may have confidence and not be put to shame before him at his coming.

We are beginning to see that this idea is much more important to us as individuals, and bears on our current fate, than the expectation of some single person in the future. What tears us away and causes us to turn our hearts from God? What causes us to fall into sin and idolatry?

Next, I want to look more at the biblical spirit of antichrist, getting into the apocalyptic books of Daniel and Revelation. We often hear the question "Who is the AntiChrist?" but how often do we wonder how we ourselves feed into the idea?

Glory be to the Father, Son and Holy Spirit:
As it was in the beginning, is now, and shall ever be, world without end.

Tackling the AntiChrist: Pt 1

Nothing is stronger in conservative end times language than the topic of the “AntiChrist”.   He is the perennial “Big Bad Wolf” of the church. Using this language, we easily can demonize any person to the highest degree.  Many people have been named as a potential AntiChrist. Jason Boyett gives a very tongue-in-cheek guide in chapter 10 of the Pocket Guide To The Apocalypse: The Official Field Manual For The End Of The World, and quickly puts together a list of 10 qualities found in current PreMillennial Dispensationalism (the fancy word for Left Behind).  He also has a short list of potential candidates through history, ranging from various popes, Saddam Hussein, JFK and Bill Gates, then ranks them through his 10 categories.

All satire aside, the AntiChrist embeds itself in our culture.  I want to start by taking a look at the four biblical passages that use the term.

1John 2:18  Children, it is the last hour, and just as you heard that the antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have appeared. We know from this that it is the last hour.

1John 2:22 Who is the liar but the person who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This one is the antichrist: the person who denies the Father and the Son.

1John 4:3 but every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God, and this is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming, and now is already in the world.

2John 7 For many deceivers have gone out into the world, people who do not confess Jesus as Christ coming in the flesh. This person is the deceiver and the antichrist!

The English term for antichrist comes from the Greek word ἀντίχριστος. Simply put, it translates as “one who replaces Christ”.  The only use of this word in the entire Bible is in these 4 verses in 1 John and 2 John.  The word is also not found anywhere else outside Christian circles. 

So consider this basic data.  That said, lets try to take any sort of wild apocalyptic scenarios out of our minds and define the term using the context of these passages in John’s letters. I encourage you to read the chapters that these verses are found in while thinking about it.

How then would you define “antichrist”?

Glory be to the Father, Son and Holy Spirit:
As it was in the beginning, is now, and shall ever be, world without end.

Proposing Ears to Hear

I am often asked by friends and those in church circles if I ever want to formally put my thoughts regarding Eschatology and the book of Revelation together.  I carefully navigate these questions because I feel called to the local church. Therefore, much of my energy related to these topics is placed inside the local church. I don't like the idea of meandering through 100 pages of the use of the genative case. I know people much better at that than me, and I will gladly point others in their direction.

I am writing a Master's Thesis, because I liked the idea of a place to systematically work through some ideas.  My proposal was approved last week, and I am officially starting today, although I have spent years mulling over various rabbit trails regarding Eschatology and contemporary culture.

If you are so inclined, here is my proposal.  Only 3 pages are actual writing, the rest is bibliography and such. Thanks for staying with me on this journey.

Thesis Proposal v.3

The Apocalyptic Pastor

Eugene Peterson is about as mystical as Presbyterians get. He is a great example of a 21st century contemplative. Over the last few weeks I have been studying the use of Revelation in preaching and the pastoral vocation. Peterson devotes an entire chapter in The Contemplative Pastor: Returning to the Art of Spiritual Direction to the topic.

Peterson quickly identifies the role of apocalyptic as an adjective of the pastor. Insisting on the realities of the kingdom against the realities of the world is part of the task of the pastor. They are there to remind us of our exact station. Too often, the church acts like Israel, waiting for the promised Messiah. The Christian life lives in the expectation birthed by the resurrection.

Below are the three broad strokes that Peterson takes describing the apocalyptic pastor.

1. Apocalyptic Prayer-
Prayer is the pivotal action in the Christian community. In his task of being a pastor, John situates himself in prayer through the whole book. At the beginning and end of Revelation, John is in a posture of worship. Living on the boundary between Rome and the Kingdom, prayer connects the Christian life. Prayer is a formal, awesome activity. Pastors pray to bring people into the presence of God. Prayer is the true reality of a Christian

2. Apocalyptic Poet-
John is playful in Revelation, because he shapes a new reality for the reader. This is translation, not memorization. The creative task of the pastor is to shape the praying imagination of his people, therefore poetry must be used. Poetry is original speech, bringing things into being. Words make truth.

3. Apocalyptic Patience-
We want things quickly. The apocalyptic community is patient because it dwells in holy wedlock with Christ. It develops us into the true people of God. Apocalypse is urgent without being hurried. Patience is needed to enter into the "subtle and glorious poem vision". It takes patience to unlearn our hurried life and abide in the "deep time" of God. 

If you are familiar with Peterson, you understand that he constantly promotes a John 15 approach to Christianity, bed rocked in a constant and on-going relationship. This quick chapter is just another step in his dance.

Related Posts:
Story Telling and Re-Telling
Forming an Eschatological Community: Formation through Text

Glory be to the Father, Son and Holy Spirit:
As it was in the beginning, is now, and shall ever be, world without end.