1 John Pt. 6
This week we are taking on a very important but often misunderstood part of the New Testament. You’ll certainly find the term “Antichrist” familiar. But what does it mean and who is it (or who are they)? We’ll look at some of these questions and be reminded of some very important warnings from the apostles, specifically from John as he wrote his letters.
The Deeds of the Antichrist - Luca Signorelli ca. 1499
Anchor Texts:
1 John 2:18-27 ESVUK - Warning Concerning Antichrists
1 John 4:1-4 ESVUK - Test the Spirits
2 John 7 ESVUK - For many deceivers have gone out
Questions to Ponder:
What is the “knee jerk” definition of “antichrist” that you would give if asked? How does it compare to what we read in 1 John 2:18 and 22?
Why do you there is such a fascination with “the antichrist” in Christianity? What is good about this interest? What is unhealthy about it?
1 John 4:3 talks about the “spirit of the antichrist.” What which parts of our society do you see this “christ-denying” and “alternative belief” of the antichrist most clearly?
Why shouldn’t we live in fear of the antichrists around us and the chief antichrists of our age? Look at 1 John 2:24-27 again.
The Theme in Art:
The painting above contains many scenes within one large visual. The individual scenes are meant to highlight the chaos introduced into God’s good order by the spirit of antichrist which can invade any aspect of our society. The detail below highlights the preaching of the antichrist, and is the part of the whole which highlights the way the devil works through a human participant. In the sermon Pastor Nate called any manifestation of the spirit of the antichrist as “cooperative evil” between humans and evil spiritual powers.
