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Letters from John, part 2

After admonishing the church to walk in love, 2 John 7 says,

⁷ For many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. This is the deceiver and the antichrist.

Here John introduces the second big problem of the day, known in scholastic circles as Docetism. Docetism was an early Christian heresy that taught that Jesus only seemed to be human, but that He did not truly possess a physical body. The name comes from that Greek verb dokein, “to appear, to seem.”

The core claims of Docetists were that they denied that Christ had a real physical body. In other words, they denied what Christians refer to as the physical incarnation of Christ or that He was truly a Man. This meant also that He did not truly suffer and die on the cross, but only seemed to do so. Instead, they taught that His body was an illusion, that the divine Christ merely “appeared” in human form, and that the divine spirit temporarily inhabited a man named Jesus at the time of His baptism.

Such teaching, of course, destroys the truth of Sonship itself. But in his gospel, John makes it clear that “the Word” was the Creator and that “the Word became flesh.” The Word did not look for a natural body to inhabit temporarily. No, the Word was begotten in Mary by the Holy Spirit (Matthew 1:18). This, then, became the pattern for all of the sons of God that John describes in John 1:12 and 13. Whereas other religions offer a path toward servanthood, Christ offers sonship.

Docetism developed largely under Greek philosophical influence, especially the idea that matter is inherently corrupt or inferior and that only spirit is pure and divine. If matter is inherently evil, then (in that worldview) God could not truly become flesh. This is clearly refuted in the first chapter of Genesis, where God creates matter and calls it “good.”

The Antichrist

John tells us that Docetism “is the deceiver and the antichrist” (1 John 7). Not only is it false teaching; it is also “antichrist,” which means “in place of Christ,” or a substitute Christ. John refuted Docetism again in 1 John 4:2, 3,

² By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God; ³ and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God; this is the spirit of the antichrist, of which you have heard that it is coming, and now it is already in the world.

Note the core dispute here: Docetists claimed that Jesus “appeared” to have a body; John claimed that “Jesus Christ has come in the flesh.” Earlier, we read in 1 John 2:22, 23 the apostle wrote:

²² Who is the liar but the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, the one who denies the Father and the Son. ²³ Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father; the one who confesses the Son has the Father also.

Whereas the religious leaders in Jerusalem denied that Jesus was the Christ (Messiah) in their Jewish manner, so also the Docetists denied that Jesus was the Christ in their Greek manner. John recognized that both views deviated from the truth about who Christ truly was and is.

The dispute between Christians and Jews was based on the Old Testament prophetic pattern of Absalom’s dispute with David over throne rights (2 Samuel 15:4). David was God’s anointed one, but Absalom usurped the throne for himself, believing that he was better suited for the job. In doing so, he became the primary biblical pattern of the antichrist.

David did not try to fight for his right to rule. Instead, as he left Jerusalem, he made a blood sacrifice on the Mount of Olives (2 Samuel 15:30). We do not know how long Absalom ruled, but the day came when David returned to the throne. In the battle, Absalom was killed (2 Samuel 18:14). Absalom did not become “chosen” to rule with David.

The story of David and Absalom was then repeated a thousand years later in the New Testament dispute. Caiaphas played the role of Absalom this time, while Jesus played the part of David. Jesus submitted to the will of His heavenly Father, allowing His throne to be usurped for a season, awaiting His return at the end of the age. Those who think that the Jews who deny that Jesus is the Christ will rule the earth under Him fail to understand the fate of Absalom. Antichrist (in both its Jewish and Greek form) has already had its time to rule, and that time is now ending.

John’s warning to the church is not to be deceived by the antichrists who know not the truth. That warning was relevant in John’s day, and it is still relevant in our day. Essentially, John warned the church not to follow the example of Judas, who played the role of Ahithophel as so perished by his own hand (2 Samuel 17:23).

Losing One’s Reward

2 John 7 says much in few words, no doubt because the churches under his supervision were knowledgeable of these things. John thought it sufficient to tell them, “Watch yourselves.” We read in 2 John 8, 9,

⁸ Watch yourselves, that you do not lose what we have accomplished, but that you may receive a full reward. ⁹ Anyone who goes too far and does not abide in the teachings of Christ, does not have God; the one who abides in the teaching, he has both the Father and the Son.

John does not tell us that believers who are deceived into supporting the antichrist will lose their entire reward. His warning is given “that you may receive a FULL reward.” The implication is that deception can erode one’s reward. Judas himself was a believer and a disciple, but his reward was limited—by his own hand (Matthew 27:5).

Judas “hanged himself” out of regret, because he actually believed that Jesus was the Christ. Tradition says that he thought he could force Jesus to take His throne in a show of force in front of the Sanhedrin. Judas’ plan backfired, because Jesus refused to call “twelve legions of angels” (Matthew 26:53) to save Him from crucifixion.

Christian Zionism today has a similar outlook. They do their best to radicalize Jewish Zionists in order to bring about Armageddon as quickly as possible. Why? Because, in their reasoning, they are hastening the return of Christ, who (they think) will be forced to come and save the Jews from utter annihilation. As John puts it, they go too far and do not abide in the teaching of Christ” (2 John 9).

Those same Christian Zionists, of course, believe that they themselves will be raptured safely out of the earth before this happens. Obviously, their “love” for the Jews false short of the glory of God. Nonetheless, because of their basic faith in Christ, they will receive a lesser reward.

Assisting Deceivers

2 John 10, 11 says,

¹⁰ If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house, and do not give him a greeting; ¹¹ for the one who gives him a greeting participates in his evil deeds.

John was not forbidding basic kindness, courtesy, or conversation. It is not wrong to say “hello” to a heretic or an unbeliever. John envisions itinerant teachers, common in the first-century church. They traveled from congregation to congregation, relying on hospitality for lodging and ministry access. Normally, such teachers would receive hospitality, as we see in 3 John 5-8. But hospitality must not enable destructive antichrist doctrine.

Neither should Christians alter their teachings to support Jewish claims. It is becoming more and more common for Christian Zionists to claim that religious Jews are saved apart from Christ. This is known today as “Dual Covenant Theology,” which claims that Jews and Christians are saved by different covenants, that there are, in effect, two paths to salvation.

Jesus refuted this in John 14:6. Peter refuted it in Acts 4:12. Paul refutes it in Romans 3:29, 30. Neither Peter nor Paul, being Judeans, claimed to be saved apart from faith in Christ. Those who teach Dual Covenant Theology should receive no support from genuine Christians, because they deny Christ and have departed from the faith.

Closing Remarks

2 John 12, 13 says,

¹² Though I have many things to write to you, I do not want to do so with paper and ink; but I hope to come to you and speak face to face, so that your joy may be made full. ¹³ The children of your chosen sister greet you.

Here John ends his letter to “the chosen lady,” which, I believe, represents one of the nearby “sister” churches. No doubt John had much more to say but which would have taken too much “paper and ink” to share. It was better to speak with them in person.