Anyone who does not acknowledge Jesus Christ as the Bible presents Him is inspired by the spirit of the antichrist. This is the spirit of the antichrist” (1 John 4:3). Next, John says, “But every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This particular test was especially apropos in John’s day, as the heresy of Gnosticism was becoming prevalent Gnosticism taught that Jesus only appeared to have a human body but was not actually a flesh-and-blood person. If not, his entire teaching ought to be rejected. We can ask, does the content of the person’s teaching acknowledge that Jesus Christ-fully God and fully human-has come in the flesh? If the answer is yes, then we know the Spirit of God inspires that person. So, the first test relates to theology or doctrine: “Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God” (1 John 4:2). Teachers of falsehood are spreading the “doctrines of demons” (1 Timothy 4:1, NASB). Teachers of truth are filled with the Spirit of God and thus are agents who speak for God. Spiritual doctrines are promulgated through human spokespersons. John taught that a prophet or teacher was the actual mouthpiece for a spirit. These “spirits” John spoke of were not merely disembodied, supernatural beings. He instructed his readers to pay attention and test the spirits: “Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world” (1 John 4:1).īut how do we test the spirits? How can we discern which teachers are imparting truth? How do we recognize the spirit of the antichrist? John presented a definitive solution for wading through this variety of beliefs and teachings.
People entertained countless views regarding truth.
The spiritual atmosphere was not unlike the one present in our world today. Many false teachings, mystery religions, spiritual experiences, and variations of Christianity were emerging at the time. A predominant worldview when he wrote this letter suggested that diverse spirits were at work in the world. It’s vital to understand the context of John’s statements. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world.” The phrase spirit of the antichrist is found in 1 John 4:2–3: “This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God.
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