Character Studies - ElectronicGospel

C. Pointing at The Antichrist1. a few years ago, a tabloid newspaper announced that, “The Antichrist Is In The World Today”a. they meant to inform us that after 2000 years without any antichrists, the one evil incarnatehad finally comeb. no, John’s writings will not uphold this idea; antichrists have been present since the earlydays of the church2. in 1999, Jerry Falwell asserted his opinion that the end was near and therefore, the antichrist isprobably a preteen boy living in Jerusalem todaya. thankfully, the reaction was not like Herod’s and people did not take it upon themselves toslay every Jewish male under the age of majorityb. such assertions are themselves antichrist, in that they oppose the truth of the NewTestamentII. Opposition to ChristA. The Devil’s Work1. throughout the gospel accounts, the opposition to Christ engendered and performed by thedevil is clearly an antichrist movementa. the devil is not who John was talking about, but his influence upon man and the evil worksthat resultb. consider how Jesus responded to the devil’s work2. in Matthew 4:1-10, the Spirit led Jesus up into the wilderness to face the temptations of thedevil, who claimed the right to exchange all the kingdoms of the world to obtain Christ’s allegiancea. the stance taken by Jesus that day was Christ working against an antichrist ambition in itsessenceb. the devil is not what John warned about as antichrist, but his work being done by men’shands wasc. the antichrist function seeks to overwhelm Christians with promises similar to these,concerning the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh and the pride of life, and will frequently and mostperniciously be found in the doctrines of supposedly pious men (Second Peter 2:18-19)3. in Matthew 13:37-39, Jesus explains the parable of the wheat and tares, and points to the devilas one who sows wicked things among the good seed of the gospela. it is not so much the devil doing these things himself, but working through his agents inthis worldb. he works not by demon possession, but persuasion, and entices men to corrupt the puredoctrine of Christ into something with more convenience and allowance (Second Timothy 3:1-9)c. such men are antichrist, evil sowers4. at other points in his ministry, Jesus revealed it to be the severest of insults to attribute his workto the devil’s power (cf. Matthew 12:24-32) and that the devil is the prince of this world who has nothingin Jesus (cf. John 14:30)B. The Man of Sin (Second Thessalonians 2:3-12)1. as Paul did a few months earlier in First Thessalonians 4:13-18, the apostle is attempting torefute teachings that Christ’s return was then imminent2. he does so now by stating that certain things must happen before the return of Jesus (a greatapostasy and the revelation of a man of sin, or lawlessnessa. the man of sin, a relative of the apostasy, is identified as one who opposes God and exaltshimself into a position like God’sb. he was then restrained from appearing as Paul wrote, but eventually would appear and thenbe destroyed by God’s breathc. the man of sin’s work would deceive many, who might otherwise have been saved3. some commentators apply this text to the succession of Roman emperors, who clearly fit thedescription in exalting themselves as “Lord God, Caesar” and overwhelmed many saints with threats ofdeath unless they recanted Christ (cf. Revelation 2:10, 3:8)4. the Catholic church applied it to Protestantism in the Middle Ages and Protestants have cometo apply it to Catholicism and in fact, both may be right, for both movements tend to pervert the doctrineof Christ in their own way132! Jeff S. Smith