1 John 2:18-21
Chapter 2
18
Christ and the Antichrists
Children, it is the last hour. You were told that an antichrist would come, so now several antichrists have already come, which shows that it is now the last hour.19
They went out from us, but they did not truly belong to us. If they had belonged to us, they would have stayed with us. So it became clear that not everyone who claims to be ours really is.
20
But you have the anointing from the Holy One, and it gives all of you true wisdom.
21
I write to you, not because you lack knowledge of the truth, but because you already know it, and lies have nothing in common with the truth.
Commentaries
Christ and the Antichrists.
The ‘last hour’ of history, as the New Testament mentions (18; cf. 2 Thes 2:5, 2 Pt 3:1-3), has emerged with the first ‘manifestation’ of Christ (1:2; 3:5, 8) and will conclude with the second ‘manifestation’ at the parousia (28). It is marked by the ‘manifestation’ of the antichrists (18f; 4:1,3; cf. 2 Jn 7). During this hour of decisive battle, Christ remains the central figure. On Christ’s side are the ‘faithful’ (cf. Rev 17:14), who openly declare with their hearts and mouths that Jesus is the Son of God (20-23). Their symbol of identity is the chrism or anointing—namely, the word of God embraced through faith.