The Antichrist's identity?

[Valerie]

Someday we need to write up a systematic theology of Valerieism. We could call it Eastern ReformedAnaPaedoBaptiCostalDoxy.

In other words, not infallible, i guess i appreciaye what each teach, & since people from all are included in Heaven, God hopefully approves of the inclusion of people from each.

[barnhart]

Judging by this thread, Anabaptist minded people are not consumed by the specific identity of the anti christ. This is either a weakness or a strength.

[silentreader]

Judging by this thread, Anabaptist minded people are not consumed by the specific identity of the anti christ. This is either a weakness or a strength.

Probably both. Open mindedness and at least awareness of what is going on around us appears to be crucial.

[Valerie]

Judging by this thread, Anabaptist minded people are not consumed by the specific identity of the anti christ. This is either a weakness or a strength.

Probably both. Open mindedness and at least awareness of what is going on around us appears to be crucial.

Aware, watchfull, not obsessed seems Scriptural.

(for Josh: I meant pastor Begg said he is amillenial not a millennial, my phone autocorrected it so I'm correcting autocorret )

[Josh]

Judging by this thread, Anabaptist minded people are not consumed by the specific identity of the anti christ. This is either a weakness or a strength.

Probably both. Open mindedness and at least awareness of what is going on around us appears to be crucial.

Aware, watchfull, not obsessed seems Scriptural.

(for Josh: I meant pastor Begg said he is amillenial not a millennial, my phone autocorrected it so I'm correcting autocorret )

That’s certainly interesting.

[ohio jones]

my phone autocorrected it so I'm correcting autocorret

I am rather indecisive about which approach is preferable.

[JohnHurt]

The Apostle John said there were a LOT of anti-Christs in the 1st century, long before the Catholic church was ever started by Constantine:

1 John 2:(18) Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time.

In the next verse, the Apostle John said that these antiChrists were not a "thing", but were the"people" that were part of their fellowship:

1 John 2:(19) They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us.

The Apostle John then said that anyone that denied Christ was the antiChrist, and did not have a true relationship with the Father:

1 John 2:(22) Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son.
(23) Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father: (but) he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also.

Muslim and Jews deny that Jesus is the Christ, and are contrary to Christ. But there are people inside the John's own fellowship that deny Christ too, as that is the subject. Denying Christ is rejecting the doctrines of Christ as superior to all other doctrines.

The Apostle John said these "antiChrist" people also deny that Christ actually came in the flesh, and that they are "already in the world" in the 1st Century:

1 John 4: (2) Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God:
(3) And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.

Just as the people of Lystra believed that Paul and Silas were the gods of Jupiter and Mercury and were appearing to them in the "likeness of men" (Acts 14:11,12), so were some teachers inside the fellowship of the Apostle John also teaching that Christ was another god who came down in the likeness of men. Philippians 2:6-7. The Apostle John declares that Christ came in the flesh, and not as a "likeness". Anyone that teaches that Christ emptied Himself and came in the "likeness of a man" and not actually in the flesh, this is an antiChrist - according to the Apostle John.

This is so important, that the Apostle John restates this point in 2 John 7:

(7) For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist.

AntiChrist in Strongs Dictionary #500 means an opponent of the Messiah. Anyone that teaches something contrary to the doctrines that Christ taught is an anti-Christ. This is much more than just the Catholic church.

For example, does any church teach the plan of salvation for eternal life that Christ taught in Matthew 19:16-19? No.

Does any church teach the rapture doctrine that Christ taught in Matthew 13:40-43 where the wicked are burned up and the righteous inherit the earth? No, they teach the opposite, that the righteous are removed to outer space and the wicked inherit the earth.

If you want to avoid the "antiChrist", then just read the Words of Christ, which are the words written in red in your Bible.

The doctrines of Christ are superior to every other doctrine in the Bible, or the doctrines of any Church. Anything other than the doctrines of Christ is the doctrine of the antiChrist.

The Pope holds that the Catholic church is superior to anything written in the Bible, including the doctrines of Christ. That is why he, and anyone that follows the Pope, is an antiChrist.

As John said, "even now are there many antichrists." And not all antiChrists are Catholic. But it made Martin Luther and others like him feel really good about calling the Catholics the AntiChrist, when there is not much difference between Luther and the Catholic Church and what they taught.

And most of the doctrines I hear in church, these doctrines do not follow what Christ said. But it does make us feel better about ourselves when we can call someone else an antiChrist.

When I started reading just the words of Christ as being superior to all other doctrines, my eyes were opened. There are many antiChrists today. I cannot believe how wrong I have been most of my life.

[barnhart]

When I started reading just the words of Christ as being superior to all other doctrines, my eyes were opened. There are many antiChrists today. I cannot believe how wrong I have been most of my life.

That is a beautiful testimony. May God give us all the grace to read the words of Jesus that way.

[MaxPC]

When I started reading just the words of Christ as being superior to all other doctrines, my eyes were opened. There are many antiChrists today. I cannot believe how wrong I have been most of my life.

That is a beautiful testimony. May God give us all the grace to read the words of Jesus that way.

As someone who is quite possibly going Home at any time due to advanced age I have learned the following:
1. Pray and read Scripture every day so that I can become familiar enough with Jesus to recognize a phony.
2. Avoid name calling and automatically labeling someone: I certainly don’t know everything. Unless the other person is Jesus Returned, they don’t know everything either.
3. For that matter all of us can be subject to error until after we die and meet God Who will then generously let us know the whole Truth; and most likely we will be embarrassed by our ill-formed and blind assumptions.

[PetrChelcicky]

The most important feature of the Antichrists: they are better and better at imitating Christ and winning the support of the big churches. Until the last Antichrist will completely be identified with Christ and the big churches will be his representants whole-heartedly.