1 John 4:3Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

The Apostle says that the antichrist is already in the world. This means not in his own person, but in the persons of false prophets, false apostles, and heretics, who anticipate and prepare his coming. The antichrist himself will be a man bearing Satan within himself. He will exalt himself above all that is called God or sacred (2 Thess 2:4). Therefore he will also forbid service to idols, which the Apostle understood under “sacred,” and will present himself alone as God.

Therefore Paul also says, “Since there are divisions and strife among you, are you not fleshly, and do you not walk according to human ways?” (1 Cor 3:3). He who walks according to human ways does not have the Spirit of Christ. The one who does not live according to Christ does not have the Spirit of Christ. He has not put himself to death to the world, and such a man is not Christ’s.

The Apostle sets forth the same mark negatively, applying it to the exposure of erring false teachers. “And every spirit,” that is, every teacher, “which does not confess Jesus Christ, come in the flesh,” does not acknowledge the promised Savior, the Son of God. It does not acknowledge that He assumed our humanity and lived on earth among men as true God and true man. Every such spirit is not of God. Every such teacher is not led by the Spirit of God and does not preach divine teaching. He is not a true teacher, “but this is the spirit of antichrist.” He is a false teacher speaking by the prompting of Christ’s adversary, or the devil.

Here is the apostolic principle by which the Spirit of Christ must be distinguished from the deceitful spirit. Whoever heartily confesses that Jesus Christ is God and the Savior of men, that He appeared in the flesh according to the hidden counsel of the Trinity, lived with men on earth, worked miracles, proclaimed the will of the heavenly Father. Suffered for human sins, was crucified, rose by the power of the Godhead, ascended into heaven, and, abiding with believers until the end of the age, will come again, whoever believes thus and teaches thus is from God and is His true follower.

“Every spirit that does not confess Jesus Christ come in the flesh is of the antichrist.” The Vulgate, Polycarp of Smyrna, and some manuscripts read, “is antichrist.” But the present Greek text, the Slavonic, and the Russian translations are correct. The antichrist will be one definite person, not everyone who denies the Incarnation of the Son of God. This does not prevent every denier from being considered, in a certain degree, an antichrist. Since such deniers had already appeared in the times of the Apostles, the Apostle John says that the antichrist is already now in the world.

“And every spirit,” and so forth. Having indicated this fundamental mark, which positively distinguishes teacher from false teacher, the Apostle also indicates it negatively. He thereby strengthens his discourse, gives special significance to this article of the confession of faith, and directs it especially toward exposing deceivers. A teacher who does not confess the Savior of the world, Jesus Christ, as the Son of God, true God and true Man, is not from God. Every such teacher is not a true teacher of faith and knowledge, but is from antichrist, or, what is the same, from the devil (1 Jn 2:18; 1 Jn 3:8, 10). He is a false teacher, speaking by the prompting of the adversary of Christ, the devil, by the prompting of the spirit of deception.

How are the true prophets of God to be known and distinguished from the many false prophets who have multiplied (1 Jn 4:1-3)? For this, the holy Apostle John declares the fundamental dogma of Christianity, the Incarnation of God the Word, to be the touchstone. “Every spirit,” that is, teacher, “that confesses Jesus Christ, come in the flesh, is of God” (1 Jn 4:2). Strengthening his discourse, the Apostle repeats this in negative form: “And every spirit that does not confess Jesus Christ, come in the flesh, is not of God. This is the spirit,” the teacher and forerunner, “of antichrist” (1 Jn 4:3). According to the testimony of St Irenaeus of Lyons (Against Heresies III, 16, 18), both of these verses were directed by the Apostle against the Docetists.

By calling the spirit of the false teachers the spirit of antichrist, the Apostle more clearly expresses their dependence on the spirit of malice, and through this their connection with the final antichrist. Earlier the Apostle spoke of the false teachers as denying the messianic dignity of Jesus Christ. Here he mentions another error of theirs, which consisted in denying His human nature and the reality of His accomplishment of our salvation. This Docetic teaching seemed less dangerous. In fact, it overthrew the whole work by which salvation is appropriated to Christians. For if Jesus Christ was not truly man, then His most intimate participation in men, in order to take their sins upon Himself, was impossible. Together with this, the participation of men in Him was also impossible. Therefore this false teaching is rightly ascribed to the spirit of antichrist. When antichrist appears, he himself will be unable to proclaim anything about Christ more blasphemous and harmful.

The characteristic mark of the children of God, in distinction from the children of the devil, is not only personal righteousness, but also love for neighbors and faith in Jesus Christ as the Son of God. He truly, and not seemingly, came to earth in the flesh and suffered for the sins of the world. Therefore the Apostle exhorts Christians not to believe every spirit, but to test the spirits, whether they are of God, because many false prophets have appeared in the world (ch. 4). Just as true prophets, the teachers of truth, teach by illumination from the Holy Spirit, so false prophets are far from the truth. They are under the influence of the devil, the spirit of malice and flattery or deception.

If someone truly separates Jesus, and thinks that the pure God the Word exists apart from the flesh, and says that it is false that He is man, then such a spirit of error is not from God. This is also true if someone asserts that all the deeds of His divine economy of salvation are only a phantasy. If anyone names the Lord Jesus not only by voice, but also by deeds and by love truly, and not by cunning, he truly confesses the same Lord in the Holy Spirit.