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Commentary on 1 John 2 verses 20–27
Here, I. The apostle encourages the disciples (to whom he writes) in these dangerous times, in this hour of seducers; he encourages them in the assurance of their stability in this day of apostasy: But you have an unction from the Holy One, and you know all things. We see, 1. The blessing wherewith they were enriched - an unguent from heaven: You have an unction. True Christians are anointed ones, their name intimates as much. They are anointed with the oil of grace, with gifts and spiritual endowments, by the Spirit of grace. They are anointed into a similitude of their Lord's offices, as subordinate prophets, priests, and kings, unto God. The Holy Spirit is compared to oil, as well as to fire and water; and the communication of his salvific grace is our anointing. 2. From whom this blessing comes - from the Holy One, either from the Holy Ghost or from the Lord Christ, as Rev 3:7, These things saith he that is holy - the Holy One. The Lord Christ is glorious in his holiness. The Lord Christ disposes of the graces of the divine Spirit, and he anoints the disciples to make them like himself, and to secure them in his interest. 3. The effect of this unction - it is a spiritual eye-salve; it enlightens and strengthens the eyes of the understanding: "And thereby you know all things (Jo1 2:20), all these things concerning Christ and his religion; it was promised and given you for that end," Joh 14:26. The Lord Christ does not deal alike by all his professed disciples; some are more anointed than others. There is great danger lest those that are not thus anointed should be so far from being true to Christ that they should, on the contrary, turn antichrists, and prove adversaries to Christ's person, and kingdom, and glory.
II. The apostle indicates to them the mind and meaning with which he wrote to them. 1. By way of negation; not as suspecting their knowledge, or supposing their ignorance in the grand truths of the gospel: "I have not written unto you because you know not the truth, Jo1 2:21. I could not then be so well assured of your stability therein, nor congratulate you on your unction from above." It is good to surmise well concerning our Christian brethren; we ought to do so till evidence overthrows our surmise: a just confidence in religious persons may both encourage and contribute to their fidelity. 2. By way of assertion and acknowledgment, as relying upon their judgment in these things: But because you know it (you know the truth in Jesus), and that no lie is of the truth. Those who know the truth in any respect are thereby prepared to discern what is contrary thereto and inconsistent therewith. Rectum est index sui et obliqui - The line which shows itself to be straight shows also what line is crooked. Truth and falsehood do not well mix and suit together. Those that are well acquainted with Christian truth are thereby well fortified against antichristian error and delusion. No lie belongs to religion, either natural or revealed. The apostles most of all condemned lies, and showed the inconsistency of lies with their doctrine: they would have been the most self-condemned persons had they propagated the truth by lies. It is a commendation of the Christian religion that it so well accords with natural religion, which is the foundation of it, that it so well accords with the Jewish religion, which contained the elements or rudiments of it. No lie is of the truth; frauds and impostures then are very unfit means to support and propagate the truth. I suppose it had been better with the state of religion if they had never been used. The result of them appears in the infidelity of our age; the detection of ancient pious frauds and wiles has almost run our age into atheism and irreligion; but the greatest actors and sufferers for the Christian revelation would assure us that no lie is of the truth.
III. The apostle further impleads and arraigns these seducers who had newly arisen. 1. They are liars, egregious opposers of sacred truth: Who is a liar, or the liar, the notorious liar of the time and age in which we live, but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? The great and pernicious lies that the father of lies, or of liars, spreads in the world, were of old, and usually are, falsehoods and errors relating to the person of Christ. There is no truth so sacred and fully attested but some or other will contradict or deny it. That Jesus of Nazareth was the Son of God had been attested by heaven, and earth, and hell. It should seem that some, in the tremendous judgment of God, are given up to strong delusions. 2. They are direst enemies to God as well as to the Lord Christ: He is antichrist who denieth the Father and the Son, Jo1 2:22. He that opposes Christ denies the witness and testimony of the Father, and the seal that he hath given to his Son; for him hath God the Father sealed, Joh 6:27. And he that denies the witness and testimony of the Father, concerning Jesus Christ denies that God is the Father of the Lord Jesus Christ, and consequently abandons the knowledge of God in Christ, and thereupon the whole revelation of God in Christ, and particularly of God in Christ reconciling the world unto himself; and therefore the apostle may well infer, Whosoever denies the Son the same has not the Father (Jo1 2:23); he has not the true knowledge of the Father, for the Son has most and best revealed him; he has no interest in the Father, in his favour, and grace, and salvation, for none cometh to the Father but by the Son. But, as some copies add, he that acknowledgeth the Son has the Father also, Jo1 2:23. As there is an intimate relation between the Father and the Son, so there is an inviolable union in the doctrine, knowledge, and interests of both; so that he who has the knowledge of, and right to, the Son, has the knowledge of, and right to, the Father also. Those that adhere to the Christian revelation hold the light and benefit of natural religion withal.
IV. Hereupon the apostle advises and persuades the disciples to continue in the old doctrine at first communicated to them: Let that therefore abide in you which you have heard from the beginning, Jo1 2:24. Truth is older than error. The truth concerning Christ, that was at first delivered to the saints, is not to be exchanged for novelties. So sure were the apostles of the truth of what they had delivered concerning Christ, and from him, that after all their toils and sufferings they were not willing to relinquish it. The Christian truth may plead antiquity, and be recommended thereby. This exhortation is enforced by these considerations: -
1.From the sacred advantage they will receive by adhering to the primitive truth and faith. (1.) They will continue thereby in holy union with God and Christ: If that which you have heard from the beginning shall remain in you, you also shall continue in the Son and in the Father, Jo1 2:24. It is the truth of Christ abiding in us that is the means of severing us from sin and uniting us to the Son of God, Joh 15:3, Joh 15:4. The Son is the medium or the Mediator by whom we are united to the Father. What value then should we put upon gospel truth! (2.) They will thereby secure the promise of eternal life: And this is the promise that he (even God the Father, Jo1 5:11) hath promised us, even eternal life, Jo1 2:25. Great is the promise that God makes to his faithful adherents. It is suitable to his own greatness, power, and goodness. It is eternal life, which none but God can give. The blessed God puts great value upon his Son, and the truth relating to him, when he is pleased to promise to those who continue in that truth (under the light, and power, and influence of it) eternal life. Then the exhortation aforesaid is enforced,
2.From the design of the apostle's writing to them. This letter is to fortify them against the deceivers of the age: "These things have I written to you concerning those that seduce you (Jo1 2:26), and therefore, if you continue not in what you have heard from the beginning, my writing and service will be in vain." We should beware lest the apostolical letters, yea, lest the whole scripture of God, should be to us insignificant and fruitless. I have written to him the great things of my law (and my gospel too), but they were counted as a strange thing, Hos 8:12.
3.From the instructive blessing they had received from heaven: But the anointing which you have received from him abideth in you, Jo1 2:27. True Christians have an inward confirmation of the divine truth they have imbibed: the Holy Spirit has imprinted it on their minds and hearts. It is meet that the Lord Jesus should have a constant witness in the hearts of his disciples. The unction, the pouring out of the gifts of grace upon sincere disciples, is a seal to the truth and doctrine of Christ, since none giveth that seal but God. Now he who establisheth us with you (and you with us) in Christ, and hath anointed us, is God, Co2 1:21. This sacred chrism, or divine unction, is commended on these accounts: - (1.) It is durable and lasting; oil or unguent is not so soon dried up as water: it abideth in you, Jo1 2:27. Divine illumination, in order to confirmation, must be something continued or constant. Temptations, snares, and seductions, arise. The anointing must abide. (2.) It is better than human instruction: "And you need not that any man teach you, Jo1 2:27. Not that this anointing will teach you without the appointed ministry. It could, if God so pleased; but it will not, though it will teach you better than we can: And you need not that any man teach you, Jo1 2:27. You were instructed by us before you were anointed; but now our teaching is nothing in comparison to that. Who teacheth like him?" Job 36:22. The divine unction does not supersede ministerial teaching, but surmount it. (3.) It is a sure evidence of truth, and all that it teaches is infallible truth: But as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, Jo1 2:27. The Holy Spirit must needs be the Spirit of truth, as he is called, Joh 14:17. The instruction and illumination that he affords must needs be in and of the truth. The Spirit of truth will not lie; and he teacheth all things, that is, all things in the present dispensation, all things necessary to our knowledge of God in Christ, and their glory in the gospel. And, (4.) It is of a conservative influence; it will preserve those in whom it abides against seducers and their seduction: "And even as it hath taught you you shall abide in him, Jo1 2:27. It teaches you to abide in Christ; and, as it teaches you, it secures you; it lays a restraint upon your minds and hearts, that you may not revolt from him. And he that hath anointed us is God, who also hath sealed us for himself, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts." Co2 1:21, Co2 1:22.
Whosoever, therefore, declares that there is but one God, only so as to take away the divinity of Christ, is a devil, and an enemy of all righteousness. He also that confesseth Christ, yet not as the Son of the Maker of the world, but of some other unknown being, different from Him whom the law and the prophets have proclaimed, this man is an instrument of the devil. And he that rejects the incarnation, and is ashamed of the cross for which I am in bonds, this man is antichrist. Moreover, he who affirms Christ to be a mere man is accursed, according to the [declaration of the] prophet, since he puts not his trust in God, but in man. Wherefore also he is unfruitful, like the wild myrtle-tree.
"A liar" and "an antichrist, who denies that Jesus is the Christ." For Jesus, Saviour and Redeemer, is also Christ the King.
John, moreover, brands that man as "a liar" who "denieth that Jesus is the Christ; "whilst on the other hand he declares that "every one is born of God who believeth that Jesus is the Christ." Wherefore he also exhorts us to believe in the name of His (the Father's, ) Son Jesus Christ, that "our fellowship may be with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ.
Now therefore, brethren, if deeds are to be questioned, not only do we find many antichrists gone out; but many not yet manifest, who have not gone out at all. For as many as the Church hath within it that are perjured, defrauders, addicted to black arts, consulters of fortune-tellers, adulterers, drunkards, usurers, boy-stealers, and all the other vices that we are not able to enumerate; these things are contrary to the doctrine of Christ, are contrary to the word of God. Now the Word of God is Christ: whatever is contrary to the Word of God is in Antichrist. For Antichrist means, "contrary to Christ." And would ye know how openly these resist Christ? Sometimes it happens that they do some evil, and one begins to reprove them; because they dare not blaspheme Christ, they blaspheme His ministers by whom they are reproved: but if thou show them that thou speakest Christ's words, not thine own, they endeavor all they can to convict thee of speaking thine own words, not Christ's: if however it is manifest that thou speakest Christ's words, they go even against Christ, they begin to find fault with Christ: "How," say they, "and why did He make us such as we are?" Do not persons say this every day, when they are convicted of their deeds? Perverted by a depraved will, they accuse their Maker.
For if all be asked, all with one mouth confess that Jesus is the Christ. Let the tongue keep still for a little while, ask the life. If we shall find this, if the Scripture itself shall tell us that denial is a thing done not only with the tongue, but also with the deeds, then assuredly we find many antichrists, who with the mouth profess Christ, and in their manners dissent from Christ. Where find we this in Scripture? Hear Paul the Apostle; speaking of such, he saith, "For they confess that they know God, but in their deeds deny Him." We find these also to be antichrists: whosoever in his deeds denies Christ, is an antichrist. I listen not to what he says, but I look what life he leads. Works speak, and do we require words? For where is the bad man that does not wish to talk well? But what saith the Lord to such? "Ye hypocrites, how can ye speak good things, while ye are evil?" Your voices ye bring into mine ears: I look into your thoughts. I see an evil will there, and ye make a show of false fruits. I know what I must gather, and whence; I do not "gather figs of thistles," I do not gather "grapes of thorns;" for "every tree is known by its fruit." A more lying antichrist is he who with his mouth professes that Jesus is the Christ, and with his deeds denies Him. A liar in this, that he speaks one thing, and does another.
Let us see then how antichrists lie, because there is more than one kind of lying. "Who is a liar, but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ?" One is the meaning of the word "Jesus," another the meaning of the word "Christ:" though it be one Jesus Christ our Saviour, yet "Jesus" is His proper name. Just as Moses was so called by his proper name, as Elias, as Abraham: so as His proper name our Lord hath the name "Jesus:" but "Christ" is the name of His sacred character. As when we say, Prophet, as when we say, Priest; so by the name Christ we are given to understand the Anointed, in whom should be the redemption of the whole people. The coming of this Christ was hoped for by the people of the Jews: and because He came in lowliness, He was not acknowledged; because the stone was small, they stumbled at it and were broken. But "the stone grew, and became a great mountain;" and what saith the Scripture? "Whosoever shall stumble at this stone shall be broken; and on whomsoever this stone shall come, it will grind him to powder." We must mark the difference of the words: it saith, he that stumbleth shall be broken; but he on whom it shall come, shall be ground to powder. At the first, because He came lowly, men stumbled at Him: because He shall come lofty to judgment, on whomsoever He shall come, He will grind him to powder. But not that man will He grind to powder at His future coming, whom He broke not when He came. He that stumbled not at the lowly, shall not dread the lofty. Briefly ye have heard it, brethren: he that stumbled not at the lowly, shall not dread the lofty. For to all bad men is Christ a stone of stumbling; whatever Christ saith is bitter to them.
And how are they proved to be antichrists? By lying. "And who is a liar, but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ?" Let us ask the heretics: where do you find a heretic that denies that Jesus is the Christ? See now, my beloved, a great mystery. Mark what the Lord God may have inspired us withal, and what I would fain work into your minds. Behold, they went out from us, and turned Donatists: we ask them whether Jesus be the Christ; they instantly confess that Jesus is the Christ. If then that person is an antichrist, who denies that Jesus is the Christ, neither can they call us antichrists, nor we them; therefore, neither they went out from us, nor we from them. If then we have not gone out one from another, we are in unity: if we be in unity, what means it that there are two altars in this city? what, that there are divided houses, divided marriages? that there is a common bed, and a divided Christ?
This was the heresy of Simon, which said that Jesus and the Christ were two different people. According to them, Jesus was a man, the son of Mary, but Christ descended from heaven in the form of a dove at the Jordan. John therefore condemns those who think like that and brands their belief with the name of the devil. There were still others who made a distinction between the Father and some nameless deity beyond him, whom they called the Father of Christ. These too denied Jesus, saying that he was a mere man and did not have the nature of God.
This is the Antichrist, he who denies the Father and the Son. With this sentence, he strikes both heretics and especially the Jews, who denying that Jesus is the Son of God, nonetheless claimed to have God as the Father, showing them to confess the Father in vain if they deny the Son. Hence, the Lord himself, cursing them, said: If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and am here (John 8).
Who is the liar, if not he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? He had foretold that every lie is not from the truth, but since there are many kinds of lies that are not at all similar, now he sets forth the lie of denial of Christ as singular because this is such a heinous and abominable lie that in comparison to it, other lies either seem small or nonexistent. According to what was said to the sinning Jerusalem: Sodom was justified because of you (Ezekiel 16). This denial is proper to the Jews, that they say Jesus is not the Christ. But even heretics who wrongly believe about Christ deny Jesus is the Christ, because they do not think rightly about Christ; nor do they confess him as such as divine truth teaches, but as their vanity invents. Wicked Catholics also who despise obeying the commands of Christ deny Jesus is the Christ, to whom they do not render the due service of fear or love as to the Son of God but dare to contradict at their will as to a man of no power. Therefore, all these are proved to be liars and Antichrists, that is, contrary to Christ, as the Apostle attests who says: They profess to know God, but they deny him by their deeds (Titus 1).
Who is the liar, except for the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the Antichrist who denies the Father and the Son. Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father either. Therefore, let what you heard from the beginning remain in you. If what you heard from the beginning remains in you, then you will remain in the Son and in the Father. And this is the promise that he himself made to us, eternal life.
Here too, we must hear the conjunction καὶ, that is, "and", for the sake of clearer understanding, so that the sense is this: And who is the liar, except for the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ? But the wicked Simon was raving, claiming that there was one Jesus and another Christ: the Jesus who was born of the holy Mary; but the Christ who descended from heaven into the Jordan. Therefore, he who applauds this lie, John says, is the Antichrist. This, however: This is the Antichrist, must be understood in two ways, both regarding the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ, and regarding the one who denies the Father and the Son. For he, John says, who denies the Father and the Son, is also a liar and an antichrist.
For some heretics, from whom the impure Valentinus arose, claimed that there is another unnamed Father besides him who is called the Father of Christ. They also deny the Son, because they say he is merely a unveiled man and not God by nature, as if he were from God. "Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father," just as the Jews, while denying the Son, pretend to know the Father and claim this for themselves. But let them know that they have not known the Father either; for if they had known, they would have known that He is also the Father of the Only Begotten Son. The same nonsense was also uttered by those who followed Simon. Therefore, John says this: but you, let what you have heard from the beginning, namely the divine teaching about Christ, remain in you. The name means, "Let it remain in you."
"For if what you heard from the beginning remains in you, you will also remain in the Son and in the Father." This is, you will be his partners.
"And this is the promise." For the conjunction και, that is, "and", must be taken causally for "indeed". But what is the promise? It is that which the Lord says to the Father: "That as I am in you and you are in me, so they may be one in us." (Jn. 17:21) And again: "That they may have eternal life. And this is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent." (Jn. 17:3)
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SUMMARY
1 John 2:22 serves as a profound and direct declaration from the Apostle John, identifying a fundamental denial of Christian truth. It unequivocally labels anyone who denies Jesus as the Christ as a "liar" and further defines such a person as "antichrist," specifically because this denial inherently extends to both the Father and the Son, thereby severing the essential relationship with God. This verse underscores the non-negotiable nature of Jesus' identity as the Messiah and the inseparable unity of the Godhead, providing a critical test for discerning genuine faith from deceptive teaching within the early church and for believers across all ages.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
John employs several potent Literary Devices to convey his urgent message. The verse opens with a Rhetorical Question ("Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ?"), which serves not to elicit an answer, but to emphatically state John's definitive judgment and to underscore the self-evident nature of the truth for his readers. This is immediately followed by a clear Definition or Categorization, as John explicitly defines who constitutes a "liar" and, subsequently, "antichrist." This precise labeling leaves no room for ambiguity regarding the nature of the false teaching. Furthermore, the verse utilizes Juxtaposition and Contrast, setting up a stark opposition between truth and falsehood, genuine confession and destructive denial, Christ and antichrist. This sharp distinction highlights the critical importance of orthodox Christology. Finally, the entire verse functions as a Polemic, a strong and direct attack against the false teachers and their doctrines. John's language is confrontational and uncompromising, reflecting the serious spiritual threat posed by those who would undermine the person and work of Jesus Christ.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
This verse is a cornerstone for understanding the New Testament's emphasis on the absolute necessity of a right understanding of Jesus' person. Theologically, it affirms the Incarnation (God becoming flesh in Jesus) and the Trinity (the inseparable unity of the Father and the Son). To deny Jesus as the Christ is to reject God's ultimate self-revelation and His redemptive plan, which is intrinsically tied to the unique identity of His Son. John makes it clear that true knowledge of God the Father is mediated exclusively through the Son. This passage serves as a theological bulwark against any teaching that diminishes or distorts the full deity and humanity of Jesus, establishing a vital criterion for Christian orthodoxy and underscoring that genuine faith is rooted in the confession of Jesus as the Christ, the Son of God.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
1 John 2:22 remains profoundly relevant for believers today, serving as a timeless call to spiritual vigilance and doctrinal clarity. In a world saturated with diverse spiritual claims and interpretations, John's stark warning compels us to critically examine all teachings, especially those pertaining to the person of Jesus Christ. It reminds us that genuine faith is not merely an emotional experience but is anchored in objective truth about who Jesus is: the Christ, the Son of God, fully divine and fully human. This verse challenges us to cultivate a robust understanding of biblical Christology, enabling us to discern subtle deviations from truth that can undermine the very foundation of our salvation and relationship with God. It also encourages us to stand firm in defending these core doctrines, recognizing that attacks on Jesus' identity are ultimately attacks on God Himself. Our ability to recognize and resist the "spirit of antichrist" in its various manifestations depends on our unwavering commitment to the truth revealed in Christ.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
What does "denieth that Jesus is the Christ" mean specifically?
Answer: To "deny that Jesus is the Christ" means to reject His unique and divinely appointed identity as the promised Messiah (the "Anointed One" of God), the Son of God, and the Savior of the world. In John's day, this denial often took the form of proto-Gnostic or Docetic beliefs, which either separated the divine "Christ-spirit" from the human Jesus, denied His full humanity, or denied His full divinity. For John, this was not a minor theological disagreement but a fundamental rejection of who God revealed Himself to be in Jesus. It undermines the entire Christian message of salvation, which hinges on Jesus being the true and only Christ. The purpose of John's Gospel, for instance, is that readers "might believe that [Jesus] is the Christ, the Son of God" (John 20:31).
Is "antichrist" only a future figure, or does John use the term differently?
Answer: While the Bible speaks of a future, singular "man of lawlessness" or "Antichrist" who will oppose God (e.g., 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4), John uniquely uses the term "antichrist" to describe both a spirit and specific individuals who are already at work in the world. In 1 John 2:18, he states, "even now are there many antichrists." This indicates that the spirit of antichrist—which fundamentally opposes Christ and His truth, particularly concerning His incarnation and identity—is an active force throughout history. 1 John 4:3 further clarifies that "every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist." So, for John, "antichrist" refers to anyone or any teaching that denies the true person of Jesus Christ.
Why is denying the Father and the Son so significant?
Answer: Denying the Father and the Son is profoundly significant because it strikes at the very heart of the nature of God and the means of salvation. The Bible reveals God as a Trinity—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—three distinct persons in one divine essence. John emphasizes the inseparable unity and relationship between the Father and the Son. Jesus Himself declared, "No man cometh unto the Father, but by me." Therefore, to deny the Son is to deny the Father who sent Him and revealed Himself through Him. One cannot claim to know or worship God the Father while rejecting Jesus, His unique Son and the sole mediator between God and humanity. This denial severs one's connection to the true God and His saving grace.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
1 John 2:22 finds its ultimate fulfillment and profound significance in the person and work of Jesus Christ Himself. This verse underscores the absolute centrality of Jesus' identity as the Christ, the Anointed One, who is the full and final revelation of God. The "liar" is one who denies this truth, precisely because Jesus is the embodiment of truth, the one through whom the invisible God is made known. As John 1:18 states, "No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him." To deny Jesus as the Christ is to deny God's definitive self-disclosure and His redemptive plan, which culminates in the Son. Jesus perfectly revealed the Father, declaring, "He that hath seen me hath seen the Father." His life, miraculous works, sacrificial death, and glorious resurrection unequivocally confirm His identity as the Christ, the fulfillment of all Old Testament prophecies and the very image of the invisible God, as articulated in Colossians 1:15. He is God's final word to humanity, through whom He has spoken in these last days (Hebrews 1:1-3). Thus, the confession that "Jesus is the Christ" is not merely a theological statement but the recognition of God's saving act in history, through the one in whom "there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved" (Acts 4:12).