Article April 5, 1999 ISSUE

What about anti-Christ?

Conquering opposition to Christ

By Elise L. Moore

Recently A Well-Known spokesperson for evangelical Christians stated that since Jesus was a Jewish male, we can assume his antagonist, the anti-Christ, will be Jewish and male as well. Though the remark carried a matter-of-fact tone and was purported not to convey anti-Semitic sentiment, many Christian churches protested this usurpation of Christian doctrine. Those denominations that believe the Biblical passages about anti-Christ refer not to a literal personality but to influences contrary to Christ, felt this statement misrepresented them.

Anti-Christ is mentioned specifically only in John's writings. (See I John 2:18, 22; I John 4:3; II John 1:7.) It is opposition to Christ that denies the existence of Christ. Such opposition has existed since Jesus' time. John indicated this when he said, "As ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists" (I John 2:18; see also 4:3). Christians then and now have had to overcome denial of the Christ, and of the Christ's power to heal and save.

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