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#4.
"The Liar."
pp. 161, 163
The words translated "liar" in the N.T. occur thirteen times. Three of these
occurrences are found in the epistles of Paul, one in Acts, and nine in the writings of
John. Of these nine the first epistle has five. A cognate word "To lie" comes twelve
times, but only one of these references is found in I John. Once, in combination, we
have in this epistle the word "false prophets", making in all eight passages therein where
psuedos, pseustes, pseudomai and pseudoprophetes occur.
In the immediate context of the two passages where the word "lie" occurs, we have a
reference to the spirit of truth. In 2: 21, "Ye know . . . . . that no lie is of the truth".
Immediately before we read, "But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know
all things". In 2: 27, "The same anointing (same word as `unction') teacheth you all
things, and is truth, and is no lie". In the early church there were two kinds of
supernatural gifts, the one of God, the other of Satan. In I Cor. 12: 3 the two kinds are
noted, and an infallible test is provided.
No man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus anathema, and no man can say that
Jesus is the Lord, but by holy spirit" (the gift of the Holy Spirit).
So in I John 4: 1-3 two sources of inspired gifts are noted with an infallible test.
"Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because
many false prophets are gone out into the world. Hereby know ye the Spirit of God:
every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God: and every
spirit that confesseth not Jesus is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist."
The antichrist and the false prophet of Rev. 13: are foreshadowed in the denial of
these many forerunners. It is most important that we should pay attention to the actual
words of inspiration here and in II John 7, for by so doing we shall add to our
understanding. In the passage already quoted the words are "Has come in the flesh"
(I John 4: 3), referring to the past. In II John 7 the words "is come" are a rendering of
erchomenon, meaning "coming", "The One who is to come" of Rev. 1: 4, etc.
"For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is
coming in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist" (II John 7).
"HAS COME', "IS COMING." These two great facts are the supreme confession,
and the supreme denial. Let it be observed that antichristianism does not so much deny
the Deity of Christ, as that it denies Bethlehem and Olivet. The reality of the first and
second comings "in the flesh" is vital to faith. The alternation of "truth" and "lie" is
found in I John 1: 8 and 10:--
"If we say we have no sin we deceive ourselves, and the TRUTH is not in us."
"If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a LIAR, and His word is not in us."