At a first glance, the word “antichrist” appears to be most appropriately defined as “to oppose Christ” and for this reason, nobody wants to be identified as an antichrist. However, the use of this expression has a context that should be thoroughly analyzed.

The word antichrist was an expression first used by the Apostle John in reference to a group of people who believed and promoted an opposite doctrine to the one taught by Jesus of Nazareth’s apostles, and for obvious reasons, John considered that this doctrine was against the Christ they promoted (1^st of John 2:18).

Jesus of Nazareth’s apostles, including John, promoted the manifestation of the Christ before the cross, in other words Jesus the Jew. For this reason, John taught:

1. To walk as Jesus walked and to follow his footsteps (1^st of John 2:6, 1^st of Peter 2:21)
2. To baptize ourselves, as he baptized himself (Acts 2:38)
3. Repentance for the pardon of sins (Acts 3:19)
4. That the devil and demons are alive (1^st of Peter 5:8)

On the contrary, the Apostle Paul taught the Christ after his crucifixion (Galatians 3:1) no longer a Jew but the risen one. For this reason, the Apostle Paul taught:

1. Not to know Christ according to the flesh, meaning not like Jesus the Jew (2^nd letter to the Corinthians 5:16)
2. It is not necessary to baptize, as we were baptized in his death (1^st letter to the Corinthians 1:17, Romans 6:3)
3. Reconciliation because sin no longer exists (Romans 5:11, Hebrews 9:26)
4. The devil and demons no longer exist (Hebrews 2:14, Colossians 2:15)

It is indisputable that the apostles and Paul taught two different Christ’s, or better said two different manifestations of Christ (2^nd letter to the Corinthians 11:4, Romans 7:4). Due to this, the “antichrists” mentioned by John is no one other than Paul and his disciples. However, the Apostle Paul had a chance to congregate with the church for one year in Antioch and taught many people and “for the first time, the disciples were called Christians” (Acts 11:25-26).

As aforementioned, before the cross it was correct to call anyone against the doctrine of Jesus’ apostles an “antichrist”. However, after the cross, whoever is against that doctrine the correct term is Christian.

In other words, anyone who bases their life on the doctrine of Jesus’ apostles and does not recognize that there are two different manifestations of Christ, identifies the true Christians as “Antichrist”.

Anyone who is against the promotion, imitation and of following the manifestation of Christ before the cross, and anyone who only promotes the manifestation of Christ after the cross based on Paul’s gospel, is considered “Antichrist”.

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It is interesting to observe that although the International Ministry Growing in Grace (Ministerio Internacional Creciendo en Gracia) and its President, Dr. Jose Luis De Jesus, The Man Christ Jesus, are considered “antichrists” just like the apostle Paul was in his time. Today, the Man Christ Jesus and His ministry are the only ones who honor the redeeming work by Jesus of Nazareth. They are the only ones who do not belittle His bloodshed that removed sin, destroyed the devil, and laid the new path of the new covenant for us.

CONCLUSION

Antichrist is a genre, not a single person.