Ah yes, I think I see how you are interpreting it. When John says 'it is the last hour' you take this to mean that it is 'the last hour of the antichrist', would that be correct?
If so i'll reason on that point. If correct it would mean that the antichrist warned of by Jesus was around when the Apostles were still active in the congregations. John does say that there had already been a number of antichrists when he was still alive... but look closely at what he says about them:
1 John 2:18: “Young children, it is the last hour, and, just as you have heard that antichrist is coming, even now there have come to be many antichrists; from which fact we gain the knowledge that it is the last hour.”
John says they knew it was the last hour because of the prevalence of some antichrists appearing.... but notice that just before he says it he confirms an existing belief that 'the antichrist is coming'
Why would he first say the antichrist was still 'coming' if the time of the antichrist was almost over? It wouldnt make sense for him to say it that way if that is what he was thinking.
This is more an indication of something greater to come. Yes there had already been some christians who turned apostate (Judas being the first), but their denial of Christ could be easily refuted by any of the Apostles who were witnesses to the events of Jesus ministry. The real trouble for the christian congregation would begin when Apostates were active with no eye witnesses to counter their attacks.
This is why its more reasonable to conclude that when John said 'it is the last hour' he meant it would be the last hour before the 'antichrist arrived' in full swing if you know what i mean.
It was the last hour because he was a 98 year old man and the last of Jesus 12 Apostles....his passing would mark the beginning of the 'apostate age'
And Paul also indicated this at Acts 20:29-30 "I know that after my going away oppressive wolves will enter in among YOU and will not treat the flock with tenderness, 30 and from among YOU yourselves men will rise and speak twisted things to draw away the disciples after themselves.
Notice Paul says 'after I go away'... he's referring to his death here.
And in his letter to Timothy he is even more direct.
1 Timothy 4:1-2 "However, the inspired utterance says definitely that in later periods of time some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to misleading inspired utterances and teachings of demons, 2 by the hypocrisy of men who speak lies..."
Apostasy begins with false teachings. While the apostles were alive the teachings were not false and if any were teaching falsehood, they could be dealt with by the apostles. But after the apostles were gone, the false teachers could become those 'wolves in sheeps clothing' because their would be no one with the authority to refute them.
My guess would be yes, most definitely. Spread true christianity quickly before the apostate teachers start to spread their lies.
"The work was written to counter the heresies that Jesus did not come "in the flesh," 1 john was written between 100-110
that would be 70 to 80 after...
~wiki
according to john the antichrist had already arrived
1 john 4:3 But if someone claims to be a prophet and does not acknowledge the truth about Jesus, that person is not from God. Such a person has the spirit of the Antichrist,
which you heard is coming into the world and indeed is already here.
you heard the antichrist was coming and now it is here
again...the time is near
rev 1:3 God blesses the one who reads the words of this prophecy to the church, and he blesses all who listen to its message and obey what it says, for the time is near.
heb 10: 32
Think back on those early days when YOU first learned about Christ.[j] Remember how you remained faithful even though it meant terrible suffering. 33 Sometimes you were exposed to public ridicule and were beaten, and sometimes you helped others who were suffering the same things. 34 You suffered along with those who were thrown into jail, and when all you owned was taken from you, you accepted it with joy.
You knew there were better things waiting for you that will last forever.
35 So do not throw away this confident trust in the Lord. Remember the great reward it brings
you! 36
Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God’s will. Then you will receive all that he has promised.
37 “For
in just a little while,
the Coming One will come and not delay.
38 And my righteous ones will live by faith.[k]
But I will take no pleasure in anyone who turns away.”[l]
39 But we are not like those who turn away from God to their own destruction. We are the faithful ones, whose souls will be saved.
even paul believed the return of christ will happen in his lifetime.
i read this as letter to those that are loosing faith because it's taking so long for christ to return...hense
Remember how you remained faithful even though it meant terrible suffering...Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God’s will
why then ask for "patient endurance"...while using the "early days" as a back drop for making his point?
acts 20:29
after I leave- new international version
after my departure- new american standard
as soon as I'm gone- the message
I know that false teachers, like vicious wolves, will come in among you after I leave- new living translation
if paul is referring to his death then at least one translation would indicate something like;
after i leave this world
paul traveled...right?
he had to leave one place to get to the next
so when the boss was around the wolves stayed away...
1 Corinthians 7:29-31
29 What I mean, brothers and sisters,
is that the time is short. From now on t
hose who have wives should live as if they do not; 30 those who mourn, as if they did not; those who are happy, as if they were not; those who buy something, as if it were not theirs to keep; 31 those who use the things of the world, as if not engrossed in them. For this world in its present form is passing away.
if the hour was not up or that time isn't short, why is he asking the church in corinth to live as though the returning of christ was coming within their lifetime. asking a married couple to not have sex well that would mean no more children...asking people to not mourn means you will see your loved ones very soon...
