2 John 1:7
in 2 John 1For many deceivers have gone out into the world, refusing to confess the coming of Jesus Christ in the flesh. Any such person is the deceiver and the antichrist.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
For many deceivers are gone forth into the world, even they that confess not that Jesus Christ cometh in the flesh. This is the deceiver and the antichrist.
KJV
For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist.
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This verse in 2 John 1
Commentary
15 notes on this verseAll, therefore, are outside of the [Christian] dispensation, who, under pretext of knowledge, understand that Jesus was one, and Christ another, and the Only-begotten another, from whom again is the Word, and that the Saviour is another, whom these disciples of error allege to be a production of those who were made Aeons in a state of degeneracy. Such men are to outward appearance sheep; for they appear to be like us, by what they say in public, repeating the same words as we do; but inwardly they are wolves.
This site's exposition
many deceivers have gone out into the world
on 2 John 1:7-9
In verse 7, many deceivers have gone out into the world, the secession of 1 John 2:19. They are refusing to confess the coming of Jesus Christ in the flesh, a present participle. Anyone who runs ahead without remaining in the teaching of Christ does not have God.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers4 voices
Nor for any other reason was it given from the beginning, John says, except that you might walk in it, revolving and turning the same things in the higher and lower realms: and indeed by love urging them towards inseparability, and that they should not …
And how is it that he enjoins duties which belong to our God, and enjoins them to be offered to none other than our God? Either contend that the devil works with our God, or else let the Paraclete be held to be Satan. But you affirm it is "a human Antichrist: "for by this name heretics are called in John. And how is it that, whoever he is, he has in (the name of) our Christ directed these duties toward our Lord; whereas withal antichrists have (ever) gone forth (professedly teaching) towards God, (but) in opposition to our Christ? On which side, then, do you think the Spirit is confirmed as existing among us; when He commands, or when He approves, what our God has always both commanded and approved? But you again set up boundary-posts to God, as with regard to grace, so with regard to discipline; as with regard to gifts, so, too, with regard to solemnities: so that our observances are supposed to have ceased in like manner as His benefits; and you thus deny that He still continues to impose duties, because, in this case again, "the Law and the prophets (were) until John.
"For whosoever does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh, is antichrist;" and whosoever does not confess the testimony of the cross, is of the devil; and whosoever perverts the oracles of the Lord to his own lusts, and says that there is neither a resurrection nor a judgment, he is the first-born of Satan. Wherefore, forsaking the vanity of many, and their false doctrines, let us return to the word which has been handed down to us from the beginning; "watching unto prayer," and persevering in fasting; beseeching in our supplications the all-seeing God "not to lead us into temptation," as the Lord has said: "The spirit truly is willing, but the flesh is weak."
This is the seducer and an antichrist. Look to yourselves, that we do not lose those things we worked for, but that we may receive a full reward. "This is the seducer and an antichrist." With this, it must be understood for a more perfect …
The Medieval Church1 voice
For many deceivers have gone out into the world, etc. This can also be understood concerning the heretics who indeed confess Jesus Christ incarnate but do not rightly perceive some part of his faith, such as his true flesh, true soul, true divinity, true Father …
8 more voices on this verse
The Medieval Church1 voice
He constantly speaks about the same thing. By the commandment of love he urges toward unity, so that they would not go over to the deceivers. Who already walk about in the world and deny the coming of the Lord in the flesh. By speaking …
The Puritans and the Awakening4 voices
Carefully keep what ye have heard from the beginning, for many seducers are entered into the world, who confess not Jesus Christ that came in the flesh - Who disbelieve either his prophetic, or priestly, or kingly office. Whosoever does this is the seducer - From God. And the antichrist - Fighting against Christ.
Strange that after such evidence any should deny that the Lord Jesus is the Son of God and Saviour of the world! The aggravation of the case--such a one is a deceiver and an antichrist (
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
For many deceivers are entered into the world,....
He must be an impostor, a wilful deceiver, after all the light that has been afforded, and all the evidence that Christ has given concerning himself, and the attestation God has given concerning his Son; and he is a wilful opposer of the person, and honour, and interest of the Lord Christ, and as such shall be reckoned with when the Lord Christ comes again.
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
Jesus . . . in the flesh--the token of Antichrist. is come--Greek, "coming." He who denies Christ's coming in the flesh, denies the possibility of the incarnation; he who denies that he has come, denies its actuality. They denied the possibility of a Messiah's appearing, or coming, in the flesh [NEANDER]. I think the Greek present participle implies both the first and the second advent of Christ.
For many deceivers, etc. - Of these he had spoken before, see 1Jn 4:1, etc. And these appear to have been Gnostics, for they denied that Jesus was come in the flesh. And this doctrine, so essential to salvation, none could deny but a deceiver and an antichrist. Instead of εισηλθον are entered in, many excellent MSS. and versions have εξηλθον, are gone out. The sense is nearly the same.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
For - Ὅτι Hoti.
The words behind it
22 Greek wordsEvery Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Greek | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ὅτι | hoti | For | G3754 → | |
| πολλοὶ | polloi | many | G4183 → | |
| πλάνοι | planoi | deceivers | G4108 → | |
| ἐξῆλθον | exelthon | have gone out | G1831 → | |
| εἰς | eis | into | G1519 → | 1755 times |
| τὸν | ton | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| κόσμον, | kosmon | world, | G2889 → | |
| οἱ | hoi | those | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| μὴ | me | not | G3361 → | 1066 times |
| ὁμολογοῦντες | homologountes | confessing | G3670 → | |
| Ἰησοῦν | iesoun | Jesus | G2424 → | |
| Χριστὸν | christon | Christ | G5547 → | 523 times |
| ἐρχόμενον | erchomenon | coming | G2064 → | |
| ἐν | en | in | G1722 → | 2738 times |
| σαρκί· | sarki | flesh; | G4561 → | |
| οὗτός | houtos | This | G3778 → | 1381 times |
| ἐστιν | estin | is | G1510 → | 2333 times |
| ὁ | ho | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| πλάνος | planos | deceiver | G4108 → | |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| ὁ | ho | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ἀντίχριστος. | antichristos | antichrist. | G500 → |
ὅτιFor
hotiG3754 →
πολλοὶmany
polloiG4183 →
πλάνοιdeceivers
planoiG4108 →
ἐξῆλθονhave gone out
exelthonG1831 →
εἰςinto
eisG1519 →1755 times
τὸνthe
tonG3588 →19766 times
κόσμον,world,
kosmonG2889 →
οἱthose
hoiG3588 →19766 times
μὴnot
meG3361 →1066 times
ὁμολογοῦντεςconfessing
homologountesG3670 →
ἸησοῦνJesus
iesounG2424 →
ΧριστὸνChrist
christonG5547 →523 times
ἐρχόμενονcoming
erchomenonG2064 →
ἐνin
enG1722 →2738 times
σαρκί·flesh;
sarkiG4561 →
οὗτόςThis
houtosG3778 →1381 times
ἐστινis
estinG1510 →2333 times
ὁthe
hoG3588 →19766 times
πλάνοςdeceiver
planosG4108 →
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
ὁthe
hoG3588 →19766 times
ἀντίχριστος.antichrist.
antichristosG500 →
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
1 Timothy 3:16By common confession, the mystery of godliness is great: He appeared in the flesh, was vindicated by the Spirit, was seen by angels, was proclaimed among the nations, was believed in throughout the world,…
it leads to
- John 1:14
The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the one and only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.
- Hebrews 1:3
The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of His nature, upholding all things by His powerful word. After He had provided purification for sins, He sat down at the…
- Mark 16:19
After the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, He was taken up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God.
- Romans 16:25
Now to Him who is able to strengthen you by my gospel and by the proclamation of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery concealed for ages past
- 1 John 5:6–8
This is the One who came by water and blood, Jesus Christ—not by water alone, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit who testifies to this, because the Spirit is the…
- John 1:14
Through
1 John 2:26I have written these things to you about those who are trying to deceive you.
it leads to
- 2 Peter 2:1–3
Now there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them—bringing swift destruction on…
- 1 John 3:7
Little children, let no one deceive you: The one who practices righteousness is righteous, just as Christ is righteous.
- Acts 20:29–30
I know that after my departure, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock.
- 2 Peter 2:1–3
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About 2 John
This page draws on 13 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Bede, Commentary on the Catholic Epistles; Irenaeus, Against Heresies Book III; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Oecumenius, Commentary on 2 John; Polycarp of Smyrna, Epistle to the Philippians 7; Tertullian, On Fasting and Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on 2 John.