Verses to review today: 1 John 2:1-25
New Verse: 1 John 2:26

I write these things to you about those who are trying to deceive you. (ESV)

These things have I written unto you concerning them that seduce you. (KJV)

Greek: Ταῦτα ἔγραψα ὑμῖν περὶ τῶν πλανώντων ὑμᾶς.

Transliterated Greek: Tauta egrapsa hymin peri tōn planōntōn hymas.

Literal Word for Word Translation: these things I have written to you concerning the ones who are trying to deceive you.

Vocab: πλανώντων, planōntōn, ones deceiving

Commentary: Here we see that those who went out are not only blind to the fact that Jesus is the Messiah, but they are trying to deceive the true believers as well. If the true believers know the truth by their anointing, then the Gnostic antichrists are not going to be successful in convincing them otherwise. How can a blind person tell a person who can see that what that person sees is not really there? Yet John wants to inform his readers about how far the Gnostics really are from the truth in their blindness caused by their walking in darkness.

Today, many deceptions are attempted by Satan through the secular media, through false religions, by politically correct opinion, and from within the church itself. Some churches, in order to attract nonbelievers soften the message so that it is more palatable. No doubt, we must witness with gentleness and respect, but we must never succumb to distorting the gospel to attract those who may never believe anyway. It is only through the understanding of the true gospel that anyone can be saved anyway. So, why should a less than true message be proclaimed? Either they will never believe or they will end up believing something that does not have the power to save. We might as well keep to the full gospel, but with sensitivity and the leading of the Holy Spirit, if we truly want to reach others for Christ. The problem might be that some want to reach others for their church, to grow their church, rather than for Christ. They will say they are trying to reach them for Christ, but they have been deceived and thus do not abide in the message they first heard. We are not talking about antichrists in this case. True believers can be deceived into giving a gospel for itchy ears in the hope of glorifying the Father and the Son. But, according to John, we must stay with the gospel first proclaimed!