1 John 4:3

confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh On overwhelming evidence (AB, Coptic, Aethiopic, Vulgate, &c.) we must omit the words -that Christ is come in the flesh", retaining only confesseth not Jesus: the additional words are an obvious interpolation by one who wished to make the two sides of the antithesis exactly equal. But, as we have repeatedly seen (1Jn 1:5-8; 1 John 1:10 1 John 2:10; 1 John 2:22-23, &c.), this is rarely the case in S. John's oppositions.

There is yet another very ancient and very interesting difference of reading here: every spirit which severeth Jesus, or, unmaketh Jesus, or, destroyeth Jesus, or, as the margin of R. V., which annulleth Jesus(ὃ λύει, qui solvit), the verb which in 1 John 3:8 is used for -to destroy". This reading appears to have been known to Tertullian (a.d. 210), who quotes S. John as speaking of "the forerunners of Antichrist denying that Christ has come in the flesh and severing (solventes) Jesus" (Adv. MarcionV. xvi.), and to Irenaeus (a.d. 180), who quotes the whole passage, and in this place has "every spirit which severeth (qui solvit) Jesus" [Haer.III. xvi. 8). But it can scarcely be genuine, for it is not found in a single Greek MS., nor in any versionexcept the Vulgate. And we have no certain knowledge that any Greek Father had this reading. -Qui solvit" in Irenaeus may be interpretation rather than literal translation. Socrates the historian (a.d. 440) charges the Nestorians with tampering with the text and ignoring the reading -which severethJesus"; just as Tertullian accuses the Valentinians of falsifying the text of John 1:13, and S. Ambrose the Arians of mutilating John 1:6. In all these cases the supposed heretical reading is the right one.

The passage in S. Polycarp's Epistle already alluded to (see on 1 John 2:18) is against the reading advocated by Socrates: -For every one who confesseth not that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is an Antichrist; and whosoever confesseth not the witness of the Cross is of the devil" (Phil.VII.). The expressions -confess", -come in the flesh", -Antichrist", -is of the devil", place S. Polycarp's knowledge of his master's First Epistle beyond all reasonable doubt. This is very early testimony (a.d. 140 155) to the existence of the First Epistle.

The variations as regards reading are testimony to the same effect. Such things take time to arise and spread. If a corrupt reading is known to Tertullian in Africa, and (apparently) adopted by Irenaeus in Gaul, before the end of the second century, then the original document written in Asia Minor cannot be much later than the end of the first century, at which time S. John was still living.

is not of God S. John gives two tests, one for trying human conduct, and one for trying spiritual claims: -Every one that doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother" (1 John 3:10); and -Every spirit which confesseth not Jesus is not of God."

and this is that spirit of Antichrist -That" should rather be -the", as in R. V. The word -spirit" is not expressed in the Greek, but is rightly understood from the context. The similar Greek expressions in Matthew 21:21; 1 Corinthians 10:24; James 4:14; 2 Peter 2:22 are not quite parallel.

that it should come Better, with R. V., that it cometh. Wiclif and the Rhemish have -that he cometh". Most English Versions before 1611 have -he" for -it"; as also has Luther. This is due to the Vulgate, which has -Antichrist" for -the (spirit) of Antichrist". -It" is certainly right. Not Antichrist, but the antichristian nature is affirmed to be now in the world already. The spirit of antagonism to Christ has passed from "the invisible world of spiritual wickedness" to the visible world of human action. The addition of -already" hints that something more may be expected to follow. Comp. -The mystery of lawlessness doth already work" (2 Thessalonians 2:7).