I John 2:22 · Bible study
1 John 2:22 Commentary: The Lie That Denies Jesus as the Christ
Greek · 11 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Why John identifies denial of Jesus as Christ as the mark of antichrist, and how this lie denies both Father and Son.
Research Summary
- Meaning: Denying that Jesus is the Christ is the defining lie of the antichrist, and it also denies the Father because the Son is the Father’s revelation.
- Key words: ψεύστης (liar, with article, the representative liar); ἀρνούμενος (habitually denying); ἀντίχριστος (opponent of Christ).
- Main debate: Whether “the liar” and “the antichrist” here refer to a single end‑times figure, a type of false teacher, or the collective spirit of opposition to Christ.
- Theological theme: The inseparable link between Christology and knowledge of God, you cannot have the Father without the Son.
- Best use: For clarifying the non‑negotiable core of Christian confession and warning against teachings that diminish Christ’s identity.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
Who is the liar, if it is not the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, who denies the Father and the Son.
WEB World English Bible 2000
Who is the liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the Antichrist, he who denies the Father and the Son.
KJV King James Version 1769
Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
Who is the liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, even he that denieth the Father and the Son.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
Who is the liar, except he who is denying that Jesus is the Christ? this one is the antichrist who is denying the Father and the Son;
Darby Darby Bible 1890
Who is the liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? He is the antichrist who denies the Father and the Son.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
Who is a liar, but he who denieth that Jesus is the Christ? This is Antichrist, who denieth the Father and the Son.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
¿ Quién es mentiroso, sino|strong="G1487, G3361" el que niega que Jesús es|strong="G2076, G3756" el Cristo? Este tal es anticristo, que niega al Padre y al Hijo.
Quem é o mentiroso, senão aquele que nega que Jesus é o Cristo? Esse é o anticristo, que nega o Pai e o Filho.
Qui est menteur, sinon celui qui nie que Jésus est le Christ? Celui-là est l’antéchrist, qui nie le Père et le Fils.
Wer ist ein Lügner, wenn nicht, der da leugnet, daß Jesus der Christus sei? Das ist der Widerchrist, der den Vater und den Sohn leugnet.
Wie is de leugenaar, dan die loochent, dat Jezus is de Christus? Deze is de antichrist, die den Vader en den Zoon loochent.
Chi è il mendace se non colui che nega che Gesù è il Cristo? Esso è l’anticristo, che nega il Padre e il Figliuolo.
Kto jest kłamcą? Azaż nie ten, który zapiera, iż Jezus nie jest Chrystusem? Ten jest antychryst, który się zapiera Ojca i Syna.
Кто лжец, если не тот, кто отвергает, что Иисус есть Христос? Это антихрист, отвергающий Отца и Сына.
誰 是 說謊話的呢？ 不是 那不認 耶穌 為 基督的嗎？不認 父 與 子的，這 就是 敵基督的。
Who is false but he who says that Jesus is not the Christ? He is the Antichrist who has no belief in the Father or the Son.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Koine Greek)
New Testament · Koine Greek · I John 2:22
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators broadly agree that John here names the central lie of the antichrist: the denial that Jesus is the Christ. The Greek definite article in the liar (ὁ ψεύστης) points, as Vincent notes, to the one who embodies the lie concretely, the representative falsehood. The present participle denying (ὁ ἀρνούμενος) signals a habitual, settled refusal. Barnes identifies this as the foundational error that makes true religion impossible, while Calvin argues the verse singles out the lie that surpasses all others. Gill calls it a consummate lie, opposed to plain evidence. The denial of the Son, the commentators agree, necessarily denies the Father, since the Son is the full revelation of the Father (Matthew 11:27). John’s target, as Clarke and others observe, is the heresy of Cerinthus and similar teachers who separated Jesus from the Christ, denying the incarnation and the unique divine Sonship. This verse draws a hard line: to deny Jesus as the Christ is to stand with the antichrist and outside the truth.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- 'The liar' as absolute superlative: Calvin and Gill read 'who is a liar?' as meaning this is the lie that surpasses all others — if this is not a lie, nothing is.
- 'The liar' as representative type: Cambridge and Lange argue the article marks the concrete embodiment of falsehood, not a comparison; it is the lie in the sphere of religion.
- 'Antichrist' as generic category vs. specific person: Most commentators (Barnes, Cambridge, Vincent) take 'the antichrist' as a general designation for every false teacher; a minority (Gill, personal-escatological reading) see it as the final opponent.
What is clear: All traditions agree that denying Jesus is the Christ is a fundamental falsehood that separates a person from God, and that this denial involves rejecting both the Son and the Father.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| The identity of 'the liar' and 'the antichrist' | Both terms refer to those who deny that Jesus is the Christ, which is the foundational lie opposing the gospel. | Some (Gill, Calvin) read 'the liar' as the greatest liar possible; others (Cambridge, Lange) see it as the representative liar, not necessarily unique. Similarly, 'the antichrist' is understood by many as a generic name for false teachers, while a minority hold that John points to a single eschatological figure. |
| The specific heresy John opposes | The verse targets teachers who separate the human Jesus from the divine Christ, denying the incarnation. | Early commentators (Calvin, Clarke, Barnes) name Cerinthus and the Gnostics. Some (Gill) broaden it to include any denial of Christ's offices or nature, including later heresies like Arianism or Pelagianism. |
| How denial of the Son denies the Father | To reject the Son means losing the Father, because the Son is the Father's revelation and the only way to know him. | Some emphasize the logical relationship (if no Son, then no Father to the Son); others stress the revelational aspect (without the Son, the Father remains unknown). These are complementary, not contradictory. |
Historical & Cultural Context
John writes to a Christian community already fractured by secession. Verse 19 says, “They went out from us, but they didn’t belong to us.” The church John addresses has seen members leave, likely drawn into early Gnostic or docetic teachings that divided the human Jesus from the divine Christ. Cerinthus, a contemporary teacher, claimed the Christ descended on Jesus at baptism and left before the crucifixion; the man Jesus suffered, but the divine Christ remained untouched. This teaching directly denied that Jesus is the Christ, that the same person is both fully human and God’s anointed Son.
Jewish opponents also denied Jesus as Messiah, but the context (v20, 21, “you have an anointing from the Holy One”) suggests the greater danger is from within the Christian circle. John calls these teachers “liars” and “antichrists,” borrowing the term from Jesus’ warning about false messiahs (Mark 13:22). The word “antichrist” (ἀντίχριστος), found only in John’s letters, means “opponent of Christ,” not necessarily a single end-times figure. Here it names anyone whose teaching opposes the truth about Christ. Verse 22 identifies the lie with precision: it denies that Jesus is the Christ. To separate Jesus from the Christ is to empty the gospel of its power, because if the man Jesus is not God’s Son, then neither his life nor his death can save.
John is not debating minor points. The secessionists apparently claimed deeper knowledge (gnosis). He counters that the non-negotiable confession is Jesus is the Christ. No truth beyond that can compensate for this denial. The anointing believers have (v20, 27), the Spirit, teaches them this fundamental truth and guards them from such deception.
Textual Notes
The supplied commentary sources note no significant textual variants for this verse. The Cambridge Bible observes that the article before “antichrist” (ὁ ἀντίχριστος) is certainly genuine here and in 1 John 4:3 (and 2 John 1:7), whereas it is almost certainly spurious in 1 John 2:18. This does not change the meaning of the present verse. The manuscript tradition is stable.
Reception History
Early church writers such as Irenaeus and Tertullian used this verse to identify heretics like Cerinthus and Marcion as antichrists. The verse shaped later creedal formulations, especially the articles on Jesus as Christ and Son of God. During the Reformation, both Catholic and Protestant interpreters applied the label “antichrist” to opponents, though each side saw the other as the one denying the gospel. Calvin cited this verse when warning against any teaching that diminishes Christ’s person or work, including Arianism and Pelagianism. In modern scholarship, the verse remains a key text for understanding the Johannine community’s conflict with secessionists and its emphasis on right confession as essential to salvation and fellowship with God.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The lie that matters most: John singles out one denial as the defining lie, that Jesus is the Christ. Not moral failure, but a rejection of Christ’s identity.
- The antichrist is unmasked: The word “antichrist” here describes not a distant future figure but present teachers who deny the Son. The spirit of antichrist is active whenever the true Christ is replaced with a false one.
- Denying the Son denies the Father: To reject the Son is to lose the Father, because the Son alone reveals the Father. There is no knowledge of God apart from Christ (John 14:6).
Five-point outline
- Who is the liar?, John’s question forces identification. The liar is the one who denies Jesus as the Christ.
- The content of the lie: It is not general scepticism but a specific denial of Jesus’ messianic identity and divine Sonship.
- Antichrist defined: Not a single person but anyone whose teaching opposes Christ by distorting who he is.
- The domino effect: Denying the Son inevitably denies the Father, a point reinforced in v23.
- The community’s anchor: Believers have the Spirit’s anointing (v20, 27) and the truth they heard from the beginning (v24). They are equipped to stand.
Illustration hooks
- The counterfeit bill: A bank teller studies genuine currency so closely that fakes are obvious. John wants believers so familiar with the true Christ that false teaching stands out immediately.
- The wrong train: If you board a train believing it goes to Chicago, it doesn’t matter how comfortable the seats are, you end up in St. Louis. Wrong destination, wrong tracks. Denying Christ’s identity sends a person nowhere with God.
- Family photo: A person who denies their parent exists doesn’t have that parent in their life. Denying the Son means you don’t have the Father either, no relationship, no family connection.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Does this mean anyone who questions parts of the Bible is an antichrist?
- How can people who deny Jesus still claim to believe in God?
- Is John talking about one person who will come at the end, or is everyone who denies Jesus an antichrist?
Leading a Discussion
This verse draws a sharp line. John is writing to a church that has seen people leave because of false teaching. He identifies the core issue: who do you say Jesus is? The question still divides. As you study together, notice how John connects belief and belonging, what we confess about Christ reveals whose side we are on.
Discussion questions
- Observation: What does John call the person who denies Jesus is the Christ? Why does he use the definite article “the liar”?
- Observation: Read v19. Who are “they” who went out from the church? How does that verse set up v22?
- Interpretation: The Greek participle ἀρνούμενος is present tense, “the one who habitually denies.” Why might that matter for understanding false teachers?
- Interpretation: How can denying the Son also deny the Father? What makes them inseparable?
- Application: What are modern ways people deny that Jesus is the Christ, in the world and sometimes even among Christians?
- Application: How does the “anointing” mentioned in v20 help believers recognize and reject this lie?
- Application: How does this verse challenge the idea that all sincere paths to God lead to the same destination?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| John 8:44 | You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and doesn’t stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks on his own; for he is a liar, and the father of lies. |
| I Corinthians 12:2 | You know that when you were heathen, you were led away to those mute idols, however you might be led. |
| I Corinthians 12:3 | Therefore I make known to you that no man speaking by God’s Spirit says, “Jesus is accursed.” No one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” but by the Holy Spirit. |
| I John 1:6 | If we say that we have fellowship with him and walk in the darkness, we lie and don’t tell the truth. |
| I John 2:4 | One who says, “I know him,” and doesn’t keep his commandments, is a liar, and the truth isn’t in him. |
| I John 2:18 | Little children, these are the end times, and as you heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have arisen. By this we know that it is the final hour. |
| I John 2:23 | Whoever denies the Son doesn’t have the Father. He who confesses the Son has the Father also. |
| I John 4:3 | and every spirit who doesn’t confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God; and this is the spirit of the Antichrist, of whom you have heard that it comes. Now it is in the world already. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
10 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke pinpoints the essential lie as denying Jesus is the Christ. He connects this to rejecting both the Father and the Son, specifically calling out the Gnostics who accepted Jesus as a divine teacher but denied his miraculous conception and full divinity. Such deniers, in his view, are antichrists.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes argues that the specific error the apostle confronts is not a general denial of God but the claim that Jesus is not the Messiah, which necessarily denies both the Father and the Son. A person cannot hold true knowledge of God the Father without right understanding of Jesus Christ; to reject Christ is to reject the Father as well.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin argues that denying Jesus is the Christ goes far beyond a simple verbal refusal. Many ancient heretics used the name Christ while actually stripping him of his true divinity, humanity, or saving power, which amounts to the same lie. For Calvin, any teaching that diminishes who Christ truly is denies him.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The Cambridge Bible notes that the Greek article before "liar" does not mean "the greatest liar possible" but simply shifts from the abstract concept of lying to a concrete example: the one who denies Jesus is the Christ. Similarly, "the antichrist" here refers not to a single personal rival of Christ but to any antichristian teacher who denies the Son and thereby the Father.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva Notes identify the core lie as denying that Jesus is the Christ, equating that denial with the spirit of Antichrist. Such a denial cannot separate Christ from the Father—rejecting the Son also means rejecting the Father.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill insists that denying Jesus is the Christ is the worst lie, worse even than the devil's own lies. This denial takes many forms, including rejecting his deity, humanity, or any of his offices as prophet, priest, and king. Those who do so are antichrists, opposing the true
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange insists that "the last hour" is not a chronological marker but a real definition of the transition period from Christ's first coming to his second. The many antichrists already appearing are historical precursors, guaranteeing that one concentrated antichrist will come. Their presence proves this is the last hour, not by calendar but by spiritual development.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Matthew Henry highlights that true Christians receive a heavenly anointing from the Holy One, the Spirit of grace, that sets them apart as anointed ones sharing in Christ's offices as prophets, priests, and kings. This unction gives them spiritual knowledge and stability to stand firm against seducers.
Vincent's Word Studies Evangelical 1887
Vincent emphasizes that the Greek definite article turns "the liar" into a concrete embodiment of all falsehood, not just any liar. He links this to the specific heresy of Cerinthus, who denied the miraculous conception and taught that the Christ departed from Jesus before the crucifixion.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley insists that the central truths of Christianity form one undivided whole: Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, who came in the flesh. To deny any part of this is to deny the entire faith, making that person a liar and antichrist, since rejecting the Son also means rejecting the Father.