Stay Grounded When Voices Compete for Your Attention
- Thad DeBuhr
- Jun 8
- 10 min read
Study Guide: 1 John 2:18-27
Imagine you are hiking deep into the mountains.
You arrive at a fork in the trail. A sign points left. Your map points left. The trail guide you trust says left.
Then a stranger walks up and says:
"Don't listen to that map. I've discovered a better way."
Another person arrives.
"No, he's wrong. Follow me."
A third person says:
"Actually, there isn't even a destination. Just enjoy the journey."
Suddenly everyone is confident.
Everyone sounds convincing.
Everyone claims to know the truth.
But confidence and truth are not the same thing.
The question is not:
"Who sounds the most convincing?"
The question is:
"Who is actually leading me where I need to go?"
That is the problem John addresses in 1 John 2:18–27.
Not every confident voice is a trustworthy voice.
And not every person who talks about Jesus is leading people toward the real Jesus.
As you go through the study guide, I would suggest reading or listening to the Bible passages in two different bible translations from this list: NIV, NLT, NASB, ESV, NKJV
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Setting the scene:
John is likely writing near the end of the first century from the region around Ephesus in western Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey).
Ephesus was one of the most important cities in the Roman Empire.
It was wealthy.
It was educated.
It was religious.
It was filled with competing voices.
People living there encountered:
Emperor worship
Greek philosophy
Mystery religions
Pagan temples
Traveling teachers
Spiritual gurus
Self-proclaimed experts
Everyone seemed to have a new idea about truth.
Everyone seemed to have a new path to enlightenment.
Everyone claimed special knowledge.
That sounds surprisingly modern.
Today we have:
Podcasts
YouTube channels
Influencers
Social media experts
Spiritual coaches
Self-help gurus
Religious teachers
The technology changed.
The challenge did not.
John's audience was facing a crisis.
Some people had once been part of their Christian community. They had worshiped together. Learned together. Served together. But now they had left.
Worse yet, they were trying to persuade others to follow them.
John says:
"They went out from us, but they did not really belong to us." (1 John 2:19)
The issue was not that they switched churches.
The issue was that they abandoned the apostolic teaching about Jesus.
That is what concerns John.
Summary of the Main Teaching
1. The Church Was Facing a Real Crisis
1 John 2:18–19
John says:
"Many antichrists have come."
This is one of the most misunderstood statements in the entire letter.
Many modern readers immediately think of one future world ruler.
John is talking about something already happening in his own day.
The word "antichrist" appears only in John's letters.
John uses it to describe people who oppose Christ or attempt to replace Christ with a different version.
The Greek word can mean:
Against Christ
In place of Christ
John is describing false teachers who had left the church and were promoting a distorted understanding of Jesus.
They looked Christian.
They used Christian language.
But their teaching no longer matched what the apostles taught.
The danger was not obvious rebellion.
The danger was a counterfeit version of Christianity.
Like counterfeit money, it looked real enough to fool people.
2. What You Believe About Jesus Matters
1 John 2:22–23
John draws a very clear line.
Who Jesus is matters.
John says:
"Who is the liar? It is whoever denies that Jesus is the Christ."
In John's day, some teachers were beginning to separate the divine Christ from the human Jesus.
Others denied Jesus' full humanity.
Others denied His identity as Messiah.
John refuses all of it.
The apostles taught:
Jesus is the Messiah.
Jesus is the Son of God.
Jesus came in the flesh.
Jesus died for sin.
Jesus rose from the dead.
You cannot remove pieces of Jesus and still have the same Jesus.
John's point is simple: The real Jesus saves. A different Jesus does not.
3. Stay With What You Heard From the Beginning
1 John 2:24–25
One of the strongest themes in this section is the word "remain." John keeps pointing backward. He is not introducing new truth. He is reminding them of old truth.
The false teachers offered something exciting.
Something deeper.
Something new.
John says:
Stay with the original message.
This sounds almost boring to modern ears.
But John's point is profound.
Truth does not become false because it is old.
And error does not become true because it is new.
The apostles were eyewitnesses.
The new teachers were not.
4. God Has Not Left You Defenseless
1 John 2:20–21, 26–27
John reminds believers they have received an "anointing." Many modern readers hear mystical language here. But John is talking about the Holy Spirit. The Spirit helps believers recognize truth. This does not mean Christians know everything. It does not mean believers never need teachers. John himself is teaching them.
Instead, John means believers are not helpless.
The Spirit works through:
Scripture
Wise teachers
Christian community
Prayer
Discernment
The Spirit's job is not to reveal a new Jesus.
The Spirit helps us recognize the real Jesus.
Modern Examples of "A Different Jesus"
John's warning is surprisingly relevant today. Many groups use the name Jesus.
The question is:
Do they teach the same Jesus the apostles taught?
Jehovah's Witnesses
Jehovah's Witnesses teach that Jesus is not eternal God. They teach Jesus was created by God and is actually Michael the Archangel before coming to earth.
The apostles taught:
Jesus is eternal (John 1:1–3)
Jesus is God (John 1:1)
Jesus created all things (Colossians 1:16)
Jesus receives worship (Matthew 14:33)
The apostles never taught Jesus was a created being.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS)
LDS teaching includes beliefs that differ significantly from apostolic teaching.
Among them:
God the Father was once a man who progressed to godhood.
Human beings may eventually become gods.
Jesus is viewed as a separate being from the Father rather than sharing one divine nature.
Jesus is understood as the spirit-brother of all humanity.
Historic Christianity teaches:
God has always been God (Psalm 90:2)
There is one eternal God (Isaiah 43:10)
Jesus is the eternal Son of God (John 8:58)
Humans never become gods
Again, the issue is not whether the name Jesus is used. The issue is whether the Jesus being described matches Scripture.
Islam
Islam highly honors Jesus.
But Islam teaches:
Jesus is a prophet.
Jesus is not God's Son.
Jesus was not crucified for sins.
Jesus did not rise from the dead.
The apostles taught:
Jesus is the Son of God (John 20:31)
Jesus died on the cross (1 Corinthians 15:3)
Jesus rose from the dead (1 Corinthians 15:4)
Those are not small differences.
They change the entire message of the gospel.
The Customized Jesus
This may be the most common version today.
Many people create a Jesus who:
Never confronts sin
Never calls for obedience
Never challenges culture
Exists only to affirm personal preferences
John would reject that Jesus too.
The real Jesus is not the one we invent.
The real Jesus is the one revealed in Scripture.
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Why We Look at "Wrong" and "Right" Applications
This passage has been misused for centuries.
Some people use it to become fearful.
Others use it to attack everyone who disagrees with them.
Others ignore its warning altogether.
John's goal is none of those things.
He wants believers to become grounded, stable, and mature.
Understanding the wrong applications helps us avoid missing what John is actually saying.
❌ APPLYING IT WRONG
Wrong Application 1
"Anyone Who Disagrees With Me Is an Antichrist"
That is not John's point. John is talking about people who deny core truths about Jesus.
He is not talking about every disagreement among Christians.
Wrong Application 2
"I Don't Need Teachers"
John says believers have the Spirit. Some people use that to reject all teaching.
But John is literally teaching them while writing the letter.
The Spirit often works through good teachers.
Wrong Application 3
"The Antichrist Only Refers to One Future Person"
John says many antichrists already existed in his day. The principle is broader than one future figure.
Wrong Application 4
"Everyone Outside Christianity Is Evil"
John is not attacking sincere people. Many people believe false things because that is what they have been taught. Christians are called to respond with truth, humility, patience, and love.
✅ Applying it the Right Way:
Right Application 1
Stay Anchored in Scripture
The apostles remain the measuring stick.
Every teaching must be tested against what they taught about Jesus.
Right Application 2
Evaluate Ideas by Their View of Jesus
Whenever you hear a new teaching ask: Who does this say Jesus is?
Does it match Scripture?
Right Application 3
Value Christian Community
False teaching often gains power when people isolate themselves.
John assumes believers are learning together.
Right Application 4
Listen to the Spirit Through God's Word
The Spirit helps believers recognize truth.
The Spirit never contradicts the message already revealed through Jesus and the apostles.
Questions to Chew on and Discuss:
These questions are designed to help you personally dig deeper into the passage and help guide your discussions in your Journey Groups and Me & 3 small groups.
THE FACTS — What Does the Passage Say?
Who does John say had left the Christian community?
What does John mean when he says "many antichrists have come"?
What role does the Holy Spirit play in verses 20–27?
THE MEANING — What Does It Mean?
Why does John place such importance on correct beliefs about Jesus?
Why do false teachers often sound convincing?
What does it mean to "remain" in what was heard from the beginning?
THE HEART — What Am I Hearing?
Which voices influence me most right now?
Have I ever been attracted to a version of Jesus that was easier, safer, or more comfortable than the Jesus revealed in Scripture?
What part of this passage challenges me most personally?
THE HANDS — What Will I Do?
What is one practical way I can become more grounded in Scripture this week?
Is there a teaching, influencer, podcast, or voice I need to evaluate more carefully?
How can I help others stay anchored in the real Jesus?
Journey Group OR ME & 3 Small Group Discussion Starters:
Whether you're helping facilitate a small group, talking about this passage one-on-one with a friend, or even just need a topic to guide the conversation at the dinner table, these ideas can help start a good group conversation before you dive into the passage and questions in this study guide.
Option 1
Have you ever encountered a teaching, church, book, influencer, or religious group that presented a "new" or "better" version of Jesus?
What was appealing about it?
What eventually helped you recognize the difference?
Option 2
John says believers should remain in what they heard from the beginning.
Why do you think people are often attracted to new spiritual ideas even when they already know the truth?
🧩 SUM IT UP
If you hear anything from this passage, hear this:
Not every confident voice is a trustworthy voice.
People will always offer new teachings, new movements, and new versions of Jesus.
John says you do not need a new Jesus.
You need the real Jesus.
Stay anchored in what the apostles taught.
Stay grounded in Scripture.
Trust the Holy Spirit to help you recognize truth.
And when competing voices demand your attention, keep coming back to the One who has not changed.
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