Michael Melved, radio host and author, has a posting on his blog this week that provides us a perfect example of last Sunday’s teachings from the passage in1 John 2:18-29. Read these words closely:

Episcopal Bishop John Shelby Spong has written a radical new book called "Sins of Scripture," blaming the Bible's "terrible texts" for literally centuries of persecution of women, minorities and homosexuals.

He also says the Apostle Paul was a tormented homosexual and in "most Christian churches" Jesus is "simply an idol created in a primitive time." When I challenged him on my radio show concerning his certainty that all biblical miracles are frauds, he cited "settled scholarship" concerning the deceptive human authorship of biblical books. When I pointed out that this so-called scholarship rests on assumptions and interpretations of ancient text, rather than scientific or archaeological proof, he refused to debate, likening the argument to insistence that the earth is flat. In other words, he thinks it's right to challenge writings considered sacred for thousands of years, but inappropriate to even question academic theories less than 200 years old.

Do you think the Apostle John might call Bishop Spong an “antichrist”? Remember, an antichrist, by definition, is anyone who is against Christ. I’d say Bishop Spong qualifies. What do you think?

Here’s a man who is obviously in the church, yet obviously against Christ. This kind of stuff makes you wonder about the man. But, it surely opens up some questions about the church he says he represents.

Now, read John’s words of encouragement and warning (1 John 2:20-23 NIV):

20 But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth.

21 I do not write to you because you do not know the truth, but because you do know it and because no lie comes from the truth.

22 Who is the liar? It is the man who denies that Jesus is the Christ. Such a man is the antichrist--he denies the Father and the Son.

23 No one who denies the Son has the Father; whoever acknowledges the Son has the Father also

That sort of puts things into perspective, doesn’t it?