1 John 2:18-20 Antichrists

[Ingeniero]

A friend of mine is converting to Catholicism because he says that this passage, 1 John 2:18-20, says that those religious leaders such as Luther and Calvin are actually anitchrists. He is an Evangelical who will be starting the RCIA process in the fall.

What is the Church’s position on this?

 

[COPLAND_3]

The original Douay Rheims Bible of 1609 says in various places in the footnotes that Luther and Calvin and other protestant reformers are antichrists, though thats not something like a binding doctrine, as an official Church teaching, yet that was a mainstream traditional Catholic position, and in my opinion is very accurate, though not “politically correct”, which I can care less about being that.

But I do hope that your friend has more reasons for wanting to be Catholic other than just that reason.

 

[Ingeniero]

It’s not the only reason but is, to use the phrase, “the straw that broke the camel’s back”.

I actually had to go look up the verses to make sure what he was telling me was right.

When I thougt about it it seems like those verses are talking about the people that promulgate the various heresies that have developed in the Church over the millenia.

 

[Todd977]

By definition, antichrists deny that Jesus is the Christ. (See 1 John 2:22) Though they left the Catholic Church and denied some Catholic doctrines, as far as I know, the Protestant Reformers did not deny that Jesus is the Christ. Therefore, they really do not fit the definition of antichrists. (For the same reason, it is absurd for non-Catholics to refer to the popes as antichrists.)