Verse 7.— For many deceivers. The reason for the earnestness of his exhortation to stability in the faith is here brought to the front. There are deceivers in the world— not one, but many. These must be guarded against, that no apostasy is caused, and the worthy lose their reward. Who confess not that Jesus Christ. These deceivers refuse to confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh; that is to say, these persons whom I designate as deceivers. You may know them by their state­ments. They say that the Jesus foretold by the prophets, and who was born at Bethlehem, baptized of John; who taught in Palestine, healed the sick, cast out devils, gave sight to the blind, and speech to the dumb, and raised the dead; who was crucified, dead, and was buried in Joseph's tomb; arose from the dead, ascended on high, sent down the Holy Spirit, commissioned his apostles, of whom I am one, to preach the gospel— that all these things did not occur; that there is no truth in all this; Jesus has not yet come, and we refuse to obey this Jesus that John his apostle preaches. Of these, and such as these, the writer affirms— deceiver, antichrist— opposer of Christ.