Paul told the elders at Ephesus that he knew that "after his departing", many of the elders among themselves would arise "speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them." (Acts 20:30)
The apostle John told the church group there were already "many antichrist" who had come among their church group.
II John 2:18-19 Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time. They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us.
Some of them went out and started other church groups, and preached "another doctrine".
Hereby all these denominations began. And many other denominations came later through the centuries, between the early church set up by Jesus from heaven at the time Jesus was taken into heaven, until now in the time where we live.
But we have only one doctrine and that is the doctrine of the New Testament Bible by the Holy Spirit of God.
And we have one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God.
But there are many church denominations and many diverse doctrines in these groups.
How do we know the truth?
We read the New Testament Bible and when we are of God, HE opens our eyes to see the truth and the doctrines of Christ.
II Timothy 3:16-17 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.
When we see a church teaching something opposite to the doctrine of Christ which we read the in Bible we leave that church group, knowing it is "antichrist" opposite to the doctrine of Christ, the Word.
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Shortly after I was born again in 1975, I attended a church group with my best friend and her husband. The pastors were professors from Dallas Theological Seminary.
The pastor was teaching "tongues" were of the devil.
But one day I was reading I Corinthians 14 and saw the following scripture in the Bible:
I Corinthians 14:39 Wherefore, brethren, covet to prophesy, and forbid not to speak with tongues.
That church I had been attending was teaching something exactly opposite from that which Paul said in the New Testament Holy Bible.
I chose Bible and never went back again to that church group.
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In looking for a church to attend, I went to a small non-denomination church group.
Pastor was teaching.
That night he took us to John 8, where the woman, who was taken in adultery, was brought before Jesus. Pastor said when the woman was brought before Jesus she was naked from the waist up.
I was very shocked! I'd never seen that before in John 8. I grabbed my Bible and began reading John 8. That which pastor said was not in John 8. I looked about the room to see if others were reading Bible. I didn't see anyone reading the Bible. I saw men sitting with very big grins on their faces. I knew they were picturing this naked woman.
The next day, I called the pastor. I told him I had been in his service the night before when he spoke of John 8 and he said that woman taken in adultery was naked from waist up. I told him I could not find that in the Bible. I asked him where it was in Bible.
Pastor was very silent.
Then pastor said, "I can't remember where it is in the Bible."
I told pastor that it was very important to me to know where it was in the Bible and I asked him to please look it up and tell his secretary where it says that and have her call me and tell me.
Pastor became very silent. And then pastor became very angry and shouted into phone: "All right! It's not in the Bible. Where do you go to church?"
I was hunting a church to attend but I couldn't go to a church where pastor taught things not in the Bible as he was doing.
2 Corinthians 2:17 For we are not as many, which corrupt the word of God: but as of sincerity, but as of God, in the sight of God speak we in Christ.
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Then I went to another non-denominational church.
Pastor was teaching concerning Abraham and Sarah.
Pastor said: "Sarah and Hagar were 1/2 sisters."
I'd never read that before (or even heard anyone say that before).
I went home and read my Bible.
I could find no scripture which stated that Sarah and Hagar were 1/2 sisters.
So I called and spoke to the pastor, asking him where that is in the Bible.
Pastor said: "I can't recall where it is in the Bible."
I asked pastor to please look it up and tell his secretary and have her call me and tell me where it is in the Bible.
Amazingly this pastor said exactly the same thing as that previous pastor.
He became angry and shouted into phone: "All right ... it's not in the Bible."
Neither pastor showed any shame at all for teaching things at church which were not in the Bible.
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Approximately 15 years later, in 2017, God explained what was happening in churches when pastors taught things not in Bible and they did not repent from doing this and were not ashamed of the way they mishandled the Word of God.
"These pastors are antichrist."
These pastors teach things not in Bible and their congregations accept things not in Bible, this is the falling away, anarchy which had to come into the churches before Jesus could return.
Then I understood.
2 Thessalonians 2:3-4 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day (of the Lord) shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;
4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.
4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.
God said to me: "The falling away are not people leaving the church group. The falling away are the church groups falling away from the scriptures."
And God said to me the word "restraint".
I knew this was in a scripture and I found it in the following:
2 Thessalonians 2, NASB
I said to God, "What is the restraint? Who restrains antichrist?"
Immediately God opened my eyes to see.
The restraint was Jesus, The Word of God, the Holy Scriptures.
As soon as the scriptures were removed at the church group, antichrist came in to that church group speaking doctrines that are opposite to the New Testament Bible and adding to the Bible.
Now I understood why those pastors who had perverted the Bible did not feel shame nor repent. They were antichrist.
Since this time, I have encountered many antichrist in those many men who write emails to me from all over the world and say they are pastors. I have seen many antichrists who attend churches.
Antichrist is not one man as many churches have taught in the past.
Antichrist is a spirit in many men and women in religious groups.
Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God. (2 Thess. 2:4)
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