Everyone that pushes ahead and does not remain in the teaching of the Christ does not have God. He that does remain in this teaching is the one that has both the Father and the Son.” (2 John 8, 9)

“For many deceivers have gone forth into the world, persons not confessing Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. This is the deceiver and the antichrist.” (2 John 7)

Evidently, some false teachers had been traveling about trying to gain converts among true Christians. (Compare Acts 20:30.) Though professing to be Christians themselves, these misleading “deceivers” would not acknowledge that Jesus Christ had come in the flesh as a human. Such false teachings would undercut Jesus’ role as Messiah and ransomer, including his exalted heavenly position.​—Mark 1:9-11; John 1:1, 14; Philippians 2:5-11.

14. Why did John call the apostates “the deceiver and the antichrist”?

¹⁴ John called these apostates “the deceiver and the antichrist” because their teachings were deceptive and they themselves were opposed to Christ. The apostle’s reference to “many antichrists” indicates that there were numerous individual enemies of Christ, though all together they may form a composite person designated “antichrist.” (1 John 2:18) Denial of Jesus as the Christ and as God’s Son embraces the denying of any or all of the Scriptural teachings concerning him.

16. (a) How were the apostates ‘pushing ahead’? (b) How is it that faithful witnesses of Jehovah have “both the Father and the Son”?

¹⁶ The apostate “deceivers” were ‘pushing ahead’ and did not “remain in the teaching of the Christ” because they did not stick to the truth taught by Jesus and his faithful apostles. Hence, the heretics did not “have God,” for they were not in union with Jehovah and had no relationship with him. (1 John 1:5, 6; 2:22-25)

19. What stand do loyal witnesses of Jehovah take with regard to modern-day apostates?

¹⁹ Some who once served as Jehovah’s Witnesses have rejected various Scriptural views based on the teachings of Jesus Christ and his apostles. For instance, they insist that we are not living in the “last days,” despite overwhelming evidence that we are. (2 Timothy 3:1-5) These apostates ‘have gone out from us because they were not of our sort.’ (1 John 2:18, 19)