The principle defence of Catholicism against the charges of being the antichrist of Scripture is based on Scripture, as it should be, and specifically on the declaration by the apostle John that the antichrist, not necessarily by confession, but by practise and teaching, deny that the Son came in the flesh. While there were some who at one time taught that Jesus was a ghost, and not a physical person, such a belief was easily proven wrong, did not deceive more than a few people, was relatively short lived, and a long long way from what the apostle must have been alluding to when he said that the antichrist would deny that Jesus came in the flesh. He was not talking about physicality.
The Bible speaks of spiritual matters. The antichrist is a religious entity, and therefore flesh was intended as a spiritual quality, not physical. It's the only way the prophecy makes any sense.
“There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. ”
Romans 8:1 KJV
Here, as in other places in the writings of the NT authors, flesh is described as being a spiritual quality in contrast to the spirit, not physical. Further on in that 8th chapter of Romans, Paul further explains. ..
“2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. 3 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:
4 That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. 5 For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. 6 For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. 7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. ”
Romans 8:3-7 KJV
Note the bold portions above. The flesh that Paul is talking about, as can be clearly seen especially in verses 5 and 7, is a mindset. It a spiritual attitude. A state of nature, not physical presence, as Catholics like to suggest. In verse 3, Paul says that Jesus came in the likeness of sinful flesh. He came with a human fallen nature, but He never, not in thought of deed, succumb to that fallen nature by sinning. He was filled with the holy Spirit from birth, overcame human nature through His intimate connection with His Father, that we also may overcome through our intimate connection with Jesus. Christ in us, the hope of glory.
So how does that relate to John's message concerning antichrist? Have you ever heard of the "immaculate conception"? That does not apply to Jesus. It spoke to Mary, who according to the teachings of Catholicism, was born without sin, in order to give birth to a Son without sin. In other words, Jesus dogs not come in the flesh of fallen humanity, but in a state of perfection on account of His mother. He didn't come as the second Adam as a Son of David in the flesh, but He came as Adam was before the fall. At least according to Rome. So the Catholic church doesn't believe Jesus came in the flesh, but of course that doesn't prove the Catholic Church is the antichrist, that's just one of many criteria that the Bible gives as clues to accurately identify the antichrist. Hobie details some of the others above.
