¹⁸ Children, ^(A)it is the last hour; and just as you heard that ^(B)antichrist is coming, ^(C)even now many antichrists have appeared; from this we know that it is the last hour. ^19 (D)They went out from us, but they were not really of us; for if they had been of us, they would have remained with us; but they went out, ^(E)so that ^[a]it would be evident that they all are not of us.

² By this you know the Spirit of God: ^(A)every spirit that ^(B)confesses that ^(C)Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God; ³ and every spirit that ^(D)does not confess Jesus is not from God; this is the spirit of the ^(E)antichrist, which you have heard is coming, and ^(F)now it is already in the world.

^3 (A)No one is to deceive you in any way! For it will not come unless the ^[a](B)apostasy comes first, and the ^(C)man of lawlessness is revealed, the ^(D)son of destruction, ⁴ who opposes and exalts himself above ^[b](E)every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, ^(F)displaying himself as being God. ⁵ Do you not remember that ^(G)while I was still with you, I was telling you these things? ⁶ And you know ^(H)what restrains him now, so that he will be revealed in his time. ⁷ For ^(I)the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only ^[c](J)He who now restrains will do so until ^[d]He is ^[e]removed. ⁸ Then that lawless one ^(K)will be revealed, whom the Lord will eliminate ^(L)with the breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the ^(M)appearance of His ^[f]coming; ⁹ that is, the one whose ^[g]coming is in accord with the activity of ^(N)Satan, with all power and false ^[h](O)signs and wonders,