While billions of people throughout the world profess belief in Jesus, many do not have a clear conception of who Jesus really is, as proven by the fact that, at present, there exist contradictory beliefs about Jesus Christ. See Christian views of Jesus Christ (Lesson-3A.2).  The basic difference between the Trinitarian and Non-trinitarian views revolves around the belief in the divinity of Jesus. Trinitarians call Jesus "God the Son" because He is "God incarnate" the second person in the Trinity, who is man and God simultaneously. Whereas, Non-trinitarians like the Unitarians call Jesus "Son of God" because they believe that Jesus was a great man and a prophet of God, perhaps even a supernatural being, but not God Himself.

The great deception about Jesus Christ

3E.1   Did the Apostles have the foreknowledge that contradictory beliefs about Jesus Christ will be introduced to the early Christians? 

In 2 Corinthians 11:3, this is written:

With a clever trick the snake fooled Eve. I'm afraid that your minds might be polluted, too. You might leave the simplicity and purity which is in Christ.  
(IE-NT)

Apostle Paul expressed his fears, that a great deception would come and he comparatively liken it to what happened in the Garden of Eden when the snake fooled Eve with a clever trick, that led to the downfall of the first couple. (Genesis 3:1-6),

• As the snake fooled Eve, the early Christians will also be deceived to leave the "simplicity and purity which is in Christ Jesus".

As a result, contradictory beliefs about Christ will come to existence.

3E.2   How will people leave the simplicity and purity which is in Christ Jesus?

The same verse 2 Corinthians 11:3, in other versions of the bible:

But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve in his craftiness, your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity and the purity that is toward Christ. (ASV)

The same verse in another version of the Bible:

But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. (NKJV)

With a clever trick, as the serpent deceived Eve in his craftiness,

• "People's mind will be corrupted" from the simplicity and purity that is in Christ.

The preaching of "another Jesus"

3E.3   How will people's mind be corrupted from the simplicity and purity that is in Christ Jesus?

In the succeeding verse, 2 Corinthians 11:4, this is written:

Someone might come preaching about another Jesus who is different from the Jesus we preached to you. You welcome a different kind of spirit that you did not receive . How can you put up so easily with a gospel that is different from the first one you accepted? (International English NT)

The same verse in the Living Bible:

You seem so gullible:  you believe whatever anyone tells you even if he is preaching about another Jesus than the one we preach, or a different spirit than the Holy Spirit you received, or shows you a different way to be saved.  You swallow it all.  ( Living Bible)

As the Devil deceived Eve into believing what is false (see Genesis 3:1-6), they will also deceive people into believing what is also false about Jesus.
How will they corrupt people's mind?

• they will preach "another Jesus" who is different from the "true Jesus" that was  preached by the Apostles.

Thus, they will cleverly trick people to believe that the "another Jesus" they are preaching is also the same Jesus―the "true Jesus" that was preached by the Apostles.

3E.4    How will this great deception be done?

In 2 Thessalonians 3:9-10 this is written:

"The wicked one will come with the power of Satan and perform all kinds of false miracles and wonders, and use every kind of deceit on those who will perish. They will perish because they did not welcome and love the truth so as to be saved.   (2Thess. 2:9-10, TEV)

The same verse in the new International Version of the Bible:

The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with the work of Satan displayed in all kinds of counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders,  and in every sort of evil that deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. (II Thessalonians 2:9-10, NIV)

The deception will be done by the wicked or lawless one, in accordance with the work of Satan,

• They will use every kind of deceit
• They will do every sort of evil that deceives

Who will be deceived by the wicked or lawless one?

• Those who do not welcome and love the truth so as to be saved. 
• Those who refuse to love the truth and so be saved.

Thus, having been deceived into believing "another Jesus" who is different from the "true Jesus" preached by the Apostles, they will perish.
 

3E.5   Who will be used by Satan to deceive those who will perish and how will they do it?

In 2 Peter 2:1-2, this is written:

But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction. 2. And many will follow their destructive ways, because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed.  (2 Peter 2:1-2, NKJV)

The same verse in another version of the bible:

¹BUT ALSO [in those days] there arose false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among yourselves, who will subtly and stealthily introduce heretical doctrines (destructive heresies), even denying and disowning the Master Who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction.
²And many will follow their immoral ways and lascivious doings; because of them the true Way will be maligned and defamed. (Amplified Bible)

The deception will be done by False Teachers or False Preachers who are among the early Christians.  
What will they do? 

• These False Teachers will secretly or stealthily introduce heretical doctrines or destructive heresies, even denying and disowning the "Master" (the true Jesus) who bought them with His blood.  

3E.6   What is this heretical doctrine or destructive doctrine that will be secretly and/or stealthily introduced by these False Teachers into the early Christian Church, as warned by the Apostles?

As previously explained in the first part of this topic, the verse 2 Corinthians 11:3-4, is worth repeating, this is written:

With a clever trick the snake fooled Eve. I'm afraid that your minds might be polluted, too. You might leave the simplicity and purity which is in Christ.  Someone might come preaching about another Jesus who is different from the Jesus we preached to you. You welcome a different kind of spirit that you did not receive . How can you put up so easily with a gospel that is different from the first one you accepted? (International English NT)

Apostle Paul expressed his fears, that a great deception would happen and he comparatively liken it to what happened in the Garden of Eden when the snake fooled Eve with a clever trick, that led to the downfall of the first couple. (see Genesis 3:1-6),

• In a similar manner, with a clever trick these False Teachers will secretly and/or stealthily introduce "another Jesus" who is different from the "true Jesus" preached by the Apostles, thus deceiving Christ's disciples to leave the simplicity and purity which is in Christ Jesus.

Why is the clever trick of stealthy introducing "another Jesus" as significant as the clever trick done by snake on Eve that led to the downfall of the first couple and human kind?

It is significant because it will also lead to the downfall or destruction of not a few people but to a great multitude of people.  They are those who will be misled or tricked to believe "another Jesus" who is different from the "true Jesus" preached by the Apostles.

When the Great Deception started

3E.7   When did this Great Deception happen?

From the Wikipedia article "John the Apostle" these are written:

John the Apostle (Ancient Greek: Ἰωάννης) (c. 6 - c. 100) was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus. He was the son of Zebedee and Salome, and brother of James, another of the Twelve Apostles. Christian tradition holds he was the last surviving of the Twelve Apostles, the only one to die a natural death and died around the age of 94.

Though most scholars agree in placing the Gospel of John somewhere between AD 65 and 85,^[5] John A.T. Robinson proposes an initial edition by 50–55 and then a final edition by 65 due to narrative similarities with Paul.^{[6]:pp.284,307} Other critical scholars are of the opinion that John was composed in stages (probably two or three).^[7]:p.43 The text itself states only that the Fourth Gospel was written by an anonymous follower of Jesus referred to as the Beloved Disciple.^{[citation needed]} It is traditionally believed that John survived his contemporary apostles and lived to an extreme old age, dying at Ephesus in about A.D. 100.^[8]
Source:  Wikipedia, John the Apostle, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_the_Apostle  (as of Apr. 21, 2010, 16:19 GMT).

The final edition of the Gospel of John was written sometime in the late first century. It is also traditionally believed that John lived at an extreme old age, dying at Ephesus in about 100 A.D. Thus, the testimony of the Apostles as written in the Holy bible was completed by the end of the first century.

_________________

The fact that many contradicting beliefs about Jesus came to exist after the death of the Apostles, when all their testimonies are already written in what is now considered as the books and/or letters of the New Testament of the Holy Bible, is proof that the great deception had come after the first century.

____________________