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1 John 2

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1
My little children, these things write I unto you that ye may not sin. And if any man sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: ​
2
and he is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for the whole world. ​

The Test of Obedience 3–6

3
And hereby we know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. ​
4
He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him; ​
5
but whoso keepeth his word, in him verily hath the love of God been perfected. Hereby we know that we are in him: ​
6
he that saith he abideth in him ought himself also to walk even as he walked. ​

The Commandment of Love 7–11

7
Beloved, no new commandment write I unto you, but an old commandment which ye had from the beginning: the old commandment is the word which ye heard. ​
8
Again, a new commandment write I unto you, which thing is true in him and in you; because the darkness is passing away, and the true light already shineth. ​
9
He that saith he is in the light and hateth his brother, is in the darkness even until now. ​
10
He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is no occasion of stumbling in him. ​
11
But he that hateth his brother is in the darkness, and walketh in the darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because the darkness hath blinded his eyes.

Encouragement to Believers 12–14

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I write unto you, my little children, because your sins are forgiven you for his name’s sake. ​
13
I write unto you, fathers, because ye know him who is from the beginning. I write unto you, young men, because ye have overcome the evil one. I have written unto you, little children, because ye know the Father. ​
14
I have written unto you, fathers, because ye know him who is from the beginning. I have written unto you, young men, because ye are strong, and the word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome the evil one.

Warning Against Loving the World 15–17

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Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. ​
16
For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the vainglory of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. ​
17
And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever. ​

Identifying the Antichrists 18–27

18
Little children, it is the last hour: and as ye heard that antichrist cometh, even now have there arisen many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last hour. ​
19
They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they all are not of us. ​
20
And ye have an anointing from the Holy One, and ye know all things. ​
21
I have not written unto you because ye know not the truth, but because ye know it, and because no lie is of the truth.
22
Who is the liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, even he that denieth the Father and the Son. ​
23
Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father: he that confesseth the Son hath the Father also. ​
24
As for you, let that abide in you which ye heard from the beginning. If that which ye heard from the beginning abide in you, ye also shall abide in the Son, and in the Father. ​
25
And this is the promise which he promised us, even the life eternal.
26
These things have I written unto you concerning them that would lead you astray.
27
And as for you, the anointing which ye received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any one teach you; but as his anointing teacheth you concerning all things, and is true, and is no lie, and even as it taught you, ye abide in him. ​

Abiding in Christ 28–29

28
And now, my little children, abide in him; that, if he shall be manifested, we may have boldness, and not be ashamed before him at his coming. ​
29
If ye know that he is righteous, ye know that every one also that doeth righteousness is begotten of him. ​

Bible text: American Standard Version (1901) · Public domain

Study Notes for 1 John 2

Verse 1

an advocate with the Father — Parakletos, one called alongside to plead. In the Gospel Christ calls the Spirit 'another Comforter' (John 14:16), the same word; here the first is Christ, 'the righteous'. It is found in only five verses of the NT, four in John's Gospel. 'Little children' is teknia, John's address to his readers.

Verse 2

the propitiation for our sins — Hilasmos, the atoning sacrifice, found only here and in 4:10, 'sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins'. Its relatives are Rom 3:25, 'a propitiation through faith in his blood', and Heb 2:17, 'to make reconciliation for the sins of the people'.

Verse 3

hereby we do know that we know him — Ginosko, to know, stands twice: knowing God is itself put to a test. The test is 'if we keep his commandments' (tereo, to guard), and Christ gave it first: 'If ye love me, keep my commandments' (John 14:15). The same keeping runs through vv.3–5.

Verse 4

is a liar — Pseustes, one who speaks falsely. The wording 'the truth is not in him' returns from 1:8, 'the truth is not in us'; 1:6 gave the same case, 'If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie'. Titus 1:16 states it alike: 'They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him.'

Verse 5

the love of God perfected — Teleioo, to bring to its end. John uses it again of love in 4:12, 'his love is perfected in us'. 'His word' (logos) stands where v.3 had 'commandments'; Christ's own line is John 14:23, 'If a man love me, he will keep my words'. 'Verily' is alethos, truly.

Verse 6

ought himself also so to walk — 'Ought' is opheilo, to owe a debt; the same word stands in John 13:14, 'ye also ought to wash one another's feet', and in 3:16 and 4:11. 'Abideth' is meno, the letter's key verb. The standard is 'even as he walked' (peripateo), the life of Christ himself.

Verse 7

an old commandment — The commandment is not yet named; vv.9–11 show it is love of the brother, and 3:11 calls it 'the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another'. 'Old' (palaios) marks what they 'had from the beginning'; 2 John 5 says the same: 'that which we had from the beginning, that we love one another'.

Verse 8

a new commandment — Christ's words in John 13:34, 'A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another', are what John calls 'true in him and in you'. 'The darkness is past' uses parago, the verb of v.17, 'the world passeth away'; 'the true light' (alethinon) is the 'true Light' of John 1:9.

Verse 9

in darkness even until now — The claim to be 'in the light' is measured by 1:5, 'God is light, and in him is no darkness at all'. 'Hateth' is miseo, the opposite of the love in v.10. 'Darkness' (skotia) is the same word as 1:5 and vv.8, 11; the one who hates his brother is in it still.

Verse 10

occasion of stumbling — Skandalon, a stumbling-block, the thing that trips; it is found only here in this letter. Paul's 'stumblingstone and rock of offence' (Rom 9:33) is the same word, and Christ speaks of stumbling in John 11:9–10: 'If any man walk in the day, he stumbleth not, because he seeth the light of this world.'

Verse 12

for his name's sake — 'Forgiven' is aphiemi, to send away, and the ground is his name. So Acts 10:43: 'through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins.' 'Little children' here is teknia, as in v.1; v.13 turns to the youngest with another word, paidia.

Verse 13

fathers… young men… little children — Each group has its reason: the fathers 'have known him that is from the beginning' (the phrase of 1:1), the young men 'have overcome the wicked one', the children (paidia) 'have known the Father'. V.14 repeats the words to the fathers and tells the young men how: 'ye are strong, and the word of God abideth in you'.

Verse 15

Love not the world — Kosmos, the same word as 'the whole world' in v.2 and in John 3:16, 'God so loved the world'; the verb is the same, agapao. What is forbidden is love for 'the things that are in the world', and the result is stated: 'the love of the Father is not in him'.

Verse 16

the pride of life — Alazoneia is boasting; 'life' is bios, the means of living, as in 3:17, 'this world's good'. Together with 'the lust of the flesh' and 'of the eyes' the three recall Gen 3:6: the tree 'good for food… pleasant to the eyes… to be desired to make one wise'. All three are 'not of the Father'.

Verse 17

the world passeth away — Parago, to pass along, the verb of v.8, 'the darkness is past': the darkness and the world both pass. Paul says it of the world's 'fashion' (1 Cor 7:31). Against this stands the one who 'doeth the will of God', who 'abideth for ever' (meno, the verb of vv.6, 10, 24, 27).

Verse 18

the last time — Literally 'the last hour' (eschate hora). Antichristos is found only in 1 John 2:18, 22; 4:3 and 2 John 7. John's readers 'have heard that antichrist shall come', and the proof that it is the last hour is that 'even now are there many antichrists'.

Verse 19

they were not of us — 'From' and 'of' are one preposition, ek, out of: they went out 'from' the company because they never were 'of' it. 'Continued' is meno, abide; Christ says 'If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed' (John 8:31). 'Made manifest' is phaneroo, as 'appear' in v.28.

Verse 20

an unction from the Holy One — Chrisma, an anointing, found only here and in v.27, where the KJV renders it 'anointing'. It shares its root with Christos, the Anointed, the word of v.22. The promise 'ye know all things' is the Spirit's work in John 14:26: 'he shall teach you all things'.

Verse 22

He is antichrist — The antichrist is defined by what he denies: 'that Jesus is the Christ' and 'the Father and the Son'. 'Denieth' is arneomai, the verb of Matt 10:33, 'whosoever shall deny me before men'. 'Christ' means Anointed, the root beside chrisma in vv.20, 27. Pseustes returns from v.4.

Verse 23

denieth the Son… acknowledgeth the Son — The pair is the one in Matt 10:32–33: 'confess me… deny me'; 'acknowledgeth' is homologeo, to confess, the verb of 4:15, 'Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God'. John 5:23 puts it the same way: 'He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father'.

Verse 24

ye also shall continue in the Son, and in the Father — Meno stands three times in this verse, rendered 'abide', 'remain' and 'continue'. What is to abide is 'that which ye have heard from the beginning', the commandment and message of v.7 and 3:11. The result is abiding 'in the Son, and in the Father', the pair of vv.22–23.

Verse 27

the anointing… teacheth you of all things — Chrisma again (v.20), with didasko, to teach, three times: 'teach', 'teacheth', 'hath taught'. John is himself writing to them (vv.21, 26); the anointing confirms what they heard 'from the beginning' (v.24). Jeremiah promised that 'they shall teach no more every man his neighbour' (Jer 31:34).

Verse 28

when he shall appear — Phaneroo, to make visible, the verb of 'made manifest' in v.19. 'Confidence' is parrhesia, plain speaking, boldness; 'coming' is parousia, presence, found in 1 John only here. 'Not be ashamed before him' is the other side of the confidence John asks them to have.

Verse 29

born of him — Gennao, to beget, here for the first time in the letter; it returns in 3:9; 4:7; 5:1, 4, 18. The new birth is the one Christ spoke of to Nicodemus (John 3:3). The sign given is 'doeth righteousness', as in 3:7: 'he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous'.