1 John 2

1My dear children, I am writing this to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate who pleads our case before the Father. He is Jesus Christ, the one who is truly righteous. 2He himself is the sacrifice that atones for our sins—and not only our sins but the sins of all the world.

3And we can be sure that we know him if we obey his commandments. 4If someone claims, “I know God,” but doesn’t obey God’s commandments, that person is a liar and is not living in the truth. 5But those who obey God’s word truly show how completely they love him. That is how we know we are living in him. 6Those who say they live in God should live their lives as Jesus did.

A New Commandment

7Dear friends, I am not writing a new commandment for you; rather it is an old one you have had from the very beginning. This old commandment—to love one another—is the same message you heard before. 8Yet it is also new. Jesus lived the truth of this commandment, and you also are living it. For the darkness is disappearing, and the true light is already shining.

9If anyone claims, “I am living in the light,” but hates a fellow believer,#2:9 Greek hates his brother; also in 2:11. that person is still living in darkness. 10Anyone who loves a fellow believer#2:10 Greek loves his brother. is living in the light and does not cause others to stumble. 11But anyone who hates a fellow believer is still living and walking in darkness. Such a person does not know the way to go, having been blinded by the darkness.

12I am writing to you who are God’s children

because your sins have been forgiven through Jesus.#2:12 Greek through his name.

13I am writing to you who are mature in the faith#2:13 Or to you fathers; also in 2:14.

because you know Christ, who existed from the beginning.

I am writing to you who are young in the faith

because you have won your battle with the evil one.

14I have written to you who are God’s children

because you know the Father.

I have written to you who are mature in the faith

because you know Christ, who existed from the beginning.

I have written to you who are young in the faith

because you are strong.

God’s word lives in your hearts,

and you have won your battle with the evil one.

Do Not Love This World

15Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. 16For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world. 17And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever.

Warning about Antichrists

18Dear children, the last hour is here. You have heard that the Antichrist is coming, and already many such antichrists have appeared. From this we know that the last hour has come. 19These people left our churches, but they never really belonged with us; otherwise they would have stayed with us. When they left, it proved that they did not belong with us.

20But you are not like that, for the Holy One has given you his Spirit,#2:20 Greek But you have an anointing from the Holy One. and all of you know the truth. 21So I am writing to you not because you don’t know the truth but because you know the difference between truth and lies. 22And who is a liar? Anyone who says that Jesus is not the Christ.#2:22a Or not the Messiah. Anyone who denies the Father and the Son is an antichrist.#2:22b Or the antichrist. 23Anyone who denies the Son doesn’t have the Father, either. But anyone who acknowledges the Son has the Father also.

24So you must remain faithful to what you have been taught from the beginning. If you do, you will remain in fellowship with the Son and with the Father. 25And in this fellowship we enjoy the eternal life he promised us.

26I am writing these things to warn you about those who want to lead you astray. 27But you have received the Holy Spirit,#2:27a Greek the anointing from him. and he lives within you, so you don’t need anyone to teach you what is true. For the Spirit#2:27b Greek the anointing. teaches you everything you need to know, and what he teaches is true—it is not a lie. So just as he has taught you, remain in fellowship with Christ.

Living as Children of God

28And now, dear children, remain in fellowship with Christ so that when he returns, you will be full of courage and not shrink back from him in shame.

29Since we know that Christ is righteous, we also know that all who do what is right are God’s children.

Currently Selected:

1 John 2: NLT

Highlight

Copy

Compare

Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in

For more information about the NLT:

Learn More About New Living Translation

1 John 2

Christ Our Advocate

1My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, #Rom. 8:34; 1 Tim. 2:5; Heb. 7:25we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. 2#ch. 4:10; Rom. 3:25; [2 Cor. 5:18, 19; Col. 1:20] He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but #ch. 4:14; John 1:29; 4:42; 11:51, 52; 12:32also for the sins of the whole world. 3And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we #John 14:15; 15:10keep his commandments. 4Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments #ch. 1:8; John 8:44is a liar, and #ch. 1:8; John 8:44the truth is not in him, 5but whoever #ch. 5:3; John 14:23keeps his word, in him truly #ch. 4:12the love of God is perfected. #ch. 3:24; 4:13; 5:2By this we may know that we are in him: 6whoever says he #John 15:4, 5, 7abides in him #See Matt. 11:29ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.

The New Commandment

7Beloved, I am writing you #2 John 5no new commandment, but #Lev. 19:18an old commandment #[ver. 24; ch. 3:11; 2 John 5, 6]that you had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word that you have heard. 8At the same time, it is #See John 13:34a new commandment that I am writing to you, which is true in him and in you, because#2:8 Or that #Rom. 13:12; Eph. 5:8; 1 Thess. 5:4, 5the darkness is passing away and #John 1:9; 8:12the true light is already shining. 9Whoever says he is in the light and #ch. 4:20; [ch. 3:14, 15; Titus 3:3]hates his brother is still in darkness. 10Whoever loves his brother abides in the light, and in him#2:10 Or it there is no #John 11:10; [Prov. 4:19; 2 Pet. 1:10]cause for stumbling. 11But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and #See ch. 1:6walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.

12I am writing to you, little children,

because #Luke 24:47; Acts 10:43; 13:38your sins are forgiven for his name’s sake.

13I am writing to you, fathers,

because you know #[ch. 1:1] him who is from the beginning.

I am writing to you, young men,

because #Eph. 6:10; [ch. 5:4, 5] you have overcome the evil one.

I write to you, children,

because #John 14:7you know the Father.

14I write to you, fathers,

because you know #[See ver. 2:13 above] him who is from the beginning.

I write to you, young men,

because #[See ver. 2:13 above]you are strong,

and the word of God abides in you,

and you have overcome the evil one.

Do Not Love the World

15 # [ Rom. 12:2; 2 Tim. 4:10 ] Do not love the world or the things in the world. #See James 4:4If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16For all that is in the world—#Rom. 13:14; Eph. 2:3; 1 Pet. 4:2; 2 Pet. 2:18the desires of the flesh and #Eccles. 4:8; 5:11the desires of the eyes and pride of life#2:16 Or pride in possessions—is not from the Father but is from the world. 17And #See 1 Cor. 7:31the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.

Warning Concerning Antichrists

18Children, #[2 Tim. 3:1; James 5:3; 2 Pet. 3:3; Jude 18] it is the last hour, and as you have heard that #ver. 22; ch. 4:3; 2 John 7; [Matt. 24:5, 24] antichrist is coming, so now #[ch. 4:1; Matt. 24:5] many antichrists have come. #1 Tim. 4:1Therefore we know that it is the last hour. 19#Deut. 13:13; Acts 20:30They went out from us, but they were not of us; for #See John 17:12if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out, #1 Cor. 11:19that it might become plain that they all are not of us. 20But you have been #ver. 27; [2 Cor. 1:21] anointed by #See Mark 1:24the Holy One, and #ver. 27; See John 14:26you all have knowledge.#2:20 Some manuscripts you know everything 21I write to you, not because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and because no lie is of the truth. 22Who is the liar but #ch. 4:3; 2 John 7he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is #[See ver. 18above]the antichrist, he who denies the Father and the Son. 23#ch. 4:15; 5:1; 2 John 9No one who denies the Son has the Father. Whoever confesses the Son has the Father also. 24Let #ch. 3:11; 2 John 6what you heard from the beginning abide in you. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, then #[John 14:23]; See ch. 1:3you too will abide in the Son and in the Father. 25And this is the promise that he made to us#2:25 Some manuscripts you—#John 17:2eternal life.

26I write these things to you about #ch. 3:7; 2 John 7those who are trying to deceive you. 27But #ver. 20the anointing that you received from him abides in you, and #Jer. 31:34; Heb. 8:11you have no need that anyone should teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about everything, and #John 14:17is true, and is no lie—just as it has taught you, abide in him.

Children of God

28And now, little children, abide in him, so that #ch. 3:2; [Col. 3:4] when he appears #ch. 3:21; 4:17; 5:14we may have confidence and not shrink from him in shame at his #See 1 Thess. 2:19coming. 29If you know that #ch. 3:7he is righteous, you may be sure that #ch. 3:9; 4:7; 5:1, 4, 18; 3 John 11everyone who practices righteousness has been born of him.

Learn More About English Standard Version 2025