1 John 2
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 14:23 keeps his word, in him truly #ch. 4:12 the 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, 7 abides 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 5 no new commandment, but #Lev. 19:18 an 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 13:34 a 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, 5 the 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. 13 above] him who is from the beginning.
I write to you, young men,
because #[See ver. 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. 2:18 the 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 20:30 They went out from us, but they were not of us; for #See John 17:12 if 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 1:24 the 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 7 he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is #[See ver. 18 above]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 6 what 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. 20 the anointing that you received from him abides in you, and #Jer. 31:34; Heb. 8:11 you 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; 5:14 we may have confidence and not shrink from him in shame at his #See 1 Thess. 2:19coming. 29If you know that #ch. 3:7 he 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.
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The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
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1 John 2
2
1My children, these things I write to you in order that ye may not sin; and if any one sin, we have a patron with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; 2and he is the propitiation for our sins; but not for ours alone, but also for the whole world.
3And hereby we know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. 4He that says, I know him, and does not keep his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him; 5but whoever keeps his word, in him verily the love of God is perfected. Hereby we know that we are in him. 6He that says he abides in him ought, even as he walked, himself also so to walk.
7Beloved, I write no new commandment to you, but an old commandment, which ye have had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which ye heard. 8Again, I write a new commandment to you, which thing is true in him and in you, because the darkness is passing and the true light already shines. 9He who says he is in the light, and hates his brother, is in the darkness until now. 10He that loves his brother abides in light, and there is no occasion of stumbling in him. 11But he that hates his brother is in the darkness, and walks in the darkness, and knows not where he goes, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.
12I write to you, children, because your sins are forgiven you for his name's sake. 13I write to you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning. I write to you, young men, because ye have overcome the wicked one. I write to you, little children, because ye have known the Father. 14I have written to you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning. I have written to you, young men, because ye are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and ye have overcome the wicked one. 15Love not the world, nor the things in the world. If any one love the world, the love of the Father is not in him; 16because all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. 17And the world is passing, and its lust, but he that does the will of God abides for eternity.
18Little children, it is the last hour, and, according as ye have heard that antichrist comes, even now there have come many antichrists, whence we know that it is the last hour. 19They went out from among us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have surely remained with us, but that they might be made manifest that none are of us.
20And ye have the unction from the holy one, and ye know all things. 21I have not written to you because ye do not know the truth, but because ye know it, and that no lie is of the truth. 22Who is the liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? He is the antichrist who denies the Father and the Son. 23Whoever denies the Son has not the Father either; he who confesses the Son has the Father also. 24As for you let that which ye have heard from the beginning abide in you: if what ye have heard from the beginning abides in you, ye also shall abide in the Son and in the Father. 25And this is the promise which he has promised us, life eternal. 26These things have I written to you concerning those who lead you astray: 27and yourselves, the unction which ye have received from him abides in you, and ye have not need that any one should teach you; but as the same unction teaches you as to all things, and is true and is not a lie, and even as it has taught you, ye shall abide in him.
28And now, children, abide in him, that if he be manifested we may have boldness, and not be put to shame from before him at his coming. 29If ye know that he is righteous, know that every one who practises righteousness is begotten of him.
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First published in 1890. This edition is maintained by the British and Foreign Bible Society.