1 John 2

Jesus Our Advocate

¹My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate before the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. ²He Himself is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.

• 1JN 2:1[NOTABLE]When we sin, Jesus speaks up for us like a defense lawyer who already paid the fine.
• 1JN 2:2[FULFILLS]The Lord laid on Him the iniquity of us all ← IS 53:6a
• 1JN 2:2[FULFILLS]Stricken for the transgression of the people ← IS 53:8d
• 1JN 2:2[NOTE]THE WHOLE WORLD. Atoning sacrifice, the KJV says propitiation, is the sacrifice that turns away God's anger and covers sin. Arminians say the whole world means every person. Calvinists say it means people from every nation, not only Jews, John 11:51 to 52, or that it is enough for all but applied to those who believe.

³By this we can be sure that we have come to know Him: if we keep His commandments. ⁴If anyone says, “I know Him,” but does not keep His commandments, he is a liar, and the truth is not in him. ⁵But if anyone keeps His word, the love of God has been truly perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him: ⁶Whoever claims to abide in Him must walk as Jesus walked.

A New Commandment

⁷Beloved, I am not writing to you a new commandment, but an old one, which you have had from the beginning. This commandment is the message you have heard. ⁸Then again, I am also writing to you a new commandment, which is true in Him and also in you. For the darkness is fading and the true light is already shining.

⁹If anyone claims to be in the light but hates his brother, he is still in the darkness. ¹⁰Whoever loves his brother remains in the light, and there is no cause of stumbling in him. ¹¹But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness. He does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.

¹²I am writing to you, little children, because your sins have been forgiven through His name.

¹³I am writing to you, fathers, because you know Him who is from the beginning.

I am writing to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one.

I have written to you, children, because you know the Father.

• 1JN 2:13[DEMONIC]Young men, you have overcome the evil one

¹⁴I have written to you, fathers, because you know Him who is from the beginning.

I have written to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one.

Do Not Love the World

¹⁵Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. ¹⁶For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh, the desires of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not from the Father but from the world. ¹⁷The world is passing away, along with its desires; but whoever does the will of God remains forever.

• 1JN 2:15[NOTABLE]Three pulls of the world: the desires of the flesh, the desires of the eyes and the pride of life.

Beware of Antichrists

¹⁸Children, it is the last hour; and just as you have heard that the antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have appeared. This is how we know it is the last hour. ¹⁹They went out from us, but they did not belong to us. For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us. But their departure made it clear that none of them belonged to us.

• 1JN 2:18[PROPHECY]Little children, it is the last hour; and as you have heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come, by which we know that it is the last hour → STILL TO COME

²⁰You, however, have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth. ²¹I have not written to you because you lack knowledge of the truth, but because you have it, and because no lie comes from the truth. ²²Who is the liar, if it is not the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, who denies the Father and the Son. ²³Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father, but whoever confesses the Son has the Father as well.

• 1JN 2:20[NOTABLE]The believer's anointing from Christ — every believer, not just clergy, has this anointing
• 1JN 2:22[NOTE]ANTICHRIST. John is the only Bible writer who uses the word, 2:18, 2:22, 4:3 and 2 John 7. He says many already exist: anyone who denies that Jesus is the Christ. Many also expect one final Antichrist, the man of lawlessness, 2 Thessalonians 2:3 to 4. See the 2 Thessalonians pages.
• 1JN 2:23[NOTE]TEXT. The KJV prints the second half in italics because it was missing from the Greek text its translators used. The oldest copies have it.

Remain in Christ

²⁴As for you, let what you have heard from the beginning remain in you. If it does, you will also remain in the Son and in the Father. ²⁵And this is the promise that He Himself made to us: eternal life.

²⁶I have written these things to you about those who are trying to deceive you. ²⁷And as for you, the anointing you received from Him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But just as His true and genuine anointing teaches you about all things, so remain in Him as you have been taught.

• 1JN 2:27[NOTABLE]The abiding anointing — the Holy Spirit as the believer's ongoing teacher

²⁸And now, little children, remain in Christ, so that when He appears, we may be confident and unashamed before Him at His coming.

²⁹If you know that He is righteous, you also know that everyone who practices righteousness has been born of Him.