Christ Is Our Advocate

(A)My little children, I am (B)writing these things to you so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, (C)we have an [a](D)Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; and He Himself is (E)the [b]propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also (F)for the sins of the whole world.

(G)By this we know that we have come to (H)know Him, if we (I)keep His commandments. The one who says, “(J)I have come to (K)know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a (L)liar, and (M)the truth is not in him; but whoever (N)follows His word, in him the (O)love of God has truly been perfected. (P)By this we know that we are in Him: the one who says that he (Q)remains in Him (R)ought, himself also, walk just as He walked.

(S)Beloved, I am (T)not writing a new commandment to you, but an old commandment which you have had (U)from the beginning; the old commandment is the word which you have heard. [c]On the other hand, I am writing (V)a new commandment to you, which is true in Him and in you, because (W)the darkness is passing away and (X)the true Light is already shining. The one who says that he is in the Light and yet (Y)hates his (Z)brother or sister is in the darkness until now. 10 (AA)The one who loves his brother and sister remains in the Light, and there is nothing in him to cause stumbling. 11 But the one who (AB)hates his brother or sister is in the darkness and (AC)walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going because the darkness has (AD)blinded his eyes.

12 I am writing to you, (AE)little children, because (AF)your sins have been forgiven you on account of His name. 13 I am writing to you, fathers, because you know Him (AG)who has been from the beginning. I am writing to you, young men, because (AH)you have overcome (AI)the evil one. I have written to you, children, because (AJ)you know the Father. 14 I have written to you, fathers, because you know Him (AK)who has been from the beginning. I have written to you, young men, because you are (AL)strong, and the (AM)word of God remains in you, and (AN)you have overcome the evil one.

Do Not Love the World

15 Do not love (AO)the world nor the things in the world. (AP)If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world, (AQ)the lust of the flesh and (AR)the lust of the eyes and (AS)the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. 17 (AT)The world is passing away and also its lusts; but the one who (AU)does the will of God continues to live forever.

18 Children, (AV)it is the last hour; and just as you heard that (AW)antichrist is coming, (AX)even now many antichrists have appeared; from this we know that it is the last hour. 19 (AY)They went out from us, but they were not really of us; for if they had been of us, they would have remained with us; but they went out, (AZ)so that [d]it would be evident that they all are not of us. 20 [e]But you have an (BA)anointing from (BB)the Holy One, and (BC)you all know. 21 I have not written to you because you do not know the truth, but (BD)because you do know it, and [f]because no lie is (BE)of the truth. 22 Who is the liar except (BF)the one who denies that Jesus is the [g]Christ? This is (BG)the antichrist, the one who denies the Father and the Son. 23 (BH)Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father; the one who confesses the Son has the Father also. 24 As for you, see that what you heard (BI)from the beginning remains in you. If what you heard from the beginning remains in you, you also (BJ)will remain in the Son and in the Father.

The Promise Is Eternal Life

25 (BK)This is the promise which He Himself [h]made to us: eternal life.

26 These things I have written to you concerning those who are trying to (BL)deceive you. 27 And as for you, the (BM)anointing which you received from Him remains in you, and you have no need for anyone to teach you; but as His anointing (BN)teaches you about all things, and is (BO)true and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, [i]you remain in Him.

28 Now, (BP)little children, remain in Him, so that when He (BQ)appears, we may have (BR)confidence and (BS)not [j]draw back from Him in shame [k]at His (BT)coming. 29 If you know that (BU)He is righteous, you know that everyone who practices righteousness also (BV)has been born of Him.

Footnotes

  1. 1 John 2:1 Or Intercessor
  2. 1 John 2:2 I.e., means of reconciliation with God by atoning for sins; or sin-offering
  3. 1 John 2:8 Lit Again
  4. 1 John 2:19 Lit they would be revealed
  5. 1 John 2:20 Lit And
  6. 1 John 2:21 Or you know that no lie
  7. 1 John 2:22 I.e., Messiah
  8. 1 John 2:25 Lit promised us
  9. 1 John 2:27 Or remain in Him (a command)
  10. 1 John 2:28 Lit be put to shame from Him
  11. 1 John 2:28 Or in His presence

My dear children,(A) I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate(B) with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins,(C) and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.(D)

Love and Hatred for Fellow Believers

We know(E) that we have come to know him(F) if we keep his commands.(G) Whoever says, “I know him,”(H) but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in that person.(I) But if anyone obeys his word,(J) love for God[a] is truly made complete in them.(K) This is how we know(L) we are in him: Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did.(M)

Dear friends,(N) I am not writing you a new command but an old one, which you have had since the beginning.(O) This old command is the message you have heard. Yet I am writing you a new command;(P) its truth is seen in him and in you, because the darkness is passing(Q) and the true light(R) is already shining.(S)

Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates a brother or sister[b](T) is still in the darkness.(U) 10 Anyone who loves their brother and sister[c] lives in the light,(V) and there is nothing in them to make them stumble.(W) 11 But anyone who hates a brother or sister(X) is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness.(Y) They do not know where they are going, because the darkness has blinded them.(Z)

Reasons for Writing

12 I am writing to you, dear children,(AA)
    because your sins have been forgiven on account of his name.(AB)
13 I am writing to you, fathers,
    because you know him who is from the beginning.(AC)
I am writing to you, young men,
    because you have overcome(AD) the evil one.(AE)

14 I write to you, dear children,(AF)
    because you know the Father.
I write to you, fathers,
    because you know him who is from the beginning.(AG)
I write to you, young men,
    because you are strong,(AH)
    and the word of God(AI) lives in you,(AJ)
    and you have overcome the evil one.(AK)

On Not Loving the World

15 Do not love the world or anything in the world.(AL) If anyone loves the world, love for the Father[d] is not in them.(AM) 16 For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh,(AN) the lust of the eyes,(AO) and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. 17 The world and its desires pass away,(AP) but whoever does the will of God(AQ) lives forever.

Warnings Against Denying the Son

18 Dear children, this is the last hour;(AR) and as you have heard that the antichrist is coming,(AS) even now many antichrists have come.(AT) This is how we know it is the last hour. 19 They went out from us,(AU) but they did not really belong to us. For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us; but their going showed that none of them belonged to us.(AV)

20 But you have an anointing(AW) from the Holy One,(AX) and all of you know the truth.[e](AY) 21 I do not write to you because you do not know the truth, but because you do know it(AZ) and because no lie comes from the truth. 22 Who is the liar? It is whoever denies that Jesus is the Christ. Such a person is the antichrist—denying the Father and the Son.(BA) 23 No one who denies the Son has the Father; whoever acknowledges the Son has the Father also.(BB)

24 As for you, see that what you have heard from the beginning(BC) remains in you. If it does, you also will remain in the Son and in the Father.(BD) 25 And this is what he promised us—eternal life.(BE)

26 I am writing these things to you about those who are trying to lead you astray.(BF) 27 As for you, the anointing(BG) you received from him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about all things(BH) and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit—just as it has taught you, remain in him.(BI)

God’s Children and Sin

28 And now, dear children,(BJ) continue in him, so that when he appears(BK) we may be confident(BL) and unashamed before him at his coming.(BM)

29 If you know that he is righteous,(BN) you know that everyone who does what is right has been born of him.(BO)

Footnotes

  1. 1 John 2:5 Or word, God’s love
  2. 1 John 2:9 The Greek word for brother or sister (adelphos) refers here to a believer, whether man or woman, as part of God’s family; also in verse 11; and in 3:15, 17; 4:20; 5:16.
  3. 1 John 2:10 The Greek word for brother and sister (adelphos) refers here to a believer, whether man or woman, as part of God’s family; also in 3:10; 4:20, 21.
  4. 1 John 2:15 Or world, the Father’s love
  5. 1 John 2:20 Some manuscripts and you know all things