BOOK 62 OF 66 · GENERAL EPISTLES · KING JAMES BIBLE

1 John 2

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1 John 2 Overview

John presents Jesus Christ as the believer’s advocate and propitiation, not for our sins only but for the sins of the whole world. He urges believers to keep Christ’s commandments, love the brethren, resist love of the world, recognize antichrists, and abide in the truth they received. The anointing from the Holy One helps protect them from deception.

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Before you read 1 John 2

Coming from

John begins with the eternal Life manifested in Jesus Christ, whom the apostles heard, saw, and handled. He writes so believers may share fellowship with the Father, the Son, and one another, and so their joy may be full. Because God is light, believers must not claim fellowship while walking in darkness; confession brings cleansing and restored fellowship.

In this chapter

Leads into

John marvels at the Father’s love in calling believers His sons and says that seeing Christ will result in likeness to Him. He contrasts righteous living with the practice of sin, points to Christ as the One manifested to take away sins and destroy the devil’s works, and makes brotherly love concrete through Christ’s sacrifice and practical care for a needy brother.

Key understandingExplore deeper

Christ’s propitiation is explicitly universal in provision: ‘not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.’

The obedience and love tests in this chapter address walking, fellowship, maturity, and assurance; they should not be used to overturn John’s explicit belief-alone statements about eternal life.

Major truths in this chapterExplore deeper

Jesus is advocate and propitiation

Believers have a righteous representative before the Father.

Love and obedience belong to Christian fellowship

Walking as Christ walked reflects genuine discipleship.

The world’s lusts are temporary

Believers must not anchor life in what is passing away.

Antichrist teaching is Christological

Denial of the Father and Son exposes doctrinal rebellion.

Connections to the rest of ScriptureExplore deeper

John 3:16–18

John’s Gospel teaches that whoever believes in the Son has life and is not condemned.

1 Timothy 2:6

Christ gave Himself a ransom for all.

2 John 7–9

John again warns against deceivers who deny the true Christ.

What is clear, and where care is neededExplore deeper

Do not narrow ‘whole world’ to mean only believers

John deliberately contrasts ‘our sins’ with those of the whole world.

Do not make commandment-keeping the basis of justification

The chapter is about walking and abiding after Christ’s propitiatory work.

Do not use ‘antichrist’ merely as a political insult

John defines the issue by denial of the true Christ.

Read 1 John 2 watching for…

Christ as advocate.

The scope of propitiation.

Old/new commandment language.

Love of the world versus doing God’s will.

The antichrists and the anointing.

Chapter outline7 sections

1-2Jesus Christ is the advocate with the Father and the propitiation for the sins of the whole world 3-6Knowing Christ is connected with keeping his commandments and walking as he walked 7-11The command to love the brethren is old and new, and hatred leaves a person in darkness 12-14John addresses little children, fathers, and young men concerning forgiveness, knowledge of God, strength, and victory over the wicked one 15-17Believers are told not to love the world or its lusts because the world passes away 18-27Many antichrists have appeared, believers have an anointing, and they are told to abide in the truth concerning the Son 28-29Believers are urged to abide in Christ so they may have confidence at his appearing

My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:

And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.

And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.

He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.

But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him.

He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.

Brethren, I write no new commandment unto you, but an old commandment which ye had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which ye have heard from the beginning.

Again, a new commandment I write unto you, which thing is true in him and in you: because the darkness is past, and the true light now shineth.

He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now.

He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him.

But he that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because that darkness hath blinded his eyes.

I write unto you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for his name's sake.

I write unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning. I write unto you, young men, because ye have overcome the wicked one. I write unto you, little children, because ye have known the Father.

I have written unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that 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 wicked one.

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.

For 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.

And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.

Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time.

They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us.

But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things.

I have not written unto you because ye know not the truth, but because ye know it, and that no lie is of the truth.

Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son.

Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father: (but) he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also.

Let that therefore abide in you, which ye have heard from the beginning. If that which ye have heard from the beginning shall remain in you, ye also shall continue in the Son, and in the Father.

And this is the promise that he hath promised us, even eternal life.

These things have I written unto you concerning them that seduce you.

But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him.

And now, little children, abide in him; that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming.

If ye know that he is righteous, ye know that every one that doeth righteousness is born of him.

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1 John 2:21

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