1 John 2
1 My little children, I write these things to you so that ye may not sin. And if any man does sin, we have an advocate with the Father-righteous Jesus Christ.
You who are very dear to me, I am writing this to you [to say], “Do not sin!” But if any of you [believers] sins, [God can forgive you because] we have Jesus Christ, who is the righteous one, who speaks to the Father on our behalf [and asks him to forgive us].
2 And he is the atonement for our sins, and not for ours only, but also for the whole world.
[Remember that Jesus Christ] voluntarily sacrificed [his own life for us, so that as a result God forgives] our sins. [Yes, God is able to forgive] our sins, but not only ours! [He is] also [able to forgive] the sins of people everywhere!
3 And by this we know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.
[I will tell you] how we can be sure that we (know/have a close relationship with) [God]. [If we] obey what he commands [us to do, that shows us that we have a close relationship with him. So we must always obey what he commands us to do].
4 He who says, I know him, and does not keep his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in this man.
Those who say, “We (know/have a close relationship with) God,” and do not obey what [God] commands [us to do], are liars. They are not conducting their lives according to [God’s] true message.
5 But whoever keeps his word, truly in this man the love of God is fully perfected. By this we know that we are in him.
But those who obey what [God] commands them to do are the people who love God in the manner in which he wants us to. [I will tell you] how we can be sure that we have a close relationship with God:
6 He who claims to abide in him he also ought so to walk just as that man walked.
If we say that we are living as God wants us to, we should [conduct our lives] as Christ [did].
7 Brothers, I write no new commandment to you, but an old commandment that ye had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word that ye heard from the beginning.
Dear friends, I am not writing a new [additional] command to you. Instead, I am writing to you a command which was given to you when you first [MTY] [believed in Christ]. That command is [part of] the message that you have [always] heard.
8 Again, a new commandment I write to you, which is true in him and in you, because the darkness is passing away, and the true light now shines.
Nevertheless, [I can say that] the command I am writing to you is a new command. [It is new because] what Christ [did] was new, and what you [are doing] is new, because [you have been ceasing to conduct your lives in a morally impure manner] and [are now truly conducting your lives in a pure manner. That is like] [MET] no longer [living in] darkness. Instead, [it is like] living where a brilliant light is already shining.
9 He who claims to be in the light, and hates his brother, is in the darkness until now.
Those who claim that they are [pure in every way, like people] [MET] living in the light, but hate any of their fellow believers, are still [behaving in an impure manner, like] [MET] [people who are continually living] in darkness.
10 He who loves his brother abides in the light, and no cause of stumbling is in him.
But those who love their fellow believers [are continuing to conduct their lives like people] who are living in the light. They are people who please [God] [LIT]. [So you should love your fellow believers].
11 But he who hates his brother is in the darkness, and he goes about in the darkness, and knows not where he goes, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.
But those who hate any of their fellow believers are still [conducting their lives in an impure way, like] [MET] [people who are living] in darkness. They do not know that they will eventually destroy themselves [eternally]. They have become [spiritually] blind [PRS, MET], [unaware of spiritual truth].
12 I write to you, little children, because your sins have been forgiven you through his name.
I am writing [this] to you [whom I love as though] [MET] [you were my] little children, to you who are [spiritually mature people who are like] [MET] fathers, and to you [spiritually vigorous/strong people who are like] [MET] young men. Remember that your sins have been forgiven {[God] has forgiven your sins} on account of what Christ [MTY] [has done]. You now know [Christ, the one] who always existed. You have defeated the evil one, [Satan].
13 I write to you, fathers, because ye have known him from the beginning. I write to you, young men, because ye have overcome evil. I write to you, children, because ye know the Father.
14 I wrote to you, fathers, because ye have know him from the beginning. I wrote to you, young men, because ye are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and ye have overcome evil.
[I will say it again]: I have written [this] to you because you have come to know the Father, because you now know [Christ, the one] who always existed, because you are [spiritually] strong, because you continue to [obey] God’s word, and because you have defeated the evil one, [Satan].
15 Love not the world, nor the things in the world. If any man loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
Do not desire [to conduct you lives in the evil manner in which] godless [people in] the world [MTY] conduct their [lives], and do not love anything that [the evil people] in the world [MTY] [consider to be good]. Those who desire [to conduct their lives in the evil manner in which other people of] the world [MTY] conduct their [lives] do not [really] love [God], their Father, [at all].
16 Because everything in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the arrogance of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
Keep in mind that all [the evil human desires] in the world [are actions/things such as these]: [People] desire to do [what] their self-directed nature [strongly desires]. [People] desire [to possess] whatever (appeals to their senses/they see or hear about). [People] boast about the material things that they possess. [Such evil ways of living] do not originate/come from the Father! Instead they originate/come from [the (godless people in] the world/people in the world who conduct their lives in a manner that displeases God) [MTY]!
17 And the world passes away, and the lust of it, but he who does the will of God abides into the age. (aiōn g165)
The [godless people in] the world [MTY], along with what they desire, will disappear, but those who do what God wants [them to do] will live forever! You know that it is now the final period of this age when there are liars who deny that Jesus is God’s Chosen One. But you have the power of God’s Spirit and you know what is true and what is false. So continue to live according to the true message that you heard when you began to believe in Christ, in order that you may continue to live united both to God’s Son and to the Father. (aiōn g165)
18 Children, it is the last hour. And as ye heard that the antichrist comes, and now many antichrists have developed, from which we know that it is the last hour.
[You who are very dear to me], it is [now] (the final part [MTY] [of this age/] final [period of time before Jesus returns]). Just like you heard [from us apostles] that a person who opposes Christ will come/appear, even now there are many people who oppose Christ. That is why we know that it is the final part [of this age] (OR, [before Jesus returns]) [MTY].
19 They went out from us, but they were not of us. For if they were of us, they would have continued with us, but-so that they might be made known, that they are not all of us.
The [people who oppose Christ] refused to remain in our congregations, but they never [really] (belonged with us/were fellow believers). If they had (belonged with us/been fellow believers), they would have remained with us. But because [they left, everyone] can clearly know that none of them (belongs with us/is a fellow believer).
20 And ye have an anointing from the Holy, and ye know all the things.
But as for you, you have been given the power of [God’s Spirit, which comes from Christ] (OR, [God]), the Holy One. [As a result], you all know [how to] ([distinguish false teaching from/recognize what is false teaching and what is]) [the true message].
21 I wrote to you not because ye know not the truth, but because ye know it, and because no lie is of the truth.
I am writing [this letter] to you, not because you do not know [what is God’s] true message, but because you do know [what it is]. You also know that no false message originates/comes from [God, who is the source of all] truth.
22 Who is the liar if not he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, he who denies the Father and the Son.
The [worst] liars are the ones who deny that Jesus is (the Messiah/the one whom God chose to rescue us). They are [the ones that we told you about], the ones who oppose Christ. They refuse to acknowledge/admit that [God is] the Father and that [Jesus is his] Son (OR, the one who is also God).
23 Every man who denies the Son, also does not have the Father.
Those who refuse to acknowledge/admit that [Jesus is God’s] Son do not have a relationship with the Father. But those who acknowledge/admit that [Jesus is God’s] Son [not only have a relationship with God’s Son, but they] have a relationship with the Father also.
24 Therefore ye, let what ye heard from the beginning abide in you. If what ye heard from the beginning abides in you, ye also will abide in the Son and in the Father.
[So], as for you, you must continue to conduct your lives according to [the true message] that you heard when you began [MTY] [to believe in Christ]. If you continue to [do that], you will continue to have a close relationship with both [God’s] Son and the Father.
And what God told us is that [he will cause us] to live forever! (aiōnios g166)
26 I wrote these things to you concerning those who lead you astray.
I have written this to you [to] ([warn you] about/tell you to beware of) those [who want to] deceive you [concerning the truth about Christ].
27 And for you, the anointing that ye received from him abides in you, and ye have no need that any man teach you, but as the same anointing teaches you about all things, and is true and is no lie, and just as it taught you, ye will abide in him.
As for you, God’s Spirit, whom you received from Christ, remains in you. So you do not need anyone to teach you [anything else that they claim/say is the truth]. God’s Spirit is teaching you all [of God’s truth that you need to know]. God’s Spirit is truthful and never says anything that is false. So continue to conduct your lives in the way that [he has] taught you.
28 And now, little children, abide in him, so that when he is made known, we may have confidence, and not be shamed by him at his coming.
Now, [while some people are trying to persuade you to accept their false teaching, I urge] you, who are all very dear to me, to continue to [have a close relationship with] Christ. [We need to do that] in order that we may be confident [that he will accept us] when he comes back again. If we do that, we will not be ashamed [when we stand] before [him] when he comes.
29 If ye know that he is righteous, know ye that every man doing righteousness has been begotten of him.
Since you know that [Christ] always does what is right, you know that all those who continue doing what is right are the ones who have become children of God.
