1 John 2
1 My little sons, this I write to you, so that you may not sin. But if anyone has sinned, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ, the Just One.
My children, I am writing to you to keep you from sinning. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father – Jesus Christ, the righteous.
2 And he is the propitiation for our sins. And not only for our sins, but also for those of the whole world.
He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not for ours only, but the sins of the whole world.
3 And we can be sure that we have known him by this: if we observe his commandments.
It is by keeping God’s commands that we can be sure we know him.
4 Whoever claims that he knows him, and yet does not keep his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.
Whoever says “I know him,” but does not keep his commands, is a liar. The truth has no place in them.
5 But whoever keeps his word, truly in him the charity of God is perfected. And by this we know that we are in him.
But the person who keeps God’s word, in them the love of God has indeed reached its perfection. This is how we can be sure we are in him:
6 Whoever declares himself to remain in him, ought to walk just as he himself walked.
whoever claims to live in him should live just as Jesus did.
7 Most beloved, I am not writing to you a new commandment, but the old commandment, which you had from the beginning. The old commandment is the Word, which you have heard.
Dear friends, it is no new command that I am writing to you, but an old command, which you have had from the beginning. That old command is the message you have already heard.
8 Then too, I am writing to you a new commandment, which is the Truth in him and in you. For the darkness has passed away, and the true Light is now shining.
Yet, in a way, it is a new command that I am writing to you – which is shown true in Christ’s life and in yours – for the darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining.
9 Whoever declares himself to be in the light, and yet hates his brother, is in the darkness even now.
The person who says that they are in the light, and yet hates others, is still in the darkness.
10 Whoever loves his brother abides in the light, and there is no cause of offense in him.
The person who loves others is always in the light, and there is nothing within them to cause them to stumble.
11 But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness, and in darkness he walks, and he does not know where he is going. For the darkness has blinded his eyes.
The person who hates is in the dark. They stumble along in the darkness; they do not know where they are going because the darkness blinds them.
12 I am writing to you, little sons, because your sins are forgiven for the sake of his name.
Little children, I am writing to you because your sins have been forgiven for Christ’s sake.
13 I am writing to you, fathers, because you have known him who is from the beginning. I am writing to you, adolescents, because you have overcome the evil one.
Parents, I am writing to you because you have come to know him who has been from the beginning. Young people, I am writing to you because you have conquered the evil one. Children, I write to you because you have come to know the Father.
14 I am writing to you, little children, because you have known the Father. I am writing to you, young men, because you are strong, and the Word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one.
Parents, I write to you because you have learned to know him who has been from the beginning. Young people, I write to you because you are strong, and God’s message is always in your hearts, and you have conquered the evil one.
15 Do not choose to love the world, nor the things that are in the world. If anyone loves the world, the charity of the Father is not in him.
Do not love the world or what the world can offer. When anyone loves the world, there is no love for the Father in them.
16 For all that is in the world is the desire of the flesh, and the desire of the eyes, and the arrogance of a life which is not of the Father, but is of the world.
For all that the world can offer – the desires for physical pleasure, the enticements to the eye, the arrogance of wealth – belongs, not to the Father, but to the world.
17 And the world is passing away, with its desire. But whoever does the will of God abides unto eternity. (aiōn g165)
And the world, and all that it gratifies, is passing away, but they who do God’s will remain for ever. (aiōn g165)
18 Little sons, it is the last hour. And, as you have heard that the Antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have arrived. By this, we know that it is the last hour.
My children, it is the last hour. You were told that an antichrist was coming; and many antichrists have already arisen. This is why we know that this is the last hour.
19 They went out from among us, but they were not of us. For, if they had been of us, certainly they would have remained with us. But in this way, it is made manifest that none of them are of us.
These people come from our ranks, but they were never truly part of us – if they had been then they would have stayed with us. They left so it would be clear that none of them really belonged to us.
20 Yet you have the anointing of the Holy One, and you know everything.
You, however, have been annointed by the Holy One. You all know the truth.
21 I have not written to you as to ones who are ignorant of the truth, but as to ones who know the truth. For no lie is of the truth.
I am not writing to you because you do not know the truth, but because you do know it, and because no lie can come from the truth.
22 Who is a liar, other than he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This one is the Antichrist, who denies the Father and the Son.
Who is a liar, if not the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ? That person is the antichrist – one who rejects the Father and the Son.
23 No one who denies the Son also has the Father. Whoever confesses the Son, also has the Father.
No one who rejects the Son has the Father; to acknowledge the Son is to have the Father also.
24 As for you, let what you have heard from the beginning remain in you. If what you have heard from the beginning remains in you, then you, too, shall abide in the Son and in the Father.
As for you, you must let what you have heard from the beginning continue to live in you. If what you heard from the beginning dwells in you, you will remain both in the Son and the Father.
And this is what he himself promised us – eternal life! (aiōnios g166)
26 I have written these things to you, because of those who would seduce you.
In writing this to you, I have in mind those who are trying to mislead you.
27 But as for you, let the Anointing that you have received from him abide in you. And so, you have no need of anyone to teach you. For his Anointing teaches you about everything, and it is the truth, and it is not a lie. And just as his Anointing has taught you, abide in him.
As for you, the anointing which you received from him remains with you. You do not need anyone to teach you. His anointing teaches you about everything. What it teaches you is true, it is not a lie. Do what it has taught you: abide in him.
28 And now, little sons, abide in him, so that when he appears, we may have faith, and we may not be confounded by him at his advent.
Yes, my children, remain in him, so that when he appears our confidence doesn’t fail us, and we are not ashamed to meet him at his coming.
29 If you know that he is just, then know, too, that all who do what is just are born of him.
Since you know he is righteous, you realize that everyone who does what is right is his child.
