1 John 2
1 My dear children, I'm writing this to you so you shouldn't sin. But if anybody should happen to sin, we have someone who defends us before the Father—Jesus Christ, who is truly good and right.
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.
2 Through him our sins are forgiven—and not only our sins, but those of the whole world.
And he is the propitiation for our sins. And not only for our sins, but also for those of the whole world.
3 We can be sure that we do know him if we follow his commands.
And we can be sure that we have known him by this: if we observe his commandments.
4 Anyone who says, “I know him,” but doesn't do what he says, is a liar. They don't have the truth.
Whoever claims that he knows him, and yet does not keep his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.
5 But those who follow God's word have his love totally fill their minds. This is how we know that we live in him.
But whoever keeps his word, truly in him the charity of God is perfected. And by this we know that we are in him.
6 Whoever claims to be living in him should behave like Jesus.
Whoever declares himself to remain in him, ought to walk just as he himself walked.
7 My friends, I'm not writing to you giving some new commandment, but an old commandment you've had from the beginning. This old commandment is one you have already heard.
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.
8 But in a sense I am giving you a new commandment. Its truth is revealed in Jesus and in you, for the darkness is coming to an end and the true light is already shining.
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.
9 Those who say they live in the light but hate a fellow Christian still have the darkness inside them.
Whoever declares himself to be in the light, and yet hates his brother, is in the darkness even now.
10 Those who love their fellow Christians live in the light, and don't cause others to sin.
Whoever loves his brother abides in the light, and there is no cause of offense in him.
11 Those who hate a fellow Christian are in darkness. They stumble around in the dark, not knowing where they're going because the darkness has blinded them.
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.
12 Dear friends, I'm writing to you children, for your sins have been forgiven through the name of Jesus.
I am writing to you, little sons, because your sins are forgiven for the sake of his name.
13 I'm writing to you fathers, for you know him who has existed from the beginning. I'm writing to you young people, for you have defeated the evil one.
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.
14 I write to you little children, for you know the Father. I write to you fathers, for you know him who has existed from the beginning. I write to you young people, for you are strong. The word of God lives in you, and you have defeated the evil one.
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.
15 Don't be in love with the world, and don't long for the things of this world. If you love the world, you won't have the Father's love in you.
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.
16 For all the things of this world—our sinful desires, wanting everything we see, boasting about what we've accomplished in life— these things don't come from the Father but from the world.
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.
17 The world and its evil desires are coming to an end, but those who do the will of God will live forever. (aiōn g165)
And the world is passing away, with its desire. But whoever does the will of God abides unto eternity. (aiōn g165)
18 Dear friends, this is the last hour. As you've heard, the antichrist is coming. Many antichrists have already come. This is how we know this is the last hour.
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.
19 They left us, but they didn't belong with us, for if they did, they would have remained with us. When they left they showed that none of them belonged with us.
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.
20 But you have been anointed with the Holy Spirit's blessing, and all of you know what's true.
Yet you have the anointing of the Holy One, and you know everything.
21 I'm not writing because you don't know the truth, but because you do know it, and because no lie comes from the truth.
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.
22 Who is the liar?—anyone who denies that Jesus is the Christ. The antichrist is anyone who denies the Father and the Son.
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.
23 Anyone that denies the Son does not have the Father; anyone who acknowledges the Son has the Father too.
No one who denies the Son also has the Father. Whoever confesses the Son, also has the Father.
24 As for you, make sure what you heard from the beginning continues to live in you. If what you heard from the beginning lives in you, you will also live in the Son and in the Father.
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.
And this is the Promise, which he himself has promised to us: Eternal Life. (aiōnios g166)
26 I'm writing this to warn you against those who want to lead you astray.
I have written these things to you, because of those who would seduce you.
27 But the anointing you received from him means the Spirit lives in you, and you don't need to be taught by anyone. The Spirit's anointing teaches you about everything. It is the truth and not a lie. So live in Christ, just as you've been taught!
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.
28 Now, my dear friends, continue to live in Christ, so that when he appears, we can be confident and not feel ashamed before him at his coming.
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.
29 If you know he is good and right, then you also know that everyone who does what is right has been born of God.
If you know that he is just, then know, too, that all who do what is just are born of him.
