1 John 2
1 My little children, I write these things to you, in order that you may not sin. And if any one may sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:
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 he is the expiator for our sins: and not ours only, but indeed for 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 in this we know that we have known him, if we are keeping his commandments.
It is by keeping God’s commands that we can be sure we know him.
4 The one saying, I have known him, and keeping not 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 whosoever shall keep his word, truly the divine love of God has been made perfect in him. In 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 The one saying that he abides in him ought himself so to walk about, as he also did walk about.
whoever claims to live in him should live just as Jesus did.
7 Beloved, I write no new commandment to you, but the old one 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 Again I do write a new commandment to you, which is true in him and in you: because the darkness is passing away, and the true light is already 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 The one saying that he is in the light, and hating his brother, is in the darkness until now.
The person who says that they are in the light, and yet hates others, is still in the darkness.
10 The one loving his brother with divine love abides in the light, and there is no stumbling 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 the one hating his brother is in darkness, and walks about in darkness, and does not know whither he is going, because 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 write unto you, little children, because your sins are forgiven through his name.
Little children, I am writing to you because your sins have been forgiven for Christ’s sake.
13 I write unto you, fathers, because you have known him who is from the beginning. I write unto you, young men, because you have conquered the wicked one. I have written unto you, little children, because you have known the Father.
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 have written unto you, fathers, because you have known him from the beginning. I have written unto 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 Love not the world, nor the things that are in the world. If any one loves the world, the love 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 because this is all that is in the world; the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of 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 The world and its lust are indeed passing away; but the one doing the will of God abides forever. (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 children, it is the last hour: and as you have heard that antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come, from which 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 came out from us, but they were not of us; for if they were of us, they would have remained with us: but in order that they might be made manifest that they are not all 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 You have an unction from the Holy One, and you all know.
You, however, have been annointed by the Holy One. You all know the truth.
21 I have not written unto you because you do not know the truth, but because you do know it, and that 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 except the one denying that Jesus is the Christ? This one is the antichrist, the one denying 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 denying the Son has the Father: the one confessing the Son has also the Father.
No one who rejects the Son has the Father; to acknowledge the Son is to have the Father also.
24 Let that which you heard from the beginning abide in you. If that which you heard from the beginning may abide in you, you also are abiding 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 unto you concerning those deceiving you.
In writing this to you, I have in mind those who are trying to mislead you.
27 And the unction which you received from him abides in you, and you have no need that any one may teach you: but as his unction teaches you concerning all things, and it is true, and it is no lie, and as he 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 children, abide in him; in order that, if he may appear, we may have boldness, and not shrink with embarrassment from him in his presence.
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 may know that he is righteous, know that every one doing righteousness has been born of him.
Since you know he is righteous, you realize that everyone who does what is right is his child.
