1 John 2
1 My little children, these things I write to you that you may not sin: and if anyone may sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ, [the] Righteous 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 ours, but also 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 may keep His commands;
It is by keeping God’s commands that we can be sure we know him.
4 he who is saying, “I have known Him,” and is not keeping His commands, 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 and whoever may keep His word, truly the love of God has been perfected 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 He who is saying he remains in Him, himself ought to also walk according as He walked.
whoever claims to live in him should live just as Jesus did.
7 Beloved, I do not write a new command to you, but an old command, that you had from the beginning—the old command is the word that you heard from the beginning;
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, a new command I write to you, which is true in Him and in you, because the darkness is passing away, and the true light now shines;
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 he who is saying he is in the light, and is hating his brother, he 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 he who is loving his brother, he remains in the light, and there is not a stumbling-block 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 he who is hating his brother, he is in the darkness, and he walks in the darkness, and he has not known where he goes, because the darkness 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 to you, little children, because sins have been forgiven you through His Name;
Little children, I am writing to you because your sins have been forgiven for Christ’s sake.
13 I write to you, fathers, because you have known Him who [is] from the beginning; I write to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil [one]; I write to you, little youths, 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 wrote to you, fathers, because you have known Him who [is] from the beginning; I wrote to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God remains 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 love the world, nor the things in the world; if anyone 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 all that [is] in the world—the desire of the flesh, and the desire of the eyes, and the ostentation of [one’s] life—is not of the Father, but 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, and the desire of it, but he who is doing the will of God, he remains—throughout the age. (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 youths, it is the last hour; and even as you heard that the antichrist comes, even now antichrists have become many—whereby 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 forth out of us, but they were not of us, for if they had been of us, they would have remained with us; but [they went out] so that they might be revealed 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 And you have an anointing from the Holy One, and have known all things;
You, however, have been annointed by the Holy One. You all know the truth.
21 I did not write to you because you have not known the truth, but because you have known it, and because 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 the liar, except he who is denying that Jesus is the Christ? This one is the antichrist who is 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 everyone who is denying the Son, neither has the Father; he who is confessing the Son has the Father also.
No one who rejects the Son has the Father; to acknowledge the Son is to have the Father also.
24 You, then, that which you heard from the beginning, let it remain in you; if that which you heard from the beginning may remain in you, you also will remain 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 These things I wrote to you concerning those leading you astray;
In writing this to you, I have in mind those who are trying to mislead you.
27 and you, the anointing that you received from Him, it remains in you, and you have no need that anyone may teach you, but as the same anointing teaches you concerning all, and is true, and is not a lie, and even as was taught you, you will remain 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, remain in Him, so that when He may have appeared, we may have boldness, and may not be ashamed before Him, at His coming;
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 righteous, know that everyone doing righteousness, has been begotten of Him.
Since you know he is righteous, you realise that everyone who does what is right is his child.
