1 John 2
New American Standard Bible
Christ Is Our Advocate
2 (A)My little children, I am (B)writing these things to you so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, (C)we have an [a](D)Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; 2 and He Himself is (E)the [b]propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also (F)for the sins of the whole world.
3 (G)By this we know that we have come to (H)know Him, if we (I)keep His commandments. 4 The one who says, “(J)I have come to (K)know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a (L)liar, and (M)the truth is not in him; 5 but whoever (N)follows His word, in him the (O)love of God has truly been perfected. (P)By this we know that we are in Him: 6 the one who says that he (Q)remains in Him (R)ought, himself also, to walk just as He walked.
7 (S)Beloved, I am (T)not writing a new commandment to you, but an old commandment which you have had (U)from the beginning; the old commandment is the word which you have heard. 8 [c]On the other hand, I am writing (V)a new commandment to you, which is true in Him and in you, because (W)the darkness is passing away and (X)the true Light is already shining. 9 The one who says that he is in the Light and yet (Y)hates his (Z)brother or sister is in the darkness until now. 10 (AA)The one who loves his brother and sister remains in the Light, and there is nothing in him to cause stumbling. 11 But the one who (AB)hates his brother or sister is in the darkness and (AC)walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going because the darkness has (AD)blinded his eyes.
12 I am writing to you, (AE)little children, because (AF)your sins have been forgiven you on account of His name. 13 I am writing to you, fathers, because you know Him (AG)who has been from the beginning. I am writing to you, young men, because (AH)you have overcome (AI)the evil one. I have written to you, children, because (AJ)you know the Father. 14 I have written to you, fathers, because you know Him (AK)who has been from the beginning. I have written to you, young men, because you are (AL)strong, and the (AM)word of God remains in you, and (AN)you have overcome the evil one.
Do Not Love the World
15 Do not love (AO)the world nor the things in the world. (AP)If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world, (AQ)the lust of the flesh and (AR)the lust of the eyes and (AS)the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. 17 (AT)The world is passing away and also its lusts; but the one who (AU)does the will of God continues to live forever.
18 Children, (AV)it is the last hour; and just as you heard that (AW)antichrist is coming, (AX)even now many antichrists have appeared; from this we know that it is the last hour. 19 (AY)They went out from us, but they were not really of us; for if they had been of us, they would have remained with us; but they went out, (AZ)so that [d]it would be evident that they all are not of us. 20 [e]But you have an (BA)anointing from (BB)the Holy One, and (BC)you all know. 21 I have not written to you because you do not know the truth, but (BD)because you do know it, and [f]because no lie is (BE)of the truth. 22 Who is the liar except (BF)the one who denies that Jesus is the [g]Christ? This is (BG)the antichrist, the one who denies the Father and the Son. 23 (BH)Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father; the one who confesses the Son has the Father also. 24 As for you, see that what you heard (BI)from the beginning remains in you. If what you heard from the beginning remains in you, you also (BJ)will remain in the Son and in the Father.
The Promise Is Eternal Life
25 (BK)This is the promise which He Himself [h]made to us: eternal life.
26 These things I have written to you concerning those who are trying to (BL)deceive you. 27 And as for you, the (BM)anointing which you received from Him remains in you, and you have no need for anyone to teach you; but as His anointing (BN)teaches you about all things, and is (BO)true and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, [i]you remain in Him.
28 Now, (BP)little children, remain in Him, so that when He (BQ)appears, we may have (BR)confidence and (BS)not [j]draw back from Him in shame [k]at His (BT)coming. 29 If you know that (BU)He is righteous, you know that everyone who practices righteousness also (BV)has been born of Him.
Footnotes
- 1 John 2:1 Or Intercessor
- 1 John 2:2 I.e., means of reconciliation with God by atoning for sins; or sin-offering
- 1 John 2:8 Lit Again
- 1 John 2:19 Lit they would be revealed
- 1 John 2:20 Lit And
- 1 John 2:21 Or you know that no lie
- 1 John 2:22 I.e., Messiah
- 1 John 2:25 Lit promised us
- 1 John 2:27 Or remain in Him (a command)
- 1 John 2:28 Lit be put to shame from Him
- 1 John 2:28 Or in His presence
1 John 2
Living Bible
2 My little children, I am telling you this so that you will stay away from sin. But if you sin, there is someone to plead for you before the Father. His name is Jesus Christ, the one who is all that is good and who pleases God completely. 2 He is the one who took God’s wrath against our sins upon himself and brought us into fellowship with God; and he is the forgiveness for our sins,[a] and not only ours but all the world’s.
3 And how can we be sure that we belong to him? By looking within ourselves: are we really trying to do what he wants us to?
4 Someone may say, “I am a Christian; I am on my way to heaven; I belong to Christ.” But if he doesn’t do what Christ tells him to, he is a liar. 5 But those who do what Christ tells them to will learn to love God more and more. That is the way to know whether or not you are a Christian. 6 Anyone who says he is a Christian should live as Christ did.
7 Dear brothers, I am not writing out a new rule for you to obey, for it is an old one you have always had, right from the start. You have heard it all before. 8 Yet it is always new, and works for you just as it did for Christ; and as we obey this commandment, to love one another, the darkness in our lives disappears and the new light of life in Christ shines in.
9 Anyone who says he is walking in the light of Christ but dislikes his fellow man is still in darkness. 10 But whoever loves his fellow man is “walking in the light” and can see his way without stumbling around in darkness and sin. 11 For he who dislikes his brother is wandering in spiritual darkness and doesn’t know where he is going, for the darkness has made him blind so that he cannot see the way.
12 I am writing these things to all of you, my little children, because your sins have been forgiven in the name of Jesus our Savior. 13 I am saying these things to you older men because you really know Christ, the one who has been alive from the beginning. And you young men, I am talking to you because you have won your battle with Satan. And I am writing to you younger boys and girls because you, too, have learned to know God our Father.
14 And so I say to you fathers who know the eternal God, and to you young men who are strong with God’s Word in your hearts, and have won your struggle against Satan: 15 Stop loving this evil world and all that it offers you, for when you love these things you show that you do not really love God; 16 for all these worldly things, these evil desires—the craze for sex, the ambition to buy everything that appeals to you, and the pride that comes from wealth and importance—these are not from God. They are from this evil world itself. 17 And this world is fading away, and these evil, forbidden things will go with it, but whoever keeps doing the will of God will live forever.
18 Dear children, this world’s last hour has come. You have heard about the Antichrist who is coming—the one who is against Christ—and already many such persons have appeared. This makes us all the more certain that the end of the world is near. 19 These “against-Christ” people used to be members of our churches, but they never really belonged with us or else they would have stayed. When they left us it proved that they were not of us at all.
20 But you are not like that, for the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you know the truth. 21 So I am not writing to you as to those who need to know the truth, but I warn you as those who can discern the difference between true and false.
22 And who is the greatest liar? The one who says that Jesus is not Christ. Such a person is antichrist, for he does not believe in God the Father and in his Son. 23 For a person who doesn’t believe in Christ, God’s Son, can’t have God the Father either. But he who has Christ, God’s Son, has God the Father also.
24 So keep on believing what you have been taught from the beginning. If you do, you will always be in close fellowship with both God the Father and his Son. 25 And he himself has promised us this: eternal life.
26 These remarks of mine about the Antichrist are pointed at those who would dearly love to blindfold you and lead you astray. 27 But you have received the Holy Spirit, and he lives within you, in your hearts, so that you don’t need anyone to teach you what is right. For he teaches you all things, and he is the Truth, and no liar; and so, just as he has said, you must live in Christ, never to depart from him.
28 And now, my little children, stay in happy fellowship with the Lord so that when he comes you will be sure that all is well and will not have to be ashamed and shrink back from meeting him. 29 Since we know that God is always good and does only right, we may rightly assume that all those who do right are his children.
Footnotes
- 1 John 2:2 he is the forgiveness for our sins, or “he is the atoning sacrifice for our sins.”
1 John 2
New Living Translation
2 My dear children, I am writing this to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate who pleads our case before the Father. He is Jesus Christ, the one who is truly righteous. 2 He himself is the sacrifice that atones for our sins—and not only our sins but the sins of all the world.
3 And we can be sure that we know him if we obey his commandments. 4 If someone claims, “I know God,” but doesn’t obey God’s commandments, that person is a liar and is not living in the truth. 5 But those who obey God’s word truly show how completely they love him. That is how we know we are living in him. 6 Those who say they live in God should live their lives as Jesus did.
A New Commandment
7 Dear friends, I am not writing a new commandment for you; rather it is an old one you have had from the very beginning. This old commandment—to love one another—is the same message you heard before. 8 Yet it is also new. Jesus lived the truth of this commandment, and you also are living it. For the darkness is disappearing, and the true light is already shining.
9 If anyone claims, “I am living in the light,” but hates a fellow believer,[a] that person is still living in darkness. 10 Anyone who loves a fellow believer[b] is living in the light and does not cause others to stumble. 11 But anyone who hates a fellow believer is still living and walking in darkness. Such a person does not know the way to go, having been blinded by the darkness.
12 I am writing to you who are God’s children
because your sins have been forgiven through Jesus.[c]
13 I am writing to you who are mature in the faith[d]
because you know Christ, who existed from the beginning.
I am writing to you who are young in the faith
because you have won your battle with the evil one.
14 I have written to you who are God’s children
because you know the Father.
I have written to you who are mature in the faith
because you know Christ, who existed from the beginning.
I have written to you who are young in the faith
because you are strong.
God’s word lives in your hearts,
and you have won your battle with the evil one.
Do Not Love This World
15 Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. 16 For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world. 17 And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever.
Warning about Antichrists
18 Dear children, the last hour is here. You have heard that the Antichrist is coming, and already many such antichrists have appeared. From this we know that the last hour has come. 19 These people left our churches, but they never really belonged with us; otherwise they would have stayed with us. When they left, it proved that they did not belong with us.
20 But you are not like that, for the Holy One has given you his Spirit,[e] and all of you know the truth. 21 So I am writing to you not because you don’t know the truth but because you know the difference between truth and lies. 22 And who is a liar? Anyone who says that Jesus is not the Christ.[f] Anyone who denies the Father and the Son is an antichrist.[g] 23 Anyone who denies the Son doesn’t have the Father, either. But anyone who acknowledges the Son has the Father also.
24 So you must remain faithful to what you have been taught from the beginning. If you do, you will remain in fellowship with the Son and with the Father. 25 And in this fellowship we enjoy the eternal life he promised us.
26 I am writing these things to warn you about those who want to lead you astray. 27 But you have received the Holy Spirit,[h] and he lives within you, so you don’t need anyone to teach you what is true. For the Spirit[i] teaches you everything you need to know, and what he teaches is true—it is not a lie. So just as he has taught you, remain in fellowship with Christ.
Living as Children of God
28 And now, dear children, remain in fellowship with Christ so that when he returns, you will be full of courage and not shrink back from him in shame.
29 Since we know that Christ is righteous, we also know that all who do what is right are God’s children.
Footnotes
- 2:9 Greek hates his brother; also in 2:11.
- 2:10 Greek loves his brother.
- 2:12 Greek through his name.
- 2:13 Or to you fathers; also in 2:14.
- 2:20 Greek But you have an anointing from the Holy One.
- 2:22a Or not the Messiah.
- 2:22b Or the antichrist.
- 2:27a Greek the anointing from him.
- 2:27b Greek the anointing.
1 John 2
Contemporary English Version
Christ Helps Us
2 My children, I am writing this so you won't sin. But if you do sin, Jesus Christ always does the right thing, and he will speak to the Father for us. 2 Christ is the sacrifice that takes away our sins and the sins of all the world's people.
3 When we obey God, we are sure we know him. 4 But if we claim to know him and don't obey him, we are lying and the truth isn't in our hearts. 5 We truly love God only when we obey him as we should, and then we know we belong to him. 6 If we say we are his, we must follow the example of Christ.
The New Commandment
7 (A) My dear friends, I am not writing to give you a new commandment. It is the same one you were first given, and it is the message you heard. 8 But it really is a new commandment, and you know its true meaning, just as Christ does. You can see the darkness fading away and the true light already shining.
9 If we claim to be in the light and hate someone, we are still in the dark. 10 But if we love others, we are in the light, and we don't cause problems for them.[a] 11 If we hate others, we are living and walking in the dark. We don't know where we are going, because we can't see in the dark.
12 Children, I am writing you,
because your sins
have been forgiven
in the name of Christ.
13 Parents, I am writing you,
because you have known
the one who was there
from the beginning.
Young people, I am writing you,
because you have defeated
the evil one.
14 Children, I am writing you,
because you have known
the Father.
Parents, I am writing you,
because you have known
the one who was there
from the beginning.
Young people, I am writing you,
because you are strong.
God's message is firm
in your hearts,
and you have defeated
the evil one.
15 Don't love the world or anything that belongs to the world. If you love the world, you cannot love the Father. 16 Our foolish pride comes from this world, and so do our selfish desires and our desire to have everything we see. None of this comes from the Father. 17 The world and the desires it causes are disappearing. But if we obey God, we will live forever.
The Enemy of Christ
18 Children, this is the last hour. You heard that the enemy of Christ would appear at this time, and many of Christ's enemies have already appeared. So we know the last hour is here. 19 These people came from our own group, yet they were not really part of us. If they had been part of us, they would have stayed with us. But they left, which proves they did not belong to our group.
20 Christ, the Holy One,[b] has blessed[c] you, and now all of you understand.[d] 21 I did not need to write you about the truth, since you already know it. You also know that liars do not belong to the truth. 22 And a liar is anyone who says Jesus isn't truly Christ. Anyone who says this is an enemy of Christ and rejects both the Father and the Son. 23 If we reject the Son, we reject the Father. But if we say we accept the Son, we have the Father. 24 Keep thinking about the message you first heard, and you will always be one in your heart with the Son and with the Father. 25 The Son[e] has promised us[f] eternal life.
26 I am writing to warn you about those people who are misleading you. 27 But Christ has blessed you with the Holy Spirit.[g] Now the Spirit stays in you, and you don't need any teachers. The Spirit is truthful and teaches you everything. So stay one in your heart with Christ, just as the Spirit has taught you to do.
Children of God
28 Children, stay one in your hearts with Christ. Then when he returns, we will have confidence and won't have to hide in shame. 29 You know Christ always does right and everyone who does right is a child of God.
Footnotes
- 2.10 and we don't cause problems for them: Or “and we can see anything that might make us fall.”
- 2.20 Christ, the Holy One: The Greek text has “the Holy One” which may refer either to Christ or to God the Father.
- 2.20 blessed: This translates a word which means “to pour olive oil on (someone's head).” In Old Testament times it was the custom to pour olive oil on a person's head when that person was chosen to be a priest or a king. Here the meaning is not clear. It may refer to the ceremony of pouring olive oil on the followers of the Lord right before they were baptized or it may refer to the gift of the Holy Spirit which they were given at baptism (see verse 27).
- 2.20 now all of you understand: Some manuscripts have “you understand all things.”
- 2.25 The Son: The Greek text has “he” and may refer to God the Father.
- 2.25 us: Some manuscripts have “you.”
- 2.27 Christ has blessed you with the Holy Spirit: The Greek text has “You received a pouring on of olive oil from him” (see verse 20). The “pouring on of olive oil” is here taken to refer to the gift of the Holy Spirit, and “he” may refer either to Christ or to the Father.
1 John 2
Easy-to-Read Version
Jesus Is Our Helper
2 My dear children, I write this letter to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone sins, we have Jesus Christ to help us. He always did what was right, so he is able to defend us before God the Father. 2 Jesus is the way our sins are taken away. And he is the way all people can have their sins taken away too.
3 If we obey what God has told us to do, then we are sure that we know him. 4 If we say we know God but do not obey his commands, we are lying. The truth is not in us. 5 But when we obey God’s teaching, his love is truly working in us. This is how we know that we are living in him. 6 If we say we live in God, we must live the way Jesus lived.
Jesus Told Us to Love Others
7 My dear friends, I am not writing a new command to you. It is the same command you have had since the beginning. This command is the teaching you have already heard. 8 But what I write is also a new command. It is a true one; you can see its truth in Jesus and in yourselves. The darkness is passing away, and the true light is already shining.
9 Someone might say, “I am in the light,” but if they hate any of their brothers or sisters in God’s family, they are still in the darkness. 10 Those who love their brothers and sisters live in the light, and there is nothing in them that will make them do wrong. 11 But whoever hates their brother or sister is in darkness. They live in darkness. They don’t know where they are going, because the darkness has made them blind.
12 I write to you, dear children,
because your sins are forgiven through Christ.
13 I write to you, fathers,
because you know the one who existed from the beginning.
I write to you, young people,
because you have defeated the Evil One.
14 I write to you, children,
because you know the Father.
I write to you, fathers,
because you know the one who existed from the beginning.
I write to you, young people,
because you are strong.
The word of God lives in you,
and you have defeated the Evil One.
15 Don’t love this evil world or the things in it. If you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. 16 This is all there is in the world: wanting to please our sinful selves, wanting the sinful things we see, and being too proud of what we have. But none of these comes from the Father. They come from the world. 17 The world is passing away, and all the things that people want in the world are passing away. But whoever does what God wants will live forever.
Don’t Follow the Enemies of Christ
18 My dear children, the end is near! You have heard that the enemy of Christ is coming. And now many enemies of Christ are already here. So we know that the end is near. 19 These enemies were in our group, but they left us. They did not really belong with us. If they were really part of our group, they would have stayed with us. But they left. This shows that none of them really belonged with us.
20 You have the gift[a] that the Holy One[b] gave you. So you all know the truth. 21 Do you think I am writing this letter because you don’t know the truth? No, I am writing because you do know the truth. And you know that no lie comes from the truth.
22 So who is the liar? It is the one who says Jesus is not the Messiah. Whoever says that is the enemy of Christ—the one who does not believe in the Father or in his Son. 23 Whoever does not believe in the Son does not have the Father, but whoever accepts the Son has the Father too.
24 Be sure that you continue to follow the teaching you heard from the beginning. If you do that, you will always be in the Son and in the Father. 25 And this is what the Son promised us—eternal life.
26 I am writing this letter about those who are trying to lead you into the wrong way. 27 Christ gave you a special gift. You still have this gift in you. So you don’t need anyone to teach you. The gift he gave you teaches you about everything. It is a true gift, not a false one. So continue to live in Christ, as his gift taught you.
28 Yes, my dear children, live in him. If we do this, we can be without fear on the day when Christ comes again. We will not need to hide and be ashamed when he comes. 29 You know that Christ always did what was right. So you know that all those who do what is right are God’s children.
Footnotes
- 1 John 2:20 gift Literally, “anointing.” This might mean the Holy Spirit. Or it might mean teaching or truth as in verse 24. Also in verse 27.
- 1 John 2:20 Holy One God or Christ.
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