Articles and Notes
1 John 2
Fellowship with Him and one another
[1Jo 2:1-29 NASB95] 1 My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; 2 and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for [those of] the whole world.
The test of knowing Him
3 By this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments. 4 The one who says, "I have come to know Him," and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him; 5 but whoever keeps His word, in him the love of God has truly been perfected. By this we know that we are in Him: 6 the one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked. 7 Beloved, I am not writing a new commandment to you, but an old commandment which you have had from the beginning; the old commandment is the word which you have heard. 8 On the other hand, I am writing 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. 9 The one who says he is in the Light and [yet] hates his brother is in the darkness until now. 10 The one who loves his brother abides in the Light and there is no cause for stumbling in him. 11 But the one who hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going because the darkness has blinded his eyes.
Their spiritual state
12 I am writing to you, little children, because your sins have been forgiven you for His name's sake. 13 I am writing to you, fathers, because you know Him who has been from the beginning. I am writing to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one. I have written to you, children, because you know the Father. 14 I have written to you, fathers, because you know Him who has been from the beginning. I have written to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one.
Do not love the world
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. 16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. 17 The world is passing away, and [also] its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever.
Deceptions of the last hour
18 Children, it is the last hour; and just as you heard that antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have appeared; from this we know that it is the last hour. 19 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,] so that it would be shown that they all are not of us. 20 But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you all know. 21 I have not written to you because you do not know the truth, but because you do know it, and because no lie is of the truth. 22 Who is the liar but the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, the one who denies the Father and the Son. 23 Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father; the one who confesses the Son has the Father also.
Let truth abide in you
24 As for you, let that abide in you which you heard from the beginning. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, you also will abide in the Son and in the Father. 25 This is the promise which He Himself made to us: eternal life. 26 These things I have written to you concerning those who are trying to deceive you. 27 As for you, the anointing which you received from Him abides in you, and you have no need for anyone to teach you; but as His anointing teaches you about all things, and is true and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you abide in Him.
The children of God
28 Now, little children, abide in Him, so that when He appears, we may have confidence and not shrink away from Him in shame at His coming. 29 If you know that He is righteous, you know that everyone also who practices righteousness is born of Him.
---
Chapter Two
We have an Advocate who is also the propitiation for our sins and to
truly know Him we must keep His commandments (1-6), especially to love
one another (7-11). Describing his original readers’ spiritual state
(12-14), John cautions against loving the world and being deceived by
antichrists (15-23), by letting truth abide in them and they in Christ
(24-29).
POINTS TO PONDER
* The true test of knowing Jesus as our Advocate and our propitiation
* Things in the world we cannot not love
* The identity of antichrists in the writings of John
REVIEW QUESTIONS
1) What are the main points of this chapter?
- Our Advocate and how we know Him - 1Jn 2:1-6
- A new commandment - 1Jn 2:7-11
- Their spiritual state - 1Jn 2:12-14
- Love not the world, beware of antichrists - 1Jn 2:15-23
- Let truth abide in you, and you in Christ - 1Jn 2:24-29
2) How can Jesus be of aid to us when we have sinned? (1-2)
- He is our Advocate with the Father, and the propitiation for our
sins
3) What are two proofs that we know Jesus and that we abide in Him?
(3-6)
- Keeping His commandments and walking as He walked
4) What commandment is both "old" and "new"? (7-11)
- To love one’s brother (cf. Jn 13:34-35)
5) List three groups of people and how John describes their spiritual
state. (12-14)
- Little children: forgiven of sins, and having known the Father
- Fathers: Having known Him (Jesus) who is from the beginning
- Young men: Strong, the word of God abides in them, have overcome
the wicked one
6) What three things in the world should we not love? (15-17)
- The lust of the flesh (immorality)
- The lust of the eyes (materialism)
- The pride of life (self-importance)
7) What does John reveal about antichrist? (18-23)
- There will be many: whoever denies 1) Jesus is the Christ, 2) the
Father and the Son
8) How can we be sure that we will abide in the Son and in the Father?
(24-29)
- By abiding in the truth spoken from the beginning and practicing
righteousness