The First Epistle General of John

⭑ Literal Standard Version :: World English Bible Catholic ⭑

- Chapter 2 -

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,

and He is [the] propitiation for our sins, and not only for ours, but also for the whole world,

and in this we know that we have known Him, if we may keep His commands;

he who is saying, “I have known Him,” and is not keeping His commands, is a liar, and the truth is not in him;

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.

He who is saying he remains in Him, himself ought to also walk according as He walked.

A New Commandment

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;

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;

he who is saying he is in the light, and is hating his brother, he is in the darkness until now;

he who is loving his brother, he remains in the light, and there is not a stumbling-block in him;

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.

I write to you, little children, because sins have been forgiven you through His Name;

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;

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].

Do Not Love the World

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,

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,

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.

Beware of Antichrists

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;

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.

And you have an anointing from the Holy One, and have known all things;

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.

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;

everyone who is denying the Son, neither has the Father; he who is confessing the Son has the Father also.

Remain in Christ

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,

and this is the promise that He promised us—the continuous life.

These things I wrote to you concerning those leading you astray;

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.

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;

if you know that He is righteous, know that everyone doing righteousness, has been begotten of Him.

My little children, I write these things to you so that you may not sin. If anyone sins, we have a Counselor(a) with the Father, Jesus Christ, the righteous.

And he is the atoning sacrifice(b) for our sins, and not for ours only, but also for the whole world.

This is how we know that we know him: if we keep his commandments.

One who says, “I know him,” and doesn’t keep his commandments, is a liar, and the truth isn’t in him.

But God’s love has most certainly been perfected in whoever keeps his word. This is how we know that we are in him:

he who says he remains in him ought himself also to walk just like he walked.

A New Commandment

Brothers, I write no new commandment to you, but an old commandment which you had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which you heard from the beginning.

Again, I write a new commandment to you, which is true in him and in you, because the darkness is passing away and the true light already shines.

He who says he is in the light and hates his brother is in the darkness even until now.

He who loves his brother remains in the light, and there is no occasion for stumbling in him.

But he who hates his brother is in the darkness, and walks in the darkness, and doesn’t know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.

I write to you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for his name’s sake.

I write to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning. I write to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one. I write to you, little children, because you know the Father.

I have written to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning. I have written to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God remains in you, and you have overcome the evil one.

Do Not Love the World

Don’t love the world or the things that are in the world. If anyone loves the world, the Father’s love isn’t in him.

For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—isn’t the Father’s, but is the world’s.

The world is passing away with its lusts, but he who does God’s will remains forever.

Beware of Antichrists

Little children, these are the end times, and as you heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have arisen. By this we know that it is the final hour.

They went out from us, but they didn’t belong to us; for if they had belonged to us, they would have continued with us. But they left, that they might be revealed that none of them belong to us.

You have an anointing from the Holy One, and you all have knowledge.(c)

I have not written to you because you don’t know the truth, but because you know it, and because no lie is of the truth.

Who is the liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the Antichrist, he who denies the Father and the Son.

Whoever denies the Son doesn’t have the Father. He who confesses the Son has the Father also.

Remain in Christ

Therefore, as for you, let that remain in you which you heard from the beginning. If that which you heard from the beginning remains in you, you also will remain in the Son, and in the Father.

This is the promise which he promised us, the eternal life.

These things I have written to you concerning those who would lead you astray.

As for you, the anointing which you received from him remains in you, and you don’t need for anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is no lie, and even as it taught you, you will remain in him.

Now, little children, remain in him, that when he appears, we may have boldness and not be ashamed before him at his coming.

If you know that he is righteous, you know that everyone who practices righteousness has been born of him.

Footnotes

(a)2:1 Greek παρακλητον: Counselor, Helper, Intercessor, Advocate, and Comforter.

(b)2:2 “atoning sacrifice” is from the Greek “ιλασμος”, an appeasing, propitiating, or the means of appeasement or propitiation—the sacrifice that turns away God’s wrath because of our sin.