1 John 2

1 John 2 is the second of the five chapters of 1 John. Following 1 John 1, which speaks of walking in the light and confessing sin, this chapter deals with the advocate available to those who sin and with the marks of a person who truly knows God.

Outline

• Verses 1–2 The author writes so that his readers may not sin. If anyone does sin, there is an advocate (defender) with the Father, Jesus Christ, who is the propitiation for the sins of the whole world.
• Verses 3–6 Keeping his commandments is the evidence of knowing him, and whoever claims to abide in him ought to walk as he walked.
• Verses 7–11 Love for one's brother is described as both an old commandment and a new one. Whoever hates his brother is in darkness.
• Verses 12–14 The author states his reasons for writing to little children, to fathers, and to young men.
• Verses 15–17 Do not love the world or the things in the world. The lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life pass away, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.
• Verses 18–23 In the last time many antichrists have arisen. The passage speaks of those who went out from the community, of the anointing believers have received, and of the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ.
• Verses 24–27 Hold fast to what you heard from the beginning. The promise is eternal life, and the anointing teaches all things.
• Verses 28–29 Abide in him so that you will not be ashamed at his coming.

Key Verses

• 1 John 2:1 "We have an advocate with the Father" — a representative verse on the forgiveness of sins and the intercession of Christ.
• 1 John 2:16 "The lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life" — summarizes the character of the world in three phrases.
• 1 John 2:22 "He that denieth that Jesus is the Christ" — the epistle's criterion for identifying the antichrist.

People and Places

• Jesus Christ — presented as the advocate, the propitiation, and the Lord who will come again.
• The recipients — a community addressed as "little children," "fathers," and "young men."
• The author is not named in the text and is traditionally identified as the apostle John. No specific places are mentioned.

Points for Reflection

• Regarding "the sins of the whole world" in verse 2, the Reformed tradition commonly explains the phrase as referring to the elect among all nations, not Jews only, while the Arminian and Wesleyan traditions read it as grounds for an atonement made for all people.
• "They went out" in verse 19 is frequently cited in discussions of the perseverance of the saints.
• The antichrists in this chapter are false teachers, "many" of whom had already arisen. Interpretations that connect antichrist with a single figure at the end of the age arise from reading this chapter alongside other passages such as 2 Thessalonians 2 and Revelation 13. Scholars sometimes associate the opponents with early Docetic tendencies, but the text does not specifically identify who they were.
• The anointing in verses 20 and 27 is generally understood as the Holy Spirit. The statement "ye need not that any man teach you" is commonly read not as a rejection of the church's teaching but as meaning that the new teachings of the false teachers are unnecessary.
• The "new commandment" of verses 7–8 connects with the commandment to love one another in John 13.

In the Korean Church

Verses 15–17 are often used in sermons warning against secularization. Verses 1–2 are commonly cited in teaching on repentance and the forgiveness of sins.