New Testament · Letter

1 John 2

Do Not Love the World

The world and its desires are passing away, but whoever does God's will lives forever. Little children, it is the last hour. Stay rooted in what you first heard.

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1My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:

2And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.

3And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.

4He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.

5But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him.

6He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.

7Brethren, I write no new commandment unto you, but an old commandment which ye had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which ye have heard from the beginning.

8Again, a new commandment I write unto you, which thing is true in him and in you: because the darkness is past, and the true light now shineth.

9He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now.

10He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him.

11But he that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because that darkness hath blinded his eyes.

12I write unto you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for his name’s sake.

13I write unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning. I write unto you, young men, because ye have overcome the wicked one. I write unto you, little children, because ye have known the Father.

14I have written unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning. I have written unto you, young men, because ye are strong, and the word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome the wicked one.

15Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

16For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.

17And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.

18Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time.

19They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us.

20But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things.

21I have not written unto you because ye know not the truth, but because ye know it, and that no lie is of the truth.

22Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son.

23Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father: [but] he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also.

24Let that therefore abide in you, which ye have heard from the beginning. If that which ye have heard from the beginning shall remain in you, ye also shall continue in the Son, and in the Father.

25And this is the promise that he hath promised us, even eternal life.

26These things have I written unto you concerning them that seduce you.

27But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him.

28And now, little children, abide in him; that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming.

29If ye know that he is righteous, ye know that every one that doeth righteousness is born of him.

Understand This

1 John 2, explained

What 1 John 2 is saying

John identifies Jesus Christ as the parakletos (advocate) and hilasmos (propitiation/atoning sacrifice) for sins—not for believers only but for the whole world. The knowledge of God is verified by obedience to His commands, particularly the love commandment, which is both old and new. John addresses three stages of spiritual maturity: children, fathers, and young men. The 'world' (kosmos) with its desires is passing away, but those who do God's will remain forever. The chapter introduces the antichrist motif: many antichrists have come, identifiable as those who deny Jesus is the Christ.

The background behind it

The secessionists who 'went out from us' are identified as the antichrists whose departure paradoxically proves they never genuinely belonged to the community. The hilasmos language draws on the Septuagint's use of the term for Day of Atonement ritual and broader Jewish atonement theology. The 'anointing' (chrisma) from the Holy One that teaches all things may counter the secessionists' claim to exclusive spiritual knowledge.

Themes running underneath

The three tests of authentic Christianity—obedience, love, and right belief—are introduced here and will be developed cyclically throughout the epistle. The tension between Christ's universal atoning provision and the particular community of faith is theologically significant. The eschatological 'last hour' identification creates urgency for doctrinal and ethical faithfulness.

Why it still matters

John's tests are simultaneously simple and demanding: Do you obey? Do you love? Do you confess Christ? These are not abstract theological criteria but lived realities that distinguish genuine faith from its imitation. The anointing of the Spirit provides internal confirmation that external teachers alone cannot supply.

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Scripture text: King James Version — public domain.