Chapter 2

Christ Is Our Advocate

1 aMy little children, I am bwriting these things to you so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, cwe have an 1dAdvocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous;

2 and He Himself is athe 1propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also bfor those of the whole world.

3 aBy this we know that we have come to bknow Him, if we ckeep His commandments.

4 The one who says, “aI have come to bknow Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a cliar, and dthe truth is not in him;

5 but whoever akeeps His word, in him the blove of God has truly been perfected. cBy this we know that we are in Him:

6 the one who says he aabides in Him bought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked.

7 aBeloved, I am bnot writing a new commandment to you, but an old commandment which you have had cfrom the beginning; the old commandment is the word which you have heard.

8 1On the other hand, I am writing aa new commandment to you, which is true in Him and in you, because bthe darkness is passing away and cthe true Light is already shining.

9 The one who says he is in the Light and yet ahates his bbrother is in the darkness until now.

10 aThe one who loves his brother abides in the Light and there is no cause for stumbling in him.

11 But the one who ahates his brother is in the darkness and bwalks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going because the darkness has cblinded his eyes.

12 I am writing to you, alittle children, because byour sins have been forgiven you for His name’s sake.

13 I am writing to you, fathers, because you know Him awho has been from the beginning. I am writing to you, young men, because byou have overcome cthe evil one. I have written to you, children, because dyou know the Father.

14 I have written to you, fathers, because you know Him awho has been from the beginning. I have written to you, young men, because you are bstrong, and the cword of God abides in you, and dyou have overcome the evil one.

Do Not Love the World

15 Do not love athe world nor the things in the world. bIf anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

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

17 aThe world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who bdoes the will of God lives forever.

18 Children, ait is the last hour; and just as you heard that bantichrist is coming, ceven now many antichrists have appeared; from this we know that it is the last hour.

19 aThey 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, bso that 1it would be shown that they all are not of us.

20 1But you have an aanointing from bthe Holy One, and cyou all know.

21 I have not written to you because you do not know the truth, but abecause you do know it, and 1because no lie is bof the truth.

22 Who is the liar but athe one who denies that Jesus is the 1Christ? This is bthe antichrist, the one who denies the Father and the Son.

23 aWhoever denies the Son does not have the Father; the one who confesses the Son has the Father also.

24 As for you, let that abide in you which you heard afrom the beginning. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, you also bwill abide in the Son and in the Father.

The Promise Is Eternal Life

25 aThis is the promise which He Himself 1made to us: eternal life.

26 These things I have written to you concerning those who are trying to adeceive you.

27 As for you, the aanointing which you received from Him abides in you, and you have no need for anyone to teach you; but as His anointing bteaches you about all things, and is ctrue and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, 1you abide in Him.

28 Now, alittle children, abide in Him, so that when He bappears, we may have cconfidence and dnot 1shrink away from Him in shame 2at His ecoming.

29 If you know that aHe is righteous, you know that everyone also who practices righteousness bis 1born of Him.