Jesus Is Our Helper

2 My ·dear children [^Llittle children; ^Ca term of endearment], I write ·this letter [^Lthese things] to you so you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have a ·helper [counselor; advocate; Rom. 8:34] in the presence of the Father—Jesus Christ, ·the One who does what is right [or the Righteous One]. ² He ·died in our place to take away [is the atoning sacrifice/^Tpropitiation for] our sins [^Chis death pays the penalty and removes God’s anger from us; 4:10; Rom. 3:25; Heb. 2:17], and not only our sins but the sins of ·all people [^Lthe whole world].

³ We ·can be sure [know] that we know ·God [^Lhim] if we ·obey [keep] his commands. ⁴ Anyone who says, “I know ·God [^Lhim],” but does not ·obey [keep] ·God’s [^Lhis] commands is a liar, and the truth is not in that person. ⁵ But if someone ·obeys [keeps] ·God’s teaching [^Lhis word], then in that person ·God’s love [or love for God] has ·truly reached its goal [been fulfilled/perfected/completed]. This is how we can be sure we are ·living in God [^Lin him]: ⁶ Whoever says that he ·lives [abides; remains] in God must ·live [^Lwalk] as ·Jesus lived [^Lhe walked].

The Command to Love Others

⁷ ·My dear friends [^LBeloved], I am not writing a new command to you but an old command you have had from the beginning [3:23; John 13:34]. It is the ·teaching [^Lword] you have already heard. ⁸ But also I am writing a new command to you, ·and you can see its truth in Jesus [^Lwhich is true in him] and in you, ·because [or that] the darkness is passing away, and the true light is already shining.

⁹ Anyone who ·says [claims; ^Cas do the false teachers; see 2:18–19], “I am in the light,” [^Cfollowing God’s goodness and truthfulness] but hates a brother or sister [^Cfellow Christian], is still in the darkness. ¹⁰ Whoever loves a brother or sister ·lives [abides; remains] in the light and ·will not cause anyone to stumble in his faith [or he will not stumble in his faith; ^Lthere is no cause of stumbling in him; ^Cthe “stumbling” may be either by apostasy or sin; John 6:61; 16:1; Rom. 14:13; Rev. 2:14]. ¹¹ But whoever hates a brother or sister is in darkness, ·lives [^Lwalks] in darkness, and does not know where to go, because the darkness has ·made that person blind [^Lblinded his eyes].

¹⁵ Do not love the world or the things ·in [associated with] the world. If you love the world, the love ·of [or for] the Father is not in you [James 4:4]. ¹⁶ [^LFor] ·These are the ways of [All that is in/associated with] the world: ·wanting to please our sinful selves [^Lthe desire/lust of the flesh], ·wanting the sinful things we see [^Lthe desire/lust of the eyes], and ·being too proud of what we have [^Lthe pride of life/possessions]. None of these come from the Father, but all of them come from the world. ¹⁷ The world and ·everything that people want in it [^Lits desire/lust] are passing away [1 Cor. 7:31], but the person who does ·what God wants [the will of God] ·lives [abides; remains] forever.

Reject the Enemies of Christ

¹⁸ My dear children [2:1], ·these are the last days [^Lit is the last hour; ^Csuggesting urgency, though not claiming the end was near]. [^LJust as] You have heard that the ·enemy of Christ [^Lantichrist] is coming, and now many ·enemies of Christ [^Lantichrists; ^Cfalse teachers; 2:22; 2 John 7] are already here. This is how we know that ·these are the last days [^Lit is the last hour]. ¹⁹ ·These enemies of Christ were in our fellowship, but they left us [^LThey went out from us; ^Cprobably to form a rival fellowship]. They never really belonged to us [^LBut they were not of us]; [^LFor] if they had been a part of us, they would have ·stayed [remained; abided] with us. But they left, ·and this shows [or so that it would be shown] that none of them really belonged to us.

²⁰ You have the ·gift [^Lanointing; ^Cprobably the Holy Spirit and/or the spiritual gift of the Word of God applied to their hearts; v. 24; 1 Sam. 16:13; Is. 61:1; John 16:13; 2 Cor. 1:21–22] that the Holy One gave you [^Lfrom the Holy One; ^Ca reference to God the Father (Ps. 71:22) or more likely Jesus Christ (Mark 1:24; John 6:69)], so you all ·know the truth^[a] [or have knowledge; ^Lknow]. ²¹ I do not write to you because you do not know the truth but because you do know the truth. And you know that no lie comes from the truth.

²² Who is the liar? It is the person who ·does not accept [denies; repudiates] Jesus as the ·Christ [Messiah; Anointed One]. This is the ·enemy of Christ [^Lantichrist]: the person who ·does not accept [denies; repudiates] the Father and ·his [the] Son. ²³ Whoever ·does not accept [denies; repudiates] the Son does not have the Father. But whoever ·confesses [acknowledges; accepts] the Son has the Father, too.

²⁴ [^LAs for you] Be sure you ·continue to follow [abide/remain in] ·the teaching [^Lwhat] you heard from the beginning [^Cwhen they first became Christians; 1 Tim. 6:3; 2 Tim. 1:13; Titus 1:9; 2 Pet. 3:2; Jude 17, 20]. If you ·continue to follow [abide/remain in] what you heard from the beginning, you will [^Lalso; indeed] ·stay [abide; remain] in the Son and in the Father. ²⁵ And this is ·what the Son [^Lthe promise which he himself] promised to us—·life forever [eternal life; 1 Tim. 4:8; 2 Tim. 1:1].

²⁶ I ·am writing [or have written] ·this letter [^Lthese things] about those people who are ·trying to lead you the wrong way [deceiving you; leading you astray]. ²⁷ [^LAs for you] ·Christ gave you a special gift that is still in you [^LThe anointing that you received from him abides/remains in you; 2:20], so you do not need ·any other teacher [^Lanyone to teach you; Jer. 31:34]. [^LBut just as] His ·gift [^Lanointing] teaches you about everything, and it is true, not false. So ·continue to live in Christ, as his gift taught you [^Ljust as he taught you, abide/remain in him].

²⁸ ·Yes [Now], my dear children [2:1], ·live [abide; remain] in him so that when ·Christ comes back [^Lhe appears/is revealed], we can be ·without fear [confident] and not be ashamed [^Lof him] ·in his presence [at his coming]. ²⁹ ·Since [If] you know that ·Christ [^Lhe] is righteous, you know that all who ·do right [practice righteousness] ·are God’s children [^Lhave been born of/begotten by him].