Verse 1 My 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:
The Greek word translated as “little children” is “teknion” and it can mean both a little child or it can be a term that teachers used when addressing their followers or disciples. The apostle John states that he is writing his epistle to them so that they do not sin. However, if a follower of Jesus did/does sin, John assures his readers that Jesus Christ will come to their aid. The Greek word translated as “advocate” is “parakletos” and it means one who pleads another’s cause before a judge, a counsel for defense, or an intercessor. God said that sin deserved a death sentence, but Jesus intercedes on behalf of the sinner and forgiveness is granted because of the shed blood of the LORD Jesus Christ.
Verses 2-3 And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world. 3 And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.
The Greek word translated as “propitiation” is “hilasmos” and it means an appeasing. Jesus Christ and His sacrificial act at Calvary made Him the means of appeasing a righteous God who judges righteously by His standards and not by the standards of the world.
Application: Notice that Jesus’ death was not just for those who knew or would know Him, but for everyone. It is a choice to accept God’s forgiveness and walk with Jesus. The propitiation is there for the asking. When standing before God on the day of judgement, it is the sole responsibility of the person being judged as to whether they have forgiveness or not and therefore whether they will be consigned to Heaven or Hell. Mankind has freewill, and loving and trusting or despising and rejecting the Gospel message is the choice.
Application: John makes it simple and clear. If a person does not keep the LORD’s commandments, they do not know Him. Therefore, the question has to be asked as to whether the person not being obedient is truly saved. Are they merely playing a religious role? Do they think they are saved from sin death and Hell when in reality they are not? This is where spiritual discernment comes in so that the true believer can witness to this person or rebuke them as the LORD leads.
Verse 4 He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.
Again the apostle John keeps things simple and clear. If a person claims to be a believer and fails to keep the LORD’s commandments, the person is a liar. “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the father, but by me.” John 14:6 Jesus is the truth. Mankind would not know what is true and what is false without Jesus.
Verse 5 But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him.
In the King James Bible, verbs that end in “eth” mean that there is an ongoing action. The Greek word translated as “keepeth” is “tereo” and it means to attend to carefully, to take care of, to guard, to observe, or to hold fast. So in the verse above, whoso keeps his word means that the person observes the commandments and attends to them carefully all the time and not just for a period of time. This is an important distinction between the KJB and false bible versions that can affect the interpretation and the understanding of a Scriptural passage.
Application: The Christian walk is a lifetime marathon during which the believer grows and matures in the spiritual things of God. The believer has the Holy Ghost/Spirit of Jesus Christ dwelling inside and therefore the believer and the LORD are in each other and should be functioning as a team.
Verse 6 He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.
Think of a glass of water and a bathtub full of water. The water in the glass and the water in the bathtub are separate. When submerged in the bathtub, the water in the glass is in the water in the bathtub and they mingle and become part of each other. At conversion, the person becomes a part of the LORD spiritually and is therefore “in” Him and He is “in” the person. Then they can function as a team. The believer can be Christlike.
Verse 7 Brethren, 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.
Apparently, the readers the apostle John is writing to are not new in the faith as he states that they are aware of the commandment. The Greek word translated as “new” is “kainos” and it means uncommon, unheard of, a new kind, or unprecedented (never done or known before). John is saying that thus far in this epistle he is writing about commandments that the readers should already be aware of as the commandments are not new, but old, and they have been around from the beginning.
Verse 8 Again, 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.
Now the apostle John is saying that because there is this relationship between the believer and the LORD where they are spiritually in each other, all the things that are spiritually dark are a thing of the past as the light of Jesus Christ is shining in and through the believer’s life. In the Old Testament days, God put His Spirit on certain people and He removed it from certain people. An example was King Saul. His Spirit was not on or in all the people that were righteous and following the law as given by Moses. Why? Not really sure, but one reason may have been that God cannot abide alongside sin. He is righteous. Since Jesus paid the penalty of death for the sins of mankind, in these New Testament days each believer is covered by the atoning blood of Christ and therefore without sin and righteous in the eyes of God. Therefore His Spirit can dwell in believers.
Application: What are the spiritually dark things? Lack of the presence of God in a person’s life. Lack of understanding the Word of God, both the written Word (Scripture) and the actual Word (Jesus). Lack of the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, and faith. Lack of Christian fellowship with other believers. Lack of knowing the providence of God. Lack of freedom from sin, death, and Hell. Lack of hope. Can you add to this list? If you are a believer, think about how life was before coming to Jesus.
Verses 9-11 He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now. 10 He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him. 11 But 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.
The Greek word translated as “hateth” is “miseo” and it means to hate, pursue with hatred, and to detest. A believer cannot be filled with such extremely sinful and negative emotions if he/she is truly following Jesus and truly filled with His Spirit. A hateful person claiming to know Jesus is just deluding himself/herself. This darkness is most likely from demonic spirits. The goal of demonic spirits or spirits of darkness is to kill, steal and destroy all that God created, including and especially human beings.
Verses 12-14 I write unto you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for his name’s sake. 13 I 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. 14 I 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.
The Greek word used here for “children” is the same word as discussed in verse one above.
The Greek word translated as “fathers” is “pater” and it means a male ancestor, a natural father, a senior, one who stands in a father’s place and looks after another in a paternal way, a title of honor, or teachers. The Greek word translated as “young men” is “neaniskos” and it means a young attendant or servant, or a youth.
Based on the definition of these words, the apostle John could have been writing specific statements to people of specific age groups. Or, the apostle John could have been writing to people who were at different levels of spiritual maturity. Scripture is not really clear regarding John’s intended use of these words. Perhaps It really doesn’t matter since all believers, regardless of physical age or spiritual maturity, have had their sins forgiven, have known Jesus, have overcome the wicked one in order to even be saved, have known the Father and His attributes because they know the Son, and are at some degree of strength in their walk with God. You decide.
This writer believes that John’s use of the words “little children” is referring to all those that are in Christ because of his sharing of the Gospel with them. These would be men of all chronological ages and of all levels of spiritual maturity. They were his spiritual children as they came to Christ because of him. Then John’s use of the term “fathers” was directed at the elders in the body of believers. Remember that the elders were men who were older and wiser because of their age. They were the senior members of the Church, and they were the pastors and teachers, bishops and deacons. And the term “young men” was directed at the rest of the male population in the body of believers who were not in leadership positions or positions of responsibility, but who were saved and were servants of the LORD Jesus Christ.
Verses 15-17 Love 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. 16 For 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. 17 And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.
The Greek word translated as “love” is “agapao” and it means to welcome, to entertain, to be fond of, or to love dearly. The Greek word translated as “lust” is “epithumia” and it means to desire, crave or want what is forbidden.
Application: Because of rampant sin and the influence of Satan and his spirits of darkness, nothing in this world is really pure or righteous. All institutions of men are corrupt. Most churches have fallen away through the use of false bibles and doctrines of men. The financial system is corrupt, making slaves out of the working people and stealing their resources for political or personal gain. Greed is rampant. Murder, suicides, genocide, killing of babies both pre-born or born, assisted suicide of the elderly, drug overdoses, medical malpractice, contrived wars, assassinations, weather manipulation, poisonous food, water and air through chemical spraying or treatment, electromagnetic frequencies (EMF) all in the name of technology are destroying the human beings that Jesus Christ died to save. What’s to love?
Verse 18 Little 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.
Almost two thousand years ago the apostle John stated that it was the last time and gave a warning that antichrist ( opposition) would come. The Greek word translated as “antichrist” is “antichristos” and it is a noun and means the adversary of the Messiah. It is not capitalized like the name of someone. The apostle John did not say, “Antichrist shall come” as if this opposition to Jesus was to be a specific individual. In fact, he stated in the verse above that there were many antichrists. So any opposition to the Gospel message or to the person of Jesus Christ and His Church is adversarial and therefore against God. Any person or organization that opposes Christianity is antichrist or against Christ. The word antichrist/antichrists also appears in 1 John 4:3 and 2 John 7.
Verse 19 They 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.
The sad historical truth is that in the days of Jesus and the apostles Paul and John, the majority of antichrist activity was from the Jews. There was constant persecution and treachery in an attempt to destroy the early Church. Research the terrible deaths of the disciples and read Fox’s Book of Martyrs to see that this persecution and treachery has never stopped and it is ongoing in these modern times. Often people within the organized religious establishment churches are antichrist in their teaching, preaching, and doctrine. The compilers and publishers of fake bible versions are all antichrist as they pervert the Word of the LORD and the message of the Gospel. The point is, that while believers who are taught incorrect doctrine or end time scenarios are looking for a specific Antichrist, antichrists are all around the world and in every facet of society. Why, because devils are spirits of antichrist and control the thinking and actions of men who are serving Satan.
Verses 20-21 But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things. 21 I have not written unto you because ye know not the truth, but because ye know it, and that no lie is of the truth.
The word “unction” refers to something being smeared on such as an oil or an ointment, or to an anointing. The apostle John was saying the each believer is anointed by the presence of the Holy Ghost/Spirit and therefore all things would be revealed to them so that they already knew the truth and would not be fooled by lies.
Verse 22 Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son.
Most preachers and teachers seem to prefer to avoid this verse because it places the people who identify as Jewish in an uncomfortable light, and it is not politically correct to criticize the Jews. However, remember that the apostle John was Jewish by birth and he was not afraid to tell the truth at the risk of arrest and death from his own countrymen. The Jewish people have rejected and continue to reject Jesus as their Messiah and are looking for a messiah to come to Earth sometime in the future.
The Jews are not the only antichrist religious group. The Jehovah Witness organization believes and teaches that Jesus was a god, just one of many. The Mormons believe and teach that Jesus was the brother of Lucifer. The Islamic religion believes and teaches that Jesus was just a prophet. Take your pick of any non-christian religious group or organization and it will be easily seen that they are all antichrist. Like John said is verse 18 above, “. . . even now are there many antichrists;”
Verse 23 Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father: (but) he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also.
Jesus state in John 10:30, “I and my Father are one.” When talking to His disciple, Philip, in John 14:9, Jesus stated, “. . . he that hath seen me hath seen the Father;” When a person denies Jesus, because He is God in the flesh they have denied the Creator God.
Verses 24-25 Let 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. 25 And this is the promise that he hath promised us, even eternal life.
Application: The belief that “once saved, always saved” is prevalent throughout the organized Christian establishment churches today. However, many Bible verses do not support that doctrine. The verse above is one of them. John is teaching that if the Gospel message and the doctrine of Christ remains in the life of a person so that they continue to walk in the LORD, then they will have the promise of eternal life. So the adverse of the verses above is that if a believer fails to continue to remain walking with the LORD and abiding in Him, the believer will not have the promise of eternal life. Think about it.
Verses 26-27 These things have I written unto you concerning them that seduce you. 27 But 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.
Jesus stated in John 14:26, “But the Comforter, which is the Holy ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.” Because believers have the presence of the Holy Ghost/Spirit with them at all times, they have access to spiritual information and have a helper to give them understanding of various Scripture passages that may be unclear or confusing. So the believer really does not need to have someone teach them the truths in the Bible if they will take the time to read it for themselves and to listen to what the Comforter tells them. This is how the writers of the Old and New Testament functioned. They wrote what they heard from God, and this writer can attest to the validity of this process. This writer does not consult outside commentaries, sermon notes or other resources. This writer just starts typing and waits to see what the Holy Ghost/Spirits writes. Often this writer will go back and proofread a chapter and find that it is not recognized. Why, because these words are not this writer’s words but the words as directed by the Spirit of God, words that He wants to communicate to you, the reader. This is how great preachers and teachers have brought forth the Word of God down through the centuries.
This writer is not advocating that church attendance isn’t needed. Other people in the church setting can contribute to Biblical knowledge because the LORD has revealed something to them in a particular passage of the Bible. Jesus established the Church and believers are to meet with one another. Hebrews 10:25 says, “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.” What this writer is advocating is that every believer can understand Scripture without someone telling them what it means. The entire Bible is for the believer. It is a gift from God.
Verses 28-29 And now, little children, abide in him; that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming. 29 If ye know that he is righteous, ye know that every one that doeth righteousness is born of him. (1 John 2)
Application: Stick to Jesus and to the teachings of the Scripture and have the peace and assurance of His promise to come again to receive His children unto Himself, forever to be in His presence in Heaven. What a glorious day that will be.