| 1 John 2 Previous Chapter | Next Chapter 1 This chapter of 1 John and the next three chapters have several references to three different groups of believers all translated in English to be "little children." John defines the three groups in this chapter's verses 12,13, and 14; so, based on examining the Greek word in each verse that references little children, we identify and state in the commentary which group John was addressing. The three groups are: 1) disciples that still sin without salvation, 2) sons of God that know the Father, and 3) sons of God that have overcome the devil and have grown strong with the Word of God (Jesus) living in them. 1 My little children, I write these things to you, so that you may not sin. But if any man does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. [The Greek in this verse for little children is an affectionate term of address for disciples, teknia <5040>; these little children are disciples yet to be freed from sin and without salvation.] 2 He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours, but also for the sins of the whole world. [Notice! John has said Christ is the atoning sacrifice not only for ours, (the early Christians), but he is the atoning sacrifice for the whole world. From the Word of the Lord within: "If one man's sin can curse the whole human race, then how much more just is it for one man's righteousness to pay for the sins of the whole world?" Sounds logical doesn't it? HE IS LOGICAL.] 3 And by this we know that we know him: if we obey his commands. [The commands we hear as He speaks to us from within our heart; that is the word of faith that the Apostles preached.] 4 He who says, "I know him," and does not obey his commands, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. 5 But whoever obeys his spoken words [obeys the Lord's commands spoken to him], truly the love of God is perfected in him;1 by this we know that we are in him. [Anyone who claims to be in Christ when they are not crucified is taking His name in vain; or doing anything while stating you do it in His name or in the name of Jesus is also taking His name in vain.] 6 He who says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way that He walked. [We must be righteous as He is righteous, 1 John 3:7. We must be perfect as our heavenly Father is perfect, Mat 5:48. We must be merciful as He is merciful, Luke 6:36. We must become pure as He is pure. 1 John 3:2-3. But as he who has called you is holy, so you be holy in all manner of conduct, 1 Pet 1:15. So that we walk as he walked, 1 John 2:6, and as he is, so are we in this present world. 1 John 4:17. There is no flexibility and no equivocation in any of these stated requirements.] 7 Beloved, I write no new command to you, but an old command that you had from the beginning. The old command is the word that you have heard from the beginning. 8 Yet, I write to you a new command, which truth is in Him and in you; because the darkness is past, and the true light now shines. 9 Whoever says he is in the light, and hates his brother, is in darkness even now. 10 He who loves his brother abides [lives] in the light, and there is no occasion to stumble. 11 But he who hates his brother is in darkness, and walks in darkness, and does not know where he is going, because that darkness has blinded his eyes. 12 I write to you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for his name's sake. The Greek in this verse for little children is an affectionate term of address for disciples, teknia <5040>; these little children are disciples yet to be freed from sin and without salvation.] 13 I write to you, fathers, because you have known him who is from the beginning. I write to you, young men, because you have overcome the wicked one. I write to you, young children, because you have known the Father. [In this verse the Greek for young men that have overcome the devil is neaniskoi <3495>, and the Greek for young children that know the Father is paidia <3813>; these are not the little children disciples who still sin. The young children of this verse know the Father; to know the Father is to be a son freed from all sin, in union with God, and in the kingdom.] 14 I have written to you, fathers, because you have known him who is from the beginning. I have written to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the wicked one.2 [The Greek for the young men in this verse is again neaniskoi <3495>; and they are strong. In this chapter John addresses disciples who still sin, without salvation; plus John addresses three groups of sons of God with salvation, freed from sin: 1) young children of God who know God, 2) young men of God that have overcome the devil and grown strong in the measure of the Word of God (Jesus) living in them, 3) stronger still, fathers capable of developing other children.] 15 Do not love the world or the things that are by the world. If any man loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. [Do not love what the system of the world and man have invented: clothing, food sensations, sports, pleasures, toys, gadgets, customs, traditions, entertainments, pastimes, etc. Use the things of the world as though not absorbed by them and with indifference. 1 Cor 7:31. From the Word of the Lord within: "Everyone should put away what they are doing for the sake of righteousness. You must stand apart from this fast paced world; you can't be in it."] 16 For everything by the world — the desires of the flesh, the desires of the eye, and the boastful pride of life (or possessions) — is not by the Father, but exists by the world. [For what your flesh and eye desires, and your pride of your life, comes not from the Creator, but comes from the system of the world, ruled by the god of this world, Satan. Whatever you covet is idolatry. Desires (lusts) of the flesh and of the eye are covetousness, which is not even to be named once among true Christians, Eph 5:3,5; and pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall. Pro 6:18. From the Word of the Lord within: "Pride can be stating how much you paid for something. So repent out of this foolishness."] 17 And the world passes away and disappears, along with its desires and lusts;3 but he who does the will of God remains forever. [The world passes away from our sight when the Kingdom is entered. From the Word of the Lord within: "The world ends as you step into another dimension. You can live in heaven and still walk the earth."] 18 Little children, it is the last hour ; and as you have heard that antichrist will come, even now many antichrists have come. By this we know that it is the last hour. [An antichrist is anyone preaching or teaching whose thoughts, words, and deeds are not controlled by the anointing, which is Jesus to come into man's flesh in sufficient measure to guide and control his thoughts, words, and deeds — thus being a person's true Lord. You can call Him Lord and Master, but if you are still sinning you deny Him as Lord; even Judas called Him Lord and Master. The antichrists were believers who left them; from the Word of the Lord within: "they did not have patience." Ambitious to preach or teach, seeking their own glory, eager for income, still thinking their own thoughts, they went out as the many false prophets have gone out into the world. Even 2000 years ago, John said many antichrists had come, and Paul said many preached for financial gain as unruly, vain talkers, and deceivers. — The Greek for children in this verse is paidia <3813>, the young children that know the Father; these are not the little children disciples who still sin.] 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, so that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us.4 [The antichrists were believers who left them, to preach or teach their vain opinions from their carnal minds and evil imaginations; from the Word of the Lord within: "they did not have patience." Without patience to endure the cross, suffering, and tribulation to the end, they went out as the many false prophets have gone out into the world, who tried to seduce the true Christians with their false gospel and false Jesus, promising liberty without the necessity of mortifying the sinful nature on the inward cross of self-denial. The ease of their false gospel became pervasive, until today all of Christendom ignores the Bible's many specific exclusions, the requirements, and the qualifying conditions of salvation. See Penington's writing on Babylon to understand more how the spirit of antichrist rules Christendom.] 20 But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you know all things.5 21 I have not written to you because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and know that no lie is of the truth. 22 Who is a liar? He who denies that Jesus is the Christ [anointing]. He who denies the Father and the Son is antichrist.6 [An antichrist is anyone preaching or teaching who denies that he has the anointing to control all his spoken words and deeds, which anointing is the Christ, (the word Christ means the anointing); and by his sinful conduct and conversation, he denies Jesus and the Father as his controlling Lord or anointing. Who has the Christ, is controlled in thought, word, and deed, by his true Lord; and he does not sin. From the Word of the Lord within: "Remember, every person who sins denies Him as Lord and Master." Any sinner can call Him Lord and Master; even Judas did that! If a man sins, he is a slave to sin, and his Lord and Master is sin or Satan.] 23 Whoever denies the Son, does not have the Father; he who acknowledges the Son has the Father also. 24 Therefore let that abide in you that you have heard from the beginning. If what you have heard from the beginning remains in you, you will continue in the Son and in the Father. 25 And this is the promise that he has promised us, even eternal life. 26 These things I have written to you concerning those who seduce you. 27 But the anointing that you have received from him abides in you, and you do not need any man to teach you; but as the same anointing teaches you all things and is truth, and is no lie; and even as it has taught you, abide in him.7[From the Word of the Lord within: "I choose whom to anoint; your response to my commands dictates my choice."] 28 And now, little children, abide in him, so that when he appears, we may have confidence and not be ashamed before him at his coming.8 [In Matthew, Mark, and Luke, Jesus is recorded saying that some then standing with him, 2000 years ago, would see his glorious coming in the clouds with the Kingdom before they died. In addition Paul, Jesus preaching, Jesus in Revelation, Peter, James, and John, — all said, soon, the time is near, a little while, he stands at the door. Christendom blithely ignores this gaping incongruity between what the Bible plainly states vs. what they are taught by their blind guides. It would be a cruel hoax to be waiting on Him to appear if the past 100 generations of believers actually had no hope of ever seeing Him. — The Greek for little children in this verse is Teknia <5040>; these little children are disciples yet to be freed from sin and without salvation.] 29 If you know that He is righteous, you know that everyone who practices righteousness is born of him. [Jesus only spoke, judged, and did as He was prompted and ordered by God; to practice righteousness we also must be able to only speak what we hear Him order us to say and only do what we are ordered to do by God. This ability only comes after we have crucified our selfish spirit, as sin has been destroyed by the Spirit through bearing the inward cross of self-denial; then we are walking the same way He walked and in the world as He was with perfection, purity, and holiness.] Previous Chapter | Next Chapter | |||||||||
1 whoever obeys His spoken words, truly the love of God is perfected in him. Notice! Whoever obeys his spoken word, (is obedient to commands, practices his teachings), the love of God is perfected in him. In this verse his spoken words is not the Bible. The previous two verses reference obeying His commands, and this verse is a continuation of the same. The Greek for word in this (click to see) verse is logon which means: 1) of speech; 1a) a word, uttered by a living voice, embodies a conception or idea; 1b) what someone has said.
Persistent exposing yourself to hearing His commands with obedience to the commands you hear spoken to you, results in the love of God being perfected in you, which means you are then able to love your neighbor as yourself and able to obey the first and greatest commandment: "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might." Mat 22:37. Paul tells us that anything we covet, (or desire), is idolatry; and no man can love God with all his heart until God rids his heart of all that he desires and values in the world. Whatever we desire, we worship. From the Word of the Lord within: "You must learn to hate everything you worship."
In Steven Crisp's wonderful sermon, The First and Greatest Commandment, he tells us that this commandment is written in the tablets of a man's heart.
2 the word of God abides in you, the Spirit of Christ, the word of God, lives in your heart, sufficient to have overcome the wicked one (your selfish spirit) within you.
and you have overcome the wicked one. Every man is controlled by the selfish spirit of Satan, until Christ appears the second time, bringing salvation to those obedient believers, when: the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly, Rom 16:20. When the Lord reveals that wicked one [the man of sin within you] will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of his mouth, and destroy with the brightness of his coming. 2 Thessalonians 2:8.
3 the world passes away and disappears, along with its desires and lusts; So the world with its lusts and passions disappear together, crucified by the aid of the Spirit. After we are purified, Christ returns to establish his Kingdom within us, and the world as we know it disappears. We enter a different dimension — paradise or the Kingdom of Heaven. Although we are still physically on earth, we no longer see by natural light. We see by the light of God, in his marvelous light; we see through his eyes, and see in the spiritual dimension.
4 Little children, it is the last hour; and as you have heard that antichrist will come, even now many antichrists have come. By this we know that it is the last hour. They went out from us, but they were not of us, for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us; but they went out, so that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us.
Little children, it is the last hour; and as you have heard that antichrist will come, even now many antichrists have come. By this we know that it is the last hour.
Notice! Antichrists had already come when John was alive. Notice! The last hour, (or time), had already come when John was alive, as Peter confirmed speaking at Pentecost. The antichrists were Christians who did not have the patience to stay on the cross in order to die to their selfish nature; instead they wanted to teach and preach, so they separated themselves to form new sects; as Johns says in the next verse: "They went out from us.,"
Between 1650-1700 Christianity, (Baptists, Episcopalians, Presbyterians, et al.), pointed to this scripture and claimed the Quakers were the antichrists to appear in the last times, (yet 2000 years ago John said antichrists had appeared, and it is the last time). Further, Christianity also claimed the early Quakers were the false prophets in Jesus' warning: "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves." Mat 7:15. From the Word of the Lord within: "The Christians feared the early Quakers, just as the Jews feared Jesus." Why? Because in a few short years, entire Christian churches were emptied of listeners to preachers repeating the words of the Bible, to become listeners of Christ in Quaker silent meetings. Christianity of England imprisoned over fifteen thousand Quakers; over 869 Quakers died in prison; others died from Christian mobs attacking them in their silent meetings; and tens of thousands Quakers had their property plundered. They were punished for refusing to swear as forbidden by Jesus' and James' commands, not taking off their hats in court, traveling on the Sabbath, holding meetings not in accordance with the Episcopal liturgy, and refusing to pay tithes to their neighborhood Christian sect, (even when they did not attend that sect). The Bible-believing Puritans of America imprisoned the Quakers, brutally whipped them, cut off their ears, and hung four of them, including one woman. The beast was given power to overcome the saints, Rev 13:7. Yet the Quakers never harmed anyone, and prayed for their persecutors, even as they died. Do sheep kill wolves? No, wolves kill sheep; and so the wolves of Christianity killed the sheep of Christ just as Jesus predicted: Yes, the time is coming when whoever kills you will think that he is doing a service to God. John 16:2. Christianity had become, and still is, the Whore of Babylon, drunk with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus.When the true church of Christ comes out of the wilderness to be seen and heard again, Christianity will point to this scripture and scream "antichrist has appeared." Further, they will claim the Spirit of Christ is the Spirit of Satan in sheep's clothing. When it happens, remember sheep don't attack wolves, and antichrists had appeared in the end time 2000 years ago. Christianity is Babylon masquerading as Christianity, and the Whore of Babylon will thirst for the saints' blood again as Penington ably describes in this small excerpt from his outstanding writing, Babylon the Great :
"This whorish spirit scents the spirit of the Lord; she knows it will soon be her death, if she cannot make it [the Lord's Spirit] appear odious, and suppress it; therefore she hunts this spirit, she hunts the life and power of what she herself professes, (especially if it appear vigorous and strong in any); she seeks advantages against the servants of the living God, representing them to the earthly powers as persons of dangerous principles and bad practices, inventing all manner of what can be called evil against them, and spreading it among the people, that the truth may start up nowhere in the earth, but everywhere is knocked down by the violence of the multitude, or by the sword of the offended magistrate. Now what is the matter of all this great noise and fury? Why this: A lamb is risen up in the innocence; the pure harmless spirit is appearing in the earth; the true life, (which discovers the hypocrisy, and dead forms and ways of the whorish spirit), is breaking forth; therefore she makes a great outcry: "Awake, people! awake! The church is in danger. Arise, magistrates! Magistracy and ministry will go down, if this lamb-like spirit is allowed." No, no; these shall stand, but Babylon shall fall, and her mystery of iniquity is discovered, and her deceivableness of unrighteousness made manifest; and the true life and spirit shall arise and take possession of the hearts of people, and make them a clean and fit habitation for God. People who are subject to the true life and spirit, shall feel it and enjoy it; even though the merchants of Babylon say, "men shall never be made clean while they live, but must still have a body of sin and death hanging about them." But how can anyone put on Christ, who have not put off the body of sin? Shall those who are made kings and priests to God here on earth, minister in their filthy garments?"
Christianity will again persecute the true church of Christ; but this time, when the persecutions cease, the saints will be avenged, Babylon falls, all sin is be purged from the earth, and (from the Word of the Lord within:) "the saints will spread and populate the entire face of the earth."
They went out from us, but they were not of us, for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us; but they went out, so that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us. From George Fox's writing on False Teachers and Preachers in Christianity.
John said, concerning the antichrists and false prophets, ‘They went out from us, but they were not of us, for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us,’ namely, the church of Christ; ‘but they went out from us, that they might be made manifest, that they were not all of us.’ And so now many such have gone out from the church of Christ, that they might be made manifest that they were not of us; but the church of Christ, in the apostles' days and now, have an unction and anointing from the Holy One in them, which proceeds from the Father and the son; and the church of Christ does not need any man to teach them, but as the same anointing teaches them; and as it teaches them, they will continue in the son, and in the Father, from where this anointing comes, by which the church of Christ knows all things. Yes, [they would know] those that would seduce them from this anointing. Yes, [they would know] the antichrists, and deceivers, and false prophets that go out from the church, who are not of the church, though they may have the form of godliness, fair speeches, and good words, but deny the power of it. From such the church of Christ is to turn away, who know the power of words with the unction, and the spirit of Christ who can try their spirits, that have the spirit of discerning whether they are of God, and so they are not to believe nor follow every spirit, but try them first as to what they believe in, and what they follow. This was the practice of the church of Christ in the apostles' days, which ought to be the same now in the church of Christ; by which anointing they continue in the Father and the son, as before said, and in "it they have fellowship with the Father and his son Jesus Christ." Amen.
George Fox also wrote the below:
"If the high priest Jesus Christ is owned, then all the priests are put to an end, which were true types and figures of him; for he who holds up priests which receive tithes according to the law, denies Jesus Christ come in the flesh. But whoever loves the light that he has given them, witness Jesus Christ to have come in the (their) flesh. These deny all the priests that receive tithes; for the receiving of tithes was in a time passed. Although Abraham paid tithes to Melchizedeck, who was a figure, when Jesus Christ the everlasting priest was come, he put an end to all figures; and you who hold up the figures, deny Christ has come in the [their] flesh."*
* Paul made such a confession that Jesus Christ had come into his flesh [after he had been crucified], when he wrote: "I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me." Gal 2:20
Following George Fox's logic, to not confess Jesus Christ come in the flesh, (thus to be antiChrist), is to profess or support any false doctrine or unlawful practice. Who continues swearing, or tithing, or killing false prophets and unbelievers, or continues taking an eye for an eye, or building temples, or observing sabbaths, or having multiple wives, or forbidding certain foods, or observing certain days, or celebration of Jewish feasts; such person denies Jesus Christ as Lord and Master, denies Him come in the (their) flesh (to rule them), and therefore is antiChrist. It is not what you say you are, but what you do that makes you a Christian or not; from the Word of the Lord within: "Remember, every person who sins denies Him as Lord and Master;" and if you are still sinning while upholding any false practice of the false church, your conduct denies Him to have come in your flesh to be your ruler and king that orders all your words and all your deeds; and so you are an antiChrist.
Exception: If you are a Jew that practiced the Mosaic Law, in regard to foods and days, and have turned to Christianity, you are permitted, (not required), to continue that practice until you have received faith from the Spirit that a portion of the law should not govern you, (as did Peter); for if you think it is a sin to violate any aspect of the law, you are condemned if you violate it.
5 you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you know all things. If you don't know all things, you don't yet have the anointing of the Holy Spirit, which anointing is given to those who have obeyed God, by listening to his voice obeying him fully in the whole way he commands. As Peter said: and we are his witnesses of these things; and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him." Acts 5:32. So here is a test of being a true, mature Christian: you know all things. When you have the anointing, you have the truth. When you have the anointing, you have the Spirit of Jesus in sufficient measure to be guided in what to say and what to do. God must be worshipped in spirit and truth; it must be in His spirit to worship; it must be the truth of the life He produces in your heart, which life is the light, which light is the anointing, which is truth and is no lie — the inward truth.
6 He who denies that Jesus is the Christ. He who denies the Father and the Son is antichrist. Christendom is preoccupied speculating as who might be the antichrist. But look! John has given us one, (of several he will later mention), symptom of an antiChrist — to deny Jesus as the Christ, (Christ being the anointing). Note! There is not just one antiChrist, there are at least as many as deny Jesus being the anointing. He who denies that Jesus is the Christ. He who denies the Father and the Son is antichrist. Now, what exactly does it mean to deny Jesus being the Christ, and to deny the Father and the Son? It means to deny possession of Jesus, possession of the anointing (anointed is the meaning of Christ); and to deny the Father and the Son, is to deny possession of the Father and the Son: Jesus replied, "If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him, [home in the heart of those who obey]. This is to possess or have the Son, and who has the Son, has the Father also, making their home in your heart. He who does not love me does not obey my teaching. To live in sin denies Jesus as Lord; for it is not what your lips profess, but how you conduct yourself, which shows whether he is your Lord or not. If you are faithful, that is, if you hear and obey, then the Christ is your Teacher, Leader, Guide, and Master; if you obey, you are following Jesus as your Lord and King.
7 But the anointing that you have received from him abides in you, and you do not need any man to teach you; but as the same anointing teaches you all things, and is truth, and is no lie; and even as it has taught you, abide in him. In Matthew 23:8-10, Jesus says, for you have one teacher, the Christ. Notice Jesus did not say, "I am your teacher." He said, "the Christ;" Christ means the anointing or with God's spirit. So Jesus is telling them that the anointing, or the spirit of God, is their one teacher. Now John is telling us the same thing: the Christ, the anointing, the Spirit of God, is your teacher, and you need no man to teach you. When you have the anointing, you have the truth. When you have the anointing, you have the Spirit of Jesus in sufficient measure to be guided in what to say and what to do. God must be worshipped in spirit and truth; it must be in His spirit to worship; it must be the truth of the life He produces in your heart, which life is the light, which light is the anointing, which is truth and is no lie — the inward truth.
Notice, just before this verse, John said: These things I have written to you concerning those who seduce you. So there were many false prophets trying to seduce the disciples, and John is saying: you don't need to listen to these men because you have the anointing, which will teach you all things, is truth, and is no lie; so abide (remain) in Him (the Spirit of Jesus, the Holy Spirit).
But the Comforter, who is the Holy Spirit and whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things. John 14:26
It is written in the prophets, and they shall all be taught by God. John 6:45
Everything in this commentary, everything in the web site, directs you to the teacher within you, so you can be taught by Jesus himself. This is the only way. Meetings can help, if there were people of the same beliefs to meet with, and you could wait on the Lord in silence together. But even then, there is no substitute for daily waiting on the teachings of God. Jesus said: "There is only one thing needed, and Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her"— to sit at the feet of Jesus and hear his word. Luke 10:39-42.
If you have a perfected teacher among you, he will watch over you, and the words he speaks will be straight from the Spirit of God, which will speak straight to your heart, which your heart will witness to be true and from God. But no man of God would try to take the place of the Lord himself teaching a believer — he would supplement, he would complement, he would clarify, he would exhort, he would warn, he would correct, but not substitute. Declining followers, here is how George Fox reacted to people wishing to hire him as their preacher:
this showed that they did not really understand us or our principles very well; but when I heard of it, I said, "it was time for me to be gone; for if their eye was so much to me, or any of us, they would not come to their own teacher." [Christ within: the True Light, that gives light to all men coming into the world]. For this thing (hiring ministers), had spoiled many, by hindering them from improving their own talents; whereas our labor is to bring everyone to their own teacher in themselves.
8 Abide in him. Stay in waiting and listening to him as much as possible. Obey every moral command and teaching you are told. The more time you spend, the faster is your purification, the more spirit you obtain. So that you will be prepared, and not surprised at his appearance in your heart. When God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, has shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. 2 Corinthians 4:6.
_______________________________________