1 John 2 explained: Knowing God Shows in How You Live

Jesus speaks for us (vv. 1-2)

John hopes his readers will not do wrong, but if they do, Jesus stands before God the Father like a defense lawyer pleading their case. His death is the offering that deals with sin and restores the broken relationship, and John says it reaches not only his readers but the whole world.

Claims tested by living (vv. 3-6)

Saying 'I know God' means little if it never changes how a person lives, and the model to follow is the way Jesus lived. Many scholars think John is answering people who boasted of special spiritual knowledge while ignoring how they treated others.

An old command made new (vv. 7-11)

The command to love one another was old, since they had heard it from the start, yet new because it was now seen lived out in Jesus and in them. Hating a fellow believer means still living in the dark, stumbling around without knowing where you are headed.

Encouragement, then a warning (vv. 12-17)

John reassures readers of every age, or perhaps every stage of faith (scholars are unsure which he means), that they are forgiven, know God, and have stood firm against evil. He then warns against loving 'the world,' meaning a life driven by bodily cravings, wanting whatever catches the eye, and pride in what one has, all of which will fade.

Those who walked away (vv. 18-23)

John believed the final age had already begun, and he calls a group who had left the community 'antichrists,' meaning opponents of Christ, because they denied that Jesus is the promised Messiah. To him, rejecting Jesus as God's Son meant cutting oneself off from God the Father too.

Hold on to what you heard (vv. 24-29)

The 'anointing' they received probably means God's Spirit living in them, though some read it as the message itself, and either way it means they do not need the new teachers. John urges them to stay close to Jesus so they can face him without shame when he comes again.

Key verse: 1 John 2:6

Where Christians differ

Christians differ over whether verse 2 means Jesus' death was intended for every single person or was meant to actually save only those who come to believe.

Something to think about

When someone says they believe something deeply, what would you look for in their life to know they really mean it?