Passage
1 John 2.18-27
Book: 1 John · ASV / WEB / KJV / YLT
Immediate context (±2 verses)
ASV
16. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the vain glory 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.
18. Little children, it is the last hour: and as ye heard that antichrist cometh, even now have there arisen many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last hour. 19. 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, that they might be made manifest that they all are not of us. 20. And ye have an anointing from the Holy One, and ye know all the things. 21. I have not written unto you because ye know not the truth, but because ye know it, and because no lie is of the truth. 22. Who is the liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, even he that denieth the Father and the Son. 23. Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father: he that confesseth the Son hath the Father also. 24. As for you, let that abide in you which ye heard from the beginning. If that which ye heard from the beginning abide in you, ye also shall abide in the Son, and in the Father. 25. And this is the promise which he promised us, even the life eternal. 26. These things have I written unto you concerning them that would lead you astray. 27. And as for you, the anointing which ye received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any one teach you; but as his anointing teacheth you; concerning all things, and is true, and is no lie, and even as it taught you, ye abide in him.
- And now, my little children, abide in him; that, if he shall be manifested, we may have boldness, and not be ashamed before him at his coming. 29. If ye know that he is righteous, ye know that every one also that doeth righteousness is begotten of him. (1 John 2:16-29, ASV)
WEB
16. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, isn’t the Father’s, but is the world’s. 17. The world is passing away with its lusts, but he who does God’s will remains forever.
18. Little children, these are the end times, and as you heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have arisen. By this we know that it is the final hour. 19. They went out from us, but they didn’t belong to us; for if they had belonged to us, they would have continued with us. But they left, that they might be revealed that none of them belong to us. 20. You have an anointing from the Holy One, and you all have knowledge. 21. I have not written to you because you don’t know the truth, but because you know it, and because no lie is of the truth. 22. Who is the liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the Antichrist, he who denies the Father and the Son. 23. Whoever denies the Son, the same doesn’t have the Father. He who confesses the Son has the Father also. 24. Therefore, as for you, let that remain in you which you heard from the beginning. If that which you heard from the beginning remains in you, you also will remain in the Son, and in the Father. 25. This is the promise which he promised us, the eternal life. 26. These things I have written to you concerning those who would lead you astray. 27. As for you, the anointing which you received from him remains in you, and you don’t need for anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is no lie, and even as it taught you, you will remain in him.
- Now, little children, remain in him, that when he appears, we may have boldness, and not be ashamed before him at his coming. 29. If you know that he is righteous, you know that everyone who practices righteousness has been born of him. (1 John 2:16-29, WEB)
KJV
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.
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. 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. 20. 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. 22. Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son. 23. Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father: (but) he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also. 24. 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. 26. 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. in him: or, in it
- 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. ye know that every: or, know ye (1 John 2:16-29, KJV)
YLT
16. because all that [is] in the world, the desire of the flesh, and the desire of the eyes, and the ostentation of the life, is not of the Father, but of the world, 17. and the world doth pass away, and the desire of it, and he who is doing the will of God, he doth remain, to the age.
18. Little youths, it is the last hour; and even as ye heard that the antichrist doth come, even now antichrists have become many, whence we know that it is the last hour; 19. out of us they went forth, but they were not of us, for if they had been of us, they would have remained with us; but, that they might be manifested that they are not all of us. 20. And ye have an anointing from the Holy One, and have known all things; 21. I did not write to you because ye have not known the truth, but because ye have known it, and because no lie is of the truth. 22. Who is the liar, except he who is denying that Jesus is the Christ? this one is the antichrist who is denying the Father and the Son; 23. every one who is denying the Son, neither hath he the Father, [he who is confessing the Son hath the Father also.] 24. Ye, then, that which ye heard from the beginning, in you let it remain; if in you may remain that which from the beginning ye did hear, ye also in the Son and in the Father shall remain, 25. and this is the promise that He did promise us, the life the age-during. 26. These things I did write to you concerning those leading you astray; 27. and you, the anointing that ye did receive from him, in you it doth remain, and ye have no need that any one may teach you, but as the same anointing doth teach you concerning all, and is true, and is not a lie, and even as was taught you, ye shall remain in him.
- And now, little children, remain in him, that when he may be manifested, we may have boldness, and may not be ashamed before him, in his presence; 29. if ye know that he is righteous, know ye that every one doing the righteousness, of him hath been begotten. (1 John 2:16-29, YLT)
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Setting
- Speaker: The letter is formally anonymous. Early and unanimous tradition assigns it to John the apostle (Irenaeus, Against Heresies 3.16.5 and 3.16.8, c. AD 180), and its vocabulary and style are closely shared with the Fourth Gospel.
- Audience: Churches in Roman Asia, addressed after a secession: "they went out from us, but they were not really of us" (1 John 2:19). The departing teachers denied that Jesus is the Christ (2:22) and that He has come in the flesh (4:2).
- Location: Traditionally Ephesus, the center of the Johannine circle in Asia Minor.
- Time period: c. AD 85-95, late in the apostolic period. The stated purpose is assurance: "these things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life" (1 John 5:13).
Theological reading
The antichrist section, and the letter's account of the split that occasioned it.
"Antichrist" is John's word. Antichristos occurs only in 1 and 2 John in the whole New Testament (2:18, 2:22, 4:3, 2 John 7). John acknowledges that his readers have heard "antichrist is coming", and then makes his own point: "even now many antichrists have appeared." The term in this letter names present doctrinal denial, not exclusively a future individual. Later apocalyptic figures such as the man of lawlessness (2 Thessalonians 2:3) and the beast (Revelation 13) are separate texts with separate vocabulary, and combining them is a theological synthesis rather than a lexical fact.
Verse 19, the split. "They went out from us, but they were not really of us; for if they had been of us, they would have remained with us." This is the letter's occasion. John reads the departure as revelatory rather than merely unfortunate: it made visible what was already the case. The verse is a standard text in discussions of perseverance and apostasy; see Calvinism vs Arminianism vs Molinism vs Open Theism.
The denial (verse 22). "Who is the liar but the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ?" Combined with 4:2, the secessionists' error concerned the identity and the incarnation of Jesus together.
The anointing (verses 20, 27). "You have an anointing from the Holy One, and you all know." Chrisma, the anointing, is set against the teachers who have left, and John tells the remaining congregation that they do not need those teachers. The verse is not a general rejection of teaching, since John is himself teaching in the act of writing it; it is a specific assurance that the departed did not take the truth with them.
Key words
Theologically-loaded Greek or Hebrew words in this verse may have entries in the lexicon. Curated to roughly 100 contested terms across the corpus, not every word; see Lexicon Roadmap.
- G3670 - homologeo, homologeo, Strong's G3670
- G0746 - arche, arche, Strong's G0746
- G0166 - aionios, aionios, Strong's G0166
- G0225 - aletheia, aletheia, Strong's G0225
- G2222 - zoe, zoe, Strong's G2222
- G1097 - ginosko, ginosko, Strong's G1097
Quoted in
Arguments and defeaters:
- Failed Second Coming Prophecy Objection Defeater, via 1 John 2.18
- No True Scotsman Charge Defeater, via 1 John 2.19
- Satanic Fabrication Objection Defeater
Concepts:
- Ad Hominem, via 1 John 2.19
- Christians Behaving Badly, via 1 John 2.19
- Church at Thessalonica, via 1 John 2.18-22
- Deconstruction, via 1 John 2.19
- Fallacies, via 1 John 2.19
- No True Scotsman Fallacy, via 1 John 2.19
- Spiritual Warfare, via 1 John 2.18
- The Devil, via 1 John 2.18
Lexicon:
Why these four translations
ris3n chose ASV, WEB, KJV, and YLT for two reasons together. They are the most literal English translations available (formal-equivalence: word-for-word renderings that preserve the Hebrew and Greek grammar rather than smoothing it into modern dynamic-equivalence idiom). And they are in the public domain in the United States, which means fair-use quotation at any length requires no publisher license. Modern licensed translations (NASB95, ESV, NIV) restrict volume of quotation under their copyright terms, so they are not used at stub-level coverage here. NASB95 appears only on hand-curated rich passage hubs under Lockman Foundation's fair-use allowance.
The four:
- ASV (American Standard Version, 1901). The basis of the modern critical-text English tradition.
- WEB (World English Bible, contemporary). Public-domain revision in the ASV line, in current English.
- KJV (King James Version, 1611). Reformation-era, Textus Receptus base.
- YLT (Young's Literal Translation, Robert Young, 1862). Hyper-literal preservation of Hebrew and Greek grammar; useful for word-study work even where English reads stiff.
See Bibles for the full per-translation history, translators, textual basis, strengths, and weaknesses.