Remain in the Son

1 John 2:12-27

Key Verse 2:24

See that what you have heard from the beginning remains in you. If it does, you also will remain in the Son and in the Father. 

    

 

Read verses 12-14. Why does the author write to his children (12,13c), fathers (13,14a), and young men (13b,14b)? What do you think that the author means by calling them ‘children’, ‘fathers’, and ‘young men’? 

 1 John 2:12-14 

    I write to you, dear children,

        because your sins have been forgiven on account of his name. 

    [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 evil one.

    I write to you, dear children,

        because you have known the Father. 

    [14] I write to you, fathers,

        because you have known him who is from the beginning.

    I write to you, young men,

        because you are strong,

        and the word of God lives in you,

        and you have overcome the evil one.

 

Why does the author write to his children (12,13c), fathers (13,14a), young men (13b,14b)? 

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Children because their sins have been forgiven, and they have known the Father.

Fathers because they hae known him who is from the beginning.

Young men because they have overcome the evil one and they are strong and the word of God lives in them.

What do you think that the author means by calling them ‘children’, ‘fathers’, and ‘young men’?

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They refer to the spiritually infant, mature, and young.    

     2. Read verses 15-17. Why does the author tell his people not to love the world? (15) What comes from the world? (16) What passes away and who lives forever? (17)

1 John 2:15-17 

    Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. [16] For everything in the world--the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does--comes not from the Father but from the world. [17] The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever. 

Why does the author tell his people not to love the world? (15) 

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Because they cannot love the Father if they love the world.

What comes from the world? (16) 

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Everything in the world. More specifically it is the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does.

What passes away and who lives forever? (17)

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[17] The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever. 

 

     3. Read verses 18-19. What happens in the last hour? (18) What are the characteristics of antichrists? (19)  

1 John 2:18-19 

    Dear children, this is the last hour; and as you have heard that the antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come. This is how we know it is the last hour. [19] They went out from us, but they did not really belong to us. For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us; but their going showed that none of them belonged to us. 

What happens in the last hour? (18) 

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Antichrist is coming. Many of them have already come.

What are the characteristics of antichrists? (19)  

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First, They went out from us (who are apostle John and true believers). Secondly, they did not belong to them (true believers) anymore. It means they began to believe incorrect knowledge of Christ. The fact that they began to have different knowledge is described as “their going”.

 

    4. Read verses 20-23. What do children of God have? (20) Why does the author write to them? (21) Who is a liar? (22) What happens to the one who denies the Son? (23) 

1 John 2:20-23 

    But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth. [21] I do not write to you because you do not know the truth, but because you do know it and because no lie comes from the truth. [22] Who is the liar? It is the man who denies that Jesus is the Christ. Such a man is the antichrist--he denies the Father and the Son. [23] No one who denies the Son has the Father; whoever acknowledges the Son has the Father also. 

What do children of God have? (20) 

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Anointing of the Holy One, the Holy Spirit.

Why does the author write to them? (21) 

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Because they know the truth. They would understand what the author is saying because they know the truth.

Who is a liar? (22) 

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The man who denies that Jesus is the Christ. He also denies the Father and the Son. They denied that the Father sent the Son or Son came from the Father.

What happens to the one who denies the Son? (23) 

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He cannot have the Father. No one can know the Father without knowing the Son. 

John 1:18 “No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only, who is at the Father's side, has made him known.” 

John 14:6 “Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” 

    

 

5. Read verses 24-27. What does one have to do in order to remain in the Son and the Father? (24) What is the promise of God? (25) Who is the author reffering to in verse 26?  Yet, why do his recipients not need anyone to teach them? (27) Why do you think the author talks about remaining repeatedly?

1 John 2:24-27 

    See that what you have heard from the beginning remains in you. If it does, you also will remain in the Son and in the Father. [25] And this is what he promised us--even eternal life. 

    [26] I am writing these things to you about those who are trying to lead you astray. [27] As for you, the anointing you received from him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about all things and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit--just as it has taught you, remain in him. 

    

What does one have to do in order to remain in the Son and the Father? (24) 

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Keep what they have heard fronm the beginning. It means to keep believing what they learned about Christ from true believers like apostle John, the author.

What is the promise of God? (25) 

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Eternal life. 

John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

    

Who is the author referring to in verse 26? 

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Those who are trying to lead them astray. They are antichrist and they spread false teaching about Jesus. They said that Jesus is not the Christ.

Yet, why do this recipients not need anyone to teach them? (27) 

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“the anointing you received from him remains in you”. The anointing of the Holy Spirit is in them. The author helped his children to keep the teaching they learned about Jesus who is the Christ. He did not want his children to learn from false teachers who are antichrist. He helped them to learn from the Holy Spirit instead of antichrist because the Holy Spirit can guide them into all truth. 

John 14:26 “But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.”

John 16:13 “But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.” 

    

Why do you think the author talks about remaining repeatedly?

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Because to keep believing that Jesus is the Christ which they have learned is so important. Antichrist taught that Jesus is not the Christ. Antichrist tempted believers not to remain in what they learned.