Chapter 2 Summary
- God doesn’t want His people to sin. But when they do, they have “an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous” (1 John 2:1). Jesus is also described as the propitiation for the sins of the world (1 John 2:2). This means that He was the atoning sacrifice for our sins.
- In 1 John 2:3-17, John continues with the theme of fellowship with God. If a disciple wants to maintain fellowship with God, he must keep God’s commandments (1 John 2:3-6), love his brother (1 John 2:7-14), and avoid loving the sinful things of the world (1 John 2:15-17).
- 1 John 2:18 begins a lengthy section warning against the danger of false teachers. Gnostic teachers seemed to be assaulting the church during this time. These teachers claimed to have “special knowledge” from God. One of the things they advocated was that Jesus did not come in the flesh. They are described as “antichrist” (1 John 2:18). They stood for a doctrine that was opposed to the true gospel of Christ. They came from among the brethren (1 John 2:19). They denied Jesus was the Christ (1 John 2:22). They were deceivers (1 John 2:26).
- While these antichrists were dangerous men, John says that the brethren would be able to recognize them easily. How? Through both the miraculous spiritual gifts that had been given to them and God’s word (1 John 2:20-29). The latter is how we can recognize “antichrists” today (1 John 4:1).
Chapter 2 Questions
- List the things that are said about Jesus in 1 John 2:1-2.
- According to 1 John 2:2-14, how do we maintain fellowship with God?
- What does it mean to love the world (1 John 2:15-16)? Why is it utter foolishness to do this (1 John 2:17)?
- What does the term “antichrist” mean? Are there “antichrists” in the world today? Explain.
