18Little children, it is the last hour — and just as you heard that antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have appeared. From this we know that it is the last hour. [2:19] They went out from us, but they were not of us. For if they had been of us, they would have remained with us. But they went out so that it might be made manifest that they are not all of us. [2:20] And you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you all know. [2:21] I did not write to you because you do not know the truth, but because you do know it, and because no lie is of the truth. [2:22] Who is the liar but the one denying that Jesus is the Christ? This person is the antichrist — the one denying the Father and the Son. [2:23] No one who denies the Son has the Father. The one who confesses the Son has the Father also.
1JN 2:18-23
Beware of Antichrists
In the world it was spoken into
In the late 1st century, the Johannine community faced internal divisions and external pressures, leading to a heightened sense of eschatological urgency. The term 'antichrist' would have evoked both Jewish apocalyptic expectations of a deceiving figure and the immediate threat of false teachers who had once been part of the community but now denied core truths. The 'last hour' signaled not just a chronological endpoint but a theological crisis, as the community grappled with schism and deception. The 'anointing' likely referred to the Holy Spirit, understood as the source of true knowledge and discernment, distinguishing genuine believers from those who had 'gone out' from the community. In a culture where loyalty and identity were deeply tied to communal belonging, such defections were both a betrayal and a test of faith. The language of 'denying' carried weight, as it implied a public and deliberate rejection of Christ, a grave act in a context where confession of faith was often a matter of life or death.
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How other translations render this
1JN 2:18
- KJV
- 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.
- BSB
- Children, it is the last hour; and just as you have heard that the antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have appeared. This is how we know it is the last hour.
- Koinōnos
- Little children, it is the last hour — and just as you heard that antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have appeared. From this we know that it is the last hour.
1JN 2:19
- KJV
- 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.
- BSB
- They went out from us, but they did not belong to us. For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us. But their departure made it clear that none of them belonged to us.
- Koinōnos
- They went out from us, but they were not of us. For if they had been of us, they would have remained with us. But they went out so that it might be made manifest that they are not all of us.
1JN 2:20
- KJV
- But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things.
- BSB
- You, however, have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth.
- Koinōnos
- And you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you all know.
1JN 2:21
- KJV
- 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.
- BSB
- I have not written to you because you lack knowledge of the truth, but because you have it, and because no lie comes from the truth.
- Koinōnos
- I did not write to you because you do not know the truth, but because you do know it, and because no lie is of the truth.
1JN 2:22
- KJV
- Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son.
- BSB
- Who is the liar, if it is not the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, who denies the Father and the Son.
- Koinōnos
- Who is the liar but the one denying that Jesus is the Christ? This person is the antichrist — the one denying the Father and the Son.
1JN 2:23
- KJV
- Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father: he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also.
- BSB
- Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father, but whoever confesses the Son has the Father as well.
- Koinōnos
- No one who denies the Son has the Father. The one who confesses the Son has the Father also.
Only verses where the wording diverges meaningfully are shown. Identical phrasings are suppressed.
Translator's notes
1JN 2:18
- Little children,:The word translated 'little children' here emphasizes the tender affection and paternal care of the speaker, rather than strictly referring to age. It's a term of endearment for those under instruction or care.
- [the] last:The term translated 'last' here refers to the final, ultimate, or extreme point in a sequence, often with an eschatological or climactic sense, indicating the end of an age or a decisive period.
1JN 2:20
- [the] anointing:The word translated 'anointing' refers to a spiritual endowment or consecration, often implying a special gift or indwelling presence from God, rather than a physical act of applying oil.
1JN 2:22
- denying:The word translated 'denying' implies a strong and deliberate refusal to acknowledge or confess something, often with the sense of disowning or rejecting a truth or a person.