Taking Advice from the Beloved Disciple – 1John 2:12-24

In 1 John 2:12-24, the Apostle John progressed in his teaching on the assurance of the believer by instructing believers to reject all that would detract from a growing faith in Christ and to apply the truth to all aspects of life.

So, how do you know you are growing in your faith? What things do you need to overcome? This is the 5th study post in this series.

30-Second Review of Last Segment

During the last segment in this series, three indicators of having eternal life were summarized. These three are foundational evidence or a starting point in a regenerated believer’s fellowship with Christ.

The evidence of knowing Christ in 1 John 2:1-11 is:

• Evidence #1 – recognition of our sins along with confession to Christ who is our Advocate;
• Evidence #2 – obedience to Christ’s teachings; and,
• Evidence #3 – God’s love operates in us.

Let’s look at the big picture idea and concepts within verses 12-24.

Segment at a Glance

From the epistle’s keywords, we see the emphasis in the segment we are reviewing is about “knowing”. These metrics were counted using NASB95 (there are minor count variations in other English translations).

Context (Chapter/Segment)	Sin(s)	Know(s/n)	Love(s)	Abide(s)
This Segment: 1 John 2:12-24	1	7	3	4
Entire Chapter: 1 John 2	4	14	5	9
All Chapters	26	40	46	22

The Actors/Subjects:

There are 3 Divine and 2 evil forces interacting with 3 classifications of human family members. The classifications in the human family are stages of maturity.

The Actions of the Actors:

John wanted the believers to know that regardless of maturity:

• each of them knows the Divine in some capacity,
• deceptive influences war against their faith, and
• overcoming those influences is possible because of the Divine and is required of the redeemed.

The Main Point in This Segment

Please read 1st John 2:12-24.

Concepts Covered in this Big Idea are Throughout Scripture:

The below cross-references support the points covered within the verse-by-verse review of 1 John 2:12-24.

1. Overcoming is required evidence of God-birthed faith; without overcoming continual obedience is thwarted (Romans 12:21, 1 Peter 3:9, 1 John 5:5, Revelation 2:7, 11, 2 Peter 1:5-10, James 5:11)
2. All members of the Godhead are active in making believers holy. (Romans 5:1-5; 1 John 5:6-7);
3. All regenerated children of God are at different stages of maturity (1 Corinthians 3:1, 1 Corinthians 14:20, 1 Peter 2:2, 1 Corinthians 2:6, 1 Corinthians 14:20, Philippians 3:15, 1 Corinthians 4:17);
4. There is an active enemy whose scope of temptation is restricted by the hand of God (Job 1:12, 1 Peter 5:8-10, Ephesians 6:11, James 4:7, 2 Timothy 4:17, 1 Chronicles 16:21-22);
5. God has provided the means for each believer to overcome all enemies encountered at each stage of their faith journey (2 Peter 1:2-4, Matthew 28:18, 2 Corinthians 12:9, Ephesians 1:19-21, Romans 8:28, 32)

Let’s examine these concepts verse by verse. What do you notice from reading the passage in your Bible?

Verse by Verse Highlights

Evidence #4: Progression in Maturity in Knowing the Persons of the Godhead

• Verse 12: John, as an elder to his dear students, affirmed his readers received forgiveness via God’s pardon from their spiritual debt because God’s grace produced in them the revelation that Jesus was God’s promised Messiah, the Christ, as the sole means of reconciliation.
  • The word for the English phrase ‘little children’ is the Greek word ‘teknion, Strong’s G5040‘ which (in the New Testament) is used as a term by teachers to salute or greet their deeply loved students (refers to Christian converts and is always in the plural ). Jesus, Paul and John used this term respectively in John 13:33, Galatians 4:19, and 1 John 2:1, 12, 28, 1 John 3:7, 18, 1 John 4:4, & 1 John 5:21. This is not the term used for children in the next verse.
  • For His name’s sake corresponds to His character (i.e. His faithfulness and righteousness in keeping His covenant and His saving power, Matthew 1:21, 23). It can be understood within these verses:

• Verse 13: In this verse, John described three categories of spiritual maturity in Christ using metaphorical terms.
  1. Fathers – The root of this word means, nourisher, protector, and upholder. Scripturally these individuals are spiritually mature.
     • These spiritual fathers have come to comprehend and demonstrate aspects of the Father’s holiness and have uninterrupted fellowship with Christ, the Advocate by the power of the Spirit operating in their lives. Notice the words “Him who is from the beginning” used in chapter 1 verse 11 and chapter 2 verses 13, 14 and 24.
     • This seniority of faith comes through an intimate relationship wherein:
       1. the Lord is revered as preeminent over everyone and everything;
       2. God is known as your loving Father to whom you are reconciled through Christ;
       3. The Spirit is resolving all fear that arises so that you are free of all fear, in humble obedience to all that God wills.
     • These individuals have a great love for the Father’s children and often take charge of training less mature and uninformed believers. Inattentive believers should be exhorted, encouraged and rebuked by the loving spiritually mature. (Examples of fathers in the faith include but are not limited to the Apostles sent by Christ, and Spirit-called pastors, teachers, elders, etc).
  2. Young men – This description is used of a young attendant or servant. Typically in Scripture, the word ‘young’ describes someone between 24 and 40 years of age (Thayer’s Greek Lexicon) or someone who should not be responsible for mentoring others in the things of God. Some exceptions for the physically young were recognized by and made by the Apostles (1 Timothy 4:12-14). Physical age does not always equal spiritual age.
     • This describes individuals with insufficient maturity to assume responsibility to uphold others.
       • They are not ‘fathers’ yet, BUT…
     • They are growing in spiritual maturity because they hold fast to their faith even unto death against the power of their foes, and temptations and persecutions the evil one.
       • Those growing in spiritual maturity overcome in the way described in Romans 3:4, 1 John 5:4, Revelation 2:7, 11, 17, 26, and Revelation 3:5, 12, 21.
  3. Children – These are individuals requiring guardianship support to make wise decisions consistently.
     • They have equally received forgiveness and God’s love. God is not a respecter of persons (Romans 2:11, Job 34:19, Galatians 6:7-8, 1 Peter 1:17) but, He is a rewarder of faithfulness (Hebrews 11:6, Matthew 5:12, Luke 6:35). We must first come to Him as a child and then grow from there (Mark 10:15, Luke 18:17, 1 Corinthians 13:11)
     • These are spiritually immature because they (1) have recently come to know God or (2) have not grown regardless of the date of conversion (whether because of the lack of sound teaching, physical limitations, or spiritual self-discipline).
     • They need to grow in knowledge, faith/obedience, and perseverance within their capabilities.

• Verse 14: Throughout this letter, the Apostle John stated why he wrote the believers:  13 times in 10 verses, 11 times within chapter 2. In this verse, he again mentioned why he wrote. This time his addressees are ‘fathers’ and the ‘young’ again, but he does not repeat the ‘children’; the Greek words for father and young men are the same in both verses. The other difference between verses 13 and 14 is in the elaboration on the strength of the young which sustains the assaults of Satan; the reason for the strength is the word of God that abides in them.

Evidence #5: Rejection of the Love of this World;

• Verse 15: The love of the Father is not in a person who enjoys or celebrates the world’s sin that opposes God and His precepts. Jesus said:

Christ’s half-brother and Apostle wrote:

• Verse 16: This is the reason. Everyone has strayed from God’s Holiness. In opposition to His righteousness and direction, those who belong to this world:

• Verse 17: Jesus expressed these same teachings in the Gospels:

Evidence #6: Discerning Deceivers/Deception

• Verse 18: Jesus warned someone, who will oppose Him as “the Christ“, will attempt to be the world’s saviour; this is a global actor. At the time of the Apostles’ writings, many false teachers opposed Jesus’ Deity, incarnation, and teachings. The rise of false teachers within the community of professing believers indicated that they were living in the end times when a global imposter would arise to deceive those who do not believe (2 Thessalonians 2:7-10).

• Verse 19: The Apostle John confirmed that those who departed from the Apostle’s teachings had not yet been truly born again or spiritually transformed because Christ’s words had not remained in them. Departing from Christ’s teachings makes it clear that His Spirit has not been deposited within. The Apostle Paul likewise warned of this (Acts 20:28-30), as did Christ’s other half-brother (Jude 1:17-19) and the Apostle Peter (2 Peter 3:1-4).

Evidence #7: Overcoming Temptation by Knowing the Truth

• Verse 20: In this verse, the Apostle John used a different word for the English word ‘know’. He used the word ‘eidó‘, Strong’s G1492 which means to perceive. In other verses throughout this letter, John used the word ‘ginóskó‘, Strong’s G1097 which communicates experiential knowledge. This ability to discern truth comes from learning to listen to the Holy Spirit who is every believer’s Truth Teacher. Jesus said:

• Verse 21: The believers know the truth so the Apostle Paul was not writing to give them a new doctrine; he was confirming their knowledge as a father affirms their children. There are no deceptions in the truth.

• Verse 22: The father of all lies is the spirit of the antichrist because he is an enemy of God and His Messiah; there is no truth in him (John 8:44). Although he has interacted with both the Father and the Son, he deceives the world into denying that Jesus is the Christ. As such, there are now many antichrists who refuse to acknowledge the Father and the Son (1 John 4:3). They deny what Christ said with opposing teachings.

• Verse 23: No one can deny the One without denying the Other. Both are Divine and of the same substance. Jesus said:

• Verse 24: So you must remain faithful to what you have been taught from the beginning. If you do, you will remain in fellowship with the Son and with the Father. (1 John 2:24 NLT)

Summation:

This can be truthfully stated in the negative or positive:

What Can You Do? 

• Please read 1st John 2:25-29; remember to pray first.
• Pinpoint the things that distract you from actively pursuing intimacy with our Lord. What is your assurance based on? Who teaches you, and how? What changes will you make?
• Praise God that He’s holding His vessels of His Spirit in His hands! And He won’t let go, nor can anyone snatch them out of His hands! (John 10:28-29)

What I Will Do 

• Within the next post of this ‘lite’ series called “Taking advice from the Beloved Disciple – 1^st John“, we will conclude chapter two with the promise of eternal life and the Holy Spirit’s role.
• Keep it short (my goal is a 10-minute read).

What are the Series Objectives?

• Understand the evidence of eternal salvation with its instructions and warnings. 
• Celebrate the assurance we have in Christ; deepen our fellowship with the Father and His family.
• Identify and take any corrective actions.

Thank you for taking the time to read and invest in your eternity! 

All Scripture in this blog is from the New King James Version unless otherwise specified.