1 John 2:20-27

1 John 2:20-27

20 But you have been anointed by the Holy One, and all of you have knowledge. 21 I write to you, not because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and you know that no lie comes from the truth. 22 Who is the liar but the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, the one who denies the Father and the Son. 23 No one who denies the Son has the Father; everyone who confesses the Son has the Father also. 24 Let what you heard from the beginning abide in you. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, then you will abide in the Son and in the Father. 25 And this is what he has promised us, eternal life.

26 I write these things to you concerning those who would deceive you. 27 As for you, the anointing that you received from him abides in you, and so you do not need anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about all things, and is true and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, abide in him.

VS. 20…

What does it meant to be anointed by the Holy One? And who is the Holy One

The phrase “you have been anointed” is better understood as, “you have an anointing from.” The subtle difference is on infers the anointing is still with them.

The root greek word for anointing is the same for what is used in

three times God anointing Jesus with the HS, Luke 4:18; Acts 4:27; 10:38

Once to Jesus being anointed by God with “the oil of gladness” (Heb 1:9),

and once to Paul being anointed by God, who put his Spirit on him (2 Cor 1:21–22).

Being anointed would be best understood as the receiving of the HS.

So who would the Holy One be?

This expression is found nowhere else in 1 John but occurs once in the Fourth Gospel where the disciples say to Christ, “We have come to believe and know that you are the Holy One of God” (John 6:69). It is appropriate, therefore, to interpret “the Holy One” here as a reference to Christ

The phrase, “all of you have knowledge” is not the best wording for the Greek here.

It actually reads simply “…all knowledge.” does it mean they all have knowledge or they have all knowledge?

With what is said later in vs 27 we see that it is more about the Holy Spirit giving them the knowledge, they do not need to be taught.

An unwritten emphasis is the idea that they have “all knowledge” and they should not abandon the knowledge they have, as the “antichrists” have done.

VS. 21…

His writing was not to inform them of the Truth but to remind them of the Truth they already know…This is the knowledge they have…

No lie comes form the truth, if what they are hearing from the antichrists does not line up with what they have heard, the Truth, it is a lie for no lie comes from the truth.

VS. 22…

Who are those that lie? they are the ones who deny that Jesus is the Christ. The importance of this statement can not be highlighted enough. Jesus is the anointed one who saves us from our sin and gives us access to God’s presence.

They are not denying Jesus was a great teacher, a real person, or a person of great influence. They are denying he was the messiah, the anointed one, the Christ. The one who could reconcile us to the Father, the only one who could do that.

The denial of Jesus as Christ would lead some to believe that those who are antichrists where those who were Judaizers relying on works. There is no evidence to support this idea.

VS. 23…

These people claimed to be with the Father but denied the Son, but that is impossible.

VS. 24…

“As for you…” - compares the previous people with those he is speak to.

“heard from the beginning…” - not the beginning of time, but beginning of John’s preaching, their start in the faith.

“Abide…” - continuing faithfulness.

“If…” - leads to a promise, they will abide in the Son and the Father

VS. 25…

The promise is eternal life!

VS. 26…

The author writes so they will not be deceived.

VS. 27…

The anointing they had recieved is the Holy Spirit.

With this Holy Spirit they are not in need of some other teaching. They do not need anyone to teach them something different.

A couple things the Holy Spirit does in regard to teaching us

1. Illuminates God’s Word for our daily lives

Gives us insight into how to apply God’s word

2. Reminds us what God’s word says.

Jesus used scripture to defeat temptation, ie. the devil’s attack.

Sums up this section with the idea of being anointed, having the truth not a lie, and abiding.