1 John 2:1  “…so that you may not sin…”
Not that they wouldn’t sin, but that they wouldn’t choose to do so, or use what he had just mentioned as a license to do so.  Our sin nature pulls us in sin’s direction, but the more we understand and the closer we are to Him the less we will sin and avoid the unintentional.

1  “…we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ…”
As Paul said in Romans 8, He makes intercession for us at the right hand of God.

2  “…propitiation for our sins…for the whole world”
Christ died for all.  Not just for those who would be saved, but all.  Not limited atonement.

3  “Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments.”
John points out the simple, obvious way we know if we’re in Christ.  We want to do what He says and be like Him.  Not out of obligation, but because we love Him.  Same way we behave with anyone we truly care about.

7  “…I write no new commandment to you…a new commandment I write to you”
John’s a bit confusing.  He tends to write as he thinks of things.  You have to read enough of what he says to get the big picture in order to see the smaller parts.  Referring to love, for God and others.  Commandment to love others has always been there, but has become more of a priority with Christ.  It is the way we show that we know Him by loving one another and by keeping His commandments.  Commentary also brought out the greater emphasis on extending it to the unlovely as well as friends and family.

9  “He who says he is in the light, and hates his brother, is in darkness until now.”
Whether you love or not shows where your heart is.  You can’t have a true relationship with Christ and hate your brother as His love permeates everything.

12-14  Much written on the ages of children, fathers, and young men and what is said to each.  Not a lot on why John seems to be repeating himself.  Some say the first three say I write while the last three actually should say I wrote.  Differences could be that John is referring to the epistle with I write and to his gospel writing with I wrote.  He seems to be stating the spiritual state of each group, perhaps referring to them not by physical age, but that of understanding.  The children or newbies in Christ recognize they are forgiven.  The young men have begun to grow and are overcoming difficulties in the Christian life.  The fathers have matured and have a greater understanding of who Christ is and a closer relationship with him.  I would still like to know what John was thinking when he wrote this as he did.  Trying to back up and see a bigger picture, but not very clear at the moment.

15  “Do not love the world or the things in the world.”
Instead of trying to determine what is the world or the things in the world, I think the idea is that of the attitude of the heart.  Where is your love, your focus.  Do you truly love Christ and want what He wants or are you more concerned with what you have and what you can accumulate.  Is your affection set on things above or things on the earth.

17  “…the world is passing away, and the lust of it…”
One day all that is down here will be gone.  What a waste to spend your desires on what will not last.  All is here for us to enjoy and use, but not to become our love or focus.  That must be on Him.  We use what is here to point others to Him.

18  “…it is the last hour…”
Mentioned throughout the New Testament by several writers.  Gives the impression that Christ’s return was imminent, which it is, but obviously didn’t happen then.  I think the idea is that all has been done to take care of sin and the stage is set for what comes next.  We’ve been sitting on ready since Christ left.

18  “…the Antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come…”
One will come who embodies all the opposition to Christ, the man of perdition, but there are also many others who display that antagonism toward Jesus.  Sad that they are ones whom He died to save, but they choose to reject Him.

19  “…they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us…”
Further tragedy that some of those who display the spirit of the antichrist come from within the body of believers.  Obviously they weren’t actually believers or else they would have remained, but they heard the gospel and participated in the goodness and fellowship of it yet still chose to reject it.

23  “Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father either; he who acknowledges the Son has the Father also.”
Knowledge of the truth.  God is triune, Father, Son, and Spirit.  Some religions believe in a one God, but deny the Son and Spirit.  Even some who claim to be Christian won’t acknowledge the divinity of Christ.  But this nails it.  You can’t claim God without acknowledging the truth of Christ.  If your god has no son, then it isn’t the true, one and only God.

25  “And this is the promise that He has promised us—eternal life.”
Belief in God and in the atoning death and resurrection of His Son brings salvation and eternal life.  This is existence on this planet.  All other dramas are pointless and will pass away.

28  “…abide in Him…”
Stay with Jesus.  Stay connected to Him.

29  “…everyone who practices righteousness is born of Him”
Because righteousness comes from Him.

I hope you enjoy reading and studying His word.  May it accomplish what He desires.  Please feel free to comment or post questions.  Thanks for reading!

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.