1 John · Chapter 2 · Forgiveness

1 John 2:1 — Bible Verse Meaning & Context

What has been forgiven, you can forgive.

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Topics #forgiveness

Read in chapter context · 1 John 2

Both translations, side by side

WEB · World English Bible

"My little children, I write these things to you so that you may not sin. If anyone sins, we have a Counselor with the Father, Jesus Christ, the righteous."

KJV · King James Version

"My3450 little children5040, these things5023 write I1125 unto you5213, that3363 ye sin264 not3363. And2532 if1437 any man5100 sin264, we have2192 an advocate3875 with4314 the Father3962, Jesus2424 Christ5547 the righteous1342:"

How the translations differ: The WEB is a modern public-domain revision of the 1901 ASV; the KJV dates to 1611. The KJV uses unto, and, any, man, while the WEB renders these as may, anyone, sins, counselor. Both translate the same underlying Greek or Hebrew text — the differences are stylistic, not theological.

In context

1 John 2:1 in 1 John 2

A Bible verse rarely stands alone. Here is 1 John 2:1 read with the verses immediately before and after — the surrounding flow of 1 John 2. Read the full chapter →

v.1 My little children, I write these things to you so that you may not sin. If anyone sins, we have a Counselor with the Father, Jesus Christ, the righteous.
v.2 And he is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not for ours only, but also for the whole world.
v.3 This is how we know that we know him: if we keep his commandments.

Book background

About the Book of 1 John

Testament: New Testament
Genre: General epistle
Author: John the apostle
Date written: c. 85–95 AD
Audience: Churches threatened by early proto-gnostic heresy
Chapters: 5

1 John writes to believers shaken by early proto-gnostic teaching denying that Christ came in the flesh. He gives three running tests of authentic Christian life: belief in Jesus, obedience, and love. The famous declaration "God is love" (4:8) and the assurance that "you may know that you have eternal life" (5:13) are at its core.

Setting: Written from Ephesus late in John's life.

Key themes: love · truth · assurance · fellowship · eternal life

Read 1 John from the beginning →

Memorisation aid

How to memorise 1 John 2:1

1 John 2:1 contains 29 words in 6 clauses. Learn one clause at a time, then chain them. The first-letter mnemonic (FLM) under each clause is a memory hook — once you can speak the FLM from memory, the full clause follows.

1

My little children

MLC
2

I write these things to you so that you may not sin

IWTTTY
3

If anyone sins

IAS
4

we have a Counselor with the Father

WHACWT
5

Jesus Christ

JC
6

the righteous.

TR

Frequently asked

FAQ about 1 John 2:1

What does 1 John 2:1 say?

1 John 2:1 reads: "My little children, I write these things to you so that you may not sin. If anyone sins, we have a Counselor with the Father, Jesus Christ, the righteous." — from the New Testament, 1 John (General epistle). The full verse is shown above with both the World English Bible (WEB) and King James Version (KJV) translations side by side.

What book of the Bible is 1 John 2:1 in?

1 John 2:1 is in the book of 1 John, traditionally attributed to John the apostle and written around c. 85–95 AD. 1 John is general epistle in the New Testament, originally addressed to Churches threatened by early proto-gnostic heresy. Best known for "God is love" and assurance of eternal life.

What is 1 John 2:1 about?

1 John 2:1 is primarily a Bible verse about Forgiveness. Within 1 John, 1 John writes to believers shaken by early proto-gnostic teaching denying that Christ came in the flesh. Read the full passage above with surrounding context.

What is the difference between 1 John 2:1 in WEB and KJV?

1 John 2:1 in the World English Bible (WEB) reads: "My little children, I write these things to you so that you may not sin. If anyone sins, we have a Counselor with the Father, Jesus Christ, the righteous.". The King James Version (KJV) reads: "My3450 little children5040, these things5023 write I1125 unto you5213, that3363 ye sin264 not3363. And2532 if1437 any man5100 sin264, we have2192 an advocate3875 with4314 the Father3962, Jesus2424 Christ5547 the righteous1342:". The WEB is a modern public-domain translation that updates the KJV's 1611 English while keeping a similar formal-equivalence style. Both render the same underlying Greek or Hebrew text.

How long is 1 John 2:1?

1 John 2:1 is 29 words in the WEB translation (154 characters), broken into 6 clauses. It is a longer verse, often broken into smaller phrases for memorisation. Estimated reading time is about 9 seconds.

How can I memorise 1 John 2:1?

To memorise 1 John 2:1, split it into its 6 natural clauses and learn one at a time. Repeat the full verse out loud five times, then write it from memory. Saving the verse as a photo wallpaper using our verse image studio helps daily review — the visual association with a memorable background dramatically improves recall.

Why does 1 John 2:1 matter in 1 John?

How can I apply 1 John 2:1 today?

Many readers use 1 John 2:1 as a daily reminder verse — saving it as a phone wallpaper, sharing it on Pinterest, or memorising it for prayer. The verse studio on this page lets you download 1 John 2:1 on 52 different backgrounds for free. Pair the verse with the surrounding chapter context shown above to understand its full meaning before applying it.

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