Bible Strands
1 John 2:1
My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate before the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — The author writes to his community ("my little children"), addressing the tension between the call to holiness and the reality that believers still sin. This sits within a letter countering false teachers who, in the author's view, either denied the reality of sin or the need for Christ's atoning work.
The words — ἁμαρτήτε (hamartēte) is aorist subjunctive, marking a discrete act of sinning rather than a continuous state; the ἵνα μὴ + aorist subjunctive construction frames sin as a specific event the writer wants to avert.
The thread — Christ's intercessory role appears in Romans 8:34 (at the right hand of God) and 1 Timothy 2:5 (one mediator between God and men); John 14:6 grounds the exclusive access to the Father through Christ.
Why it lands — The verse refuses two escapes: it will not let you pretend sin is not a problem, and it will not let you believe that one act of sin severs your standing before God. The reader is left with both the seriousness of sin and the specificity of the remedy.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Greek words
King James Version
My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:
Cross-references
- 1 Timothy 2:5 For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,
- Romans 8:34 Who is there to condemn us? For Christ Jesus, who died, and more than that was raised to life, is at the right hand of God—and He is interceding for us.
- John 14:6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.
- 1 John 1:8 If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
- Hebrews 7:24 But because Jesus lives forever, He has a permanent priesthood.
- 2 Corinthians 5:21 God made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.
- Titus 2:11 For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to everyone.
- 1 John 4:4 You, little children, are from God and have overcome them, because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world.
- 1 John 3:7 Little children, let no one deceive you: The one who practices righteousness is righteous, just as Christ is righteous.
- 1 John 3:18 Little children, let us love not in word and speech, but in action and truth.