1 John 2:15. Do not love the world, nor the things that are in the world: whoever loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
Having applied the teaching to the spiritual ages, the apostle adds an exhortation. "Do not love the world." He says this as if to children, for children always tremble with joy before what seems pleasant. Then he states the reason why no one should love the world, nor the things that are in the world. Next he offers teaching to fathers and young men, who are more capable and mature. Lest you understand by "the world" the totality of heaven and earth, the apostle explains what the world is and what is in the world. And first, by "the world" he means wicked people who do not have the love of the Father in them. Second, by "what is in the world," he means what is done according to the lust of the flesh, what, acting through the senses, arouses lust. For by the eyes, the chief instrument among the senses, he implied the other senses as well. By lust is understood every evil: adultery, drunkenness, indecent familiarities, murders (whether committed out of covetousness or for the destruction of rivals), treachery, by which one must also understand every form of opposition — in general, everything hostile to God that is committed by us through the lust of the flesh.
1 John 2:16. For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father, but is of this world.
1 John 2:17. And the world passes away, and its lust, but he who does the will of God abides forever.
We have already said that by "the world" the apostle means wicked people, just as the Lord said to His disciples: "you are not of the world, just as I am not of the world" (John 15:19, 17:16). And the father of this world, that is, of worldly sensuality and disorder, is the devil. Therefore the Lord also says to the Father concerning His disciples: "I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from evil" (John 17:15), that is, from the world, of which the apostle also says in another place (1 John 5:19) that it lies in wickedness. To put it another way: if the evil one is opposed to the good Father, and he who serves the lusts of the world is not of the Father but of the world, then it is obvious that he who is not of the Father but of the world is of the devil. So also in the Gospel it is said to the Jews: "your father is the devil" (John 8:44), that is, you have carnal inclinations which the devil sows and cultivates. And these worldly desires are short-lived and inconstant, but what is done according to the will of God is enduring and eternal. But it is not fitting for the prudent to flee from what is permanent and grasp at what is momentary; for to act in such a way is the same as building a house on sand.
1 John 2:18. Children! It is the last time. And as you have heard that the antichrist is coming, and now many antichrists have appeared, so we know from this that it is the last time.
"The last time." It is easier to explain it thus. Since the catholic epistle is directed to every person, and the end of life is not the same for all, and one's own death is unknown to anyone, the apostle fittingly reminds each one of his death, so that each may feel that the last time of his life is approaching, and may be ceaselessly sober, and so that in this way all Christians may always lead a blameless life and perform pure deeds. There is another explanation, to laugh at which would be inappropriate and foolish. Every thing can be divided into three parts: beginning, middle, and end. Without doubt, there is nothing incongruous in calling the end everything that follows after the middle. Therefore, if the Lord came in the middle of ten thousand years (for His coming to earth was approximately in the year 5500), then all the time following after this may, without any dispute, be called the last. And since the order of the millennia at the Lord's coming passed beyond the middle, all the time following after this may fittingly be called the last. John Chrysostom also accepts the truth of such an explanation.
1 John 2:19. They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have remained with us; but they went out, and through this it was revealed that not all are of us.
Having mentioned the antichrists, he adds where they came from, and says: they are from us. He adds this without at all hindering the clarity of the discourse. It is as if he asked himself: where are these antichrists from? And answered: they are from us. This is what should have been done, but he did not do it that way, perhaps in order to show by the continuity of the discourse the unpleasantness aroused by them. But why are the antichrists from among the disciples of the Lord? So that they might have the trust of those being deceived, so that those being deceived might think that they, being from among the disciples, preach a teaching according to the mind of the Teacher, and are not completely opposed to His preaching. Therefore, he says, "they went out from us," that is, although they were disciples, they fell away from the truth and invented their own blasphemies. "They were not ours," that is, from the portion of those being saved. For otherwise they would have remained in union with their own. But now "they went out from us," so that it might become manifest that they had become completely alien to us. There are among them also some who are not from us, but to whom those who went out from us attached themselves. It is for their sake that the apostle said: "not all are from us."
1 John 2:20. But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you know all things.
1 John 2:21. I have written to you not because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, as well as that every lie is not of the truth.
1 John 2:22. Who is a liar, if not the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, the one who denies the Father and the Son.
1 John 2:23. Everyone who denies the Son does not have the Father either; but he who confesses the Son has the Father also.
1 John 2:24. Therefore, let that which you heard from the beginning abide in you; if that which you heard from the beginning abides in you, then you also will abide in the Son and in the Father.
1 John 2:25. And the promise which He promised us is eternal life.
So that after the apostle had said the foregoing, no one would think that he ascribes the knowledge of this to himself alone and therefore boasts of it before the other believers, he fittingly adds: "and you have an anointing." He speaks as if to say: but why do I discuss this with you, as though you did not know it? No, you yourselves know this. For at holy baptism you received the sacred anointing, and through it the Holy Spirit. If this is so, then know that I have written to you about this not as to those who do not know, but as to those who know that it is now the last time, that antichrists are powerfully at work, that everything is full of lies. Since falsehood has multiplied, I said that many antichrists have appeared. For if Christ is the truth (John 14:6), and you, having come to know Him, have the truth in yourselves, then obviously the liar who opposes the truth, that is, Christ, is the antichrist. And who is the liar? The one who says that Jesus is not the Christ. Thus the most vile Simon babbled that Jesus is one thing and Christ another — Jesus being the one born of the Virgin Mary, and Christ being the one who descended from heaven at the Jordan. Therefore, whoever agrees with this lie is an antichrist. A liar and antichrist is also the one who denies the Father and the Son. For certain heretics (from whom the accursed Valentinus descended) said that the nameless Father is one thing, and the one called the Father of Christ is another. These same people also deny the Son when they say that He is a mere man and not God by nature, God from God. Therefore the apostle adds: "whoever denies the Son does not have the Father either." The Jews, for example, deny the Son and claim for themselves the knowledge of the Father. But let them know that they have not yet come to know the Father either; for if they had known Him, they would have known the Son as well, because He is the Father of the Only-begotten Son also. The followers of Simon babbled the same things. Such are the opinions of the heretics. But you, keep within yourselves what you heard from the beginning, namely, that Christ is God; for this is what the words mean: "let it abide in you." If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, then you also will abide in the Son and in the Father, that is, you will be in communion with Him. For His promise is this: "As You, Father, are in Me, and I in You, so let them also be one in Us" (John 17:21); and again: that they may have eternal life, "and this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent" (John 17:3).
1 John 2:26. I have written this to you concerning those who deceive you.
Having finished the speech conducted above, the apostle adds concerning those who deceive them with heresies that have appeared in great number. Then, in order to remove grief from them, he again repeats: "and the anointing which you received from Him." By anointing, as already said, is understood the Holy Spirit. Therefore, if you firmly preserve within yourselves the Holy Spirit, whom you received, then you have no need for anyone to teach you. But as this same Spirit teaches you all things, abide in that which He has taught you; for that which He has taught you is true and without falsehood.
1 John 2:27. But the anointing which you received from Him abides in you, and you have no need that anyone teach you; but as this same anointing teaches you all things, and it is true and not false, abide in that which it has taught you.
The order is as follows: as the anointing which you received from Him abides in you, there is no need for anyone to teach you; but you must abide in that which it has taught you.
1 John 2:28. And now, little children, abide in Him, so that when He appears, we may have boldness and not be ashamed before Him at His coming.
1 John 2:29. If you know that He is righteous, know also that everyone who practices righteousness is born of Him.