1 John 2:23 kjv

Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father: he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also.

1 John 2:23 nkjv

Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father either; he who acknowledges the Son has the Father also.

1 John 2:23 niv

No one who denies the Son has the Father; whoever acknowledges the Son has the Father also.

1 John 2:23 esv

No one who denies the Son has the Father. Whoever confesses the Son has the Father also.

1 John 2:23 nlt

Anyone who denies the Son doesn't have the Father, either. But anyone who acknowledges the Son has the Father also.

1 John 2 verses

1 John 2 23 Meaning

First John 2:23 succinctly states the foundational truth of Christian faith: one cannot claim a relationship with God the Father while denying the identity or nature of God the Son, Jesus Christ. Conversely, an authentic acknowledgment and confession of Jesus as the Son is indispensable for having a relationship with God the Father. This verse emphasizes the inseparability of the Father and the Son, declaring that genuine spiritual possession of one implies the other.

1 John 2 23 Context

1 John chapter 2 emphasizes walking in the light and loving one's brother, warning against the spiritual darkness of the world and the dangers of antichrists and false teachings. The chapter opens by reassuring believers of their Advocate, Jesus Christ, who is the propitiation for sins (v. 1-2), reinforcing that knowing God involves obeying His commands. It then addresses the importance of genuine love for fellow believers as proof of being in the light (v. 7-11) and provides encouragement to various groups within the community (v. 12-14).

The immediate context leading up to verse 23 is a strong warning against "antichrists" and those who deny Jesus' identity (v. 18-22). John clarifies that these "antichrists" deny both the Father and the Son, specifically rejecting the truth that Jesus is the Christ. Verse 23 is thus a direct, clear articulation of the theological stakes involved in acknowledging or denying the Son, setting boundaries for true Christian belief and distinguishing genuine believers from those propagating dangerous heresies of the time, often proto-Gnostic in nature, which sought to separate the divine Christ from the human Jesus or deny His true deity or humanity.

1 John 2 23 Word analysis

• Whosoever denieth: From Greek Pas ho arnoumenos (Πᾶς ὁ ἀρνούμενος).
  • Pas (Πᾶς): "All," "every," "whosoever." Signifies universality—this principle applies to anyone without exception.
  • arnoumenos (ἀρνούμενος): Present active participle of arneomai, meaning "to deny," "disavow," "renounce," "reject," or "refuse to acknowledge." The present participle implies an ongoing or characteristic action, indicating a consistent state of denial, not just a one-time failure. It's a fundamental theological opposition to Jesus' person or work, often rooted in an intellectual rejection rather than merely behavioral sin. This denial isn't simply ignoring but actively disclaiming or contradicting. In a polemical context, it referred to denying Jesus as the incarnate Christ, specifically his divine and human identity united in one person.
• the Son: ton huion (τὸν υἱὸν). This refers to Jesus Christ, specifically in His unique and pre-existent relationship as God's Son, signifying both His divine nature and His messianic role. The definite article emphasizes that there is one particular Son being referred to. The early Church confessions were central to defining who Jesus was against false teachings.
• the same hath not the Father: oude ton patera echei (οὐδὲ τὸν πατέρα ἔχει).
  • oude (οὐδὲ): "Neither...nor," a strong negative particle meaning "not even" or "and not." It intensifies the denial, making it absolute. Denying the Son results in an absolute lack of possession of the Father.
  • echei (ἔχει): "Has," "possesses," "holds." Here, it refers to having a genuine spiritual relationship with, knowledge of, or fellowship with God. To not "have" the Father means to be completely outside of His family and redemptive relationship. This directly counters the claim of false teachers who might claim to know God while rejecting His Son.
• he that acknowledgeth: ho homologon (ὁ ὁμολογῶν). Present active participle of homologeō, meaning "to confess," "acknowledge," "profess," "declare openly and formally," "agree with," or "affirm." This implies a public, deliberate, and sustained declaration of belief, recognizing and affirming Jesus as the Son, both divine and human, the Christ. This is the positive counterpart to "denieth."
• the Son hath the Father also: ton huion kai ton patera echei (τὸν υἱὸν καὶ τὸν πατέρα ἔχει).
  • kai (καὶ): "And" or "also." This conjunction reinforces the inseparability. Acknowledging the Son automatically grants one fellowship with the Father too. The Greek construction "the Son and the Father" underscores their co-equality and intertwined relationship.

Words-group by words-group analysis:

• "Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father": This clause sets forth a universal spiritual truth about the essential unity of the Godhead. To deny the Son is to deny the self-revelation of God the Father; hence, one cannot have a true relationship with the Father while rejecting the Son. It implicitly speaks to heresies (like some Gnostic beliefs) that posited a lesser Christ, or a non-physical Christ, thereby undermining His full identity as the Son of God come in the flesh. John is asserting that a partial or false view of Christ is no true relationship at all.
• "(but) he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also": The bracketed "but" in some translations (like KJV) indicates a strong contrast and reciprocal truth. This affirms that authentic faith is characterized by open, consistent confession of Jesus as the Son. Such confession is the divine doorway to having fellowship with God the Father. This emphasizes the vital necessity of orthodox Christology for genuine salvation and communion with God. The act of confessing the Son is not merely an intellectual assent but a profound commitment, stemming from an internal conviction empowered by the Holy Spirit (1 Cor 12:3).

1 John 2 23 Bonus section

The historical backdrop of 1 John involved specific challenges from incipient Gnostic or Docetic viewpoints, which held that Jesus only seemed to be human, thus denying the full incarnation of the Son. Such denials were not merely theological nuances but fundamentally undercut the efficacy of Christ's atoning sacrifice and the very possibility of God condescending to humanity for salvation. John countered this by asserting that the true Spirit of God would confess Jesus Christ "come in the flesh" (1 Jn 4:2-3). Therefore, "denying the Son" in this context primarily refers to rejecting His full deity and true humanity as the incarnate Christ. The passage stresses that true doctrine regarding Christ is not merely academic but a prerequisite for having a saving relationship with God. John sees no compromise on this fundamental truth.

1 John 2 23 Commentary

1 John 2:23 presents a vital theological bedrock, forming a protective barrier against emerging heresies that denied the true person of Jesus Christ. John’s primary concern here is the direct, saving relationship with God. He declares that this relationship is utterly dependent on one's relationship with, and acknowledgment of, Jesus Christ. There is no alternative path to the Father outside of the Son. The denial, arneomai, is not mere ignorance but a hostile rejection or renunciation of who Jesus truly is – specifically, that He is the Son of God, truly incarnate. Such denial severs all possibility of union or fellowship with the Father because the Father has revealed Himself definitively in the Son. To reject the revelation is to reject the Revealer.

Conversely, homologeo, the active confession and open acknowledgment of the Son, serves as the singular pathway to truly "having" the Father. This "having" denotes not ownership but a possessive relationship, communion, and shared spiritual life. This confession must be complete, embracing Jesus’ divine sonship and His full identity as Christ, come in the flesh. The Father and Son are so inextricably linked that one cannot know, serve, or claim to relate to one while denying the other. John provides no middle ground: either one has the Father through the Son, or one does not have the Father at all. This statement underpins the doctrine of the Trinity's indivisible unity, stressing that salvation is solely found in embracing Christ as Lord and Son, and thereby being brought into the very family of God.

For practical usage, this verse:

• Calls believers to a steadfast and clear confession of Jesus' identity amidst societal pressures.
• Warns against accepting spiritual teachings that minimize or distort who Jesus is.
• Reaffirms that our access to God the Father is exclusively through His Son, Jesus Christ, making evangelism and Christ-centered teaching crucial.