1 John 2:24 kjv
Let that therefore abide in you, which ye have heard from the beginning. If that which ye have heard from the beginning shall remain in you, ye also shall continue in the Son, and in the Father.
1 John 2:24 nkjv
Therefore let that abide in you which you heard from the beginning. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, you also will abide in the Son and in the Father.
1 John 2:24 niv
As for you, see that what you have heard from the beginning remains in you. If it does, you also will remain in the Son and in the Father.
1 John 2:24 esv
Let what you heard from the beginning abide in you. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, then you too will abide in the Son and in the Father.
1 John 2:24 nlt
So you must remain faithful to what you have been taught from the beginning. If you do, you will remain in fellowship with the Son and with the Father.
1 John 2 24 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Jn 15:4-7 | "Abide in Me, and I in you... If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask what you wish..." | Importance of mutual abiding for spiritual fruit. |
| Jn 8:31-32 | "If you abide in My word, you are truly My disciples... you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." | Abiding in Christ's word brings truth and freedom. |
| Jn 14:23 | "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him." | Love for Christ's word leads to divine indwelling. |
| 1 Jn 2:27 | "the anointing which you received from Him abides in you... as His anointing teaches you about everything..." | Holy Spirit's anointing as the internal teacher that confirms truth. |
| 2 Jn 1:9 | "Anyone who goes on ahead and does not abide in the teaching of Christ does not have God." | Warning against departing from Christ's doctrine. |
| Jud 1:3 | "contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all handed down to the saints." | Call to defend the established, historic faith. |
| 1 Cor 15:1 | "Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I proclaimed to you... by which you are being saved, if you hold fast..." | The gospel must be held firm to experience salvation. |
| Col 1:23 | "if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel..." | Perseverance in faith essential to salvation's hope. |
| Heb 3:14 | "For we have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end." | Endurance in faith ensures sharing in Christ. |
| Heb 2:1 | "We must pay closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away." | Exhortation to heed original teachings to avoid error. |
| Eph 2:20 | "built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the cornerstone." | The apostolic teaching forms the Church's foundation. |
| 1 Tim 4:16 | "Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers." | Persistence in sound doctrine leads to salvation. |
| Tit 1:9 | "He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it." | Firm grip on doctrine empowers teaching and defense of truth. |
| 1 Jn 2:19 | "They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us." | Those who depart demonstrate they were never truly part of the true faith. |
| Jn 6:56 | "Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him." | Christ's words (spiritual food) foster abiding. |
| Php 1:27 | "only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ... striving side by side for the faith of the gospel." | Living worthy and contending for the gospel's faith. |
| Gal 1:8-9 | "if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed." | Warning against deviation from the true Gospel. |
| Deut 4:2 | "You shall not add to the word that I command you, nor take from it, that you may keep the commandments of the LORD your God that I command you." | Ancient precedent for adhering strictly to divine revelation. |
| Ps 1:2-3 | "His delight is in the law of the LORD, and on His law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water..." | Sustained engagement with God's word yields fruitfulness. |
| Mt 7:24-27 | "Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock." | Building one's life on Christ's words ensures stability. |
| Lk 1:1-4 | "just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word delivered them to us..." | Importance of reliable historical accounts from eyewitnesses for truth. |
1 John 2 verses
1 John 2 24 Meaning
This verse emphasizes the vital importance for believers to hold steadfastly to the original apostolic teaching of the Gospel they first received. By maintaining this foundational truth within them, they ensure their continuous and intimate fellowship, or "remaining," with both the Son (Jesus Christ) and the Father. It is a divine principle of reciprocal abiding: if the truth abides in believers, then believers will abide in God.
1 John 2 24 Context
1 John chapter 2 serves as a pivotal section within the epistle, primarily addressing the criteria for true spiritual life and providing an antidote to growing false teachings. John warns against those who deny the Son (the "antichrists") and promote a form of spiritual separation or antinomianism (1 Jn 2:18-19, 22). This false teaching, likely an early form of Gnosticism, claimed a special "knowledge" (gnosis) that often denied Jesus' physical incarnation, separated the "Christ" spirit from the man Jesus, or permitted immoral living.
Verse 24 specifically counters this by reiterating the absolute necessity of adhering to the "original teaching." The original audience, facing seducers who tempted them to abandon foundational Christological truths, is reminded that salvation and fellowship with God are not found in new revelations or elevated knowledge, but in persevering in the Apostolic message received "from the beginning." This verse thus acts as both a warning against apostasy and an exhortation to faithfulness amidst deceptive influences.
1 John 2 24 Word analysis
- Therefore (οὖν - oun): A logical connector, drawing a conclusion from the preceding discussion, particularly about avoiding antichrists and holding to the truth. It signifies that what follows is the direct and vital implication of John's warnings about spiritual deception.
- As for you (ὑμεῖς - humeis): An emphatic "you." It creates a strong contrast between the true believers (the readers) and the false teachers or antichrists who have gone out (1 Jn 2:19). It underscores a personal and communal responsibility.
- Let that abide in you (μένετω ἐν ὑμῖν - menetō en humin): "Abide" (menetō) is a continuous imperative verb, stressing ongoing, persistent dwelling and remaining. It implies internalizing and consistently living by the teaching, not just intellectual assent. "In you" signifies it should permeate one's inner being and convictions.
- which you heard from the beginning (ὃ ἠκούσατε ἀπ' ἀρχῆς - ho ēkousate ap' archēs): Refers to the original, foundational Gospel message preached by the apostles (Jesus' teaching, death, resurrection, etc.). "From the beginning" anchors the truth in its earliest, authoritative, eyewitness testimony, differentiating it from any new, speculative, or Gnostic teachings.
- If what you heard from the beginning abides in you (ἐὰν μείνῃ ἐν ὑμῖν ὃ ἀπ' ἀρχῆς ἠκούσατε): This presents a conditional statement, highlighting reciprocal abiding. The believer's perseverance in the truth is a prerequisite for God's reciprocal indwelling and their continued fellowship.
- you also will abide (καὶ ὑμεῖς μενεῖτε - kai humeis meneite): This promises the believer's enduring fellowship with God. It’s not just that the teaching remains, but they themselves remain in the most profound sense of relationship and union.
- in the Son and in the Father (ἐν τῷ Υἱῷ καὶ ἐν τῷ Πατρί - en tō Huiō kai en tō Patri): Identifies the ultimate goal and environment of true abiding. This specific dual mention emphasizes full Trinitarian fellowship, rejecting any idea of knowing the Father apart from the Son (1 Jn 2:23) and confirming that the genuine apostolic message points directly to intimate communion with both Divine Persons.
1 John 2 24 Bonus section
The emphasis on "what you heard from the beginning" not only points to the historical Gospel message but also to the authority of the apostles as unique, divinely commissioned eyewitnesses to Jesus Christ. Their testimony forms the bedrock, distinct from subsequent human interpretations or speculative "new revelations." This implicitly champions the sufficiency and finality of God's revelation in Christ as communicated through them. Furthermore, the mutual "abiding" underscores the relational and dynamic nature of the Christian life – it's not a static state but a continual, responsive dwelling within God's truth, sustained by God's faithfulness in return. The phrase "in the Son and in the Father" refutes any notion of fragmented deity or that one can bypass the Son to gain access to the Father, a subtle but significant challenge to early Gnostic ideas that often compartmentalized divine beings or saw the "Christ" as an emanation distinct from the man Jesus.
1 John 2 24 Commentary
1 John 2:24 is a foundational statement for Christian perseverance and discernment, acting as a crucial antidote to the rising tide of error in John's time. The core message is one of fidelity: believers are called to steadfastly guard and continue in the unadulterated apostolic truth that they initially received. This "original teaching" (the Gospel message about Jesus Christ, His divine sonship, and atoning work) is not a disposable stepping stone but the constant, sustaining anchor of faith. The active "abiding" signifies not just remembering the truth, but living it, letting it shape one's thoughts, affections, and actions. This inward indwelling of truth creates the necessary spiritual environment for reciprocal "abiding" in the Son and the Father. It clarifies that true fellowship with God is impossible apart from faithful adherence to Christ and His revealed truth. Departure from this foundational Gospel signals a departure from genuine relationship with God Himself. This verse underscores that sound doctrine is not merely academic, but deeply experiential, determining the very nature and duration of one's communion with the Divine. It calls for diligent self-examination: if our core beliefs have shifted from "what was heard from the beginning," our fellowship with the Triune God is jeopardized.
- Example for Practical Usage: In an age of diverse spiritual teachings and shifting doctrines, this verse guides believers to critically evaluate any new teaching against the consistent, historical message of the Apostles recorded in Scripture. If a teaching deviates from the fundamental truths of Christ's person and work as originally presented, it must be rejected. For instance, any belief that denies Christ's full divinity or full humanity, or that minimizes the necessity of His atoning death for salvation, falls outside of "what was heard from the beginning" and therefore threatens communion with the Son and the Father.