1 John 2:17
in 1 John 2The world is passing away, along with its desires; but whoever does the will of God remains forever.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.
KJV
And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.
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This verse in 1 John 2
Commentary
15 notes on this verseThat we are not to obey our own will, but the will of God. In the Gospel according to John: "I came not down from heaven to do mine own will, but the will of Him that sent me." Of this same matter, according to Matthew: "Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not what I will, but what Thou wilt." Also in the daily prayer: "Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth."
This site's exposition
Do not love the world
on 1 John 2:15-17
The command Do not love the world uses kosmos for the order set against God, distinct from the world of John 3:16. Its triad the desires of the flesh, the desires of the eyes, and the pride of life echoes Genesis 3:6. That world is passing away.
This site's exposition
The world is passing away
The world and all it wants are already fading, the same verb used of the darkness at 2:8. Whoever does God's will lasts with Him. The contrast gives the reason for the command of verse 15.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers3 voices
"And the world passeth away, and the lusts thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever, even as God also abideth for ever." Hold fast rather the love of God, that as God is for ever and ever, so ye also may remain for ever and ever: because such is each one as is his love. Lovest thou earth, thou shall be earth. Lovest thou God, what shall I say? thou shall be a god? I dare not say it of myself, let us hear the Scriptures: "I have said, Ye are gods, and all of you sons of the Most High." If then ye would be gods and sons of the Most High, "Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all the things that are in the world, is the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, which is not of the Father, but is of the world:" i.e. of men, lovers of the world. "And the world passeth away, and the lusts thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever, even as God also abideth for ever."
"And the world is passing away, and the lust of it: but he who does the will of God abides forever." And he said, these lust of the flesh do not have durability and subsistence, but pass away: those, however, that are done according to …
"And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever, even as He abideth for ever." Why am I not to love what God made? What wilt thou? Whether wilt thou love the things of time, and pass away with time; or not love the world, and live to eternity with God? The river of temporal things hurries one along: but like a tree sprung up beside the river is our Lord Jesus Christ. He assumed flesh, died, rose again, ascended into heaven. It was His will to plant Himself, in a manner, beside the river of the things of time. Art thou rushing down the stream to the headlong deep? Hold fast the tree. Is love of the world whirling thee on? Hold fast Christ. For thee He became temporal, that thou mightest become eternal; because He also in such sort became temporal, that He remained still eternal. Something was added to Him from time, not anything went from His eternity. But thou wast born temporal, and by sin wast made temporal: thou wast made temporal by sin, He was made temporal by mercy in remitting sins. How great the difference, when two are in a prison, between the criminal and him that visits him! For upon a time a person comes to his friend and enters in to visit him, and both seem to be in prison; but they differ by a wide distinction. The one, his cause presses down: the other, humanity has brought thither. So in this our mortal state, we were held fast by our guiltiness, He in mercy came down: He entered in unto the captive, a Redeemer not an oppressor. The Lord for us shed His blood, redeemed us, changed our hope. As yet we bear the mortality of the flesh, and take the future immortality upon trust: and on the sea we are tossed by the waves, but we have the anchor of hope already fixed upon the land.
The Medieval Church2 voices
In discussing with the Jews, Christ explained: "This is the will of the Father, that you should believe in the one whom he has sent." The one who keeps his commandments will gain eternal life.
And the world passes away, and its desire, etc. The world will pass away, when on the day of judgment it will be transformed by fire into a better form, so that there will be a new heaven and a new earth. And its desire …
7 more voices on this verse
The Medieval Church1 voice
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 …
The Puritans and the Awakening4 voices
The world passeth away, and the desire thereof - That is, all that can gratify those desires passeth away with it. But he that doeth the will of God - That loves God, not the world.
The things of the world are fading and dying apace. The lust itself and the pleasure of it wither and decay; desire itself will ere long fail and cease, Eccl. xii.
The animal life must be subjected to the divine; the body with its affections should be swayed by religion, or the victorious love of God. 18 Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time.
quarantine:scripture (2026-07-29) — verbatim-run:31w-of-56
And the world passeth away,....
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
And the world passeth away - Everything properly constituting this world where religion is excluded. The reference here does not seem to be so much to the material world, as to the scenes of show and vanity which make up the world. These things are passing away like the shifting scenes of the stage. See the notes at 1Co 7:31. And the lust thereof - All that is here so much the object of desire.
The world passeth away - All these things are continually fading and perishing; and the very state in which they are possessed is changing perpetually, and the earth and its works will be shortly burnt up. And the lust thereof - The men of this world, their vain pursuits, and delusive pleasures, are passing away in their successive generations, and their very memory perishes; but he that doeth the will of God - that seeks the pleasure, profit, and honor that comes from above, shall abide for ever, always happy through time and eternity, because God, the unchangeable source of felicity, is his portion.
The words behind it
19 Greek wordsEvery Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Greek | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| καὶ | kai | And | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| ὁ | ho | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| κόσμος | kosmos | world | G2889 → | 185 times |
| παράγεται | paragetai | is passing away | G3855 → | |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| ἡ | he | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ἐπιθυμία | epithumia | desire | G1939 → | 38 times |
| αὐτοῦ· | autou | of it; | G846 → | 5565 times |
| ὁ | ho | the [one] | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| δὲ | de | however | G1161 → | 2765 times |
| ποιῶν | poion | doing | G4160 → | 569 times |
| τὸ | to | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| θέλημα | thelema | will | G2307 → | |
| τοῦ | tou | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| θεοῦ | theou | of God | G2316 → | 1312 times |
| μένει | menei | abides | G3306 → | 118 times |
| εἰς | eis | to | G1519 → | 1755 times |
| τὸν | ton | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| αἰῶνα.¶ | aiona | age. | G165 → |
καὶAnd
kaiG2532 →9120 times
ὁthe
hoG3588 →19766 times
κόσμοςworld
kosmosG2889 →185 times
παράγεταιis passing away
paragetaiG3855 →
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
ἡthe
heG3588 →19766 times
ἐπιθυμίαdesire
epithumiaG1939 →38 times
αὐτοῦ·of it;
autouG846 →5565 times
ὁthe [one]
hoG3588 →19766 times
δὲhowever
deG1161 →2765 times
ποιῶνdoing
poionG4160 →569 times
τὸthe
toG3588 →19766 times
θέλημαwill
thelemaG2307 →
τοῦ<the>
touG3588 →19766 times
θεοῦof God
theouG2316 →1312 times
μένειabides
meneiG3306 →118 times
εἰςto
eisG1519 →1755 times
τὸνthe
tonG3588 →19766 times
αἰῶνα.¶age.
aionaG165 →
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Romans 12:2Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of…
it leads to
- 1 Peter 1:14
As obedient children, do not conform to the passions of your former ignorance.
- Ephesians 4:22–24
to put off your former way of life, your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires;
- 2 Corinthians 5:17
Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away. Behold, the new has come!
- Colossians 3:10
and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.
- 1 John 2:15–17
Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
- 1 Peter 1:14
Through
Matthew 24:35Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will never pass away.
it leads to
- Isaiah 40:8
The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God stands forever.”
- 1 Peter 1:25
but the word of the Lord stands forever.” And this is the word that was proclaimed to you.
- Numbers 23:19
God is not a man, that He should lie, or a son of man, that He should change His mind. Does He speak and not act? Does He promise and not fulfill?
- Isaiah 40:8
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About 1 John
This page draws on 14 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes on the New Testament; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Andreas of Caesarea, CATENA; Augustine of Hippo, Ten Homilies on 1 John 2; Bede, Commentary on the Catholic Epistles; Brooke Foss Westcott, The Epistles of St. John; Cyprian, Treatise XII Three Books of Testimonies Against the Jews; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Oecumenius, Commentary on 1 John and Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on 1 John.