1 John 2:26
in 1 John 2I have written these things to you about those who are trying to deceive you.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
These things have I written unto you concerning them that would lead you astray.
KJV
These things have I written unto you concerning them that seduce you.
⋯
This verse in 1 John 2
Commentary
10 notes on this verseHaving 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 …
This site's exposition
those who are trying to deceive you
on 1 John 2:26-27
The warning names its target, those who are trying to deceive you. The anointing remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you, yet John teaches them in this very letter. The Spirit makes the church able to discern false teaching and novel doctrine.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers3 voices
"These things have I written unto you concerning them which seduce you; that ye may know that ye have an unction, and the unction which we have received from Him may abide in you." In the unction we have the sacramental sign of a thing unseen, the virtue itself is invisible; the invisible unction is the Holy Ghost; the invisible unction is that charity, which, in whomsoever it be, shall be as a root to him: however burning the sun, he cannot wither. All that is rooted is nourished by the sun's warmth, not withered.
I have written these things to you about those who are trying to deceive you. And as for you, the anointing that you received from him remains in you. And you do not need anyone to teach you, but as his anointing teaches you about …
People want to deceive us in order to teach you some heresy or other. John has written in order to warn us about this.
The Medieval Church1 voice
These things I have written to you about those who deceive you. By deceivers whom he names, not only are heretics to be understood, who seek to turn away from the faith by wicked doctrine, but also those who, by allurements or by adversities of …
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
), and therefore, if you continue not in what you have heard from the beginning, my writing and service will be in vain." We should beware lest the apostolical letters, yea, lest the whole scripture of God, should be to us insignificant and fruitless. I have written to him the great things of my law (and my gospel too), but they were counted as a strange thing, Hos. viii.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens+odd-straight-quotes
3 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
These things have I written unto you,.... The little children, who were most likely to be imposed upon by antichrists and deceivers: concerning them that seduce you.
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
These things have I written - Either meaning the whole epistle, or what is contained in the preceding verses, from the beginning of the 18th to the end of the 25th. Them that seduce you - Περι των πλανωντων ὑμας· That is, the deceivers that were among them, and who were labouring to pervert the followers of Christ.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
These things have I written unto you concerning them that seduce you - Respecting their character, and in order to guard you against their arts. The word “seduce” means to lead astray; and it here refers to those who would seduce them “from the truth,” or lead them into dangerous error. The apostle does not mean that they had actually seduced them, for he states in the following verse that they were yet safe; but he refers to the fact that there was danger that they might be led into error.
The words behind it
7 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ταῦτα | tauta | These things | G3778 → | 1381 times |
| ἔγραψα | egrapsa | I have written | G1125 → | 189 times |
| ὑμῖν | humin | to you | G4771 → | 2973 times |
| περὶ | peri | concerning | G4012 → | 332 times |
| τῶν | ton | those | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| πλανώντων | planonton | leading astray | G4105 → | 39 times |
| ὑμᾶς. | humas | you. | G4771 → | 2973 times |
ΤαῦταThese things
tautaG3778 →1381 times
ἔγραψαI have written
egrapsaG1125 →189 times
ὑμῖνto you
huminG4771 →2973 times
περὶconcerning
periG4012 →332 times
τῶνthose
tonG3588 →19766 times
πλανώντωνleading astray
planontonG4105 →39 times
ὑμᾶς.you.
humasG4771 →2973 times
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
1 John 3:7Little children, let no one deceive you: The one who practices righteousness is righteous, just as Christ is righteous.
it leads to
- 1 John 2:29
If you know that He is righteous, you also know that everyone who practices righteousness has been born of Him.
- Romans 2:13
For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but it is the doers of the law who will be declared righteous.
- 1 Peter 1:15–16
But just as He who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do,
- 1 John 3:3
And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as Christ is pure.
- 1 John 2:29
Through
2 John 1:7For many deceivers have gone out into the world, refusing to confess the coming of Jesus Christ in the flesh. Any such person is the deceiver and the antichrist.
it leads to
- 1 John 4:1–3
Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God. For many false prophets have gone out into the world.
- 1 John 2:18–22
Children, it is the last hour; and just as you have heard that the antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have appeared. This is how we know it is the last hour.
- 2 Peter 2:1–3
Now there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them—bringing swift destruction on…
- 1 John 4:1–3
Through
Mark 13:22For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform signs and wonders that would deceive even the elect, if that were possible.
it leads to
- Matthew 24:24
For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders that would deceive even the elect, if that were possible.
- Matthew 24:24
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About 1 John

This page draws on 11 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Augustine of Hippo, Ten Homilies on 1 John 3; Bede, Commentary on the Catholic Epistles; Hilary of Arles, INTRODUCTORY COMMENTARY ON 1 JOHN; John Calvin, Commentary on 1 John; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Oecumenius, Commentary on 1 John and Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on 1 John.
