1 John 2 · Verse 23

1 John 2:23

Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father: but he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also.
1 John 2:23, King James Version

1 John 2:23 in other translations

BSBWhoever denies the Son does not have the Father, but whoever confesses the Son has the Father as well.
WEBWhoever denies the Son doesn’t have the Father. He who confesses the Son has the Father also.
ASVWhosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father: he that confesseth the Son hath the Father also.
YLTevery one who is denying the Son, neither hath he the Father, he who is confessing the Son hath the Father also.
DARBYWhoever denies the Son has not the Father either; he who confesses the Son has the Father also.
BBEHe who has no belief in the Son has not the Father: he who makes clear his belief in the Son has the Father.
WebsterWhoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father: [but he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also].

What does 1 John 2:23 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
23. Greek, "Every one who denieth the Son, hath not the Father either" (1Jo 4:2, 3): "inasmuch as God hath given Himself to us wholly to be enjoyed in Christ" [Calvin]. he--that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also. These words ought not to be in italics, as though they were not in the original: for the oldest Greek manuscripts have them. hath--namely, in his abiding possession as his "portion"; by living personal "fellowship." acknowledgeth--by open confession of Christ.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Barnes' Notes
Verse 23. Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father. That is, has no just views of the Father, and has no evidence of his friendship. It is only by the Son of God that the Father is made known to men, (Mt 11:27, Heb 1:2,3,) and it is only through him that we can become reconciled to God, and obtain evidence of his favour, Jn 5:23.

But he that acknowledges the Son, hath the Father also. This passage, in the common version of the New Testament, is printed in Italics, as if it were not in the original, but was supplied by the translators. It is true that it is not found in all the MSS. and versions; but it is found in a large number of Mss., and in the Vulgate, the Syriac, the AEthiopic, the Coptic, the Armenian, and the Arabic versions, and in the critical editions of Griesbach, Tittman, and Hahn. It is probable, therefore, that it should be regarded as a genuine portion of the sacred text. It is much in the style of John, and though not necessary to complete the sense, yet it well suits the connexion. As it was true that if one denied the Son of God he could have no pretensions to any proper acquaintance with the Father, so it seemed to follow that if any one had any proper knowledge of the Son of God, and made a suitable confession of him, he had evidence that he was acquainted with the Father. Compare Jn 17:3; Rom 10:9. Though, therefore, this passage was wanting in many of the Mss. consulted by the translators of the Bible, and though in printing it in the manner in which they have they showed the great caution with which they acted in admitting anything doubtful into their translation, yet the passage should be restored to the text, and be regarded as a genuine portion of the word of God. The great truth can never be too clearly stated, or too often inculcated, that it is only by a knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ that we can have any true acquaintance with God, and that all who have just views of the Saviour are in fact acquainted with the true God, and are heirs of eternal life.

(b) "Whosever" Jn 15:23

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 23 Whosoever denieth the Son - He who denies Jesus to be the Son of God, and consequently the Christ or Messiah, he hath not the Father - he can have no birth from above, he cannot be enrolled among the children of God, because none can be a child of God but by faith in Christ Jesus. He that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also - This clause is printed by our translators in Italics to show it to be of doubtful authority, as it was probably wanting in the chief of those MSS. which they consulted, as it was in Coverdale's Bible, printed 1535; Tindall's Text, printed 1548; and in all the early printed editions (which I have seen) previously to 1566; the Bible of Richard Cardmarden, printed in English at Rouen, where this clause is inserted in a different letter between brackets. But that the clause is genuine, and should be restored to the text without any mark of spuriousness, as I have done in the text of this work, is evident from the authorities by which it is supported. It is found in ABC, and in between twenty and thirty others of the best authority; as also in both the Syriac, Erpen's Arabic, Coptic, Sahidic, Armenian, and Vulgate. It is also quoted as a part of the text by Origen, Meletius, Athanesius, both the Cyrils, Theophylact, Vigilius of Tapsum, Pelagius, Cerealis, Cassian; and in substance by Euthalius, Epiphanius, Cyprian, Hilary, Faustinus, Lucifer of Cagliari, Augustine, and Bede. It is wanting in the Arabic, in the Polyglot, in a MSS. in the Harleian library, and in some few others. It is doubtless genuine, and Griesbach has with propriety restored it to the text, from which it never should have been separated.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on 1 John 2:18-23

Every man is an antichrist, who denies the Person, or any of the offices of Christ; and in denying the Son, he denies the Father also, and has no part in his favour while he rejects his great salvation. Let this prophecy that seducers would rise in the Christian world, keep us from being seduced. The church knows not well who are its true members, and who are not, but thus true Christians were proved, and rendered…

Read the full comment on 1 John 2:18-23 →

1 John 2:23 in the original Greek

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

πᾶςpasEveryoneG3956
ὁhowhoG3588
ἀρνούμενοςarnoumenosis denyingG720
τὸνtontheG3588
υἱὸνhuionSonG5207
οὐδὲoudeneitherG3761
τὸνtontheG3588
πατέραpateraFatherG3962
ἔχει·echeihas he;G2192
ὁhoThe [one]G3588
ὁμολογῶνhomologōnconfessingG3670
τὸνtontheG3588
υἱὸνhuionSonG5207
καὶkaialsoG2532
τὸνtontheG3588
πατέραpateraFatherG3962
ἔχει.¶echeihas.G2192

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for 1 John 2:23

  • 1 John 4:15

    Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God.

  • John 8:19

    Then said they unto him, Where is thy Father? Jesus answered, Ye neither know me, nor my Father: if ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also.

  • John 5:23

    That all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent him.

  • John 10:30

    I and my Father are one.

  • John 15:23-24

    He that hateth me hateth my Father also. If I had not done among them the works which none other man did, they had not had sin: but now have they both seen and hated both me and my Father.

  • 2 John 1:9-11

    Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son. If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed: For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds.

  • 1 John 5:1

    Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him.

  • John 14:9-10

    Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father? Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.

  • Luke 10:22

    All things are delivered to me of my Father: and no man knoweth who the Son is, but the Father; and who the Father is, but the Son, and he to whom the Son will reveal him.

  • Matthew 11:27

    All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him.

  • 1 John 2:22

    Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
denieth.
22; 4:15; Mt 11:27; Lu 10:22; Joh 5:23; 8:19; 10:30; 14:9,10; 15:23,24
2Jo 1:9-11

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • 1 John 2:22

    Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son.

  • 1 John 2:23

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

  • 1 John 2:24

    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.

Read all of 1 John 2

1 John 2:23 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Cualquiera que niega al Hijo, este tal tampoco tiene al Padre. Cualquiera que confiese al Hijo tiene también al Padre.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Quiconque nie le Fils n’a pas non plus le Père; celui qui confesse le Fils a aussi le Père.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Jeder, der den Sohn leugnet, hat auch den Vater nicht; wer den Sohn bekennt, hat auch den Vater.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Omnis qui negat Filium, nec Patrem habet: qui confitetur Filium, et Patrem habet.