1 John 2:23
New International Version
No one who denies the Son has the Father; whoever acknowledges the Son has the Father also.

New Living Translation
Anyone who denies the Son doesn’t have the Father, either. But anyone who acknowledges the Son has the Father also.

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

Berean Standard Bible
Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father, but whoever confesses the Son has the Father as well.

Berean Literal Bible
Everyone denying the Son does not have the Father. The one confessing the Son has the Father also.

King James Bible
Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father: (but) he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also.

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

New American Standard Bible
Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father; the one who confesses the Son has the Father also.

NASB 1995
Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father; the one who confesses the Son has the Father also.

NASB 1977
Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father; the one who confesses the Son has the Father also.

Legacy Standard Bible
Everyone who denies the Son does not have the Father; the one who confesses the Son has the Father also.

Amplified Bible
Whoever denies and repudiates the Son does not have the Father; the one who confesses and acknowledges the Son has the Father also.

Christian Standard Bible
No one who denies the Son has the Father; he who confesses the Son has the Father as well.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
No one who denies the Son can have the Father; he who confesses the Son has the Father as well.

American Standard Version
Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father: he that confesseth the Son hath the Father also.

Contemporary English Version
If we reject the Son, we reject the Father. But if we say we accept the Son, we have the Father.

English Revised Version
Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father: he that confesseth the Son hath the Father also.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Everyone who rejects the Son doesn't have the Father either. The person who acknowledges the Son also has the Father.

Good News Translation
For those who reject the Son reject also the Father; those who accept the Son have the Father also.

International Standard Version
No one who denies the Son has the Father. The person who acknowledges the Son also has the Father.

Majority Standard Bible
Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father, but whoever confesses the Son has the Father as well.

NET Bible
Everyone who denies the Son does not have the Father either. The person who confesses the Son has the Father also.

New Heart English Bible
Whoever denies the Son, the same does not have the Father. He who confesses the Son has the Father also.

Webster's Bible Translation
Whoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father: but he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also.

Weymouth New Testament
No one who disowns the Son has the Father. He who acknowledges the Son has also the Father.

World English Bible
Whoever denies the Son doesn’t have the Father. He who confesses the Son has the Father also.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
everyone who is denying the Son, neither has the Father; he who is confessing the Son has the Father also.

Berean Literal Bible
Everyone denying the Son does not have the Father. The one confessing the Son has the Father also.

Young's Literal Translation
every one who is denying the Son, neither hath he the Father, he who is confessing the Son hath the Father also.

Smith's Literal Translation
Every one denying the Son, neither has the Father: he acknowledging the Son, has also the Father.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father. He that confesseth the Son, hath the Father also.

Catholic Public Domain Version
No one who denies the Son also has the Father. Whoever confesses the Son, also has the Father.

New American Bible
No one who denies the Son has the Father, but whoever confesses the Son has the Father as well.

New Revised Standard Version
No one who denies the Son has the Father; everyone who confesses the Son has the Father also.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
Whoever denies the Son, the same does not believe in the Father; but whoever acknowledges the Son, acknowledges the Father also.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
He who denies The Son also does not believe in The Father; whoever confesses The Son confesses The Father also.
NT Translations
Anderson New Testament
"Whoever denies the Son, has not the Father: he that confesses the Son, has the Father also.

Godbey New Testament
No one denying the Son has the Father: the one confessing the Son has also the Father.

Haweis New Testament
Every one that denieth the Son, neither doth he hold the Father; but he that acknowledgeth the Son, holdeth the Father also.

Mace New Testament
whosoever denieth the son, disowns the father:

Weymouth New Testament
No one who disowns the Son has the Father. He who acknowledges the Son has also the Father.

Worrell New Testament
Every one who denies the Son has not the Father either; he who confesses the Son has the Father also.

Worsley New Testament
for whosoever denieth the Son, hath not the Father: but he that confesseth the Son acknowledgeth the Father also.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Beware of Antichrists
22Who is the liar, if it is not the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, who denies the Father and the Son. 23Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father, but whoever confesses the Son has the Father as well. 24As for you, let what you have heard from the beginning remain in you. If it does, you will also remain in the Son and in the Father.…

Cross References
John 14:6
Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

John 5:23
so that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him.

John 8:19
“Where is Your Father?” they asked Him. “You do not know Me or My Father,” Jesus answered. “If you knew Me, you would know My Father as well.”

John 10:30
I and the Father are one.”

John 15:23
Whoever hates Me hates My Father as well.

Matthew 10:33
But whoever denies Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father in heaven.

Luke 10:16
Whoever listens to you listens to Me; whoever rejects you rejects Me; and whoever rejects Me rejects the One who sent Me.”

2 John 1:9
Anyone who runs ahead without remaining in the teaching of Christ does not have God. Whoever remains in His teaching has both the Father and the Son.

Hebrews 1:3
The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of His nature, upholding all things by His powerful word. After He had provided purification for sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.

Colossians 2:9
For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity dwells in bodily form.

Philippians 2:11
and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Romans 10:9
that if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.

Acts 4:12
Salvation exists in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.”

Matthew 11:27
All things have been entrusted to Me by My Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal Him.

John 1:18
No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is Himself God and is at the Father’s side, has made Him known.


Treasury of Scripture

Whoever denies the Son, the same has not the Father: he that acknowledges the Son has the Father also.

denieth.

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 4:15
Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God.

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.

Jump to Previous
Acknowledges Acknowledgeth Belief Confesses Confesseth Confessing Denies Denieth Denying Disowns Either Makes
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Acknowledges Acknowledgeth Belief Confesses Confesseth Confessing Denies Denieth Denying Disowns Either Makes
1 John 2
1. He comforts them against the sins of infirmity.
3. Rightly to know God is to keep his commandments;
9. to love our brothers;
15. and not to love the world.
18. We must beware of antichrists;
20. from whose deceits the godly are safe, preserved by perseverance in faith, and holiness of life.














Whoever denies the Son
The phrase "denies the Son" is crucial in understanding the theological stance of the Apostle John. The Greek word for "denies" is "arneomai," which implies a strong rejection or refusal. In the historical context of early Christianity, this denial was not merely a verbal rejection but a profound theological stance against the divinity and messianic role of Jesus Christ. The early church faced numerous heresies, such as Gnosticism, which denied the true nature of Christ. This phrase serves as a warning against such false teachings, emphasizing the necessity of acknowledging Jesus as the Son of God.

does not have the Father
The relationship between the Father and the Son is central to Christian doctrine. The phrase "does not have the Father" indicates a lack of fellowship or relationship with God. In the Jewish context, claiming to know God while rejecting His Son would be seen as contradictory. The Greek word "echo" for "have" suggests possession or intimate relationship. Thus, John underscores that a true relationship with God the Father is inseparable from acknowledging Jesus Christ as His Son.

whoever confesses the Son
The term "confesses" comes from the Greek "homologeo," meaning to agree or acknowledge openly. This confession is not a mere verbal acknowledgment but a heartfelt declaration of faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Historically, this confession was a bold statement, especially in a hostile environment where Christians faced persecution. It signifies a public and unwavering commitment to the truth of the Gospel.

has the Father as well
This phrase completes the theological assertion that accepting the Son grants one access to the Father. The word "has" again uses the Greek "echo," indicating a deep, abiding relationship. In the broader scriptural context, Jesus Himself stated in John 14:6 that no one comes to the Father except through Him. This reinforces the exclusivity of Christ as the mediator between God and humanity. The assurance of having the Father "as well" provides comfort and certainty to believers, affirming their place in the family of God through their faith in Jesus Christ.

Verse 23. - Every one who denieth the Son not only does that, but οὐδέ doth not possess the Father. To deny that Jesus is the Christ is to deny the Son of God, for the Christ is the incarnate Son; and to deny the Son of God is to deny the Father also, for the incarnate Son is the Revelation of the Father; and not only so, but to deny the Son is to cut one's self off from the Father, for "no one knoweth the Father but the Son, and he to whom the Son will reveal him." To emphasize this great truth St. John uses his favourite motive of stating it both negatively and positively. To deny the Son is not to have the Father; to confess the Son is to have the Father (comp. 1 John 1:5, 8; 1 John 2:4, 27; 1 John 3:6; 1 John 4:2, 3, 6, 7, 8; 1 John 5:12). Note the solemn asyndeta. There is not a single connecting particle in verses 22-24; the sentences fall on the ear like minute-guns. "Every one that denieth." There is no exception. Even an apostle, if he denies that Jesus is the Christ. thereby also loses all possession of the Father. The history of philosophy verifies the statement. Deism has ever a tendency to end in pantheism or atheism.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
Whoever
πᾶς (pas)
Adjective - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3956: All, the whole, every kind of. Including all the forms of declension; apparently a primary word; all, any, every, the whole.

denies
ἀρνούμενος (arnoumenos)
Verb - Present Participle Middle or Passive - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 720: Perhaps from a and the middle voice of rheo; to contradict, i.e. Disavow, reject, abnegate.

the
τὸν (ton)
Article - Accusative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

Son
Υἱὸν (Huion)
Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular
Strong's 5207: A son, descendent. Apparently a primary word; a 'son', used very widely of immediate, remote or figuratively, kinship.

does not have
ἔχει (echei)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 2192: To have, hold, possess. Including an alternate form scheo skheh'-o; a primary verb; to hold.

the
τὸν (ton)
Article - Accusative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

Father;
Πατέρα (Patera)
Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3962: Father, (Heavenly) Father, ancestor, elder, senior. Apparently a primary word; a 'father'.

whoever
(ho)
Article - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

confesses
ὁμολογῶν (homologōn)
Verb - Present Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3670: From a compound of the base of homou and logos; to assent, i.e. Covenant, acknowledge.

the
τὸν (ton)
Article - Accusative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

Son
Υἱὸν (Huion)
Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular
Strong's 5207: A son, descendent. Apparently a primary word; a 'son', used very widely of immediate, remote or figuratively, kinship.

has
ἔχει (echei)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 2192: To have, hold, possess. Including an alternate form scheo skheh'-o; a primary verb; to hold.

the
τὸν (ton)
Article - Accusative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

Father
Πατέρα (Patera)
Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3962: Father, (Heavenly) Father, ancestor, elder, senior. Apparently a primary word; a 'father'.

as well.
καὶ (kai)
Conjunction
Strong's 2532: And, even, also, namely.


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NT Letters: 1 John 2:23 Whoever denies the Son the same doesn't (1J iJ 1Jn i jn 1 jo)
1 John 2:22
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