What does 1 John 2:24 mean?
John appeals to the message these believers had first accepted. The original message they had received was the true gospel; this is to abide or remain in them. John's focus on the importance of "beginnings" is evident in this letter (1 John 1:1; 2:7, 13, 14, 24; 3:8, 11). The claims of false teachers are not to be rejected simply because they are new, but because they don't agree with the original message John and other early church leaders proclaimed.John also adds that those who reject the message of these antichrists can continue in fellowship with God. Accepting these false teachings will destroy the relationship we are supposed to have with Christ. Unlike the antichrists or false teachers who did not abide, these believers did remain faithful. They "abided" in the Son and the Father. They did not reject one or the other, but remained true in their beliefs regarding both God the Son and God the Father.