Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary 1 John 2:23

"Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father: he that confesseth the Son hath the Father also." — 1 John 2:23 (ASV)

The statement “No one who denies the Son has the Father; whoever acknowledges the Son has the Father also” makes clear the singular dependence of the Christian faith on the reality of God available through the Son. Those who claim they have a Father but exclude the Son have neither the Father nor the Son. Consequently, when Jesus is acknowledged as the Son and as the eternal Christ, the Father has also truly been lifted up, known and honored, confessed and possessed. John is not talking here about having a creed but about possessing a person by accepting or acknowledging our relationship to him. So also we deny God by denying him his proper relationship with us.