The letter says the one who denies the Son does not have the Father, while the one who confesses the Son has the Father also. This frames confession of the Son as central to having the Father. See 1 John 2:23.
In 1 John 2:18–23 the writer warns the community that a decisive period has arrived, shown by the appearance of “many antichrists.” These people once belonged to the group but have left, exposing that they were never truly aligned with it. The readers, however, are told they possess an “anointing” that enables them to know the truth. This unit sits inside a larger section that contrasts faithful continuity with deceptive teaching and urges the readers to remain in what they have heard from the beginning.
This passage treats a community crisis: some people who were once part of the group have left and are now identified as serious opponents. The writer reads their departure as revealing something about them: they did not truly “belong” in the way that matters for this community’s identity (explicit in verse 19).
A common mistake is to turn the wording into a slogan. The better reading keeps the phrase tied to the passage, the speaker, and the problem the book is addressing.
Start with 1 John 2:23, then read the surrounding section so the answer stays connected to the passage's flow.
23Whoever denies the Son, the same doesn`t have the Father. He who confesses the Son has the Father also.