The Johannine Letters

[John Reece]

1 John 2:1

Text: 1 John 2:1 (NA27):

Τεκνία μου, ταῦτα γράφω ὑμῖν ἵνα μὴ ἁμάρτητε. καὶ ἐάν τις ἁμάρτῃ, παράκλητον ἔχομεν πρὸς τὸν πατέρα Ἰησοῦν Χριστὸν δίκαιον

Transliteration (Accordance):

Teknia mou, tauta graphō hymin hina mē hamartēte. kai ean tis hamartȩ̄, paraklēton echomen pros ton patera Iēsoun Christon dikaion

Translation (ESV):

My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.

Grammatical Analysis (Zerwick/BDAG, meanings in this context):

τεκνίον : diminutive of τέκνον child.
ἁμάρτητε : that you may not commit sin, aorist subjunctive of ἁμαρτάνω.
παράκλητος : advocate, spokesman, intercessor.
πρός : with accusative of person, with.

[John Reece]

1 John 2:2

Text (NA27):

καὶ αὐτὸς ἱλασμός ἐστιν περὶ τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν ἡμῶν, οὐ περὶ τῶν ἡμετέρων δὲ μόνον ἀλλὰ καὶ περὶ ὅλου τοῦ κόσμου.

Transliteration (Accordance):

kai autos hilasmos estin peri tōn hamartiōn hēmōn, ou peri tōn hēmeterōn de monon alla kai peri holou tou kosmou.

Translation (ESV):

He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.

Grammatical Analysis (Zerwick/BDAG, meanings in this context):

ἱλασμός : propitiation, expiation, in which case abstract for concrete ; but sometimes (and probably here) offering, sacrifice offered as propitiation.
περίfor, in behalf of, for the sake of someone/something.
ἡμέτερος : ours.

[John Reece]

1 John 2:3

Text (NA27):

Καὶ ἐν τούτῳ γινώσκομεν ὅτι ἐγνώκαμεν αὐτόν, ἐὰν τὰς ἐντολὰς αὐτοῦ τηρῶμεν.

Transliteration (Accordance):

Kai en toutō̧ ginōskomen hoti egnōkamen auton, ean tas entolas autou tērōmen.

Translation (ESV):

And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments.

Grammatical Analysis (Zerwick/BDAG, meanings in this context):

ἐν τούτῳ : by this means, taken up by ἐάν if...
ἐγνώκαμεν : perfect of γινώσκω know in sense of knowledge through personal relationship fruitful in a life conformed to its object.
τηρῶμεν : subjunctive of τηρέω observe, keep.

[John Reece]

1 John 2:4

Text (NA27):

ὁ λέγων ὅτι ἔγνωκα αὐτόν καὶ τὰς ἐντολὰς αὐτοῦ μὴ τηρῶν, ψεύστης ἐστίν καὶ ἐν τούτῳ ἡ ἀλήθεια οὐκ ἔστιν

Transliteration (Accordance):

ho legōn hoti egnōka auton kai tas entolas autou mē tērōn, pseustēs estin kai en toutō̧ hē alētheia ouk estin

Translation (ESV):
Grammatical Analysis (Zerwick/BDAG, meanings in this context):

ὁ λέγων : a man who says, participle of λέγω.
ὅτι = "...
τηρῶν : participle of τηρέω keep.
ψεύστης : lier.

[John Reece]

1 John 2:5

Text (NA27):

ὃς δ᾿ ἂν τηρῇ αὐτοῦ τὸν λόγον, ἀληθῶς ἐν τούτῳ ἡ ἀγάπη τοῦ θεοῦ τετελείωται, ἐν τούτῳ γινώσκομεν ὅτι ἐν αὐτῷ ἐσμεν.

Transliteration (Accordance):
Translation (ESV):

but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him:

Grammatical Analysis (Zerwick/BDAG, meanings in this context):

τηρῇ : subjunctive of τηρέω keep.
ἀληθῶς : truly.
ἐν τούτῳ : (1st time) masculine in him ; (2nd time) neuter by this, i.e. by a Christ-like life.
τετελείωται : perfected, perfect passive of τελειόω.
ἐν αὐτῷ ἐσμεν : we are in (intimate union with) him.

[John Reece]

1 John 2:6

Text (NA27):

ὁ λέγων ἐν αὐτῷ μένειν ὀφείλει καθὼς ἐκεῖνος περιεπάτησεν καὶ αὐτὸς [οὕτως] περιπατεῖν.

Transliteration (Accordance):

ho legōn en autō̧ menein opheilei kathōs ekeinos periepatēsen kai autos [houtōs] peripatein.

Translation (ESV):

whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.

Grammatical Analysis (Zerwick/BDAG, meanings in this context):

ὁ λέγων : here virtually "one who claims".
ὀφείλω : owe, with infinitive ought.
καθὼς ἐκεῖνος...καὶ αὐτὸς : "exactly as he (Jesus)...so he", i.e. ought himself so to live as he (Jesus) lived.
περιεπάτησεν : aorist of περιπατέω, context revealing a constative (global) aorist.
αὐτός : nominative emphatic, himself.
περιπατεῖν : infinitive depending on ὀφείλει.

[John Reece]

1 John 2:7

Text (NA27):
Transliteration (Accordance):
Translation (ESV):

Beloved, I am writing you no new commandment, but an old commandment that you had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word that you have heard.

Grammatical Analysis (Zerwick/BDAG, meanings in this context):

ἀγαπητός : beloved.
καινός : fresh, new.
παλαιός : old, καινήν...παλαιάν (1st time) predicate a commandment which is new...which is old.
εἴχετε : imperfect of ἔχω have.
ἀρχή : beginning, here = when the gospel was first preached to them.
ἠκούσατε : aorist of ἀκούω hear.

[John Reece]

1 John 2:8

Text (NA27):

πάλιν ἐντολὴν καινὴν γράφω ὑμῖν, ὅ ἐστιν ἀληθὲς ἐν αὐτῷ καὶ ἐν ὑμῖν, ὅτι ἡ σκοτία παράγεται καὶ τὸ φῶς τὸ ἀληθινὸν ἤδη φαίνει.

Transliteration (Accordance):

palin entolēn kainēn graphō hymin, ho estin alēthes en autō̧ kai en hymin, hoti hē skotia paragetai kai to phōs to alēthinon ēdē phainei.

Translation (ESV):

At the same time, it is a new commandment that I am writing to you, which is true in him and in you, because the darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining.

Grammatical Analysis (Zerwick/BDAG, meanings in this context):

πάλιν : again, at the same time a new commandment.
ὅ : which fact referring to the following clause ὅτι ἡ σκοτία παράγεται.
ἀληθής : true in fact, verified.
ὅτι : because, explaining why it is new.
σκοτία : darkness.
παράγεται : passive of παράγω lead past ; passive intransitive pass (away).
ἀληθινός : true, genuine.
ἤδη : already.
φαίνω : show ; shine.

[John Reece]

1 John 2:9

Text (NA27):

Ὁ λέγων ἐν τῷ φωτὶ εἶναι καὶ τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ μισῶν ἐν τῇ σκοτίᾳ ἐστὶν ἕως ἄρτι.

Transliteration (Accordance):

O legōn en tō̧ phōti einai kai ton adelphon autou misōn en tȩ̄ skotia̧ estin heōs arti.

Translation (ESV):

Whoever says he is in the light and hates his brother is still in darkness.

Grammatical Analysis (Zerwick/BDAG, meanings in this context):

ἐν τῷ φωτί : in the light, associated with εἶναι to be.
μισῶν : participle of μισέω hate.
ἄρτι : now ; ἕως ἄρτι up to now, still.

[John Reece]

1 John 2:10

Text (NA27):
Transliteration (Accordance):

ho agapōn ton adelphon autou en tō̧ phōti menei kai skandalon en autō̧ ouk estin

Translation (ESV):

Whoever loves his brother abides in the light, and in him there is no cause for stumbling.

Grammatical Analysis (Zerwick/BDAG, meanings in this context):

ἀγαπῶν : participle of ἀγαπάω love.
σκάνδαλον : stumbling block, occasion of sin, σκάνδαλον ἐν αὐτῷ οὐκ ἔστιν possibly meaning "he does not constitute an occasion of sin to others", i.e. he does not make life difficult for them, but σκάνδαλον may also bear the meaning fall(ing) into sin.

[John Reece]

1 John 2:11

Text (NA27):

ὁ δὲ μισῶν τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ ἐν τῇ σκοτίᾳ ἐστὶν καὶ ἐν τῇ σκοτίᾳ περιπατεῖ καὶ οὐκ οἶδεν ποῦ ὑπάγει, ὅτι ἡ σκοτία ἐτύφλωσεν τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς αὐτοῦ.

Transliteration (Accordance):

ho de misōn ton adelphon autou en tȩ̄ skotia̧ estin kai en tȩ̄ skotia̧ peripatei kai ouk oiden pou hypagei, hoti hē skotia etyphlōsen tous ophthalmous autou.

Translation (ESV):

But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.

Grammatical Analysis (Zerwick/BDAG, meanings in this context):

ποῦ : as indirect interrogative where.
ὑπάγω : go away, here simply go.
ἐτύφλωσεν : aorist of τυφλόω blind.

[John Reece]

1 John 2:12

Text (NA27):

Γράφω ὑμῖν, τεκνία, ὅτι ἀφέωνται ὑμῖν αἱ ἁμαρτίαι διὰ τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ.

Transliteration (Accordance):

Graphō hymin, teknia, hoti apheōntai hymin hai hamartiai dia to onoma autou.

Translation (ESV):

I am writing to you, little children, because your sins are forgiven for his name's sake.

Grammatical Analysis (Zerwick/BDAG, meanings in this context):

τεκνία : diminutive of τέκνον child.
ἀφέωνται : perfect passive of ἀφίημι forgive.
διὰ τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ : for his name's sake, the name representing the person himself.

[John Reece]

1 John 2:13

Text (NA27):

γράφω ὑμῖν, πατέρες, ὅτι ἐγνώκατε τὸν ἀπ᾿ ἀρχῆς. γράφω ὑμῖν, νεανίσκοι, ὅτι νενικήκατε τὸν πονηρόν.

Transliteration (Accordance):
Translation (ESV):

I am writing to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning. I am writing to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one.

Grammatical Analysis (Zerwick/BDAG, meanings in this context):

ἐγνώκατε : perfect of γινώσκω know.
τὸν ἀπ᾿ ἀρχῆς : him who is from the beginning.
νεανίσκος : young man.
νενικήκατε : perfect of νικάω overcome.
ὁ πονερός : the Evil One = the Devil.

[John Reece]

1 John 2:14

Text (NA27):

ἔγραψα ὑμῖν, παιδία, ὅτι ἐγνώκατε τὸν πατέρα. ἔγραψα ὑμῖν, πατέρες, ὅτι ἐγνώκατε τὸν ἀπ᾿ ἀρχῆς. ἔγραψα ὑμῖν, νεανίσκοι, ὅτι ἰσχυροί ἐστε καὶ ὁ λόγος τοῦ θεοῦ ἐν ὑμῖν μένει καὶ νενικήκατε τὸν πονηρόν.

Transliteration (Accordance):
Translation (ESV):

I write to you children, because you know the Father. I write to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning. I write to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one.

Grammatical Analysis (Zerwick/BDAG, meanings in this context):

ἔγραψα : epistolary aorist of γράφω write.
παιδίον : diminutive of παῖς child.
ἰσχυρός : strong.

[John Reece]

1 John 2:15

Text (NA27):

Μὴ ἀγαπᾶτε τὸν κόσμον μηδὲ τὰ ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ. ἐάν τις ἀγαπᾷ τὸν κόσμον, οὐκ ἔστιν ἡ ἀγάπη τοῦ πατρὸς ἐν αὐτῷ

Transliteration (Accordance):

Mē agapate ton kosmon mēde ta en tō̧ kosmō̧. ean tis agapa̧ ton kosmon, ouk estin hē agapē tou patros en autō̧

Translation (ESV):

Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

Grammatical Analysis (Zerwick/BDAG, meanings in this context):

ἀγαπᾶτε : imperative of ἀγαπάω love.
τὰ ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ : the things of the world, here especially as distractions from the service of God, ὁ κόσμος at times denoting the kingdom of sin actively hostile to God, at others, secular society estranged from and ignorant of the kingdom of God.
ἀγαπᾷ : subjunctive.
ἡ ἀγάπη τοῦ πατρός : generalized genitive signifying the whole complex relation between ἀγάπη and πατήρ: in John man's love for the Father is grounded in the love with which he first loved us.