The Johannine Letters

[John Reece]

1 John 4:7

Text (NA27):

Αγαπητοί, ἀγαπῶμεν ἀλλήλους, ὅτι ἡ ἀγάπη ἐκ τοῦ θεοῦ ἐστιν, καὶ πᾶς ὁ ἀγαπῶν ἐκ τοῦ θεοῦ γεγέννηται καὶ γινώσκει τὸν θεόν.

Transliteration (Accordance):

Agapētoi, agapōmen allēlous, hoti hē agapē ek tou theou estin, kai pas ho agapōn ek tou theou gegennētai kai ginōskei ton theon.

Translation (NRSV):

Beloved, let us love one another, because love is from God; everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.

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

ἀγαπητός, : beloved.
ἀγαπῶμεν : hortatory subjunctive let us love.
ἐκ τοῦ θεοῦ ἐστιν : is of God
ἀγαπῶν : participle of ἀγαπάω love.
γεγέννηται : perfect passive of γεννάω bear, passive be born.

[John Reece]

1 John 4:8

Text (NA27):

ὁ μὴ ἀγαπῶν οὐκ ἔγνω τὸν θεόν, ὅτι ὁ θεὸς ἀγάπη ἐστίν.

Transliteration (Accordance):

ho mē agapōn ouk egnō ton theon, hoti ho theos agapē estin.

Translation (NRSV):

Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love.

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

ἔγνω, : aorist of γινώσκω know. Note how the knowledge of God is always practical and personal with the object of assimilation which however is only attainable through a rebirth enabling a man to participate in the nature of Him who is love.

[John Reece]

1 John 4:9

Text (NA27):

ἐν τούτῳ ἐφανερώθη ἡ ἀγάπη τοῦ θεοῦ ἐν ἡμῖν, ὅτι τὸν υἱὸν αὐτοῦ τὸν μονογενῆ ἀπέσταλκεν ὁ θεὸς εἰς τὸν κόσμον ἵνα ζήσωμεν δι᾿ αὐτοῦ.

Transliteration (Accordance):
Translation (NRSV):
Grammatical Analysis (Zerwick/BDAG, meanings in this context):

ἐν τούτῳ...ὅτι : this is how... (namely) that.
ἐφανερώθη : aorist passive of φανερόω make clear/known.
ἐν ἡμῖν : among us ― parallel to simple dative.
μονογενής : only (begotten).
ἀπέσταλκεν : perfect of ἀποστέλλω send, perfect so with permanent effect.
ζήσωμεν : aorist subjunctive of ζάω live (aorist perhaps inceptive, come to life).

[John Reece]

1 John 4:10

Text (NA27):

ἐν τούτῳ ἐστὶν ἡ ἀγάπη, οὐχ ὅτι ἡμεῖς ἠγαπήκαμεν τὸν θεὸν ἀλλ᾿ ὅτι αὐτὸς ἠγάπησεν ἡμᾶς καὶ ἀπέστειλεν τὸν υἱὸν αὐτοῦ ἱλασμὸν περὶ τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν ἡμῶν.

Transliteration (Accordance):
Translation (NRSV):

In this is love, not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins.

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

ἠγαπήκαμεν : we love, perfect of ἀγαπάω.
ἠγάπησεν : aorist of ἀγαπάω.
ἀπέστειλεν : aorist of ἀποστέλλω send.
ἱλασμός : atoning sacrifice.

[John Reece]

1 John 4:11

Text (NA27):

Ἀγαπητοί, εἰ οὕτως ὁ θεὸς ἠγάπησεν ἡμᾶς, καὶ ἡμεῖς ὀφείλομεν ἀλλήλους ἀγαπᾶν.

Transliteration (Accordance):

Agapētoi, ei houtōs ho theos ēgapēsen hēmas, kai hēmeis opheilomen allēlous agapan.

Translation (NRSV):

Beloved, since God loved us so much, we also ought to love one another.

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

ἀγαπητός : beloved.
καί : too.
ὀφείλω : owe, with infinitive ought.
ἀγαπᾶν : infinitive of ἀγαπάω love.

[John Reece]

1 John 4:12

Text (NA27):

θεὸν οὐδεὶς πώποτε τεθέαται. ἐὰν ἀγαπῶμεν ἀλλήλους, ὁ θεὸς ἐν ἡμῖν μένει καὶ ἡ ἀγάπη αὐτοῦ ἐν ἡμῖν τετελειωμένη ἐστίν.

Transliteration (Accordance):

theon oudeis pōpote tetheatai. ean agapōmen allēlous, ho theos en hēmin menei kai hē agapē autou en hēmin teteleiōmenē estin.

Translation (NRSV):

No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God lives in us, and his love is perfected in us.

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

πώποτε : ever, at any time.
τεθέαται : perfect of θεάομαι behold, look upon.
ἀγαπῶμεν : subjunctive of ἀγαπάω love.
τετελειωμένη : perfect passive participle of τελειόω make perfect, forming with εἰμί periphrastic perfect tense.

[John Reece]

1 John 4:13

Text (NA27):

Εν τούτῳ γινώσκομεν ὅτι ἐν αὐτῷ μένομεν καὶ αὐτὸς ἐν ἡμῖν, ὅτι ἐκ τοῦ πνεύματος αὐτοῦ δέδωκεν ἡμῖν.

Transliteration (Accordance):

En toutō̧ ginōskomen hoti en autō̧ menomen kai autos en hēmin, hoti ek tou pneumatos autou dedōken hēmin.

Translation (NRSV):

By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit.

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

ὅτι : (first time) that ; (second time) epexegetical τούτῳ this.
ἐκ : partitive of, in modern English preceded by "one" or "some" etc. where appropriate, often untranslatable.
δέδωκεν : perfect of δίδωμι give.

[John Reece]

1 John 4:14

Text (NA27):

καὶ ἡμεῖς τεθεάμεθα καὶ μαρτυροῦμεν ὅτι ὁ πατὴρ ἀπέσταλκεν τὸν υἱὸν σωτῆρα τοῦ κόσμου.

Transliteration (Accordance):

kai hēmeis tetheametha kai martyroumen hoti ho patēr apestalken ton huion sōtēra tou kosmou.

Translation (NRSV):

And we have seen and do testify that the Father has sent his Son as the Savior of the world.

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

ἡμεῖς : we = John speaking as a witness.
ἀπέσταλκεν : perfect of ἀποστέλλω; perfect, so with permanent effect.
σωτήρ, ῆρος, ὁ : predicate savior.

[John Reece]

1 John 4:14

Post repeated to correct oversight in last line.

Text (NA27):

καὶ ἡμεῖς τεθεάμεθα καὶ μαρτυροῦμεν ὅτι ὁ πατὴρ ἀπέσταλκεν τὸν υἱὸν σωτῆρα τοῦ κόσμου.

Transliteration (Accordance):

kai hēmeis tetheametha kai martyroumen hoti ho patēr apestalken ton huion sōtēra tou kosmou.

Translation (NRSV):

And we have seen and do testify that the Father has sent his Son as the Savior of the world.

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

ἡμεῖς : we = John speaking as a witness.
ἀπέσταλκεν : perfect of ἀποστέλλω; perfect, so with permanent effect.
σωτήρ, ῆρος, ὁ : predicate as savior.

[John Reece]

1 John 4:15

Text (NA27):

Ὃς ἐὰν ὁμολογήσῃ ὅτι Ἰησοῦς ἐστιν ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ θεοῦ, ὁ θεὸς ἐν αὐτῷ μένει καὶ αὐτὸς ἐν τῷ θεῷ.

Transliteration (Accordance):

hOs ean homologēsȩ̄ hoti Iēsous estin ho huios tou theou, ho theos en autō̧ menei kai autos en tō̧ theō̧.

Translation (RSV):

Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God.

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

ὃς ἐάν : whoever.
ὁμολογήσῃ : airiest subjunctive of ὁμολογέω acknowledge, confess.

[John Reece]

1 John 4:16

Text (NA27):

καὶ ἡμεῖς ἐγνώκαμεν καὶ πεπιστεύκαμεν τὴν ἀγάπην ἣν ἔχει ὁ θεὸς ἐν ἡμῖν.
Ὁ θεὸς ἀγάπη ἐστίν, καὶ ὁ μένων ἐν τῇ ἀγάπῃ ἐν τῷ θεῷ μένει καὶ ὁ θεὸς ἐν αὐτῷ μένει.

Transliteration (Accordance):

kai hēmeis egnōkamen kai pepisteukamen tēn agapēn hēn echei ho theos en hēmin.
Ho theos agapē estin, kai ho menōn en tȩ̄ agapȩ̄ en tō̧ theō̧ menei kai ho theos en autō̧ menei.

Translation (RSV):

So we know and believe the love God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.

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

ἐγνώκαμεν : perfect of γινώσκω know.
πεπιστεύκαμεν : perfect of πιστεύω believe.
ἐν ἡμῖν : ? "the love poured into our hearts" (Rom 5:5).

[John Reece]

1 John 4:17

Text (NA27):

Εν τούτῳ τετελείωται ἡ ἀγάπη μεθ᾿ ἡμῶν, ἵνα παρρησίαν ἔχωμεν ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τῆς κρίσεως, ὅτι καθὼς ἐκεῖνός ἐστιν καὶ ἡμεῖς ἐσμεν ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ τούτῳ.

Transliteration (Accordance):
Translation (RSV):

In this is love perfected with us, that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so are we in this world.

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

τετελείωται : perfect passive of τελειόω make perfect.
παρρησία : confidence.
ἔχωμεν : subjunctive of ἔχω have.
καθώς...καί : such as...so ; "such as he is so are we in the world".

[John Reece]

1 John 4:18

Text (NA27):

φόβος οὐκ ἔστιν ἐν τῇ ἀγάπῃ ἀλλ᾿ ἡ τελεία ἀγάπη ἔξω βάλλει τὸν φόβον, ὅτι ὁ φόβος κόλασιν ἔχει, ὁ δὲ φοβούμενος οὐ τετελείωται ἐν τῇ ἀγάπῃ.

Transliteration (Accordance):
Translation (RSV):

There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and he who fears is not perfected in love.

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

φόβος : fear, φόβος οὐκ ἔστιν ἐν... there is no fear in...
τέλειος : perfect.
ἔξω : out(side).
κόλασις : (< κολάζω punish) : punishment.
ἔχω : have, here, involve, entail.

[John Reece]

1 John 4:19

Text (NA27):

ἡμεῖς ἀγαπῶμεν, ὅτι αὐτὸς πρῶτος ἠγάπησεν ἡμᾶς.

Transliteration (Accordance):

hēmeis agapōmen, hoti autos prōtos ēgapēsen hēmas.

Translation (RSV):

We love, because he first loved us.

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

ἀγαπῶμεν : indicative we love.
πρῶτος : for πρότερος first.
ἠγάπησεν : aorist of ἀγαπάω love.

[John Reece]

1 John 4:20

Text (NA27):
Transliteration (Accordance):

ean tis eipȩ̄ hoti agapō ton theon kai ton adelphon autou misȩ̄, pseustēs estin; ho gar mē agapōn ton adelphon autou hon heōraken, ton theon hon ouch heōraken ou dynatai agapan.

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

εἴπῃ : aorist subjunctive of λέγω say.
ὅτι = "...
μισῇ : subjunctive of μισέω hate.
ψεύστης : liar.
ἀγαπῶν : participle of ἀγαπάω love.
ἑώρακεν : perfect of ὁράω see.
ἀγαπᾶν : infinitive of ἀγαπάω love.