Thursday, June 23, 2005

 

Notes on 1 John 1:1-2:2; 2:28-3:10

Following Mounce's A Graded Reader of Biblical Greek, I read 1 John 1:1-2:2; 2:28-3:10. These are my notes.

Text

1 John 1:1 Ὃ ἦν ἀπ' ἀρχῆς, ὃ ἀκηκόαμεν, ὃ ἑωράκαμεν τοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς ἡμῶν, ὃ ἐθεασάμεθα καὶ αἱ χεῖρες ἡμῶν ἐψηλάφησαν, περὶ τοῦ λόγου τῆς ζωῆς
1 John 1:2 καὶ ἡ ζωὴ ἐφανερώθη, καὶ ἑωράκαμεν καὶ μαρτυροῦμεν καὶ ἀπαγγέλλομεν ὑμῖν τὴν ζωὴν τὴν αἰώνιον ἥτις ἦν πρὸς τὸν πατέρα καὶ ἐφανερώθη ἡμῖν
1 John 1:3 ὃ ἑωράκαμεν καὶ ἀκηκόαμεν ἀπαγγέλλομεν καὶ ὑμῖν, ἵνα καὶ ὑμεῖς κοινωνίαν ἔχητε μεθ' ἡμῶν. καὶ ἡ κοινωνία δὲ ἡ ἡμετέρα μετὰ τοῦ πατρὸς καὶ μετὰ τοῦ υἱοῦ αὐτοῦ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ.
1 John 1:4 καὶ ταῦτα γράφομεν ἡμεῖς ἵνα ἡ χαρὰ ἡμῶν ᾖ πεπληρωμένη.
1 John 1:5 Καὶ ἔστιν αὕτη ἡ ἀγγελία ἣν ἀκηκόαμεν ἀπ' αὐτοῦ καὶ ἀναγγέλλομεν ὑμῖν, ὅτι ὁ θεὸς φῶς ἐστιν καὶ σκοτία ἐν αὐτῷ οὐκ ἔστιν οὐδεμία.
1 John 1:6 Ἐὰν εἴπωμεν ὅτι κοινωνίαν ἔχομεν μετ' αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐν τῷ σκότει περιπατῶμεν, ψευδόμεθα καὶ οὐ ποιοῦμεν τὴν ἀλήθειαν·
1 John 1:7 ἐὰν δὲ ἐν τῷ φωτὶ περιπατῶμεν ὡς αὐτός ἐστιν ἐν τῷ φωτί, κοινωνίαν ἔχομεν μετ' ἀλλήλων καὶ τὸ αἷμα Ἰησοῦ τοῦ υἱοῦ αὐτοῦ καθαρίζει ἡμᾶς ἀπὸ πάσης ἁμαρτίας.
1 John 1:8 ἐὰν εἴπωμεν ὅτι ἁμαρτίαν οὐκ ἔχομεν, ἑαυτοὺς πλανῶμεν καὶ ἡ ἀλήθεια οὐκ ἔστιν ἐν ἡμῖν.
1 John 1:9 ἐὰν ὁμολογῶμεν τὰς ἁμαρτίας ἡμῶν, πιστός ἐστιν καὶ δίκαιος ἵνα ἀφῇ ἡμῖν τὰς ἁμαρτίας καὶ καθαρίσῃ ἡμᾶς ἀπὸ πάσης ἀδικίας.
1 John 1:10 ἐὰν εἴπωμεν ὅτι οὐχ ἡμαρτήκαμεν, ψεύστην ποιοῦμεν αὐτὸν καὶ ὁ λόγος αὐτοῦ οὐκ ἔστιν ἐν ἡμῖν.
1 John 2:1 Τεκνία μου, ταῦτα γράφω ὑμῖν ἵνα μὴ ἁμάρτητε. καὶ ἐάν τις ἁμάρτῃ, παράκλητον ἔχομεν πρὸς τὸν πατέρα, Ἰησοῦν Χριστὸν δίκαιον·
1 John 2:2 καὶ αὐτὸς ἱλασμός ἐστιν περὶ τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν ἡμῶν, οὐ περὶ τῶν ἡμετέρων δὲ μόνον ἀλλὰ καὶ περὶ ὅλου τοῦ κόσμου.
[...]
1 John 2:28 Καὶ νῦν, τεκνία, μένετε ἐν αὐτῷ, ἵνα ἐὰν φανερωθῇ σχῶμεν παρρησίαν καὶ μὴ αἰσχυνθῶμεν ἀπ' αὐτοῦ ἐν τῇ παρουσίᾳ αὐτοῦ.
1 John 2:29 ἐὰν εἰδῆτε ὅτι δίκαιός ἐστιν, γινώσκετε ὅτι καὶ πᾶς ὁ ποιῶν τὴν δικαιοσύνην ἐξ αὐτοῦ γεγέννηται.
1 John 3:1 ἴδετε ποταπὴν ἀγάπην δέδωκεν ἡμῖν ὁ πατὴρ ἵνα τέκνα θεοῦ κληθῶμεν· καὶ ἐσμέν. διὰ τοῦτο ὁ κόσμος οὐ γινώσκει ἡμᾶς ὅτι οὐκ ἔγνω αὐτόν.
1 John 3:2 Ἀγαπητοί, νῦν τέκνα θεοῦ ἐσμεν, καὶ οὔπω ἐφανερώθη τί ἐσόμεθα. οἴδαμεν ὅτι ἐὰν φανερωθῇ ὅμοιοι αὐτῷ ἐσόμεθα, ὅτι ὀψόμεθα αὐτὸν καθώς ἐστιν.
1 John 3:3 καὶ πᾶς ὁ ἔχων τὴν ἐλπίδα ταύτην ἐπ' αὐτῷ ἁγνίζει ἑαυτὸν καθὼς ἐκεῖνος ἁγνός ἐστιν.
1 John 3:4 Πᾶς ὁ ποιῶν τὴν ἁμαρτίαν καὶ τὴν ἀνομίαν ποιεῖ, καὶ ἡ ἁμαρτία ἐστὶν ἡ ἀνομία.
1 John 3:5 καὶ οἴδατε ὅτι ἐκεῖνος ἐφανερώθη ἵνα τὰς ἁμαρτίας ἄρῃ, καὶ ἁμαρτία ἐν αὐτῷ οὐκ ἔστιν.
1 John 3:6 πᾶς ὁ ἐν αὐτῷ μένων οὐχ ἁμαρτάνει· πᾶς ὁ ἁμαρτάνων οὐχ ἑώρακεν αὐτὸν οὐδὲ ἔγνωκεν αὐτόν.
1 John 3:7 Τεκνία, μηδεὶς πλανάτω ὑμᾶς· ὁ ποιῶν τὴν δικαιοσύνην δίκαιός ἐστιν, καθὼς ἐκεῖνος δίκαιός ἐστιν·
1 John 3:8 ὁ ποιῶν τὴν ἁμαρτίαν ἐκ τοῦ διαβόλου ἐστίν, ὅτι ἀπ' ἀρχῆς ὁ διάβολος ἁμαρτάνει. εἰς τοῦτο ἐφανερώθη ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ θεοῦ, ἵνα λύσῃ τὰ ἔργα τοῦ διαβόλου.
1 John 3:9 Πᾶς ὁ γεγεννημένος ἐκ τοῦ θεοῦ ἁμαρτίαν οὐ ποιεῖ, ὅτι σπέρμα αὐτοῦ ἐν αὐτῷ μένει· καὶ οὐ δύναται ἁμαρτάνειν, ὅτι ἐκ τοῦ θεοῦ γεγέννηται.
1 John 3:10 ἐν τούτῳ φανερά ἐστιν τὰ τέκνα τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ τὰ τέκνα τοῦ διαβόλου· πᾶς ὁ μὴ ποιῶν δικαιοσύνην οὐκ ἔστιν ἐκ τοῦ θεοῦ, καὶ ὁ μὴ ἀγαπῶν τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ.

My Notes

1:1
  • Ὃ, relative neuter, ὃς, ἣ, ὃ ; therefore, "what" (quod). It includes all the things that follow, and it encompasses the whole message that is being communicated. It would be a mistake to translate as "the one who", linking it to the masculine λογος. Theologically, this has the meaning that the message is not to be identified with a single aspect (say, Christ as "λογος"). The word order is also interesting: we do not find the main verb until v.3 (ἀπαγγέλλομεν), so the emphasis is on the object described in the first two long verses: this quod.
  • ἀπ' ἀρχῆς, obviously reminds of John 1:1. It is debated whether the reference can also be seen to point to Gen 1.
  • ἀκηκόαμεν and ἑωράκαμεν, perfect tenses (ακουω and οραω). The meaning of the perfect is to describe a past action whose effects are felt in the present as well. ἐθεασάμεθα is aorist deponent from θεαομαι, and the difference between this verb and οραω should be noted. οραω is here "have seen when he was with us", with an emphasis on the action of witnessing (reinforced by the use of the perfect tense), cf John 3:32, ὃ ἑώρακεν και ἤκουσεν, τοῦτο μαρτυρεῖ. θεαομαι is in the aorist to indicate a one-off action in the past, to reinforce the fact that Jesus had really been seen when he was with "them" (note the use of the 3pl throughout, to indicate a community of original witnesses speaking to a community of people walking toward the light); this is confirmed by the use of the sensorial verb (also in the aorist) ψηλαφάω, "I touch".
  • τοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς, instrumental dative. χειρ, χειρος.
  • περὶ τοῦ λόγου τῆς ζωῆς: an interesting question is how to interpret τῆς ζωῆς. It could be seen epexegetically (the word which is life), adjectivally (the living word), or objectivally (the word about life). Perhaps one should see this in light of the use of the word ζωὴ in 1 John and in the Gospel of John (especially the prologue). In 1 John, looking e.g. at 1:2, it seems clear that what was manifested (Christ, and specifically the Christ of history) was life itself: καὶ ἡ ζωὴ ἐφανερώθη. And in several other points, e.g. 2:25, 3:15, 5:11, 5:20, "life" is qualified with the adjective "eternal" (ζωὴ αἰώνιος). And note 5:12, ὁ ἔχων τὸν υἱὸν ἔχει τὴν ζωήν, which identifies life with Christ. In the prologue of the Gospel of John, John 1:4 has ἐν αὐτῷ ζωὴ ἦν. For all these reasons, I think an epexegetical meaning (the word which is life) best fits the context here.
1:2
  • One could have expected a perfect here instead of the aorist ἐφανερώθη (passive from φανεροω). Evidently this verb must be linked to the past experience described by ἐθεασάμεθα and ἐψηλάφησαν, on the human life of Jesus (against docetist interpretations, perhaps), which seems confirmed by καὶ ἐφανερώθη ἡμῖν at the end of the verse. The ζωὴ in 1:2 specifically refers to the human experience (keep in mind again John 1:4, ἐν αὐτῷ ζωὴ ἦν); it is the same ζωὴ that in the same verse is qualified with τὴν ζωὴν τὴν αἰώνιον and that in the previous verse was identified with the word (see comments above).
  • ἐφανερώθη: the passive conveys a powerful theological message. This is the same life of which John 1:1 says that, ἦν πρὸς τὸν θεόν.
  • μαρτυροῦμεν καὶ ἀπαγγέλλομεν, shift to present tense. This reinforces the interpretation of the perfect tense: due to these things we have seen and heard, and which have a lasting effect even now, we are witnessing and announcing to you...
  • πρὸς τὸν πατέρα, it was "toward" the Father, perhaps in the sense of eternal contemplation and fellowship.
1:3
  • ἀπαγγέλλομεν καὶ ὑμῖν, ἵνα καὶ ὑμεῖς: και in the sense of "also", we are announcing this also to you, so that you too... to mean that the readers of this letter are just one of the many groups to which the witness of the writers is directed. Others have already heard the message and come to the faith, we are now announcing the good news also to you.
  • κοινωνία, ας, ἡ. The first meaning indicated by the BDAG is "close association involving mutual interest and sharing". It is a much wider sense than just hearing a message from others: it implies active, mutual and lasting participation and fellowship. This κοινωνια can be with men (as here), or with God (v.6), implying the personal aspect of the Divinity (a personal God is necessary if one wants to have mutual, or bi-directional, communication), or with the gospel at large (cf. Phil 1:5, κοινωνια εις το ευαγγελιον). It is not necessarily a positive communion, as Job 34:8 shows (LXX). The root comes from κοινος, η, ον, "communal, common", cf. Acts 2:44, πάντες δὲ οἱ πιστεύοντες ἦσαν ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτὸ καὶ εἶχον ἅπαντα κοινά; cf. also Acts 2:42, ἦσαν δὲ προσκαρτεροῦντες τῇ διδαχῇ τῶν ἀποστόλων καὶ τῇ κοινωνίᾳ.
  • ἔχητε, note the subjunctive. First of all, the fact that it is in the present indicates a continuous action: so that you may progressively have (or continue to have) communion. But the fact that it is subjunctive and not indicative indicates that this is a possibility offered to you: you may not have communion now, in other words you may currently be separated from communion; but you can, if you want, walk (see περιπατεω in v.6) toward communion. Conversely, you may also well decide not to have communion.
  • κοινωνία [...] μετὰ τοῦ πατρὸς καὶ μετὰ τοῦ υἱοῦ, implicit "is" (in the present, to indicate a fact, not a possibility, contrast with the subj. above). ημέτερος, α, ον: our. Hence, the writer implies, if you have communion with us, you will also have communion with the Father, and with his Son. That's why this κοινωνια is important.
1:4
  • και, here in the sense of "therefore, so".
  • χαρα, "joy". In general, the "experience of gladness"; in Johannine literature, this is especially the highest possible joy. It is the continuous effect (see below) that the message of the gospel should bring to us. Conversely, one could test his/her adherence to Jesus by looking at his/her own joy and joyful attitude. A gloomy Christian is not a Christian. Paul makes this explicit in Phil 1:25 when he talks about the χαρα της πιστεως, the joy that comes from the faith.
  • ᾖ πεπληρωμένη. Periphrastic passive; note that ᾖ is subj. of ειμι. The periphrastic construction here gives importance to the aspect: it is a process of continuous accomplishment of joy/gladness. The subj. mood emphasizes again that this is a possibility. If one adopts the alternative reading ἵνα ἡ χαρὰ ὑμῶν ᾖ πεπληρωμένη, cf. John 16:24, this would mean again that if you decide to follow us, then your joy may become full. With the NA27 reading, the joy of the witnesses themselves is linked to the fate of those hearing them: the witnesses will only have full joy if/when their message is heard and accepted by those who have heard it; this is the urgence of the apostolate, and a sign of true communion with mankind. The perfect πεπληρωμένη reinforces once again the already/not yet meaning of these verses.
1:5
  • Only present tense here: this is the living message, without the shadow of a doubt, that originated from the message that (relative ἣν) we heard.
  • φως, φωτος, neuter. Cf. 1QS, Barnabas 18-21, Didache 1-6.
  • οὐκ ἔστιν οὐδεμία: double negation, underlining that no darkness can be present in God.
1:6
  • Ἐὰν εἴπωμεν: the subj. points again to the possibility, if (but as a derivative: whenever) we say we have κοινωνία and walk instead in the darkness... Note that darkness here is the neuter σκότος rather than the feminine σκοτία of 1:5. The two forms appear to have equivalent meaning, with σκότος being the oldest of the two. They indicate both spiritual and moral darkness. It may be interesting to note that classical Greek has another form for darkness, ζόφος, which is somewhat weaker in meaning.
  • ψευδόμεθα is present, middle voice, from ψευδομαι; interesting use of the middle, to stress perhaps the inner act of deception.
  • Note present tense in περιπατῶμεν and in ποιοῦμεν: we may say (aor. to indicate a one-off action) that we are in communion, but if we walk in the darkness (present: continuous aspect), we do not, and keep on not doing, the truth (and we keep on deceiving ourselves). Walking in the darkness is not a one-off action, it is a deliberate, continuous act.
  • περιπατεω has the general meaning not only of "walking here and there" (περι), but of conducting one's life; it is used to indicate one's manner of life. So here we are told on the one hand that wandering here and there in the darkness does not lead to the truth; and on the other hand (clearly linked to the previous meaning) that dedicating our life to darkness also does not obviously lead to the truth. The truth is reachable (but see below for a qualification of this "reachable") only if our behavior, our life, our willingness, is out of the darkness.
  • ποιοῦμεν τὴν ἀλήθειαν: interesting that truth is qualified not by a verb of knowledge (we reach, understand, grasp, approach, etc the truth), but rather by a verb of action: we do the truth. This reinforces the understanding of περιπατεω as a verb that hints to how one practically leads one's life. This message is a practical (not a theoretical) one. Cf. also how one does τὸ θέλημα τοῦ θεοῦ (2:17), τὴν δικαιοσύνην (2:29), τὴν ἁμαρτίαν (3:4).
1:7
  • ὡς αὐτός ἐστιν: God is in the light, we walk in the light. There is a path shown here, and at the same time a clear difference of degree between us and God. 1 Tim 6:16 specifies that difference by saying that God is the one φῶς οἰκῶν ἀπρόσιτον, who dwells in the inaccessible light.
  • μετ' ἀλλήλων: so, on the one hand, if we walk in the darkness, we are not in fellowship with God (1:6); therefore, if we want to want to have fellowship with God, we must walk in the light. And on the other, if we walk in the light, not only shall we be in fellowship with God, but also with one another. This, of being in fellowship with one another, becomes therefore a very practical way to check to what extent we are walking (remember the continuous aspect brought about by the present tense) in the light. Note that 1:3 had already said that mutual fellowship originates from the sharing of the good news of God and of his Son.
  • τὸ αἷμα Ἰησοῦ: emphasis on the human nature (one would say, the real blood); τοῦ υἱοῦ αὐτοῦ: emphasis on the divine nature.
  • καθαρίζει: it is important to understand that this is not just forgiving of the sins, it is complete removal (the difference between the two verbs will be made explicit in 1:9). Again, the present tense stresses the continuous action of removing the sins; it is continuous apparently because we constantly need to be made clean (consistently with the idea of the walking path). καθαριζω in general means "to make clean, cleanse, purify", often with an emphasis on ritual purity. Here, the rite that purifies (from all sins - collectively taken, see below) is the sacrifice of the man Jesus, the Son of God.
  • ἐὰν δὲ: Bultmann spoke of Johannine determinism: applied here, one could say that, as long as we walk in the light, our sins are constantly removed.
1:8
  • ἁμαρτίαν οὐκ ἔχομεν: the BDAG says that αμαρτιαν εχειν means "to possess a sinful nature". So, we are not debating here individual sins (and, as a matter of fact, αμαρτια is in the singular, perhaps to encompasses the category of sin, rather than the individual sins: cf. 1:9 instead): we are discussing the case when one pretends that his very nature is not sinful. Cmp. with οὐχ ἡμαρτήκαμεν of 1:10. Note that the author uses 1st pl. throughout, to include himself in the category of those "having sins". This verse may be directed toward certain thought systems that taught that human nature is sinless. Again, εχομεν (present tense) asks us to focus on the ongoing process of having sins. (i.e. it is not the case that just for example by accepting a doctrine, even Christianity, sins are eradicated once and for all.)
  • ἑαυτοὺς πλανῶμεν: in other words, we fail to recognize things as they really are. πλαναω is "to lead astray", so believing that we are sinless is inner deception, in the sense that it leads us in the wrong direction (more on this below). Note that the focus is on us: we deceive and damage ourselves, not others.
1:9
  • ὁμολογῶμεν: note again the present tense, indicating the necessary ongoing practice of confessing sins. All the other occurrences of ὁμολογέω in 1 John refer to "confessing Jesus" rather than sins (ditto in the gospel of John). Confessing (litererally, "speaking together") has the meaning of acknowledging sins as real here, and is contrasted to the refusal to admit that we are sinners (cf. 1:10).
  • τὰς ἁμαρτίας, plural here (cmp. with the singular in 1:8), to point to specific sins.
  • πιστός ἐστιν καὶ δίκαιος: this does not mean that God is only right and faithful if we confess our sins (so that if we did not confess them, he would be unfaithful and unjust) - i.e. its righteousness does not depend on our behavior. It simply means that when we confess our sins we can be sure that, as God promised, those sins will be forgiven and we will be purified. Note the contrast between God δικαιος, and the human αδικια. The righteousness and faithfulness of God find expression (cf. ινα) in the act of forgiveness and purification.
1:10
  • ἡμαρτήκαμεν: perfect tense, to express a past action whose effect can be perceived up to the present.
  • λόγος: note the parallel with ἀλήθεια in 1:8. One cannot call himself a Christian unless he admits that human nature is sinful, that sin is present, and that it can be removed by God if he follows a path toward light, and against darkness. Claiming otherwise means denying God, and therefore denying Christianity.
2:1
  • Τεκνία, from τεκνίον, diminutive of the more common τέκνον. See notes on 3:2.
  • ἵνα μὴ ἁμάρτητε: the aorist here seems to point to specific acts of sins (while a present tense would as usual mean a more generic condition of being in a state of sin). The exhortation is clearly not to sin at all; but, realistically, if one (indefinite) happens to sin, we (definite) have the Paraclete.
  • παράκλητον: this is the only instance where the term Paraclete is applied to Jesus and not to the Spirit (the difference could be that the Spirit is the intercessor on earth, while Jesus is the intercessor with the Father). We have a function of intercession toward the Father, justified by the stated attribute of Jesus, his righteousness (Ἰησοῦν Χριστὸν δίκαιον). παράκλετος, from παρά and καλέω, to call at one's side.
2:2
  • ἱλασμός, propitiation. The original sense of the word is to appease someone, to make one propitious, e.g. in Homer θεὸν ιλάσκεσθαι, to make a god propitious to one. Morris suggests therefore that the meaning is to divert divine wrath. The more commonly used term expiation (or "atoning sacrifice") has a somewhat different meaning, perhaps focusing more on the sacrifice of Jesus (referenced to in the blood of 1:7) and less on the cause.
  • ὅλου: my understanding here is that Jesus is the expiator for all (the atonement is sufficient for all), but that this does not imply that all will benefit from it (the atonement is not efficient for all): there must be, as stated in the previous verses, a specific decision to embrace truth and light. In the context of these verses, I don't see much justification for a Calvinist theory of limited atonement. See later for some considerations on κόσμος.
2:28
  • μένετε: this could be either indicative or imperative, but context points to an imperative.
  • ἐν αὐτῷ: the reference to παρουσία at the end of the verse, and the verb φανερόω (never used of God in Johannine literature), point to Christ rather than God as the Person John is referring to.
  • ἐὰν φανερωθῇ: εαν is in A, while TSB read οταν, which would seem a simpler reading. (when he shall be manifested.) On the other hand, Koine Greek often uses εαν to mean also "when", or "whenever" (cf. e.g. John 12:32, κἀγὼ ἐὰν ὑψωθῶ ἐκ τῆς γῆς, "and I, when I will be lifted from the earth").
  • σχῶμεν παρρησίαν: first of all, σχῶμεν is subj. aor. of εχω. Note the conditional: remain in him, so that we may have παρρεσία. παρρησία here is "confidence", or boldness, fearlessness. This meaning is seen both in relation to humans (e.g. in Acts 4:13, the boldness of Peter and John), and (as here) in relation to God. A very similar use, also eschatological, is found in Wisdom 5:1, Τότε στήσεται ἐν παρρησίᾳ πολλῇ ὁ δίκαιος... (LXX). The "secular" usage of παρρεσία is on the other hand of a speech that "conceals nothing and passes over nothing", i.e. outspokenness, frankness, plainness (BDAG), and is indirectly assumed in meaning here. Its contrary is αισχύνομαι, "to be ashamed"; the same opposition is found in Prov. 13:5, ἀσεβὴς (the wicked, from an alpha privative before σέβομαι, "I revere, adore") δὲ αἰσχύνεται καὶ οὐχ ἕξει παρρησίαν (LXX).
  • ἀπ' αὐτοῦ: interesting to note that απο can mean both "before" (hence: so that we may not be ashamed before him), and "by" (hence: so that we may not be ashamed by him); the context seems to require the first meaning.
  • παρουσίᾳ: note the wordplay with παρρησίαν. This is the only occurrence of παρουσία in Johannine writings. παρουσία is especially applied (in the NT) to the eschatological return of Christ.
2:29
  • εἰδῆτε... γινώσκετε: no particular difference in meaning between these two verbs; the author probably just alternates for stylistic reasons.
  • δίκαιός: the link with v. 28 is clear: rigtheousness is the foundation of παρρεσία, and the driving force of the παρουσία. One will not be ashamed before God, as long as he participates of God's righteousness.
  • ἐξ αὐτοῦ γεγέννηται: not very clear whether ἐξ αὐτοῦ refers to God or to Jesus. On the one hand, there is a direct reference to God in the following verse, 3:1; besides,ἐξ αὐτοῦ γεγέννηται always refers, in Johannine literature, to God (cf. John 1:13, ἐκ θεοῦ ἐγεννήθησαν; or 1 John 3:9, Πᾶς ὁ γεγεννημένος ἐκ τοῦ θεοῦ). On the other hand, this would make for quite an abrupt transition from the first part of this verse and from 2:28, both apparently referring to Christ.
  • γεγέννηται: perfect passive. Interesting use of the perfect tense to remind us that we were begotten by God, but also that the effects of this generation are very much present up to now. (or at least they should.) This is also emphasized by the perfect δέδωκεν in the next verse.
3:1
  • ἴδετε: aorist imperative. Perhaps to stress the punctiliar action rather than the iterative (which would have required a present imperative): "consider now this fact, of which type of love..." One could have expected also a present imperative, though (esp. in light of the perfect tense of δέδωκεν).
  • δέδωκεν: for the tense, see previous verse (cf. γεγέννηται). The meaning is one of a God freely bestowing a gift.
  • καὶ ἐσμέν: the indicative tense (and not the subj. one would expect were this governed by the previous ινα) makes it clear that we are indeed children of God.
  • διὰ τοῦτο: referring to what follows (the world does not know us because it did not know him), which is consistent with Johannine usage of διὰ τοῦτο followed by a ινα clause.
  • ὁ κόσμος: in 1 John, the word κόσμος occurs often in contrast with the ways of God and of the children of God. These are the occurrences of the lemma in the text; where the meaning is one of obvious contrast with the "way of the light", I've colored the sentence in red:
    • 2:2: αὐτὸς ἱλασμός ἐστιν περὶ τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν... ὅλου τοῦ κόσμου (here it identifies the place inhabited by all human beings)
    • 2:15: Μὴ ἀγαπᾶτε τὸν κόσμον μηδὲ τὰ ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ
    • 2:16: πᾶν τὸ ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ... οὐκ ἔστιν ἐκ τοῦ πατρὸς
    • 2:17: καὶ ὁ κόσμος παράγεται καὶ ἡ ἐπιθυμία αὐτοῦ
    • 3:1: ὁ κόσμος οὐ γινώσκει ἡμᾶς
    • 3:13: μισεῖ ὑμᾶς ὁ κόσμος
    • 3:17: ὃς δ' ἂν ἔχῃ τὸν βίον τοῦ κόσμου (here it seems to identify in a more neutral way some mundane sphere)
    • 4:1: πολλοὶ ψευδοπροφῆται ἐξεληλύθασιν εἰς τὸν κόσμον (the place inhabited by the children of God)
    • 4:3: καὶ τοῦτό ἐστιν τὸ τοῦ ἀντιχρίστου... καὶ νῦν ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ ἐστὶν ἤδη (as above)
    • 4:4: μείζων ἐστὶν ὁ ἐν ὑμῖν ἢ ὁ ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ (being in the world is again contrasted with being in the light)
    • 4:5: αὐτοὶ ἐκ τοῦ κόσμου εἰσίν· διὰ τοῦτο ἐκ τοῦ κόσμου λαλοῦσιν καὶ ὁ κόσμος αὐτῶν ἀκούει (contrasted with the immediately following ἡμεῖς ἐκ τοῦ θεοῦ ἐσμεν)
    • 4:9: τὸν υἱὸν αὐτοῦ τὸν μονογενῆ ἀπέσταλκεν ὁ θεὸς εἰς τὸν κόσμον
    • 4:14: ὁ πατὴρ ἀπέσταλκεν τὸν υἱὸν σωτῆρα τοῦ κόσμου
    • 4:17: καθὼς ἐκεῖνός ἐστιν καὶ ἡμεῖς ἐσμεν ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ τούτῳ
    • 5:4: ὅτι πᾶν τὸ γεγεννημένον ἐκ τοῦ θεοῦ νικᾷ τὸν κόσμον (the world must be overcome)
    • 5:5: τίς δέ ἐστιν ὁ νικῶν τὸν κόσμον (ditto)
    • 5:19: ἐκ τοῦ θεοῦ ἐσμεν, καὶ ὁ κόσμος ὅλος ἐν τῷ πονηρῷ κεῖται
    From this list it seems clear that ὁ κοσμός is a place now inhabited (cf 4:3) by the antichrist; hence, highly dangerous for the children of God (2:16), who are encouraged not to be ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ (4:4). Diognetus VI.3 comes to my mind, καὶ Χριστιανοὶ ἐν κόσμῳ οἰκοῦσιν, οὐκ εἰσὶ δὲ ἐκ τοῦ κόσμου. On the one hand, the presence of the antichrist corrupts the world so that it is now generally against the children of God (3:1); but, on the other hand, the world is potentially saved (2:2) by Christ, who lives here with us (4:17), and who came here sent by God (4:9) to overcome the antichrist (5:4), which is something that happens continuously (νικᾷ, present tense, 5:4) for those who believe in Christ (ὁ πιστεύων ὅτι Ἰησοῦς ἐστιν ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ θεοῦ, 5:5); they are now children of God (νῦν τέκνα θεοῦ ἐσμεν, 3:2).
  • οὐ γινώσκει ἡμᾶς ὅτι οὐκ ἔγνω αὐτόν: note the different tenses. Present in the first part: we are not being known by the world. Aorist in the second part: the reason for this is not a constant and ongoing refusal of God: it is instead a punctiliar refusal of him. Perhaps as to say, the decision taken by the world (which has ongoing effects on us!) can be reverted.
3:2
  • νῦν: the dignity of being children of God is here already; the παρουσία will just increase this dignity in ineffable ways.
  • τέκνα: again τέκνον (as in 3:1) instead of the diminutive τεκνίον, used e.g. in 2:1.
    Compare the use of τέκνον:
    • 3:1: έκνα θεοῦ κληθῶμεν
    • 3:2: νῦν τέκνα θεοῦ ἐσμεν
    • 3:10: ἐν τούτῳ φανερά ἐστιν τὰ τέκνα τοῦ θεοῦ
    • 5:2: ἀγαπῶμεν τὰ τέκνα τοῦ θεοῦ
    With the use of τεκνίον:
    • 2:1: Τεκνία μου, ταῦτα γράφω ὑμῖν
    • 2:12: Γράφω ὑμῖν, τεκνία, ὅτι ἀφέωνται ὑμῖν αἱ ἁμαρτίαι
    • 2:28: Καὶ νῦν, τεκνία, μένετε ἐν αὐτῷ
    • 3:7: Τεκνία, μηδεὶς πλανάτω ὑμᾶς
    • 3:18: Τεκνία, μὴ ἀγαπῶμεν λόγῳ
    • 4:4: ὑμεῖς ἐκ τοῦ θεοῦ ἐστε, τεκνία
    • 5:21: Τεκνία, φυλάξατε ἑαυτὰ ἀπὸ τῶν εἰδώλων
    It seems clear that τέκνον is used in 1 John when speaking of the children of God, while τεκνίον is used when addressing the readers. Note that υἱος is only used (3:8; 4:15; 5:5; 5:20) to refer to Jesus (υἱος τοῦ θεοῦ).
  • οἴδαμεν: TSB add δε to make the opposition with the preceding statement more evident.
  • ἐὰν: cf. notes on 2:28. Like there, ἐὰν is used here to indicate not a conditional sentence, but indefinitess of time.
  • ὅτι ὀψόμεθα: note the force of the causal ὅτι. We shall be similar to him, because we shall see him as he really is. Who this "him" is, is not easy to tell precisely from the text. It could be either the Son, or the Father. But it seems to me that the context (e.g. τέκνα θεοῦ in 3:2a, and also 3:1) requires this to be the Father.
  • ὀψόμεθα αὐτὸν καθώς ἐστιν: reminds me of 1 Cor 13:12, videmus nunc per speculum in aenigmate, tunc autem facie ad faciem (as the beautiful Vulgata has it).
3:3
  • ἐλπίδα: from ἐλπίς, which the BDAG translates as "the looking forward to something with some reason for confidence respecting fulfillment, hope, expectation." τὴν ἐλπίδα ταύτην seems to refer then to this confidence of being similar to him (so I would say that ἐπ' αὐτῷ still refers to the Father here), mentioned in the previous verse.
  • ἔχων... ἁγνίζει: note the present tense. Again, now.
  • ἁγνίζει ἑαυτὸν: Mounce notes, "It is the hope of seeing God and becoming like him that provides the incentive for living a holy life until he comes. Eschatology is not pointless speculation about the future but a powerful impetus for godly living." Why do we find ἁγνίζει here? Its only other occurrence in the NT is John 11:55, ἀνέβησαν πολλοὶ εἰς Ἱεροσόλυμα ἐκ τῆς χώρας πρὸ τοῦ πάσχα ἵνα ἁγνίσωσιν ἑαυτούς, related to purification before Passover; this reference seems meaningful in the context of 1 John. The BDAG has "to purify or cleanse and so make acceptable for cultic use".
  • ἐκεῖνος: always used in 1 John to refer to Jesus.
3:4
  • ὁ ποιῶν τὴν ἁμαρτίαν: ἁμαρτίαν ποιέιν to be contrasted with ἀλήθειαν ποιέιν (1:6) and with δικαιοσύνην ποιέιν (2:29).
  • ἀνομίαν: which νόμος is 1 John referring to here? ἀνομία only occurs in 3:4, and is rare in the NT. νόμος itself does not occur in 1 John at all. In the Gospel of John, though, it consistently identifies the law of Moses (1:17, ὁ νόμος διὰ Μωϋσέως ἐδόθη; 1:45; 7:19, οὐ Μωϋσῆς δέδωκεν ὑμῖν τὸν νόμον; καὶ οὐδεὶς ἐξ ὑμῶν ποιεῖ τὸν νόμον; 7:23; 7:49; 7:51; 8:5; 8:17; 10:34; 12:34; 15:25, note the emphasis on their Law, ἐν τῷ νόμῳ αὐτῶν; 18:31; 19:7). It seems then to me that here the text wants to draw attention to the fact that ἀμαρτία precedes ἀνομία in logical terms: you can't say you follow the law (of Moses) if you are not sinless. If you sin, you are not a follower of the law (contrasted with the view that having the law justifies a sinful state). The next verse clarifies that Jesus, being without sin, is the perfect follower of the Law.
3:5
  • οἴδατε: perfect tense; it refers in 1 John to Christian knowledge.
  • ἐφανερώθη: the aorist seems to refer, consistently with e.g. 1 John 1, to the actual manifestation of Jesus on earth. Cf. 1:2.
3:6
  • μένων... ἁμαρτάνει: two present tenses to stress the continuous action. Cmp. with the perfect tense of ἑώρακεν and ἔγνωκεν: the sinners are those who not only did not see or know Jesus in the past, but that also now keep on not seeing, nor knowing him. Conversely, we are told that the rule not to "sin" (see also the comment below for this verb), isἐν αὐτῷ μένειν.
  • ἁμαρτάνει: LSJ has, among other meanings, miss the mark and fail of one's purpose. For the last one, Odyssey 21:155 is beautiful: "it is better to die than to live on and fail of that for the sake of which we ever gather here". (φέρτερόν ἐστι τεθνάμεν ἢ ζώοντας ἁμαρτεῖν, οὓθ' ἑνεκ' αἰει ἐνθάδ' ὁμιλέομεν.)
3:7
  • πλανάτω: present imperative, let no one keep on deceiving you. The verb πλανάω is used 3 times in 1 John; 2 times (here and in 2:26) it is applied to deception effected by others; once (in 1:8) it is self-deception. Revelation uses it more, generally to identify the deeds of the beast and of the false prophets; cf. e.g. the end of the last deception, Rev 20:10, καὶ ὁ διάβολος ὁ πλανῶν αὐτοὺς (the nations, cf. Rev 20:8) ἐβλήθη εἰς τὴν λίμνην τοῦ πυρὸς. The verb has a connotation of leading away from the subject, wandering, and then also deceiving. Apollodorus uses the verb (Apollod. 3.1.4) to explain that the Labyrinth constructed by Daedalus, with all its windings, was "leading away from the route to the exit" (ὁ λαβύρινθος [...] πλανῶν τὴν ἕξοδον). Beautiful image. In this sense, it is related in meaning to ἁμαρτάνω (miss the mark). Cf. Plato (Prot. 356d): "[...] what would be our salvation in life? Would it be the art of measurement, or the power of appearance? [ἡ τοῦ φαινομένου δύναμις] Is it not the latter that leads us astray [and that many times causes us] to change our minds both in our conduct and in our choice of great or small?" (ἢ αὑτη μὲν ἡμᾶς ἐπλάνα) It is the same verb used by Matthew to tell of the one sheep gone astray, for which the shepherd leaves the other 99 back and πορευθεὶς ζητεῖ τὸ πλανώμενον (Matt. 18:12).
  • καθὼς ἐκεῖνος δίκαιός ἐστιν: see how 1 John lists the divine attributes: δίκαιός (3:7), without ἁμαρτία (3:5), ἁγνός (3:3), φῶς (1:5).
3:8
  • ἀπ' ἀρχῆς ὁ διάβολος ἁμαρτάνει: compare with 3:6, πᾶς ὁ ἐν αὐτῷ μένων οὐχ ἁμαρτάνει. The present tense indicates the eternal (ἀπ' ἀρχῆς) contrast between good and evil.
3:9
  • ὁ γεγεννημένος: note the perfect tense (parallelled by the final γεγέννηται), followed by the present tense of ποιεῖ, μένει and ἁμαρτάνειν. Yet another reminder of the continuous action implied here. So, for example, with regard to οὐ δύναται ἁμαρτάνειν, the meaning is focused on the progressive "cannot keep on sinning", rather than on the absolute action ("cannot sin"). Given the undeniable fact that real Christians do sin and are by no means perfect, the passage is traditionally understood to mean that "to remain in God" implies constant help and removal of sins (cf. 1:7), e.g. through Grace (but several other intepretations are possible.)
  • σπέρμα: the only occurrence in 1 John. In the Gospel of John and in Revelation the term is always used to point to the "offspring", or "generation" (e.g. of Abraham, or of David). The meaning here seems more figurative: traditionally, again, Grace, or the word of God (not readily associated with the fathering of God in Johannine literature though), or the Spirit (which would somewhat fit e.g. with the generation expressed in John 3:5).
3:10
  • τὰ τέκνα τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ τὰ τέκνα τοῦ διαβόλου: there are not very many choices here: it is either black or white. Fellowship with God, righteousness and justice, love for the brother, are all uncompromising concepts. Josemaria Escrivá wrote (Camino 394), "La transigencia es señal cierta de no tener la verdad. —Cuando un hombre transige en cosas de ideal, de honra o de Fe, ese hombre es un... hombre sin ideal, sin honra y sin Fe." (and a few points later, in 397: "Sé intransigente en la doctrina y en la conducta. —Pero sé blando en la forma. —Maza de acero poderosa, envuelta en funda acolchada. Sé intransigente, pero no seas cerril.")

Permalink  | Posted by Davide Salomoni @ 09:44
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