notes
Main point summary
John teaches that we know that we have come to know God when we keep His commandments. He then addresses three false statements about knowing God and counters with a truth: 1) we cannot say we know God and not keep His commandments - the love of God is perfected in those who keep His commandments, 2) we cannot say we reside in God and not live as Jesus lived, which means following the "old - new" commandment and 3) we cannot say we are in the light and hate our brother - it is the one who loves His brother who is in the light.
Arc
editing
NT
1 John 2:3-11
na28
nasb
schl
Καὶ ἐν τούτῳ γινώσκομεν ὅτι ἐγνώκαμεν αὐτόν,
a By this we know that we have come to b know Him,
Und daran erkennen wir, daß wir ihn erkannt haben,
ἐὰν τὰς ἐντολὰς αὐτοῦ τηρῶμεν.
if we c keep His commandments.
wenn wir seine Gebote halten.
conditional
ὁ λέγων
The one who says,
Wer da sagt:
ὅτι ἔγνωκα αὐτὸν
“ a I have come to b know Him,”
Ich habe ihn erkannt,
ideaexplanation
καὶ τὰς ἐντολὰς αὐτοῦ μὴ τηρῶν,
and does not keep His commandments,
und hält doch seine Gebote nicht,
series
ψεύστης ἐστὶν
is a c liar,
der ist ein Lügner,
καὶ ἐν τούτῳ ἡ ἀλήθεια οὐκ ἔστιν•
and d the truth is not in him;
und in einem solchen ist die Wahrheit nicht;
actionresult
ὃς δʼ ἂν τηρῇ αὐτοῦ τὸν λόγον,
but whoever a keeps His word,
wer aber sein Wort hält,
ἀληθῶς ἐν τούτῳ ἡ ἀγάπη τοῦ θεοῦ τετελείωται,
in him the b love of God has truly been perfected.
in dem ist wahrlich die Liebe zu Gott vollkommen geworden.
ἐν τούτῳ γινώσκομεν ὅτι ἐν αὐτῷ ἐσμεν.
c By this we know that we are in Him:
Daran erkennen wir, daß wir in ihm sind.
negativepositive
ὁ λέγων
the one who says
Wer da sagt,
ἐν αὐτῷ μένειν
he a abides in Him
er bleibe in ihm,
ὀφείλει καθὼς ἐκεῖνος περιεπάτησεν καὶ
b ought himself to walk
der ist verpflichtet, auch selbst so zu wandeln,
αὐτὸς [οὕτως] περιπατεῖν.
in the same manner as He walked.
wie jener gewandelt ist.
comparison
Ἀγαπητοί, οὐκ ἐντολὴν καινὴν γράφω ὑμῖν
a Beloved, I am b not writing a new commandment to you,
Geliebte, ich schreibe euch nicht ein neues Gebot,
ἀλλʼ ἐντολὴν παλαιὰν ἣν εἴχετε ἀπʼ ἀρχῆς•
but an old commandment which you have had c from the beginning;
sondern ein altes Gebot, das ihr von Anfang an hattet;
ἡ ἐντολὴ ἡ παλαιά ἐστιν ὁ λόγος ὃν ἠκούσατε.
the old commandment is the word which you have heard.
das alte Gebot ist das Wort, das ihr von Anfang an gehört habt.
πάλιν ἐντολὴν καινὴν γράφω ὑμῖν, ὅ ἐστιν ἀληθὲς ἐν αὐτῷ καὶ ἐν ὑμῖν,
1 On the other hand , I am writing a a new commandment to you, which is true in Him and in you,
Und doch schreibe ich euch ein neues Gebot, was wahr ist in Ihm und in euch;
ὅτι ἡ σκοτία παράγεται
because b the darkness is passing away
denn die Finsternis vergeht,
καὶ τὸ φῶς τὸ ἀληθινὸν ἤδη φαίνει.
and c the true Light is already shining.
und das wahre Licht scheint schon.
progression
ground
alternative
Ὁ λέγων
The one who says
Wer da sagt,
ἐν τῷ φωτὶ εἶναι
he is in the Light
daß er im Lichte sei,
καὶ τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ μισῶν
and yet a hates his b brother
und doch seinen Bruder haßt,
concessive
ἐν τῇ σκοτίᾳ ἐστὶν ἕως ἄρτι.
is in the darkness until now.
der ist noch immer in der Finsternis.
ὁ ἀγαπῶν τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ
a The one who loves his brother
Wer seinen Bruder liebt,
ἐν τῷ φωτὶ μένει
abides in the Light
der bleibt im Licht,
καὶ σκάνδαλον ἐν αὐτῷ οὐκ ἔστιν•
and there is no cause for stumbling in him.
und nichts Anstößiges ist an ihm;
ὁ δὲ μισῶν τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ
But the one who a hates his brother
wer aber seinen Bruder haßt,
ἐν τῇ σκοτίᾳ ἐστὶν
is in the darkness
der ist in der Finsternis
καὶ ἐν τῇ σκοτίᾳ περιπατεῖ
and b walks in the darkness,
und wandelt in der Finsternis
καὶ οὐκ οἶδεν ποῦ ὑπάγει,
and does not know where he is going
und weiß nicht, wohin er geht,
ὅτι ἡ σκοτία ἐτύφλωσεν τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς αὐτοῦ.
because the darkness has c blinded his eyes.
weil die Finsternis seine Augen geblendet hat.
inference
Third class conditional 'Present General Condition' indicating a generic situation or universal truth at the present time
I assume that this refers to v5a and v5b and not v6.
-/+: one person doesn't keep His commands and one does.
I assume, in contrast to v11d, being in the light results in the person not stumbling, since he has light to see.
I assume that this clause only describes why this man does not know where he is going.
na28
discourse
Phrase
1 John 2:3-11
Obedience Follows Knowledge
By this we know that we have come to know Him,
if we keep His commandments.
First False Statement and Rebuttal
False Statement: We can know God and not keep His commandments.
The one who says,
“I have come to know Him,”
and does not keep His commandments,
is a liar,
and the truth is not in him;
Truth: The love of God is perfected in those who keep His word.
but whoever keeps His word,
in him the love of God has truly been perfected.
By this we know that we are in Him:
Second False Statement and Rebuttal
False Statement: We can reside in God and not live as Jesus lived.
the one who says
he abides in Him
ought himself to walk
in the same manner as He walked.
Truth: We are to follow the "old-new" commandment to love one another.
Beloved, I am not writing a new commandment to you,
but an old commandment which you have had from the beginning;
the old commandment is the word which you have heard.
On the other hand, I am writing a new commandment to you, which is true in Him and in you,
because the darkness is passing away
and the true Light is already shining.
Thrid False Statement and Rebuttal
False Statement: We can be in the light and hate our brother.
The one who says
he is in the Light
and yet hates his brother
is in the darkness until now.
Truth: The one who loves his brother resides in the light.
The one who loves his brother
abides in the Light
and there is no cause for stumbling in him.
But the one who 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.
phrasing
Phrase Greek
1 John 2:3-11
na28
Καὶ ἐν τούτῳ γινώσκομεν
By this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments.
Und daran erkennen wir, daß wir ihn erkannt haben, wenn wir seine Gebote halten.
ὅτι ἐγνώκαμεν αὐτόν,
ἐὰν τὰς ἐντολὰς αὐτοῦ τηρῶμεν.
ὁ λέγων
The one who says, “I have come to know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him;
Wer da sagt: Ich habe ihn erkannt, und hält doch seine Gebote nicht, der ist ein Lügner, und in einem solchen ist die Wahrheit nicht;
ὅτι ἔγνωκα αὐτὸν
καὶ τὰς ἐντολὰς αὐτοῦ μὴ τηρῶν,
ψεύστης ἐστὶν
καὶ ἐν τούτῳ ἡ ἀλήθεια οὐκ ἔστιν•
ὃς δʼ ἂν τηρῇ αὐτοῦ τὸν λόγον,
but whoever keeps His word, in him the love of God has truly been perfected. By this we know that we are in Him:
wer aber sein Wort hält, in dem ist wahrlich die Liebe zu Gott vollkommen geworden. Daran erkennen wir, daß wir in ihm sind.
ἀληθῶς ἐν τούτῳ ἡ ἀγάπη τοῦ θεοῦ τετελείωται,
ἐν τούτῳ γινώσκομεν
ὅτι ἐν αὐτῷ ἐσμεν.
ὁ λέγων
the one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked.
Wer da sagt, er bleibe in ihm, der ist verpflichtet, auch selbst so zu wandeln, wie jener gewandelt ist.
ἐν αὐτῷ μένειν
ὀφείλει καθὼς ἐκεῖνος περιεπάτησεν καὶ αὐτὸς [οὕτως] περιπατεῖν.
Ἀγαπητοί, οὐκ ἐντολὴν καινὴν γράφω ὑμῖν
Beloved, I am not writing a new commandment to you, but an old commandment which you have had from the beginning; the old commandment is the word which you have heard.
Geliebte, ich schreibe euch nicht ein neues Gebot, sondern ein altes Gebot, das ihr von Anfang an hattet; das alte Gebot ist das Wort, das ihr von Anfang an gehört habt.
ἀλλʼ ἐντολὴν παλαιὰν
ἣν εἴχετε ἀπʼ ἀρχῆς•
ἡ ἐντολὴ ἡ παλαιά ἐστιν ὁ λόγος
ὃν ἠκούσατε.
πάλιν ἐντολὴν καινὴν γράφω ὑμῖν,
On the other hand, I am writing a new commandment to you, which is true in Him and in you, because the darkness is passing away and the true Light is already shining.
Und doch schreibe ich euch ein neues Gebot, was wahr ist in Ihm und in euch; denn die Finsternis vergeht, und das wahre Licht scheint schon.
ὅ ἐστιν ἀληθὲς ἐν αὐτῷ καὶ ἐν ὑμῖν,
ὅτι ἡ σκοτία παράγεται
καὶ τὸ φῶς τὸ ἀληθινὸν ἤδη φαίνει.
Ὁ λέγων
The one who says he is in the Light and yet hates his brother is in the darkness until now.
Wer da sagt, daß er im Lichte sei, und doch seinen Bruder haßt, der ist noch immer in der Finsternis.
ἐν τῷ φωτὶ εἶναι
καὶ τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ μισῶν
ἐν τῇ σκοτίᾳ ἐστὶν ἕως ἄρτι.
ὁ ἀγαπῶν τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ ἐν τῷ φωτὶ μένει
The one who loves his brother abides in the Light and there is no cause for stumbling in him.
Wer seinen Bruder liebt, der bleibt im Licht, und nichts Anstößiges ist an ihm;
καὶ σκάνδαλον ἐν αὐτῷ οὐκ ἔστιν•
ὁ δὲ μισῶν τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ
But the one who 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.
wer aber seinen Bruder haßt, der ist in der Finsternis und wandelt in der Finsternis und weiß nicht, wohin er geht, weil die Finsternis seine Augen geblendet hat.
ἐν τῇ σκοτίᾳ ἐστὶν
καὶ ἐν τῇ σκοτίᾳ περιπατεῖ
καὶ οὐκ οἶδεν ποῦ ὑπάγει,
ὅτι ἡ σκοτία ἐτύφλωσεν τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς αὐτοῦ.
Καὶ ἐν τούτῳ γινώσκομεν ὅτι ἐγνώκαμεν αὐτόν, ἐὰν τὰς ἐντολὰς αὐτοῦ τηρῶμεν.
ὁ λέγων ὅτι ἔγνωκα αὐτὸν καὶ τὰς ἐντολὰς αὐτοῦ μὴ τηρῶν, ψεύστης ἐστὶν καὶ ἐν τούτῳ ἡ ἀλήθεια οὐκ ἔστιν•
ὃς δʼ ἂν τηρῇ αὐτοῦ τὸν λόγον, ἀληθῶς ἐν τούτῳ ἡ ἀγάπη τοῦ θεοῦ τετελείωται, ἐν τούτῳ γινώσκομεν ὅτι ἐν αὐτῷ ἐσμεν.
ὁ λέγων ἐν αὐτῷ μένειν ὀφείλει καθὼς ἐκεῖνος περιεπάτησεν καὶ αὐτὸς [οὕτως] περιπατεῖν.
Ἀγαπητοί, οὐκ ἐντολὴν καινὴν γράφω ὑμῖν ἀλλʼ ἐντολὴν παλαιὰν ἣν εἴχετε ἀπʼ ἀρχῆς• ἡ ἐντολὴ ἡ παλαιά ἐστιν ὁ λόγος ὃν ἠκούσατε.
πάλιν ἐντολὴν καινὴν γράφω ὑμῖν, ὅ ἐστιν ἀληθὲς ἐν αὐτῷ καὶ ἐν ὑμῖν, ὅτι ἡ σκοτία παράγεται καὶ τὸ φῶς τὸ ἀληθινὸν ἤδη φαίνει.
Ὁ λέγων ἐν τῷ φωτὶ εἶναι καὶ τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ μισῶν ἐν τῇ σκοτίᾳ ἐστὶν ἕως ἄρτι.
ὁ ἀγαπῶν τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ ἐν τῷ φωτὶ μένει καὶ σκάνδαλον ἐν αὐτῷ οὐκ ἔστιν•
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.
Diagram
scripturetext
components
1 John 2:3-11
na28
subjectverb
solid
drop
equal
revrocket
line
pred
γινώσκομεν
prepphrase
pstack
cword
ἐν
τούτῳ
directobject
shelf
vertical
ἐγνώκαμεν
αὐτόν
ὅτι
obtuse
τηρῶμεν
τὰς
ἐντολὰς
αὐτοῦ
ἐὰν
table
Καὶ
text
v3a
v3b
v3c
smartline
dashed
free
ttext
v4a
v4b
v4d
v4e
v4c
ἡ
ἀγάπη
τετελείωται
ἀληθῶς
τοῦ
θεοῦ
ἐν
τούτῳ
rocketship
ἐστὶν
predicate
ψεύστης
ὁ
λέγων
τηρῶν
μὴ
ἔγνωκα
αὐτὸν
ὅτι
τὰς
ἐντολὰς
αὐτοῦ
καὶ
ἡ
ἀλήθεια
ἔστιν
οὐκ
ἐν
τούτῳ
καὶ
ὃς
τηρῇ
ἂν
τὸν
λόγον
αὐτοῦ
δʼ
γινώσκομεν
ἐν
τούτῳ
ἐσμεν
ἐν
αὐτῷ
ὅτι
v5a
v5b
v5c
v5d
bracket
line2
ὀφείλει
καὶ
infinitive
περιπατεῖν
[οὕτως]
ἐκεῖνος
περιεπάτησεν
καθὼς
αὐτὸς
ὁ
λέγων
μένειν
ἐν
αὐτῷ
v6a
v6b
v6c
Ἀγαπητοί
γράφω
οὐκ
ἐντολὴν
καινὴν
ὑμῖν
ἐντολὴν
παλαιὰν
ἀλλʼ
εἴχετε
ἣν
ἀπʼ
ἀρχῆς
ἡ
ἐντολὴ
ἡ
παλαιά
ἐστιν
ὁ
λόγος
ἠκούσατε
ὃν
v7a
v7b
v7c
v7d
v7e
γράφω
πάλιν
ἐντολὴν
καινὴν
ὑμῖν
ὅ
ἐστιν
ἀληθὲς
ἐν
αὐτῷ
ἐν
ὑμῖν
καὶ
ἡ
σκοτία
παράγεται
τὸ
φῶς
τὸ
ἀληθινὸν
φαίνει
ἤδη
καὶ
ὅτι
line2
v8a
v8b
v8c
v8d
ἐστὶν
ἐν
τῇ
σκοτίᾳ
ἕως
ἄρτι
Ὁ
λέγων
μισῶν
εἶναι
ἐν
τῷ
φωτὶ
τὸν
ἀδελφὸν
αὐτοῦ
καὶ
v9a
v9b
v9c
v9d
v10a
v10b
ὁ
μένει
participle
ἀγαπῶν
τὸν
ἀδελφὸν
αὐτοῦ
ἐν
τῷ
φωτὶ
ἔστιν
οὐκ
σκάνδαλον
ἐν
αὐτῷ
καὶ
ὁ
ἐστὶν
οἶδεν
οὐκ
περιπατεῖ
ἐν
τῇ
σκοτίᾳ
ἐν
τῇ
σκοτίᾳ
ὑπάγει
ποῦ
ἡ
σκοτία
ἐτύφλωσεν
τοὺς
ὀφθαλμοὺς
αὐτοῦ
ὅτι
καὶ
καὶ
μισῶν
τὸν
ἀδελφὸν
αὐτοῦ
δὲ
v11a
v11b
v11c
v11d
v11e
"The Greek uses the neuter singular form of the pronoun, not the feminine singular form agreeing with the feminine gender of the Greek word for "commandment." This serves to show that the subsequent clause explains the whole idea of what precedes rather than the single word "commandment," in English seemingly the immediate antecedent of the relative." UBS Handbooks for the New Testament
I assume that this clause only describes why this man does not know where he is going.
diagram