1 John Phrasing
1 John 2:28-3:10
The Sweet Reality of being God’s Child itself ; the equally true and Forceful Reality of Non-Sinning because you are God’s Child
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Published February 3rd, 2022; Updated February 3rd, 2022
1John 2:28-3:10
1John 2:28-3:10
NT
1 John 2:28-3:10
esv
Meditations on the amazing realities of being a Child of God
And now, little children,
Reference
abide
in him,
Locative Sphere
so that ... we may have confidence
Purpose (advantage)
when he appears
Temporal
and not shrink ... at his coming.
Negative Purpose
from him
Separation
in shame
Manner
If you know that he is righteous,
Ground
you may be sure
that everyone ... has been born of him.
Content
who practices righteousness
See what kind (what quality) ... the Father has given
of love
Attributed (an "amazing quality" of love)
to us,
Purpose Advantage
that we should be called children
Content (poss. result)
of God;
Subjective (Possessive)
and so we are.
Explanation
why the world does not know us
The reason ... is
that it did not know him.
Beloved,
we are God’s children now,
and ... has not yet appeared;
Concessive
what we will be
but we know
that ... we shall be like him,
when he appears
because we shall see him
as he is.
Manner (his pure self)
who thus hopes
in him
Locative sphere (destination)
And everyone ... purifies himself
as he is pure.
Comparison/Manner/Standard
The practical characteristic of God’s child: his non-sinning, told 3 times
First statement: non-sin in relationship to Christ having come
Everyone ... also practices lawlessness;
who makes a practice
of sinning
Objective
(and) sin is lawlessness.
You know that
he appeared
Content 1
in order to take away sins,
Purpose
and ... there is no sin.
Content 2
in him
No one ... keeps on sinning;
who abides
in him
Locative Sphere
no one ... has either seen him
who keeps on sinning
or known him.
2nd statement: non-sin related to destroying Satan
Little children,
let no one deceive you.
Whoever ... is righteous,
Content 1(non-gram)
practices righteousness
as he is righteous.
Comparison
Whoever ... is of the devil,
Content 2 (non-gram)
makes a practice of sinning
for the devil has been sinning
from the beginning.
The reason the Son of God appeared was
to destroy the works
Purpose Disadvantage
of the devil.
Producer
3rd statement: 2 kinds of children, those born of God or of Satan
No one ... makes a practice of sinning,
born of God
for God’s seed abides
Ground 1
in him,
Locative
and he cannot keep on sinning
Ground 2
because he has been born
of God.
Subjective
By this
Means
it is evident
who are the children
Content 1
of God,
Subjective (Possessive)
and who are the children
Content 2
of the devil:
Subjective (Possessive)
whoever ... is not of God,
Content 3
does not practice righteousness
nor is the one
Content 4
who does not love his brother.
My own translation of "Whoever" and "Everyone" "This is the man who (is)...
Some meditations on being a "child of God" (3:1-3) In 3:1-3, John is just exulting over how amazing it is to be a child of God. He is stunned at the reality of it! 1. He pauses, slows down, and tastes, to see the " amazing, stunning essential quality in God's to us " (its overflowing sweet graciousness towards us). He is shocked with joy that he is now a child of God (oh my!). (3:1) And s o we too (like John does) should slow down, taste, and contemplate the amazing reality, the unexpected reality of having becoming a child! 2. He does not even know what a child of God is (will be in its totality yet), but he is so, so excited by it , which is that a child of God will one day see Jesus in his perfect natural (spiritual) state. (3:2) 3. He ends by looking at the essential quality of a child of God: his purity (which is what, in its perfected state that is, he shared with Jesus). (3:3)
Meditations on Children of God and Non-Sinning As much as John: lingers so sweetly and lengthily upon the beauty and amazing love that produced us as God’s children he now equally hammers home forcefully the other reality, 3 times, that such sweetness leads absolutely to non-sinning, and he is forceful about it! Yes, there are sweet meditations in 1 John, but there are also forceful exhortations in John as well, and both are needed.
The Overview of this Section (2:28-3:10) From Stott: From 2:28 onwards is the second layering of the same 3 tests outlined previously, and the first test taken up again is the Obedience-Righteousness to God Test (2:28-3:10) The connection of 3:1-3 and 3:4-10: The amazing love poured out to birth us as children (who will be fully purified in the end, being able to see Jesus purely) (3:1-3), is the stunning ground that makes a practice of sinning so unthinkable (3:4-10). __________________ The Prolegomena : Believing Jesus has practical results in Daily Life (1:1-2:2) 1:1-4: The Son in this world, believed 1:5-2:2: Belief leading to right living The First Layer of the 3 Tests (2:3-27) (the tests do overlap though) 1. Obedience-Righteousness Test (2:3-6) 2. The Loving Others Test (2:7-11) Two digressions: 2:12-17 (The Church and the World 3. Believing (Doctrine) Test (2:18-2:27)
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Disclaimer: The opinions and conclusions expressed on this page are those of the author and may or may not accord with the positions of Biblearc or Bethlehem College & Seminary.