1 John 2
My little children, I write these things so that you may not sin; and if anyone does sin, we have a Paraclete toward the Father — the only place this word comes outside John’s Gospel, where it was the Spirit and here is Jesus Christ. He himself is the propitiation concerning our sins, and concerning those of the whole world. If we keep his commandments, by this we know that we have known him — present stacked on perfect. The one who says “I have known him” and does not keep them is a liar — the ‘if we say’ of ch.1 turned into a single man. The one who says he abides in him ought to walk as that one walked — the name is not supplied. I am not writing a new commandment but an old one you have had from the beginning. Again, I am writing a new commandment — the text does not resolve the clash. Because the darkness is passing and the true light is already shining — the verb that shone in the darkness at John 1:5. The one who hates his brother walks in the darkness and does not know where he is going; the darkness blinded his eyes — at John 12:40 God does that, here the darkness does. vv.12-14 set out six clauses in pairs — three present, three aorist, to little children, fathers, young men, children, fathers, young men, and five of the six are perfect. Why the tense changes is not said. Do not love the world nor the things in it: the desire of the flesh, the desire of the eyes and the pretension of living are not from the Father — ‘living’ is the widow’s word at Mark 12:44. The world passes away, and the one who does the will abides unto the age. Children, it is the last hour: as you heard that one against Christ is coming, so now many have arisen — the word occurs only in 1 and 2 John, and since this edition renders that prefix as ‘against’, the pieces are kept. They went out from us but were not of us — going out and belonging on one preposition, and ‘would have remained’ is pluperfect. You have an anointing from the Holy One — ‘anointing’ shares a root with ‘Christ’, so vv.20 and 22 interlock. The base text makes ‘you all know’ a subject where other editions make it an object. Everyone who denies the Son does not have the Father either. Let what you heard from the beginning abide in you — said twice with the order reversed, and ‘from the beginning’ comes four times in this chapter, from 1:1. It is true and is not a lie — one thing said twice, positive and negative, as at 1:5. Abide in him — indicative or imperative is not said, so the imperative is chosen and recorded. So that when he is manifested we may have openness and not be put to shame away from him. Everyone who does righteousness has been born of him — the ‘born of God’ of ch.3 opens here.
Why this rendering
1John.2.6 Observation
Syntactic observation
Τεκνία μου, ταῦτα γράφω ὑμῖν ἵνα μὴ ἁμάρτητε … this is the only place παράκλητος comes outside John’s Gospel — there it was the Spirit, here Jesus Christ; this edition keeps the transliteration · πρὸς τὸν πατέρα is the phrase of 1:2 · ἱλασμός ‘propitiation’ stands only at 2:2 and 4:10, one root with ἱλάσκομαι at Luke 18:13 · ἐν τούτῳ ‘by this’ comes at vv.3 and 5, a pattern this letter keeps returning to · γινώσκομεν ὅτι ἐγνώκαμεν stacks present on perfect — knowing now and having come to know · ὁ λέγων ‘the one who says’ comes at vv.4, 6 and 9 — the ‘if we say’ of 1:6, 8, 10 turned into a single man · ἐκεῖνος ‘that one’ names Jesus at v.6 without naming him · τελειόω is passive, so the love is perfected.
Rendering options · 3
Basis It was settled as a transliteration at John 14:16 — rendering it here alone would cut the two places apart.
Basis The text uses only the pronoun — supplying ‘Jesus’ would add a name it does not have.
Basis The text stacks one verb in the present and the perfect.
Lost in translation
παράκλητος (v.1) — the word of John 14:16, here of Christ. Both keep the transliteration.
ἱλασμός (v.2) — one root with ‘be propitiated’ at Luke 18:13. Both keep it.
γινώσκομεν / ἐγνώκαμεν (v.3) — present on perfect. English keeps both tenses.
ὁ λέγων three times (vv.4 · 6 · 9) — the ‘if we say’ of ch.1 becomes one man. Both match the shape.
ἐκεῖνος (v.6) — no name given. Both leave it unfilled.
ἐν τούτῳ twice (vv.3 · 5) — a recurring pattern. Both keep one wording.
Why this rendering
1John.2.11 Observation
Syntactic observation
⸀Ἀγαπητοί, οὐκ ἐντολὴν καινὴν γράφω ὑμῖν … v.7 says it is not a new commandment and v.8 says it is — the text does not resolve the clash · καινός ‘new’ faces παλαιός ‘old’ — the word of ‘a new commandment’ at John 13:34 · παράγω ‘pass away’ comes at vv.8 and 17 — the darkness passes, and the world passes · φαίνω ‘shine’ is the verb of John 1:5 — there it shone in the darkness, here it already shines · σκοτία ‘darkness’ comes four times at vv.8, 9 and 11, and σκότος does not appear in this chapter · μένω ‘abide’ comes six times in this chapter, a word of John’s · σκάνδαλον ‘stumbling block’ is the word of Matt 13:41, and whether ‘in him’ means in the man or in the light the text does not say · τυφλόω ‘blind’ is the verb of John 12:40 — there God does it, here the darkness does.
Rendering options · 3
Basis The text says ‘not a new commandment’ and then ‘a new commandment’ — adding ‘in a sense’ would supply words it does not have.
Basis It is the verb by which the light shone in the darkness at John 1:5.
Basis The text does not say whether in the man or in the light.
Lost in translation
καινός / παλαιός (vv.7-8). Both keep the contrast.
The clash of vv.7 and 8 — the text does not resolve it. Both leave it.
παράγω twice (vv.8 · 17) — darkness and world pass by one verb. Both keep it.
φαίνω (v.8) — the verb of John 1:5. Both stand alike.
ἐν αὐτῷ (v.10) — in whom is not said. Both leave it unfilled.
τυφλόω (v.11) — the verb of John 12:40. Both stand alike.
Why this rendering
1John.2.17 Observation
Syntactic observation
Γράφω ὑμῖν, τεκνία … ⸀ἔγραψα ὑμῖν, παιδία — vv.12-14 set out six clauses in pairs — three present and three aorist, addressed to little children, fathers, young men, children, fathers, young men · in both threes the reasons given to the fathers and the young men are repeated word for word · why the tense changes the text does not say · five of the six clauses are in the perfect · τεκνίον ‘little children’ and παιδίον ‘children’ are different words, set apart at vv.12 and 14 · ἀλαζονεία τοῦ βίου ‘the pretension of living’ — βίος is the widow’s ‘living’ at Mark 12:44, not ζωή ‘life’ · v.16 lists three and v.17 closes with ‘passes away’, the verb by which the darkness passed at v.8 · μένει εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα ‘abides unto the age’.
Rendering options · 3
Basis The text sets three presents beside three aorists.
Basis v.12 has τεκνίον and v.14 παιδίον.
Basis It is the widow’s ‘living’ at Mark 12:44 — ‘life’ belongs to ζωή.
Lost in translation
Three presents and three aorists (vv.12-14). Both render the change.
Five perfects (vv.12-14). English keeps them.
τεκνίον / παιδίον (vv.12 · 14) — two words. Both keep them apart.
βίος (v.16) — the ‘living’ of Mark 12:44. Both keep it apart from ζωή.
παράγω (v.17) — the verb of v.8. Both stand alike.
Why the tense changes (vv.12-14) — not said. Both leave it unfilled.
Why this rendering
1John.2.23 Observation
Syntactic observation
Παιδία, ἐσχάτη ὥρα ἐστίν … ἀντίχριστος occurs only in 1 and 2 John (five places in the New Testament) · the prefix for ‘against’ is rendered so in this edition (opponent at law, revile in return, withstand), so the pieces are kept · singular and plural come in one verse — one was heard to be coming, and many have arisen · ἐσχάτη ὥρα comes twice at v.18, framing the verse · ‘out from us’ and ‘of us’ at v.19 are the same preposition — going out and belonging interlock on one word · μεμενήκεισαν is pluperfect, a rare form in the New Testament · χρῖσμα ‘anointing’ stands only at 2:20 and twice at 2:27, one root with χρίω ‘anoint’ at Luke 4:18 — and Χριστός shares that root, so vv.20 and 22 interlock · ⸀πάντες ‘you all know’ — other editions read ‘you know all things’ · the second half of v.23 the base text carries in ⸂⸃.
Rendering options · 3
Basis This edition renders that prefix as ‘against’ elsewhere — the loanword ‘antichrist’ would cut that.
Basis Other editions make it an object, ‘all things’; the base text makes it the subject.
Basis It is the noun of ‘anointed’ at Luke 4:18, the root of Χριστός as well.
Lost in translation
ἀντίχριστος (vv.18 · 22) — its prefix is ‘against’ in this edition. Both keep the pieces.
Singular and plural (v.18). Both render the number.
ἐξ ἡμῶν three times (v.19) — going out and belonging on one preposition. Neither locale carries it.
μεμενήκεισαν (v.19) — pluperfect. Neither locale sets that tense.
χρῖσμα / Χριστός (vv.20 · 22) — one root interlocking. Neither locale carries it.
ἐσχάτη ὥρα twice (v.18) — framing the verse. Both keep one wording.
Why this rendering
1John.2.29 Observation
Syntactic observation
⸀ὑμεῖς ὃ ἠκούσατε ἀπ’ ἀρχῆς, ἐν ὑμῖν μενέτω … μένω ‘abide’ comes six times at vv.24-28 and eleven times in this chapter alone · v.24 says ‘what you heard from the beginning’ twice, with the order reversed · ἀπ’ ἀρχῆς ‘from the beginning’ comes four times in this chapter (vv.7, 13, 14, 24), from 1:1 · ἐπαγγελία and ἐπηγγείλατο come on one root at v.25 · ἀληθές ἐστιν καὶ οὐκ ἔστιν ψεῦδος at v.27 says one thing twice, once positive and once negative — built like ‘is light and there is no darkness’ at 1:5 · whether ⸀μένετε is indicative or imperative the text does not say — closed as imperative and recorded · παρρησία ‘openness’ is the word of John 7:26 · αἰσχυνθῶμεν ἀπ’ αὐτοῦ ‘be put to shame away from him’ is a rare construction with the preposition · v.29 closes with a perfect passive of γεννάω, opening the ‘born of God’ of ch.3.
Rendering options · 3
Basis The text does not divide indicative from imperative, and v.28 is an imperative — the choice is recorded.
Basis The text says one thing twice, positive and negative, as at 1:5.
Basis The text attaches ‘away from’ — dropping it would lose a rare construction.
Lost in translation
μένω eleven times in this chapter — a word of John’s. Both keep one word.
The doubling at v.24 — said twice with the order reversed. Both render the order.
ἐπαγγελία / ἐπαγγέλλομαι (v.25) — one root in one verse. Both keep it.
The doubling at v.27 — positive and negative. Neither locale shortens it.
μένετε (v.27) — indicative or imperative is not said. Both must choose.
ἀπ’ αὐτοῦ (v.28) — a preposition on the shame. Both render it.