1. The similarity to the opening of the Gospel is manifest: but the thought is not the same. There it is that the Λόγος existed before the _Creation_, here that the Λόγος existed before the _Incarnation_. With the neuter ὅ comp. John 4:22; John 6:37; John 17:2; Acts 17:23 (R.V.). The verbs ἑωράκαμεν... [ Continue Reading ]
1 John 1:1-4. THE INTRODUCTION The first four verses are introductory. They are analogous to the first eighteen verses of the Gospel, and to the first three of the Revelation. Like the Prologue to the Gospel, this Introduction tells us that the Apostle’s subject is THE WORD WHO IS THE LIFE. The simi... [ Continue Reading ]
2. ΚΑῚ Ἡ ΖΩῊ ἘΦΑΝΕΡΏΘΗ. Trebly characteristic of S. John 1. The connexion by means of the simple conjunction. 2. The repetition of ζωή from 1 John 1:1, carrying on part of one sentence into the next for further elucidation and development, without the use of relatives. 3. The verb φανεροῦν, frequent... [ Continue Reading ]
3. Before ὙΜΙ͂Ν insert ΚΑΊ ([420][421][422][423]). [420] 4th century. Discovered by Tischendorf in 1859 at the monastery of S. Catherine on Mount Sinai, and now at Petersburg. All three Epistles. [421] 5th century. Brought by Cyril Lucar, Patriarch of Constantinople, from Alexandria, and afterwards... [ Continue Reading ]
4. ἩΜΕΙ͂Σ ([424][425][426]) for ὑμῖν ([427][428][429]). ἩΜΩ͂Ν ([430][431][432]) for ὑμῶν ([433][434]). [424] 4th century. Discovered by Tischendorf in 1859 at the monastery of S. Catherine on Mount Sinai, and now at Petersburg. All three Epistles. [425] 5th century. Brought by Cyril Lucar, Patriarch... [ Continue Reading ]
5. ἜΣΤΙΝ ΑὝΤΗ ([435][436][437]) for αὕτη ἐστίν ([438]). ἈΓΓΕΛΊΑ ([439][440][441]) for ἐπαγγελία ([442]). ΦΩ͂Σ ἘΣΤΊΝ. The enclitics ἐστίν, ἐσμέν, ἐστέ, εἰσίν are accented thus when the previous word cannot receive the accent: comp. 1 John 2:5; 1 John 3:3; 1 John 3:8; 1 John 3:23; 1 John 4:2-7; 1 John... [ Continue Reading ]
5–7. FELLOWSHIP WITH GOD AND WITH THE BRETHREN... [ Continue Reading ]
1 John 1:5 to 1 John 2:28. GOD IS LIGHT 1 John 1:5 to 1 John 2:11. WHAT WALKING IN THE LIGHT INVOLVES This section is largely directed against the Gnostic doctrine that to the man of enlightenment all conduct is morally indifferent. Against every form of this doctrine, which sapped the very foundat... [ Continue Reading ]
6. An inference from the first principle just laid down. God is light, utterly removed from all darkness: therefore to be in darkness is to be cut off from Him. If God is light, then those who have communion with Him must (1) walk in light, (2) be conscious of sin, (3) confess their sin (1 John 1:6-... [ Continue Reading ]
7. After ἸΗΣΟΥ͂ omit Χριστοῦ with [443][444][445] against [446][447][448] with Syr. and Vulg. [443] 4th century. Discovered by Tischendorf in 1859 at the monastery of S. Catherine on Mount Sinai, and now at Petersburg. All three Epistles. [444] 4th century. Brought to Rome about 1460. It is entered... [ Continue Reading ]
ἘᾺΝ ΕἼΠΩΜΕΝ. The second of the false professions: see on 1 John 1:6. Some probably did say so, and others thought so: εἴπωμεν need not mean more than ‘say in our hearts.’ Portions of S. John’s own teaching (1 John 3:9-10) might easily be misunderstood as countenancing this error, if taken without hi... [ Continue Reading ]
8–10. CONSCIOUSNESS AND CONFESSION OF SIN 8–10. Walking in the light involves the great blessings just stated,—fellowship with God and with our brethren, and a share in the purifying blood of Jesus. But it also involves something on our part. It intensifies our consciousness of sin, and therefore o... [ Continue Reading ]
ἘᾺΝ ὉΜΟΛ. ΤᾺΣ ἉΜΑΡΤ. ἩΜΩ͂Ν. The opposite case is now taken and developed, as in 1 John 1:7 : see note there. But here we have no δέ, and the asyndeton is telling. Greek has such a wealth of connecting particles, that in that language asyndeton is specially remarkable. Here there is expansion and pro... [ Continue Reading ]
ΟΥ̓Χ ἩΜΑΡΤΉΚΑΜΕΝ. This is the third false profession. It is not equivalent to ἁμαρτίαν οὐκ ἔχομεν (1 John 1:8), which refers to the sinful state, the inward principle: whereas this indicates the _result_ of that state, viz. the commission of sinful Acts 1. We may ignore the difference between right... [ Continue Reading ]