Cambridge Greek Testament Commentary

1 John 1:8

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 his qualifications. Ἁμαρτίαν ἔχειν is a phrase peculiar to S. John in N.T. It differs from ἀμαρτάνειν much as ἁμαρτία or ἡ ἁμαρτία, sin as a whole, from ἁμαρτίαι or αἱ ἁμαρτίαι, the separate sinful acts. Comp. John 9:41; John 15:22; John 15:24; John 19:11. We need not enquire whether original or actual sin is meant: the expression covers sin of every kind. Only one human being has been able to say ‘The things pleasing to God I always do’; ‘Which of you convicteth Me of sin?’; ‘The ruler of the world hath nothing in Me’ (John 8:29; John 8:46; John 14:30). The more a man knows of the meaning of ‘God is light’, i.e. the more he realises the absolute purity and holiness of God, the more conscious he will become of his own impurity and sinfulness: comp. Job 9:2; Job 14:4; Job 15:14; Job 25:4; Proverbs 20:9; Ecclesiastes 7:20.

ἑαυτοὺς πλανῶμεν. Not the middle, nor the passive, but a form of expression which makes it quite clear that the erring is all our own doing. Not ‘we err,’ or ‘we are deceived,’ but we lead ourselves astray, with an emphasis on ‘ourselves.’ Ipsi nos seducimus. We do for ourselves what the archdeceiver Satan (Revelation 12:9; Revelation 20:10) endeavours to do for us. Πλανᾶν in the active is frequent in S. John (1 John 2:26; 1 John 3:7; John 7:12; Revelation 2:20; Revelation 12:9; Revelation 13:14; Revelation 19:20; Revelation 20:3; Revelation 20:8; Revelation 20:10). These passages indicate that the verb is a strong one and implies serious departure from the truth. For ἑαυτούς with the first person comp. ἀνεθεματίσαμεν ἑαυτούς (Acts 23:14), ἑαυτοὺς διεκρίνομεν (1 Corinthians 11:31). It occurs with the second person 1 John 5:21; 2 John 1:8 (see note), John 5:42; and frequently in S. Paul’s writings. Winer 178, 179, 321, 322. ‘To deceive’ would be rather ἀπατᾶν (James 1:26), ἐξαπατᾶν (1 Corinthians 3:18), φρεναπατᾶν (Galatians 6:3), ἡ�. ἐν ἡμῖν οὐκ ἔστιν. Once more the positive statement is enforced by a negative one (1 John 1:5-6). We are in an atmosphere of self-made darkness which shuts the truth out. It may be all round us, as sunlight round a closed house; but it does not enter into us, still less has a permanent place in us. All words about truth are characteristic of S. John’s writings; ἀλήθεια, Gospel and all three Epistles; ἀληθής, Gospel, and 1 and 3 John; ἀληθινός, Gospel, 1 John, and Revelation; ἀληθῶς, Gospel and 1 John. ‘The truth’ is the correlative of ‘witness’, which, as shewn above (1 John 1:2), is also characteristic of the Apostle.

Continues after advertising

BibliaPlus

Cambridge Greek Testament Commentary

1 John 1:8

Old Testament

New Testament