Reading
1 John 2
Questions
1a Τεκνία μου, I am writing these things to you in order that you may not sin.
What does John mean by calling his readers "my little children" [τεκνία μου] and how does this term set the tone for his message?1
1b And if anyone sins, we have a παράκλητον with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous one,
How is Jesus described as our advocate [παράκλητος] with the Father. What does this role involve according to both John and other New Testament passages?2
2 and he himself is the ἱλασμός for our sins, and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.
The Greek word ἱλασμός is used for atonement [“covering”]. Some translations use the obscure word propitiation [!?]. What is the significance of this term in both the New Testament and the Greek Old Testament (LXX), and how does it relate to the concept of atonement in Leviticus?3
John says that Jesus is the atoning sacrifice "not only for our sins but also for the sins of the whole world." What does this suggest about the scope of Jesus' work, and how does it address questions about inclusion and exclusion?4
3 And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. 4 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 this person. 5 …whoever keeps his word [confessing our sin etc.], truly in this person the love of God has been τετελείωται. By this we know that we are in him. 6 The one who says that he resides in him ought also to walk just as that one walked.
Ηow can believers know that they have truly come to know God, and what role does obedience to God's commandments play in this assurance? Does this contradict sola vide?5
The phrase "the love of God is perfected [τετελείωται] in him" appears in v5. What does it mean for God's love to be "made complete" or "perfected" [passive voice] in a believer?6
7 Dear friends, 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 message which you have heard. 8 Again, I am writing a new commandment to you, 8b which is true in him and in you, because the darkness is passing away and the true light already is shining.
John refers to the commandment to love as both "old" [v7] and "new" [v8]. How does he explain this apparent contradiction, and what does it reveal about the transformation of the law in the life of a believer?7
9 The one who says he is in the light and hates his brother is in the darkness until now. 10 The one who loves his brother resides in the light, and there is no cause for stumbling in him. 11 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.
The light and dark metaphor was common in the Judaism of John’s time. How did the Jews use it and how do Jesus and then John rework it?8
12 I am writing to you, children, because your sins have been forgiven you on account of his name. 13 I am writing to you, fathers, because you have known the One who is from the beginning.9 I am writing to you, young men, because you have conquered the Evil One.
How does John connect the assurance of forgiveness ("your sins have been forgiven you on account of his name") to the believer's identity and motivation for spiritual growth, as discussed in the passage and the footnotes?
John addresses different groups: "children," "fathers," and "young men" (vv. 12-14). What spiritual qualities or experiences does he attribute to each group, and how do these categories reflect stages of spiritual growth?10
More
BibleProject Guide: The Books of 1-3 John
John uses "τεκνία μου" as a term of deep affection, reflecting his pastoral love and care for his readers. It establishes a familial, nurturing tone, indicating that his exhortations come from a place of genuine concern and relationship, not mere authority.
Jesus is described as our advocate because he pleads our case before the Father when we sin. This advocacy is based on his righteousness [right relationship with the Father] and his atoning [“covering”] sacrifice. Other NT passages, such as Romans 8:34, affirm that Christ intercedes for believers, defending them against accusations and securing forgiveness.
Ἱλασμός appears only twice in the New Testament, both times in 1 John. In the LXX, it translates the Hebrew kippur [as in Yom Kippur], meaning "covering" or "atonement." John asserts that Jesus is the true and ultimate ἱλασμός. His blood fully covers and removes sin, fulfilling and surpassing the atonement rituals of Leviticus.
This statement highlights the universal scope of Jesus' atonement: it is not exclusive to one group but available to all humanity. This breaks down barriers of exclusion, offering reconciliation to anyone [Jew or Gentile etc.] who comes to God through Christ.
John was a Jew. The Jewish literature we have from this period shows a belief in, what scholars have called, covenantal nomism. This is NOT a belief in salvation by works but rather that it is God who made a covenant, an agreement, all of grace and underserved kindness, with his people, Israel. This is always how it. Israel could not atone for its own sin. That was done by YHWH represented by the priests. Remember Leviticus!
God’s love is “made complete” in those who obey him. The grammar indicates this completion is something God does in us, not something we achieve by our own effort. As we confess sin and walk in obedience, God’s love reaches its intended goal for us making us whole, mature, and effective in love and obedience.
The commandment is "old" because it has always been part of God’s revelation, yet "new" because it is renewed and fulfilled in Christ and his followers. Jesus’ teaching internalises and revitalises the law, making it possible for those transformed by the Spirit to keep it from the heart, not just outwardly. This concept can be extended to the entire NT which is NOT new but also new!
Broadly for Jews they were in the light and the gentiles were in darkness. For stricter groups most Jews were in the darkness and the very strict groups, e.g. the Essenes, were in darkness.
The One, who is from the beginning, is Jesus, the λόγος. Remain him. Gnosticism was beginning to appear in the church at the end of the first century. A core feature of Gnosticism is a negative view of the material world. There is a "divine spark", demiurge, trapped in the human body that requires special knowledge for liberation.[1] BUT the γνῶσις, i.e. the "knowledge" or "awareness" of God, does not come through some mysterious knowledge within us. INSTEAD God has revealed himself clearly through Jesus, 100% YHWH yet 100% adam.
"Children" [τεκνία/παιδία] [all the believers]: Assured of forgiveness and knowing the Father, representing dependence and the beginning of faith.
"Fathers": Praised for knowing the One who is from the beginning, reflecting deep, mature relationship with Christ and keeping from errors such as Gnosticism.
"Young men": Affirmed for their strength, the abiding Word, and victory over the evil one, representing spiritual vigor and active defense of the faith.
These categories symbolize stages of spiritual growth and affirm the value of each stage in the community.