1 John 2:1a-The Application of the Contents of First John 1:5-10 Will Protect the Believer’s Fellowship with God

My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. (NASB95)

Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom

Thursday May 18, 2017

www.wenstrom.org

-The Application of the Contents of Will Protect the Believer’s Fellowship with God

Lesson # 46

My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. (NASB95)

The apostle John employs the figure of asyndeton in in order to mark a transition from the spiritual principles he taught the Christian community in to the purpose for which he is communicating in writing these principles.

He is also using this figure in order to emphasize the solemn nature of the purpose for which he wrote , which is that the Christian community in the Roman province of Asia would not commit sin.

“My little children” is composed of the following: (1) vocative neuter plural form of the noun teknion (τεκνίον), “children” (2) genitive first person singular form of the personal pronoun ego (ἐγώ), “my.”

The noun teknion is a term of affection John employs for the Christian community in the Roman province of Asia and he uses the word as a term of endearment for his spiritual children in the Christian community.

The word indicates the care and nurture he has for them.

The noun teknion is modified by the genitive first person singular form of the personal pronoun ego, which means “my” referring of course to the author of this letter who is the apostle John.

It is functioning as possessive genitive expressing the close, personal, intimate, familial relationship between John and the recipients of this epistle, which is the Christian community in the Roman province of Asia.

“I am writing these things to you” is composed of the following: (1) first person singular present active indicative form of the verb graphō (γράφω), “I am writing” (2) accusative neuter plural form of the demonstrative pronoun houtos (οὗτος), “these things” (3) dative second person plural form of the personal pronoun su (σύ), “to you.”

The accusative neuter plural form the demonstrative pronoun houtos refers to the information provided by John in or in other words, it refers to the contents of .

The verb graphō means “to write, to communicate in writing” and refers to the act of John communicating in writing to the recipients of this epistle the contents of .

The present tense of this verb is a progressive descriptive or pictorial present which says that John is “presently” or “at this particular time” communicating in writing the contents of .

John then employs the dative second person plural form of the personal pronoun su, which means “each of you” since the word refers to the Christian community in the Roman province of Asia as a corporate unit and is used in a distributive sense emphasizing no exceptions.

This word functions as a dative of advantage indicating that the information John provided in regarding the nature of God and principles of fellowship with God was for the benefit of each of recipient of this letter.

“So that you may not sin” is composed of the following: (1) conjunction hina (ἵνα), “so that” (2) negative particle me (μή) (me), “not” (3) second person plural aorist active subjunctive form of the verb hamartanō (ἁμαρτάνω), “you may sin.”

The conjunction hina is employed with the subjunctive mood of the verb hamartanō, “you may sin” whose meaning is negated by the negative particle me, “not.”

They form a purpose-result clause, which presents both the purpose and the result for John communicating the contents of .

The verb hamartanō means, “to sin” referring to any mental, verbal or overt act of sin that is contrary to the will and law of God.

The second person plural form of this verb refers to the recipients of this epistle which was the Christian community in the Roman province of Asia.

It refers to them as a corporate unit and is used in a distributive sense emphasizing no exceptions indicating John’s concern for each of these readers.

This verb’s meaning is negated by the negative particle me, which denies any idea of the recipients of this letter committing a mental, verbal or overt act of sin.

However, this negative particle leaves the question open for further remarks or entreaty whereas ou would close the door abruptly.

Thus, it leaves open the distinct possibility that John’s readers would enter into committing sin.

Of course, this is the result of still possessing a sin nature and living in the devil’s world.

Therefore, these two words express the idea of these believers not entering into committing a mental, verbal or overt act of sin as a result of applying John’s teaching in .

The aorist tense of this verb hamartanō is an ingressive aorist which would express the idea of the recipients of this epistle entering into committing an act of sin.

My dear children, I am presently writing these things for the benefit of each of you in order that each of you would not enter into committing a sin. However, if anyone enters into committing a sin, we possess an advocate with the Father, namely, Jesus, who is the Christ, who is a righteous person. (My translation)

marks a transition from the spiritual principles the apostle John communicated in writing to the Christian community in the Roman province of Asia in to the purpose for which he is communicating in writing these principles.

In this verse, apostle John presents the purpose of communicating in writing these spiritual principles in , which is that they would not sin.

In this verse, John informs his readers that the purpose for which he was communicating these principles was so that they would not enter into committing a sin.

He follows this up with an adversative clause which communicates another spiritual principle, namely that if one of them enters into committing a sin, they possess an advocate with the Father, namely, Jesus, who is the Christ, who is a righteous person.

By addressing his readers as “my dear children,” the apostle John is expressing the close, personal, intimate, familial relationship between himself and the recipients of this epistle.

He is expressing his personal affection for the recipients of this letter and it also indicates the care and nurture he has for them.

This expression “my dear children” indicates that the recipients of this epistle were in fact believers who were declared justified by the Father the moment they trusted in Jesus Christ as their Savior.

Now, contains a purpose-result clause which presents both the purpose and result of the recipients of this letter applying the principles communicating in .

Therefore, this would indicate that each of the recipients of this epistle not sinning is both the result and the purpose of John communicating the principles he mentions in .

This purpose-result clause emphasizes that these believers not committing sin would accomplish the purpose for which he wrote .

In other words, it would emphasize that protecting their fellowship with God would accomplish the purpose for which he wrote since committing sin causes the believer to lose fellowship with God.

This purpose-result clause is followed by a fifth class conditional statement which is expressing an eternal spiritual principle or spiritual axiom with regards to the believer’s relationship to God when and if they do commit sin which is applicable to all believers including the apostle John.

Thus, John is not speaking of any one individual in particular.

This is because he and all his readers, as well as all believers have an indwelling sin nature (cf. ; ; ).

Thus, an unidentified hypothetical individual in the Christian community is being referred to in this fifth class conditional statement.

John is not speaking of a specific individual but rather he is communicating an eternal spiritual principle with regards to the believer’s relationship to God when and if they do commit sin.

The hypothetical nature of this fifth class conditional statement indicates that John is speaking of the inevitable possibility of entering into sin by his readers.

It is absolutely impossible to remain sinless after justification prior to receiving a resurrection body which is minus the sin nature.

This does not condone sin but God knows that the believer lives in the devils’ world, and still possesses an indwelling sin nature and has a volition.

Therefore, in this purpose-result clause, the apostle John is informing the recipients of this epistle that he communicated in writing the spiritual principles in in order that they would not commit sin.

Specifically, he is saying he does not want his readers to sin like the false teachers since in , and 10, he communicates the claims of these false teachers as well as the implications of adhering to their false doctrine.

and 9 reflect John’s apostolic teaching and counteracts the false claims of the heretical teachers.

They are designed to protect John’s readers from the false teaching he communicates in , and 10.