First John: 1 John 2:5b-The Believer’s Obedience to Christ’s Word Confirms They Are Experiencing Fellowship with Him

But whoever keeps His word, in him the love of God has truly been perfected. By this we know that we are in Him. (NASB95)

“By this” is composed of the following: (1) preposition en (ἐν), “by” (2) dative neuter singular form of the demonstrative pronoun houtos (οὗτος), “this.”

The demonstrative pronoun houtos means “this” and is anaphoric meaning it is pointing back to the previous adversative clause, which speaks of the believer observing conscientiously the Lord’s teaching.

This word is the object of the preposition en which is a marker of means indicating the means by which the action of the first person plural perfect active indicative form of the verb ginōskō is accomplished.

Therefore, this prepositional phrase indicates the means by which the believer can confirm that they know the Lord Jesus experientially or in other words that they are experiencing fellowship with Him.

“We know” is the first person plural present active indicative form of the verb ginōskō (γινώσκω), which means, “to confirm” since John is attempting to inform his readers as to how they can be assured that they are experiencing fellowship with the Lord Jesus Christ.

The first person plural form refers to John and the recipients of this epistle and ultimately it refers to every believer throughout the world since he is presenting a spiritual principle which applies to every Christian including the apostles like himself.

It is also used in a distributive sense emphasizing no exceptions meaning that this principle is applicable to every Christian including the apostle John.

The present tense of ginōskō is a gnomic present used to describe something that is true any time.

It expresses the idea that any believer can “at any time” confirm they know the Lord experientially, if they observe conscientiously the Lord Jesus Christ’s teaching.

“We are in Him” is composed of the following: (1) preposition en (ἐν), “in” (2) dative third person masculine singular form of the intensive personal pronoun autos (αὐτός), “Him” (3) first person plural present active indicative form of the verb eimi (εἰμί), “we are.”

The verb eimi means “to exist in a particular state or condition” expressing the idea of the believer “existing in the state or condition” of experiencing fellowship with Jesus Christ.

The present tense of this verb is a gnomic present which is used in a generic statement to describe something that is true “any time” rather than a universal statement that is true “all the time.”

Therefore, the gnomic present expresses the spiritual principle that the believer can at “any” time confirm they are experiencing fellowship with the Lord by means of their obedience to His teaching.

The intensive personal pronoun autos means “Him” referring to the Lord Jesus Christ and is the object of the preposition en which is a marker of state or condition expressing the idea of the believer being in the state of experiencing fellowship with the Lord Jesus Christ by means of their obedience to His teaching.

However, whoever, at any time, does observe His Word conscientiously, indeed, in this one, the love for God (the Father) is accomplished. By means of this, any of us can, at any time confirm that we are existing in the state of being in fellowship with Him. (My translation)

“By means of this” in speaks of the believer observing conscientiously the Lord’s teaching.

It indicates that conscientious obedience to the Lord’s teaching is the means by which the believer can confirm that they know the Lord experientially or in other words, they are experiencing fellowship with Him.

“In Him” refers to the state of experiencing fellowship with the Lord Jesus Christ by means of their obedience to His teaching.

Although John does not employ the noun κοινωνία, “fellowship” here in , this prepositional phrase does refer to fellowship with the Lord Jesus Christ.

Some expositors interpret this prepositional phrase ἐν τούτῳ, “in Him” as being kataphoric meaning it is pointing forward to the content of which asserts that the one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked.

Therefore, this would indicate that the believer can confirm they are in fellowship with Jesus Christ by living their lives as He did.

However, it is better to interpret this prepositional phrase ἐν τούτῳ as anaphoric pointing back to the adversative clause of which is indicated by the fact that if we do, both verses would parallel each other, which would correspond to the chiastic structure of the epistle.

The prepositional phrase in both verses form an inclusio, which is a literary framing device in which the same word or phrase stands at the beginning and the end of a section and is sometimes called bracketing.[1]

As we noted, asserts that by means of the believer’s conscientious observance of the Lord Jesus Christ’s commands, they can, at any time confirm that they are existing in the state of knowing Him experientially.

asserts that whoever, at any time, does observe the word or teaching of Jesus Christ conscientiously, indeed, in this one, the love for God (the Father) is, as an eternal spiritual truth accomplished.

By means of this, any of believer can, at any time confirm that they are existing in the state of being in fellowship with Him.

The believer’s eternal union and identification with Jesus Christ is received at the moment of justification when the Father declared them justified through faith in His Son Jesus Christ.

This union and identification can never be severed due to committing sin.

Now, if we interpret the prepositional phrase ἐν τούτῳ in as anaphoric rather than kataphoric, they parallel each other.

First, notice that both would speak of fellowship with the Lord Jesus Christ if we interpret this prepositional phrase as anaphoric.

Fellowship is described in as knowing Him experientially whereas describes fellowship as that we are existing in the state of being in Him.

Both verses speak of how or the means by which the believer can confirm they are experiencing fellowship with the Lord Jesus Christ.

If we interpret the prepositional phrase ἐν τούτῳ in as anaphoric, both verses would point to the believer’s obedience to Jesus Christ as the means by which they can confirm they are experiencing fellowship with Jesus Christ.

Verse 3 speaks of obedience to the Lord’s commands whereas verse 5, speaks of obedience to His word or teaching.

Therefore, both verses speak of the believer’s obedience as the means by which they can confirm they are experiencing fellowship with the Lord Jesus Christ if we interpret the prepositional phrase ἐν τούτῳ in as anaphoric.

Furthermore, if we interpret the prepositional phrase ἐν τούτῳ in as anaphoric, and 6 would parallel each other as well.

Further indication that these two verses are to parallel each other is that both begin with the articular participle ὁ λέγων, “the one who says.”

Both speak of fellowship with the Lord Jesus Christ.

describes fellowship with Him as knowing Him experientially whereas describes it as abiding in Him.

They parallel each other further in that they both have concepts which are totally antithetical to each other.

speaks of the believer who is a liar and the truth not being resident in their souls as a result of disobedience to the Lord’s commands.

speaks of the believer living like Jesus.

The way He lived was in obedience to His Father’s commands, which is implied.

We must not confuse this prepositional phrase ἐν τούτῳ, “in Him” in with the prepositional phrases “in Him,” “in Christ,” “in Christ Jesus,” “in the Beloved,” which appear in Paul’s epistles since the latter describe something that is permanent and the former something which is dynamic.

These prepositional phrases in Paul’s writings speak of the church age believer’s eternal union and identification with Jesus Christ in His crucifixion, death, burial, resurrection and session at the right hand of the Father.

On the other hand, the prepositional phrase ἐν τούτῳ, “in Him” in refers to fellowship with Jesus Christ, which is a dynamic meaning that this fellowship is lost due to sin but restored through the confession of sin and maintained by obedience to the Word of God.

[1] DeMoss, M. S. (2001). In Pocket dictionary for the study of New Testament Greek (p. 71). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.