1 John 2:13

2:12-14 As Christians have their peculiar states, so they have peculiar duties; but there are precepts and obedience common to all, particularly mutual love, and contempt of the world. The youngest sincere disciple is pardoned: the communion of saints is attended with the forgiveness of sins. Those of the longest standing in Christ's school need further advice and instruction. Even fathers must be written unto, and preached unto; none are too old to learn. But especially young men in Christ Jesus, though they are arrived at strength of spirit and sound sense, and have successfully resisted first trials and temptations, breaking off bad habits and connexions, and entered in at the strait gate of true conversion. The different descriptions of Christians are again addressed. Children in Christ know that God is their Father; it is wisdom. Those advanced believers, who know Him that was from the beginning, before this world was made, may well be led thereby to give up this world. It will be the glory of young persons to be strong in Christ, and his grace. By the word of God they overcome the wicked one.

{10} I write unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning. {11} I write unto you, young men, because ye have overcome the wicked one. {12} I write unto you, little children, because ye have known the Father. (10) He shows that this doctrine agrees to all ages, and first of all speaking to old men, he shows that Christ and his doctrine are ancient, and therefore if they enjoy with old things, nothing ought to be more acceptable to them. (11) He advertises to young men, if they desire to show their strength, that they have a most glorious combat set here before them, that is, Satan the worst enemy, who must be overcome: willing them to be as sure of the victory, as if they had already gotten it. (12) Finally, he shows to children, that the true Father from whom they have to look for all good things, is set before them in the gospel.

1 John 2:13 . He now subdivides τεκνία into ποτέρες , i.e. , mature believers with a long and ever-deepening ( ἐγνώκατε ) experience behind them, and νεανίσκοι , who, though ἡ ἐπιθυμία τῆς σαρκός is strong within them, have conquered the Evil One by the aids of grace—an evidence of the reality of their interest in Christ. ἀπʼ ἀρχῆς . as in 1 John 1:1 . The ancient interpreters took τεκνία , πατέρες , νεανίσκοι as a threefold classification, according to age (Aug., Athan.) or according to Christian experience, κατὰ τὸν ἔσω ἄνθρωπον (Euth. Zig.); but the order would then be either τεκνία , νεανίσκοι , πατέρες or πατέρες , νεανίσκοι , τεκνία . According to the variant γράφω ὑμῖν , παιδία , τεκνία is a general appellation subdivided into πατέρες , νεανίσκοι , παιδία . 1 John 2:14 should begin with ἔγραψα ὑμῖν , παιδία . The aor. ἔγραψα is most simply and reasonably explained as a reference to the Apostle’s Gospel (see Introd. p. 154). Having assured them of his present conviction of the sincerity of their faith, he now goes on to assure them that he had entertained a like opinion when he wrote the Gospel for their instruction. His tone is much like that of 2 Peter 1:12 .

Other explanations: (1) The reference is to a former epistle ( cf. 3 John 1:9 )—a gratuitous and unnecessary hypothesis. (2) The Apostle resumes after a pause whether in composition or in thought, and reiterates what he “has written”. (3) An emphatic form of expression, like “we decree and have decreed”. (4) Calvin, reading γράφω ὑμῖν , παιδία , regards πατέρες … πονηρόν as an interpolation. This is to cut the knot instead of untying it. παιδία , a general appellation for all the Apostle’s readers, practically identical with τεκνία . Strictly τεκνία carries the idea of relationship by birth-regeneration; cf. Aug.: “ Quia remittuntur vobis peccata per nomen ejus , et regeneramini in novam vitam, ideo filii”. παιδία , on the other hand, are merely “children,” pueri (Aug.), infantes (Vulg.), and the distinction is ὅτι ἐγνώκατε τὸν Πατέρα . All men are children of God, believers are children who “have got to know the Father’

Unto fathers, because to such belong much experience, and the knowledge of ancient things, he ascribeth the knowledge of him who is the Ancient of days, from the beginning, and than whom none is more ancient, and whom they should be supposed so well to know by their long continued course in religion, as fully to understand his good and acceptable will, what would be pleasing and what displeasing to him. I write unto you, young men, because ye have overcome the wicked one: to such as were in the flower of their strength and age in Christianity, he attributeth victory; to whom therefore it would be inglorious to slur the honour of that noble conquest they had gained over the wicked one, the god of this world, as he is elsewhere called, 2 Corinthians 4:4 , by suffering themselves again to be entangled in its snares and bands. His method is, we see, to place this order of Christians last, as a middle state, which he would have us conceive afterwards to be interposed between the other two; which method we find he observes in going over them again the second time.

I write unto you, little children, because ye have known the Father: he again first begins with his little children, whom he now bespeaks by another compellation in the Greek, (before teknia, now paidia), importing no material difference, except this latter signify more capacity of instruction; and he now also gives them another character, which implies so much, that he not only considers them as the passive subjects of a privilege, remission of sins, which they were capable of in the first moment of their being born into the Christian state, (as the word teknia, above, seems to intimate), but as being able to use their understanding, and consider whose children they were, because ye have known the Father; before said also of the eldest sort of Christians; but he is there mentioned by a description more suitable to their more aged state; and therefore the knowledge ascribed to the one, and to the other, though the same in kind, must, in respect of degrees, be accommodately understood.

1 John 2:13 . Here he distributes the whole body of Christians into three classes, according to their different standings in the faith, and their proficiency in Christian knowledge and holiness; namely, fathers, young men, and young children. The fathers were the most ancient believers, who had made the greatest progress in the knowledge, experience, and practice of true religion. Young men were those in the greatest vigour of the spiritual life, and who were considered by the apostle as soldiers fighting under Christ against the powers of darkness. Little or young children were the newly converted, who, being under instruction, were called in the first age catechumens. Fathers, ye have known him that is from the beginning — You have attained to a more perfect and intimate acquaintance with the Ancient of Days, ( Daniel 7:9 ,) the eternal God, than others, though true believers, and with Christ, who is from the beginning, 1 John 1:1 ; and therefore you should more diligently keep his commandments, ( 1 John 2:3-4 ,) and this particularly of loving one another.

Instead of, Ye have known him, who is from the beginning, Macknight reads, Ye have known him from the beginning, and paraphrases the clause thus: “Old Christians, I write to you what follows, ( 1 John 2:15 ,) because you have known Christ, his doctrine, and precepts, and manner of life, from the beginning, and must know that what I am going to write is his precept.” I write unto you, young men — Who are in the flower of your spiritual age, and are strong in grace, vigorous Christians, 1 John 2:14 ; because ye have already overcome the wicked one — Have resisted his strongest temptations to apostacy; or, more at large, you have manifested your spiritual strength in your conflicts with, and conquests over the devil, and his associates, the world and the flesh; and therefore take heed you be not hereafter foiled by them. I write the same precept unto you, young children — Or new converts; of short standing in grace, and of little knowledge, strength and experience in divine things; because ye have known the Father — As your Father, (though ye have not yet overcome,) by the Spirit witnessing with your spirits that you are the children of God. In other words, As children in the first place learn to know their parents, so you have attained to some saving knowledge of God your heavenly Father, and of his willingness and power to support and strengthen you, and therefore you must take care to conduct yourselves at all times as his loving and obedient children.

Fathers Indicating age and authority. Have known (ἐγνώκατε) Rev., correctly, ye know. Knowledge is the characteristic of fathers; knowledge as the fruit of experience. Ye have perceived, therefore ye know. Have overcome (νενικήκατε) Compare John 16:33. The image is characteristic of Revelation and First Epistle. See Revelation 2:7, Revelation 2:11, Revelation 2:17, Revelation 2:26; Revelation 12:11; Revelation 21:7; 1 John 2:14; 1 John 4:4; 1 John 5:4, 1 John 5:5. The evil one (τὸν πονηρόν) See on wickedness, Mark 7:22; see on evils, Luke 3:19; see on evil spirits, Luke 7:21. The prince of darkness is styled by John ὁ διάβολος the false accuser (John 8:44; John 13:2; 1 John 3:8, 1 John 3:10. See on Matthew 4:1): ὁ Σατανᾶς Satan, the adversary (John 13:27; compare ὁ κατήγωρ the accuser, properly, in court, Revelation 12:10): ὁ πονηρός the evil one (John 17:15; 1 John 2:13, 1 John 2:14; 1 John 3:12; 1 John 5:18, 1 John 5:19): ὁ ἄρχων τοῦ κόσμου τούτου the ruler of this world (John 12:31; John 14:30; John 16:11). Note the abrupt introduction of the word here, as indicating something familiar. I have written (ἔγραψα) Or, strictly, I wrote. Compare I write (1 John 2:12, 1 John 2:13), and note the change of tense. The past tense, I wrote, does not refer to some previous writing, as the Gospel, but, like the present, to this Epistle.

The present, I write, refers to the immediate act of writing: the aorist is the epistolary aorist, by which the writer places himself at the reader's stand-point, regarding the writing as past. See on 1 Peter 5:12. I write, therefore, refers to the Apostle's immediate act of writing; I have written, or I wrote, to the reader's act of reading the completed writing. Little children (παιδία) Compare τεκνία little children (1 John 2:1), which emphasizes the idea of kinship, while this word emphasizes the idea of subordination and consequent discipline. Hence it is the more appropriate word when spoken from the stand-point of authority rather than of affection. Ye have known (ἐγνώκατε) Rev., correctly, ye known. continued...

1 John 2:13 . Ὅτι , because ) Thus three times: comp. 1 John 2:12 ; 1 Peter 5:12 , where the sense of because is explained by an accusative with an infinitive, which is more clear. He proposes three subjects, and will shortly treat of them; and he here represents [gives at once] the summaries of those subjects, of which he is about to treat.— ἐγνώκατε , ye have known ) a heavenly Father, in preference to fathers of flesh.— τὸν Πατέρα , the Father ) and so all things, 1 John 2:20 .

Verse 13. - Because ye know (literally, have come to know , as in verses 3, 4) him that is from the beginning τὸν ἀπ ἀρχῆς . The context respecting Christ's Name and ο{ η΅ν ἀπ ἀρχῆς ( 1 John 1:1 ) show that the Word and not the Father is meant. A more perfect knowledge of Jesus as the Eternal Word, and no mere aeon or emanation from the Deity, is the special prerogative of the aged Christian; and such are fit recipients of the ἀγγελία of the apostle. No less fit, but for a different reason, are the younger among his readers. To fight is the lot of the young soldier; and a victorious warfare against Satan is the distinction of youthful Christians. They have got the better of that evil one in whose power the whole world lies ( 1 John 3:12 ; 1 John 5:18, 19 ; John 12:31 ; John 14:30 ; John 16:11 ). Not that the warfare is over, but that it is henceforth warfare with a defeated enemy. Hence they also have a right to share in the apostolic message. I wrote (or, have written ) to you, children, because ye know (or, have come to know ) the Father. The reading ἔγραψα must be preferred to γράφω , on overwhelming evidence, both external and internal. The second triplet begins here, and this sentence should have been given to verse 14.