12
I am writingΓράφωto you,ὑμῖνlittle children,τεκνίαbecauseὅτιyourὑμῖνsinsαἱ ἁμαρτίαιhave been forgivenἀφέωνταιfor the sake ofδιὰhis name.τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ
1 John 2:12
Study it in the app“I am writing to you, little children, because your sins have been forgiven for the sake of his name.”
With the Greek beneath
1 John 2:12, word by word
- I am writingΓράφωGraphō
write
To set down words in writing: letters, laws, books.
Where else “Graphō” appears- little childrenτεκνίαteknia
little child
Little children; an affectionate way of addressing the disciples.
Where else “teknia” appears- sinsἁμαρτίαιhamartiai
sin
Doing what God does not want, and the guilt it leaves.
Where else “hamartiai” appears- have been forgivenἀφέωνταιapheōntai
forgive
To wipe away sins or debts, not exact them.
Where else “apheōntai” appears- his nameὄνομαonoma
name
The word by which a person or thing is called, which often says who they are.
Where else “onoma” appears
Translation note
In 2:12-14, “because” can also be understood as “that” (what he writes to them). The change from “I am writing” to “I have written” does not alter the sense much.
The context
11But whoever 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.
12 · This verse (above)
13I am writing to you, fathers, because you have come to know the one who is from the beginning. I am writing to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one.
To study 1 John 2 in a group
1. What it says
What does John say about the one who says "I have known him" but does not keep his commandments, and about the one who keeps his word (v. 3-6)?
2. What it means
John says the commandment is both old and new (v. 7-8). How does he explain it?
3. How I live it
John warns about loving the world (v. 15-17). What today competes for your attention against what really matters?