From 76dec270fe54485ad93134d154d24f0ebdd655a3 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Larry Sallee Date: Tue, 19 Oct 2021 15:52:54 +0000 Subject: [PATCH] Fix spacing in 1 John (#2104) Co-authored-by: Larry Sallee Reviewed-on: https://git.door43.org/unfoldingWord/en_tn/pulls/2104 Co-authored-by: Larry Sallee Co-committed-by: Larry Sallee --- en_tn_63-1JN.tsv | 110 +++++++++++++++++++++++------------------------ 1 file changed, 55 insertions(+), 55 deletions(-) diff --git a/en_tn_63-1JN.tsv b/en_tn_63-1JN.tsv index 23649264b2..011c58530d 100644 --- a/en_tn_63-1JN.tsv +++ b/en_tn_63-1JN.tsv @@ -1,14 +1,14 @@ Book Chapter Verse ID SupportReference OrigQuote Occurrence GLQuote OccurrenceNote -1JN front intro nl27 0 # Introduction to 1 John

## Part 1: General Introduction

### Outline of the book of 1 John

This is a letter that the apostle John wrote to challenge and correct false teachings that were leading followers of Jesus to believe wrong things and live in wrong ways. At that time, the letter form had distinct opening and closing sections. The main body of the letter came in between.

1. Opening of Letter (1:1-4)
2. Main Body of Letter (1:5–5:12)

* Genuine believers obey God and love one another (1:5–2:17)
* It is false teaching to deny that Jesus is the Messiah (2:18–2:27)
* Genuine children of God do not sin (2:28–3:10)
* Genuine believers help one another sacrificially (3:11–18)
* Genuine believers have confidence in prayer (3:19–24)
* It is false teaching to deny that Jesus became human (4:1–6)
* Genuine believers love one another as God has loved them (4:7–21)
* It is false teaching to deny that Jesus is the Son of God (5:1–12)

1. Closing of Letter (5:13-21)

### Who wrote the book of 1 John?

The author of this letter does not give his name. However, since early Christian times, the church has widely considered the apostle John to be the author. He wrote the Gospel of John, and there are many similarities between the content of that book and this letter. If John did write this letter, he probably did so near the end of his life.

### To whom was the book of 1 John written?

The author wrote this letter to people whom he addresses as “beloved” and, figuratively, as “my little children.” This probably refers to believers in various churches located in the area where John was then living.

### What is the book of 1 John about?

False teachers were encouraging followers of Jesus to believe wrong things and to live in wrong ways. John wanted to challenge and correct those false teachings so that the people who received his letter would continue to believe the truth that they had been taught and live in right ways. The false teachers were saying that these people were not saved; John wanted to assure them that they were saved.

### How should the title of this book be translated?

Translators may choose to call this book by its traditional title, “1 John” or “First John.” They may also choose a different title, such as “The First Letter from John” or “The First Letter John Wrote.” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/translate-names]])

## Part 2: Important Religious and Cultural Concepts

### Who were the people whom John spoke against?

The false teachers whom John was challenging seem to have held beliefs similar to what would later become known as Gnosticism. Those false teachers believed that the physical world was evil. They thought that God would not become human, since they considered the physical body to be evil, so they denied that Jesus was God come to earth in human form. (See: [[rc://en/tw/dict/bible/kt/evil]])

## Part 3: Important Translation Issues

### “sin”

In chapter 1, John says that we should not deny that we have sinned. Rather, if we confess our sin, God will forgive us. In chapter 2, John says that he is writing this letter so that the recipients will not sin, but he adds that if they do sin, Jesus will advocate on their behalf. But in chapter 3, John says that everyone who has been begotten from God and who remains in God does not commit sin and is not able to sin. And in chapter 5, John says that we should not pray for people who are sinning in certain ways, although we should pray for people who are sinning in other ways. This may seem confusing and contradictory.

However, the explanation is that the people whose teachings John challenged and corrected in this letter were saying that it did not matter what people did in their bodies. This was because they thought that physical matter was evil, and so they thought that God did not care about it. In effect, they were saying that there was no such thing as sin. So John needed to say, in chapter 1, that sin is real and that everyone has sinned. Some of the believers may have been deceived by the false teaching and committed sins, so John also needed to reassure them that if they repented and confessed their sins, God would forgive them. John says similar things in chapter 2. Then in chapter 3 he explains that the new nature that believers have as children of God is one that does not want to sin and that does not enjoy sinning. So they should recognize that those who excuse or condone sin are not truly children of God, and that as children of God themselves, they can become more and more obedient and free from sin. Finally, in chapter 5, John warns that if a person sins wantonly and continually, this likely means that they have rejected Jesus and are not influenced by the Holy Spirit. He says that in that case, it may not be effective to pray for them. But he then encourages his readers that if a person sins occasionally but feels remorse, he is influenced by the Spirit, and so the prayers of other believers will help him repent and live in a right way again. (See: [[rc://en/tw/dict/bible/kt/sin]] and [[rc://en/tw/dict/bible/kt/faith]] and [[rc://en/tw/dict/bible/kt/forgive]])

### “remain”

In this letter, John often uses the word “remain” (which could also be translated as “reside” or “abide”) as a spatial metaphor. John speaks of a believer becoming more faithful to Jesus and knowing Jesus better as if the teaching of Jesus “remained” in the believer. He speaks of a person being spiritually joined to someone else as if that person “remained” in the other person: He writes that Christians “remain” in Christ and in God, and he says that the Father “remains” in the Son, the Son “remains” in the Father, the Son “remains” in believers, and the Holy Spirit “remains” in believers.

Translators may find it difficult to represent these ideas in their own languages if they try to use exactly the same words and expressions each time. For example, in [2:6](../02/06.md), when John speaks of a believer “remaining” in God, he intends to express the idea of that believer being spiritually unified with God. Accordingly, UST speaks of how the believer “shares life with God.” To give another example, for the statement in [2:14](../02/14.md) that “the word of God remains in you,” UST says, “you continue to obey what God commands.” This shows how other expressions can be found that accurately communicate the various ideas that John is expressing through the term “remain.”

### “appear”

In several places in this letter, John uses a term that ULT usually translates as “appear.” This is actually a passive verbal form in Greek, but as is often the case with such forms in that language, it can have an active meaning. When it has an active meaning, it is important to recognize that it does not simply mean “seemed to be there,” as the word “appeared” might suggest. Rather, it means “came to be there.” This is illustrated well by the use of the term in another New Testament book, 2 Corinthians, in which Paul writes in [5:10](../2co/05/10.md) that “we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ.” Clearly this does not mean that we must only seem to be present there. Rather, we must actually arrive there.

Throughout the epistle, it is a subtle matter of interpretation to decide whether John is using the term “appear” in an active sense or in a passive sense. For example, in [1:2](../01/02.md), John applies the term twice to the “Word of life,” that is, to Jesus. But it is not clear whether he is saying that Jesus himself “appeared,” that is, he came to earth, or that he “was made apparent” (made visible), with the emphasis on the idea that God revealed Jesus to the world and in the process revealed himself to the world through Jesus. At each place where John uses this term, notes will call attention to it and discuss what it likely means in that context.

### “the world”

John also uses the term “world” in a variety of senses in this letter. It can mean the earth, something material, the people who live in the world, the people who do not honor God, or the values of the people who do not honor God. Notes will address the meaning of the term “world” in each instance where John uses it.

### “to know”

The verb “to know” is used in two different ways in this letter. Sometimes it is used about knowing a fact, as in 3:2, 3:5, and 3:19. Sometimes it means to experience and understand someone or something, as in 3:1, 3:6, 3:16, and 3:20. Sometimes John uses it in two different senses in the same sentence, as in 2:3, “in this we know that we have known him.” Your language may have different words for these different meanings. If so, you must be careful to use the appropriate word in the right place in your translation.

### “We”

In most cases in this letter, the first-person plural pronouns (“we, our,” etc.) are inclusive, and so if your language marks that distinction, use the inclusive form in your translation. In those cases, John is speaking of what both he and the recipients know, or of things that are true of both him and the recipients. However, in a few cases, the first-person pronouns are exclusive, since John is telling the recipients what he and his fellow apostles saw and heard from Jesus. The notes will identify all such places, and in them you should use the exclusive forms, if your language marks that distinction. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-exclusive]])

### “You, your”

The words “you” and “your” in this letter are plural.

### Light and darkness

In 1:5-7 and 2:8-11 John uses an extended metaphor in which light represents what is good or holy and darkness represents what is evil. If this is not easily understood in your language, you may need to say explicitly that light represents goodness or that light is like goodness, or you may choose to talk about goodness without using the symbol of light. There will be a note explaining the metaphor in each place. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-exmetaphor]])

### Major textual issues in the text of the book of 1 John

When ancient manuscripts of the Bible differ, ULT puts the reading that scholars consider to be the most accurate in its text, but it puts other possibly accurate readings in footnotes. The introductions to each chapter will discuss places where the ancient manuscripts differ in significant ways, and notes will address those places again where they occur in the book. If a translation of the Bible already exists in your region, consider using the readings found in that version. If not, we recommend that you follow the readings in the ULT text. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/translate-textvariants]]) -1JN 1 intro ab9v 0 # 1 John 01 General Notes

## Structure and formatting

1. Opening of the letter (1:1-4)
2. Genuine believers obey God and love one another (1:5–10, continues through 2:17)

## Important translation issues in this chapter

Like many Greek compositions of this time, for stylistic purposes this letter begins with a very long sentence. It goes from the beginning of [1:1](../01/01.md) to the middle of [1:3](../01/03.md). The parts of this sentence are not in the order that is customary in many languages. The direct object comes first, and it is very long, made up of many different clauses. The subject and verb do not come until near the end. And in the middle, there is a long digression. So it will be a challenge to translate.

One approach that might work well in your language would be to create a verse bridge that includes all of 1:1–3. You could break up this long sentence into several smaller sentences, repeating the subject and verb for clarity. This would allow you to present the parts of the sentence in an order that might be more customary in your language and that your readers might understand better. Here is an example of 1 John 1:1-3 rearranged into an order that might be clearer in your language:

“So that you will have fellowship with us, we are declaring to you what we have seen and heard. We are declaring to you what was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched. It has to do with the Word of life. Indeed, the life appeared, and we have seen it, and we are testifying to it. Yes, we are announcing to you the eternal life that was with the Father and that then came to us.”

If you take this approach, another way to translate the second sentence would be, “We are declaring to you what was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and our hands have touched.”

Another approach that could also work well, and which would not require a verse bridge, would be to leave the phrases in their present order, but to divide the sentence into three parts at the verse divisions. If you do that, you could also put your translation of the phrase “regarding the Word of life” at the beginning rather than the end of [1:1](../01/01.md) and present it as a topical introduction to the letter. Otherwise, your readers might not get the sense that this is a letter until they reached [1:4](../01/04.md), where John formally states his purpose for writing.

The notes to [1:1–4](../01/01.md) provide further specific suggestions for how to translate this long opening sentence. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/translate-versebridge]])

## Important textual issues in this chapter

In [1:4](../01/04.md), the most accurate ancient manuscripts read “so that our joy may be fulfilled.” ULT follows that reading. However, some other ancient manuscripts read “your joy” instead of “our joy.” If a translation of the Bible already exists in your region, consider using whichever reading is found in that version. If a translation does not already exist, we recommend that you follow the reading in the ULT text. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/translate-textvariants]]) +1JN front intro nl27 0 # Introduction to 1 John

## Part 1: General Introduction

### Outline of the book of 1 John

This is a letter that the apostle John wrote to challenge and correct false teachings that were leading followers of Jesus to believe wrong things and live in wrong ways. At that time, the letter form had distinct opening and closing sections. The main body of the letter came in between.

1. Opening of Letter (1:1-4)
1. Main Body of Letter (1:5–5:12)

* Genuine believers obey God and love one another (1:5–2:17)
* It is false teaching to deny that Jesus is the Messiah (2:18–2:27)
* Genuine children of God do not sin (2:28–3:10)
* Genuine believers help one another sacrificially (3:11–18)
* Genuine believers have confidence in prayer (3:19–24)
* It is false teaching to deny that Jesus became human (4:1–6)
* Genuine believers love one another as God has loved them (4:7–21)
* It is false teaching to deny that Jesus is the Son of God (5:1–12)

1. Closing of Letter (5:13-21)

### Who wrote the book of 1 John?

The author of this letter does not give his name. However, since early Christian times, the church has widely considered the apostle John to be the author. He wrote the Gospel of John, and there are many similarities between the content of that book and this letter. If John did write this letter, he probably did so near the end of his life.

### To whom was the book of 1 John written?

The author wrote this letter to people whom he addresses as “beloved” and, figuratively, as “my little children.” This probably refers to believers in various churches located in the area where John was then living.

### What is the book of 1 John about?

False teachers were encouraging followers of Jesus to believe wrong things and to live in wrong ways. John wanted to challenge and correct those false teachings so that the people who received his letter would continue to believe the truth that they had been taught and live in right ways. The false teachers were saying that these people were not saved; John wanted to assure them that they were saved.

### How should the title of this book be translated?

Translators may choose to call this book by its traditional title, “1 John” or “First John.” They may also choose a different title, such as “The First Letter from John” or “The First Letter John Wrote.” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/translate-names]])

## Part 2: Important Religious and Cultural Concepts

### Who were the people whom John spoke against?

The false teachers whom John was challenging seem to have held beliefs similar to what would later become known as Gnosticism. Those false teachers believed that the physical world was evil. They thought that God would not become human, since they considered the physical body to be evil, so they denied that Jesus was God come to earth in human form. (See: [[rc://en/tw/dict/bible/kt/evil]])

## Part 3: Important Translation Issues

### “sin”

In chapter 1, John says that we should not deny that we have sinned. Rather, if we confess our sin, God will forgive us. In chapter 2, John says that he is writing this letter so that the recipients will not sin, but he adds that if they do sin, Jesus will advocate on their behalf. But in chapter 3, John says that everyone who has been begotten from God and who remains in God does not commit sin and is not able to sin. And in chapter 5, John says that we should not pray for people who are sinning in certain ways, although we should pray for people who are sinning in other ways. This may seem confusing and contradictory.

However, the explanation is that the people whose teachings John challenged and corrected in this letter were saying that it did not matter what people did in their bodies. This was because they thought that physical matter was evil, and so they thought that God did not care about it. In effect, they were saying that there was no such thing as sin. So John needed to say, in chapter 1, that sin is real and that everyone has sinned. Some of the believers may have been deceived by the false teaching and committed sins, so John also needed to reassure them that if they repented and confessed their sins, God would forgive them. John says similar things in chapter 2. Then in chapter 3 he explains that the new nature that believers have as children of God is one that does not want to sin and that does not enjoy sinning. So they should recognize that those who excuse or condone sin are not truly children of God, and that as children of God themselves, they can become more and more obedient and free from sin. Finally, in chapter 5, John warns that if a person sins wantonly and continually, this likely means that they have rejected Jesus and are not influenced by the Holy Spirit. He says that in that case, it may not be effective to pray for them. But he then encourages his readers that if a person sins occasionally but feels remorse, he is influenced by the Spirit, and so the prayers of other believers will help him repent and live in a right way again. (See: [[rc://en/tw/dict/bible/kt/sin]] and [[rc://en/tw/dict/bible/kt/faith]] and [[rc://en/tw/dict/bible/kt/forgive]])

### “remain”

In this letter, John often uses the word “remain” (which could also be translated as “reside” or “abide”) as a spatial metaphor. John speaks of a believer becoming more faithful to Jesus and knowing Jesus better as if the teaching of Jesus “remained” in the believer. He speaks of a person being spiritually joined to someone else as if that person “remained” in the other person: He writes that Christians “remain” in Christ and in God, and he says that the Father “remains” in the Son, the Son “remains” in the Father, the Son “remains” in believers, and the Holy Spirit “remains” in believers.

Translators may find it difficult to represent these ideas in their own languages if they try to use exactly the same words and expressions each time. For example, in [2:6](../02/06.md), when John speaks of a believer “remaining” in God, he intends to express the idea of that believer being spiritually unified with God. Accordingly, UST speaks of how the believer “shares life with God.” To give another example, for the statement in [2:14](../02/14.md) that “the word of God remains in you,” UST says, “you continue to obey what God commands.” This shows how other expressions can be found that accurately communicate the various ideas that John is expressing through the term “remain.”

### “appear”

In several places in this letter, John uses a term that ULT usually translates as “appear.” This is actually a passive verbal form in Greek, but as is often the case with such forms in that language, it can have an active meaning. When it has an active meaning, it is important to recognize that it does not simply mean “seemed to be there,” as the word “appeared” might suggest. Rather, it means “came to be there.” This is illustrated well by the use of the term in another New Testament book, 2 Corinthians, in which Paul writes in [5:10](../2co/05/10.md) that “we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ.” Clearly this does not mean that we must only seem to be present there. Rather, we must actually arrive there.

Throughout the epistle, it is a subtle matter of interpretation to decide whether John is using the term “appear” in an active sense or in a passive sense. For example, in [1:2](../01/02.md), John applies the term twice to the “Word of life,” that is, to Jesus. But it is not clear whether he is saying that Jesus himself “appeared,” that is, he came to earth, or that he “was made apparent” (made visible), with the emphasis on the idea that God revealed Jesus to the world and in the process revealed himself to the world through Jesus. At each place where John uses this term, notes will call attention to it and discuss what it likely means in that context.

### “the world”

John also uses the term “world” in a variety of senses in this letter. It can mean the earth, something material, the people who live in the world, the people who do not honor God, or the values of the people who do not honor God. Notes will address the meaning of the term “world” in each instance where John uses it.

### “to know”

The verb “to know” is used in two different ways in this letter. Sometimes it is used about knowing a fact, as in 3:2, 3:5, and 3:19. Sometimes it means to experience and understand someone or something, as in 3:1, 3:6, 3:16, and 3:20. Sometimes John uses it in two different senses in the same sentence, as in 2:3, “in this we know that we have known him.” Your language may have different words for these different meanings. If so, you must be careful to use the appropriate word in the right place in your translation.

### “We”

In most cases in this letter, the first-person plural pronouns (“we, our,” etc.) are inclusive, and so if your language marks that distinction, use the inclusive form in your translation. In those cases, John is speaking of what both he and the recipients know, or of things that are true of both him and the recipients. However, in a few cases, the first-person pronouns are exclusive, since John is telling the recipients what he and his fellow apostles saw and heard from Jesus. The notes will identify all such places, and in them you should use the exclusive forms, if your language marks that distinction. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-exclusive]])

### “You, your”

The words “you” and “your” in this letter are plural.

### Light and darkness

In 1:5-7 and 2:8-11 John uses an extended metaphor in which light represents what is good or holy and darkness represents what is evil. If this is not easily understood in your language, you may need to say explicitly that light represents goodness or that light is like goodness, or you may choose to talk about goodness without using the symbol of light. There will be a note explaining the metaphor in each place. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-exmetaphor]])

### Major textual issues in the text of the book of 1 John

When ancient manuscripts of the Bible differ, ULT puts the reading that scholars consider to be the most accurate in its text, but it puts other possibly accurate readings in footnotes. The introductions to each chapter will discuss places where the ancient manuscripts differ in significant ways, and notes will address those places again where they occur in the book. If a translation of the Bible already exists in your region, consider using the readings found in that version. If not, we recommend that you follow the readings in the ULT text. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/translate-textvariants]]) +1JN 1 intro ab9v 0 # 1 John 1 General Notes

## Structure and formatting

1. Opening of the letter (1:1-4)
2. Genuine believers obey God and love one another (1:5–10, continues through 2:17)

## Important translation issues in this chapter

Like many Greek compositions of this time, for stylistic purposes this letter begins with a very long sentence. It goes from the beginning of [1:1](../01/01.md) to the middle of [1:3](../01/03.md). The parts of this sentence are not in the order that is customary in many languages. The direct object comes first, and it is very long, made up of many different clauses. The subject and verb do not come until near the end. And in the middle, there is a long digression. So it will be a challenge to translate.

One approach that might work well in your language would be to create a verse bridge that includes all of 1:1–3. You could break up this long sentence into several smaller sentences, repeating the subject and verb for clarity. This would allow you to present the parts of the sentence in an order that might be more customary in your language and that your readers might understand better. Here is an example of 1 John 1:1-3 rearranged into an order that might be clearer in your language:

“So that you will have fellowship with us, we are declaring to you what we have seen and heard. We are declaring to you what was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched. It has to do with the Word of life. Indeed, the life appeared, and we have seen it, and we are testifying to it. Yes, we are announcing to you the eternal life that was with the Father and that then came to us.”

If you take this approach, another way to translate the second sentence would be, “We are declaring to you what was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and our hands have touched.”

Another approach that could also work well, and which would not require a verse bridge, would be to leave the phrases in their present order, but to divide the sentence into three parts at the verse divisions. If you do that, you could also put your translation of the phrase “regarding the Word of life” at the beginning rather than the end of [1:1](../01/01.md) and present it as a topical introduction to the letter. Otherwise, your readers might not get the sense that this is a letter until they reached [1:4](../01/04.md), where John formally states his purpose for writing.

The notes to [1:1–4](../01/01.md) provide further specific suggestions for how to translate this long opening sentence. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/translate-versebridge]])

## Important textual issues in this chapter

In [1:4](../01/04.md), the most accurate ancient manuscripts read “so that our joy may be fulfilled.” ULT follows that reading. However, some other ancient manuscripts read “your joy” instead of “our joy.” If a translation of the Bible already exists in your region, consider using whichever reading is found in that version. If a translation does not already exist, we recommend that you follow the reading in the ULT text. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/translate-textvariants]]) 1JN 1 1 honh checking/headings 1 If you are using section headings, you could put one here before verse 1. Suggested heading: “The Word of Life” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/checking/headings]]) 1JN 1 1 j363 writing-pronouns ὃ ἦν ἀπ’ ἀρχῆς, ὃ ἀκηκόαμεν, ὃ ἑωράκαμεν τοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς ἡμῶν, ὃ ἐθεασάμεθα, καὶ αἱ χεῖρες ἡμῶν ἐψηλάφησαν, περὶ τοῦ λόγου τῆς ζωῆς— 1 What was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched See the discussion in the General Notes to this chapter for how to translate the long sentence in [1:1–3](../01/01.md). If you follow the suggestion to translate the phrase **regarding the Word of life** as a topical introduction to this letter, you will already have indicated that the four clauses in this verse refer to a person, Jesus. If you have pronouns in your language that refer to people, such as “he,” “who,” and “whom,” it would be appropriate to use them here. Alternate translation: “Regarding the Word of life—he is the one who has existed from all eternity, whom we heard speak, whom we saw with our own eyes, and whom we looked at and touched with our own hands” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/writing-pronouns]]) 1JN 1 1 j364 figs-idiom ἀπ’ ἀρχῆς 1 from the beginning John uses the phrase **from the beginning** in various ways in this letter. Here it refers to the fact that Jesus has always existed. Alternate translation: “from all eternity” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom]]) -1JN 1 1 jd7p figs-exclusive ἀκηκόαμεν…ἑωράκαμεν…ἡμῶν…ἐθεασάμεθα…ἡμῶν 1 we have heard…we have seen…our…we have looked at…our Here the pronouns **we** and **our** are exclusive, since John is speaking on behalf of himself and the other eyewitnesses to the earthly life of Jesus, but the people to whom he is writing did not see Jesus. So use exclusive forms here, if your language marks that distinction. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-exclusive]]) +1JN 1 1 jd7p figs-exclusive ἀκηκόαμεν…ἑωράκαμεν…ἡμῶν…ἐθεασάμεθα…ἡμῶν 1 we have heard … we have seen … our … we have looked at … our Here the pronouns **we** and **our** are exclusive, since John is speaking on behalf of himself and the other eyewitnesses to the earthly life of Jesus, but the people to whom he is writing did not see Jesus. So use exclusive forms here, if your language marks that distinction. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-exclusive]]) 1JN 1 1 ej5x figs-explicit ἀκηκόαμεν 1 we have heard The implication is that what John and the other eyewitnesses **heard** was Jesus speaking. If it would be clearer in your language, you can include this information, as in the UST. Alternate translation: “we heard speak” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit]]) 1JN 1 1 rb73 figs-parallelism ὃ ἑωράκαμεν τοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς ἡμῶν, ὃ ἐθεασάμεθα 1 which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at These two phrases mean the same thing. John is likely using the repetition for emphasis. You could combine these phrases and show the emphasis in another way if that would be clearer for your readers. Alternate translation: “whom we saw clearly ourselves” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-parallelism]]) -1JN 1 1 j001 figs-explicitinfo ἑωράκαμεν τοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς ἡμῶν…καὶ αἱ χεῖρες ἡμῶν ἐψηλάφησαν 1 which we have seen with our eyes…and our hands have touched In your language, it might seem that these phrases express unnecessary extra information. If so, you could abbreviate them. However, your language may have its own way of using such extra information for emphasis, and you could also do that in your translation. Alternate translation: “we saw … and touched” or “we saw with our own eyes … and touched with our own hands” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-explicitinfo]]) -1JN 1 1 j002 figs-explicit ἑωράκαμεν τοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς ἡμῶν…αἱ χεῖρες ἡμῶν ἐψηλάφησαν 1 which we have seen with our eyes…and our hands have touched The false teachers were denying that Jesus was a real human being and saying that he was only a spirit. But the implications of what John is saying here are that Jesus was a real human being. If it would be helpful to your readers, you could say that explicitly, as in the UST. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit]]) +1JN 1 1 j001 figs-explicitinfo ἑωράκαμεν τοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς ἡμῶν…καὶ αἱ χεῖρες ἡμῶν ἐψηλάφησαν 1 which we have seen with our eyes … and our hands have touched In your language, it might seem that these phrases express unnecessary extra information. If so, you could abbreviate them. However, your language may have its own way of using such extra information for emphasis, and you could also do that in your translation. Alternate translation: “we saw … and touched” or “we saw with our own eyes … and touched with our own hands” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-explicitinfo]]) +1JN 1 1 j002 figs-explicit ἑωράκαμεν τοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς ἡμῶν…αἱ χεῖρες ἡμῶν ἐψηλάφησαν 1 which we have seen with our eyes … and our hands have touched The false teachers were denying that Jesus was a real human being and saying that he was only a spirit. But the implications of what John is saying here are that Jesus was a real human being. If it would be helpful to your readers, you could say that explicitly, as in the UST. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit]]) 1JN 1 1 j003 περὶ τοῦ λόγου τῆς ζωῆς 1 regarding the Word of life As the General Notes to this chapter suggest, you could put your translation of this phrase, **regarding the Word of life**, at the beginning of this verse and present it as a sentence of its own as a topical introduction to the letter, as UST does. Alternate translation: “We are writing to you about Jesus, the Word of life” 1JN 1 1 j004 writing-pronouns περὶ τοῦ λόγου τῆς ζωῆς 1 regarding the Word of life Letter writers of this time typically began by giving their own names. That is the case for most of the letters in the New Testament. This letter is an exception, but if it would be helpful to your readers, you could supply John’s name here, as UST does. As noted above, John uses the plural pronoun “we” because he is speaking on behalf of himself and the other eyewitnesses to Jesus’ earthly life. But it may be more natural in your language for him to refer to himself with a singular pronoun, and if so, you could do that in your translation. Alternate translation: “I, John, am writing to you about Jesus, the Word of life” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/writing-pronouns]]) 1JN 1 1 gt44 figs-explicit τοῦ λόγου τῆς ζωῆς 1 the Word of life Here, **the Word of life** is implicitly a description of Jesus. As the General Introduction explains, there are many similarities between this letter and the Gospel of John. That gospel begins by saying about Jesus, “In the beginning was the Word.” So it is likely that when John speaks in this letter of **the Word of life** that “was from the beginning,” he is also speaking about Jesus. ULT indicates this by capitalizing **Word** to indicate that this is a title for Jesus. Alternate translation: “Jesus, the Word of God, who gives life” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit]]) @@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ Book Chapter Verse ID SupportReference OrigQuote Occurrence GLQuote OccurrenceNo 1JN 1 1 i8b4 figs-metaphor τῆς ζωῆς 1 of life In this letter, John uses **life** in different ways, either to refer literally to physical life or figuratively to spiritual life. Here the reference is to spiritual life. Alternate translation: “of spiritual life” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor]]) 1JN 1 2 la4a figs-activepassive καὶ ἡ ζωὴ ἐφανερώθη 1 indeed, the life appeared See the discussion of the term “appear” in Part 3 of the Introduction to 1 John. Here the term could mean one of two things. (1) John could be emphasizing how Jesus came to this earth. (UST brings this out by saying “he came here to the earth.”) In that case, this would be a situation in which a Greek passive verbal form has an active meaning. As the General Notes to this chapter suggest, it may be helpful to begin a new sentence here. Alternate translation: “Indeed, the life came right here” (2) John could be emphasizing how God revealed Jesus to the world and thereby revealed himself to the world through Jesus. To bring out that emphasis, you could translate this with a passive verbal form or, if your language does not use passive forms, you could use an active form and say who did the action. Alternate translation: “Indeed, the life was made visible” or “Indeed, God made the life visible” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-activepassive]]) 1JN 1 2 j006 figs-metonymy ἡ ζωὴ 1 the life John is speaking figuratively of Jesus, whom he calls the “Word of life” in the previous verse, by referring to the **life** that is associated with him. In this case it seems to describe the **life** that Jesus embodies rather than the **life** that he gives. Alternate translation: “Jesus” or “Jesus, who is life” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metonymy]]) -1JN 1 2 j007 figs-exclusive ἑωράκαμεν…μαρτυροῦμεν…ἀπαγγέλλομεν…ἡμῖν 1 we have seen…we are bearing witness…we are announcing…us John is speaking on behalf of himself and the other eyewitnesses to the earthly life of Jesus, so the pronouns **we** and **us** are exclusive in this verse. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-exclusive]]) +1JN 1 2 j007 figs-exclusive ἑωράκαμεν…μαρτυροῦμεν…ἀπαγγέλλομεν…ἡμῖν 1 we have seen … we are bearing witness … we are announcing … us John is speaking on behalf of himself and the other eyewitnesses to the earthly life of Jesus, so the pronouns **we** and **us** are exclusive in this verse. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-exclusive]]) 1JN 1 2 j008 figs-you ὑμῖν 1 you As the General Introduction explains, John is writing this letter to believers in various churches, and so the pronouns **you**, “your,” and “yourselves” are plural throughout the entire letter. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-you]]) 1JN 1 2 jp6s writing-pronouns ἑωράκαμεν, καὶ μαρτυροῦμεν, 1 we have seen it, and we are testifying to it If you decided to use personal pronouns in [1:1](../01/01.md), you could use them in these cases as well. Alternate translation: “we have seen him, and we are testifying that we saw him” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/writing-pronouns]]) 1JN 1 2 ih36 figs-parallelism μαρτυροῦμεν, καὶ ἀπαγγέλλομεν ὑμῖν 1 we are testifying to it, yes, we are announcing to you These two phrases mean similar things. John is likely using repetition for emphasis. If it would be clearer in your language, you could combine these phrases and express the emphasis in another way, as UST does. Alternate translation: “we are enthusiastically telling you about” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-parallelism]]) @@ -25,12 +25,12 @@ Book Chapter Verse ID SupportReference OrigQuote Occurrence GLQuote OccurrenceNo 1JN 1 2 fru2 figs-activepassive καὶ ἐφανερώθη ἡμῖν 1 and appeared to us See how you translated **appeared** earlier in this verse. Alternate translation: “and came right to us” or “and was made visible to us” or “and whom God made visible to us” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-activepassive]]) 1JN 1 3 j009 grammar-connect-logic-result ὃ ἑωράκαμεν, καὶ ἀκηκόαμεν, ἀπαγγέλλομεν καὶ ὑμῖν, ἵνα καὶ ὑμεῖς κοινωνίαν ἔχητε μεθ’ ἡμῶν 1 what we have seen and heard, we declare also to you, so you also will have fellowship with us If it would be clearer in your language, you could rearrange the parts of this section. You could move the clause beginning with **so you also** to the beginning of the verse, since that clause gives the reason for the action that the rest of the verse describes. For clarity, you could also place the direct-object clause **what we have seen and heard** after the subject and verb **we declare … to you**. In that case, you would not need to translate **also** after **declare**. As the General Notes to this chapter suggest, it may be helpful to begin a new sentence here. Alternate translation: “So that you also may have fellowship with us, we are declaring to you what we have seen and heard” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/grammar-connect-logic-result]]) 1JN 1 3 vw2w figs-explicit ὃ ἑωράκαμεν, καὶ ἀκηκόαμεν 1 what we have seen and heard John is referring implicitly to the way that he and the other eyewitnesses had **seen and heard** Jesus when he was alive on earth. If it would be clearer in your language, you can include this information, as in the UST. Alternate translation: “what we saw and heard of Jesus when he was alive on earth” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit]]) -1JN 1 3 j010 figs-exclusive ἑωράκαμεν, καὶ ἀκηκόαμεν, ἀπαγγέλλομεν…ἡμῶν 1 we have seen and heard, we declare…us John is speaking on behalf of himself and the other eyewitnesses to the earthly life of Jesus, so the pronouns **we** and **us** are exclusive. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-exclusive]]) -1JN 1 3 dw7l figs-abstractnouns καὶ ὑμεῖς κοινωνίαν ἔχητε μεθ’ ἡμῶν…ἡ κοινωνία…ἡ ἡμετέρα μετὰ τοῦ Πατρὸς, καὶ μετὰ τοῦ Υἱοῦ αὐτοῦ 1 you also will have fellowship with us…our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son If it would be clearer in your language, you could express the idea behind the abstract noun **fellowship** with a concrete noun such as “friends” and an adjective such as “close.” Alternate translation: “so that you can be close friends with us … we are all close friends with God the Father and with his Son Jesus” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-abstractnouns]]) +1JN 1 3 j010 figs-exclusive ἑωράκαμεν, καὶ ἀκηκόαμεν, ἀπαγγέλλομεν…ἡμῶν 1 we have seen and heard, we declare … us John is speaking on behalf of himself and the other eyewitnesses to the earthly life of Jesus, so the pronouns **we** and **us** are exclusive. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-exclusive]]) +1JN 1 3 dw7l figs-abstractnouns καὶ ὑμεῖς κοινωνίαν ἔχητε μεθ’ ἡμῶν…ἡ κοινωνία…ἡ ἡμετέρα μετὰ τοῦ Πατρὸς, καὶ μετὰ τοῦ Υἱοῦ αὐτοῦ 1 you also will have fellowship with us … our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son If it would be clearer in your language, you could express the idea behind the abstract noun **fellowship** with a concrete noun such as “friends” and an adjective such as “close.” Alternate translation: “so that you can be close friends with us … we are all close friends with God the Father and with his Son Jesus” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-abstractnouns]]) 1JN 1 3 tf4m figs-exclusive ἡ κοινωνία…ἡ ἡμετέρα 1 our fellowship is The word **our** here is likely inclusive, since John is writing to fellow believers. So if your language marks that distinction, you should translate the term as inclusive. Even if your language does not mark that distinction, you can indicate in your translation that the term applies both to John and to the people he is writing to. Alternate translation: “we are all close friends” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-exclusive]]) -1JN 1 3 rxq7 guidelines-sonofgodprinciples τοῦ Πατρὸς…τοῦ Υἱοῦ αὐτοῦ 1 the Father…his Son These are important titles. Alternate translation: “God the Father … his Son” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/guidelines-sonofgodprinciples]]) +1JN 1 3 rxq7 guidelines-sonofgodprinciples τοῦ Πατρὸς…τοῦ Υἱοῦ αὐτοῦ 1 the Father … his Son These are important titles. Alternate translation: “God the Father … his Son” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/guidelines-sonofgodprinciples]]) 1JN 1 4 j011 writing-pronouns ταῦτα γράφομεν ἡμεῖς 1 we are writing these things As the General Notes to this chapter explain, here John is formally stating his purpose for writing. If you decided in [1:1](../01/01.md) that it would be more natural in your language for him to refer to himself with a singular pronoun in such a context, you could do the same thing here. Alternate translation: “I, John, am writing these things” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/writing-pronouns]]) -1JN 1 4 j012 figs-exclusive ἡμεῖς…ἡμῶν 1 we…our If you use the plural pronoun **we** here, it would be exclusive, since John is speaking of himself and the other eyewitnesses on whose behalf he is writing. However, the term **our** in the second clause is likely inclusive, since John probably means that he wants both himself and his readers to have **joy** in the shared fellowship with one another and with the Father and the Son that he describes in the previous verse. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-exclusive]]) +1JN 1 4 j012 figs-exclusive ἡμεῖς…ἡμῶν 1 we … our If you use the plural pronoun **we** here, it would be exclusive, since John is speaking of himself and the other eyewitnesses on whose behalf he is writing. However, the term **our** in the second clause is likely inclusive, since John probably means that he wants both himself and his readers to have **joy** in the shared fellowship with one another and with the Father and the Son that he describes in the previous verse. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-exclusive]]) 1JN 1 4 j013 translate-textvariants ἡ χαρὰ ἡμῶν 1 so that our joy may be fulfilled See the discussion of textual issues at the end of the General Notes to this chapter to decide whether to follow the reading of ULT and say **our joy** or to follow the reading of some other versions and say “your joy.” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/translate-textvariants]]) 1JN 1 4 j014 figs-you ἡ χαρὰ ἡμῶν 1 so that our joy may be fulfilled If you follow the variant reading “your joy” here instead of **our joy**, the word “your” would be plural, as in the rest of this letter, since it would refer to a group of believers. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-you]]) 1JN 1 4 xn9d figs-abstractnouns ἵνα ἡ χαρὰ ἡμῶν ᾖ πεπληρωμένη 1 so that our joy may be fulfilled If it would be clearer in your language, you could express the idea behind the abstract noun **joy** with an adjective such as “happy.” Alternate translation: “so that we will be completely happy” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-abstractnouns]]) @@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ Book Chapter Verse ID SupportReference OrigQuote Occurrence GLQuote OccurrenceNo 1JN 1 8 j035 figs-abstractnouns ἡ ἀλήθεια οὐκ ἔστιν ἐν ἡμῖν 1 the truth is not in us If it would be clearer in your language, you could express the idea behind the abstract noun **truth** with an adjective such as “true.” Alternate translation: “we do not believe that what God says is true” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-abstractnouns]]) 1JN 1 9 j036 figs-hypo ἐὰν ὁμολογῶμεν τὰς ἁμαρτίας ἡμῶν, πιστός ἐστιν καὶ δίκαιος 1 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous John is using another hypothetical situation to help his readers recognize the value and benefits of living in holiness. Alternate translation: “Suppose we confess our sins. Then he is faithful and righteous” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-hypo]]) 1JN 1 9 agve figs-explicit ἐὰν ὁμολογῶμεν τὰς ἁμαρτίας ἡμῶν 1 Part of confessing sin to God is rejecting them. If it would be helpful to your readers, you could say that explicitly. Alternate translation: “If we confess our sins to God and turn away from them” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit]]) -1JN 1 9 gb5l writing-pronouns πιστός ἐστιν…ἵνα ἀφῇ 1 he is faithful…that he should forgive The pronoun **he** refers to God in both instances in this verse. Alternate translation: “God is faithful … and God will forgive” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/writing-pronouns]]) +1JN 1 9 gb5l writing-pronouns πιστός ἐστιν…ἵνα ἀφῇ 1 he is faithful … that he should forgive The pronoun **he** refers to God in both instances in this verse. Alternate translation: “God is faithful … and God will forgive” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/writing-pronouns]]) 1JN 1 9 f68c figs-parallelism ἵνα ἀφῇ ἡμῖν τὰς ἁμαρτίας, καὶ καθαρίσῃ ἡμᾶς ἀπὸ πάσης ἀδικίας 1 that he should forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness These two phrases mean basically the same thing. John is likely using them together for emphasis. If including both phrases would be confusing for your readers, you could combine them and express the emphasis in another way. Alternate translation: “and he will completely forgive us of what we have done wrong” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-parallelism]]) 1JN 1 9 j038 figs-metaphor καθαρίσῃ ἡμᾶς ἀπὸ πάσης ἀδικίας 1 cleanse us from all unrighteousness As in [1:7](../01/07.md), John is speaking figuratively of **sins** as if they made a person dirty and of God’s forgiveness as if it made a person clean. Alternate translation: “not hold against us anything that we have done wrong” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor]]) 1JN 1 9 j039 figs-abstractnouns πάσης ἀδικίας 1 all unrighteousness If it would be clearer in your language, you could express the idea behind the abstract noun **unrighteousness** with an equivalent phrase. Alternate translation: “anything that we have done wrong” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-abstractnouns]]) @@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ Book Chapter Verse ID SupportReference OrigQuote Occurrence GLQuote OccurrenceNo 1JN 1 10 hii2 figs-explicit ψεύστην ποιοῦμεν αὐτὸν 1 we make him a liar Be sure that it is clear in your translation that God would not actually be a **liar** in this case. Rather, a person who claimed to be without sin would be calling God a liar, since God has said that everyone is a sinner. If it would be helpful to your readers, you could say that explicitly. Alternate translation: “that is the same as calling God a liar, because God has said that we have all sinned” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit]]) 1JN 1 10 j042 figs-metonymy ὁ λόγος αὐτοῦ οὐκ ἔστιν ἐν ἡμῖν 1 his word is not in us John is using the term **word** figuratively to mean what God has said by using words. Alternate translation: “we do not believe what God has said” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metonymy]]) 1JN 1 10 m3p1 figs-metaphor ὁ λόγος αὐτοῦ οὐκ ἔστιν ἐν ἡμῖν 1 his word is not in us As he did about the “truth” in [1:8](../01/08.md), John is speaking figuratively of God’s **word** as if it were an object that could be inside believers. Alternate translation: “we do not believe what God has said” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor]]) -1JN 2 intro zjj9 0 # 1 John 02 General Notes

## Structure and formatting

1. Genuine believers obey God and love one another (2:1–17, continuing from 1:5)
2. It is false teaching to deny that Jesus is the Messiah (2:18–2:27)
3. Genuine children of God do not sin (2:28–29, continues through 3:10)

In order to show that John is writing something like poetry in [2:12–14](../02/12.md), some translations set the statements in those verses farther to the right than the rest of the text, and they begin a new line at the start of each statement.

## Special concepts in this chapter

### Antichrist

In [2:18](../02/18.md) and [2:22](../02/22.md), John writes both about a specific person called the Antichrist and about many people who will be “antichrists.” The word “antichrist” means “opposed to Christ.” The Antichrist is a person who will come just before the return of Jesus and imitate Jesus’ work, but he will do that for evil purposes. Before that person comes, there will be many other people who work against Christ. They too are called “antichrists,” but as a description rather than as a name. (See: [[rc://en/tw/dict/bible/kt/antichrist]] and [[rc://en/tw/dict/bible/kt/lastday]] and [[rc://en/tw/dict/bible/kt/evil]])

## Important textual issues in this chapter

In [2:20](../02/20.md), some ancient manuscripts read “you all know,” and that is the reading that ULT follows. However, other ancient manuscripts read “you know all things.” It seems more likely, based on everything else in the letter, that “you all know” is the correct original reading, since John is countering the claim of false teachers to know more than other believers. The reading “you know all things” seems to have arisen because copyists felt a need to have an object for the verb “know.” Nevertheless, if a translation of the Bible already exists in your region, consider using whichever reading is found in that version. If a translation does not already exist, we recommend that you follow the reading in the ULT text. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/translate-textvariants]]) +1JN 2 intro zjj9 0 # 1 John 2 General Notes

## Structure and formatting

1. Genuine believers obey God and love one another (2:1–17, continuing from 1:5)
2. It is false teaching to deny that Jesus is the Messiah (2:18–2:27)
3. Genuine children of God do not sin (2:28–29, continues through 3:10)

In order to show that John is writing something like poetry in [2:12–14](../02/12.md), some translations set the statements in those verses farther to the right than the rest of the text, and they begin a new line at the start of each statement.

## Special concepts in this chapter

### Antichrist

In [2:18](../02/18.md) and [2:22](../02/22.md), John writes both about a specific person called the Antichrist and about many people who will be “antichrists.” The word “antichrist” means “opposed to Christ.” The Antichrist is a person who will come just before the return of Jesus and imitate Jesus’ work, but he will do that for evil purposes. Before that person comes, there will be many other people who work against Christ. They too are called “antichrists,” but as a description rather than as a name. (See: [[rc://en/tw/dict/bible/kt/antichrist]] and [[rc://en/tw/dict/bible/kt/lastday]] and [[rc://en/tw/dict/bible/kt/evil]])

## Important textual issues in this chapter

In [2:20](../02/20.md), some ancient manuscripts read “you all know,” and that is the reading that ULT follows. However, other ancient manuscripts read “you know all things.” It seems more likely, based on everything else in the letter, that “you all know” is the correct original reading, since John is countering the claim of false teachers to know more than other believers. The reading “you know all things” seems to have arisen because copyists felt a need to have an object for the verb “know.” Nevertheless, if a translation of the Bible already exists in your region, consider using whichever reading is found in that version. If a translation does not already exist, we recommend that you follow the reading in the ULT text. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/translate-textvariants]]) 1JN 2 1 j043 τεκνία μου 1 My little children Here and in several other places in the book, John uses the diminutive form of the word **children** as an affectionate form of address. Alternate translation: “My dear children” 1JN 2 1 v57g figs-metaphor τεκνία μου 1 My little children John is using the word **children** figuratively to describe the believers to whom he is writing. They are under his spiritual care, and so he regards them in that sense as if they were his own children. You could translate this in a non-figurative way, or you could represent the metaphor as a simile, as UST does. Alternate translation: “You dear believers who are under my care” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor]]) 1JN 2 1 p49e ταῦτα γράφω 1 I am writing these things Here, **these things** refers generally to everything that John has written about in the letter so far. Alternate translation: “I am writing this letter” @@ -94,12 +94,12 @@ Book Chapter Verse ID SupportReference OrigQuote Occurrence GLQuote OccurrenceNo 1JN 2 3 ubc9 grammar-connect-condition-fact ἐν τούτῳ γινώσκομεν ὅτι ἐγνώκαμεν αὐτόν, ἐὰν τὰς ἐντολὰς αὐτοῦ τηρῶμεν 1 If your language would not use a conditional statement with **if** for something that is true, you can express the same idea using a word like “by” or another way. Alternate translation: “there is a way to be sure that we truly know God. This is by obeying his commandments” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/grammar-connect-
condition-fact]]) 1JN 2 3 j050 figs-idiom ἐν τούτῳ γινώσκομεν ὅτι 1 in this we know that This is an idiomatic expression that John uses many times in this letter. Alternate translation: “this is how we know that” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom]]) 1JN 2 3 el7q γινώσκομεν ὅτι ἐγνώκαμεν αὐτόν 1 we know that we have known him John is using the word **know** in two different senses here. See the discussion of the word **know** in Part 3 of the Introduction to 1 John. If your language has different words for these different senses, it would be appropriate to use them here. Alternate translation: “we can be assured that we have a close relationship with him” -1JN 2 3 j051 writing-pronouns αὐτόν…αὐτοῦ 1 him…his In this verse, the pronouns **him** and **his** refer to God, the one who has given the commandments that people must obey. Alternate translation: “God … God’s” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/writing-pronouns]]) +1JN 2 3 j051 writing-pronouns αὐτόν…αὐτοῦ 1 him … his In this verse, the pronouns **him** and **his** refer to God, the one who has given the commandments that people must obey. Alternate translation: “God … God’s” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/writing-pronouns]]) 1JN 2 3 qn85 figs-idiom ἐὰν τὰς ἐντολὰς αὐτοῦ τηρῶμεν 1 if we keep his commandments Here, **keep** is an idiom that means “obey.” Alternate translation: “if we obey what he has commanded” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom]]) 1JN 2 4 j052 figs-hypo ὁ λέγων, ὅτι ἔγνωκα αὐτὸν, καὶ τὰς ἐντολὰς αὐτοῦ μὴ τηρῶν, ψεύστης ἐστίν 1 The one who says, “I know him,” and does not keep his commandments is a liar John is describing a hypothetical situation in order to challenge his readers. Alternate translation: “Suppose someone says, ‘I have a close relationship with God,’ but he does not obey what God has commanded. Then that person is a liar” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-hypo]]) 1JN 2 4 kmz5 ὁ λέγων 1 The one who says Alternate translation: “Anyone who says” or “The person who says” 1JN 2 4 q665 ἔγνωκα αὐτὸν 1 I know him As in the second instance in [2:3](../02/03.md), John is using the word **know** in the sense of knowing someone by personal experience. Alternate translation: “I know God very well” -1JN 2 4 j053 writing-pronouns αὐτὸν…αὐτοῦ 1 him…his In this verse, the pronouns **him** and **his** refer to God, the one who has given the commandments that people must obey. Alternate translation: “God … God’s” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/writing-pronouns]]) +1JN 2 4 j053 writing-pronouns αὐτὸν…αὐτοῦ 1 him … his In this verse, the pronouns **him** and **his** refer to God, the one who has given the commandments that people must obey. Alternate translation: “God … God’s” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/writing-pronouns]]) 1JN 2 4 j054 grammar-connect-logic-contrast καὶ 1 and John is using the word **and** to introduce a contrast between what such a person might say and what his conduct actually indicates to be true. Alternate translation: “but” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/grammar-connect-logic-contrast]]) 1JN 2 4 qp1j figs-idiom μὴ τηρῶν 1 does not keep In this instance, the word **keep** is an idiom that means “obey.” Alternate translation: “does not obey” or “disobeys” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom]]) 1JN 2 4 j055 figs-parallelism ψεύστης ἐστίν, καὶ ἐν τούτῳ ἡ ἀλήθεια οὐκ ἔστιν 1 is a liar, and the truth is not in this one These two phrases mean similar things. John is likely using repetition for emphasis. If it would be clearer in your language, you could combine these phrases and express the emphasis in another way. Alternate translation: “is certainly not speaking the truth” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-parallelism]]) @@ -109,7 +109,7 @@ Book Chapter Verse ID SupportReference OrigQuote Occurrence GLQuote OccurrenceNo 1JN 2 5 j057 figs-hypo ὃς δ’ ἂν τηρῇ αὐτοῦ τὸν λόγον, ἀληθῶς ἐν τούτῳ ἡ ἀγάπη τοῦ Θεοῦ τετελείωται 1 But whoever keeps his word, in this one truly the love of God has been perfected John is suggesting another hypothetical situation in order to reassure his readers. Alternate translation: “But suppose someone keeps his word. Then the love of God truly has been perfected in that person.” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-hypo]]) 1JN 2 5 j058 figs-metonymy τηρῇ αὐτοῦ τὸν λόγον 1 keeps his word John is using the term **word** figuratively to mean what God has commanded by using words. Alternate translation: “obeys God's commandments” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metonymy]]) 1JN 2 5 aqa4 figs-idiom τηρῇ αὐτοῦ τὸν λόγον 1 keeps his word In this instance, the word **keep** is an idiom that means “obey.” Alternate translation: “obeys God's commandments” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom]]) -1JN 2 5 j059 writing-pronouns αὐτοῦ…αὐτῷ 1 his…him The pronouns **his** and **him** in this verse refer to God. Alternate translation: “God’s … God” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/writing-pronouns]]) +1JN 2 5 j059 writing-pronouns αὐτοῦ…αὐτῷ 1 his … him The pronouns **his** and **him** in this verse refer to God. Alternate translation: “God’s … God” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/writing-pronouns]]) 1JN 2 5 x88p figs-possession ἀληθῶς ἐν τούτῳ ἡ ἀγάπη τοῦ Θεοῦ τετελείωται 1 in this one truly the love of God has been perfected The phrase **the love of God** could mean one of two things. (1) It could refer to a person loving God. Alternate translation: “that person indeed loves God completely” (2) It could refer to God loving people. Alternate translation: “God’s love has completely achieved its purpose in that person’s life” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-possession]]) 1JN 2 5 j060 figs-activepassive ἀληθῶς ἐν τούτῳ ἡ ἀγάπη τοῦ Θεοῦ τετελείωται 1 in this one truly the love of God has been perfected If it would be clearer in your language, you could use an active verbal form in place of the passive verbal form **has been perfected**. The person or thing doing the action will depend on how you decide to translate the phrase **the love of God**. Alternate translation: “that person indeed loves God completely” or “God’s love has completely achieved its purpose in that person’s life” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-activepassive]]) 1JN 2 5 jdzb figs-metaphor ἐν τούτῳ γινώσκομεν ὅτι ἐν αὐτῷ ἐσμεν 1 The word **this** could be referring to (1) what John is about to say in verse 6, or (2) what John has just said in verse 5, or (3) both. If your language allows it, you could choose option (3), since both verses are talking about completely obeying God, but most languages will need to choose one or the other. @@ -205,10 +205,10 @@ Book Chapter Verse ID SupportReference OrigQuote Occurrence GLQuote OccurrenceNo 1JN 2 17 j112 figs-idiom εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα 1 to the age This is an idiom. Consider using an idiom in your language that has this meaning. Alternate translation: “forever” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom]]) 1JN 2 18 t903 checking/headings 1 If you are using section headings, you could put one here before verse 18. Suggested heading: “False Teaching and True Teaching” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/checking/headings]]) 1JN 2 18 c7td figs-metaphor παιδία 1 Young children This is the same term that John used figuratively in [2:14](../02/14.md) that seems to be a stylistic variation of the term that he uses in [2:1](../02/01.md) and [2:12](../02/012.md), as well as in several other places in the book, to address all of the believers to whom he is writing. See how you translated this in those places. Alternate translation: “My dear children” or “You dear believers who are under my care” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor]]) -1JN 2 18 esd9 figs-idiom ἐσχάτη ὥρα ἐστίν -1 it is the last hour…that it is the last hour John is using the term **hour** figuratively to refer a specific time. The expression **the last hour** refers specifically to the time at the end of earthly history just before Jesus returns. Alternate translation: “Jesus will return soon … Jesus will return soon” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom]]) +1JN 2 18 esd9 figs-idiom ἐσχάτη ὥρα ἐστίν -1 it is the last hour … that it is the last hour John is using the term **hour** figuratively to refer a specific time. The expression **the last hour** refers specifically to the time at the end of earthly history just before Jesus returns. Alternate translation: “Jesus will return soon … Jesus will return soon” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom]]) 1JN 2 18 r2vq translate-unknown ἀντίχριστος ἔρχεται, καὶ νῦν ἀντίχριστοι πολλοὶ γεγόνασιν 1 the Antichrist is coming, indeed now many antichrists have come See the discussion of the terms **antichrist** and **antichrists** in the General Notes to this chapter. Alternate translation: “someone is coming who will lead a great opposition to Jesus, already many people are opposing Jesus in that way now” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/translate-unknown]]) 1JN 2 19 rmj7 figs-metaphor ἐξ ἡμῶν ἐξῆλθαν 1 They went out from us These people formerly met with the group of believers to whom John is writing. While they physically left the places where the believers met, John is also using the expression **went out** figuratively to mean that these people stopped being part of the group. Alternate translation: “They left our group of believers in Jesus” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor]]) -1JN 2 19 ytb1 figs-explicit ἀλλ’ οὐκ ἦσαν ἐξ ἡμῶν…οὐκ εἰσὶν πάντες ἐξ ἡμῶν 1 but they were not from us…they are all not from us John is using the expression **from us** in a slightly different sense in these instances than in the first instance in the verse. In the first instance, it means that these people left the group. In this instance, it means that they were never genuinely part of the group. Alternate translation: “but they were never genuinely part of our group … none of them are genuinely part of our group” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit]]) +1JN 2 19 ytb1 figs-explicit ἀλλ’ οὐκ ἦσαν ἐξ ἡμῶν…οὐκ εἰσὶν πάντες ἐξ ἡμῶν 1 but they were not from us … they are all not from us John is using the expression **from us** in a slightly different sense in these instances than in the first instance in the verse. In the first instance, it means that these people left the group. In this instance, it means that they were never genuinely part of the group. Alternate translation: “but they were never genuinely part of our group … none of them are genuinely part of our group” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit]]) 1JN 2 19 j113 figs-explicit οὐκ ἦσαν ἐξ ἡμῶν 1 they were not from us If it would be helpful to your readers, you could say explicitly why John makes this claim. Alternate translation: “they were never genuinely part of our group, because they did not actually believe in Jesus in the first place” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit]]) 1JN 2 19 j114 grammar-connect-condition-contrary εἰ γὰρ ἐξ ἡμῶν ἦσαν, μεμενήκεισαν ἂν μεθ’ ἡμῶν 1 For if they had been from us, they would have remained with us John is presenting a situation that is not real to help his readers recognize why the claim that he is making is true. Alternate translation: “We know that they were not genuinely part of our group because they did not continue to participate in it” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/grammar-connect-condition-contrary]]) 1JN 2 19 jin1 figs-metaphor μεμενήκεισαν ἂν μεθ’ ἡμῶν 1 they would have remained with us See the discussion of the term “remain” in Part 3 of the Introduction to 1 John. Here the word seems to refer to continuing participation in a group. Alternate translation: “they would have continued to participate in our group” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor]]) @@ -224,8 +224,8 @@ Book Chapter Verse ID SupportReference OrigQuote Occurrence GLQuote OccurrenceNo 1JN 2 20 j122 figs-explicit οἴδατε πάντες 1 you all know Based on what he says in the next verse, John likely means here that the believers to whom he is writing **all know** the truth. If it would be helpful to your readers, you could say that explicitly. Alternate translation: “you all know the truth” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit]]) 1JN 2 21 j123 figs-doublenegatives οὐκ ἔγραψα ὑμῖν ὅτι οὐκ οἴδατε τὴν ἀλήθειαν, ἀλλ’ ὅτι οἴδατε αὐτήν 1 I have not written to you because you do not know the truth, but because you do know it If it would be clearer in your language, you could translate this double negative as a positive statement. Since John then repeats the statement in positive form in the next phrase, you can make the connection to that phrase as an affirmation rather than as a contrast. Alternate translation: “I have written to you because you know the truth, yes, because you do know it” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-doublenegatives]]) 1JN 2 21 34fm grammar-connect-exceptions οὐκ ἔγραψα ὑμῖν ὅτι οὐκ οἴδατε τὴν ἀλήθειαν, ἀλλ’ ὅτι οἴδατε αὐτήν 1 If saying **I have not written to you** seems wrong or confusing in your language, you can move the negative to the next clause. Alternate translation: “I have written to you not because you do not know the truth, but because you do know the truth”
or “I have written to you not to inform you of the truth, but I have written to you because you already know it” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-grammar-connect-exceptions]]) -1JN 2 21 r8yr figs-abstractnouns τὴν ἀλήθειαν…ἐκ τῆς ἀληθείας 1 the truth…from the truth If it would be clearer in your language, you could express the idea behind the abstract noun **truth** with an adjective such as “true.” Alternate translation: “what is true … from what is true” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-abstractnouns]]) -1JN 2 21 j124 figs-metonymy τὴν ἀλήθειαν…ἐκ τῆς ἀληθείας 1 the truth…from the truth John is likely referring figuratively to the teaching that believers have received from Jesus by association with the way that it is true. Alternate translation: “the true teaching that we received from Jesus … from this true teaching” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metonymy]]) +1JN 2 21 r8yr figs-abstractnouns τὴν ἀλήθειαν…ἐκ τῆς ἀληθείας 1 the truth … from the truth If it would be clearer in your language, you could express the idea behind the abstract noun **truth** with an adjective such as “true.” Alternate translation: “what is true … from what is true” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-abstractnouns]]) +1JN 2 21 j124 figs-metonymy τὴν ἀλήθειαν…ἐκ τῆς ἀληθείας 1 the truth … from the truth John is likely referring figuratively to the teaching that believers have received from Jesus by association with the way that it is true. Alternate translation: “the true teaching that we received from Jesus … from this true teaching” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metonymy]]) 1JN 2 21 j125 figs-ellipsis καὶ ὅτι πᾶν ψεῦδος ἐκ τῆς ἀληθείας οὐκ ἔστιν 1 and that every lie is not from the truth John is leaving out some of the words that a sentence would need in many languages in order to be complete. These words can be supplied from earlier in the sentence. Alternate translation: “and you know that every lie is not from the truth” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-ellipsis]]) 1JN 2 21 j126 πᾶν ψεῦδος ἐκ τῆς ἀληθείας οὐκ ἔστιν 1 every lie is not from the truth If it would be clearer in your language, you could say this by making the subject negative and the verb positive. Alternate translation: “no lie is from the truth” 1JN 2 21 9ruw ἐκ τῆς ἀληθείας 1 This second occurrence of **the truth** could refer to: (1) The same as the first occurrence. Alternate translation: “part of God's true message” (2) God, who is the source of all truth. Alternate translation: “from God, the One who is true” @@ -235,23 +235,23 @@ Book Chapter Verse ID SupportReference OrigQuote Occurrence GLQuote OccurrenceNo 1JN 2 22 z4t1 figs-explicit ὁ ἀρνούμενος τὸν Πατέρα καὶ τὸν Υἱόν 1 the one who denies the Father and the Son If it would be helpful to your readers, you could indicate explicitly why John says this about these people. It may be helpful to begin a new sentence here. Alternate translation: “By denying that Jesus is the Messiah, he is denying both God the Father, who sent Jesus to be the Messiah, and Jesus his Son, whom he sent” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit]]) 1JN 2 22 pth9 guidelines-sonofgodprinciples τὸν Πατέρα καὶ τὸν Υἱόν 1 the Father and the Son **Father** and **Son** are important titles that describe the relationship between God and Jesus. Alternate translation: “God the Father and Jesus his Son” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/guidelines-sonofgodprinciples]]) 1JN 2 23 j129 figs-explicit πᾶς ὁ ἀρνούμενος τὸν Υἱὸν 1 Everyone who denies the Son If it would be helpful to your readers, you could say explicitly what this means in light of what John says in the previous verse. Alternate translation: “Everyone who denies that Jesus is the Son of God and the Messiah” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit]]) -1JN 2 23 j130 guidelines-sonofgodprinciples τὸν Υἱὸν…τὸν Υἱὸν 2 the Son…the Son **Son** is an important title for Jesus. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/guidelines-sonofgodprinciples]]) -1JN 2 23 k78f figs-possession οὐδὲ τὸν Πατέρα ἔχει…καὶ τὸν Πατέρα ἔχει 1 does not have the Father…has the Father The language of possession that John is using actually indicates that such a person does not or does belong to God, rather than that God does not or does belong to such a person. Alternate translation: “does not belong to the Father … belongs to the Father as well” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-possession]]) -1JN 2 23 j131 guidelines-sonofgodprinciples τὸν Πατέρα…τὸν Πατέρα 2 the Father…the Father **Father** is an important title for God. Alternate translation: “God the Father … God the Father” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/guidelines-sonofgodprinciples]]) +1JN 2 23 j130 guidelines-sonofgodprinciples τὸν Υἱὸν…τὸν Υἱὸν 2 the Son … the Son **Son** is an important title for Jesus. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/guidelines-sonofgodprinciples]]) +1JN 2 23 k78f figs-possession οὐδὲ τὸν Πατέρα ἔχει…καὶ τὸν Πατέρα ἔχει 1 does not have the Father … has the Father The language of possession that John is using actually indicates that such a person does not or does belong to God, rather than that God does not or does belong to such a person. Alternate translation: “does not belong to the Father … belongs to the Father as well” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-possession]]) +1JN 2 23 j131 guidelines-sonofgodprinciples τὸν Πατέρα…τὸν Πατέρα 2 the Father … the Father **Father** is an important title for God. Alternate translation: “God the Father … God the Father” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/guidelines-sonofgodprinciples]]) 1JN 2 23 u9ep figs-explicit ὁ ὁμολογῶν τὸν Υἱὸν 1 The one who confesses the Son If it would be helpful to your readers, you could say explicitly what this means in light of what John says in the previous verse. Alternate translation: “Everyone who truly believes and acknowledges publicly that Jesus is the Son of God and the Messiah” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit]]) -1JN 2 24 zl8y figs-explicit ὃ ἠκούσατε…ὃ…ἠκούσατε 1 what you have heard…what you have heard John is referring implicitly to the teaching about Jesus that these believers **have heard**. Alternate translation: “the teaching you have heard … the teaching you have heard” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit]]) -1JN 2 24 dsl7 figs-idiom ἀπ’ ἀρχῆς…ἀπ’ ἀρχῆς 2 from the beginning…from the beginning John uses the phrase **from the beginning** in various ways in this letter. Here it refers to the time when the people to whom he is writing first believed in Jesus. Alternate translation: “ever since you first believed in Jesus … ever since you first believed in Jesus” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom]]) -1JN 2 24 rfz8 figs-metaphor ἐν ὑμῖν μενέτω…ἐν ὑμῖν μείνῃ 1 let it remain in you…remains in you See the discussion of the term “remain” in Part 3 of the Introduction to 1 John. In these instances, in reference to the teaching about Jesus, the word seems to refer to continuing belief in that teaching. Alternate translation: “continue to believe it … you continue to believe” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor]]) +1JN 2 24 zl8y figs-explicit ὃ ἠκούσατε…ὃ…ἠκούσατε 1 what you have heard … what you have heard John is referring implicitly to the teaching about Jesus that these believers **have heard**. Alternate translation: “the teaching you have heard … the teaching you have heard” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit]]) +1JN 2 24 dsl7 figs-idiom ἀπ’ ἀρχῆς…ἀπ’ ἀρχῆς 2 from the beginning … from the beginning John uses the phrase **from the beginning** in various ways in this letter. Here it refers to the time when the people to whom he is writing first believed in Jesus. Alternate translation: “ever since you first believed in Jesus … ever since you first believed in Jesus” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom]]) +1JN 2 24 rfz8 figs-metaphor ἐν ὑμῖν μενέτω…ἐν ὑμῖν μείνῃ 1 let it remain in you … remains in you See the discussion of the term “remain” in Part 3 of the Introduction to 1 John. In these instances, in reference to the teaching about Jesus, the word seems to refer to continuing belief in that teaching. Alternate translation: “continue to believe it … you continue to believe” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor]]) 1JN 2 24 j132 grammar-connect-condition-hypothetical ἐὰν ἐν ὑμῖν μείνῃ ὃ ἀπ’ ἀρχῆς ἠκούσατε, καὶ ὑμεῖς ἐν τῷ Υἱῷ καὶ ἐν τῷ Πατρὶ μενεῖτε 1 If what you have heard from the beginning remains in you, you will also remain in the Son and in the Father John is describing a conditional situation in order to reassure his readers. Alternate translation: “As long as what you have heard from the beginning remains in you, then you will also remain in the Son and in the Father” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/grammar-connect-condition-hypothetical]]) 1JN 2 24 ty7q figs-metaphor καὶ ὑμεῖς ἐν τῷ Υἱῷ καὶ ἐν τῷ Πατρὶ μενεῖτε 1 you will also remain in the Son and in the Father See the discussion of the term “remain” in Part 3 of the Introduction to 1 John. In this instance, it seems to mean the same thing as in [2:6](../02/06.md). See how you translated it there. Alternate translation: “you will also continue to have a close relationship with the Son and with the Father” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor]]) -1JN 2 24 j133 guidelines-sonofgodprinciples τῷ Υἱῷ…τῷ Πατρὶ 1 the Son…the Father **Son** and **Father** are important titles for Jesus and God, respectively. Alternate translation: “Jesus the Son of God … God the Father” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/guidelines-sonofgodprinciples]]) +1JN 2 24 j133 guidelines-sonofgodprinciples τῷ Υἱῷ…τῷ Πατρὶ 1 the Son … the Father **Son** and **Father** are important titles for Jesus and God, respectively. Alternate translation: “Jesus the Son of God … God the Father” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/guidelines-sonofgodprinciples]]) 1JN 2 25 llj2 ἡ ἐπαγγελία ἣν αὐτὸς ἐπηγγείλατο ἡμῖν 1 the promise that he promised to us If it is unnatural in your language to use both the noun **promise** and the verb **promised**, you can use just one form of the word in your translation. Alternate translation: “the promise that he made to us” or “what he promised us” 1JN 2 25 j134 writing-pronouns αὐτὸς 1 he The pronoun **he** could refer in this context either to Jesus or to God the Father. However, it seems more likely that it refers to Jesus, since John has just talked in [2:22–23](../02/22.md) about denying or confessing him, and it was Jesus who promised **eternal life** to everyone who believed in him. See, for example, the Gospel of John [3:36](../jhn/03/36.md) and [6:47](../jhn/06/47.md). Alternate translation: “Jesus” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/writing-pronouns]]) 1JN 2 25 id51 figs-metaphor τὴν ζωὴν τὴν αἰώνιον 1 eternal life John means more than physical **life**. This expression can indicate living forever in the presence of God after death, a commonly recognized meaning, but it can also indicate receiving power from God in this life to live in a new way. Alternate translation: “that we would have power to live a new life now and that we would live with him forever after we die” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor]]) 1JN 2 26 fe44 figs-metaphor τῶν πλανώντων ὑμᾶς 1 those who are leading you astray John speaks figuratively of these people as if they were guides who were leading others in the wrong direction. This is a metaphor for their attempts to get the people to whom John is writing to believe things that are not true. Alternate translation: “those who are deceiving you” or “those who are trying to get you to believe things that are not true” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor]]) 1JN 2 26 d3f5 figs-explicit τῶν πλανώντων ὑμᾶς 1 If it would be helpful to your readers, you could say explicitly in what way these people are leading others astray. Alternate translation: “the people who are leading you astray about Jesus” or “the people who are lying to you about Jesus”
(See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit]]) 1JN 2 27 cn2f figs-metaphor τὸ χρῖσμα ὃ ἐλάβετε ἀπ’ αὐτοῦ 1 the anointing that you received from him See how you translated the word **anointing** in [2:20](../02/20.md). Alternate translation: “the Spirit, whom Jesus has given you” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor]]) -1JN 2 27 j135 writing-pronouns ἀπ’ αὐτοῦ…ἐν αὐτῷ 1 from him…his…in him Like the pronoun “he” in [2:25](../02/25.md), the words **him** and **his** in this verse likely refer to Jesus. If it would be clearer in your language, you can use the name instead of a pronoun. Alternate translation: “from Jesus … in Jesus” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/writing-pronouns]]) +1JN 2 27 j135 writing-pronouns ἀπ’ αὐτοῦ…ἐν αὐτῷ 1 from him … his … in him Like the pronoun “he” in [2:25](../02/25.md), the words **him** and **his** in this verse likely refer to Jesus. If it would be clearer in your language, you can use the name instead of a pronoun. Alternate translation: “from Jesus … in Jesus” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/writing-pronouns]]) 1JN 2 27 j136 figs-metaphor μένει ἐν ὑμῖν 1 remains in you See the discussion of the term “remain” in Part 3 of the Introduction to 1 John. In this instance, it seems to refer to the continuing presence of the Spirit with a believer. Alternate translation: “lives inside of you” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor]]) 1JN 2 27 j137 grammar-connect-logic-result καὶ 2 and John is using the word **and** to introduce the results of what he says in the previous part of this sentence. Alternate translation: “and so” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/grammar-connect-logic-result]]) 1JN 2 27 j138 figs-metaphor τὸ αὐτοῦ χρῖσμα 1 his anointing See how you translated this earlier in this verse. Alternate translation: “his Spirit” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor]]) @@ -264,7 +264,7 @@ Book Chapter Verse ID SupportReference OrigQuote Occurrence GLQuote OccurrenceNo 1JN 2 28 tii1 καὶ νῦν 1 And now John uses this expression to introduce a new part of the letter, in which he will talk about being children of God and the return of Jesus. In your translation, you can use a word, phrase, or other method that is natural in your language for introducing a new topic. 1JN 2 28 kjn9 figs-metaphor τεκνία 1 little children John readdresses the recipients as he begins a new section of the letter. See how you translated this in [2:1](../02/01.md). Alternate translation: “you dear believers who are under my care” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor]]) 1JN 2 28 j142 figs-metaphor μένετε ἐν αὐτῷ 1 remain in him See the discussion of the term “remain” in Part 3 of the Introduction to 1 John. In this instance, John seems to be using the expression in the same way that he has just used it in [2:27](../02/27.md). See how you translated it there. Alternate translation: “continue to have a close relationship with him” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor]]) -1JN 2 28 j143 writing-pronouns αὐτῷ…ἐὰν φανερωθῇ…ἀπ’ αὐτοῦ…αὐτοῦ 1 him…when he appears…by him…his The pronouns **him**, **he**, and **his** likely refer to Jesus in this verse, since John speaks of his **coming** or return. Consider whether it might be clearer or more natural in your language to use the name “Jesus” in one or more of these instances. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/writing-pronouns]]) +1JN 2 28 j143 writing-pronouns αὐτῷ…ἐὰν φανερωθῇ…ἀπ’ αὐτοῦ…αὐτοῦ 1 him … when he appears … by him … his The pronouns **him**, **he**, and **his** likely refer to Jesus in this verse, since John speaks of his **coming** or return. Consider whether it might be clearer or more natural in your language to use the name “Jesus” in one or more of these instances. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/writing-pronouns]]) 1JN 2 28 zz4x figs-activepassive ἐὰν φανερωθῇ 1 when he appears See the discussion of the term “appear” in Part 3 of the Introduction to 1 John. Here the term could have either an active or a passive meaning. In either case, John is not saying that Jesus will only appear to return. (1) If the meaning is active, John is speaking of the act of Jesus physically returning to earth. Alternate translation: “when Jesus returns” (2) If the meaning is passive, John is speaking of God revealing Jesus to the world as its true king. To bring out that meaning, you could translate this with a passive verbal form or, if your language does not use passive forms, you could use an active form and say who will do the action. Alternate translation: “when Jesus is revealed” or “when God reveals Jesus” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-activepassive]]) 1JN 2 28 j144 figs-parallelism σχῶμεν παρρησίαν, καὶ μὴ αἰσχυνθῶμεν ἀπ’ αὐτοῦ 1 we may have boldness and not be put to shame by him These two phrases mean similar things. John is likely using the repetition for emphasis. You could combine these phrases into an emphatic expression if that would be clearer for your readers. Alternate translation: “we may be completely confident at his coming” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-parallelism]]) 1JN 2 28 lnk2 figs-abstractnouns σχῶμεν παρρησίαν 1 we may have boldness If it would be clearer in your language, you could express the idea behind the abstract noun **boldness** with an adjective. Alternate translation: “we may be bold” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-abstractnouns]]) @@ -272,11 +272,11 @@ Book Chapter Verse ID SupportReference OrigQuote Occurrence GLQuote OccurrenceNo 1JN 2 28 j145 figs-activepassive μὴ αἰσχυνθῶμεν ἀπ’ αὐτοῦ 1 may not be put to shame by him If it would be clearer in your language, you could say this with an active form. Alternate translation: “we will not be ashamed to be in his presence” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-activepassive]]) 1JN 2 28 x7ic ἐν τῇ παρουσίᾳ αὐτοῦ 1 at his coming Alternate translation: “when he returns to earth” 1JN 2 29 j146 grammar-connect-condition-fact ἐὰν εἰδῆτε ὅτι δίκαιός ἐστιν 1 If you know that he is righteous John is using the form of conditional possibility here, but he is stating something that is actually true. In Greek, this was a way of affirming that the part that follows this statement is also true. If your language does not state something as a condition if it is certain or true, and if your readers might misunderstand and think that what John is saying is not certain, then you can translate his words as an affirmative statement. Alternate translation: “Since you know that God is righteous” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/grammar-connect-condition-fact]]) -1JN 2 29 j147 writing-pronouns ἐστιν…αὐτοῦ 1 he is…him The pronouns **he** and **him** likely refer to God the Father, since in the next two verses John says that believers are “children of God,” and he speaks in this verse of those who have **been begotten from him**. Alternate translation: “God is … God” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/writing-pronouns]]) +1JN 2 29 j147 writing-pronouns ἐστιν…αὐτοῦ 1 he is … him The pronouns **he** and **him** likely refer to God the Father, since in the next two verses John says that believers are “children of God,” and he speaks in this verse of those who have **been begotten from him**. Alternate translation: “God is … God” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/writing-pronouns]]) 1JN 2 29 j148 figs-abstractnouns πᾶς ὁ ποιῶν τὴν δικαιοσύνην 1 everyone who does righteousness If it would be clearer in your language, you could express the idea behind the abstract noun **righteousness** with an adjective such as “right.” Alternate translation: “everyone who does what is right” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-abstractnouns]]) 1JN 2 29 u6er figs-activepassive πᾶς ὁ ποιῶν τὴν δικαιοσύνην ἐξ αὐτοῦ γεγέννηται 1 everyone who does righteousness has been begotten from him If it would be clearer in your language, you could say this with an active form. Alternate translation: “God is the father of everyone who does what is right” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-activepassive]]) 1JN 2 29 j149 figs-metaphor πᾶς ὁ ποιῶν τὴν δικαιοσύνην ἐξ αὐτοῦ γεγέννηται 1 everyone who does righteousness has been begotten from him Since believers have not literally **been begotten** by God, John means this figuratively. He says in [4:9](../04/09.md) that Jesus is the “only-begotten” of God, since God is the actual Father of Jesus in a way that he is not the actual father of believers. Alternate translation: “God is the spiritual father of everyone who does what is right” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor]]) -1JN 3 intro d8r2 0 # 1 John 03 General Notes

## Structure and formatting

1. Genuine children of God do not sin (3:1–10, continuing from 2:28)
2. Genuine believers help one another sacrificially (3:11–18)
3. Genuine believers have confidence in prayer (3:19–24)

## Special concepts in this chapter

### “children of God”

People are sometimes described as “children of God” because God created them. However, John uses this expression in a different sense in this chapter. He uses it to describe people who have entered into a father-child relationship with God by putting their faith and trust in Jesus. God indeed created all people, but people can only become children of God in this sense by believing in Jesus. "Children" in this usage does not refer to those who are young, but only to the relationship that people have at any age to their father. (See: [[rc://en/tw/dict/bible/kt/believe]])

## Other possible translation difficulties in this chapter

### “the one who keeps his commandments remains in him, and he in him” (3:24)

This does not mean that keeping our salvation is conditional on doing certain works. Rather, John is describing the results of keeping the commandments that he describes in [3:32](../03/32.md). Those commandments are to believe in Jesus and to love one another. John is saying that the person who believes in Jesus and loves others shows that he has a close relationship with God, and that he will continue to have that close relationship because of this obedience. Christians around the world hold different beliefs about whether people who have been saved can lose their salvation. That is not what John is addressing here, and translators should be careful not to let how they understand that issue affect how they translate this passage. (See: [[rc://en/tw/dict/bible/kt/eternity]] and [[rc://en/tw/dict/bible/kt/save]])

## Important textual issues in this chapter

In [3:1](../03/01.md), the most accurate ancient manuscripts include the words “and we are.” That is the reading that ULT follows. However, some other ancient manuscripts do not include these words, and so some Bibles do not have them. If a translation of the Bible already exists in your region, consider using whichever reading is found in that version. If a translation does not already exist, we recommend that you follow the reading in the ULT text. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/translate-textvariants]]) +1JN 3 intro d8r2 0 # 1 John 3 General Notes

## Structure and formatting

1. Genuine children of God do not sin (3:1–10, continuing from 2:28)
2. Genuine believers help one another sacrificially (3:11–18)
3. Genuine believers have confidence in prayer (3:19–24)

## Special concepts in this chapter

### “children of God”

People are sometimes described as “children of God” because God created them. However, John uses this expression in a different sense in this chapter. He uses it to describe people who have entered into a father-child relationship with God by putting their faith and trust in Jesus. God indeed created all people, but people can only become children of God in this sense by believing in Jesus. "Children" in this usage does not refer to those who are young, but only to the relationship that people have at any age to their father. (See: [[rc://en/tw/dict/bible/kt/believe]])

## Other possible translation difficulties in this chapter

### “the one who keeps his commandments remains in him, and he in him” (3:24)

This does not mean that keeping our salvation is conditional on doing certain works. Rather, John is describing the results of keeping the commandments that he describes in [3:32](../03/32.md). Those commandments are to believe in Jesus and to love one another. John is saying that the person who believes in Jesus and loves others shows that he has a close relationship with God, and that he will continue to have that close relationship because of this obedience. Christians around the world hold different beliefs about whether people who have been saved can lose their salvation. That is not what John is addressing here, and translators should be careful not to let how they understand that issue affect how they translate this passage. (See: [[rc://en/tw/dict/bible/kt/eternity]] and [[rc://en/tw/dict/bible/kt/save]])

## Important textual issues in this chapter

In [3:1](../03/01.md), the most accurate ancient manuscripts include the words “and we are.” That is the reading that ULT follows. However, some other ancient manuscripts do not include these words, and so some Bibles do not have them. If a translation of the Bible already exists in your region, consider using whichever reading is found in that version. If a translation does not already exist, we recommend that you follow the reading in the ULT text. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/translate-textvariants]]) 1JN 3 1 gl8n figs-metaphor ἴδετε 1 See John is using the term **see** figuratively. Alternate translation: “Consider” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor]]) 1JN 3 1 j150 ποταπὴν ἀγάπην δέδωκεν ἡμῖν ὁ Πατὴρ 1 what kind of love the Father has given to us Alternate translation: “how greatly the Father has loved us” 1JN 3 1 j151 guidelines-sonofgodprinciples ὁ Πατὴρ 1 the Father **Father** is an important title for God. Alternate translation: “God the Father” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/guidelines-sonofgodprinciples]]) @@ -285,7 +285,7 @@ Book Chapter Verse ID SupportReference OrigQuote Occurrence GLQuote OccurrenceNo 1JN 3 1 j152 translate-textvariants καὶ ἐσμέν 1 and we are See the discussion of textual issues at the end of the General Notes to this chapter to decide whether to follow the reading of ULT and include these words or to follow the reading of some other versions and not include them. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/translate-textvariants]]) 1JN 3 1 fq4t grammar-connect-logic-result διὰ τοῦτο, ὁ κόσμος οὐ γινώσκει ἡμᾶς, ὅτι οὐκ ἔγνω αὐτόν 1 For this reason the world does not know us, because it did not know him If it would be clearer in your language, you could reverse the order of these phrases, since the second phrase gives the reason for the result that the first phrase describes. Alternate translation: “Because the world did not know God, for that reason it does not know us” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/grammar-connect-logic-result]]) 1JN 3 1 l5e7 figs-metonymy διὰ τοῦτο, ὁ κόσμος οὐ γινώσκει ἡμᾶς, ὅτι οὐκ ἔγνω αὐτόν 1 For this reason the world does not know us, because it did not know him. John uses **world** to mean various things in this letter. Here it figuratively refers to people who do not honor God and who do not live as God wishes. Alternate translation: “because ungodly people have not known God, for that reason they do not know us” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metonymy]]) -
## Structure and formatting

1. It is false teaching to deny that Jesus became human (4:1–6)
2. Genuine believers love one another as God has loved them (4:7–21)

## Special concepts in this chapter

### “Spirit” and “spirit”

John uses the word “spirit” in different ways in this chapter.
Sometimes the word “spirit” clearly refers to a supernatural being.
Sometimes the word “spirit” may refer either to the human spirit, to the character of something, or to a supernatural being. Therefore, the expressions “the spirit of the antichrist,” “the spirit of truth,” and “the spirit of error” may refer to the spirit of the humans who promote those things, the attitudes and thinking that are typical of those things, or to spiritual beings who inspire those things.
When the word is written with a capital letter, as in the expressions “the Spirit of God” and “his Spirit,” it refers to the Holy Spirit.

## Other possible translation difficulties in this chapter

### Loving God

If people love God, they should show it in the way that they live and the way that they treat other people. Doing this may assure us that God has saved us and that we belong to him. But loving others does not save us. Be sure that this is clear in your translation. John says in 4:7 that “everyone who loves is begotten from God and knows God.” As the notes explain, this means that God is the spiritual father of everyone who loves, and everyone who loves is in a close relationship with God. But this love from God is a sign that they belong to God only because of what Jesus did for them on the cross, as John says in 4:10. They were saved by what Jesus did, not because they themselves loved others. (See: [[rc://en/tw/dict/bible/kt/save]])

## Important textual issues in this chapter

In [4:3](../04/03.md), the most accurate ancient manuscripts say “acknowledge Jesus.” That is the reading that ULT follows. Some other ancient manuscripts say “acknowledge Jesus Christ having come in the flesh.” (Some of these manuscripts say “Jesus” or “the Lord Jesus” instead of “Jesus Christ.”) If a translation of the Bible already exists in your region, consider using whichever reading is found in that version. If a translation does not already exist, we recommend that you follow the reading in the ULT text. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/translate-textvariants]]) +1JN 4 intro l3qa 0 # 1 John 4 General Notes

## Structure and formatting

1. It is false teaching to deny that Jesus became human (4:1–6)
2. Genuine believers love one another as God has loved them (4:7–21)

## Special concepts in this chapter

### “Spirit” and “spirit”

John uses the word “spirit” in different ways in this chapter.
Sometimes the word “spirit” clearly refers to a supernatural being.
Sometimes the word “spirit” may refer either to the human spirit, to the character of something, or to a supernatural being. Therefore, the expressions “the spirit of the antichrist,” “the spirit of truth,” and “the spirit of error” may refer to the spirit of the humans who promote those things, the attitudes and thinking that are typical of those things, or to spiritual beings who inspire those things.
When the word is written with a capital letter, as in the expressions “the Spirit of God” and “his Spirit,” it refers to the Holy Spirit.

## Other possible translation difficulties in this chapter

### Loving God

If people love God, they should show it in the way that they live and the way that they treat other people. Doing this may assure us that God has saved us and that we belong to him. But loving others does not save us. Be sure that this is clear in your translation. John says in 4:7 that “everyone who loves is begotten from God and knows God.” As the notes explain, this means that God is the spiritual father of everyone who loves, and everyone who loves is in a close relationship with God. But this love from God is a sign that they belong to God only because of what Jesus did for them on the cross, as John says in 4:10. They were saved by what Jesus did, not because they themselves loved others. (See: [[rc://en/tw/dict/bible/kt/save]])

## Important textual issues in this chapter

In [4:3](../04/03.md), the most accurate ancient manuscripts say “acknowledge Jesus.” That is the reading that ULT follows. Some other ancient manuscripts say “acknowledge Jesus Christ having come in the flesh.” (Some of these manuscripts say “Jesus” or “the Lord Jesus” instead of “Jesus Christ.”) If a translation of the Bible already exists in your region, consider using whichever reading is found in that version. If a translation does not already exist, we recommend that you follow the reading in the ULT text. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/translate-textvariants]]) 1JN 4 1 17h4 checking/headings 1 If you are using section headings, you could put one here before verse 1. Suggested heading: “Recognizing the Spirit of God” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/checking/headings]]) 1JN 4 1 h1lv figs-nominaladj ἀγαπητοί 1 Beloved See how you translated this in [2:7](../02/07.md). Alternate translation: “You people whom I love” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-nominaladj]]) 1JN 4 1 zm7f figs-metonymy μὴ παντὶ πνεύματι πιστεύετε, ἀλλὰ δοκιμάζετε τὰ πνεύματα 1 do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits John is speaking figuratively of a prophet by association with the **spirit** that would inspire a prophet to speak. Alternate translation: “do not believe every prophet; instead, consider carefully what prophets say” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metonymy]]) @@ -445,11 +445,11 @@ Book Chapter Verse ID SupportReference OrigQuote Occurrence GLQuote OccurrenceNo 1JN 4 5 j252 writing-pronouns αὐτοὶ 1 They The pronoun **they** refers to the false prophets whom John describes in [4:1](../04/01.md). Alternate translation: “These false teachers” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/writing-pronouns]]) 1JN 4 5 em2t figs-metonymy ὁ κόσμος αὐτῶν ἀκούει 1 the world listens to them In this instance, the term **world** figuratively refers to people who share the world's value system. That is, they do not honor or obey God. Alternate translation: “ungodly people listen to them” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metonymy]]) 1JN 4 5 j253 figs-idiom ὁ κόσμος αὐτῶν ἀκούει 1 the world listens to them The word **listens** is an idiom that means “believes” or “is persuaded by.” Alternate translation: “ungodly people believe them” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom]]) -1JN 4 6 j254 figs-exclusive ἡμεῖς…ἡμῶν…ἡμῶν 1 We…us…us These pronouns in the first three sentences of this verse are probably exclusive, and so if your language marks that distinction, we recommend using the exclusive form in your translation. John appears to be speaking here of himself and his fellow eyewitnesses of the resurrection as teachers of the truth about Jesus. He has already said that the believers to whom he is writing are from God in [4:4](../04/04.md). (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-exclusive]]) +1JN 4 6 j254 figs-exclusive ἡμεῖς…ἡμῶν…ἡμῶν 1 We … us … us These pronouns in the first three sentences of this verse are probably exclusive, and so if your language marks that distinction, we recommend using the exclusive form in your translation. John appears to be speaking here of himself and his fellow eyewitnesses of the resurrection as teachers of the truth about Jesus. He has already said that the believers to whom he is writing are from God in [4:4](../04/04.md). (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-exclusive]]) 1JN 4 6 j328 figs-idiom ἡμεῖς ἐκ τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐσμεν 1 We are from God Here, **from God** could mean: (1) that John and his fellow eyewitnesses teach the truth about Jesus because God has sent them to do that. Alternate translation: “God has sent us” (2)
the same thing as it does in [4:4](../04/04.md) and in [4:1–3](../04/01.md). Alternate translation: “We belong to God” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom]]) 1JN 4 6 j256 figs-idiom ἡμεῖς ἐκ τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐσμεν 1 We are from God If you have decided that **We are from God** means “God has sent us,” and if it would be helpful to your readers, you could say explicitly what God has sent John and the other eyewitnesses to do, either here or in a footnote. Alternate translation: “God has sent us to teach the truth about Jesus as eyewitnesses to his life on earth” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom]]) 1JN 4 6 j257 ὁ γινώσκων τὸν Θεὸν 1 The one who knows God As in [2:3–4](../02/03.md), John is using the word **knows** in a specific sense. See how you translated it there. Alternate translation: “Anyone who has a close relationship with God” -1JN 4 6 j258 figs-idiom ἀκούει ἡμῶν…οὐκ ἀκούει ἡμῶν 1 listens to us…does not listen to us As in [4:5](../04/05.md), the word **listens** is an idiom that means “believes” or “is persuaded by.” Alternate translation: “believes what we teach … does not believe what we teach” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom]]) +1JN 4 6 j258 figs-idiom ἀκούει ἡμῶν…οὐκ ἀκούει ἡμῶν 1 listens to us … does not listen to us As in [4:5](../04/05.md), the word **listens** is an idiom that means “believes” or “is persuaded by.” Alternate translation: “believes what we teach … does not believe what we teach” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom]]) 1JN 4 6 j259 figs-idiom ὃς οὐκ ἔστιν ἐκ τοῦ Θεοῦ 1 Whoever is not from God The expression **from God** means the same thing in this verse as in [4:4](../04/04.md). See how you translated it there. Alternate translation: “Whoever does not belong to God” or “Whoever is not living in relationship with God” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom]]) 1JN 4 6 j260 figs-idiom ἐκ τούτου γινώσκομεν 1 From this we know This is an idiomatic expression. It means the same thing as the expression “in this we know” which John uses several times in this letter. Alternate translation: “This is how we can recognize” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom]]) 1JN 4 6 arsa writing-pronouns ἐκ τούτου γινώσκομεν 1 Here, **this** refers back to what John has just written in the previous two sentences. We can know if someone is teaching a true message if it agrees with what John and the other apostles teach, and that it is a false message if it does not. John may have intended for **this** to also include what he said in [4:2–3](../04/02.md). (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/writing-pronouns]]) @@ -499,7 +499,7 @@ Book Chapter Verse ID SupportReference OrigQuote Occurrence GLQuote OccurrenceNo 1JN 4 15 b6td guidelines-sonofgodprinciples ὁ Υἱὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ 1 the Son of God **The Son of God** is an important title for Jesus that describes his relationship to God. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/guidelines-sonofgodprinciples]]) 1JN 4 15 a7rx figs-ellipsis ὁ Θεὸς ἐν αὐτῷ μένει, καὶ αὐτὸς ἐν τῷ Θεῷ 1 God remains in him, and he in God In the expression **and he in God**, John is leaving out some of the words that a sentence would need in many languages in order to be complete. These words can be supplied from the previous phrase. Alternate translation: “God remains in him and he remains in God” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-ellipsis]]) 1JN 4 15 l3ft figs-metaphor ὁ Θεὸς ἐν αὐτῷ μένει, καὶ αὐτὸς ἐν τῷ Θεῷ 1 God remains in him, and he in God See the discussion of the term “remain” in Part 3 of the Introduction to 1 John. In this instance, it seems to mean the same thing as in [2:6](../02/06.md). See how you translated it there. Alternate translation: “God continues to have a close relationship with him, and he continues to have a close relationship with God” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor]]) -1JN 4 16 j279 figs-exclusive ἡμεῖς…ἡμῖν 1 we…us Here and in the rest of the letter, John speaks of himself and the believers to whom he is writing, so the words **we** and **us** will be inclusive. If your language marks that distinction, use the inclusive form in your translation. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-exclusive]]) +1JN 4 16 j279 figs-exclusive ἡμεῖς…ἡμῖν 1 we … us Here and in the rest of the letter, John speaks of himself and the believers to whom he is writing, so the words **we** and **us** will be inclusive. If your language marks that distinction, use the inclusive form in your translation. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-exclusive]]) 1JN 4 16 j280 figs-idiom τὴν ἀγάπην ἣν ἔχει ὁ Θεὸς ἐν ἡμῖν 1 we have known and believed the love that God has in us The phrase translated **in us** here is the same as the phrase translated “among us” in [4:9](../04/09.md). Here it could mean: (1) God's love directed to us. Alternate translation: “the love that God has for us” (2) God's love directed to others through us. Alternate translation: “the love that God has put into us” It may also be that John used a very general phrase in order to include both meanings. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom]]) 1JN 4 16 t5am figs-metaphor ὁ Θεὸς ἀγάπη ἐστίν 1 God is love This is a metaphor that describes what God is like in his character. See how you translated it in [4:8](../04/08.md). Alternate translation: “God is entirely loving” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor]]) 1JN 4 16 dyr6 figs-metaphor ὁ μένων ἐν τῇ ἀγάπῃ 1 the one who remains in love See the discussion of the term “remain” in Part 3 of the Introduction to 1 John. As in [2:24](../02/24.md), in this instance the word seems to refer to maintaining a pattern of behavior. Alternate translation: “someone who continues to love others” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor]]) @@ -528,13 +528,13 @@ Book Chapter Verse ID SupportReference OrigQuote Occurrence GLQuote OccurrenceNo 1JN 4 20 j295 figs-hypo ἐάν τις εἴπῃ, ὅτι ἀγαπῶ τὸν Θεόν, καὶ τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ μισῇ, ψεύστης ἐστίν 1 If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar John is using a hypothetical situation to help his readers recognize the importance of consistency between their words and their actions. Alternate translation: “Suppose someone says, ‘I love God,’ but he hates his brother. Then he is a liar” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-hypo]]) 1JN 4 20 j296 grammar-connect-logic-contrast καὶ 1 and John is using the word **and** to introduce a contrast between what would be expected, that someone who loved God would also love his fellow believers, and what would actually be true of this hypothetical person. Alternate translation: “but” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/grammar-connect-logic-contrast]]) 1JN 4 20 tfq3 figs-metaphor τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ 1 his brother See how you translated this in [2:9](../02/09.md). Alternate translation: “a fellow believer” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor]]) -1JN 4 20 a8zh figs-doublenegatives ὁ…μὴ ἀγαπῶν τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ…τὸν Θεὸν…οὐ δύναται ἀγαπᾶν 1 the one who does not love his brother…is not able to love God If it would be clearer in your language, you could translate this double negative as a positive statement. Alternate translation: “only those who love their fellow believers … are able to love God” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-doublenegatives]]) +1JN 4 20 a8zh figs-doublenegatives ὁ…μὴ ἀγαπῶν τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ…τὸν Θεὸν…οὐ δύναται ἀγαπᾶν 1 the one who does not love his brother … is not able to love God If it would be clearer in your language, you could translate this double negative as a positive statement. Alternate translation: “only those who love their fellow believers … are able to love God” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-doublenegatives]]) 1JN 4 20 xssu figs-explicit ὁ γὰρ μὴ ἀγαπῶν τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ, ὃν ἑώρακεν, τὸν Θεὸν, ὃν οὐχ ἑώρακεν, οὐ δύναται ἀγαπᾶν 1 If it would be clearer in your language, you could say why this is true. Alternate translation: “This is true because it is much easier to love your fellow believer who is right in front of you than to love God, whom you cannot even see.” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit]]) 1JN 4 21 j297 ταύτην τὴν ἐντολὴν ἔχομεν ἀπ’ αὐτοῦ 1 we have this commandment from him Alternate translation: “this is what God has commanded us” 1JN 4 21 j298 writing-pronouns ἀπ’ αὐτοῦ 1 from him The pronoun **him** refers to God. Alternate translation: “from God” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/writing-pronouns]]) 1JN 4 21 7rd1 figs-genericnoun ὁ ἀγαπῶν τὸν Θεὸν 1 Here, **the one** refers to anyone who loves God. Alternate translation: “anyone who loves God” (See: rc://en/ta/man/[[translate/figs-genericnoun]]) 1JN 4 21 j299 figs-metaphor τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ 1 his brother See how you translated this in [2:9](../02/09.md). Alternate translation: “each fellow believer” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor]]) -1JN 5 intro bxm4 0 # 1 John 05 General Notes

## Structure and formatting

1. It is false teaching to deny that Jesus is the Son of God (5:1–12)
2. Closing of Letter (5:13-21)

## Possible translation difficulties in this chapter

### “a sin towards death”

It is not entirely clear what John means by this phrase. The word “death” could refer either to physical death or to spiritual death, which is eternal separation from God. See the further discussion in the notes to [5:16](../05/16.md). (See: [[rc://en/tw/dict/bible/other/death]])

### “the whole world lies in the power of the evil one”

The phrase “the evil one” refers to Satan. God has allowed him to rule the world, but, ultimately, God is in control over everything. God keeps his children safe from the evil one. (See: [[rc://en/tw/dict/bible/kt/satan]])

## Important textual issues in this chapter

In [5:7–8](../05/07.md), all ancient manuscripts say: “For there are three who testify, the Spirit and the water and the blood, and the three are unto the one.” That is the reading that ULT follows. Some much later manuscripts say: “For there are three who testify in heaven: the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit, and these three are one; and there are three who testify on earth: the Spirit and the water and the blood, and these three are unto the one.” In this case, translators are advised to translate this as the ULT text does, since there is wide agreement that it follows the accurate reading. However, if there are older versions of the Bible in your region that have the longer reading, you can include it, but you should put it inside square brackets [ ] and indicate in a footnote that it was most likely not in the original version of 1 John. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/translate-textvariants]]) +1JN 5 intro bxm4 0 # 1 John 5 General Notes

## Structure and formatting

1. It is false teaching to deny that Jesus is the Son of God (5:1–12)
2. Closing of Letter (5:13-21)

## Possible translation difficulties in this chapter

### “a sin towards death”

It is not entirely clear what John means by this phrase. The word “death” could refer either to physical death or to spiritual death, which is eternal separation from God. See the further discussion in the notes to [5:16](../05/16.md). (See: [[rc://en/tw/dict/bible/other/death]])

### “the whole world lies in the power of the evil one”

The phrase “the evil one” refers to Satan. God has allowed him to rule the world, but, ultimately, God is in control over everything. God keeps his children safe from the evil one. (See: [[rc://en/tw/dict/bible/kt/satan]])

## Important textual issues in this chapter

In [5:7–8](../05/07.md), all ancient manuscripts say: “For there are three who testify, the Spirit and the water and the blood, and the three are unto the one.” That is the reading that ULT follows. Some much later manuscripts say: “For there are three who testify in heaven: the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit, and these three are one; and there are three who testify on earth: the Spirit and the water and the blood, and these three are unto the one.” In this case, translators are advised to translate this as the ULT text does, since there is wide agreement that it follows the accurate reading. However, if there are older versions of the Bible in your region that have the longer reading, you can include it, but you should put it inside square brackets [ ] and indicate in a footnote that it was most likely not in the original version of 1 John. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/translate-textvariants]]) 1JN 5 1 3x42 checking/headings 1 If you are using section headings, you could put one here before verse 1. Suggested heading: “Jesus is the Messiah and Son of God” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/checking/headings]]) 1JN 5 1 j300 ὁ Χριστὸς 1 the Christ **Christ** is the Greek word for “Messiah.” Alternate translation: “the Messiah” 1JN 5 1 j301 figs-activepassive πᾶς ὁ πιστεύων ὅτι Ἰησοῦς ἐστιν ὁ Χριστὸς, ἐκ τοῦ Θεοῦ γεγέννηται 1 Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been begotten from God See how you translated the similar expression in [2:29](../02/29.md). Alternate translation: “God is the father of everyone who believes that Jesus is the Messiah” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-activepassive]]) @@ -566,7 +566,7 @@ Book Chapter Verse ID SupportReference OrigQuote Occurrence GLQuote OccurrenceNo 1JN 5 6 js27 figs-metonymy οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ ἐλθὼν δι’ ὕδατος καὶ αἵματος 1 This is the one who came by water and blood: Jesus Christ—not in water alone, but in water and in blood John is specifying here what it means to believe fully that “Jesus is the Son of God,” as he described in the previous verse. The terms **water** and **blood** are metonyms, representing different important ways that the Son of God **came** to us. You may want to clarify these meanings in the text, or do so in a footnote. The **blood** represents Jesus' death on the cross, when he shed his blood as the Savior of the world. The **water** could stand for: (1) Jesus' baptism. When John baptized Jesus in the water of the Jordan River, the Son of God began his ministry of reconciling the world to God. See the UST. (2) Jesus' birth. There was the breaking of the birth water when the Son of God was born as a man. Alternate translation: “This is the one who came through the water of human birth and the blood of his sacrificial death” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metonymy]]) 1JN 5 6 j312 figs-explicit ὁ ἐλθὼν 1 the one who came If it would be helpful to your readers, you could say more explicitly what this means, as UST does. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit]]) 1JN 5 6 3gl6 figs-metaphor δι’ ὕδατος καὶ αἵματος 1 John is using a metaphor that pictures water and blood conveying Jesus to us or Jesus coming to us through water and through blood. The meaning is that Jesus became our Savior as he experienced baptism in water and submitted himself to death on the cross. Alternate translation “as our Savior, undergoing baptism and death” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor]]) -1JN 5 6 777 grammar-connect-exceptions οὐκ ἐν τῷ ὕδατι μόνον, ἀλλ’ ἐν τῷ ὕδατι καὶ ἐν τῷ αἵματι 1 If it sounds confusing in your language to say **not in water…but in water**, you could reword this to avoid repeating the phrase **in water**. Alternate translation: “not in water alone, but also in blood” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/grammar-connect-exceptions]]) +1JN 5 6 777 grammar-connect-exceptions οὐκ ἐν τῷ ὕδατι μόνον, ἀλλ’ ἐν τῷ ὕδατι καὶ ἐν τῷ αἵματι 1 If it sounds confusing in your language to say **not in water … but in water**, you could reword this to avoid repeating the phrase **in water**. Alternate translation: “not in water alone, but also in blood” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/grammar-connect-exceptions]]) 1JN 5 6 j313 τὸ Πνεῦμά ἐστιν τὸ μαρτυροῦν 1 the Spirit is the one who testifies Alternate translation: “the Holy Spirit gives us assurance about this” 1JN 5 6 j314 figs-metaphor τὸ Πνεῦμά ἐστιν ἡ ἀλήθεια 1 the Spirit is truth Like the statement “God is love” in [4:8](../04/08.md) and [4:16](../04/16.md), which describes God’s character, this is a metaphor that describes the character of the Holy Spirit. Alternate translation: “the Spirit is entirely truthful” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor]]) 1JN 5 7 j315 figs-explicit ὅτι τρεῖς εἰσιν οἱ μαρτυροῦντες 1 For there are three who testify In this statement, John reaffirms that the three things that he mentions in verse [6](../05/06.md) give us confidence that Jesus is the Son of God and came from him. If it would be helpful to your readers, you could indicate this explicitly. Alternate translation: “So there are three who testify that Jesus is God's Son and came from him” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit]]) @@ -596,8 +596,8 @@ Book Chapter Verse ID SupportReference OrigQuote Occurrence GLQuote OccurrenceNo 1JN 5 11 k2qn figs-metaphor ζωὴν αἰώνιον 1 eternal life As in [4:9](../04/09.md), **eternal life** means two things at once. It means receiving power from God in this life to live in a new way, and it also means living forever in the presence of God after death. See how you translated the expression in [4:9](../04/09.md). (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor]]) 1JN 5 11 sz21 guidelines-sonofgodprinciples τῷ Υἱῷ 1 his Son **Son** is an important title for Jesus. Alternate translation: “his Son Jesus” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/guidelines-sonofgodprinciples]]) 1JN 5 12 st2z figs-metaphor ὁ ἔχων τὸν Υἱὸν, ἔχει τὴν ζωήν; ὁ μὴ ἔχων τὸν Υἱὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ, τὴν ζωὴν οὐκ ἔχει 1 The one who has the Son has life. The one who does not have the Son of God does not have life John speaks figuratively of believers who are in a close relationship with Jesus as if Jesus were their possession. If this is confusing in your language, you can use a different expression. Alternate translation: “Anyone who is in a close relationship with the Son has life. Anyone who is not in a close relationship with the Son of God does not have life” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor]]) -1JN 5 12 j329 figs-metaphor ἔχει τὴν ζωήν…τὴν ζωὴν οὐκ ἔχει 1 has life…does not have life Since both groups of people are physically alive, John means this in a spiritual sense. As in [4:9](../04/09.md), he is likely referring to what he calls “eternal life” in [3:15](../03/15.md) and [5:11](../05/11.md). See how you translated that term in those verses. Alternate translation: “has power from God to live as a new person now and will live forever in God’s presence after death … does not have power from God to live as a new person now and will not live forever in God’s presence after death” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor]]) -1JN 5 12 j330 guidelines-sonofgodprinciples τὸν Υἱὸν…τὸν Υἱὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ 1 the Son…the Son of God **The Son of God** is an important title for Jesus that describes his relationship to God. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/guidelines-sonofgodprinciples]]) +1JN 5 12 j329 figs-metaphor ἔχει τὴν ζωήν…τὴν ζωὴν οὐκ ἔχει 1 has life … does not have life Since both groups of people are physically alive, John means this in a spiritual sense. As in [4:9](../04/09.md), he is likely referring to what he calls “eternal life” in [3:15](../03/15.md) and [5:11](../05/11.md). See how you translated that term in those verses. Alternate translation: “has power from God to live as a new person now and will live forever in God’s presence after death … does not have power from God to live as a new person now and will not live forever in God’s presence after death” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor]]) +1JN 5 12 j330 guidelines-sonofgodprinciples τὸν Υἱὸν…τὸν Υἱὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ 1 the Son … the Son of God **The Son of God** is an important title for Jesus that describes his relationship to God. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/guidelines-sonofgodprinciples]]) 1JN 5 13 rr7y checking/headings 1 If you are using section headings, you could put one here before verse 13. Suggested heading: “Eternal Life with the True God” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/checking/headings]]) 1JN 5 13 ezl8 writing-pronouns ταῦτα 1 these things Here, **these things** refers back to everything that John has written so far in the letter. Alternate translation: “all of this” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/writing-pronouns]]) 1JN 5 13 wns6 figs-metonymy τοῖς πιστεύουσιν εἰς τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ Υἱοῦ τοῦ Θεοῦ 1 you, the ones believing in the name of the Son of God As in [2:12](../02/12.md), John is using the **name** of Jesus figuratively to represent who Jesus is and what he has done. Alternate translation: “who believe in the Son of God and what he has done for you” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metonymy]]) @@ -605,18 +605,18 @@ Book Chapter Verse ID SupportReference OrigQuote Occurrence GLQuote OccurrenceNo 1JN 5 13 j331 figs-metaphor ὅτι ζωὴν ἔχετε αἰώνιον 1 that you have eternal life The emphasis in this verse seems to be more on the future aspect of the expression **eternal life**. Alternate translation: “that you will live forever in God’s presence after you die” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor]]) 1JN 5 14 j332 figs-explicit αὕτη ἐστὶν ἡ παρρησία ἣν ἔχομεν πρὸς αὐτόν 1 this is the confidence that we have towards him If it would be helpful to your readers, as in [3:21](../03/21.md) you could say explicitly what this **confidence** applies to, in light of what John says in the rest of this sentence. Alternate translation: “we can be confident of this as we pray to God” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit]]) 1JN 5 14 yj31 figs-abstractnouns αὕτη ἐστὶν ἡ παρρησία ἣν ἔχομεν πρὸς αὐτόν 1 this is the confidence that we have towards him If it would be clearer in your language, you could express the idea behind the abstract noun **confidence** with an adjective such as “confident.” Alternate translation: “we can be confident of this as we pray to God” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-abstractnouns]]) -1JN 5 14 j333 writing-pronouns αὐτόν…αὐτοῦ…ἀκούει 1 him…his…he listens The pronouns **him**, **his**, and **he** refer to God in this verse. Consider whether it might be clearer or more natural in your language to use the name “God” in one or more of these instances. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/writing-pronouns]]) +1JN 5 14 j333 writing-pronouns αὐτόν…αὐτοῦ…ἀκούει 1 him … his … he listens The pronouns **him**, **his**, and **he** refer to God in this verse. Consider whether it might be clearer or more natural in your language to use the name “God” in one or more of these instances. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/writing-pronouns]]) 1JN 5 14 at5n ἐάν τι αἰτώμεθα κατὰ τὸ θέλημα αὐτοῦ 1 if we ask anything according to his will Alternate translation: “if we ask for the things that God wants for us” 1JN 5 14 j334 figs-idiom ἀκούει ἡμῶν 1 he listens to us As in [4:5](../04/05.md), the word **listens** is an idiom. However, the meaning here is different than the meaning there, which was, “is persuaded by.” Rather, here it refers to God being willing to grant what we ask. Alternate translation: “he is willing to give it to us” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom]]) 1JN 5 15 j335 grammar-connect-condition-fact ἐὰν οἴδαμεν ὅτι ἀκούει ἡμῶν 1 if we know that he listens to us John is speaking as if this were a hypothetical possibility, but he means that it is actually true. If your language does not state something as a possibility if it is certain or true, and if your readers might misunderstand and think that what John is saying is not certain, then you can translate his words as an affirmative statement. Alternate translation: “since we know that he listens to us” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/grammar-connect-condition-fact]]) 1JN 5 15 j336 figs-idiom ἀκούει ἡμῶν 1 he listens to us As in [5:14](../04/14.md), the word **listens** is an idiom. See how you translated it there. Alternate translation: “he is willing to give us what we ask for” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom]]) 1JN 5 15 j337 figs-explicit ἀκούει ἡμῶν 1 he listens to us It may be helpful to repeat the condition that John specifies in the previous verse. Alternate translation: “he is disposed to give us what we ask for if it is according to his will” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit]]) -1JN 5 15 j338 writing-pronouns ἀκούει…αὐτοῦ 1 he listens…him The pronouns **he** and **him** refer to God in this verse. Consider whether it might be more natural in your language to use the name “God” for **he** and to say **him** later in the verse. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/writing-pronouns]]) +1JN 5 15 j338 writing-pronouns ἀκούει…αὐτοῦ 1 he listens … him The pronouns **he** and **him** refer to God in this verse. Consider whether it might be more natural in your language to use the name “God” for **he** and to say **him** later in the verse. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/writing-pronouns]]) 1JN 5 15 ev49 οἴδαμεν ὅτι ἔχομεν τὰ αἰτήματα ἃ ᾐτήκαμεν ἀπ’ αὐτοῦ 1 we know that we have the requests that we have asked from him Alternate translation: “we know that we will receive what we have asked God for” 1JN 5 16 j339 figs-hypo ἐάν τις ἴδῃ τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ ἁμαρτάνοντα ἁμαρτίαν μὴ πρὸς θάνατον, αἰτήσει 1 If anyone sees his brother sinning a sin not towards death, he will ask John is describing a hypothetical situation in order to counsel his readers. UST models a way of showing this. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-hypo]]) 1JN 5 16 sc1f figs-metaphor τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ 1 his brother See how you translated this in [2:9](../02/09.md). Alternate translation: “a fellow believer” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor]]) 1JN 5 16 j340 ἁμαρτάνοντα ἁμαρτίαν 1 sinning a sin If it is unnatural in your language to use both the verb **sinning** and the noun **sin**, you can use just one form of the word in your translation. Alternate translation: “committing a sin” -1JN 5 16 j341 figs-metaphor ἁμαρτίαν μὴ πρὸς θάνατον…τοῖς ἁμαρτάνουσιν μὴ πρὸς θάνατον…ἁμαρτία πρὸς θάνατον 1 a sin not towards death…those sinning not towards death…a sin towards death The word **death** in this verse and the next refers figuratively to spiritual death, that is, to eternal separation from God. (See the later note to this verse for a discussion of what kind of sin John may have in mind that would lead to that.) Alternate translation: “a sin that does not lead to eternal separation from God … for those whose sin will not lead to eternal separation from God … a sin that does lead to eternal separation from God” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor]]) +1JN 5 16 j341 figs-metaphor ἁμαρτίαν μὴ πρὸς θάνατον…τοῖς ἁμαρτάνουσιν μὴ πρὸς θάνατον…ἁμαρτία πρὸς θάνατον 1 a sin not towards death … those sinning not towards death … a sin towards death The word **death** in this verse and the next refers figuratively to spiritual death, that is, to eternal separation from God. (See the later note to this verse for a discussion of what kind of sin John may have in mind that would lead to that.) Alternate translation: “a sin that does not lead to eternal separation from God … for those whose sin will not lead to eternal separation from God … a sin that does lead to eternal separation from God” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor]]) 1JN 5 16 j342 figs-declarative αἰτήσει 1 he will ask John is using a future statement to give an instruction and command. Alternate translation: “he should pray for that fellow believer” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-declarative]]) 1JN 5 16 j343 writing-pronouns δώσει αὐτῷ ζωήν 1 he will give him life In this clause, the pronoun **him** refers to the believer who is sinning, and the pronoun **he** could refer to: (1) God, since only God can give spiritual life. Alternate translation: “God will give life to the believer who is sinning” (2) **anyone**, that is, the person praying. In this case, John may be picturing God giving life by means of the person's prayers, as in James 5:15, 20. Alternate translation: “he will be God's instrument to give life to the believer who is sinning” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/writing-pronouns]]) 1JN 5 16 myf6 figs-metaphor δώσει αὐτῷ ζωήν 1 he will give him life The word **life** here refers figuratively to spiritual life, that is, to eternal life with God. Alternate translation: “God will make sure that the believer who is sinning is not separated from him eternally” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor]]) @@ -640,8 +640,8 @@ Book Chapter Verse ID SupportReference OrigQuote Occurrence GLQuote OccurrenceNo 1JN 5 20 j356 figs-explicit ἥκει 1 has come If it would be helpful to your readers, you could say more explicitly what this means, as you may have done in [5:6](../05/06.md). Alternate translation: “has come to earth from God” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit]]) 1JN 5 20 n1nh figs-abstractnouns δέδωκεν ἡμῖν διάνοιαν 1 has given us understanding If it would be clearer in your language, you could express the idea behind the abstract noun **understanding** with a verb such as “understand.” Alternate translation: “has enabled us to understand” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-abstractnouns]]) 1JN 5 20 j357 figs-abstractnouns δέδωκεν ἡμῖν διάνοιαν 1 has given us understanding If it would be helpful to your readers, you could say explicitly what Jesus has enabled us to understand. Alternate translation: “has enabled us to understand the truth” or “has enabled us to understand the truth about God” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-abstractnouns]]) -1JN 5 20 hvr7 figs-nominaladj τὸν Ἀληθινόν…τῷ Ἀληθινῷ 1 the True One…the True One John is using the adjective **True** as a noun in order to indicate a specific being. ULT adds **One** to show this. Your language may use adjectives in the same way. If not, you can translate this with an equivalent expression. Alternate translation: “the One who is true … the One who is true” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-nominaladj]]) -1JN 5 20 j358 figs-metonymy τὸν Ἀληθινόν…τῷ Ἀληθινῷ 1 the True One…the True One John is speaking figuratively of God by association with the way that he is **True**. This could mean: (1) The God who is genuine, in contrast to false gods. Alternate translation: “the real God … the real God” (2) The God who is true in all that he says and does. Alternate translation: “God, who always tells the truth and does what he says he will do … God, who always tells the truth and does what he says he will do” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metonymy]]) +1JN 5 20 hvr7 figs-nominaladj τὸν Ἀληθινόν…τῷ Ἀληθινῷ 1 the True One … the True One John is using the adjective **True** as a noun in order to indicate a specific being. ULT adds **One** to show this. Your language may use adjectives in the same way. If not, you can translate this with an equivalent expression. Alternate translation: “the One who is true … the One who is true” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-nominaladj]]) +1JN 5 20 j358 figs-metonymy τὸν Ἀληθινόν…τῷ Ἀληθινῷ 1 the True One … the True One John is speaking figuratively of God by association with the way that he is **True**. This could mean: (1) The God who is genuine, in contrast to false gods. Alternate translation: “the real God … the real God” (2) The God who is true in all that he says and does. Alternate translation: “God, who always tells the truth and does what he says he will do … God, who always tells the truth and does what he says he will do” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metonymy]]) 1JN 5 20 ge7c figs-metaphor ἐσμὲν ἐν τῷ Ἀληθινῷ ἐν τῷ Υἱῷ αὐτοῦ, Ἰησοῦ Χριστῷ 1 we are in the True One, in his Son Jesus Christ As in [2:5](../02/05.md), John is speaking figuratively as if believers could be inside of God and Jesus. This expression describes having a close relationship with God and Jesus. Alternate translation: “we have a close relationship with the true God, with his Son Jesus Christ” (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor]]) 1JN 5 20 gobu figs-metaphor ἐσμὲν ἐν τῷ Ἀληθινῷ ἐν τῷ Υἱῷ αὐτοῦ, Ἰησοῦ Χριστῷ 1 This second occurrence of **the True One** could refer to: (1) Jesus, as the rest of the clause makes clear. In this case, John is saying that both God and Jesus are the true God, and we are in both. See the UST. (2) God, just as the first occurrence of **the True One** refers to God. In this case, John is saying that we are in God because of being in Jesus. Alternate translation: “we are in the True One through being in Jesus Christ, his Son” 1JN 5 20 j359 guidelines-sonofgodprinciples τῷ Υἱῷ αὐτοῦ 1 his Son **Son** is an important title for Jesus that describes his relationship to God. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/guidelines-sonofgodprinciples]])