SIL Translator’s Notes on 1 John 2000 – Page 12

SIL Translator's Notes on 1 John 2:27

2:27a

And as for you: (Emphasis) John is emphasizing here that the Christians, who knew the truth because they had the Holy Spirit in them, are different from the false teachers, who had wrong ideas.

the anointing you received from Him: (Alternative Interpretations) This probably refers to Christ giving the Holy Spirit. See the note on 2:20a on “an anointing from the Holy One.”

2:27b

and you do not need: (Logical Connection) This gives the result of the previous statement, so it may need to be linked by “so” or “therefore.” See Display. In some languages the clauses in 2:27a–b may need to be reversed. For example:

As for you, you do not need anyone to teach you, because/since the anointing you received from him remains in you.

you do not need anyone to teach you: (Figure of Speech) This is hyperbole, a deliberate exaggeration. What John says is stronger than what he means. He certainly thought that his readers needed some teaching because this whole letter is full of teaching. His meaning is that they do not need any teaching other than that which is from the Holy Spirit. If you cannot use hyperbole in this way in your language, you could say “you do not need any other teacher” in order to make the meaning clear.

to teach you: (Background Information) The teaching would be about God’s truth.

2:27c

His true and genuine anointing: (Alternative Interpretations)

(1) This probably means that what the Holy Spirit teaches is true. (Berean Standard Bible, Good News Translation, King James Version, Living Bible, Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English)

(2) It may mean that the readers have really received the Holy Spirit. (New International Version (2011 Revision), New English Bible)

true and genuine: (Emphasis) In Greek this phrase is literally “is true and is not a lie.” John is here using repetition, first positive and then negative, for emphasis. If this sort of repetition is not natural in your language, you will need to use some other way of expressing the emphasis. The Berean Standard Bible expresses the emphasis by expressing a positive idea two times.

about all things: (Figure of Speech) Again John is using hyperbole. He is emphasizing that the Holy Spirit teaches them about all those true things God has revealed which they need to know. See Display on 2:27b–c.

2:27d

in Him: (Collocation) See the note on 2:5c.

Him: (Pronoun Reference) This refers to Christ.

have been taught: (Meaning) The Holy Spirit is the one who has taught the Christians.

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All Scripture quotations in this publication, unless otherwise indicated, are from The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible. BSB is produced in cooperation with Bible Hub, Discovery Bible, OpenBible.com, and the Berean Bible Translation Committee.

SIL Translator's Notes on 1 John 2:26

Paragraph 2:26–27

Read 2:26–27 in both Berean Standard Bible and Good News Translation. Compare the two versions.

Paragraph Theme: John finishes this section by repeating his appeal to his readers to live according to the truth which they have been taught and to remain in union with Christ. This is a summary of the section 1:5–2:27.

2:26a

these things: (Pronoun Reference) This refers to what John has written in 2:18–25.

2:26b

about those who: (Meaning) John was not just writing about these people, he was warning his readers against them.

deceive you: (Meaning) Those who had left the church were trying to deceive the Christians with false teachings about the gospel.

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SIL Translator's Notes on 1 John 2:25

2:25

this: (Pronoun Reference) The pronoun this refers back to the idea of remaining in the Son and in the Father.

He: (Pronoun Reference) The Greek pronoun translated He clearly refers to Jesus here.

to us: (Text) Some Greek manuscripts have “you.” This is what The Jerusalem Bible translates. But the best manuscripts have to us. It is recommended that you translate “to us” here.

eternal life: (Logical Relationship) John is saying that if we remain in the Son and in the Father, then we have the eternal life which Jesus promised. See Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English.

eternal life: (Special Biblical Term) Just as in other places in the New Testament where this term is used, it describes the heavenly life which God himself has and which he gives to us. See the note on 1:2d.

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SIL Translator's Notes on 1 John 2:24

2:24a

As for you, let: (Discourse Feature) This instruction (2:24a) is the main thing John is saying in 2:18–25. He has warned his readers about the false teaching of those who have left the church, so he tells them they must therefore be careful not to forget or change the true Christian teaching they have received. The strong imperative is shown in several English versions by the phrases “See that” (New International Version (2011 Revision)), “Be sure” (Good News Translation), “You must” (New English Bible).

from the beginning: (Meaning) As in 2:7b, this refers to the time when they first became Christians. This meaning of from the beginning is different from the meaning of the same phrase in 1:1 and 2:13c.

remain in you: (Meaning) In the Greek this phrase has the same meaning as the phrase “abides in you” in 2:14f. See the note on 2:14f.

2:24b

If it does: (Ellipsis) This is a short way in English of referring to what has just been said. See Good News Translation and New English Bible for ways of saying it more fully.

you will also: (Meaning) This means “you for your part will.” John is contrasting his readers (who remain in the Son) with the teaching (which remains in them). It does not mean “you in addition to others will.”

in the Son and in the Father: (Collocation) As in 2:5 this is John’s way of talking about our close personal relationship and union with God. See the note on “in Him” in 2:5c.

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SIL Translator's Notes on 1 John 2:23

2:23 (Emphasis)

In this verse John is making it clear that our relationship to God depends on our believing in Jesus. He emphasizes this by stating it first negatively and then positively.

2:23a

have the Father: (Meaning) This is another way by which John refers to Christians’ close relationship and union with God the Father. See also the note on 2:5c “in Him.”

2:23b

confesses the Son: (Meaning) This is the opposite of “denies the Son.” It means “accepts, says openly that he believes in Jesus as the Son of God.”

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SIL Translator's Notes on 1 John 2:22

Paragraph 2:22–25

Read 2:22–25 in both Berean Standard Bible and Good News Translation. Compare the two versions.

Paragraph Theme: On the basis of the reassurance he has just given in 2:18–21, John here urges his readers to reject false teaching and to live according to God’s truth.

2:22a

Who is the liar: (Rhetorical Question) This is a rhetorical question used for emphasis. John is stating emphatically that the worst possible lie is that Jesus was not the Christ. This is what those people who had left the church were teaching. In your translation you may need to turn this into an emphatic statement, as The Jerusalem Bible has done.

the one who: (Meaning) This is not referring to a particular man but rather to anyone or everyone who denies that Jesus is the Christ.

the Christ: (Biblical Term) Here Christ is not just a name. It is the title or description of the one who God would send from heaven to save and rule his people. It is the same as the title “Messiah.”

2:22b

This is the antichrist: (Logical Relationship) John is saying that if someone denies that Jesus is the Christ, he is making himself an enemy of Christ just like that enemy of Christ who will come at the end of the world.

who denies the Father…: (Logical Relationship) This shows how we know that such a person is the enemy of Christ. When he denies that Jesus is the Christ he is also denying that Jesus is God’s son, and so he is rejecting God the Father also.

denies: (Multiple Senses) In the first use of denies in this verse (“denies that Jesus is the Christ”), it means he “says that it is not true that Jesus is the Christ.” In 2:22b (“he denies the Father and the Son”), it means he “refuses to accept the Father and the Son.” It is used again in this sense in the next verse.

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SIL Translator's Notes on 1 John 2:21

2:21a

(Good News Translation) then: (Logical Relationship) Having stated that his readers have knowledge, John points out that this shows he is confident of their true faith in Christ (as in 2:12–14). Good News Translation and Living Bible make this connection explicit.

I have not written to you because you lack knowledge of: (Sentence Breaks) John is telling his readers not to think that the reason for his writing to them is that he considers them ignorant of the truth. Notice that this statement contains two negatives, which may make it unclear in translation. It may therefore be better to make it a separate sentence from 2:21b–c and make the reasoning more explicit. Or it could be translated using a rhetorical question:

Am I writing to you because I think that you do not know the truth? No. It is not because of that. I am sure that you know the truth.

2:21b–c

(Revised Standard Version) because you know it, and you know that…: (Alternative Interpretations) There are different interpretations as to how 2:21b and 2:21c relate to each other:

(1) John is probably saying that his readers know two things, firstly, the truth, and secondly, that no lie comes from it. (King James Version, Revised Standard Version, Good News Translation, The Jerusalem Bible)

(2) Some think he is only mentioning one thing they know (the truth) and then he gives another reason for his writing, namely that no lie comes from the truth. (Berean Standard Bible, New English Bible)

2:21c

comes from: (Metaphor) To say that a lie comes from something abstract like truth is a metaphor, which may not be natural in your language. The basic meaning to be translated here is that truth and lies are totally different, so it is impossible for wrong beliefs (lies) to be part of God’s truth.

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SIL Translator's Notes on 1 John 2:20

2:20a

You, however: (Emphasis) This is contrasting the readers with the people who had left the church.

have an anointing from the Holy One: (Alternative Interpretations) This is a metaphor comparing something to the Jewish practice of anointing men with oil when they became priests. There are different views about what topic is being compared:

(1) John is probably referring to Christ giving the Holy Spirit to those who truly become Christians. (Good News Translation, Living Bible)

(2) Some think it refers to God giving his word. (Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English)

(3) Others think it refers to God making Christians special people, like priests. (New English Bible)

the Holy One: (Alternative Interpretations) There are different views as to who the phrase the Holy One refers to here:

(1) It probably refers to Christ, as it does elsewhere in the New Testament. (Good News Translation)

(2) Some think it refers to God, as it does in the Old Testament. (Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English)

2:20b

and all of you know: (Text) The King James Version reading “ye know all things” is from an inferior Greek text.

know the truth: (Expression) The Greek here is literally, “you know.” No object is expressed, so the meaning is “you have knowledge,” “you are no longer ignorant.” However in many languages, including English, this leaves it unclear what sort of knowledge is meant. Many translations therefore specify, know the truth (Berean Standard Bible, New International Version (2011 Revision), Good News Translation, Living Bible) since that is the sort of knowledge John talks about in the next verse.

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Source: SIL Translator's Notes on 1 John 2000

SIL Translator's Notes on 1 John 2:27

SIL Translator's Notes on 1 John 2:26

SIL Translator's Notes on 1 John 2:25

SIL Translator's Notes on 1 John 2:24

SIL Translator's Notes on 1 John 2:23

SIL Translator's Notes on 1 John 2:22

SIL Translator's Notes on 1 John 2:21

SIL Translator's Notes on 1 John 2:20

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