1 John 2 — Clausal Layout (English)

independentparticipialrelativepurposecausecomparativecontentconditionalphrase modifierdashed = verbless / suspended

Flush-left = a main (independent) clause. Each dependent line begins directly beneath the word it attaches to in the line above — the anchor word is dotted-underlined, and lights up when you hover its dependent clause; each tag also names the attachment. A dashed border marks verbless, elliptical, or suspended lines. Where a long sentence's staircase runs wider than the page, the diagram scrolls sideways. (In print, or without JavaScript, lines fall back to stepped indent columns.)

The Advocate — if anyone sins 2:1–2

My little children, these things I am writing to youindependent — the pastoral aim opens — the affectionate diminutive address

so that you may not sin.purpose — the purpose of the letter — that they not sin at all

But if anyone does sin,conditional — protasis — the provision for failure; leans on the clause below

we have an Advocate with the Father,independent — apodosis — παράκλητος: counsel for the defense, πρὸς τὸν πατέρα

Jesus Christ the righteous;phrase modifier — apposition — the Advocate named: the righteous one pleads for sinners

and he himself is the propitiation for our sins,independent — the plea's ground — αὐτός: the Advocate is himself the ἱλασμός

and not for ours only but also for those of the whole world.phrase modifier — the scope widened — οὐ … μόνον ἀλλὰ καί: sufficient for the whole κόσμος

Knowing him — the test of obedience 2:3–6

And by this we knowindependent — the test-formula — ἐν τούτῳ pointing forward to the ἐάν

that we have come to know him:content — the thing known — perfect ἐγνώκαμεν: knowledge still in force

if we keep his commandments.conditional — epexegetic of ἐν τούτῳ — the test named; anchored back, not leaning forward

The one who says,independent — participial subject, suspended — the claimant, held for his verdict

'I have come to know him,'content — the claim quoted — recitative ὅτι, the very perfect of v. 3

and does not keep his commandments,participial — coordinate with λέγων — the conduct against the claim

is a liar,independent — the verdict — flush with the suspended subject above

and the truth is not in him;independent — the verdict doubled — echoing 1:8

but whoever keeps his word,relative — conditional relative (ὃς δ' ἄν ≈ ἐάν τις) — leans on the clause below

truly in him the love of God has been perfected.independent — the counter-verdict — τετελείωται: love brought to its goal

By this we knowindependent — the test-formula again — pointing on to v. 6

that we are in him:content — the thing known — being ἐν αὐτῷ

The one who says he abides in him oughtindependent — claim → obligation — μένειν: the abiding verb enters the letter

just as that one walked,comparative — the standard — ἐκεῖνος: Christ's own walk; proleptic, modifying περιπατεῖν below

himself also so to walk.content — complement infinitive of ὀφείλει — οὕτως answering the καθώς

The old-new commandment — light, love, and hate 2:7–11

vv. 7–8 — the paradox: not a new commandment, yet new

Beloved, I am not writing a new commandment to you,independent — the denial — Ἀγαπητοί (critical text, for Byzantine ἀδελφοί) at the love-command

but an old commandmentphrase modifier — the counter-object — elliptical: supply γράφω

that you have had from the beginning;relative — on ἐντολήν — ἀπ' ἀρχῆς: theirs since their first hearing

the old commandment is the wordindependent — the identification — the command is nothing other than the word

that you heard.relative — on ὁ λόγος — heard, not invented

Again, a new commandment I am writing to you,independent — the paradox — πάλιν: the same command, now new

which is true in him and in you,relative — neuter ὅ — the newness itself, realized in him and in them

because the darkness is passing awaycause — the ground — παράγεται: already in motion

and the true light already shines.cause — the ground's other half — ἤδη: the new age has begun

vv. 9–11 — the lattice: saying, loving, hating

The one who says he is in the light and hates his brother is in the darkness still.independent — rung 1 — the claim of light with hate: still in the dark, ἕως ἄρτι

The one who loves his brother abides in the light,independent — rung 2 — love abides (μένει) in the light

and there is no cause of stumbling in him;independent — coordinate — no σκάνδαλον: nothing in him to trip on

But the one who hates his brother is in the darknessindependent — rung 3 — hate's triple verdict begins

and walks in the darkness,independent — coordinate — his sphere and his conduct alike dark

and does not knowindependent — coordinate — the blindness named

where he is going,content — indirect question — all direction lost

because the darkness has blinded his eyes.cause — the reason — the darkness itself did the blinding

Γράφω / ἔγραψα — the double triad 2:12–14

vv. 12–13 — γράφω: the present triad (children, fathers, young men)

I am writing to you, little children,independent — rung 1 — τεκνία: the whole family first

because your sins have been forgiven you for the sake of his name.cause — ὅτι causal, not content — forgiveness the standing fact (ἀφέωνται)

I am writing to you, fathers,independent — rung 2 — the fathers

because you have come to know him who is from the beginning.cause — the fathers' mark — knowing τὸν ἀπ' ἀρχῆς (1:1)

I am writing to you, young men,independent — rung 3 — the young men

because you have conquered the evil one.cause — the young men's mark — νενικήκατε: victory that stands

v. 14 — ἔγραψα: the aorist triad, the column repeated and enlarged

I have written to you, children,independent — rung 1′ — epistolary aorist ἔγραψα; παιδία for τεκνία, a stylistic shift

because you have come to know the Father.cause — the children's mark — the Father known

I have written to you, fathers,independent — rung 2′ — the fathers again

because you have come to know him who is from the beginning.cause — their ὅτι repeated verbatim — nothing to add to knowing the Eternal

I have written to you, young men,independent — rung 3′ — the young men again

because you are strong,cause — their ὅτι enlarged — the strength

and the word of God abides in you,cause — the strength's source — the abiding word (μένει)

and you have conquered the evil one.cause — the victory restated — the double triad's seal

Do not love the world 2:15–17

Do not love the world or the things in the world.independent — the prohibition — present imperative: no settled love for the κόσμος

If anyone loves the world,conditional — protasis — leans on the clause below

the love of the Father is not in him;independent — apodosis — τοῦ πατρός objective: love FOR the Father; the two loves exclude each other

because all that is in the world —cause — the ground — the subject announced, then suspended for the inventory

the desire of the flesh and the desire of the eyes and the pride of life —phrase modifier — verbless apposition — the three lusts itemized

is not from the Father but is from the world.cause — the ὅτι-clause's predicate — resumed after the apposition: wrong origin

And the world is passing away, and its desire;independent — παράγεται again (v. 8) — the world already in transit

but the one who does the will of God abides forever.independent — the contrast — ὁ ποιῶν: the doer abides (μένει) εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα

The last hour — the antichrists 2:18–25

vv. 18–19 — the hour told by its antichrists; they went out from us

Children, it is the last hour,independent — the announcement — anarthrous ἐσχάτη ὥρα

and just as you heardcomparative — comparison — leans forward on the fulfillment below

that antichrist is coming,content — the tradition — the coming antichrist, singular

even now many antichrists have arisen;independent — the fulfillment outrunning the report — many, and already

from this we knowindependent — the inference — ὅθεν: the antichrists date the hour

that it is the last hour.content — the announcement confirmed — the verse's frame closes

They went out from us,independent — the wordplay begins — ἐξ ἡμῶν of departure

but they were not of us;independent — the same ἐξ ἡμῶν, now of origin — out from, never of

for if they had been of us,conditional — protasis — contrary to fact; leans on the clause below

they would have remained with us;independent — apodosis — μεμενήκεισαν ἄν: even here the abiding verb

but — that it might be made plainpurpose — ellipsis — supply 'they went out': the departure itself served the exposure

that none of them are of us.content — the content — οὐκ … πάντες = none; the fourth and final ἐξ ἡμῶν

vv. 20–21 — but you: the anointing, and knowledge already yours

But you have an anointing from the Holy One,independent — the contrast — καὶ ὑμεῖς adversative; χρῖσμα set against the ἀντίχριστοι

and you all know.independent — πάντες nominative (critical text, over πάντα) — all of you know; no elite

I have not written to youindependent — the reassurance — epistolary aorist

because you do not know the truth,cause — the denied reason

but because you do know it,cause — the true reason — he writes to knowers, not to the ignorant

and because no lie is of the truth.cause — the axiom appended — truth breeds no lies

vv. 22–23 — the liar identified; denial and confession

Who is the liar but the one who deniesindependent — the question — ὁ ψεύστης: THE liar, article and all

that Jesus is the Christ?content — the denial's content — pleonastic οὐκ after ἀρνεῖσθαι, untranslated

This is the antichrist,independent — the identification — the secessionists' teaching named for what it is

the one who denies the Father and the Son.phrase modifier — apposition — to deny the Son is to deny the Father with him

Everyone who denies the Son does not have the Father either;independent — the principle, negative — οὐδέ: the Father forfeited with the Son

the one who confesses the Son has the Father also.independent — the principle, positive — once lost to homoeoteleuton, firmly in the critical text

vv. 24–25 — let the first word abide; the promise

As for you — what you heard from the beginning —independent — casus pendens — ὑμεῖς and the object both suspended before the verb

let it abide in you.independent — the resumption — the imperative lands: μενέτω

If what you heard from the beginning abides in you,conditional — protasis — the same words re-sorted; leans on the clause below

you also will abide in the Son and in the Father.independent — apodosis — the mutual abiding: the message in you, you in Son and Father

And this is the promiseindependent — the movement's close — αὕτη pointing to the life

that he himself promised us:relative — on ἡ ἐπαγγελία — the cognate ἐπηγγείλατο: he promised the promise

eternal life.phrase modifier — apposition — the promise's content, loosely appended in the accusative

The anointing abides 2:26–27

These things I have written to you concerning those who are trying to lead you astray.independent — the section's purpose — τῶν πλανώντων, conative present: trying, not succeeding

But as for you — the anointingindependent — casus pendens again — ὑμεῖς suspended; the χρῖσμα takes over as subject

that you received from himrelative — on τὸ χρῖσμα — received, not achieved

abides in you,independent — the predicate lands — the anointing itself μένει

and you have no needindependent — the consequence — no need of the secessionists' 'higher' teachers

that anyone teach you;content — epexegetic ἵνα — the need defined

but as his anointing teaches you concerning all things —comparative — comparison — leans forward on μένετε below

and is true and is not a lie,comparative — the ὡς-clause continued — a parenthesis: the Teacher true, no lie in it

and just as it taught you —comparative — the comparison resumed — aorist ἐδίδαξεν: as it taught you at the first

abide in him.independent — the landing — μένετε imperative (matching v. 28), not indicative

Abide until he appears 2:28–29

And now, little children, abide in him,independent — the hinge imperative — Καὶ νῦν, τεκνία: the chapter gathered into one word

so that — when he appears —conditional — protasis nested inside the ἵνα, carrying the conjunction with it — ἐάν (over ὅταν), the subject Christ; leans on σχῶμεν below

we may have confidencepurpose — the purpose — παρρησία: open-faced boldness at his appearing

and not be put to shame before him at his coming.purpose — the negative twin — αἰσχυνθῶμεν ἀπ' αὐτοῦ: shrink away from him at the παρουσία

If you knowconditional — protasis — leans on γινώσκετε below

that he is righteous,content — the premise — δίκαιος, as Jesus Christ was called at v. 1

you knowindependent — apodosis — from οἶδα to γινώσκω: recognize it case by case

that everyone also who does righteousness has been born of him.content — the inference — like conduct, like birth: γεγέννηται opens chapter 3's theme

Analysis. 1 John 2 moves in short, flush-left pulses — almost everything sits at depth 0 or 1, and the chapter's argument is carried not by chaining (nothing here runs past depth 2) but by repetition: the participial figures ὁ λέγων / ὁ ἀγαπῶν / ὁ μισῶν stand one purple line each with their verdicts (vv. 4–11), the olive protases lean forward on their apodoses (vv. 1, 15, 19, 24, 28–29), and the showpiece is the double triad of vv. 12–14 — six identical purple address-lines (τεκνία, πατέρες, νεανίσκοι; then παιδία, πατέρες, νεανίσκοι), each dangling its red ὅτι line, two three-rung columns with the verb shifting from γράφω to the epistolary aorist ἔγραψα. Dashed borders mark the chapter's suspensions: the ὁ λέγων subject of v. 4 held before its ψεύστης verdict, the ellipsis of v. 19 (ἀλλ' ἵνα φανερωθῶσιν — supply 'they went out'), and the two casus-pendens openings ὑμεῖς ὃ ἠκούσατε (v. 24) and καὶ ὑμεῖς τὸ χρῖσμα (v. 27), each resumed by its verb a line later. Interpretive choices the layout takes a side on: the six ὅτι clauses of vv. 12–14 are read as causal ('because your sins are forgiven'), not content; ἡ ἀγάπη τοῦ πατρός (v. 15) as love FOR the Father (objective genitive); πάντες at v. 20 as nominative ('you all know,' the critical text); μένετε at v. 27 as imperative, matching v. 28; and at v. 28 ἐάν φανερωθῇ is read (over ὅταν) with Christ as subject — the protasis drawn up inside the ἵνα as a nested olive line.