independentparticipialrelativepurposecausecomparativecontentconditionalphrase modifierdashed = verbless / suspended
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The Advocate — if anyone sins 2:1–2
1
Τεκνία μου, ταῦτα γράφω ὑμῖνindependent — the pastoral aim opens — the affectionate diminutive address
ἵνα μὴ ἁμάρτητε.purpose — the purpose of the letter — that they not sin at all
καὶ ἐάν τις ἁμάρτῃ,conditional — protasis — the provision for failure; leans on the clause below
παράκλητον ἔχομεν πρὸς τὸν πατέρα,independent — apodosis — παράκλητος: counsel for the defense, πρὸς τὸν πατέρα
Ἰησοῦν Χριστὸν δίκαιον·phrase modifier — apposition — the Advocate named: the righteous one pleads for sinners
2
καὶ αὐτὸς ἱλασμός ἐστιν περὶ τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν ἡμῶν,independent — the plea's ground — αὐτός: the Advocate is himself the ἱλασμός
οὐ περὶ τῶν ἡμετέρων δὲ μόνον ἀλλὰ καὶ περὶ ὅλου τοῦ κόσμου.phrase modifier — the scope widened — οὐ … μόνον ἀλλὰ καί: sufficient for the whole κόσμος
Knowing him — the test of obedience 2:3–6
3
Καὶ ἐν τούτῳ γινώσκομενindependent — the test-formula — ἐν τούτῳ pointing forward to the ἐάν
ὅτι ἐγνώκαμεν αὐτόν,content — the thing known — perfect ἐγνώκαμεν: knowledge still in force
ἐὰν τὰς ἐντολὰς αὐτοῦ τηρῶμεν.conditional — epexegetic of ἐν τούτῳ — the test named; anchored back, not leaning forward
4
ὁ λέγωνindependent — participial subject, suspended — the claimant, held for his verdict
ὅτι Ἔγνωκα αὐτόν,content — the claim quoted — recitative ὅτι, the very perfect of v. 3
καὶ τὰς ἐντολὰς αὐτοῦ μὴ τηρῶν,participial — coordinate with λέγων — the conduct against the claim
ψεύστης ἐστίν,independent — the verdict — flush with the suspended subject above
καὶ ἐν τούτῳ ἡ ἀλήθεια οὐκ ἔστιν·independent — the verdict doubled — echoing 1:8
5
ὃς δ' ἂν τηρῇ αὐτοῦ τὸν λόγον,relative — conditional relative (ὃς δ' ἄν ≈ ἐάν τις) — leans on the clause below
ἀληθῶς ἐν τούτῳ ἡ ἀγάπη τοῦ θεοῦ τετελείωται.independent — the counter-verdict — τετελείωται: love brought to its goal
ἐν τούτῳ γινώσκομενindependent — the test-formula again — pointing on to v. 6
ὅτι ἐν αὐτῷ ἐσμεν·content — the thing known — being ἐν αὐτῷ
6
ὁ λέγων ἐν αὐτῷ μένειν ὀφείλειindependent — claim → obligation — μένειν: the abiding verb enters the letter
καθὼς ἐκεῖνος περιεπάτησενcomparative — the standard — ἐκεῖνος: Christ's own walk; proleptic, modifying περιπατεῖν below
καὶ αὐτὸς οὕτως περιπατεῖν.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
7
Ἀγαπητοί, οὐκ ἐντολὴν καινὴν γράφω ὑμῖν,independent — the denial — Ἀγαπητοί (critical text, for Byzantine ἀδελφοί) at the love-command
ἀλλ' ἐντολὴν παλαιὰνphrase modifier — the counter-object — elliptical: supply γράφω
ἣν εἴχετε ἀπ' ἀρχῆς·relative — on ἐντολήν — ἀπ' ἀρχῆς: theirs since their first hearing
ἡ ἐντολὴ ἡ παλαιά ἐστιν ὁ λόγοςindependent — the identification — the command is nothing other than the word
ὃν ἠκούσατε.relative — on ὁ λόγος — heard, not invented
8
πάλιν ἐντολὴν καινὴν γράφω ὑμῖν,independent — the paradox — πάλιν: the same command, now new
ὅ ἐστιν ἀληθὲς ἐν αὐτῷ καὶ ἐν ὑμῖν,relative — neuter ὅ — the newness itself, realized in him and in them
ὅτι ἡ σκοτία παράγεταιcause — the ground — παράγεται: already in motion
καὶ τὸ φῶς τὸ ἀληθινὸν ἤδη φαίνει.cause — the ground's other half — ἤδη: the new age has begun
vv. 9–11 — the lattice: saying, loving, hating
9
ὁ λέγων ἐν τῷ φωτὶ εἶναι καὶ τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ μισῶν ἐν τῇ σκοτίᾳ ἐστὶν ἕως ἄρτι.independent — rung 1 — the claim of light with hate: still in the dark, ἕως ἄρτι
10
ὁ ἀγαπῶν τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ ἐν τῷ φωτὶ μένει,independent — rung 2 — love abides (μένει) in the light
καὶ σκάνδαλον ἐν αὐτῷ οὐκ ἔστιν·independent — coordinate — no σκάνδαλον: nothing in him to trip on
11
ὁ δὲ μισῶν τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ ἐν τῇ σκοτίᾳ ἐστὶνindependent — rung 3 — hate's triple verdict begins
καὶ ἐν τῇ σκοτίᾳ περιπατεῖ,independent — coordinate — his sphere and his conduct alike dark
καὶ οὐκ οἶδενindependent — coordinate — the blindness named
ποῦ ὑπάγει,content — indirect question — all direction lost
ὅτι ἡ σκοτία ἐτύφλωσεν τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς αὐτοῦ.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)
12
Γράφω ὑμῖν, τεκνία,independent — rung 1 — τεκνία: the whole family first
ὅτι ἀφέωνται ὑμῖν αἱ ἁμαρτίαι διὰ τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ.cause — ὅτι causal, not content — forgiveness the standing fact (ἀφέωνται)
13
γράφω ὑμῖν, πατέρες,independent — rung 2 — the fathers
ὅτι ἐγνώκατε τὸν ἀπ' ἀρχῆς.cause — the fathers' mark — knowing τὸν ἀπ' ἀρχῆς (1:1)
γράφω ὑμῖν, νεανίσκοι,independent — rung 3 — the young men
ὅτι νενικήκατε τὸν πονηρόν.cause — the young men's mark — νενικήκατε: victory that stands
v. 14 — ἔγραψα: the aorist triad, the column repeated and enlarged
14
ἔγραψα ὑμῖν, παιδία,independent — rung 1′ — epistolary aorist ἔγραψα; παιδία for τεκνία, a stylistic shift
ὅτι ἐγνώκατε τὸν πατέρα.cause — the children's mark — the Father known
ἔγραψα ὑμῖν, πατέρες,independent — rung 2′ — the fathers again
ὅτι ἐγνώκατε τὸν ἀπ' ἀρχῆς.cause — their ὅτι repeated verbatim — nothing to add to knowing the Eternal
ἔγραψα ὑμῖν, νεανίσκοι,independent — rung 3′ — the young men again
ὅτι ἰσχυροί ἐστεcause — their ὅτι enlarged — the strength
καὶ ὁ λόγος τοῦ θεοῦ ἐν ὑμῖν μένειcause — the strength's source — the abiding word (μένει)
καὶ νενικήκατε τὸν πονηρόν.cause — the victory restated — the double triad's seal
Do not love the world 2:15–17
15
Μὴ ἀγαπᾶτε τὸν κόσμον μηδὲ τὰ ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ.independent — the prohibition — present imperative: no settled love for the κόσμος
ἐάν τις ἀγαπᾷ τὸν κόσμον,conditional — protasis — leans on the clause below
οὐκ ἔστιν ἡ ἀγάπη τοῦ πατρὸς ἐν αὐτῷ·independent — apodosis — τοῦ πατρός objective: love FOR the Father; the two loves exclude each other
16
ὅτι πᾶν τὸ ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ,cause — the ground — the subject announced, then suspended for the inventory
ἡ ἐπιθυμία τῆς σαρκὸς καὶ ἡ ἐπιθυμία τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν καὶ ἡ ἀλαζονεία τοῦ βίου,phrase modifier — verbless apposition — the three lusts itemized
οὐκ ἔστιν ἐκ τοῦ πατρὸς ἀλλὰ ἐκ τοῦ κόσμου ἐστίν.cause — the ὅτι-clause's predicate — resumed after the apposition: wrong origin
17
καὶ ὁ κόσμος παράγεται καὶ ἡ ἐπιθυμία αὐτοῦ,independent — παράγεται again (v. 8) — the world already in transit
ὁ δὲ ποιῶν τὸ θέλημα τοῦ θεοῦ μένει εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα.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
18
Παιδία, ἐσχάτη ὥρα ἐστίν,independent — the announcement — anarthrous ἐσχάτη ὥρα
καὶ καθὼς ἠκούσατεcomparative — comparison — leans forward on the fulfillment below
ὅτι ἀντίχριστος ἔρχεται,content — the tradition — the coming antichrist, singular
καὶ νῦν ἀντίχριστοι πολλοὶ γεγόνασιν·independent — the fulfillment outrunning the report — many, and already
ὅθεν γινώσκομενindependent — the inference — ὅθεν: the antichrists date the hour
ὅτι ἐσχάτη ὥρα ἐστίν.content — the announcement confirmed — the verse's frame closes
19
ἐξ ἡμῶν ἐξῆλθαν,independent — the wordplay begins — ἐξ ἡμῶν of departure
ἀλλ' οὐκ ἦσαν ἐξ ἡμῶν·independent — the same ἐξ ἡμῶν, now of origin — out from, never of
εἰ γὰρ ἐξ ἡμῶν ἦσαν,conditional — protasis — contrary to fact; leans on the clause below
μεμενήκεισαν ἂν μεθ' ἡμῶν·independent — apodosis — μεμενήκεισαν ἄν: even here the abiding verb
ἀλλ' ἵνα φανερωθῶσινpurpose — ellipsis — supply 'they went out': the departure itself served the exposure
ὅτι οὐκ εἰσὶν πάντες ἐξ ἡμῶν.content — the content — οὐκ … πάντες = none; the fourth and final ἐξ ἡμῶν
vv. 20–21 — but you: the anointing, and knowledge already yours
20
καὶ ὑμεῖς χρῖσμα ἔχετε ἀπὸ τοῦ ἁγίου,independent — the contrast — καὶ ὑμεῖς adversative; χρῖσμα set against the ἀντίχριστοι
καὶ οἴδατε πάντες.independent — πάντες nominative (critical text, over πάντα) — all of you know; no elite
21
οὐκ ἔγραψα ὑμῖνindependent — the reassurance — epistolary aorist
ὅτι οὐκ οἴδατε τὴν ἀλήθειαν,cause — the denied reason
ἀλλ' ὅτι οἴδατε αὐτήν,cause — the true reason — he writes to knowers, not to the ignorant
καὶ ὅτι πᾶν ψεῦδος ἐκ τῆς ἀληθείας οὐκ ἔστιν.cause — the axiom appended — truth breeds no lies
vv. 22–23 — the liar identified; denial and confession
22
Τίς ἐστιν ὁ ψεύστης εἰ μὴ ὁ ἀρνούμενοςindependent — the question — ὁ ψεύστης: THE liar, article and all
ὅτι Ἰησοῦς οὐκ ἔστιν ὁ Χριστός;content — the denial's content — pleonastic οὐκ after ἀρνεῖσθαι, untranslated
οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ ἀντίχριστος,independent — the identification — the secessionists' teaching named for what it is
ὁ ἀρνούμενος τὸν πατέρα καὶ τὸν υἱόν.phrase modifier — apposition — to deny the Son is to deny the Father with him
23
πᾶς ὁ ἀρνούμενος τὸν υἱὸν οὐδὲ τὸν πατέρα ἔχει·independent — the principle, negative — οὐδέ: the Father forfeited with the Son
ὁ ὁμολογῶν τὸν υἱὸν καὶ τὸν πατέρα ἔχει.independent — the principle, positive — once lost to homoeoteleuton, firmly in the critical text
vv. 24–25 — let the first word abide; the promise
24
ὑμεῖς ὃ ἠκούσατε ἀπ' ἀρχῆς,independent — casus pendens — ὑμεῖς and the object both suspended before the verb
ἐν ὑμῖν μενέτω.independent — the resumption — the imperative lands: μενέτω
ἐὰν ἐν ὑμῖν μείνῃ ὃ ἀπ' ἀρχῆς ἠκούσατε,conditional — protasis — the same words re-sorted; leans on the clause below
καὶ ὑμεῖς ἐν τῷ υἱῷ καὶ ἐν τῷ πατρὶ μενεῖτε.independent — apodosis — the mutual abiding: the message in you, you in Son and Father
25
καὶ αὕτη ἐστὶν ἡ ἐπαγγελίαindependent — the movement's close — αὕτη pointing to the life
ἣν αὐτὸς ἐπηγγείλατο ἡμῖν,relative — on ἡ ἐπαγγελία — the cognate ἐπηγγείλατο: he promised the promise
τὴν ζωὴν τὴν αἰώνιον.phrase modifier — apposition — the promise's content, loosely appended in the accusative
The anointing abides 2:26–27
26
Ταῦτα ἔγραψα ὑμῖν περὶ τῶν πλανώντων ὑμᾶς.independent — the section's purpose — τῶν πλανώντων, conative present: trying, not succeeding
27
καὶ ὑμεῖς τὸ χρῖσμαindependent — casus pendens again — ὑμεῖς suspended; the χρῖσμα takes over as subject
ὃ ἐλάβετε ἀπ' αὐτοῦrelative — on τὸ χρῖσμα — received, not achieved
μένει ἐν ὑμῖν,independent — the predicate lands — the anointing itself μένει
καὶ οὐ χρείαν ἔχετεindependent — the consequence — no need of the secessionists' 'higher' teachers
ἵνα τις διδάσκῃ ὑμᾶς·content — epexegetic ἵνα — the need defined
ἀλλ' ὡς τὸ αὐτοῦ χρῖσμα διδάσκει ὑμᾶς περὶ πάντων,comparative — comparison — leans forward on μένετε below
καὶ ἀληθές ἐστιν καὶ οὐκ ἔστιν ψεῦδος,comparative — the ὡς-clause continued — a parenthesis: the Teacher true, no lie in it
καὶ καθὼς ἐδίδαξεν ὑμᾶς,comparative — the comparison resumed — aorist ἐδίδαξεν: as it taught you at the first
μένετε ἐν αὐτῷ.independent — the landing — μένετε imperative (matching v. 28), not indicative
Abide until he appears 2:28–29
28
Καὶ νῦν, τεκνία, μένετε ἐν αὐτῷ,independent — the hinge imperative — Καὶ νῦν, τεκνία: the chapter gathered into one word
ἵνα ἐὰν φανερωθῇconditional — protasis nested inside the ἵνα, carrying the conjunction with it — ἐάν (over ὅταν), the subject Christ; leans on σχῶμεν below
σχῶμεν παρρησίανpurpose — the purpose — παρρησία: open-faced boldness at his appearing
καὶ μὴ αἰσχυνθῶμεν ἀπ' αὐτοῦ ἐν τῇ παρουσίᾳ αὐτοῦ.purpose — the negative twin — αἰσχυνθῶμεν ἀπ' αὐτοῦ: shrink away from him at the παρουσία
29
ἐὰν εἰδῆτεconditional — protasis — leans on γινώσκετε below
ὅτι δίκαιός ἐστιν,content — the premise — δίκαιος, as Jesus Christ was called at v. 1
γινώσκετεindependent — apodosis — from οἶδα to γινώσκω: recognize it case by case
ὅτι καὶ πᾶς ὁ ποιῶν τὴν δικαιοσύνην ἐξ αὐτοῦ γεγέννηται.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.