independentparticipialrelativepurposecausecontentconditionalphrase modifierdashed = verbless / suspended
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Faith born of God overcomes the world 5:1–5
vv. 1–3 — born of God: faith, love, and commandments not burdensome
1
Πᾶς ὁ πιστεύων ὅτι Ἰησοῦς ἐστιν ὁ Χριστὸς ἐκ τοῦ θεοῦ γεγέννηται,independent — the thesis — the ὅτι of the confession internal to the subject phrase
καὶ πᾶς ὁ ἀγαπῶν τὸν γεννήσαντα ἀγαπᾷ καὶ τὸν γεγεννημένον ἐξ αὐτοῦ.independent — the family inference — love for the Begetter entails love for the begotten
2
ἐν τούτῳ γινώσκομενindependent — the ἐν τούτῳ formula — pointing forward to the ὅταν clause
ὅτι ἀγαπῶμεν τὰ τέκνα τοῦ θεοῦ,content — what is known — the love-test turned around
ὅταν τὸν θεὸν ἀγαπῶμεν καὶ τὰς ἐντολὰς αὐτοῦ ποιῶμεν.conditional — ὅταν — conditional-temporal, unpacking ἐν τούτῳ; backward-leaning, so anchored
3
αὕτη γάρ ἐστιν ἡ ἀγάπη τοῦ θεοῦ,independent — the definition — γάρ grounding v. 2
ἵνα τὰς ἐντολὰς αὐτοῦ τηρῶμεν·content — epexegetic ἵνα — the content of the love, not its purpose
καὶ αἱ ἐντολαὶ αὐτοῦ βαρεῖαι οὐκ εἰσίν,independent — the added assurance — cf. Mt 11:30
vv. 4–5 — the victory that has conquered the world: our faith
4
ὅτι πᾶν τὸ γεγεννημένον ἐκ τοῦ θεοῦ νικᾷ τὸν κόσμον·cause — the ground — neuter πᾶν τὸ γεγεννημένον: the new birth itself carries conquering power
καὶ αὕτη ἐστὶν ἡ νίκη ἡ νικήσασα τὸν κόσμον,independent — the identification — aorist νικήσασα: the decisive conquest already won
ἡ πίστις ἡμῶν.phrase modifier — the apposition — the victory named
5
τίς δέ ἐστιν ὁ νικῶν τὸν κόσμονindependent — the clinching question
εἰ μὴ ὁ πιστεύωνconditional — εἰ μή — exceptive, verbless
ὅτι Ἰησοῦς ἐστιν ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ θεοῦ;content — the confession again — now ‘Son of God’
The three witnesses and God's testimony 5:6–12
vv. 6–8 — water, blood, and Spirit: three witnesses, one testimony (the Johannine Comma absent)
6
Οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ ἐλθὼν δι' ὕδατος καὶ αἵματος,independent — the Comer — baptism and cross together
Ἰησοῦς Χριστός·phrase modifier — apposition — the Comer named
οὐκ ἐν τῷ ὕδατι μόνονphrase modifier — the correction — against a baptism-only Christ (a Cerinthian-type denial of the cross)
ἀλλ' ἐν τῷ ὕδατι καὶ ἐν τῷ αἵματι·phrase modifier — the insistence — the blood repeated with its own ἐν
καὶ τὸ πνεῦμά ἐστιν τὸ μαρτυροῦν,independent — the living witness introduced
ὅτι τὸ πνεῦμά ἐστιν ἡ ἀλήθεια.cause — the witness's credential
7
ὅτι τρεῖς εἰσιν οἱ μαρτυροῦντες,cause — the ground — the Johannine Comma (‘in heaven: the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit…’) is absent from the critical text; nothing intervenes here
8
τὸ πνεῦμαphrase modifier — the first witness
καὶ τὸ ὕδωρphrase modifier — the second
καὶ τὸ αἷμα,phrase modifier — the third
καὶ οἱ τρεῖς εἰς τὸ ἕν εἰσιν.cause — the ὅτι carried on — three witnesses converge εἰς τὸ ἕν, on the one testimony
vv. 9–12 — God's greater testimony: life in his Son
9
εἰ τὴν μαρτυρίαν τῶν ἀνθρώπων λαμβάνομεν,conditional — protasis — leans on the apodosis below; the a-fortiori premise
ἡ μαρτυρία τοῦ θεοῦ μείζων ἐστίν·independent — apodosis — how much more his witness
ὅτι αὕτη ἐστὶν ἡ μαρτυρία τοῦ θεοῦcause — the ground
ὅτι μεμαρτύρηκεν περὶ τοῦ υἱοῦ αὐτοῦ.content — the ὅτι-chain — the second ὅτι epexegetic of αὕτη
10
ὁ πιστεύων εἰς τὸν υἱὸν τοῦ θεοῦ ἔχει τὴν μαρτυρίαν ἐν ἑαυτῷ·independent — the believer — ἑαυτῷ read here (some editions αὐτῷ)
ὁ μὴ πιστεύων τῷ θεῷ ψεύστην πεποίηκεν αὐτόν,independent — the verdict — perfect πεποίηκεν: a standing state
ὅτι οὐ πεπίστευκεν εἰς τὴν μαρτυρίανcause — the ground of the verdict
ἣν μεμαρτύρηκεν ὁ θεὸς περὶ τοῦ υἱοῦ αὐτοῦ.relative — the testimony specified
11
καὶ αὕτη ἐστὶν ἡ μαρτυρία,independent — the summary formula
ὅτι ζωὴν αἰώνιον ἔδωκεν ἡμῖν ὁ θεός,content — the content — the gift itself
καὶ αὕτη ἡ ζωὴ ἐν τῷ υἱῷ αὐτοῦ ἐστιν.content — the content continued — the life located in the Son
12
ὁ ἔχων τὸν υἱὸν ἔχει τὴν ζωήν·independent — the antithesis — possession
ὁ μὴ ἔχων τὸν υἱὸν τοῦ θεοῦ τὴν ζωὴν οὐκ ἔχει.independent — the antithesis — privation; the fuller title ‘Son of God’ on the dark side
Assurance and intercession 5:13–17
vv. 13–15 — that you may know: boldness in asking
13
Ταῦτα ἔγραψα ὑμῖνindependent — the letter's stated aim — cf. Jn 20:31
ἵνα εἰδῆτεpurpose — the purpose — assurance, not doubt
ὅτι ζωὴν ἔχετε αἰώνιον,content — what is to be known
τοῖς πιστεύουσιν εἰς τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ υἱοῦ τοῦ θεοῦ.phrase modifier — delayed dative apposition to ὑμῖν — the addressees defined by their faith
14
καὶ αὕτη ἐστὶν ἡ παρρησίαindependent — παρρησία — boldness of speech before him
ἣν ἔχομεν πρὸς αὐτόν,relative — the confidence located
ὅτι ἐάν τι αἰτώμεθα κατὰ τὸ θέλημα αὐτοῦconditional — the ὅτι rides the protasis — a condition nested inside the content; κατὰ τὸ θέλημα the governing qualifier
ἀκούει ἡμῶν.content — apodosis — the content's core: he hears
15
καὶ ἐὰν οἴδαμενconditional — protasis — ἐάν with the indicative οἴδαμεν: the condition assumed real
ὅτι ἀκούει ἡμῶνcontent — what is known
ὃ ἐὰν αἰτώμεθα,relative — ὃ ἐάν — indefinite relative
οἴδαμενindependent — apodosis — knowing doubled: assurance built on assurance
ὅτι ἔχομεν τὰ αἰτήματαcontent — the possession is present tense
ἃ ᾐτήκαμεν ἀπ' αὐτοῦ.relative — perfect ᾐτήκαμεν — requests already lodged
vv. 16–17 — the sin not unto death
16
Ἐάν τις ἴδῃ τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦconditional — protasis — the case for intercession
ἁμαρτάνοντα ἁμαρτίαν μὴ πρὸς θάνατον,participial — supplementary participle — the sin qualified from the start
αἰτήσει,independent — apodosis — future with imperatival force
καὶ δώσει αὐτῷ ζωήν,independent — the giver — best read as God, answering the prayer (the asker as subject is possible)
τοῖς ἁμαρτάνουσιν μὴ πρὸς θάνατον.phrase modifier — the singular generalized — plural dative resuming αὐτῷ
ἔστιν ἁμαρτία πρὸς θάνατον·independent — the declaration — deliberate apostasy in view: the secessionists' settled denial
οὐ περὶ ἐκείνης λέγωindependent — the restraint — prayer for it not enjoined (nor quite forbidden)
ἵνα ἐρωτήσῃ.content — ἵνα as content of λέγω — the indirect command withheld
17
πᾶσα ἀδικία ἁμαρτία ἐστίν,independent — the balance — no sin trivialized
καὶ ἔστιν ἁμαρτία οὐ πρὸς θάνατον.independent — the door left open — intercession keeps its scope
The three οἴδαμεν and the closing charge 5:18–21
vv. 18–20 — the closing column: we know, we know, we know
18
Οἴδαμεν ὅτι πᾶς ὁ γεγεννημένος ἐκ τοῦ θεοῦ οὐχ ἁμαρτάνει,independent — first οἴδαμεν — the ὅτι internal; present ἁμαρτάνει: no settled sinning
ἀλλ' ὁ γεννηθεὶς ἐκ τοῦ θεοῦ τηρεῖ αὐτόν,content — ὁ γεννηθείς (aorist) — the Son, the Begotten One, keeps the born-of-God; the variant ἑαυτόν (‘keeps himself’) declined
καὶ ὁ πονηρὸς οὐχ ἅπτεται αὐτοῦ.content — the guard's effect — ἅπτεται: not so much as touch
19
οἴδαμεν ὅτι ἐκ τοῦ θεοῦ ἐσμεν,independent — second οἴδαμεν — origin
καὶ ὁ κόσμος ὅλος ἐν τῷ πονηρῷ κεῖται.content — the counter — κεῖται: the world lies passively in his grip
20
οἴδαμεν δὲ ὅτι ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ θεοῦ ἥκει,independent — third οἴδαμεν — ἥκει: he is here
καὶ δέδωκεν ἡμῖν διάνοιανcontent — the content continued — διάνοια: the given faculty
ἵνα γινώσκωμεν τὸν ἀληθινόν·purpose — the purpose of the gift
καὶ ἐσμὲν ἐν τῷ ἀληθινῷ,independent — from knowing to abiding
ἐν τῷ υἱῷ αὐτοῦ Ἰησοῦ Χριστῷ.phrase modifier — epexegetic — to be in the True One is to be in the Son
οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ ἀληθινὸς θεὸς καὶ ζωὴ αἰώνιος.independent — οὗτος — the nearer antecedent, Jesus Christ: the Son called true God and eternal life (others refer it to the Father; the layout reads it christologically)
v. 21 — the coda
21
Τεκνία, φυλάξατε ἑαυτὰ ἀπὸ τῶν εἰδώλων.independent — the coda — the letter's last word against every counterfeit
Analysis. 1 John 5 closes the letter in three textures, and the shape shows them. Verses 1–5 are the lattice of flush-left πᾶς-sentences — everyone who believes, everyone who loves — with the ἐν τούτῳ γινώσκομεν test and the αὕτη-ἐστίν definitions hanging their ἵνα- and ὅτι-lines one step in; the ὅταν clause is read as conditional-temporal unpacking ἐν τούτῳ, and the ἵνα of v. 3 as epexegetic — the content of love, not its purpose. Verses 6–12 are the witness section: the Comer through water and blood with the correction pair (not in the water only — but in the water and in the blood), then the three witnesses — Spirit, water, blood — stacked as a suspended column under οἱ μαρτυροῦντες; the so-called Johannine Comma is absent from the critical text, so nothing stands between ‘three that testify’ and ‘the Spirit and the water and the blood,’ and the a-fortiori conditional of v. 9 lifts the whole to God's own greater testimony, defined twice over (ὅτι… ὅτι) and issuing in the have/have-not antithesis of v. 12. Verses 13–17 turn to assurance: Ταῦτα ἔγραψα with its purpose chain, the παρρησία definition with a protasis nested inside the ὅτι, and the sin-not-unto-death instruction. Verses 18–21 are the closing column: three flush-left οἴδαμεν lines, then the coda against idols. Sides taken: in v. 18 ὁ γεννηθείς (aorist, against the perfect of the born believer) is the Son — the Begotten One keeps him — with the variant ἑαυτόν (‘keeps himself’) noted and declined; in v. 16 δώσει is read with God as giver, and the sin πρὸς θάνατον is taken as deliberate apostasy — the secessionists' settled denial — not a catalogued offense; and in v. 20 οὗτος takes the nearer antecedent, Jesus Christ: the Son is called ὁ ἀληθινὸς θεὸς καὶ ζωὴ αἰώνιος (many refer it to the Father; the layout reads it christologically).