1 John 2:12-14 meaning

1 John 2:12-14 teaches believers of their secure standing in Christ—affirming their forgiven sins, their knowledge of the eternal Son, their spiritual strength, and their victory over the evil one through the abiding word of God.

In this letter, the Apostle John is proclaiming eternal life to believers (1 John 1:2). John is telling believers (who already have the Gift of Eternal Life) how they can experience the fullness of eternal life in their current walk, and he describes it as having fellowship with God and others (1 John 1:3, 5-6). John’s message is from what he heard and witnessed from the beginning, when he followed Jesus as one of His disciples (1 John 1:1-3).

The things John writes (unsurprisingly) have many similarities with things that Jesus taught His disciples in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7) and especially during His final teaching in the Upper Room and on their way to Garden of Gethsemane (John 13-17).

Thus far in this letter, the main things John has taught are how to presently experience the fullness of eternal life. This includes that believers should:

• Follow Jesus’s example and walk as He walked.
  (1 John 1:7, 2:6)
• Confess your sins.
  (1 John 1:9)
• Keep Jesus’s commandments to love one another as He loves us.
  (1 John 2:3, 7-8, 9)

If we do these things we will have fellowship with God, know God, and abide in Him (1 John 1:7, 2:3, 2:6, 2:10)

John largely explains what experiencing eternal life means using three Greek terms:

1. “Ginōskō” which is knowing God intimately.
   
   
2. “Agapé/Agapaō” which describe the choice to love God and one another.
   
   
3. “Menō” which is abiding in Jesus and making Him our home.

To learn more about these three terms see The Bible Says article: What do “Know,” “Love,” and “Abide” Reveal about Experiencing Eternal Life in 1 John?”

Having introduced the themes of knowing God, loving one another, and abiding in Jesus as they pertain to eternal life (1 John 2:3, 5-6, 10), John directly readdresses his audience:

I am writing to you, little children, because your sins have been forgiven you for His name’s sake (v 12).

The pronoun I refers to John, the apostle and author who is writing this letter. The pronoun you refers to either all or some of the recipients of this letter. (Whether you refers to all of the recipients or specifically to a subset of them will be discussed later in this commentary).

This is the fourth time John has expressed a specific reason he is writing this letter. John has said he is writing this letter so that his readers:

1. Might have fellowship with other believers and with the Father and Jesus
(1 John 1:3)

2. Might share in maximum joy
(1 John 1:4)"

3. Might not sin
(1 John 2:1)

Now John says he is writing to them:

4. Because your sins have been forgiven you for His name’s sake.

This reason, because your sins have been forgiven, clearly indicates that John is writing to believers who have received the Gift of Eternal Life though faith in Jesus.

• The Gift of Eternal Life includes the forgiveness of sins.
  (Matthew 1:21, Acts 10:43, Ephesians 1:7, Colossians 2:13)
  
  
• The Gift of Eternal Life and its forgiveness of sins is given exclusively through Jesus.
  (John 14:6, Acts 4:12, Romans 6:23, 1 John 5:11-12)
  
  
• The Gift of Eternal Life is graciously given by God, and it is received solely on the basis of faith in Jesus as the Son of God and Messiah.
  (John 1:12, 3:14-16, 5:24, Romans 3:24, Ephesians 2:8-9, 1 John 5:1)

Only believers in Jesus have their sins forgiven for His name’s sake.

Sins are any action we do, any attitude we harbor, or any words we say that disobey God’s commandments. Sin is evil. Sin leads to death. Death is separation, and sin separates us from God’s good design. Accordingly, sin is a violation of God’s perfect will for us and the world. Sin is harmful. It breaks fellowship with God and others and brings discord into His good and harmonious world. Sin is deceitful. It clouds our vision from seeing what is good and true (1 John 2:11). "God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness [or sin] at all" (1 John 1:5).

Every human, except for Jesus, has sinned against God (Romans 3:23), and is therefore in need of forgiveness.

Believers’ sins have been forgiven. This means that God does not condemn believers for their sins. Paul writes "there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus" (Romans 8:1). Because our sins are forgiven, we are banished from God no longer. We are born (again) into His family (John 1:12, 3:3-7). And we are able to know Him.

The verbal tense in the Greek expression your sins have been forgiven is in what’s called the perfect tense.

The perfect tense in Greek describes a past action that has already been completed, but whose effects continue to manifest into the present. The perfect tense emphasizes the dramatic difference between how things were before the action happened and how they are now and will be forever because that action occurred.

So, when John says I am writing to you because your sins have been forgiven, he is emphasizing the eternal life-and-death difference Jesus’s forgiveness has on a believer. Their sins have already been forgiven in the past when they first believed in Jesus and received the Gift of Eternal Life. And they are alive forevermore, eternally born into God’s family, and are God’s little children.

Being spared from eternal separation from God and having eternal belonging in His family are unconditional promises of the Gift that are guaranteed to all who believe in Jesus’s name (John 1:12, 11:25-26).

The blessings of the Gift of Eternal Life are unconditional, but the present blessings and future rewards of the Prize of Eternal Life are conditional and depend on our choices.

Knowing God by faith and having fellowship with Him are blessings of the Prize of Eternal Life that can be presently experienced within this life. Intimacy and fellowship are a choice. To experience fellowship and intimacy requires us to actively choose to follow Jesus’s example and keep Jesus’s commandment to love one another as He loved us. When we choose this, we can experience the fullness of the Prize and it joys (Luke 9:23, John 13:34-35, 1 John 2:3).

Among the blessings of the Gift of Eternal Life is that we are qualified and equipped to pursue the Prize of Eternal Life. We cannot attain the blessings of the Prize unless we first receive the Gift. We must first be born into God’s family and have our sins forgiven before we can have intimacy and fellowship with Him. It is only possible for believers to know God fully because their sins have been forgiven.

In 1 John, we see a model of forgiveness that operates on two levels.

1. The first is based on our position in Christ (Ephesians 1:7, Colossians 2:13). Jesus’ sacrificial act of dying on the cross has bought our redemption, and we have full forgiveness in Him. This is not conditioned on any choices or actions.
   
   
2. The other level is forgiveness we receive when we choose to confess our sins that brings us into further fellowship with Christ (1 John 1:6 - 2:2). But we can only have the second because the first is already given.

John is writing to all of God’s little children in light of the fact that their sins have been forgiven. He is writing to them so that they may more fully know God and thus experience the fullness and joy of eternal life in Him (1 John 1:3-4).

The pronoun His refers to Jesus. And the expression for His name’s sake means for the sake of Jesus.

John says that your sins have been forgiven for His name’s sake because Jesus is "the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world" (John 1:29) and because He "is the propitiation for our sins" (1 John 2:2). As the prophet Isaiah foretold:

"But He was pierced through for our transgressions,
He was crushed for our iniquities;
The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him,
And by His scourging we are healed."
(Isaiah 53:5)

God’s wrath against us for our sins was paid in full because Jesus offered Himself as a sinless sacrifice to suffer and pay the full penalty of sin. Jesus became sin for us through His death on the cross on our behalf (2 Corinthians 5:21, Colossians 2:13-14).

We are pardoned and our sins are forgiven because of Him and His righteousness. We are forgiven for His name’s sake because it is by Jesus’s righteous blood our sins are atoned.

The fact that our sins are forgiven for His name’s sake also means that we are forgiven for Jesus’s eternal glory and fame (Isaiah 53:10-12, Philippians 2:8-11, Revelation 5:9-14). Jesus restored humanity’s original design, which is to be "crowned with glory and honor" to reign over the earth (Hebrews 2:9). Jesus desires to bring "many sons to glory" to reign along with Him, which will bring about the complete restoration of humanity (Revelation 3:21). Thus, Jesus saves us to His own eternal glory as well (2 Peter 3:18, Jude 1:24-25).

Christ’s name comes up again in 1 John 5, when John says that it is those “who believe in the name of the Son of God” who have eternal life (1 John 5:13).

In 1 John 2:12, John goes back to the basics to remind his readers of their position in Christ from which they can walk in fellowship with Him.

I am writing to you, little children, because your sins have been forgiven you for His name’s sake (v. 12).

In this verse, John emphasizes the position of all believers in Christ. Most of the letter of 1 John focuses on the condition, not position, of our relationship in Christ. Our condition involves our fellowship with God and whether we are walking in the Light or the dark. It varies as we do (God never changes). But we can only enjoy walking in fellowship with Jesus because our position is secure in Him, and we are already forgiven for our sins.

John reminds his readers of their position in Christ. In doing so, he lays the foundation for some quite difficult things he will soon say about the reality we choose if we walk in darkness. There is a real responsibility for our choices, with real consequences. But John lays the foundation to remind believers that consequences are about reward not belonging. We belong to Christ regardless of our actions (2 Timothy 2:13). But our choices have real consequences, and bad choices lead to death and loss.

Previously, John had addressed his readers as "my little children" and told them that "I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin" (1 John 2:1). Now, he wants to go back and remind them why they should obey God’s commands from a place of love: because they are already forgiven. Because John loves them, he does not want them to make bad choices that lead to death.

We feel much more comfortable asking for forgiveness to restore fellowship when we know that we are operating from a position of already having been forgiven and are secure in our relationship as God’s children. Here, John reminds his readers of their position as forgiven children of God so that they will know they can approach God and confess their sins from a place of security. If God is for us, who can be against us (Romans 8:31)?

Little Children

John addresses his readers in this verse as little children.

I am writing to you, little children, because your sins have been forgiven you for His name’s sake (v 12).

The Greek word that is translated as little children is a plural form of the Greek noun: τεκνίον (G5040—pronounced "tek-nee-on"). "Teknion" means "little child." "Teknion" appears only eight times in the New Testament and all of its occurrences are in the plural form of τεκνία (pronounced: "tek-nee-a"). "Teknia" means "little children." Seven of the New Testament’s eight total occurrences of "teknion" are in 1 John.

"Teknion" is derived from the more common Greek word: τέκνον (G5043—pronounced "tek-non"). "Teknon" means "child" when singular, and "children" when plural. "Teknion" is a diminutive of "teknon," therefore it means "little child" when it is singular and "little children" when it is plural.

Note: Because "teknion" only appears in the New Testament in the plural form of "teknia," this commentary will exclusively reference it as "teknia" going forward.

In the Gospel of John, Jesus used "teknia" to address His disciples as "little children" when He first introduced His commandment to love one another (John 13:33-34). John 13:33 is the only usage of "teknia" in the New Testament that is not found in 1 John. This indicates that John appears to borrow this term/concept from Jesus. And it is another example of how John is repeating and explaining what he heard from the beginning (1 John 1:1-3).

John frequently uses "teknia" to address his readers throughout this letter (1 John 2:1, 12, 28, 3:7, 18, 4:4, 5:21). In fact, it is his most common term of address in this epistle.

The Greek noun "teknia" which John frequently uses to address all of his readers is different from the Greek noun παιδίον (G3813—pronounced: "pai-dee-on") which John uses in verse 13 to address believers, and is translated similarly as children. "Paidion" usually refers to a small child or young child. It means "infant," "baby," or "toddler." John only uses "paidion" (or "paidia," plural) twice in this letter: in verse 13 and again in 1 John 2:18.

Because John uses different terms, this indicates that he is referring to different groups. “Teknia” most likely refers to all believers. And “paidia” most likely refers to new or immature believers who are still infirm in their faith.

John utilizes the term little children pastorally and as a term of familial affection. It conveys the sense of belonging every believer has in God’s family.

Every other time John addresses his readers as little children elsewhere in this letter (1 John 2:1, 28, 3:7, 18, 4:4, 5:21), he is referring to everyone in his intended audience. Little children is John’s endearing term to all believers—irrespective of their age or spiritual maturity. John’s usage is in keeping with the fact that all believers are little children who have been born (again) into God’s family through their faith in Jesus (John 1:12, 3:3-7).

There is nothing in the text to indicate that the expression little children does not refer to all believers in verse 12 as well. Therefore, it appears as though John is addressing all believers in verse 12 and not a subset of his audience.

In the next two verses (1 John 2:13-14), John appears to address various subsets of believers as he implements new terms (fathers, young men, children verse 13) and he gives each of those groups a specific encouragement.

But before John addresses these subsets of believers specifically, he first addressed them as a group to remind them all that they eternally belong in God’s family as little children because their sins have been forgiven for Jesus’s namesake. Thus, fathers, young men, children (v 13) are all included in the expression: little children.

I am writing to you, fathers, because you know Him who has been from the beginning. I am writing to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one. I have written to you, children, because you know the Father (v 13).

John addresses these three groups in an order from most spiritually mature to least spiritually mature: fathers; young men; children.

Some see an outline within John’s epistle in the encouragements he gives to each group:

• The encouragement for little children (which is written to everyone) deals with the forgiveness of sins, which could reflect what John wrote in 1 John 1:5 - 2:2.

• The encouragement for fathers deals with knowing Jesus, which could parallel what John wrote in 1 John 2:3-11.

• The encouragement for young men deals with overcoming the temptations of the evil one, which could parallel what John writes in 1 John 2:15-17.

• And the encouragement for children deals with knowing the Father, which could parallel what John writes in 1 John 2:18-27.

But another way to understand John’s encouragements to each of these groups is to consider them as different perspectives or lens through which John intends each subset to understand this letter.

In other words, John’s epistle speaks to three different groups, and his message pertains to each subset in similar but distinct ways.

1. John is writing this letter to fathers—believers who are spiritually seasoned followers and who have known Jesus and enjoyed fellowship with Him for a long time.
   
   
2. John is writing this letter to young men —believers who are actively engaged in keeping God’s command to love one another and to resist the temptations of the evil one and this world.
   
   
3. 1 John was also written (v 14) to children (“paidia”)—believers who are new to the faith or who are just beginning to learn what it means to abide and know the Father.

Irrespective of where believers are in their walk with Christ, whether their faith is sturdy and deep, in the thick of spiritual warfare, or just beginning to bud, John’s message specifically applies to all believers. No matter where a believer is in their faith, 1 John was written to them.

I am writing to you, fathers, because you know Him who has been from the beginning (v 13a).

The first subset of believers John addresses is fathers.

The expression fathers is a familial and affectionate term. It does not refer to biological fathers. It likely describes believers who are mature and seasoned in their faith—believers who have been tested, time and again, and have thus far proven themselves to be faithful.

Because of their spiritual maturity and stability, these fathers could be pillars within the Christian communities John is writing to. Thus, fathers could describe those who are leaders and elders in various congregations that are recipients of John’s letter.

Fathers are a subset of "little children" who are believers in Jesus (and therefore have received the Gift of Eternal Life). They have thus far run a good race through various trials, and they have experienced the joy of knowing God through those trials, but their race is not over (otherwise John would have no need to be writing to them).

The reason John is writing to you fathers is because he wants to remind them of their many years with Jesus.

Jesus is Him who has been from the beginning. Jesus has been from the beginning in both an eternal sense as the Creator of the universe (John 1:1) and a more immediate sense with His incarnation and Messianic ministry as the Word become flesh (John 1:14, 1 John 1:1).

John is reminding the fathers in his audience that they know Jesus. As is the case throughout the NASB-95 translation of 1 John, the word know is a translation of the Greek word: "Ginōskō." "Ginōskō" describes a close or intimate knowledge or familiar relationship.

John is recalling how you fathers have known Jesus and have experienced the joy of knowing Him through many seasons and trials. These fathers have tasted and seen that the LORD is good (Psalm 34:8)—the present joys of the Prize of Eternal Life. They have thus far run a good race through various trials, and they have experienced the joy of knowing God through those trials.

In reminding them that you know the Him who has been from the beginning, John is communicating to these fathers that they are lacking nothing to attain the full joy of eternal life, because ginōskōing/knowing God and Him whom He has sent is eternal life, as Jesus defined it (John 17:3).

The Greek word "ginōskō" is in the verbal perfect tense. Normally, a perfect tense verb describes a completed action while emphasizing its ongoing effects. This was the case in verse 12 when John described how the little children’s sins have been forgiven. But the Greek verb "ginōskō" is a stative verb (it describes a state of being). When stative verbs are in the perfect tense, they emphasize its completeness or fullness.

So, John is describing how you fathers know Jesus by faith as well as how one can know Him in this life.

Because they know Jesus, these fathers should continue growing in what they are already doing. They should not seek to incorporate or apply innovative and different doctrines to their walk with Christ. They should continue steady onward because they know Jesus who has been from the beginning.

Belief in Jesus alone is sufficient for the Gift of Eternal Life (John 1:12, 3:14-16, Ephesians 2:8-9).

Following His examples of obeying God by faith and His commandment to love one another as He has loved us are the means to gain the Prize of Eternal Life (Luke 9:23-24, John 13:34, 15:11-12, 17).

Christ alone is all that is needed to both have and to experience eternal life. Anything that is "Jesus plus something else" is not the Gospel (Galatians 1:6-7). "Jesus plus something else" is less than eternal life. All a person needs to experience the present fullness of the Prize of Eternal Life is to intimately know Jesus by following Him (1 John 2:3-4).

John is encouraging these fathers that they know Jesus and, by implication, they should continue to know Him because He is enough.

The second subset of believers John addresses is young men.

I am writing to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one (v 13b).

This is a word of encouragement to the young men to remind them of their position in Christ, that they have already overcome through Jesus.

The Greek term that is translated as young men is derived from νεανίσκος (G3495 - pronounced: "neh-an-is'-kos"). Normally it refers to adult males who are in the physical prime of life. It is a term of strength and vitality. The ancient Jewish historian Josephus uses this term to describe young men who are fit for military combat. Philo, another ancient historian, uses "nehaniskios" to describe the stage of life between a child and an older adult.

In the context of 1 John, the expression young men is not exclusively describing males, any more than the term fathers was describing biological fathers. Rather, John is using "nehaniskios" to address believers who are vigorously growing in their faith and actively engaged in a spiritual conflict.

These young men are believers (and therefore have received the Gift of Eternal Life). And they likely understand that God is a rewarder of those who seek Him (Hebrews 11:6). They likely know that there is a reward and Prize of Eternal Life which God invites all His little children to pursue in Him.

These young men likely have heard of the Prize of Eternal Life that God awards those of His children who are faithful with glory and honor in His kingdom (Matthew 6:6, 20, 7:21, 10:40-42, 19:27-30, 25:21, 25:34-40, Romans 2:5-7, 8:17-18, 1 Corinthians 3:11-15, 2 Corinthians 5:9-10, 2 Timothy 2:11-13, Hebrews 10:35-36, James 1:12, 1 Peter 1:6-9, 2 Peter 1:8-11, Revelation 3:21).

These young men are likely motivated by Paul’s admonition to the Corinthian believers:

"Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win"
(1 Corinthians 9:24).

The young men to whom John is writing are in the middle of their race. They are in the midst of the crucible of the world’s temptations. Therefore, these young men are in the middle of their opportunity to win the Prize of Eternal Life.

The reason John is writing to you young men is to encourage them. He is writing to them because they have overcome the evil one.

The Greek term used as evil is πονηρός (G4190—pronounced: “pon-é-ros”). It is used to describe an unhealthy physical condition such as blindness or disease, and it can be used to describe an unhealthy spiritual nature brought on by sin and its corruption. When the definite article is used before it, which is the case here in verse 13, “ponéros” describes the figure of evil or the evil one.

The evil one is the devil, who is called "Satan," the accuser. He stands in opposition to God’s purposes, deceiving the world and blinding unbelievers to the truth (2 Corinthians 4:4), while seeking to tempt, accuse, and devour those who follow Christ (1 Peter 5:8, Revelation 12:10). Though Satan exerts real influence over the present world system (1 John 5:19), his authority is limited and temporary, for Jesus has overcome the evil one through the cross and resurrection (John 12:31, Colossians 2:15).

John describes the devil as a figure of sin later in this epistle, and he explicitly says: "The Son of God appeared for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil" (1 John 3:8b).

The word translated as overcome is a form of the Greek verb νικάω (G3528—pronounced: "ni-ka-ō"). It means to win or conquer or emerge victorious. This word is derived from "Niké," the Greek goddess of victory. This word appears 28 times in the New Testament; 6 of its occurrences are found in 1 John and 17 are found in the book of Revelation.

Here in 1 John 2:13, "nikaō" is found in the perfect tense which describes an already completed action that emphasizes its ongoing consequences. John is describing a victory or overcoming that has already taken place—the victory of Jesus over sin, death, and Satan. (We will explain more about this victory and its ongoing ramifications for you, young men in a minute).

The way you, young men have overcome the evil one was through the victory of Jesus over sin, death, and Satan on the cross and His resurrection from the dead. Their overcoming is not found within their own strength, but rather their overcoming is found in their participation in Jesus’s victory which he shares with those who believe in Him:

"Whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith"
(1 John 5:4).

For these young men, having overcome the evil one through Christ, means that the decisive battle has already been won on their behalf. Satan’s ultimate weapons—sin, accusation, and death—have been disarmed through the cross and resurrection (Colossians 2:15, Hebrews 2:14). Therefore, the evil one no longer holds authority over those who are in Christ. Their victory is already secured, and John exhorts them to continue to walk in that victory.

Because these young men belong to Christ, they fight from a place of victory that is already accomplished (John 19:30). They resist temptation, not as those trying to earn life, but as those who already possess it on the basis of who they are in Jesus.

Remembering that they have overcome the evil one changes how they face present trials.

• When accusation comes, they recall that Christ is their Advocate
  (1 John 2:1).
• When temptation comes, they remember that sin no longer has dominion over them
  (Romans 6:14).
• When persecution or suffering comes, they know it is producing proven character and future glory
  (Romans 8:17-18).

Whenever they face troubles and tribulations of any kind in this world, they can take courage because Jesus has “overcome the world” (John 16:33b).

This assurance fosters courage and perseverance. Instead of being intimidated by the conflict, they are emboldened to continue abiding in Christ, confident that “greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world” (1 John 4:4). And they are encouraged to press on toward the Prize of Eternal Life with steady hope and endurance.

We are to overcome our trials and the evil one as Jesus overcame His trials and the evil one (Revelation 3:21).

Jesus did not overcome the evil one and his temptations in His own strength. He overcame the evil one by trusting His Father and relying on the power of the Holy Spirit.

• We see this in how He overcame the devil’s temptations in the wilderness.
  (Matthew 4:1-11)
• We see this when He was grieved in the Garden of Gethsemane.
  (Matthew 26:36-39)
• We see this in how Jesus emptied Himself of His divine rights and privileges as He submitted to His Father’s will even to the point of death.
  (Philippians 2:6-8)

Jesus is called "the author and perfecter of faith" (Hebrews 12:2) because He overcame the evil one by trusting His Father and not by relying on His own strength. We are to emulate and replicate Jesus’s example by trusting God, relying on the power of the Holy Spirit to overcome life’s trials.

If we are young men, we should trust God’s might to overcome because the victory is already proven in Jesus and our own strength is insufficient. And as we overcome as He overcame, Jesus shares His victory with us and lets us sit with Him on His Father’s throne (Revelation 3:21). James 4:7 exhorts believers to "resist the devil" and promises that he will then "flee from you." This assurance that Jesus has already won the victory provides the basis for courage to resist Satan and his wiles.

I have written to you, children, because you know the Father (v 13c).

The third subset of believers John addresses is children.

John shifts his rhetorical approach as he addresses you, children.

When John addresses you little children, everyone in his letter in verse 12, and you fathers and you young men in verse 13a-b, he uses the present active Greek tense to say: I am writing to you….

The present active tense of I am writing emphasizes the love for his readers that is inherent to John’s pastoral message.

But when John address you children, he shifts the verbal tense from present to aorist: I have written to you….

The Greek aorist tense is the simplest of Greek verbal tenses. It describes the verbal action or state in its purest terms—without thought for when or how it occurs. The aorist tense is so simple that it does not inherently imply a past, present, or future. The surrounding context must determine when the action of an aorist verb is to occur. Because of this and the context of 1 John 1:13, perhaps a better rendering of John’s expression might be: "I write" rather than "I have written."

The aorist tense of I write/have written shifts the focus to his purpose and message.

The felt difference between the change of John’s verbal tenses is a shift from present pastoral affirmation I am writing to you… which grammatically draws attention to the fact that John is writing… to I write / I have written to you… which grammatically emphasizes the message he has written.

There seems to be another difference between the messages in the I am writing expressions and the I have written expressions. The difference is this:

• When John uses the present expression in verses 12-13: I am writing to you… his message was directed to the position of believers; all believers are secure in Christ and are His.

• But when John uses the expression in verse 14 I have written to you… he speaks to the condition of believers; our intimacy and fellowship with Christ depends on our walk.

A believer’s position in Christ is locked and guaranteed on the basis of Jesus’s death and resurrection on the cross on our behalf. It speaks to the Gift of Eternal Life that we have received by grace through faith in Him.

A believer’s condition is based on how they abide in Him and His Word in them. Their condition is either walking in the Light as He is in the Light or walking in darkness (1 John 1:6-7).

John addressed the little children’s condition as having their sins forgiven (v 12).

John addressed you fathers’ condition when he said you know Him who was from the beginning (v 13a).

John addressed you, young men’s condition when he wrote you have overcome the evil one (v 13b).

Now John addresses the children’s position when he writes you know the Father (v 13c). John will address the position of the fathers and young men in verse 14.

As was mentioned in the commentary for verse 12, the Greek noun: παιδίον (G3813—pronounced: "pai-dee-on") usually refers to a small child or young child. It means "infant," "baby," or "toddler." Importantly, "paidion" is a different term than "teknia" (little children), which John uses throughout this epistle to refer to his entire readership (1 John 2:1, 12, 28, 3:7, 18, 4:4, 5:21).

John’s use of "paidion" instead of "teknia" indicates that he is referring to a subset of believers.

"Paidion" is how John affectionately refers to believers who are new to the faith. "Paidion" is familial language that describes new believers. They are spiritual infants and toddlers who have received the Gift of Eternal Life, but who have not yet matured in their walks with Jesus. They are still learning what it means to be a believer and what God expects of them. They are learning how to experience the fullness of eternal life.

The encouragement John gives you, children is that you know the Father.

The Father refers to God the Father.

Because these children believe in Jesus they know and have complete access to the Father.

John’s encouragement to you, children is the inverse of the encouragement John wrote to you, fathers, which was because you know Him (Jesus) who has been from the beginning.

John reminded the fathers how they know Jesus the Son of God. John reminds the children that they know God the Father (through Jesus). This is similar to when Jesus’s disciple Philip said: "Lord show us the Father, and it is enough for us" (John 14:8). Jesus answered him: "He who has seen Me has seen the Father" (John 14:9b).

The Greek word that is translated as know in this verse is “ginōskō” and it is in the perfect tense. Because know is a stative verb (a verb that describes a state of being rather than an action), the way the perfect tense affects it is to amplify its meaning rather than stress the ongoing effects of a completed action. In this instance when John says that you, children know the Father, he is emphasizing how they really know God the Father.

We are able to know God the Father through Jesus, who is God the Son.

You children know the Father as they abide in Him. John is reminding and teaching these children, these new believers, that intimacy, closeness, and partnership with God the Father is accessed through our relationship with Jesus.

For new believers, the reminder that they know the Father is deeply reassuring. Spiritual infants are often vulnerable to doubt, accusation, and confusion. They may wonder whether they truly belong to God or whether they must achieve a certain level of maturity before He fully accepts them into His eternal family. John anchors the children in his audience in what is already true: because they believe in Jesus, they genuinely know the Father and have direct access to Him as His children (John 1:12).

Knowing this truth transforms how you children walk with God in several ways:

• Knowing their core identity, as beloved children, gives these children the foundation from which to mature, persevere, and pursue the fullness of eternal life.

• Knowing the Father gives these children confidence in trials they are sure to face (John 16:33).

• Knowing they are a part of God’s family protects these children from insecurity and legalism.

Young believers do not grow to become God’s children. They already are His children. And they grow and mature so that they can enjoy fellowship with God and receive their full inheritance in His kingdom just as faithful children grow up to become partners in the family business (Romans 8:16-17).

After addressing you, children, John readdresses you, fathers and you, young men.

I have written to you, fathers, because you know Him who has been from the beginning. I have written to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one (v 14).

I have written to you, fathers, because you know Him who has been from the beginning (v 14a).

As John readdresses you fathers and you young men, he does so by using the Greek aorist tense for I have written…, which is a change from how he addressed them in the Greek present tense in verse 13 with the expression I am writing…. As mentioned above, this shift in tenses, not only repeats but also reinforces and emphasizes his message to these two subsets of believers.

John’s second expressed message to you fathers, the most seasoned group of believers he wrote to, is identical to the first message he gave to them. It is because you know Him who has been from the beginning. The repetition makes his message stand out and be more memorable. But there also may be more going on than just a rote reprise.

Earlier when John addressed you, fathers he was speaking to their position in Christ and how they have been members of His family for a long time—from the beginning of their faith in Him. Now, John may be using these same words to address the condition of you fathers and how they still know Him who was from the beginning as they walk in the Light.

They still know the same Jesus whom they have known from the beginning when they were born again in His name. The same Jesus who has carried them through many toils and tribulations is the same Jesus who can carry them now.

Jesus’s teachings are the same both then and now. His mercy, His grace, and His friendship are the same and are renewed each day, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever” (Hebrews 13:8).

One of the implications of this for these fathers is that they should abide in the teachings that they have “heard from the beginning” (1 John 2:7) and not be carried away by new and false teachings. As established leaders in the church, it also incumbent upon these fathers to repeat and teach the things they have heard from the beginning and guard against false teachings from creeping into the church and affecting the less experienced and/or less mature members of God’s family.

I have written to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one (v 14b).

John also readdresses you, young men. You young men likely refers to believers who are actively engaged in spiritual trials. They are not as seasoned as you fathers and they are more mature and experienced than you, children. You, young men are energetic and have a zeal to follow God and accomplish great things in His name.

John’s second expressed message to you, young men is similar to his first message to them.

Earlier John wrote to you, young men because you have overcome the evil one (v 13). Now John adds that he writes to you, young men because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one (v 14b).

The previous verse spoke of the position of the young men in Christ: you have overcome the evil one. Now John moves to speak of their condition: you are strong and the word of God abides in you.

The first thing John writes about the condition of the young men is how they are strong.

This strength could refer to their energy, enthusiasm, ambition, and/or zeal to please God. Their strength is good, but if not guided by God, it is fruitless and/or destructive. John wants these young men to use their energies in life-giving directions.

The strength John is referring to could also refer to the power to overcome evil.

You, young men are strong in the Lord. Their strength and power are not in themselves. Independent of Jesus, they have no strength. They are powerless. They are weak, but Jesus is strong.

Jesus taught John and His other disciples that He is the Vine and that they are the branches that draw strength from Him to produce the fruit that His Father wants them to produce (John 15:1-5). Because these young men are branches of the Vine, if they are not connected to Jesus, they cannot produce anything of eternal value (John 15:5b).

The second thing John says about the condition of you, young men is: and the word of God abides in you. This speaks to why the young men are strong. They are strong because they abide in Jesus and His word abides in them.

In the broadest sense, His word refers to the word of God, i.e. all the scriptures from the Law of Moses, the Old Testament, the Psalms, and the Prophets. But in a contextually specific sense, His word refers to the teachings of Jesus, particularly His commandment to love one another as He has loved us (John 13:34-35, 15:12, 17). John has already indicated how His word refers to Jesus’s commandment in this chapter (1 John 2:3-7).

The Greek verb that is translated as abiding is a form of the Greek word “menō.” “Menō” means “to live in” or make something your home. To have His word abiding in you means His word has found a home in your life and/or that your life is the living embodiment of His commandment to love one another.

Jesus said:

“If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of mine.”
(John 8:31b).

And Jesus concluded His parabolic teaching of the Vine and the Branches (John 15:1-8) by describing the strength and power His disciples would have if they abided in Him and His words abided in them:

“If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples.”
(John 15:7-8)

If we abide in Jesus and His words in us, we will be strong indeed for the Lord and His kingdom. James 1:21 asserts that having the “humility” to replace the “wickedness” that are our own fleshly passions with God’s word is the means by which we can save our lives from that power of sin. When we give in to the passions of our inner natural man, it leads to death (James 1:14-15). When John says God’s word abides in them he is saying they are walking victoriously, apart from the power of sin that would lead them astray.

After speaking about the condition of you, young men—you are strong—and why they are strong—His word abides in you—John repeats what he said earlier about the young men’s position in Christ: you have overcome the evil one.

John concludes this section by reminding the young men of Jesus’s total victory over the evil one on their behalf—a victory that is shared with them because of His grace on the basis of their faith in His name (John 1:12). Because of Jesus’s total victory over death is complete, their hope of victory over their current trials is certain, as long as they remain strong in Him by continuing to allow His word to abide in them.

Jesus defeated physical death through the resurrection. He defeated spiritual death through the cross. And He defeats the ongoing consequence of death when His word abides in us and we abide in Him.

In the next section (1 John 2:15-17), John addresses the nature of the current trials these young men are facing.