Book of 1 John Chapter 2 Vs. 12

 The New Commandment

Verses 12-14: John addresses different groups and assures them of their steadfastness in the true faith, contrary to many of those with whom his letter must deal. Little children, fathers, young men, and may have reference to spiritual maturity or level of responsibility in the fellowship, for example, to new Christians being children.

Only two families exist from God’s perspective: children of God and children of Satan (see John 8:39-44). John reminds his readers in these verses that as Christians they have been forgiven and have come to know God as their heavenly Father. As a result, they are a part of God’s family. They must not love Satan’s family or give their allegiance to the world controlled by him (see verse 15).

The word little children (in verse 12) are general for offspring of any age. In contrast to a different Greek word for children (in verse 13), which refers to young children.

I write you … I have written... John repeats the message in these verses to emphasize the certainty of their belonging to God’s family. I write is from John’s perspective, while I have written anticipates his reader’s perspective when they received the letter.

1 John 2:12 “I write unto you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for his name’s sake.”

This is John stating his reason for writing the letter to them. Their sins are forgiven, so they are Christians. They are sons of God. They are not full grown, because he calls them little children. God forgave us our sins, because Jesus paid our debt. It is in the name of Jesus that we are forgiven.

little children, because... Four stages of Christian experience:

1. Greek: teknia, infants; newborn (1Jhn. 2:12)

2. Greek: paidia, little children; those able to walk and talk (1Jhn. 2:13)

3. Greek: neaniskoi, young men; those grown to the prime of life and no longer tossed about like children by fallacies (1Jhn. 2:13-14)

4. Greek: pateres, fathers; those who are matured in the Lord (1Jhn. 2:13-14)

Little children

See on 1Jhn. 2:1, and John 1:12. Not children in age, but addressed to the readers generally.

for his name’s... Through His name (Mat. 1:21; Acts 4:12).

none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. Mat. 1:21; Acts 2:38; 3:6, 3:16; John 14:12-15; 16:16; 16:23-26; Mark 16:17.

Name

Name (ὄνομα)

See on Mat. 28:19. Expressing the sum of the qualities which mark the nature or character of a person. To believe in the name of Jesus Christ the Son of God, is to accept as true the revelation contained in that title.

His name

See on John 1:12. With the phrase believe on His name, compare believe on Him (John 8:30), which is the stronger expression, indicating a casting of one's self upon Him; while to believe on the name is rather to believe in Him as being that which he claims to be, in this case the Messiah. It is believing recognition rather than appropriation. Their faith in His name as that of the Messiah did not yet amount to any decision of their inner life for Jesus but was only an opinion produced by the sight of His miracles, that He was the Messiah (Meyer).

The Purpose of the Epistle

In the prologue John had expressed the general aim and goal of his letter. Now he told his audience the specific concerns which motivated the letter. In that sense he articulated the precise purpose of this epistle.