diff --git a/tn_1JN.tsv b/tn_1JN.tsv index 49661bc386..731e1628fa 100644 --- a/tn_1JN.tsv +++ b/tn_1JN.tsv @@ -1,6 +1,6 @@ Reference ID Tags SupportReference Quote Occurrence Note front:intro nl27 0 # Introduction to 1 John\n\n## Part 1: General Introduction\n\n### Outline of the book of 1 John\n\nThis is a letter that the apostle John wrote to challenge and correct false teachings that were leading followers of Jesus to believe wrong things and live in wrong ways. John used the normal letter form of that time, which had distinct opening and closing sections with the main body of the letter in between them.\n1. Opening of Letter (1:1–4)\n1. Main Body of Letter (1:5–5:12)\n * Genuine believers obey God and love one another (1:5–2:17)\n * It is false teaching to deny that Jesus is the Messiah (2:18–2:27)\n * Genuine children of God do not sin (2:28–3:10)\n * Genuine believers help one another sacrificially (3:11–18)\n * Genuine believers have confidence in prayer (3:19–24)\n * It is false teaching to deny that Jesus became human (4:1–6)\n * Genuine believers love one another as God has loved them (4:7–21)\n * It is false teaching to deny that Jesus is the Son of God (5:1–12)\n1. Closing of Letter (5:13–21)\n\n### Who wrote the book of 1 John?\n\nThe author of this letter does not give his name. However, since early Christian times, the church has widely considered the apostle John to be the author. He wrote the Gospel of John, and there are many similarities between the content of that book and this letter. If John did write this letter, he probably did so near the end of his life.\n\n### To whom was the book of 1 John written?\n\nThe author wrote this letter to people whom he addresses as “beloved” and as “my little children.” This probably refers to believers in various churches located in the area where John was then living.\n\n### What is the book of 1 John about?\n\nFalse teachers were encouraging followers of Jesus to believe wrong things and to live in wrong ways. John wanted to challenge and correct those false teachings so that the people who received his letter would continue to believe the truth that they had been taught and live in right ways. The false teachers were saying that these people were not saved; John wanted to assure them that they were saved.\n\n### How should the title of this book be translated?\n\nTranslators may choose to call this book by its traditional title, “1 John” or “First John.” They may also choose a different title, such as “The First Letter from John” or “The First Letter John Wrote.” (See: [[rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-names]])\n\n## Part 2: Important Religious and Cultural Concepts\n\n### Who were the people against whom John spoke?\n\nThe false teachers whom John was challenging seem to have held beliefs similar to what would later become known as Gnosticism. Those false teachers believed that the physical world was evil. They thought that God would not become human, since they considered the physical body to be evil, so they denied that in the person of Jesus, God had come to earth in human form. (See: [[rc://*/tw/dict/bible/kt/evil]])\n\n## Part 3: Important Translation Issues\n\n### “sin”\n\nIn chapter 1, John says that we should not deny that we sin. Rather, if we confess our sin, God will forgive us. In chapter 2, John says that he is writing this letter so that the recipients will not sin, but he adds that if they do sin, Jesus will advocate on their behalf. But in chapter 3, John says that everyone who has been begotten from God and who remains in God does not commit sin and is not able to sin. And in chapter 5, John says that we should not pray for people who are sinning in certain ways, although we should pray for people who are sinning in other ways. These ideas may seem confusing and contradictory.\n\nHowever, the explanation is that the people whose teachings John challenged and corrected in this letter were saying that it did not matter what people did in their bodies. This was because they thought that physical matter was evil, and so they thought that God did not care about it. In effect, they were saying that there was no such thing as sin. So John needed to say, in chapter 1, that sin is real and that everyone sins and that God does care about that. So when believers sin they need to confess it and for God to forgive them. Some of the believers may have been deceived by the false teaching and may have begun living sinfully again, so John also needed to reassure them that if they repented and confessed their sins, God would forgive them. John says similar things in chapter 2. Then in chapter 3 he explains that the new nature that believers have as children of God is one that does not want to sin and that does not enjoy sinning. So they should recognize that those who excuse or condone sin are not truly children of God, and that as children of God themselves, they can become more and more obedient and free from sin. Finally, in chapter 5, John warns that if a person sins wantonly and continually, this likely means that they have rejected Jesus and are not influenced by the Holy Spirit. He says that, in that case, it may not be effective to pray for them. But he then encourages his readers that if a person sins occasionally but feels remorse, he is influenced by the Spirit, and so the prayers of other believers will help him repent and live in a right way again. (See: [[rc://*/tw/dict/bible/kt/sin]] and [[rc://*/tw/dict/bible/kt/faith]] and [[rc://*/tw/dict/bible/kt/forgive]])\n\n### “remain”\n\nIn this letter, John often uses the word “remain” (which could also be translated as “reside” or “abide”) as a spatial metaphor. John speaks of a believer becoming more faithful to Jesus and knowing Jesus better as if the teaching of Jesus “remained” in the believer. He speaks of a person being spiritually joined to someone else as if that person “remained” in the other person: He writes that Christians “remain” in Christ and in God, and he says that the Father “remains” in the Son, the Son “remains” in the Father, the Son “remains” in believers, and the Holy Spirit “remains” in believers.\n\nTranslators may find it difficult to represent these ideas in their own languages if they try to use exactly the same words and expressions each time. For example, in [2:6](../02/06.md), when John speaks of a believer “remaining” in God, he intends to express the idea of that believer being spiritually unified with God. Accordingly, the UST speaks of how the believer “shares life with God.” To give another example, for the statement in [2:14](../02/14.md) that “the word of God remains in you,” the UST says, “you continue to obey what God commands.” This shows how other expressions can be found that accurately communicate the various ideas that John is expressing through the term “remain.”\n\n### “appear”\n\nIn several places in this letter, John uses a term that the ULT usually translates as “appear.” This is actually a passive verbal form in Greek, but as is often the case with such forms in that language, it can have an active meaning. When it has an active meaning, it is important to recognize that it does not simply mean “seemed to be there,” as the word “appeared” might suggest. Rather, it means “came to be there.” This is illustrated well by the use of the term in another New Testament book, 2 Corinthians, in which Paul writes in [5:10](../2co/05/10.md) that “we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ.” Clearly this does not mean that we must only seem to be present there. Rather, we must actually arrive there.\n\nThroughout the letter, it is a subtle matter of interpretation to decide whether John is using the term “appear” in an active sense or in a passive sense. For example, in [1:2](../01/02.md), John applies the term twice to the “Word of life,” that is, to Jesus. But it is not clear whether he is saying that Jesus himself “appeared,” that is, he came to earth, or that he “was made apparent” (made visible), with the emphasis on the idea that God revealed Jesus to the world and in the process revealed himself to the world through Jesus. At each place where John uses this term, notes will call attention to it and discuss what it likely means in that context.\n\n### “the world”\n\nJohn also uses the term “world” in a variety of senses in this letter. It can mean the earth, something material, the people who live in the world, the people who do not honor God, or the values of the people who do not honor God. Notes will address the meaning of the term “world” in each instance where John uses it.\n\n### “to know”\n\nThe verb “to know” is used in two different ways in this letter. Sometimes it is used about knowing a fact, as in 3:2, 3:5, and 3:19. Sometimes it means to experience and understand someone or something, as in 3:1, 3:6, 3:16, and 3:20. Sometimes John uses it in two different senses in the same sentence, as in 2:3, “in this we know that we have known him.” Your language may have different words for these different meanings. If so, you must be careful to use the appropriate word in the right place in your translation.\n\n### “We”\n\nIn most cases in this letter, the first-person plural pronouns (“we, our,” etc.) are inclusive, and so if your language marks that distinction, use the inclusive form in your translation. In those cases, John is speaking of what both he and the recipients know, or of things that are true of both him and the recipients. However, in a few cases, the first-person pronouns are exclusive, since John is telling the recipients what he and his fellow apostles saw and heard from Jesus. The notes will identify all such places, and in them you should use the exclusive forms if your language marks that distinction. (See: [[rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-exclusive]])\n\n### “You, your”\n\nThe words “you” and “your” in this letter are plural.\n\n### Light and darkness\n\nIn 1:5–7 and 2:8–11 John uses an extended metaphor in which light represents what is good or holy and darkness represents what is evil. If this is not easily understood in your language, you may need to say explicitly that light represents goodness or that light is like goodness, or you may choose to talk about goodness without using the symbol of light. There will be a note explaining the metaphor in each place. (See: [[rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-exmetaphor]])\n\n### Major textual issues in the book of 1 John\n\nWhen ancient manuscripts of the Bible differ, the ULT puts the reading that scholars consider to be the most accurate in its text, but it puts other possibly accurate readings in footnotes. The introductions to each chapter will discuss places where the ancient manuscripts differ in significant ways, and notes will address those places again where they occur in the book. If a translation of the Bible already exists in your region, consider using the readings found in that version. If not, we recommend that you follow the readings in the ULT text. (See: [[rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-textvariants]]) -1:intro ab9v 0 # 1 John 1 General Notes\n\n## Structure and formatting\n\n1. Opening of the letter (1:1–4)\n2. Genuine believers obey God and love one another (1:5–10, continues through 2:17)\n\n## Important Translation Issues in this Chapter\n\nLike many Greek compositions of this time, for stylistic purposes, this letter begins with a very long sentence. It goes from the beginning of [1:1](../01/01.md) to the middle of [1:3](../01/03.md). The parts of this sentence may not be in the order that is customary in many languages. The direct object comes first, and it is very long, made up of many different clauses. The subject and verb do not come until near the end. And in the middle, there is a long digression. So think about the best way to translate and arrange the parts of this sentence in your language.\n\nOne approach that might work well in your language would be to create a verse bridge that includes all of 1:1–3. You could break up this long sentence into several smaller sentences, repeating the subject and verb for clarity. This would allow you to present the parts of the sentence in an order that might be more customary in your language and that your readers might understand better. Here is an example of 1 John 1:1–3 rearranged into an order that might be clearer in your language:\n\n“We want you to have fellowship with us, and also with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. Therefore, we are declaring to you what we have seen and heard. We are declaring to you what was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched. It has to do with the Word of life. Indeed, the life appeared, and we have seen it, and we are testifying to it. Yes, we are announcing to you the eternal life that was with the Father and that then came to us.”\n\nIf you take this approach, another way to translate a combination of the second and third sentences would be, “So we are declaring to you what was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and what our hands have touched.”\n\nAnother approach that could also work well and which would not require a verse bridge would be to leave the phrases in their present order, but to divide the sentence into three parts at the verse divisions. If you do that, you could also put your translation of the phrase “regarding the Word of life” at the beginning rather than the end of [1:1](../01/01.md) and present it as a topical introduction to the letter. Otherwise, your readers might not get the sense that this is a letter until they reached [1:4](../01/04.md), where John formally states his purpose for writing. An example of 1 John 1:1–3 in this order would be:\n\n“1 This is about the Word of life. This Word was from the beginning. We have heard him, we have seen him with our eyes, we have looked at him and our hands have touched him. 2 Indeed, this one who is life appeared, and we have seen him, and we are testifying about him. Yes, we are announcing to you the eternal life that was with the Father and that then came to us. 3 We are declaring to you what we have seen and heard so that you will have fellowship with us, and this fellowship is also with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ.”\n\nThe notes to [1:1–4](../01/01.md) provide further specific suggestions for how to translate this long opening sentence. (See: [[rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-versebridge]])\n\n## Important Textual Issues in this Chapter\n\nIn [1:4](../01/04.md), the most accurate ancient manuscripts read “so that our joy may be fulfilled.” The ULT follows that reading. However, some other ancient manuscripts read, “your joy” instead of “our joy.” If a translation of the Bible already exists in your region, consider using whichever reading is found in that version. If a translation does not already exist, we recommend that you follow the reading in the ULT text. (See: [[rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-textvariants]]) +1:intro ab9v 0 # 1 John 1 General Notes\n\n## Structure and formatting\n\n1. Opening of the letter (1:1–4)\n2. Genuine believers obey God and love one another (1:5–10, continues through 2:17)\n\n## Important Translation Issues in this Chapter\n\n### The Word of Life\nJohn uses the phrase “the Word of life” to refer to Jesus in ([1:1](../01/01.md). "The Word" is a title that John uses for Jesus. If you have translated the beginning of the Gospel of John, see how you translated it there. This title does not refer to a word that is spoken by someone. By using this title for Jesus, John is saying that Jesus is God’s most important message to all people. Jesus is the one who reveals who God is. In your translation of this title, try to make it clear that this is the title of a person whose role it is to communicate a message. Something like “The Message” or “The Revealer” might be appropriate. Consider also the title that is used in an accepted translation in your area. Here, John connects the title "the Word" with the phrase "of life." By this, John probably means that Jesus reveals God to the world and that Jesus also is the source of life. A translation of this entire phrase could be something like, "Jesus, the Message of God who gives life." (See: [[rc://*/tw/dict/bible/kt/wordofgod]])\n\n### Order of Information\n\nLike many Greek compositions of this time, for stylistic purposes, this letter begins with a very long sentence. It goes from the beginning of [1:1](../01/01.md) to the middle of [1:3](../01/03.md). The parts of this sentence may not be in the order that is customary in many languages. The direct object comes first, and it is very long, made up of many different clauses. The subject and verb do not come until near the end. And in the middle, there is a long digression. So think about the best way to translate and arrange the parts of this sentence in your language.\n\nOne approach that might work well in your language would be to create a verse bridge that includes all of 1:1–3. You could break up this long sentence into several smaller sentences, repeating the subject and verb for clarity. This would allow you to present the parts of the sentence in an order that might be more customary in your language and that your readers might understand better. Here is an example of 1 John 1:1–3 rearranged into an order that might be clearer in your language:\n\n“We want you to have fellowship with us, and also with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. Therefore, we are declaring to you what we have seen and heard. We are declaring to you what was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched. It has to do with the Word of life. Indeed, the life appeared, and we have seen it, and we are testifying to it. Yes, we are announcing to you the eternal life that was with the Father and that then came to us.”\n\nIf you take this approach, another way to translate a combination of the second and third sentences would be, “So we are declaring to you what was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and what our hands have touched.”\n\nAnother approach that could also work well and which would not require a verse bridge would be to leave the phrases in their present order, but to divide the sentence into three parts at the verse divisions. If you do that, you could also put your translation of the phrase “regarding the Word of life” at the beginning rather than the end of [1:1](../01/01.md) and present it as a topical introduction to the letter. Otherwise, your readers might not get the sense that this is a letter until they reached [1:4](../01/04.md), where John formally states his purpose for writing. An example of 1 John 1:1–3 in this order would be:\n\n“1 This is about the Word of life. This Word was from the beginning. We have heard him, we have seen him with our eyes, we have looked at him and our hands have touched him. 2 Indeed, this one who is life appeared, and we have seen him, and we are testifying about him. Yes, we are announcing to you the eternal life that was with the Father and that then came to us. 3 We are declaring to you what we have seen and heard so that you will have fellowship with us, and this fellowship is also with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ.”\n\nThe notes to [1:1–4](../01/01.md) provide further specific suggestions for how to translate this long opening sentence. (See: [[rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-versebridge]])\n\n## Important Textual Issues in this Chapter\n\nIn [1:4](../01/04.md), the most accurate ancient manuscripts read “so that our joy may be fulfilled.” The ULT follows that reading. However, some other ancient manuscripts read, “your joy” instead of “our joy.” If a translation of the Bible already exists in your region, consider using whichever reading is found in that version. If a translation does not already exist, we recommend that you follow the reading in the ULT text. (See: [[rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-textvariants]]) 1:1 honh rc://*/ta/man/checking/headings 0 If you are using section headings, you could put one here before verse 1. Suggested heading: “The Word of Life” 1:1 j363 rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-pronouns ὃ ἦν ἀπ’ ἀρχῆς, ὃ ἀκηκόαμεν, ὃ ἑωράκαμεν τοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς ἡμῶν, ὃ ἐθεασάμεθα, καὶ αἱ χεῖρες ἡμῶν ἐψηλάφησαν, περὶ τοῦ λόγου τῆς ζωῆς— 1 See the discussion in the General Notes to this chapter for how to translate the long sentence in [1:1–3](../01/01.md). If you follow the suggestion to translate the phrase **regarding the Word of life** as a topical introduction to this letter, you will already have indicated that the four clauses in this verse refer to a person, Jesus. If you have pronouns in your language that refer to people, such as “he,” “who,” and “whom,” it would be appropriate to use them here. Alternate translation: “Regarding the Word of life—he is the one who has existed from all eternity, whom we heard speak, whom we saw with our own eyes, and whom we looked at and touched with our own hands” 1:1 j364 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom ἀπ’ ἀρχῆς 1 John uses the phrase **from the beginning** in various ways in this letter. Here it refers to the fact that Jesus has always existed. Alternate translation: “from all eternity” @@ -70,7 +70,7 @@ front:intro nl27 0 # Introduction to 1 John\n\n## Part 1: General Introductio 1:9 agve rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit ἐὰν ὁμολογῶμεν τὰς ἁμαρτίας ἡμῶν 1 Part of confessing sin to God is rejecting them. If it would be helpful to your readers, you could state that explicitly. Alternate translation: “If we confess our sins to God and turn away from them” 1:9 gb5l rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-pronouns πιστός ἐστιν & ἵνα ἀφῇ 1 The pronoun **he** refers to God in both instances in this verse. Alternate translation: “God is faithful … and God will forgive” 1:9 f68c rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-parallelism ἵνα ἀφῇ ἡμῖν τὰς ἁμαρτίας, καὶ καθαρίσῃ ἡμᾶς ἀπὸ πάσης ἀδικίας 1 These two phrases mean basically the same thing. John is likely using them together for emphasis. If including both phrases would be confusing for your readers, you could combine them and express the emphasis in another way. Alternate translation: “and he will completely forgive us of what we have done wrong” -1:9 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor ἀφῇ ἡμῖν τὰς ἁμαρτίας, καὶ καθαρίσῃ ἡμᾶς ἀπὸ πάσης ἀδικίας 1 As in [1:7](../01/07.md), John is speaking figuratively as if **sins** made a person physically dirty and of God’s forgiveness as if it made a person physically clean. Alternate translation: “he should not hold against us anything that we have done wrong” +1:9 j038 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor ἀφῇ ἡμῖν τὰς ἁμαρτίας, καὶ καθαρίσῃ ἡμᾶς ἀπὸ πάσης ἀδικίας 1 As in [1:7](../01/07.md), John is speaking figuratively as if **sins** made a person physically dirty and of God’s forgiveness as if it made a person physically clean. Alternate translation: “he should not hold against us anything that we have done wrong” 1:9 j039 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-abstractnouns πάσης ἀδικίας 1 If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the idea behind the abstract noun **unrighteousness** with an equivalent phrase. Alternate translation: “anything that we have done wrong” 1:10 j040 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-hypo ἐὰν εἴπωμεν ὅτι οὐχ ἡμαρτήκαμεν, ψεύστην ποιοῦμεν αὐτὸν 1 John is using another hypothetical situation to help his readers recognize the serious implications of not living in holiness. Alternate translation: “Suppose we say that we have not sinned. Then we are calling God a liar” 1:10 j041 rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-pronouns αὐτὸν & αὐτοῦ 1 The pronouns **him** and **his** refer to God in this verse. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use that here. Alternate translation: “God … God’s” @@ -79,11 +79,11 @@ front:intro nl27 0 # Introduction to 1 John\n\n## Part 1: General Introductio 1:10 m3p1 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor ὁ λόγος αὐτοῦ οὐκ ἔστιν ἐν ἡμῖν 1 John is speaking of God’s **word** here as if it were an object that could be inside believers. (He also spoke of “truth” in this way in [1:8](../01/08.md).) Alternate translation: “we do not believe what God has said” 2:intro zjj9 0 # 1 John 2 General Notes\n\n## Structure and Formatting\n\n1. Genuine believers obey God and love one another (2:1–17, continuing from 1:5)\n2. It is false teaching to deny that Jesus is the Messiah (2:18–2:27)\n3. Genuine children of God do not sin (2:28–29, continues through 3:10)\n\nIn order to show that John is writing something like poetry in [2:12–14](../02/12.md), some translations set the statements in those verses farther to the right than the rest of the text, and they begin a new line at the start of each statement.\n\n## Special Concepts in this Chapter\n\n### Antichrist\n\nIn [2:18](../02/18.md) and [2:22](../02/22.md), John writes both about a specific person called the Antichrist and about many people who will be “antichrists.” The word “antichrist” means “opposed to Christ.” The Antichrist is a person who will come just before the return of Jesus and imitate Jesus’ work, but he will do that for evil purposes. Before that person comes, there will be many other people who work against Christ. They too are called “antichrists,” but as a description rather than as a name. (See: [[rc://*/tw/dict/bible/kt/antichrist]] and [[rc://*/tw/dict/bible/kt/lastday]] and [[rc://*/tw/dict/bible/kt/evil]])\n\n## Important Textual Issues in this Chapter\n\nIn [2:20](../02/20.md), some ancient manuscripts read “you all know,” and that is the reading that ULT follows. However, other ancient manuscripts read “you know all things.” It seems more likely, based on everything else in the letter, that “you all know” is the correct original reading, since John is countering the claim of false teachers to know more than other believers. The reading “you know all things” seems to have arisen because copyists felt a need to have an object for the verb “know.” Nevertheless, if a translation of the Bible already exists in your region, consider using whichever reading is found in that version. If a translation does not already exist, we recommend that you follow the reading in the ULT text. (See: [[rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-textvariants]]) 2:1 j043 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit τεκνία μου 1 Here and in several other places in the book, John uses the diminutive form of the word **children** as an affectionate form of address. The ULT shows this by adding the word **little**. If your language has diminutive forms, you may wish to use one here. You could also express the meaning of the diminutive as a term of endearment. Alternate translation: “My dear children” -2:1 v57g rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor τεκνία μου 1 John is using the word **children** to describe the believers to whom he is writing. They are under his spiritual care, and so he regards them in that sense as if they were his own children. You could translate this plainly, or you could represent the metaphor as a simile, as UST does. Alternate translation: “You dear believers who are under my care” +2:1 v57g rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor τεκνία μου 1 John is using the word **children** to describe the believers to whom he is writing, even though they are adults. They are under his spiritual care, and so he regards them in that sense as if they were his own children. You could translate this plainly, or you could represent the metaphor as a simile, as UST does. Alternate translation: “You dear believers who are under my care” 2:1 p49e rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit ταῦτα γράφω 1 Here, **these things** refers generally to everything that John has written about in the letter so far. Alternate translation: “I am writing this letter” -2:1 j044 rc://*/ta/man/translate/grammar-connect-logic-contrast καὶ 1 The word **And** here introduces a contrast between what John hopes to achieve by writing, that these believers will not sin, and what might happen, that one of them might sin. Alternate translation: “But” +2:1 j044 rc://*/ta/man/translate/grammar-connect-logic-contrast καὶ 1 The word **And** here introduces a contrast between what John hopes to achieve by writing, that these believers will not sin, and what might happen, that one of them might sin. Alternate translation: “However,” 2:1 bi4g rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-hypo ἐάν τις ἁμάρτῃ, Παράκλητον ἔχομεν πρὸς τὸν Πατέρα 1 John is describing a hypothetical situation in order to reassure his readers. Alternate translation: “suppose someone does sin. Then we have an advocate with the Father” -2:1 stj2 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit Παράκλητον ἔχομεν πρὸς τὸν Πατέρα, Ἰησοῦν Χριστὸν 1 John assumes that his readers will know that an **advocate** is someone who takes a person’s side and pleads on his behalf. If it would be helpful to your readers, you could state that explicitly. Alternate translation: “Jesus Christ will take our side and ask God the Father to forgive us” +2:1 stj2 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit Παράκλητον ἔχομεν πρὸς τὸν Πατέρα, Ἰησοῦν Χριστὸν δίκαιον 1 John assumes that his readers will know that an **advocate** is someone who takes a person’s side and pleads on his behalf. If it would be helpful to your readers, you could state that explicitly. Alternate translation: “Jesus Christ the righteous will take our side and ask God the Father to forgive us” 2:1 j045 rc://*/ta/man/translate/guidelines-sonofgodprinciples τὸν Πατέρα 1 **Father** is an important title for God. Alternate translation: “God the Father” 2:1 j046 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-nominaladj δίκαιον 1 John is using the adjective **righteous** as a noun in order to indicate a specific type of person. Your language may use adjectives in the same way. If not, you could translate this with an equivalent expression. Alternate translation: “the one who is righteous” 2:2 j047 rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-pronouns αὐτὸς 1 The pronoun **he** here refers to Jesus, the antecedent in the previous verse. Alternate translation: “Jesus” @@ -92,7 +92,8 @@ front:intro nl27 0 # Introduction to 1 John\n\n## Part 1: General Introductio 2:2 m14q rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-ellipsis οὐ περὶ τῶν ἡμετέρων δὲ μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ περὶ ὅλου τοῦ κόσμου 1 John leaves out the word for “sins” in these clauses because it is understood from the previous clause. If it would be helpful in your language, you could include the missing word. Alternate translation: “and not only for our sins, but also for the sins of the whole world” 2:3 j049 rc://*/ta/man/translate/grammar-connect-logic-result ἐν τούτῳ γινώσκομεν ὅτι ἐγνώκαμεν αὐτόν, ἐὰν τὰς ἐντολὰς αὐτοῦ τηρῶμεν 1 If it would be helpful in your language, you could reverse the order of these phrases, since the second phrase gives the reason for the result that the first phrase describes. Alternate translation: “if we obey what he has commanded, then we can be assured that we have a close relationship with him” 2:3 ubc9 rc://*/ta/man/translate/grammar-connect-condition-fact ἐν τούτῳ γινώσκομεν ὅτι ἐγνώκαμεν αὐτόν, ἐὰν τὰς ἐντολὰς αὐτοῦ τηρῶμεν 1 If your language would not use a conditional statement with **if** for something that is true, you could express the same idea using a word like “by” or another way. Alternate translation: “there is a way to be sure that we truly know God. This is by obeying his commandments” -2:3 j050 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom ἐν τούτῳ γινώσκομεν ὅτι 1 This is an idiomatic expression that John uses many times in this letter. Alternate translation: “this is how we know that” +2:3 j050 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom ἐν τούτῳ γινώσκομεν 1 John uses the idiomatic expression **in this we know** many times in this letter. Alternate translation: “this is how we know” +2:3 tqxv rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-pronouns ἐν τούτῳ 1 The pronoun **this** refers to the next thing that John says, that is, **if we keep his commandments**. Use a natural way in your language to make this clear. Alternate translation: “this is how” 2:3 el7q rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit γινώσκομεν ὅτι ἐγνώκαμεν αὐτόν 1 John is using the word **know** in two different senses here. See the discussion of the word **know** in Part 3 of the Introduction to 1 John. If your language has different words for these different senses, it would be appropriate to use them here. Alternate translation: “we can be assured that we have a close relationship with him” 2:3 j051 rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-pronouns αὐτόν & αὐτοῦ 1 In this verse, the pronouns **him** and **his** refer to God, the one who has given the commandments that people must obey. Alternate translation: “God … God’s” 2:3 qn85 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom ἐὰν τὰς ἐντολὰς αὐτοῦ τηρῶμεν 1 Here, **keep** is an idiom that means “obey.” Alternate translation: “if we obey what he has commanded”