1 John 2:29

1 John 2:29 to 1 John 3:12. The Children of God and the Children of the Devil

29. If ye know that he is righteous This probably does not mean Christ, although the preceding verse refers entirely to Him. -To be born of Christ", though containing "nothing abhorrent from our Christian ideas", is not a Scriptural expression; whereas -to be born of God" is not only a common thought in Scripture, but is specially common in this Epistle and occurs in the very next verse. And clearly -He" and -Him" must be interpreted alike: it destroys the argument (justus justum gignit, as Bengel puts it) to interpret -He is righteous" of Christ and -born of Him" of God. Moreover, this explanation gets rid of one abrupt change by substituting another still more abrupt. That -He, Him, His" in 1 John 2:28 means Christ, and -He, Him" in 1 John 2:29 means God, is some confirmation of the view that a new division of the letter begins with 1 John 2:29. That -God is righteous" see 1 John 1:9 and John 17:25. But S. John is so full of the truth that Christ and the Father are one, and that Christ is God revealed to man, that he makes the transition from one to the other almost imperceptibly. Had his readers asked him of one of these ambiguous passages, -Are you speaking of Christ or of God"? he would perhaps have replied, -Does it matter"?

ye know Or, know ye; but this is less probable, though the Vulgate has scitote, and Wiclif, Tyndale, Cranmer, and the Rhemish, all take it as imperative. -Ye know" is more in harmony with 1 John 2:20. It is remarkable how frequently in S. John's writings we are in doubt as to whether a verb is imperative or indicative (1 John 2:27; John 5:39; John 12:19; John 14:1; John 15:18). Even in 1 John 2:28, though there is scarcely a doubt, it is possible to take -abide" as an indicative. After, -ye know that every one" we must supply -also"; ye know that every one also.

There is a change of verb from -if ye know" (ἐὰν εἰδῆτε) to -ye know that" (γινώσκετε ὅτι). The former means -to have intuitive knowledge" or simply -to be aware of the fact" (1 John 2:11; 1 John 2:20): the latter means -to come to know, learn by experience, recognise, perceive" (1 John 2:3; 1 John 2:13; 1 John 2:18). -If ye are awarethat God is righteous, ye cannot fail to perceivethat &c." Comp. -What I do thou knowestnot now, but thou shalt understand(get to know) hereafter" (John 13:7); -Lord, Thou knowestall things; Thou perceivestthat I love Thee" (John 21:17): and the converse change: -If ye had learned to knowMe, ye would knowMy Father also" (John 14:7; comp. John 8:55).

which doeth righteousness Perhaps we should translate, that doeth His righteousness. It is literally, that doeth the righteousness; but in Greek the definite article is often equivalent to our possessive pronoun. Or -the righteousness" may mean -the righteousness which is truly such": comp. -to do the truth" (1 John 1:6). The present tense expresses habitual action.

is born of him Literally, hath been begotten from Him. Only he who habitually does righteousness is a true son of the God who is righteous; just as only he who habitually walks in the light has true fellowship with the God who is light (1 John 1:6-7). In a similar spirit S. Paul says, -Let every one that nameth the name of the Lord depart from unrighteousness" (2 Timothy 2:19). Other signs of Divine birth are loveof the brethren (1 John 4:7) and faithin Jesus as the Christ (1 John 5:1).