1 João 1
Samuel Johnson · Citado em PreceptAustin
1 João 1:2
Johnson writes that "John's message is very simple. He wants to make us certain about Christ. He wants us to realize that the testimony that is preserved by the apostles and now in the church and expounded in the church is a reliable testimony, and he wants us to be certain about eternal life. He sums it up at the end of the epistle when he says, "And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding in order that we may know Him, who is true, and we are in Him, who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ, this is the true God and eternal life. Little children, guard yourself from idols." (1Jn 5:20, 21) F F Bruce comments that John's epistle "is justly called the epistle of eternal life. It shows how and in Whom that life was uniquely and perfectly manifested; it shows how the presence of that life in men and women may be recognized. John's own experience of that life entitles him to speak of it with assurance and communicate his assurance to others: this, he says, we have seen; to this we bear witness; this we make known to you." Jesus declared to the religious Jews… You search the Scriptures, because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is these that bear witness of Me; and you are unwilling to come to Me, that you may have life. (Jn 5:39-40+) Jesus explained to His disciples I am the Way, and the Truth, and the Life; (absolutely) no one comes to the Father, but through Me. (Jn 14:6) Eternal (166)(aionios from aion) means existing at all times, perpetual, pertaining to an unlimited duration of time (Ro 1:20 - God's power, Mt 18:8 - God's place of judgment, Ro 16:26 - God's attribute, and here in 1Jn 1:2, God's life!). A T
1 João 1:8
Johnson explains the if we say this way - One of the commentators has said, "What we have here is the lie of the lip" and we also have the lie of the life characteristic of us as human beings who are sinners… We are responsible not simply to think right, but to do what is right. In other words, the truth is not simply what we think with the intellect, but it is that which is conformable to God's nature and will and is inclusive of the kind of life that we live. (First John Sermons) (Bolding and italics added for emphasis) "WE HAVE NO SIN!" If we say we have no sin - Literally “sin we do not have”. This is the third of six clauses in this first section introduced by “if” in 1Jn 1:5 through 1Jn 2:6 = 1 John 1:6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 2:1, 3. As with 1John 1:6 and 1Jn 1:10, the statement in 1John 1:8 is a false doctrine which John brings to the light in order to warn his believing readers. Forewarned is forearmed. John does not tell us who is propounding these heretical doctrines, but from the context of the letter it is clear that false teachers had arisen among the people. It is also possible that there were those in their midst who professed to be believers and yet who held to these false beliefs. Marshall agrees writing that "It is probable that these claims were real statements made by people in the church to which John was writing, and that they reflect the outlook of the people who were causing trouble in the church." (BORROW The Epistles of John) McDermond adds that "some influential person or group is claiming to be a model of how to relate to God, and yet the reality of their lifestyle leads the believing observer to draw the opposite conclusion. (McDermond, J. E.: 1 John--Commentaries: Believers Church Bible Commentary) (Bolding added for emphasis) We have (echo) has the basic meaning of have or hold with a variety of nuances (determined by the context and accompanying terms). The present tense speaks of sin denial as their continual claim. In order to accurately interpret this passage, it is helpful to understand the significance of the phrase "have… sin" in the Greek. Therefore I have included the somewhat technical explanations by Vincent and Harris to help understand what John is saying. The significance of this phrase is not apparent from simply reading the English translations. Marvin