SIL Translator’s Notes on 1 John 2000 – Page 12

SIL Translator's Notes on 1 John 5:21

5:21

keep yourselves from: (Meaning) This is an instruction to take great care that we do not begin to pay attention to these things.

idols: (Meaning) John is probably using this word in a general way, meaning both false gods and also false ideas about God. However in translation it may be clearer to use a specific word referring to the gods of local religion, in contrast to the true God.

SIL Translator's Notes on 1 John 2:4

2:4a

If anyone: (Meaning) This phrase just means “anyone who,” or “if anyone.” It also applies to anyone among John’s readers, so it could be translated “if you.”

2:4c

he is a liar: (Meaning) This means “he is lying when he says that.” It does not mean “he is a habitual liar.”

the truth is not in him: (Collocation) Here John means that such a person has clearly not accepted the truth which God has revealed. See the note on 1:8c.

Made available under the terms of a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License (CC BY-SA) creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0

All Scripture quotations in this publication, unless otherwise indicated, are from The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible. BSB is produced in cooperation with Bible Hub, Discovery Bible, OpenBible.com, and the Berean Bible Translation Committee.

SIL Translator's Notes on 1 John 3:8

3:8a

The one who practices sin: (Tense) This is the same as “who practices sin” in 3:4. The tense shows that it is referring to continual or habitual sinning. See Good News Translation, The Jerusalem Bible, Living Bible, Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English.

is of the devil: (Meaning) This means that such a person is under the control of the devil and shares his nature. This is sometimes expressed in translation as “is a child of the devil.” (New English Bible, Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English)

3:8b

because: (Logical Relationship) John is saying that we know the devil has always been sinning, and therefore we know that anyone who continually sins must belong to him. He is not saying that if a person keeps sinning this makes him a child of the devil.

from the very start: (Meaning) This is the same Greek phrase as was used in 1:1 and 2:13, which the Berean Standard Bible translates as “from the beginning” in each of those verses. Here, the phrase means the same thing as in each of those verses. It refers to the beginning of the world.

3:8c

This is why the Son of God was revealed, to destroy the works of the devil: (Parenthesis) This sentence is a comment on the devil’s sinful activities which have just been mentioned. It interrupts John’s teaching about the two types of people, sinful and righteous, which continues in the next two verses.

was revealed: (Meaning) See the note “Christ appeared” on 3:5a.

destroy the works of the devil: (Meaning) The devil’s work is tempting people to sin and getting control over their lives so that they continue to sin. Christ came to free people from the devil’s control and to defeat his efforts to tempt people. So the devil’s work is in vain.

Made available under the terms of a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License (CC BY-SA) creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0

SIL Translator's Notes on 1 John 4:20

4:20a

says, “I love God”: (Speech Quotation) This is not the quotation of what someone actually said. It is an example of what someone might say. Therefore in translation it is important to consider whether it should be in direct speech or in indirect speech. See Good News Translation and the Display.

4:20b

but hates his brother: (Multiple Senses) As in 2:9b, this means treating fellow Christians in a bad way, without love. See the notes on 2:9b.

4:20c

he is a liar: (Meaning) In other words, he does not really love God. He is deceiving people when he says he loves God.

4:20d

For: (Logical Relationship) This conjunction shows that the rest of the verse explains how we know that such a person is a liar.

his brother, whom he has seen: (Meaning) This is not referring to a specific brother. John is giving a general example, saying that our fellow Christians are people we see all the time, whereas God cannot be seen at all.

cannot love God: (Meaning) John is saying that if we do not love our brothers, it is impossible for us to truly claim to be loving God. Since this is a strong negative statement, it may be expressed in some languages as a rhetorical question. See Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English, Living Bible.

Made available under the terms of a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License (CC BY-SA) creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0

SIL Translator's Notes on 1 John 2:15

Paragraph 2:15–17

Read 2:15–17 in both Berean Standard Bible and Good News Translation. Compare the two versions.

Paragraph Theme: Here John is appealing to his readers not to love the evil things of this world.

2:15 (Discourse Feature)

In the Greek and English versions there is nothing explicit that connects 2:15–17 and the previous verses. However this paragraph is John’s main appeal, or exhortation, to his readers and it is based on the reassurance he has given them in 2:12–14. In order to make the translation sound natural in your language, you may need to make the connection explicit here by using some joining word or phrase such as “Therefore,” or “So I tell you.”

2:15a

Do not: (Pronoun Reference) Be sure that you translate this so that it clearly refers to all the readers, not just to the last people mentioned, the “young men” (2:14).

love: (Multiple Senses) This is used here in the sense of desiring to get something, or making something the center of all your interests (New English Bible “do not set your hearts on…”).

the world: (Multiple Senses) This does not mean “the people in the world,” which is its meaning in John 3:16. Here it is used in the sense of the evil of this world, which is contrary to God’s will.

anything: (Meaning) John is not referring here to material objects in the world. He is telling his readers to avoid all attitudes and thoughts which belong to this world rather than to God’s will. He gives examples of what he means in the next verse.

2:15b

If anyone…: (Logical Relationship) This sentence gives one reason for John’s appeal not to love the world. The second reason is given in 2:17. To make the connection clear you may need to translate this as “Because/For if anyone…”

the love of the Father: (“of” Construction) Since this is being contrasted with loving the world, it clearly means “he does not love God.” It does not mean “God does not love him.”

Made available under the terms of a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License (CC BY-SA) creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0

SIL Translator's Notes on 1 John 3:19

Paragraph 3:19–20

Read 3:19–20 in both Berean Standard Bible and Good News Translation. Compare the two versions.

Paragraph Theme: If we love one another we will not be ashamed before God when we are praying to him.

3:19a

this: (Pronoun Reference) The word this refers back to what John has said in the previous verse about loving each other truly. To make this clear in translation it may be necessary to restate it here.

we will know: (Tense) As the Berean Standard Bible indicates in English, the tense in the Greek is future, probably because John is saying that we will know that we belong to the truth if we put 3:18 into practice.

3:19b

we belong to the truth: (Meaning) The basic meaning of truth in John’s writings is “everything which is in accordance with God’s character.” This is because God is the real standard of what is true and right. So when John says we belong to the truth, he means that we belong to God and we are living according to his will.

3:19c

in His presence: (Meaning) John is referring to when we are praying or when we think about God and remember that we are in his presence.

Made available under the terms of a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License (CC BY-SA) creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0

SIL Translator's Notes on 1 John 5:11

5:11a–b

God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son: (Alternative Interpretations) There are two views about how this sentence relates to the term “testimony”:

(1) This sentence is probably stating how God puts his testimony in our hearts.

(2) Some think that it is stating what the testimony is.

5:11a

this is: (Pronoun Reference) This refers to the rest of the verse.

5:11b

this life is in His Son: (Collocation) This does not just mean that Christ has eternal life. John is saying that we only get eternal life through Christ. God gives it to us by means of uniting us with his Son.

Made available under the terms of a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License (CC BY-SA) creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0

SIL Translator's Notes on 1 John 1:3

1:3a

We proclaim…: (Theme) This verse is the main point of the paragraph 1–4. John repeats what he is telling his readers in order to emphasize his purpose in telling it to them, namely that he and they may be united in fellowship. In order to make this emphasis clear in translation it may be necessary to say

The reason why we are telling you (plur) about this person who we have seen and heard is that we want you to be united with us in trusting him.

what we have seen: (Pronoun Reference) John is still referring to Jesus as the “Word of life” (see the note on 1:1). That is why the form what is used here in English, rather than “who.” In your translation you should make it clear that this whole passage is about Jesus.

1:3b

so that: (Logical Relationship) John is saying that he is telling his readers about Jesus so that they may believe the same things about Jesus as he does and thus they may have fellowship with him and the apostles. These steps in the argument may need to be made clear in translation.

also: (Emphasis) The word translated also occurs twice in the Greek, “we proclaim to you also” and “so that you also may have fellowship with us.” John is emphasizing that both the gospel and fellowship are not only for the apostles but for his readers also.

may have fellowship with us: (Meaning) John means that his readers should continue to have fellowship with him. He is not implying that they need to become Christians so that they will have fellowship. Throughout this letter he repeatedly states that he is confident that they already believe in Jesus.

fellowship: (Special Biblical Term) This term means being united, sharing in something on the basis of mutual agreement, especially in God’s blessings. That is why John uses it here to refer both to our fellowship with one another and to our fellowship with God.

1:3c

this fellowship of ours: (Alternative Interpretations) There are two interpretations of ours here:

(1) It is probably exclusive, meaning “(fellowship) of us apostles.”

(2) Some think it is inclusive, meaning “(fellowship) of you together with us apostles.”

Made available under the terms of a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License (CC BY-SA) creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0

Step into the multitudes of languages of the Bible and join the worldwide conversation!

Source: SIL Translator's Notes on 1 John 2000

SIL Translator's Notes on 1 John 5:21

SIL Translator's Notes on 1 John 2:4

SIL Translator's Notes on 1 John 3:8

SIL Translator's Notes on 1 John 4:20

SIL Translator's Notes on 1 John 2:15

SIL Translator's Notes on 1 John 3:19

SIL Translator's Notes on 1 John 5:11

SIL Translator's Notes on 1 John 1:3

Step into the multitudes of languages of the Bible and join the worldwide conversation!

American Bible Society