SIL Translator’s Notes on 1 John 2000 – Page 6

SIL Translator's Notes on 1 John 5:9

5:9a

Even if we accept human testimony: (Meaning) John is giving this as a general example to prove his point. He is saying that people normally accept what others tell them about what they have seen, therefore people should accept what God says about his Son.

5:9b

greater: (Lexical Problem) Although it is not specified in what respect God’s testimony is greater than man’s testimony, it is clear from the rest of the verse that John means that it is more worthy of acceptance.

5:9c

For: (Logical Relationship) John gives two reasons why God’s testimony is greater: firstly, it is God, not a man, who is giving it, and secondly, it is about God’s own Son, not about something else.

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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 1:1

Section 1:1–4

John explains his authority and his reasons for writing this letter

Read 1:1–4 carefully in both Berean Standard Bible and Good News Translation. Compare the two versions.

Section Theme: These verses form an introduction to the whole letter. In them John states the authority which he has for giving instructions to his readers. He also explains what his purpose is in writing the letter. His authority is the fact that he had personally been with Jesus Christ, the eternal Word of God. His purpose in writing the letter is that the people he is writing to may truly share the fellowship he has with God.

1:1–3 (Sentence Breaks)

These verses are all one long and complicated sentence in the Greek and in some English versions such as Revised Standard Version. The subject and main verb of this sentence come in verse 3, “We proclaim,” but its topic is at the end of verse 1, “the Word of life.” So in translation these verses may need to be split into shorter sentences and the parts may need to be reordered to make the meaning clear. See 1:1–3 in the Display.

1:1

(Good News Translation) We write to you: (Discourse Feature) The fact that this is a letter is obvious from the way John writes. In the Greek, however, there is no formal beginning to the letter, naming the writer and the people he is writing to, as there is in Paul’s letters. In your translation it may be necessary to add some simple introduction such as “We write to you,” so that readers are not confused about whether they are reading a letter or a history or some other sort of literature.

(Good News Translation) We: (Pronoun System) This letter was written by only one person, John, but throughout chapter 1 he uses the plural, We, because he is associating himself in what he is saying with the other apostles who also lived with Jesus. If this meaning will not be conveyed by We in your translation, it would be better to say “I write…,” and then “the other apostles and I have heard…,” etc. As an alternative the book introduction could contain an explanation of who John means by We.

That which was: (Pronoun Reference) This refers to the “Word of life” (see the note below). Since the “Word of life” is really Jesus, it may be better to refer to it as “he/him” in your translation.

from the beginning: (Meaning) This refers to the beginning of the world. John is saying that the Word existed even before the creation of the world. He does not mean that the Word came into existence when the world was created.

with our own eyes: (Focus) All the four statements, “we heard…,” “we saw…,” “we looked at…,” “we touched…,” are emphasizing the fact that although the Word had existed from before creation, John and the other apostles had actually been with Jesus, who was the Word, when he was in this world. None of the four statements is more prominent than the others, so if phrases such as with our eyes are unnatural in translation they can be left implicit. But make sure that the emphasis on John’s personal experience is being clearly communicated.

gazed upon: (Meaning) What is meant here is deliberate, continual, detailed observing, rather than the simple “seeing” of the previous clause.

our own hands: (Focus) See note on “with our eyes” above.

Word of life: (Meaning) This means the word which is life, the word which is the source of life, as in John 14:6. It refers to Jesus, but it would be wrong to make his name explicit as John is not here emphasizing Jesus as a person. He is emphasizing the fact that Jesus is the one who causes us to be truly alive by showing us what God is really like.

Word: (Special Biblical Term) This is a Biblical technical term as in John 1:1. It refers to God’s words or message to people in which he shows them what he is really like. In translation it may be necessary to make it clear that this is the “Word of God.”

(The Jerusalem Bible) who is life: (Pronoun Reference) If you need to make “God” explicit in the phrase “the Word of life” (or, “the Word, who is life”), make sure that this phrase who is life refers to the Word and not to God. See Display.

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SIL Translator's Notes on 1 John 2:24

2:24a

As for you, let: (Discourse Feature) This instruction (2:24a) is the main thing John is saying in 2:18–25. He has warned his readers about the false teaching of those who have left the church, so he tells them they must therefore be careful not to forget or change the true Christian teaching they have received. The strong imperative is shown in several English versions by the phrases “See that” (New International Version (2011 Revision)), “Be sure” (Good News Translation), “You must” (New English Bible).

from the beginning: (Meaning) As in 2:7b, this refers to the time when they first became Christians. This meaning of from the beginning is different from the meaning of the same phrase in 1:1 and 2:13c.

remain in you: (Meaning) In the Greek this phrase has the same meaning as the phrase “abides in you” in 2:14f. See the note on 2:14f.

2:24b

If it does: (Ellipsis) This is a short way in English of referring to what has just been said. See Good News Translation and New English Bible for ways of saying it more fully.

you will also: (Meaning) This means “you for your part will.” John is contrasting his readers (who remain in the Son) with the teaching (which remains in them). It does not mean “you in addition to others will.”

in the Son and in the Father: (Collocation) As in 2:5 this is John’s way of talking about our close personal relationship and union with God. See the note on “in Him” in 2:5c.

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SIL Translator's Notes on 1 John 4:6

4:6a

We: (Alternative Interpretations) There are two interpretations of this pronoun:

(1) It is probably exclusive, meaning “we apostles,” since the believers had heard the teaching of the apostles from John.

(2) Some think it is inclusive, meaning “we apostles together with you believers.”

4:6d

That: (Pronoun Reference) The word That refers to what John has just said. He is telling his readers that to test whether a person’s teaching comes from the Holy Spirit or from an evil spirit, they should see if that person follows the apostles’ teaching or not.

Spirit of truth: (“Of” Construction) This means the Holy Spirit, who reveals the truth about God.

4:6e

spirit of deception: (“Of” Construction) This means an evil spirit, or the spirit of the antichrist, which deceives people.

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SIL Translator's Notes on 1 John 5:20

5:20a

has come: (Meaning) This refers to the fact that Jesus came into the world.

5:20b

has given us understanding: (Collocation) In your language it may not be possible to “give” an abstract thing like understanding, or it may not be clear in what way this is done. Here the basic meaning is that Jesus has caused us to understand or know something.

understanding: (Lexical Problem) The thing that is understood is not mentioned here, but its result is given in the next clause, “so that we may know him….” Therefore John’s meaning is that Jesus has given us the ability or power to know him who is true.

Him who is true: (Meaning) John is here referring to God, whom Jesus has caused us to know. He is saying that this is the real God, in contrast to the false gods of other religions and in contrast to false teachings about the God of Christianity.

5:20c

in Him: (Collocation) As in 2:5c, this means that we are in union with God, in a close personal relationship with him.

5:20d

in: (Ellipsis) This clause explains how we are “in God.” The full meaning is “because we are in his Son, Jesus Christ.”

5:20e

He: (Alternative Interpretations) There are different views about who the pronoun He refers to:

(1) It probably refers to God.

(2) Some think it refers to Christ. (Living Bible)

5:20f

and eternal life: (Meaning) John means that God is the only source of eternal life. We have eternal life by being united to God.

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SIL Translator's Notes on 1 John 2:3

Paragraph 2:3–6

Read 2:3–6 in both Berean Standard Bible and Good News Translation. Compare the two versions.

Paragraph Theme: Here John begins to give the reason why we should not sin. He says that we should obey God’s commands as Jesus did. If we do that our behavior shows that we know God.

2:3a

to know Him: (Multiple Senses) The word know is here used in the sense of knowing someone personally as you would know your family and friends. This is different from knowing who someone is, or knowing about them.

Him: (Alternative Interpretations) There are two opinions about who the word Him refers to here:

(1) Good News Translation, The Jerusalem Bible, Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English make it clear that this refers to God.

(2) Some commentators think it refers to Jesus.

2:3b

if we keep His commandments: (Emotive Impact) This clause is emphasized in the Greek because John is telling his readers that this is what they should do. This emphasis can be shown in your translation by making if we keep His commandments the main clause of the sentence. For example:

“We should obey his commands because that is what will show us that we really know him.”

keep: (Tense) The tense of the verb here implies continual obedience.

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SIL Translator's Notes on 1 John 3:7

Paragraph 3:7–10

Read 3:7–10 in both Berean Standard Bible and Good News Translation. Compare the two versions.

Paragraph Theme: John explains that our behavior shows whether we belong to God or to Satan.

3:7a

deceive you: (Logical Relationship) This is not a general warning about being deceived. John is specifically warning his readers not to be deceived about the question (in the next part of the verse) of who is really righteous. The two parts of the verse may therefore need to be linked together.

3:7b

The one who practices righteousness is righteous: (Emphasis) John is contradicting the false teachers who claimed that anyone could become righteous just by accepting their teaching. They claimed that it did not matter if a person continued to live an evil life. It is therefore important in translation to keep the emphasis on the fact that the only people who are righteous in God’s sight are those who do right (and no one else). See New English Bible.

righteous: (Meaning) This means that God accepts him as being good and right, and God approves of what he does.

3:7c

just as Christ is righteous: (Alternative Interpretations) In Greek, this phrase is literally “just as he is righteous.” There are different views about who this refers to:

(1) It refers to Christ. (Berean Standard Bible, Good News Translation, Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English)

(2) Some think it refers to God. (New English Bible)

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SIL Translator's Notes on 1 John 4:19

Paragraph 4:19–21

Read 4:19–21 in both Berean Standard Bible and Good News Translation. Compare the two versions.

Paragraph Theme: This is the summary of John’s appeal that we should love other Christians because God has loved us so much.

4:19a

We love: (Lexical Problem) No object for this verb is expressed in the Greek. However John is talking about our love for God and for other people, so this may be made explicit if the verb “love” has to have an expressed object in your language. See Display.

The King James Version and Living Bible use the pronoun “him” in this verse part, but that is based on an inferior Greek text.

4:19b

because: (Alternative Interpretations) There are different views on what ideas this implies and connects:

(1) It probably means that God’s love for us gives us the power to love.

(2) Some think it means that we have a duty to love because God loves us.

(3) Others think it means we are able to love because God’s love gives us the example to follow.

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1).

He: (Pronoun Reference) This refers to God. See Good News Translation.

first: (Multiple Senses) This is used here in the sense of “before/previously.” John means that God loved us before we loved him or others.

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Source: SIL Translator's Notes on 1 John 2000

SIL Translator's Notes on 1 John 5:9

SIL Translator's Notes on 1 John 1:1

SIL Translator's Notes on 1 John 2:24

SIL Translator's Notes on 1 John 4:6

SIL Translator's Notes on 1 John 5:20

SIL Translator's Notes on 1 John 2:3

SIL Translator's Notes on 1 John 3:7

SIL Translator's Notes on 1 John 4:19

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