Christian Perspectives

Seeing the World as a Slave of Christ

1 John 2:3-4

1 John 2:3-4

 

3 Καὶ ἐν τούτῳ γινώσκομεν ὅτι ἐγνώκαμεν αὐτόν, ἐὰν τὰς ἐντολὰς αὐτοῦ τηρῶμεν. 4 ὁ λέγων ὅτι Ἔγνωκα αὐτὸν καὶ τὰς ἐντολὰς αὐτοῦ μὴ τηρῶν ψεύστης ἐστίν, καὶ ἐν τούτῳ ἡ ἀλήθεια οὐκ ἔστιν·

(3) And by this we know that we have known him, if we keep his commandments. (4) The one who says, “I have known him,” but does not keep his commandments is a liar and the truth is not in him.


Term Tense Voice Mood Person Gender/

Number

Lexical Form
γινώσκομεν Pres Act Indic 1 P γινώσκω
ἐγνώκαμεν Perf Act Indic 1 P γινώσκω
τηρῶμεν Pres Act Sub 1 P τηρέω
λέγων Pres Act Part N M/S λέγω
Ἔγνωκα Perf Act Indic 1 S γινώσκω
τηρῶν Pres Act Sub 1 S τηρέω
ἔστιν Pres Act Indic 3 S εἰμί
ἔστιν Pres Act Indic 3 S εἰμί

 

Lexical and Syntactic Notes:

2:3 ἐν τούτῳ functions instrumentally, translated “by” (Plummer Vid Lec 8.2)

2:3 γινώσκομεν indicates certainty of the ἐγνώκαμεν coming to knowledge (fellowship given context) of Christ (see BDAG, 199).

2:4 The TSKS (article-substantive-kai-substantive; ὁ-λέγων-καὶ-τηρῶν) construction makes a close connection between the two substantives (same person; see Wallace, 275).