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Text and Translation
Greek Text
28. καὶ νῦν, τεκνία, μένετε ἐν αὐτῷ· ἵνα ὅταν φανερωθῇ ἔχῶμεν παρρησίαν, καὶ μὴ αἰσχυνθῶμεν ἀπʼ αὐτοῦ, ἐν τῇ παρουσίᾳ αὐτοῦ.
29. ἐὰν εἰδῆτε ὅτι δίκαιός ἐστι, γινώσκετε ὅτι πᾶς ὁ ποιῶν τὴν δικαιοσύνην, ἐξ αὐτοῦ γεγέννηται.
English Translation
28. And now, children, remain in him, so that when he appears, we may have boldness and not be ashamed before him, in his presence.
29. If you know that he is righteous, you know that everyone who does righteousness is begotten of him.
Graphical Grammar
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Weighty Words
- μένετε – 2nd pl. pres. act. imp. ▶ μένω
- φανερωθῇ – 3rd sing. pres. act. subj. ▶ φανερω
- ἔχῶμεν – 1st pl. pres. act. subj. ▶ ἔχω
- αἰσχυνθῶμεν – 1st pl. aor. pas. sub. ▶ αἰσχύνω
- παρρησίαν – fem. sing. acc. ▶ παρρησία
Syntax Sense
μένετε. This verse explicitly shifts into paraenesis, which is a rhetorical term for moral exhortation, advice, or counsel, by way of “καὶ νῦν.” So unlike v27, this imperative is not even controversial. The vocative τεκνία reinforces exhortation.
ἵνα + ὅταν + subjunctive
- ἵνα governs the purpose/result
- ὅταν introduces a future-oriented temporal clause
- both ἔχωμεν and αἰσχυνθῶμεν are subjunctives dependent on ἵνα
Should the passive voice φανερωθῇ be rendered as “be revealed,” “be made manifest,” or “appear”? παρουσία immediately follows, already carrying the idea of appearing/presence. Therefore, I chose “appear” to avoid awkward repetition (“be revealed at his presence”) while still preserving the event-level sense of φανερωθῇ.
ἀπʼ αὐτοῦ — “of him” vs “before him”?
With verbs of shame, fear, withdrawal, etc., ἀπό often has: separation / withdrawal sense, or sometimes personal presence sense. So English options include:
- “ashamed of him”
- “ashamed before him”
- “shrink back from him”
Ashamed before him seems the more logical of the options in context, particularly the ending παρουσία αὐτοῦ (in his presence).
Who is the subject of δίκαιός ἐστι?
Verse 29 begins:
ἐὰν εἰδῆτε ὅτι δίκαιός ἐστι
But who is righteous? Greek frequently omits the subject when:
- it is obvious from context; or
- it is already the established discourse referent.
In this paragraph, αὐτός (“him,” i.e., Christ) has remained the continuous focus. Greek therefore does not need to restate the subject explicitly. English usually does. Predicate adjectives (δίκαιος, ἀληθής, πιστός, etc.) often appear with an implied subject supplied from the discourse context. When you encounter:
- adjective + ἐστι;
- no expressed subject; and
- a clear discourse focus;
the reader naturally supplies the implied subject from context. (Robertson, Grammar, 391 [II.e.].)
Demystifying the Discourse
This short passage functions as a hinge between what has come before and what follows after. John returns again to themes already introduced earlier in the letter: abiding, confidence, righteousness, and revealed identity. Rather than fully unpack those connections here, I want you to begin tracing them yourself as the letter unfolds.
Your turn!
As we get deeper into 1 John, the work you’ve done diagramming the letter will start to play dividends when it comes to your analysis.
- “Zoom out,” by scanning through your entire diagram from the start of the letter until now. First, take a moment to enjoy some satisfaction with your progress! Then, jot down make some notes about the structures that you’ve observed, the flow of the letter, repeated terms/structures, and whatever else catches your eye.
- Compare this passage to 1 John 1:5-10. Do you see a relationship between these passages? If so, what do you see?
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Return to TBWM – I John
See complete translation of I John here.