SEV Biblia, Chapter 2:13
Os escribo a vosotros, padres, que habis conocido a aquel que es desde el principio. Os escribo a vosotros, jvenes, que habis vencido al maligno. Os escribo a vosotros, hijitos, que habis conocido al Padre.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - 1 John 2:13
Verse 13. I write unto you, fathers] By fathers it is very likely that the apostle means persons who had embraced Christianity on its first promulgation in Judea and in the Lesser Asia, some of them had probably seen Christ in the flesh; for this appears to be what is meant by, Ye have known him from the beginning. These were the elders and eye witnesses, who were of the longest standing in the Church, and well established in the truths of the Gospel, and in Christian experience. But ton ap archv, him who is from the beginning, may mean Jesus Christ in the eternity of his nature, see John i. 1, 2; but the sense is the same. I write unto you, young men] These were confirmed disciples of Christ; persons who were well-grounded in the truth, had been thoroughly exercised in the Christian warfare, were no longer agitated by doubts and fears, but had arrived at the abiding testimony of the Spirit of God in their consciences; hence they are said to have overcome the wicked one, ver. 14. They were persons in the prime of life, and in the zenith of their faith and love.
I write unto you, little children] paidia, a very different term from that used in the 12th verse , teknia, which means beloved children, as we have already seen. This is another class, and their state is differently described: Ye have known the Father. If the apostle does not use these two words indifferently, four states instead of three, are here described:- 1. FATHERS, paterev? those who had been converted at the very commencement of Christianity, and had seen the eternal Word manifested in the flesh.
2. YOUNG MEN, neaniskoi? youths in the prime of their spiritual life, valiant soldiers, fighting under the banner of Christ, who had confounded Satan in his wiles, and overcome him by the blood of the Lamb.
3. LITTLE CHILDREN, paidia? disciples of Christ, not of very long standing in the Church, nor of much experience, but who had known the Father; i.e. persons who had been made sons: God had sent the Spirit of his Son into their hearts, whereby they cried Abba, Father! 4. BELOVED CHILDREN, teknia? the most recent converts, and particularly those among young men and women who, from their youth, simplicity, openheartedness, and affectionate attachment to God and his cause, were peculiarly dear to this aged apostle of Jesus Christ. These are represented as having their sins forgiven them on account of his name, dia to onoma autou, that is, for the sake of Jesus, or on account of his merit or worthiness.
These four classes constituted the household or family of God; each class, in ascending gradation, seems to have had more light, experience, and holiness than the other. 1. The teknia, beloved children, or infants, are those who are just born into the heavenly family. 2. The paidia, little children, are those who are able to walk and speak; they know their heavenly Father, and can call him by that name. 3. The neaniskoi, young men, are such as are grown up to man's estate; these perform the most difficult part of the labour, and are called to fight the battles of the Lord. 4.
The paterev, fathers, are those who are at the foundation of the spiritual family, and have known the whole economy of the work of God in themselves and in others. These have the largest stock of spiritual wisdom and religious experience. All these answer to the component members of a perfect human family. 1. There is the beloved infant dandled on the knees of its parents. 2. There are the little children that can speak a little, run about, answer to their own names, distinguish and call on their father and mother, and are now put under instruction. 3. There are the youths, those who are grown up to man's estate, are strong to labour, retain the instructions they have received, act upon them, and are occasionally called upon to defend their family, property, and country, against spoilers and oppressors. 4. There are the parents, the father and mother, from whom the family sprang, and who are the governors and directors of the household. To these four classes, in a perfect family, the apostle appears to allude; and we see, considered in this light, with what delicacy and propriety he uses these images.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 13. I write unto you, fathers , &c.] Not merely in age, though they might be men in years who are here intended, or only with respect to their long standing in the church, which might be the case; though persons may be in years, and of a long standing in the church, and yet be children in knowledge and experience: but here it designs such, who, in comparison of others, were perfect, and were spiritual, and judged all things; had a well informed and established judgment in divine things, and were, in understanding, men, fathers, and not babes in Christ; so the Jews used to call their men of wisdom, and knowledge, and understanding, twba , Abot, fathers. Hence there is a whole treatise in the Misna called Pirke Abot, which contains the apophthegms, wise sayings, and sentences of their fathers, or wise men. Now the apostle writes the new commandment of love, and urges it on these, for this reason, because ye have known him [that is] from the beginning ; either God the Father, who is from everlasting to everlasting, the Ancient of days, the eternal I AM, whom to know is life eternal; whose everlasting love to them, whose covenant of grace with his Son for them, before the world was, and the ancient transactions, and settlements of his grace on their account, they were acquainted with: or Jesus Christ, the Logos or Word, which was from the beginning, who existed from all eternity, as a divine person, as the Son of God, co-eternal with the Father; as the eternal choice made in him, and the everlasting covenant with him show; and who in his office capacity, as Mediator, was set up from everlasting; and who, with respect to the virtue of his blood, righteousness, and sacrifice, was from the beginning of the world, and was the same yesterday, today, and for ever; it being by his blood that all the patriarchs, from the beginning of time, were pardoned, and by his righteousness they were justified, and by his grace they were saved; all which, respecting the antiquity of Christ's person, office, and grace, was known to these fathers: they knew him, so as to approve of him, trust in him, and appropriate him to themselves, and which obliged them to the new commandment of love, not only to God and Christ, but to one another; and the reason here given, engaging to it, is exceeding suitable to their character, it being what fathers and aged men delight in, even ancient things, to call them to remembrance, to talk of them as things well known unto them; but nothing is more ancient than what is here instanced in, and nothing so honourable and profitable to know as this, or to be gloried in; and therefore the argument from hence to love those that belong to him, who is the everlasting Father, is very strong and forcible. I write unto you, young men ; who are warm and zealous for God, for his cause and interest, for the glory of a Redeemer, for his truths and ordinances; and are lively in the exercise of grace, and fervent in the discharge of duty; and are active, diligent, and industrious, always abounding in the work of the Lord; and are strong and robust, able to go alone, to walk by faith, being strong in it, and in the grace that is in Christ, and do not need the staff that old age does, nor the hand to lead and teach to go, as children do: to these the apostle writes the new commandment of love, for this reason, because ye have overcome the wicked one ; Satan, who is eminently so, being the first that was, and the worst that is so; for he is wickedness itself, he is wholly, entirely, immutably, and unalterably wicked; and his whole work and employment is in wickedness. Now these young men had overcome him, not only in Christ their head, who has spoiled him, destroyed him, and led him captive in triumph, in whom they were more than conquerors; but in themselves, through the power of divine grace, holding up, and making use of the shield of faith against him, whereby they quenched his fiery darts, and got the victory over him: and this is also said in perfect agreement with the character of young men, who are apt to glory in their strength, and are fond of getting the advantage, or a victory over others; and which is used to teach such as are so in a spiritual sense, not to glory in their strength, but in the Lord; and to love him whom they know, and whose lovingkindness is exercised towards them, and in Christ; and to love him through whom they get the victory, and to bear the infirmities of weaker saints, to whom they should be strongly affected. I write unto you, little children ; or babes in Christ, such as were newborn babes, just born again, not able to go alone, or walk by faith, but were dandled on the knee, and lay at the breasts of divine consolation: could speak but stammeringly, and not plain, it being as much as they could do to say Abba, Father. To these the apostle writes, and urges the new commandment of love, for this reason, because ye have known the Father : the Father of Christ, and him, as their Father in Christ, under the witnessings of the spirit of adoption; so as, in some good measure, to hope and believe he was their Father, and to love, honour, and obey him as such, to apply to him for whatever they stood in need of, and always to put themselves under his care and protection: and a consideration of this their relation to him, and interest in him, is a strong and prevailing argument why they should not only love him, their Father, and Christ, who is begotten of him, but also all the saints, who are the children of this their Father, and their brethren; and very aptly does the apostle mention their knowledge of the Father as suitable to their age and character, it being one of the first and most necessary things for a child to know.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 12-14 - As Christians have their peculiar states, so they have peculiar duties but there are precepts and obedience common to all, particularly mutua love, and contempt of the world. The youngest sincere disciple i pardoned: the communion of saints is attended with the forgiveness of sins. Those of the longest standing in Christ's school need furthe advice and instruction. Even fathers must be written unto, and preache unto; none are too old to learn. But especially young men in Chris Jesus, though they are arrived at strength of spirit and sound sense and have successfully resisted first trials and temptations, breakin off bad habits and connexions, and entered in at the strait gate of true conversion. The different descriptions of Christians are agai addressed. Children in Christ know that God is their Father; it is wisdom. Those advanced believers, who know Him that was from the beginning, before this world was made, may well be led thereby to giv up this world. It will be the glory of young persons to be strong in Christ, and his grace. By the word of God they overcome the wicked one.
Greek Textus Receptus
γραφω 1125 5719 υμιν 5213 πατερες 3962 οτι 3754 εγνωκατε 1097 5758 τον 3588 απ 575 αρχης 746 γραφω 1125 5719 υμιν 5213 νεανισκοι 3495 οτι 3754 νενικηκατε 3528 5758 τον 3588 πονηρον 4190 γραφω 1125 5719 υμιν 5213 παιδια 3813 οτι 3754 εγνωκατε 1097 5758 τον 3588 πατερα 3962
Vincent's NT Word Studies
13. Fathers. Indicating age and authority.
Have known (egnwkate) Rev., correctly, ye know. Knowledge is the characteristic of fathers; knowledge as the fruit of experience. Ye have perceived, therefore ye know.
Have overcome (nenikhkate). Compare John xvi. 33. The image is characteristic of Revelation and First Epistle. See Apoc. ii. 7, 11, 17, 26; xii. 11; xxi. 7; 1 John ii. 14; iv. 4; v. 4, 5.
The evil one (ton ponhron). See on wickedness, Mark vii. 22; evils, Luke iii. 19; evil spirits, Luke vii. 21. The prince of darkness is styled by John oJ diabolov the false accuser (John viii. 44; xiii. 2; 1 John iii. 8, 10. See on Matt. iv. 1): oJ Satanav Satan, the adversary (John xiii. 27; compare oJ kathgwr the accuser, properly, in court, Apoc. xii. 10): oJ ponhrov the evil one (John xvii. 15; 1 John ii. 13, 14; iii. 12; v. 18, 19): oJ arcwn tou kosmou toutou the ruler of this world (John xii. 31; xiv. 30; xvi. 11). Note the abrupt introduction of the word here, as indicating something familiar. I have written (egraya). Or, strictly, I wrote. Compare I write (vv. 12, 13), and note the change of tense. The past tense, I wrote, does not refer to some previous writing, as the Gospel, but, like the present, to this Epistle. The present, I write, refers to the immediate act of writing: the aorist is the epistolary aorist, by which the writer places himself at the reader's stand-point, regarding the writing as past. See on 1 Pet. v. 12. I write, therefore, refers to the Apostle's immediate act of writing; I have written, or I wrote, to the reader's act of reading the completed writing.
Little children (paidia). Compare teknia little children (ver. 1), which emphasizes the idea of kinship, while this word emphasizes the idea of subordination and consequent discipline. Hence it is the more appropriate word when spoken from the stand-point of authority rather than of affection.
Ye have known (egnwkate). Rev., correctly, ye known.
The Father. In His rightful authority, as a Father over little children.
