The Meaning of 1 John 2:21 Explained

1 John 2:21

KJV: I have not written unto you because ye know not the truth, but because ye know it, and that no lie is of the truth.

YLT: I did not write to you because ye have not known the truth, but because ye have known it, and because no lie is of the truth.

Darby: I have not written to you because ye do not know the truth, but because ye know it, and that no lie is of the truth.

ASV: I have not written unto you because ye know not the truth, but because ye know it, and because no lie is of the truth.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

I have  not  written  unto you  because  ye know  not  the truth,  but  because  ye know  it,  and  that  no  lie  is  of  the truth. 

What does 1 John 2:21 Mean?

Context Summary

1 John 2:18-29 - Loyalty To Truth
The Holy One is surely the risen Savior, who has passed into the heavens, whence He bestows the Holy Spirit as a sacred chrism on meek and trustful souls. We can say with the psalmist, "Thou anointest my head with oil." Let us seek fresh anointing. "I shall be anointed with fresh oil," Psalms 92:10. Whenever we attempt to do God's work, we should be able to say, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, and He hath anointed me." The anointed soul understands things hidden from the wise and prudent, 1 John 2:27.
We must hold the Word of Christ by perpetual reiteration and meditation; only so shall we be able to abide in Him. This abiding life involves not merely that we shall work for God, but that God will work through us. The abiding branch bears much fruit, because the energy of the vine is set free to work its will through its yielded channels. A life of abiding communion with Christ will never be ashamed in this or in any other world. [source]

Chapter Summary: 1 John 2

1  He comforts them against the sins of infirmity
3  Rightly to know God is to keep his commandments;
9  to love our brothers;
15  and not to love the world
18  We must beware of antichrists;
20  from whose deceits the godly are safe, preserved by perseverance in faith, and holiness of life

Greek Commentary for 1 John 2:21

I have not written [ουκ εγραπσα]
Not epistolary aorist (1 John 2:14), but a reference to what he has just said. [source]
And because no lie is of the truth [και οτι παν πσευδος εκ της αλητειας ουκ εστιν]
Not certain whether οτι — hoti here is causal (because) or declarative (that). Either makes sense. Note the idiomatic use of εκ — ek and πανουκουδεν — pān- ouk = ouden (no) as in 1 John 2:19. [source]
I have not written [οὐκ ἔγραψα]
Or, I wrote not. See on 1 John 2:13. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for 1 John 2:21

2 Peter 1:20 No prophecy of Scripture [πασα προπητεια ου]
Like the Hebrew γινεται — lȯkōl but also in the papyri as in 1 John 2:21 (Robertson, Grammar, p. 753).Is (εστιν — ginetai). Rather “comes,” “springs” (Alford), not “is” (ιδιας επιλυσεως — estin).Of private interpretation Ablative case of origin or source in the predicate as with του τεου — gnōmēs in Acts 20:3 and with εχ ημων — tou theou and επιλυσις — ex hēmōn in 2 Corinthians 4:7. “No prophecy of Scripture comes out of private disclosure,” not “of private interpretation.” The usual meaning of επιλυω — epilusis is explanation, but the word does not occur elsewhere in the N.T. It occurs in the papyri in the sense of solution and even of discharge of a debt. Spitta urges “dissolved” as the idea here. The verb epiluō to unloose, to untie, to release, occurs twice in the N.T., once (Mark 4:34) where it can mean “disclose” about parables, the other (Acts 19:39) where it means to decide. It is the prophet‘s grasp of the prophecy, not that of the readers that is here presented, as the next verse shows. [source]
1 John 3:5 Ye know []
John's characteristic appeal to Christian knowledge. Compare 1 John 2:20, 1 John 2:21; 1 John 4:2, 1 John 4:14, 1 John 4:16; 1 John 5:15, 1 John 5:18; 3 John 1:12. [source]
1 John 1:8 The truth []
The whole Gospel. All reality is in God. He is the only true God ( ἀληθινός John 17:3; see on John 1:9). This reality is incarnated in Christ, the Word of God, “the very image of His substance,” and in His message to men. This message is the truth, a title not found in the Synoptists, Acts, or Revelation, but in the Catholic Epistles (James 5:19; 1 Peter 1:22; 2 Peter 2:2), and in Paul (2 Corinthians 8:8; Ephesians 1:13, etc.). It is especially characteristic of the Gospel and Epistles of John. The truth is represented by John objectively and subjectively. 1. Objectively. In the person of Christ. He is the Truth, the perfect revelation of God (John 1:18; John 14:6). His manhood is true to the absolute law of right, which is the law of love, and is, therefore, our perfect pattern of manhood. -DIVIDER-
-DIVIDER-
Truth, absolutely existing in and identified with God, was also, in some measure, diffused in the world. The Word was in the world, before as after the incarnation (John 1:10. See on John 1:4, John 1:5). Christ often treats the truth as something to which He came to bear witness, and which it was His mission to develop into clearer recognition and expression (John 18:37). This He did through the embodiment of truth in His own person (John 1:14, John 1:17; John 14:6), and by His teaching (John 8:40; John 17:17); and His work is carried out by the Spirit of Truth (John 16:13), sent by God and by Christ himself (John 14:26; John 16:7). Hence the Spirit, even as Christ, is the Truth (1 John 5:6). The whole sum of the knowledge of Christ and of the Spirit, is the Truth (1 John 2:21; 2 John 1:1). This truth can be recognized, apprehended, and appropriated by man, and can be also rejected by him (John 8:32; 1 John 2:21; John 8:44). -DIVIDER-
-DIVIDER-
2. Subjectively. The truth is lodged in man by the Spirit, and communicated to his spirit (John 14:17; John 15:26; John 16:13). It dwells in man (1 John 1:8; 1 John 2:4; 2 John 1:2), as revelation, comfort, guidance, enlightenment, conviction, impulse, inspiration, knowledge. It is the spirit of truth as opposed to the spirit of error (1 John 4:6). It translates itself into act. God's true children do the truth (John 3:21; 1 John 1:6). It brings sanctification and freedom (John 8:32; John 17:17). See on John 14:6, John 14:17. -DIVIDER-
-DIVIDER-
[source]

1 John 2:19 For if they had been of us [ει γαρ εχ ημων ησαν]
Condition of second class with ει — ei and imperfect tense (no aorist for ειμι — eimi).They would have continued (μεμενηκεισαν αν — memenēkeisan an). Past perfect of μενω — menō to remain, without augment, with αν — an in apodosis of second-class condition.With us In fellowship, for which see μετα — meta in 1 John 1:3. They had lost the inner fellowship and then apparently voluntarily broke the outward.But they went (αλλ — all'). Ellipsis of the verb εχηλταν — exēlthan above, a common habit (ellipse) in John s Gospel (John 1:8; John 9:3; John 13:18; John 15:25).That they might be made manifest Purpose clause with ινα — hina and the first aorist passive subjunctive of πανεροω — phaneroō for which verb see John 21:1; Colossians 3:4. See 2 Corinthians 3:3 for the personal construction with οτι — hoti as here.They all are not (ουκ εισιν παντες — ouk eisin pantes). Not just some, but all, as in 1 John 2:21; 1 John 3:5. These antichrists are thus revealed in their true light. [source]
1 John 2:19 With us [μετ ημων]
In fellowship, for which see μετα — meta in 1 John 1:3. They had lost the inner fellowship and then apparently voluntarily broke the outward.But they went (αλλ — all'). Ellipsis of the verb εχηλταν — exēlthan above, a common habit (ellipse) in John s Gospel (John 1:8; John 9:3; John 13:18; John 15:25).That they might be made manifest Purpose clause with ινα — hina and the first aorist passive subjunctive of πανεροω — phaneroō for which verb see John 21:1; Colossians 3:4. See 2 Corinthians 3:3 for the personal construction with οτι — hoti as here.They all are not (ουκ εισιν παντες — ouk eisin pantes). Not just some, but all, as in 1 John 2:21; 1 John 3:5. These antichrists are thus revealed in their true light. [source]
1 John 2:19 That they might be made manifest [ινα πανερωτωσιν]
Purpose clause with ινα — hina and the first aorist passive subjunctive of πανεροω — phaneroō for which verb see John 21:1; Colossians 3:4. See 2 Corinthians 3:3 for the personal construction with οτι — hoti as here.They all are not (ουκ εισιν παντες — ouk eisin pantes). Not just some, but all, as in 1 John 2:21; 1 John 3:5. These antichrists are thus revealed in their true light. [source]
1 John 2:19 They all are not [ουκ εισιν παντες]
Not just some, but all, as in 1 John 2:21; 1 John 3:5. These antichrists are thus revealed in their true light. [source]
1 John 2:22 The liar [ο πσευστης]
The liar (with the article) par excellence. Rhetorical question to sharpen the point made already about lying in 1 John 1:6, 1 John 1:10; 1 John 2:4, 1 John 2:21. See 1 John 5:5 for a like rhetorical question. [source]
1 John 3:15 No [πασου]
According to current Hebraistic idiom = μενουσαν — oudeis as in 1 John 2:19, 1 John 2:21.Abiding (μενω — menousan). Present active feminine accusative predicate participle of menō “a continuous power and a communicated gift” (Westcott). [source]

What do the individual words in 1 John 2:21 mean?

Not I have written to you because you know the truth but it and any lie of the truth is
οὐκ ἔγραψα ὑμῖν ὅτι οἴδατε τὴν ἀλήθειαν ἀλλ’ αὐτήν καὶ πᾶν ψεῦδος ἐκ τῆς ἀληθείας ἔστιν

ἔγραψα  I  have  written 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Active, 1st Person Singular
Root: γράφω 
Sense: to write, with reference to the form of the letters.
ὑμῖν  to  you 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Dative 2nd Person Plural
Root: σύ  
Sense: you.
ὅτι  because 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: ὅτι  
Sense: that, because, since.
οἴδατε  you  know 
Parse: Verb, Perfect Indicative Active, 2nd Person Plural
Root: οἶδα  
Sense: to see.
ἀλήθειαν  truth 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Feminine Singular
Root: ἀλήθεια  
Sense: objectively.
πᾶν  any 
Parse: Adjective, Nominative Neuter Singular
Root: πᾶς  
Sense: individually.
ψεῦδος  lie 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Neuter Singular
Root: ψεῦδος  
Sense: a lie.
ἀληθείας  truth 
Parse: Noun, Genitive Feminine Singular
Root: ἀλήθεια  
Sense: objectively.

What are the major concepts related to 1 John 2:21?

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