First John: 1 John 2:6-The Believer Living Like Christ Experiences Fellowship with Christ
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the one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked. (NASB95)
“He abides in Him” is composed of the following: (1) preposition en (ἐν), “in” (2) dative third person masculine singular form of the intensive personal pronoun autos (αὐτός), “Him” (3) present active infinitive form of the verb menō (μένω), “he abides.”
The verb menō means, “to live” since the word pertains to experiencing fellowship with Jesus Christ and parallels the concept expressed by the verb peripateō which appears in relation to this verb here in .
This verb menō should be translated “live” since this English word reflects more than any other English verb the idea expressed in this verb in .
Thus, I agree with the following translations NIV, NIV84, TNIV, NLT and GW, which all render the word “live.”
By using this verb, John is referring back to the Lord’s vine and the branches metaphor recorded in since the verb appears in , , , , , and 16.
The language of John in where he uses verbs such as tēreō (), menō and the noun entolē (, ) are taken from the language of our Lord in His vine and the branches metaphor, which John recorded in his Gospel.
This metaphor used by the Lord Jesus in illustrates the importance of remaining in fellowship with Him.
The prepositional phrase ἐν τούτῳ, “in Him” that appears 2 times in is clearly alluding to our Lord’s use of the prepositional phrase ἐν ἐμοὶ, “in Me,” which appears 6 times in our Lord’s vine and the branches metaphor in .
However, we must remember that John is not using the vine and the branches metaphor here in .
In the verb menō should be translated “remain” since the Lord is using the analogy of branch “remaining” on a vine in order to bear fruit.
However, here the best translation of the verb in is “live” since it parallels the verb peripateō which speaks of conducting one’s life in a particular manner.
The intensive personal pronoun autos means “Him” referring to the Lord Jesus Christ and is the object of the preposition en which is a marker of association expressing the idea of living in association with or in fellowship with Christ.
“In the same manner” is the adverb kathōs (καθώς), which is employed in a comparative sense in the sense that it is “comparing” the believer’s lifestyle to the lifestyle of the Lord Jesus Christ.
“He walked” is composed of the following: (1) nominative masculine singular form of the demonstrative pronoun ekeinos (ἐκεῖνος), “He” (2) third person singular aorist active indicative form of the verb peripateō (περιπατέω), “walked.”
The demonstrative pronoun ekeinos means “this one” referring of course to Jesus Christ.
The switch to ἐκεῖνος indicates a change in the referent, and a reference to Jesus Christ is confirmed by the verb περιεπάτησεν (periepatēsen), an activity which can only describe Jesus’ earthly life and ministry, the significance of which is one of the points of contention the author has with the opponents. In fact, ἐκεῖνος occurs 6 times in 1 John (2:6; 3:3, 5, 7, 16; and 4:17), and each one refers to Jesus Christ.[1]
The verb peripateō is used in a figurative sense with reference to the lifestyle or conduct of the Lord Jesus Christ during His First Advent and means, “to conduct one’s life.”
“Ought himself to walk” is composed of the following: (1) third person singular present active indicative form of the verb opheilō (ὀφείλω), “ought” (2) conjunction kai (καί), which is not translated (3) nominative third person masculine singular form of the intensive personal pronoun autos (αὐτός), “himself” (4) present active infinitive form of the verb peripateō (περιπατέω), “walked.”
The conjunction kai is “comparative” because it “comparing” the lifestyle or conduct of the believer to the lifestyle or conduct of the Lord Jesus Christ.
The third person masculine singular form of the intensive personal pronoun autos means “himself” and emphasizes the one making the claim of experiencing fellowship with the Lord Jesus Christ.
The verb opheilō means “to owe, to be obligated to, to be under obligation to meet certain requirements” and expresses the fact that every Christian without exception is obligated to conduct their lives obediently to the Father’s will just as Jesus Christ lived His life during His First Advent.
Therefore, this verb expresses the fact that is absolutely necessary or essential that one must live like Christ in order for their claim of experiencing fellowship with Christ to be true.
The present tense of this verb is a gnomic present which expresses an eternal spiritual principle, namely that the one who does say, he is living in fellowship with Him, in the same manner the Lord conducted His life likewise, he himself must “as an eternal spiritual truth, must” conduct his life.
Once again, we have the verb peripateō which this time is used therefore in relation to the conduct or lifestyle of the one making the claim of living in fellowship with Lord Jesus Christ.
The one who at any time does say he is living in fellowship with Him, he must himself also conduct his life in the same manner as this One conducted His life. (My translation)
The assertion in stands in contrast with the assertion in .
In the latter, the apostle John instructs the recipients of this epistle that whoever, at any time, does observe the Word of Christ conscientiously, indeed, in this one, the love for God the Father is accomplished.
He then goes on to say that by means of this obedience, any believer can, at any time confirm that they are existing in the state of being in fellowship with Christ.
This verse is speaking of a hypothetical believer adhering to John’s apostolic teaching.
Now, here in he informs the recipients of this epistle that the one who at any time does say he is living in fellowship with Him, he must himself also conduct his life in the same manner as this One conducted His life.
He is again speaking in this verse of a hypothetical believer.
Therefore, John is teaching in this verse that if a believer makes the claim that they are living their lives in fellowship with Jesus Christ, then they must be conducting their lives in the same manner as Jesus Christ did during His First Advent.
He lived His life in obedience to His Father’s will and conducted His life in perfect obedience to the commands and prohibitions of the Mosaic Law which governed the social, economic, political and religious life of the nation of Israel.
Of course, the gospel of Jesus Christ governs the conduct of the believer during the church age and not the Mosaic Law (cf. ; ).
When the believer conducts their life in the same manner as Jesus Christ did during His First Advent, it manifests the fact that they are obedient to Jesus Christ’s commands which are mentioned in .
It also manifests the fact that they know Jesus Christ experientially which is mentioned three times by John in .
Lastly, it demonstrates that the believer loves the Father which is mentioned in .
Andrew Knowles writes “John isn’t talking about being perfect—he has already said that we aren’t. He is describing the basic direction and desire of our lives—to please God and go his way. This is what Jesus did perfectly, and we have his example to follow.”[2]
This is the third time in this epistle that John has addressed the lifestyle or conduct of the believer.
In verses 6-7, he uses the verb peripateō as he does here in when addressing the lifestyle or conduct of the believer.
We must keep in mind that in , the phrase ἐν αὐτῷ, “in Him” refers to the state of experiencing fellowship with the Lord Jesus Christ by means of obedience to His teaching.
Although John does not employ the noun κοινωνία, “fellowship” here in , this prepositional phrase does refer to fellowship with the Lord Jesus Christ.
Therefore, we must not confuse this prepositional phrase ἐν τούτῳ, “in Him” in with the prepositional phrases “in Him,” “in Christ,” “in Christ Jesus,” “in the Beloved,” which appear in Paul’s epistles since the latter describe something that is permanent and the former something which is dynamic.
These prepositional phrases in Paul’s writings speak of the church age believer’s eternal union and identification with Jesus Christ in His crucifixion, death, burial, resurrection and session at the right hand of the Father.
On the other hand, the prepositional phrase ἐν τούτῳ, “in Him” in refers to fellowship with Jesus Christ, which is a dynamic meaning that this fellowship is lost due to sin but restored through the confession of sin and maintained by obedience to the Word of God.
[1] Biblical Studies Press. (2006). The NET Bible First Edition Notes (). Biblical Studies Press.
[2] Knowles, A. (2001). The Bible guide (1st Augsburg books ed., p. 687). Minneapolis, MN: Augsburg.