Little Children, Fathers and Young Men (First John 2:12-14)

These three verses are written a little differently than the rest of John's letters. He addresses three specific audience groups. These verses can be broken down into six clauses divided into two sets of three. John uses two verb tenses of grapho (I write).

1. I am writing to you (grapho)
a. children (teknia) because You are forgiven
b. fathers because You know the Lord
c. young men because You have overcome

2. I have written to you (egrapsa)
a. children (paidia) because You know the Father
b. fathers because You know the Lord
c. young men because You are strong, and have overcome

Why did John use "I write" (grapho) in the first 3 and "I have written" (egrapsa) an aorist verb in the last 3? I have written is from John's point of view. I wrote or "I have written" is from the readers' view point. "I write" these matters to you. When you read them your position will be what was written.

What writing is John talking about? This letter, not his gospel account.

What is the meaning of the word "children" in the first clause of each division? Many say it's to all the readers. If that's the case though, why use fathers and young men? This wording by John shows a detailed analysis of his audience. The "children" would be those who recently obeyed the gospel. This is supported by the fact that the reason John addressed them this way is, "because your sins are forgiven you for His name's sake."

Why were teknia used the first time and paidia used the second time? Teknia is the plural of teknion which denotes childhood. Paidia is infancy; literally babies. Used figuratively here it means babes in Christ. The first word reveals they were children. The second that they were infants. (John 3:3-5 and I Peter 2:1-2)

The words fathers and young men...is John talking literally or figuratively? If it's literal then no elderly, non-fathers or women were addressed here. Obviously then all three designations were to three different classes of readers. Children: recent converts, Young men: reached maturity and had strength in the Lord, Fathers: those in Christ the longest and had greater spiritual growth under their belts.