Exegesis of 1 John 1:9

By Pastor Dave Farmer

Exegesis in support of Expanded Translation

Numbers in brackets [ ] refer to Strong's numbering system whereby Greek words are assigned a number for easy lookup. Those who study the Scripture from the original languages are familiar with this type of lexicon.

1 John 1:9

If we [inclusive use of we ¹] confess [acknowledge] our sins [personal sins] then, He [God the Father] is faithful [He always does it because He is immutable] and just, with the result that he will forgive us our sins [sins that we are aware of], and He will cleanse us from all unrighteousness [sins we are not aware of, unknown and forgotten].

RESTORATION TO FELLOWSHIP

If our sins are the cause of our loss of temporal fellowship, then how do we get back into the circle of fellowship ²? Based upon the work of the Lord Jesus Christ on the cross, our Heavenly Father graciously provides a way for our restoration. It would be good to review the Fellowship Illustration in the Reference Section of this site so that you can visualize these concepts.

Confessing Our Sins

9a] ἐὰν ὁμολογῶμεν τὰς ἁμαρτίας ἡμῶν - "If we [inclusive use of we] confess our sins [personal sins]."

We begin the protasis³ of a third-class conditional sentence with the conditional conjunction EAN [ἐὰν – #1437], meaning IF. Next is the present active subjunctive of HOMOLOGEO [ὁμολογῶμεν – #3670] which means TO CONFESS, TO ACKNOWLEDGE, TO CITE (AS IN A TRIAL FOR YOUR SIDE), TO ADMIT TO A CHARGE, TO MAKE A CONFESSION OF GUILT.

The customary present tense denotes what happens habitually. The verbal idea is that a lifelong pattern is learned so that when we sin, we automatically turn to God and acknowledge our sin to Him. The active voice depicts the subject producing the action of the verb. When we sin, we are responsible for confessing that sin to God. The mood of the verb “confess” is subjunctive, the second largest of the four Greek moods. ⁴ This mood is characterized by four concepts: potentiality, volitional, contingency, and futurity. ⁵ In the third-class conditions, the idea of volition is very strong. The apodosis of forgiveness and cleansing is dependent upon the believer's confessing their sin. It is the nature of the subjunctive to emphasize the person's volition. So, maybe they will decide to confess their sin, or perhaps they will choose to cover it up. It will be their choice.

Following the verb, we have the direct object, the articular accusative plural of HARMATIA [τὰς ἁμαρτίας– #266], connoting SINS. The plural refers to personal sins in all three categories, sins of the tongue, mental attitude, and overt. Next is a possessive genitive from the first-person pronoun EGO [ἡμῶν - #2257], meaning OUR SINS. You are to acknowledge your sins to the Father, not someone else's.

The Character of God

9b] πιστός ἐστιν καὶ δίκαιος - [then] He [God the Father] is faithful and just.

The apodosis of the conditional sentence is marked out by adding the word [then], which is understood in the Greek. ⁶ Following the English word order, we have the verb, the present active indicative of EIMI [ἐστιν - #2076]. The static present connotes a condition that always exists. He is, always has been, and will always be in character faithful and just. He is, and always has been, and will always treat confessed sin in this manner. In the indicative mood, the statement is one of fact, a dogmatic statement of Bible Doctrine. The change from the subjunctive mood, when believers are the subject, to the indicative mood must not go unnoticed. What is the difference? We are uncertain what believers will do when they sin, but we are absolutely certain what God will do when that believer confesses his sin.

Next, we have two predicate adjectives describing the divine attributes of immutability and Justice. The first word is the anarthrous nominative singular of PISTIS [πιστός – #4103]. In this type of construction, [ no article], it denotes the quality of being FAITHFUL and RELIABLE. The second word is the anarthrous nominative singular of DIKAIOS [δίκαιος - #1342]. This word connotes the quality of being JUST.

9c] ἵνα ἀφῇ ἡμῖν τὰς ἁμαρτίας – "with the result that He will forgive us our sins."

The First Result

We start this segment with a result clause beginning with the conjunction HINA [ἵνα – #2443]. HINA is a conjunction used "as a substitute for the infinitive of result when the result follows the purpose of God." ⁷ We translate it "WITH THE RESULT THAT." With this, we have the aorist active subjunctive of the verb APHEIMI [ἀφῇ – #863], meaning TO CANCEL, TO PARDON, TO FORGIVE, WITH THE RESULT THAT HE WILL FORGIVE. The gnomic aorist is used when the truth conveyed is fixed in its certainty. It presents a fact, and the truth expressed is timeless. The subject is God the Father, and He does the forgiving. This occurs when the believer cites their sin to the Father, and in every case without fail, the Father forgives that believer. Gnomic Aorists are translated using the English present.

The subjunctive mood also connotes contingency, one of four of its main characteristics. The concept of contingency is this, "if A, then B." When the condition of the protasis is fulfilled, the apodosis comes to pass.

Then we have the articular accusative plural direct object from HARMARTIA [τὰς ἁμαρτίας – #266], translated THE SINS. The definite article is used as a possessive pronoun making this "OUR SINS," not someone else's. We also have the dative plural indirect object from EGO [ἡμῖν – #2254], meaning US. The indirect object is a dative of advantage. There is great advantage TO US in having our sins forgiven.

Regarding the noun, HARMARTIA is utilized 171 times in the Greek New Testament, and one of its underlying meanings is "a falling short or missing the mark." It was used for an archer whose arrow fell short of the target. In the Scripture, it connotes a failure to live up to God's standard. This standard is fixed for it emanates from His perfect character, "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory [the perfect character] of God," Romans 3:23.

The Second Result

9d]. καὶ καθαρίσῃ ἡμᾶς ἀπὸ πάσης ἀδικίας – "and He will cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

We begin this clause with the connective use of the conjunction KAI [καὶ - #2532], meaning AND. This indicates that a second result follows. The aorist active subjunctive of KATHARIZO [καθαρίσῃ - #2511], rendered TO CLEANSE, TO PURIFY. The verbal idea to cleanse follows the same pattern as to forgive. The Gnomic Aorist is used to describe what happens when the instruction in the protasis, we acknowledge our sin, is obeyed. It is Gnomic; therefore, it happens this way all the time. The confessed sin is forgiven, AND at the same time, cleansing from all sin occurs. The active voice points to our Heavenly Father's work. He graciously does the work of cleansing. He does for us what we cannot do for ourselves. The accusative plural of EGO [ ἡμᾶς - #2254] functions as the direct object. The direct object tells us who receives the benefit of cleansing.

This cleansing is further explained by the prepositional phrase that trails. The preposition is APO [ἀπὸ - #575], and in the ablative, it is translated FROM. With this, is the ablative singular of the adjective PAS [πάσης - #3956], meaning ALL. Then the object of the preposition, the ablative singular noun ADEKIA [ἀδικίας – #93], meaning UNRIGHTEOUSNESS, OR WRONGDOING.

ADEKIA is a feminine noun employed 25 times in the Greek New Testament, a synonym of HARMARTIA. It is a general term that means acting against God's will. Vine says, "wrong done to persons." ⁸ In this passage, the wrong is done to God. It is a failure to adhere to the Will of God. The Father not only forgives the sin confessed but also washes all the wrongdoing around it. You cannot confess to God a sin you do not know. So how are unknown sins in the life cleansed? All sin includes the one you confess [known sin] and all that is unknown, forgotten, or because you are too spiritually immature to know that you have sinned, is washed away.

________

ENDNOTES

¹ See explanation of the first-person plural in Exegesis of 1 John 1:6 footnote four.

² The Fellowship Illustrations can be found here. Click Here.

³ When the subjunctive mood follows this conjunction, it signals the introduction of a third-class condition. In a conditional sentence, there are two parts. The IF clause is called the protasis, which means standing before. It makes a statement, lays down a premise, or states a condition. This is followed by the THEN clause called the apodosis, which means giving back. It says whenever the condition of the protasis exists, we can expect the condition of the apodosis to be fulfilled. Statistically, there are approximately 328 third-class conditions, 324 are introduced by EAN or AN. J. L. Boyer, "The Classification of Subjunctives: A Statistical Study," GTJ 7:1 (Spr 86).

⁴ Wallace gives these figures as “Mood Frequencies in the NT,” the indicative 15,618; subjunctive 1858; imperative 1631; optative 98 times. Wallace, D. B. (1996). Greek Grammar beyond the Basics: An Exegetical Syntax of the New Testament (p. 447). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.

⁵ Characteristics of the Subjunctive Mood

1. Potentiality - which is the ability to develop or come into existence. Subjunctive forms of verbs are typically used to express various states of action that have not yet occurred.

2. Volitive - relates the verbal action to the will as in the Hortatory Subjunctive and the Aorist Prohibitive Subjunctive. As volitive, it indicates the desires, wishes, and will of the subject.

3. Contingency - depending on something else that might or might not happen. It depends on any number of factors.

4. Futurity - the quality of being or happening in the future.

The general idea of the subjunctive mood lies in its portrayal of the action of the verb as future. It is the “not yet” mood. [Boyer]

⁶ Grammaticalization means "the changes that take place when you translate one language into another." In the NASB italics are used in the text to indicate words that are not found in the original Hebrew, Aramaic, or Greek but implied by it.

⁷ HINA is often used to introduce a purpose clause, rarely a result clause. Here is one of those rare occasions. According to Boyer's statistical analysis of HINA, found 405 times in the Greek New Testament, only four verses are true result clauses. He notes that in twelve instances, "I have considered the matter undecided, although I would lean toward their being result. [The Classification of Subjunctives: A Statistical Study (1986). Grace Theological Journal, 7, 8.]."

Boyer says:

For example, 1 John 1:9 (πιστός ἐστιν καὶ δίκαιος ἵνα ἀφῇ ἡμῖν /'He is faithful and righteous to forgive') should be understood so that the ἵνα clause is epexegetic to the two adjectives. It is not a purpose clause—forgiveness is not the purpose for which God is faithful and just. To see it as a result would be clearer ("so that He will…"). J. L. Boyer (1986). Grace Theological Journal, 7, 16.

⁸ Vine, W.E., and F.F. Bruce. Vine's Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words. Old Tappan NJ: Revell, 1981.