First John: 1 John 3:1c-The World Never Recognizes the Child of God Because It Never Recognized the Son of God Lesson # 98
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1 John 3:1 See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. (ESV)
“The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him” is composed of the following: (1) preposition dia (διά), “the reason why” (2) accusative neuter singular form of the demonstrative pronoun houtos (οὗτος), “the reason why” (3) articular nominative masculine singular form of the noun kosmos (κόσμος), “the world” (4) emphatic negative adverb ou (οὔ), “not” (5) third person singular present active indicative form of the verb ginōskō (γινώσκω), “does know” (6) accusative first person plural form of the personal pronoun ego (ἐγώ), “us” (7) conjunction hoti (ὅτι), “that” (8) emphatic negative adverb ou (οὔ), “not” (9) third person singular aorist active indicative form of the verb ginōskō (γινώσκω), “it did know” (10) accusative third person masculine singular form of the intensive personal pronoun autos (αὐτός), “him.”
The preposition dia is a marker of cause denoting the basis or reason why the world does not recognize John and the recipients of this epistle in the sense of discerning that they are children of God.
The immediate demonstrative pronoun houtos could be interpreted as “anaphoric” meaning it is referring to the immediate preceding statement that John and the recipients of this epistle are children of God with the following hoti clause being causal.
Therefore, this would indicate that John and the recipients being children of God is the reason why the world does not recognize them.
It could also be interpreted as “kataphoric” meaning it is referring to the immediate statement which follows it with the hoti clause following being epexegetical.
This would mean that it is explaining the reason why Christians are never recognized as children of God by the world.
This would indicate that the world never at any time recognizes the Christian as a child of God because it never recognized Jesus Christ as God’s Son during His First Advent.
The NET Bible has the following excellent note, they write “Διὰ τοῦτο (dia touto) occurs 15 times in the Gospel of John, and a pattern emerges which is so consistent that it appears to be the key to the usage here. Six times in the Gospel of John (5:16, 18; 8:47; 10:17; 12:18, 39) the phrase refers to what follows, and in each of these instances an epexegetical ὅτι (hoti) clause follows. Nine times in John (1:31, 6:65, 7:21–22, 9:23, 12:27, 13:11, 15:19, 16:15, 19:11) the phrase refers to what precedes, and in none of these instances is it followed by a ὅτι clause. The phrase διὰ τοῦτο is used three times in the Johannine Epistles. In two of these (1 John 4:5, 3 John 10) there is no ὅτι clause following, and so the διὰ τοῦτο should refer to preceding material. Here in 3:1 there is an epexegetical ὅτι clause following, so the διὰ τοῦτο should (unless it is the only exception in the Gospel of John and the Johannine Epistles) refer to what follows, that is, to the ὅτι clause itself. This is indicated by the colon in the translation.”[1]
I am in agreement with the NET Bible and believe that dia touto (διὰ τοῦτο) is “kataphoric” meaning it is referring to the immediate statement which follows it indicating that the world never recognizes the Christian as a child of God because it never recognized Jesus Christ as God’s Son.
The articular form of the noun kosmos means “the world” and refers to the world in its arrangement of the inhabitants of the earth in tribes and nations or peoples (Acts 17:26; John 3:16; 1 Cor. 4:9; 1 John 2:2; 2 Pet. 2:5).
D.L Akin writes “The ‘world’ (kosmos) refers to the evil humanistic system that dominates the society around us, a hostile order that stands in opposition to God. Therefore it only makes natural sense that those in the world do not know (understand, comprehend) those who are born of God. The children of God are radically different from the children of this world.[2]
The first person plural form of the personal pronoun ego means “us” referring to John and the recipients of this epistle and all those who are children of God throughout the world at the time John wrote this epistle.
Therefore, the assertion ho kosmos ou ginōskei hēmas (ὁ κόσμος οὐ γινώσκει ἡμᾶς) is expressing the idea that unregenerate humanity never at any time recognizes that John and the recipients of this epistle are children of God in the sense that they never admit that they are children of God.
Thus, the world never shows any appreciation whatsoever for their status as children of God.
The present tense of this verb ginōskō is a gnomic present which is used in a generic statement to describe something that is true any time rather than a universal statement that is true all the time.
It expresses the idea that the world never “at any time” recognizes the believer’s status as a child of God and thus they never show any appreciation for this status.
The conjunction hoti is employed with the indicative mood of the verb ginōskō, “it did know” in order to form an epexegetical clause.
This would mean that it is introducing a clause which explains or identifies specifically for the reader the reason why the world never at any time exists in the state of recognizing the believer’s status as a child of God nor any appreciation for this status.
The verb ginōskō again means “to recognize the nature of” something or someone since the word pertains to admitting that something or someone is of a particular status and to acknowledge with appreciation this nature and status.
The word’s meaning is emphatically negated by the emphatic negative adverb ou, which expresses an absolute, direct and full negation.
The accusative third person masculine singular form of the intensive personal pronoun autos means “Him” and refers to Jesus Christ and not the Father since the former came to explain the latter to the world and not vice versa (cf. John 1:14-18).
Kruse writes “In context, the ‘him’ whom the world failed to recognise could be interpreted either as God the Father who lavished his love on us and whose children we are (3:1), or as the Son of God whom we shall be like when we see him at his appearing (3:2). The latter interpretation is to be preferred because in the rest of 1 John it is always Jesus Christ come in the flesh whose true identity is in question (2:22–23; 4:2–3; 5:1, 5, 10), never that of the Father. The unequivocal statement of John 1:10 (‘He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognise him [the Word = Jesus Christ]’) is a parallel to our text interpreted along the lines suggested.”[3]
Therefore, the causal clause hoti ouk egnō auton (ὅτι οὐκ ἔγνω αὐτόν) is expressing the fact that the world never recognized Jesus Christ in the sense that it never admitted Him to be God’s Son.
1 John 3:1 I solemnly charge each one of you to carefully consider what kind of love the Father has exercised toward each of us, namely each one of us have been effectually called to be God’s children. Indeed, every one of us are existing in this state. For this reason, the world never at any time recognizes any of us: because it never recognized Him. (My translation)
After issuing the command in 1 John 3:1, the apostle John then presents the reason why the world does not recognize John and the recipients of this epistle in the sense of discerning that they are children of God.
He asserts that the world never recognizes the Christian as a child of God because it never recognized Jesus Christ as God’s Son.
“The world” (kosmos) refers to all of unregenerate humanity who are enslaved to the sin nature and Satan’s cosmic system and are therefore under the wrath or righteous indignation of God if they don’t repent by trusting in Jesus Christ as their Savior.
Therefore, John is teaching that unregenerate humanity never at any time recognizes that John and the recipients of this epistle are children of God in the sense that they never admit that they are children of God because they never recognized the Son of God during His First Advent.
Thus, the world never shows any appreciation whatsoever for their status as children of God because they never showed any appreciation whatsoever Jesus’ status as the eternal Son of God.
I. Howard Marshall writes “Because we are God’s children the world hates us, since it did not recognize him either. In fact the world hates the children of God (3:13), just as it hated Jesus (Jn. 15:18f.), since they do not belong to the world. This very fact is a further proof that the readers are children of God: the way in which the world does not recognize them as being on its side is proof that they belong to God. Thus, this comment, which at first sight may seem irrelevant, has a part to play in strengthening the readers’ assurance. Christians who are persecuted sometimes feel cut off from God because they are in a difficult and unpleasant situation, and they may be tempted to give up their faith; on the contrary, the very fact that they are being persecuted should strengthen their faith since it is an indication that the evil world recognizes that they have passed from death to life.”[4]
Constantine Campbell writes “The disassociation of the world toward God will be paralleled toward His children. Such disassociation constitutes further evidence that believers really are God’s children.”[5]
[1] Biblical Studies Press. (2006). The NET Bible First Edition Notes (1 Jn 3:1). Biblical Studies Press.
[2] Akin, D. L. (2001). 1, 2, 3 John (Vol. 38, p. 134). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.
[3] Kruse, C. G. (2000). The letters of John (pp. 115–116). Grand Rapids, MI; Leicester, England: W.B. Eerdmans Pub.; Apollos.
[4] Marshall, I. Howard, The Epistles of John; The New International Commentary on the New Testament; page 171; William B. Eerdman’s Publishing Company; 1978.
[5] Campbell, Constantine, R., The Story of God Bible Commentary: 1, 2 and 3 John; page 102; Zondervan; 2017