Suddenly, a poem
I am writing to you, little children,
because your sins are forgiven for his name’s sake.
I am writing to you, fathers,
because you know him who is from the beginning.
I am writing to you, young men,
because you have overcome the evil one.
I write to you, children,
because you know the Father.
I write to you, fathers,
because you know him who is from the beginning.
I write to you, young men,
because you are strong,
and the word of God abides in you,
and you have overcome the evil one.
1 John 2:12-14 (ESV)
Up to this point, John lovingly warned his readers against the consequences of disobedience with a reminder of Jesus’s perfect propitiation. He contrasted the work of obedience as a demonstration of faith with the work of salvation, which only Jesus accomplished. Although offered in fatherly love, the words sounded heavy and some listeners may have felt weary or weak in their fight against false teaching and oppression. To mitigate any anxiety about walking in the light with confidence, John inserted a poem of five couplets (two lines) and one quatrain (four lines).
In ancient Greece, poetry typically took one of two forms: Epic and Lyric. Epic poems like the Odyssey told stories of great heroes overcoming impossible odds. These poems were rarely written down, which is why few remnants from antiquity exist. The oral tradition allowed everyone, from small children to the elderly, to participate in the story. Similarly, ancient Hebrew poetry was accessible to all, ensuring everyone knew the stories of prophets, kings, and judges. This tradition continues today, especially during feast days such as Purim (Esther), Passover (Exodus), and Sukkot (Leviticus 23).
Lyric poetry, on the other hand, serves a different purpose. Today, we are more familiar with lyric poetry than epics, primarily because we sing or listen to songs with lyrics that tell a story, ask a question, offer thoughts, or express emotions. These lyrics are poetry; they don’t always rhyme but have a meter or rhythm. Some meters help us wind down or focus, while others compel us to clap or dance. John’s lyricism contains a meter that is easy to feel, even in translation.
Lyric poetry also features repetition, making it easy to memorize. John used repetition in this poem so the listeners might recall the encouragement John offered as he continued to instruct them about the dangers of false teachers and the darkness they lived in. John began each stanza (couplets and quatrain) with the same five words: “I am writing to you.” He also wrote to each specific audience (little children, fathers, and young men) three times. The cycle of repetitions made the poem meaningful to each group, but also unified the theme of the whole poem: You already walk in the Light.
The little children to whom John wrote may have included actual young people, but primarily referred to new believers. The Christian life, then and now, is a process of growth as people learn and work through the growing pains of sanctification. Jesus promised trouble (Matthew 6:34) and trials (John 16:33) for every person living in this fallen world. New Christ-followers experience joy at the moment they understand that Jesus took on the eternal punishment for their sins, but the earthy, natural consequences remain, along with the struggle under evil governments, corrupt leaders, and oppression. The little children of the faith need to remember only two things: their sins are forgiven for Jesus’ sake and they already know the Father who loves them. Two affirmations in two couplets directed specifically to new believers are sufficient.
From little children, John turned to the fathers of the faith. Not literally fathers, necessarily, but the men and women who had already suffered for their faith and come through the other side resilient and wise. John encouraged these believers by pointing out the depth of their faith and the fulness of their sanctification. Because they had suffered for Jesus, they reflected the righteousness of God by living by faith (Romans 1:7; Hebrews 11). Significantly, the two couplets directed toward the fathers are identical, a double affirmation that they know him whom they believed and are convinced that he is able to guard what the Creator entrusted to them (1 Timothy 1:12).
John composed one couplet and a quatrain to the young men whose faith was secure, but who lived in the battle zone of the evil one. These were the people on active duty, on the front lines of the war against false teachers and secularization. Earlier in the letter, John wrote that “the darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining” (1 John 2:8), but in the middle of a conquering nation’s government outside the church and rebellion against the sufficiency of Jesus with, sometimes that light might be hard to recognize. John twice encouraged them that they had already overcome the evil one by trusting Jesus. In the final quatrain, he also affirmed that they were strong and filled with the word of God. They knew the truth and the source of their strength, but needed to lean into what they understood as they continued to teach and lead believers toward the glory of God.
In our current social, economic, and political climate, we too need to sing or recite John’s poem when we grow weary of the fight. Outside the church forces of secularism and little gods demand submission to government and ideology. Inside the church people claiming to be Jesus followers insist on teachings and policies that align with their preferences rather than aligning to the greatest commandments: Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind, and love your neighbor as yourself (Matthew 22:36-40). When a pastor has to edit his sermons to avoid a deluge of emails from unhappy parishioners, there is a heart-problem in the congregation. The “young men” in the church, whether they are teachers, pastors, or lay people must persevere to preserve unity in the Body of Christ in spite of the spirit of division that is just as much a false teaching as what the Ephesians faced.
John’s poem is as much for Christians today as it was in the first century. Twenty-first century believers need to remember that the Christian life may be hard sometimes, but always simple: our sins are forgiven and we can know the Father, we are strong because we have the word (and the Living Word)and the evil one is already overcome, and as we mature, we know more and more him who is from the beginning: Jesus.
Resources
The ESV Bible. Crossway, 2001, www.esv.org/.
“Lyric Poetry.” Academy of American Poets, https://poets.org/glossary/lyric-poetry. Accessed 23 July 2024.
Nagy, Gregory. Pindar’s Homer: The Lyric Possession of an Epic Past. Harvard University Press, 1990. http://nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:hul.ebook:CHS_Nagy.Pindars_Homer.1990. Accessed 21 July 2024.
Stott, John R.W. The Letters of John. Tyndale New Testament Commentaries, vol. 19, InterVarsity Press, 1964, 1988.
Defaulting to Grace 