b. ii. 12-28. What Walking in the Light excludes: the Things and Persons to be avoided.
Three-fold Statement of Reasons for Writing (ii. 12-14).
Things to be avoided: the World and Its Ways (ii. 15-17).
Persons to be avoided: Antichrists (B. 18-26).
[Transitional.] The Place of Safety: Christ (ii. 27, 28).
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12. "Little children." This is a title of endearment addressed to all St. John's readers, and not to children in age.
"Your sins are forgiven." The Greek perfect tense implies not repeated forgiveness up to the present hour, but rather the unbroken continuance of a conscious freedom from guilt as the result of pardon.
"His name's sake." The antecedent to "His" is Christ, the thought of whom has been present in the mind of John since the last mention of His name in verse 2, and the last reference to Him in verse 6. His name implies all that is contained in His personality, His sinless example, atoning death, glorious resurrection and mediatorial intercession at the right hand of the Father. They who believe in His name not only assent to Christian truths, but also wholly cast themselves upon His atoning merit for the assured possession of eternal life. The declaration of the purpose of the Gospel in John xx. 31 is, "that believing ye may have life through His name." This corresponds very closely with the purpose of this Epistle, "that ye also may have fellowship with us," i. e., divine fellowship implies divine life.
