Greek · Lesson 31
Reading: 1 John 1guided first reading
Your first sustained read. 1 John is one of the gentlest stretches of NT Greek — small repeated vocabulary, short clauses, familiar grammar. This lesson is guided reading, not new grammar: work through 1 John 1:1–10 in chunks, each with the Greek text, vocabulary and parsing helps, sentence-flow notes, a plain translation, a short exegetical note, and practice questions. The aim is reading fluency — do not parse every word unless you get stuck.
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By the End of This Lesson
- Read 1 John 1:1–10 in Greek with comprehension, in chunks
- Recognize the chapter’s repeated vocabulary (κοινωνία, φῶς, σκοτία, ἁμαρτία, ἀλήθεια)
- Apply familiar grammar in context: perfects, ἐάν + subjunctive, ὅτι clauses
- Follow the flow of stacked relatives and paired conditions
- Translate the passage and read a short exegetical note without overreading the grammar
- Build reading fluency by re-reading rather than parsing every word
New to Greek? Use the 3-pass path
Pass 1 — UnderstandWatch the overview and read the main explanation. Do not try to master every detail today.
Pass 2 — RecognizeMemorize the main chart or paradigm and do the first trainer sets.
Pass 3 — MasterWork through the reading chunks, vocabulary helps, and practice questions slowly.
Today's minimum
If you are new, this is enough for today.
- Read for flow; don’t parse every word.
- Learn κοινωνία, φῶς, σκοτία, ἁμαρτία, ἀλήθεια.
- Use the helps only when stuck, then re-read.
- Read one or two chunks aloud today.
A five-step reading path
Move from the sentence skeleton to a natural translation. Parse more only when the flow breaks.
1Mark clausesNotice punctuation and connectors.
2Find finite verbsLocate each clause's grammatical engine.
3Find participantsAsk who acts and what receives.
4Add modifiersAttach relatives, participles, and phrases.
5Read againTranslate the thought, then reread aloud.
Follow John's paired conditions
ἐάν + subjunctive opens a condition; the main clause states the corresponding outcome in the argument.
ἐὰν εἴπωμεν … καὶ ἐν τῷ σκότει περιπατῶμεν
If we claim fellowship yet walk in darkness
If we claim fellowship yet walk in darkness
→ψευδόμεθα
claim and conduct conflict
claim and conduct conflict
ἐὰν … ἐν τῷ φωτὶ περιπατῶμεν
If we walk in the light
If we walk in the light
→κοινωνίαν ἔχομεν
fellowship and cleansing follow in the sentence
fellowship and cleansing follow in the sentence
ἐὰν εἴπωμεν ὅτι ἁμαρτίαν οὐκ ἔχομεν
If we say we have no sin
If we say we have no sin
→ἑαυτοὺς πλανῶμεν
we deceive ourselves
we deceive ourselves
ἐὰν ὁμολογῶμεν τὰς ἁμαρτίας
If we confess our sins
If we confess our sins
→πιστός ἐστιν καὶ δίκαιος
God's character grounds forgiveness and cleansing
God's character grounds forgiveness and cleansing
The diagram traces John's syntax and argument; it does not turn every ἐάν clause into a complete theology by itself.
Quick memory board
Spot itκοινωνία · φῶς · σκοτία · ἁμαρτίαRepeated vocabulary reveals the chapter’s conceptual contrasts.
Rememberclause → finite verb → participants → modifiersUse the same reading sequence before consulting the translation.
Avoid the trapre-read before parsing everythingFluency grows when the Greek becomes a connected message.
CoreWhy 1 John Is Good for Beginners
1 John is one of the easiest stretches of Greek prose in the NT — and a perfect first sustained read.
John writes with a small, repeated vocabulary, short clauses, and simple connectives. The same handful of words returns again and again, so a few minutes of vocabulary work pays off across the whole letter. The grammar is mostly things you already know: present indicatives, a few perfects, ἐάν clauses with the subjunctive (Lesson 24), and simple ὅτι clauses (Lesson 30).
This lesson is guided reading, not a new grammar lesson. Work through 1 John 1:1–10 in chunks. For each chunk you get the Greek, vocabulary and parsing helps, a note on how the sentence flows, a plain translation, a short exegetical note, and a couple of practice questions.
💡 How to readDo not parse every word. Read each chunk aloud first, lean on the vocabulary and parsing helps only where you get stuck, then read the chunk again before looking at the translation. Fluency grows by re-reading, not by dissecting every form.
Watch these repeated wordsκοινωνία · φῶς · σκοτία · ἁμαρτία · ἀλήθεια · λέγω · περιπατέω — learn these seven and most of the chapter opens up.
CoreGuided Reading — 1 John 1:1–10
Read each chunk aloud, use the helps as needed, then re-read before checking the translation.
1 John 1:1-2
Ὃ ἦν ἀπ’ ἀρχῆς, ὃ ἀκηκόαμεν, ὃ ἑωράκαμεν τοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς ἡμῶν … περὶ τοῦ λόγου τῆς ζωῆς— καὶ ἡ ζωὴ ἐφανερώθη, καὶ ἑωράκαμεν καὶ μαρτυροῦμεν καὶ ἀπαγγέλλομεν ὑμῖν τὴν ζωὴν τὴν αἰώνιον.
Vocabulary
ὅ "that which" (neut relative) · ἀκηκόαμεν "we have heard" (perf of ἀκούω) · ἑωράκαμεν "we have seen" (perf of ὁράω) · ἐφανερώθη "was revealed" (aor pass of φανερόω) · μαρτυρέω "I testify" · ἀπαγγέλλω "I announce."
Parsing
The perfects ἀκηκόαμεν and ἑωράκαμεν are perfect actives [Lesson 19] — "we have heard / seen." They present the past hearing and seeing as relevant to the present testimony. ἐφανερώθη is aorist passive [Lesson 17] — "the life was revealed."
Sentence flow
Four neuter relatives (ὅ … ὅ … ὅ … ὅ) stack up as objects before the main verbs arrive — John piles up "that which we have heard, seen, beheld" and only later says he announces it. Read the relatives as a list pointing to one thing: the word of life.
Translation
That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes … concerning the word of life — and the life was revealed, and we have seen and testify and announce to you the eternal life.
Exegetical note
The piled-up perfects present the witnesses’ past experience as relevant to their present testimony. The vocabulary of hearing and seeing foregrounds eyewitness contact; the letter’s wider argument develops what that life is.
Practice
1) Parse ἑωράκαμεν. 2) Why is ὅ neuter rather than masculine? 3) What aspect does the perfect contribute here?
1 John 1:3-4
ὃ ἑωράκαμεν καὶ ἀκηκόαμεν ἀπαγγέλλομεν καὶ ὑμῖν, ἵνα καὶ ὑμεῖς κοινωνίαν ἔχητε μεθ’ ἡμῶν· καὶ ἡ κοινωνία δὲ ἡ ἡμετέρα μετὰ τοῦ πατρὸς καὶ μετὰ τοῦ υἱοῦ αὐτοῦ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ· καὶ ταῦτα γράφομεν ἡμεῖς ἵνα ἡ χαρὰ ἡμῶν ᾖ πεπληρωμένη.
Vocabulary
κοινωνία, -ας ἡ "fellowship, sharing" · ἡμέτερος "our" · χαρά, -ᾶς ἡ "joy" · πεπληρωμένη "fulfilled, complete" (perf M/P ptc of πληρόω).
Parsing
ἔχητε is present subjunctive after ἵνα [Lesson 24] — purpose. ᾖ πεπληρωμένη is a periphrastic perfect [Lesson 23] (subjunctive ᾖ of εἰμί + perfect participle) — "may be complete."
Sentence flow
Two ἵνα clauses give the purpose of the writing: "so that you may have fellowship," "so that our joy may be complete." The center of gravity is κοινωνία.
Translation
That which we have seen and heard we announce also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. And these things we write so that our joy may be complete.
Exegetical note
κοινωνία ("fellowship, partnership") is the keyword of the prologue: the goal of the testimony is shared life with the Father and the Son and with one another.
Practice
1) What does ἵνα signal about ἔχητε? 2) Identify the periphrastic perfect. 3) Translate κοινωνία in your own words.
1 John 1:5
Καὶ ἔστιν αὕτη ἡ ἀγγελία ἣν ἀκηκόαμεν ἀπ’ αὐτοῦ καὶ ἀναγγέλλομεν ὑμῖν, ὅτι ὁ θεὸς φῶς ἐστιν καὶ σκοτία ἐν αὐτῷ οὐκ ἔστιν οὐδεμία.
Vocabulary
ἀγγελία, -ας ἡ "message" · φῶς, φωτός τό "light" [3rd decl, Lesson 7] · σκοτία, -ας ἡ "darkness" · οὐδεμία "none, not any" (fem).
Parsing
αὕτη is the near demonstrative "this" [Lesson 8] (note rough breathing — not αὐτή "she"). ὅτι introduces the content of the message [Lesson 30].
Sentence flow
Subject + verb + predicate: ὁ θεὸς φῶς ἐστιν — "God is light." Then the negated counterpart with a double negative (οὐκ … οὐδεμία), which in Greek strengthens the denial.
Translation
And this is the message that we have heard from him and announce to you: that God is light, and in him there is no darkness at all.
Exegetical note
φῶς and σκοτία set up the letter’s central contrast. "God is light" is stated as the heard message; the ethical implications follow in vv. 6–7.
Practice
1) Distinguish αὕτη from αὐτή. 2) What is the force of the double negative οὐκ … οὐδεμία? 3) Parse φῶς.
1 John 1:6-7
ἐὰν εἴπωμεν ὅτι κοινωνίαν ἔχομεν μετ’ αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐν τῷ σκότει περιπατῶμεν, ψευδόμεθα καὶ οὐ ποιοῦμεν τὴν ἀλήθειαν· ἐὰν δὲ ἐν τῷ φωτὶ περιπατῶμεν ὡς αὐτός ἐστιν ἐν τῷ φωτί, κοινωνίαν ἔχομεν μετ’ ἀλλήλων καὶ τὸ αἷμα Ἰησοῦ τοῦ υἱοῦ αὐτοῦ καθαρίζει ἡμᾶς ἀπὸ πάσης ἁμαρτίας.
Vocabulary
περιπατέω "I walk, live" · ψεύδομαι "I lie" (deponent) · ἀλήθεια, -ας ἡ "truth" · αἷμα, -ατος τό "blood" [-μα neuter, Lesson 7] · καθαρίζω "I cleanse."
Parsing
ἐὰν … εἴπωμεν / περιπατῶμεν: ἐάν + subjunctive [Lessons 24, 29] — a future-more-vivid form used here for open, recurring pastoral tests. εἴπωμεν is 2nd-aorist subjunctive of λέγω (stem εἰπ-). καθαρίζει is present active and portrays cleansing in progress in this context.
Sentence flow
Two paired conditions: "if we say … and walk in darkness …" vs "if we walk in the light …". The contrast σκότος / φῶς organizes the whole paragraph.
Translation
If we say that we have fellowship with him and walk in the darkness, we are lying and we are not doing the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.
Exegetical note
Walking (περιπατέω) is John’s metaphor for conduct of life. In this context the present καθαρίζει portrays cleansing in progress; the tense alone does not establish a complete doctrine of atonement.
Practice
1) What kind of condition is ἐὰν … περιπατῶμεν? 2) Parse εἴπωμεν. 3) Why present tense for καθαρίζει?
1 John 1:8-10
ἐὰν εἴπωμεν ὅτι ἁμαρτίαν οὐκ ἔχομεν, ἑαυτοὺς πλανῶμεν καὶ ἡ ἀλήθεια οὐκ ἔστιν ἐν ἡμῖν. ἐὰν ὁμολογῶμεν τὰς ἁμαρτίας ἡμῶν, πιστός ἐστιν καὶ δίκαιος ἵνα ἀφῇ ἡμῖν τὰς ἁμαρτίας καὶ καθαρίσῃ ἡμᾶς ἀπὸ πάσης ἀδικίας. ἐὰν εἴπωμεν ὅτι οὐχ ἡμαρτήκαμεν, ψεύστην ποιοῦμεν αὐτὸν καὶ ὁ λόγος αὐτοῦ οὐκ ἔστιν ἐν ἡμῖν.
Vocabulary
ἁμαρτία, -ας ἡ "sin" · πλανάω "I lead astray; (mid.) I deceive myself" · ὁμολογέω "I confess" · ἀφῇ "he may forgive" (aor subj of ἀφίημι) [μι verb, Lesson 28] · ἡμαρτήκαμεν "we have sinned" (perf of ἁμαρτάνω).
Parsing
Three more ἐάν + subjunctive conditions. ἀφῇ and καθαρίσῃ are aorist subjunctives after ἵνα (purpose/result). ἡμαρτήκαμεν is a perfect — "we have sinned [and stand in that state]."
Sentence flow
The famous v. 9 sits in the middle: condition ("if we confess") + main clause ("he is faithful and just") + ἵνα result ("to forgive … and cleanse"). Read the ἐάν / main-clause pairs as a rhythm.
Translation
If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.
Exegetical note
Verse 9 holds confession and forgiveness together in a single conditional. The grammar lays out the structure; the theology of God’s faithfulness fills it.
Practice
1) Parse ἀφῇ and name its lexical form. 2) What triggers the subjunctives ἀφῇ / καθαρίσῃ? 3) Translate v. 9 cleanly.
ReferenceVocabulary Notes
The seven repeated words of 1 John 1 — learn these first.
| κοινωνία, -ας ἡ | κοινωνίαν | fellowship, sharing, partnership |
| φῶς, φωτός τό | τὸ φῶς | light (3rd decl) |
| σκοτία, -ας ἡ | σκοτίᾳ | darkness |
| ἁμαρτία, -ας ἡ | ἁμαρτίαν | sin |
| ἀλήθεια, -ας ἡ | ἀλήθειαν | truth |
| λέγω | εἴπωμεν | I say (2nd-aor stem εἰπ-) |
| περιπατέω | περιπατῶμεν | I walk, live, conduct myself |
| ὁμολογέω | ὁμολογῶμεν | I confess, acknowledge |
Deep DiveOptional Deep Dive — A Cultural Note — John’s Small Vocabulary, Deep Water
1 John has a famously small vocabulary and simple syntax — and a famously deep subject. The same words (φῶς, ζωή, ἀγάπη, κοινωνία, ἀλήθεια) circle back again and again, like a piece of music returning to a few notes. For a beginning reader this is a gift: a little vocabulary effort unlocks a lot of text.
It also models something about how Greek can work: depth does not require difficulty. John says profound things with ordinary words and plain grammar. Reading him fluently — without stopping to parse every word — is the right first taste of sustained NT Greek.
In summary — what mattered
- 1 John uses a small, repeated vocabulary and simple syntax — ideal for first sustained reading.
- You met mostly familiar grammar: present indicatives, perfects, ἐάν + subjunctive, and ὅτι clauses.
- Key words: κοινωνία, φῶς, σκοτία, ἁμαρτία, ἀλήθεια, περιπατέω.
- Read for flow: use the helps only where stuck, then re-read.
- Grammar lays out the structure (conditions, purpose clauses); the letter’s theology fills it.