I am writing to you, little children, because your sins are forgiven for his name’s sake.
12 Little children This is still a general declaration, for he does not address those only of a tender age, but by little children he means men of all ages, as in the first verse, and also hereafter. I say this, because interpreters have incorrectly applied the term to children.
This new command of holy love, with the incentives thereto, may possibly be directed to the several ranks of disciples that are here accosted. The several graduates in the Christian university, the catholic church, must be sure to preserve the bond of sacred love.
Commenting on 1 John 2:12-17
I write unto you, little children,.... By whom the apostle means in common all the saints he writes to, whom he afterwards distributes into fathers, young men, and little children; for the same word is used here as in Jo1 2:1; and a different one from that which is rendered little children in Jo1 2:13; and besides, the following blessing of pardon of sin is...