1 John 2:12

“I write unto you, little children, &c.] 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 (<620201>1 John 2:1); and a different one from that which is rendered little children in (<620213>1 John 2:13); and besides, the following blessing of pardon of sin is common to all the children of God of different ages: now what the apostle says he writes unto them, intends not the epistle in general, but the new commandment of love in particular; and which he urges and enforces on them all, for this reason, because your sins are forgiven you for his name's sake; these little…”

“little children--Greek, "little sons," or "dear sons and daughters"; not the same Greek as in Jo1 2:13, "little children," "infants" (in age and standing). He calls ALL to whom he writes, "little sons" (Jo1 2:1, Greek; Jo1 2:28; Jo1 3:18; Jo1 4:4; Jo1 5:21); but only in Jo1 2:13, Jo1 2:18 he uses the term "little children," or "infants." Our Lord, whose Spirit John so deeply drank into, used to His disciples (Joh 13:33) the term "little sons," or dear sons and daughters; but in Joh 21:5, "little children." It is an undesigned coincidence with the Epistle here, that in John's Gospel somewhat similarly the classification, "lambs, sheep, sheep," occurs. are forgiven--"have been, and are…”

“I write unto you, little children - There has been much difference of opinion among commentators in regard to this verse and the three following verses, on account of their apparent tautology. Even Doddridge supposes that considerable error has here crept into the text, and that a portion of these verses should be omitted in order to avoid the repetition. But there is no authority for omitting any portion of the text, and the passage is very much in accordance with the general style of the apostle John. The author of this Epistle was evidently accustomed to express his thoughts in a great variety of ways, having even the appearance of tautology, that the exact idea might be before his…”

“I have written to you, beloved children - Thus St. John bespeaks all to whom he writes. But in Jo1 2:13-27, he divides them particularly into "fathers," "young men," and "little children." Because your sins are forgiven you - As if he had said, This is the sum of what I have now written. He then proceeds to other things, which are built upon this foundation. 1 John 2:13”

“2:12-14 John gives three classes of believers at various stages of spiritual maturity: God’s children, the young in the faith (literally young people), and the mature in the faith (literally fathers).”

“write: Jo1 2:7, Jo1 2:13, Jo1 2:14, Jo1 2:21, Jo1 1:4 little: Jo1 2:1 your: Jo1 1:7, Jo1 1:9; Psa 32:1, Psa 32:2; Luk 5:20, Luk 7:47-50, Luk 24:47; Act 4:12, Act 10:43, Act 13:38; Rom 4:6, Rom 4:7; Eph 1:7; Col 1:14 for: Psa 25:11, Psa 106:8; Jer 14:7; Eph 4:32 1 John 2:13”