Marco Ceccarelli in Logos Search

17 days ago

I must say that I am a little disappointed with All search (AI) because the results are often poor and at least inferior to those I get from Chat GPT. For example, to the question: "Who are the "we," "you," and "they" in 1 John?", the smart search response was: In 1 John, the pronouns "we," "you," and "they" refer to different groups within the early Christian community. "We" likely refers to the apostles or church leaders, including the author[1]. "You" is addressed to the recipients of the letter, presumably members of the early Christian church[1]. "They" appears to refer to those outside the Christian community or those who have left it, possibly false teachers or opponents of the author's teachings[1]. However, it's important to note that the provided articles do not specifically discuss 1 John or these pronouns in detail, so this interpretation is limited and may not fully address the complexities of the epistle's use of these terms. [1] CALVINO, J., Institución de la religión Cristiana (Bellingham, WA 2020) I–III. Chat GPT's response is as follows: In the Epistle of **1 John**, the terms "we," "you," and "they" serve specific roles in the author's communication. These pronouns help identify different groups or audiences addressed or referred to in the text, contributing to its theological and pastoral purpose. ### 1. **"We"** - **Who it refers to**: "We" generally refers to the apostolic community, including the author himself (traditionally understood as the Apostle John) and those who are faithful witnesses to Christ. It emphasizes a shared experience of knowing Christ, the Incarnate Word, and the authoritative testimony of those who have seen, heard, and touched Him (1 John 1:1–3). - **Purpose**: The use of "we" highlights the unity and shared fellowship of the apostolic community with God and Christ. It also lends credibility to the message being shared, as it comes from eyewitnesses of Jesus' life, death, and resurrection. - **Example**: - *"This is the message we have heard from Him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all" (1 John 1:5).* ### 2. **"You"** - **Who it refers to**: "You" refers to the audience of the letter—the recipients, likely a group of believers or Christian communities facing doctrinal confusion and division caused by false teachings. - **Purpose**: The use of "you" personalizes the message, urging readers to hold fast to the truth, abide in love, and remain in fellowship with God. It reinforces the pastoral nature of the letter, as the author seeks to reassure and guide them in their faith. - **Example**: - *"I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin" (1 John 2:1).* ### 3. **"They"** - **Who it refers to**: "They" typically refers to the false teachers and those who have separated from the Christian community, often identified with the early Gnostic or proto-Gnostic heresies. These individuals deny key doctrines about Jesus, such as His incarnation and divinity. - **Purpose**: The contrast between "they" and "you/we" highlights the division between true believers and those who oppose the truth of the gospel. This distinction serves to warn the recipients against the influence of such deceivers. - **Example**: - *"They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us" (1 John 2:19).* ### Summary - **"We"**: The apostolic community bearing authoritative witness. - **"You"**: The faithful believers being addressed. - **"They"**: False teachers and those who reject or distort the truth. This careful delineation helps the epistle emphasize its core messages: fellowship with God, the love of God expressed in Christ, and the distinction between truth and error.