28.7

Dualism in 1 John (Box 28.4)

The fabric of 1 John is imbued with language depicting sharply opposed alternatives; it is always a case of either/or, not both/and.

• light or darkness (1:5–7; 2:8–9)
• truth or falsehood (1:6; 2:4, 21, 27; 4:6)
• church or world (2:15; 3:1, 13; 4:3–5; 5:19)
• life or death (3:14)
• love or hate (4:20)
• children of God or children of the devil (3:8–10)

Ne’er the twain shall meet!