05_Biblica_Do_Layout 1 08/07/13 12:57 Pagina 423 05_B 423 peri. o[lou tou/ ko,smou has a universal outlook. The salvific work of Jesus is directed to the whole world, that is, peri. o[lou tou/ ko,smou 35. This being said, it is necessary to address the further question of whether peri. o[lou tou/ ko,smou has anything to do with “the sins” of the world. Against this misconception we now turn to the con- text-based analysis of peri. o[lou tou/ ko,smou. III. Context-critical analysis of peri. o[lou tou/ ko,smou In the absence of th/j or tw/n in 2d, a reinterpretation of the entire verse is necessary. When we examine carefully the structure of v. 2, the syntax of peri. o[lou tou/ ko,smou is not so evident as it is for those who have taken for granted that the phrase has to do with “sin(s)”. In fact, a link with tw/n a`martiw/n (“our sins”) in 2b seems forced and unconvincing. It is necessary, rather, to look beyond the parallel construction ouv mo,non avlla. kai, in 2cd and connect 2d with the main clause in 2a (Graph 1). In so doing, we may discern five issues which demonstrate that peri. o[lou tou/ ko,smou in 2d is linked syntactically and theologically with auvto.j i`lasmo,j evstin in 2a. We first examine whether o` ko,smoj implies ai` a`marti,a. We next look at the reading of ko,smoj with prepositions. We then examine the use of peri, in 1 John. We further analyze the meaning of o[loj in 1 John. Lastly we link the reading peri. o[lou tou/ ko,smou in 2d with i`lasmo,j in 2a. In what follows we will consider these issues. IV. Can o` ko,smoj imply ai` a`marti,ai? Since the compelling issue here is both the insertion and inter- pretation of “the sins” in some translations and commentaries, we must examine the question of whether John means or even implies the concept of “sins” in 2d. We are thus testing a specific usage of kosmoj to see if it implies or is directly related to a`marti,a in 1 John. , We will only consider the occurrences of ko,smoj in 1 John. Not con- sidered is the usage of ko,smoj in other Johannine writings or the rest of the NT (indeed, studies have been done in this regard) 36. G. STRECKER, Die Johannesbriefe (KEK 14; Göttingen 1989) 94. 35 CASSEM, “Grammatical and Contextual Inventory”, 81-91; BRAUN, “Le 36 © Gregorian Biblical Press 2013 - Tutti i diritti riservati