05_Biblica_Do_Layout 1 08/07/13 12:57 Pagina 427 05_B 427 peri. o[lou tou/ ko,smou the absence of th/j or tw/n, peri. o[lou tou/ ko,smou is best rendered literally as “concerning the whole world”. Therefore, we can agree with Brown’s conclusion that 1 John 2,2 leans towards the sin-ex- piation concerning the world and speaks as such in its broadest ex- tension 49. Here in 2d the object of peri, is not “the sin” of the world. We should also take into consideration o` ko,smoj o[loj evn tw/| ponhrw/| keitai in 5,19 and o` path.r avpe,stalken to.n ui`o.n swth/ra tou/ ko,smou / in 4,14 (cf. 4,9; John 3,16-17) 50. These texts give the impression that the object of peri, in 2d points to a need for the sin-forgiving “concerning” the world, rather than “the sins” of the world 51. In short, it is syntactically possible to take peri. o[lou tou/ ko,smou in 2d as a sequence of peri. tw/n a`martiw/n h`mw/n in 2b or peri. tw/n h`mete,rwn in 2c. Moreover, it is plausible to regard peri. o[lou tou/ ko,smou as modifying the main clause auvto.j i`lasmo,j evstin in 2a (Graph 1). This suggestion invites us to take a closer look at the usage of ko,smoj with prepositions in 1 John. V. Readings of ko,smoj with prepositions The word ko,smoj in 2d does not appear absolutely 52. It is mod- ified by peri, 53 and o[loj. Thus, it is necessary to examine how in 1 John ko,smoj is used with prepositions. Our task is to observe the meaning or thought pattern where ko,smoj occurs with prepositions. According to the aforementioned uses of ko,smoj in 1 John, we notice four prepositions modifying ko,smoj, with varying connota- tions. First, evn tw|/ ko,smw| occurs in 2,15b (negative); 2,16a (nega- tive); 4,3 (negative); 4,4 (negative); and 4,17 (neutral). Second, evk tou/ ko,smou is used in 2,16b (negative); 4,5a (neutral); and 4,5b (neu- tral). Third, eivj ton ko,smon is employed in 4,1 (negative); and 4,9 . (positive). Finally, peri. [olou] tou/ ko,smou is found in 2,2 (positive). [ Ibid., 124. 49 STRECKER, Johannesbriefe, 94, refers to John 1,29. Cf. BIERINGER, 50 “Lamm Gottes”, 199-232. In 1 John ko,smoj appears for the first time in 2,2d. So without clear ref- 51 erence to what John says about the world, it is not easy to say simply that peri. o[lou tou/ ko,smou refers to “the sins” of the world. For examples and descriptions of how 1 John uses nouns absolutely see 52 MALATESTA, Interiority and Covenant, 27-32. See the chapter on peri, in MURRAY, Prepositions and Theology, 179-183. 53 © Gregorian Biblical Press 2013 - Tutti i diritti riservati