28. little children—Greek, "little sons," as in 1Jo 2:12; believers of every stage and age.
abide in him—Christ. John repeats his monition with a loving appellation, as a father addressing dear children.
when—literally, "if"; the uncertainty is not as to the fact, but the time.
appear—Greek, "be manifested."
we—both writer and readers.
ashamed before him—literally, "from Him"; shrink back from Him ashamed. Contrast "boldness in the day of judgment," 1Jo 4:17; compare 1Jo 3:21; 5:14. In the Apocalypse (written, therefore, Bengel thinks, subsequently), Christ's coming is represented as put off to a greater distance.