the ‘now’ of 2:18, a reminder to John’s readers that they are living in the ‘last hour’, the time of the antichrists and their deceptive teaching (cf 4:3). It also anticipates the ‘now’ of 3:2, the ‘now’ of the readers’ present privilege and experience as ‘children of God’. The familiar phrase ‘dear children’ again reinforces John’s close pastoral relationship with his readers and serves as an added incentive for them to heed the appeal to ‘continue in him’ (2:28). This appeal to ‘continue’ or to