[kidfantastic]

Does anyone know why John is talking about these groups of people?!

[Mr. Schwandt]

I think the first question to ask is whether he is talking about literal age group or using the terms for spiritual growth or a types of spiritual relations (e.g., an evangelist could be the spiritual father of someone he led to the Lord.)

I would like to find a number of contextual indicators within John's epistles that would support one of the above. I think they are there but I will hand it off to the next poster to follow up.