“I am writing to you, fathers, because you have come to know the One who is from the beginning... I have written to you, fathers, because you have come to know the One who is from the beginning...” ‭‭1 John‬ ‭2:13a, 14b‬ ‭HCSB ‬‬

Here in verses 12-14 John is addressing three groups of people; Children, Fathers, and Young Men. I will be addressing each group individually. I have no intention to exclude the Mothers and Young Women but will try to keep the same language that John is using. So, on to the second group.

Fathers

So fathers and mothers are people who have kids. In the spiritual sense, they have led someone to Christ Or found an orphaned young child and are disciplining, training, them into a child of God. They are raising up the second generation for God.  

“You, therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, commit to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.”

‭‭2 Timothy‬ ‭2:1-2‬ ‭HCSB‬‬

https://www.bible.com/72/2ti.2.1-2.hcsb

“The time had come for the Lord to take Elijah up to heaven in a whirlwind. Elijah and Elisha were traveling from Gilgal, and Elijah said to Elisha, “Stay here; the Lord is sending me on to Bethel.” But Elisha replied, “As the Lord lives and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” So they went down to Bethel.”

‭‭2 Kings‬ ‭2:1-2‬ ‭HCSB‬‬

https://www.bible.com/72/2ki.2.1-2.hcsb

In 2 Timothy 2:2, we find Paul talking to his young child in the faith to teach the Gospel to faithful men who will preach the gospel to others as well. Paul is the first Generation and Timothy is the second. Paul became a father through Timothy and a Young man through the people Timothy teaches.

Elijah becomes a father when he starts to train Elisha as a prophet of God. 

So John is writing to these people because they have come to know the One who is from the beginning, God. Parents learn a lot about God when they have kids. Kids have their view of God shaped by their parents. 

I will tell you that you are influencing someone whether you know it or not. And you can influence them toward God or away. If you are influencing them away from God what good is your Christian testimony if your actions don’t make them what God? If you are influencing people toward God what can you do better to better represent God? 

“Therefore, as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, overflowing with gratitude.”

‭‭Colossians‬ ‭2:6-7‬ ‭HCSB‬‬

https://www.bible.com/72/col.2.6-7.hcsb

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to make one proselyte, and when he becomes one, you make him twice as fit for hell as you are!”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭23:15‬ ‭HCSB‬‬

https://www.bible.com/72/mat.23.15.hcsb