This letter was written by the Apostle John.
The Life: its manifestation and fellowship. 1 John 1.1-4
1John 1:1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life--
“That” corresponds to the “life” in verses one and two. John writes “concerning” this life. The subject is not a “He,” that is Jesus Christ, but the life that was manifested in and through Him. This letter is not a historical account of Christ’s life but is a setting forth of the principles of that “Life” that was in Him.
"It is important to notice that the apostle does not begin with the phrase, 'He who was from the beginning' but 'that which was from the beginning.' The impersonal form is deliberate. To be sure, he is thinking of the Lord Jesus as the one who was heard, seen, looked upon, and handled. But the Person of Christ, per se, is not the theme here. Rather his theme is 'that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested to us' (verse 2). Of course Jesus is 'the true God and eternal life.' (5.20) But the apostle wishes to stress the realities that concern eternal life itself." (Hodges)
“Beginning” starts with the beginning of Christ’s earthly ministry.
Mark 1:1 The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
Acts 1.1 The former account I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach, 2 until the day in which He was taken up, after He through the Holy Spirit had given commandments to the apostles whom He had chosen, 3 to whom He also presented Himself alive after His suffering by many infallible proofs, being seen by them during forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God.
“We” designates those who heard, seen, and handled, being the Apostles: those chosen by Christ to be His official witnesses and messengers. They experienced that Life in the person and works of Christ first hand. It was a real tangible, physical encounter.
“Word of Life” speaks of the “message” about Life. This is the best meaning of the phrase. The Apostles are witnesses and messengers of this Life that was in Christ and which He came to give.
2 the life was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare to you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested to us--
“Manifested” in verse two corresponds with hearing, seeing, and handled. Christ manifested this life in His earthly ministry. The Apostles were qualified to bear witness to it.
“Eternal Life” was “with the Father.” This Life is of the Divine nature. It is a quality of existence, for its origin and nature is in God, contrary to that nature which is of the world, the flesh, and the devil.
The reading about Christ, who is unlike anyone you have ever heard, can convict the non-believer and have a life changing affect on the believer.
2 Corinthians 4. 3 But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, 4 whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them. 5 For we do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your bondservants for Jesus' sake. 6 For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to [give] the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
2 Corinthians 3. 18 But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.
3 that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship [is] with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ.
“Fellowship” is the aim of the Apostles’ declaration. It means to share with another. You have fellowship with another when you share or have something in common. Believers can have fellowship around their common salvation and other important spiritual truths.
Fellowship with the Apostles is indicated here. Though we were not there in time, and did not have their experience of the earthly ministry of Christ, we have the message of the witness of the Apostles concerning eternal Life as manifested in Christ. We can believe in and share in that message with the Apostles. When we share in that message of the apostles, we also have fellowship with the Father and His Son.
2 Peter 1. 3 His divine power has given to us all things that [pertain] to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, 4 by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption [that] [is] in the world through lust.
Colossians 3. 9 Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds, 10 and have put on the new [ man ] who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him
4 And these things we write to you that your [our] joy may be full.
“Our joy full” speaks of the impact on the Apostles [or shepherd-teacher] by those who have believed and continue to walk in the truth. The joy they have will be “full” [complete]. Joy with respect to new believers is incomplete when they fall prey to doctrinal error or fail in spiritual growth or personal conduct. The vast majority of the Greek manuscripts have "our" and not "your" (as in referring to the recipients of the letter).
3 John 1. 4 I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth
Fellowship is in the Light. 1 John 1.5-10
5 This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all.
"Light" and "darkness" obviously refer to character and nature. The light represents good and the darkness evil. But only "light" applies to God. This has been the consistent message of the Scriptures, and there should be no doubt about it.
The statement that God is light points to the revelatory aspect of His being and nature. God reveals Himself in and to His creation, but in doing so He also reveals the wickedness that is found in creation. (Hodges)
Some may have been influenced by the pagan view that the gods often acted on a whim and did immoral things. Paganism had sexual immorality in its ceremonies. Someone once said to me that God is infinitely good and infinitely evil, because God is infinite. I said that is impossible; it is a contradiction.
6 If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.
"Fellowship" is dependent upon our "walk." Just as the readers could have fellowship with the apostles and likewise with God, 1 John 1:3, through the apostles' witness of eternal life, they also have fellowship with God through walking in the light.
To "walk in darkness" is to move in a moral and spiritual sphere from which God is absent. Darkness is the opposite of light.
1 John 3.14b He who does not love [his] brother abides in death.
"If we" indicates both the apostles and the readers of the letter could be guilty of such.
One can say they have fellowship with God while walking in the realm of evil or not being honest about sin, but they are lying. Not practicing the truth simply means not doing the truth.
The complicated aspect of our lives is that we can in some areas of our lives show faith and zeal, and yet be doing something clearly outside the moral will of God. We can say we have fellowship with God, but until we deal with that sin, particularly that which we know we are in, we are lying and out of fellowship with God.
As just an added thought...if we continue to walk in darkness or we are in a constant cycle of confessing a sin and yet keep repeating it, eventually the sin will find us out; that is, we will reap the consequences of it. As Moses warned the tribes of Gad and Reuben, Numbers 32. 23 But if you do not do so, then take note, you have sinned against the Lord; and be sure your sin will find you out.
7 But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.
To "walk in the light" is to walk exposed to what God has revealed about Himself.
Walking in the light can't mean sinless perfection. It is possible to be walking in the light and still yield to the lusts of the flesh, yet if you're walking in the light, you respond by the confession of sin.
"Fellowship with one another" is the result of walking in the light. This "one another" is between the child of God and God.
Walking in the light is being open and honest with God and acknowledging sin as we discover it. The result is fellowship and "the blood of Christ cleanses us from all sin." This means the sin does not hinder our fellowship.
8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
This acknowledgement is that which corresponds with darkness. It is denying sin altogether or a denial of a certain sin. One can be in darkness and know they are sinning, but usually, if one knows they are sinning, they probably won't make claim they are in fellowship with God.
9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us [our] sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Confession is acknowledgement of sin before God. The one who is walking in the light will acknowledge sin when he discovers it. This is not someone who has wandered away from God or has fallen from some spiritual attainment.
Jeremiah 3. 13 Only acknowledge your iniquity, That you have transgressed against the Lord your God.
If one is walking in the light, how can they sin? Because one may give in to the lusts of the flesh or may be ignorant of the sin until God reveals it.
The consequence for the denial of sin is broken fellowship. There isn't any sin that we can't be released from. Acknowledgement maintains or restores fellowship for all sin.
10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.
Such a claim reveals that His word is not in us. It reveals that one is in darkness, out of fellowship with God, not believing God's word and in effect making Him a liar.
1 John 2.1-2
1 My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.
What John has written is not intended to convey that sin is inevitable and therefore taken for granted and should not be resisted. Sin is not to be excused or encouraged.
Walking in the light involves acknowledging sin before God when it is revealed and seeking to take the steps to avoid it.
The Apostle John has presented sin as a serious issue in fellowship with God. One is not to make light of it (as not needing confession), to rationalize it, or deny it. To continue in sin and not be open and honest about it is to walk in the darkness, out of fellowship with God.
Though we are to avoid sin, the reality is that we still do sin. We should by God's help seek not to sin, but when we do fail, the believer has an Advocate before God.
The Advocate is one who appears on behalf of another, and this is speaking of Jesus Christ, who is qualified by His incarnation and righteousness and location with the Father.
This advocacy is not a plea to keep the sinning believer saved, for his salvation is secure. The advocacy has to do with helping the believer not to fail in his faith, not to be devastated by failure that would result in becoming ineffective in service to God.
A good example of this is with Peter.
Luke 22. 31 And the Lord said, "Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift [you] as wheat. 32 "But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to [Me], strengthen your brethren." 33 But he said to Him, "Lord, I am ready to go with You, both to prison and to death." 34 Then He said, "I tell you, Peter, the rooster shall not crow this day before you will deny three times that you know Me."
Christ's intercession anticipates Peter's restoration to fellowship with Him (when you have returned to [Me]) and subsequent effectiveness for service (strengthen your brethren). (Hodges)
14 Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast [our] confession. 15 For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all [points] tempted as [we] [are], [yet] without sin. 16 Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. (Hebrews 4.14-16)
We can therefore conclude that the work of the Lord as he intercedes for His own is directed toward the maintenance of their faith, toward their spiritual recovery, and toward their future usefulness. (Hodges)
Undergirding all of our Lord's intercessory work for us is the foundational truth that He has personally made satisfaction to God [the propitiation] for sin. (Hodges)
Christ's presence before God provides ongoing evidence of the completed satisfaction of Divine justice against all sin...
The point of affirming universal atonement [propitiation or satisfaction] here is that it has a pastoral impact on those John is addressing. Since even in Christians, feelings of guilt often persist after confession is made; satan can use such feelings to make believers wonder if their sin is somehow too serious to merit effective intercession from our advocate with the Father. It is reassuring to be reminded of the universal sufficiency of our Lord's sacrificial work, so that God sees in Him a perfect propitiation for every human being who ever has or ever will live on earth. This includes, of course, the most depraved of sinners...We cannot doubt, therefore, that when we sin, His intercession for us can obtain from the Father all of the mercy and grace which at such times we so greatly need. (Hodges)
See my article on propitiation for a fuller discussion as to its extent and significance.
What we have been looking at is what constitutes fellowship with God and what doesn't. To be in fellowship, one must operate in the sphere in which God is, which is the light. The light is the knowledge of God, and to share in that light is to fellowship with God, requiring one to be open and honest to God in the revelation of that light, confessing sin when it is revealed. To walk contrary to or denying that light, denying sin or not confessing it when it is revealed, is to be in darkness and out of fellowship with God. Sin is serious and should not be taken lightly or denied. When we do sin, we have an advocate in Jesus Christ, who is positioned to help us, and who is vitally concerned about spiritual well-being and effectiveness.
Knowing God is the goal of fellowship 1 John 2.3-11
3 Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments.
Knowing God should be understood in the context of fellowship. The idea of knowing God can speak of a relational knowing, since this is stated in the new covenant as the outcoming of the remission of sins: 34 "No more shall every man teach his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, `Know the Lord,' for they all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them, says the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more." Jeremiah 31
Some may apply this to Israel only, when this covenant is fulfilled in them in the Millennium. But I believe it is true even now for the Church. This knowing is relational, that is, I belong to Him because of the remission of sins. All believers have this knowledge of God at least initially, though maybe they may drift from it later.
The knowing in 1 John 2.3-4 is with reference to getting to know God,and this through fellowship with Him. Fellowship involves walking openly in light of the knowledge of God, acknowledging sin when we become aware of it.
Keeping God's commandments are evidence of our getting to know God. Keeping His commandments is not a test of a relational knowing. I know I belong to the Lord because of the promise of Scripture. But evidence that I am growing in the knowledge of the Lord is in keeping the commandments. At the level of communion and fellowship, a believer may not know his Lord. (Hodges)
In marriage, one knows their spouse in a relational way, but as they spend life together, they come to know them better, and this is evident in how they treat them and act around them. As we continue in fellowship with God, we come to know Him more and our conduct is evidence of this as we value His will and strive to do it.
The commandments are the same as the word of God or Christ.
4 He who says, "I know Him," and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.
Before, John used the pronoun "we" to say that Christians could be deceived and liars about sin, but here he says "he." This could be that anyone, Christian or not who lays claim to knowing God but does not keep his word is a liar. This may have in view the false teachers.
5 But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him.
These words obviously have their source in the words of Christ in the Gospel of John. To Keep the words of Christ is evident of knowing Him and loving Him
The Gospel of John says the same thing as First John. There is also the interchange of the words commandment and word.
Those who know and love the Lord keep his word, and they know they are "in Him," which in this case means the same as to "abide in Him."
"Perfected" speaks of completeness. Is the love of God our love of Him or His love for us? It could be either or both as John 14.21 might suggest. Obedience is the goal of God's love in us.
John 14.21 "He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him." 22 Judas (not Iscariot) said to Him, "Lord, how is it that You will manifest Yourself to us, and not to the world?" 23 Jesus answered and said to him, "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him. 24 "He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine but the Father's who sent Me."
6 He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked.
To abide in Christ speaks of the Teacher / disciple relationship: it is discipleship truth.
A disciple should be like his teacher. The claim to abide can be verified by a Christ-like life.
To abid in Christ is to order your life according to His teaching or word.
To abide in Christ is to continue in fellowship, but it goes beyond what could be called the stage of babyhood and involves the learning and doing of His commands. It takes time to reach a Christlike walk. (I took several quotes from Hodges in the above statements.)
John 15.1-8 has Jesus speaking of the abiding relationship, and this was near the end of His ministry.
15:1 "I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. 2 "Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every [branch] that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. 3 "You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. 4 "Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. 5 "I am the vine, you [are] the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. 6 "If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw [them] into the fire, and they are burned. 7 "If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. 8 "By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.
Any believer can fellowship with God as describe earlier. but "knowing" God involves learning from His word His will. Those who do His will and are like their Lord are those who are knowing and loving Him.
What makes us Christ like? 1 John 2.7-11
7 Brethren, I write no new commandment to you, but an old commandment which you have had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which you heard from the beginning.
This commandment is to love one another. It is the word of Christ and the sum of all His commands. "from the beginning" means from the earliest part of their Christian lives. Loving fellow believers is the command by which we walk as Christ walked.
8 Again, a new commandment I write to you, which thing is true in Him and in you, because the darkness is passing away, and the true light is already shining.
What makes this old commandment a new one? It must be explained in the words that follow. It is new in its identification with and has the character of the new creation. The character of that new creation is potential now in the believer, just as it was in Christ. I say potential because of the new birth and because the believer does not automatically love others (and can still hate).
9 He who says he is in the light, and hates his brother, is in darkness until now.
This is addressed to believers, since the one hated is a "brother." Hating a brother is contrary to the character of the new creation. If you say that you are in the light, having fellowship with God, and yet you hate your brother, then you are in darkess, and out of fellowship. Loving a brother is elementary to Christian knowledge and experience, and such an unloving state reveals a lack of progress.
10 He who loves his brother abides in the light, and there is no cause for stumbling in him.
The one who loves is not only in the light but abides there. This is evidence of advancment. He is walking as Christ walked. The stumbling, meaning a trap or snare, would be with reference to the affect on him: hating would set himself up for entrapment to sin (consider the next verse).
11 But he who hates his brother is in darkness and walks in darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.
Such a one has a terrible disorientation, in that he is not discerning the will of God and is led by his flesh, easily becoming a tool of satan, not anticipating the damage he will do, nor the Divine discipline that might fall on him.
John corrects any false claims about fellowship and knowing God or abiding in Christ. These false claims could and probably have their source in those people that John has had in mind but not mentioned, being the heretics--though Christians are capable of believing and saying such things.
Resisting the Adversaries
Recognizing their spiritual assets, 1 John 2.12-14.
12 I write to you, little children, Because your sins are forgiven you for His name's sake. 13 I write to you, fathers, Because you have known Him [who] [is] from the beginning. I write to you, young men, Because you have overcome the wicked one. I write to you, little children, Because you have known the Father. 14 I have written to you, fathers, Because you have known Him [who] [is] from the beginning. I have written to you, young men, Because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, And you have overcome the wicked one.
He uses three titles to recognize three spiritual assets. These are not three levels of maturity in the assembly, but three assets they possess. Children, fathers, and young men do represent 3 levels of natural maturity or development, and that does correspond to the spiritual asset represented, but all three coincide in the individual. The natural maturity/ development corresponds to each spiritual asset as each has developmental progression to it.
Children and Fathers come before young men because they correspond to what John has already covered.
Children correspond with the forgiveness of sins, in both salvation and fellowship. Fathers correspond with knowing God as to His character and moral will. Young men correspond to that which hasn't been covered yet, but probably recognizes spiritual victory they have had in spiritual conflict, and it is that aspect of their spiritual character that continues to do battle by the word of God and the qualities of being Children and Fathers.
Concerning “knowing God,” I think two aspects are seen here; the one as with children with reference to the remission of sins and the new covenant, and the other as with fathers in coming to Know God in His character and will.
By the spiritual assets, they will overcome their adversaries.
Recognizing and Resisting their adversaries...
The World, 1 John 2.15-17
15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
John identifies the world as the believer's adversary.
What does it mean to love the world?
There are many things in this world that are beautiful and enjoyable. Wasn't the world created for us to enjoy and have dominion over? (But is my life too consumed in trying to achieve or attain in this world which is “passing away?”) We know that much in this world and life is also terrible and miserable. People try to understand how great evil could happen or who or what is the cause, but the capacity of such evil exists in all people under the right conditions. The greatest capacity to overcome such evil in one's self best exists in the salvation and new birth that God gives through faith in Christ and obedience in His word. Natural disaster will not cease until the age to come in the new creation.
Jesus said that one cannot serve two masters, for he will love one and hate the other, Luke 16.13. James said that one who is friends with the world is an enemy of God, 4.4.
What does it mean to love the world?
16 For all that [is] in the world--the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life--is not of the Father but is of the world.
These allurements are what it means not to love God, for they are contrary to character and His moral will for His children.
The lust of the flesh is immorality in all its forms. It is physical excess.
The lust of the eyes is the thing seen and wrongly desired, usually represented by covetousness. You shall not covet.
The pride of life speaks of boasting in one's self, possessions, or achievements in this world.
All these overlap and correspond to covetousness. None of these have their source in God but belong to the course of this world.
Some may have taught (Docetists or Gnostics) that the material world was an illusion and that the believer could indulge in the desires of the flesh without restraint, but John says that these things are not of the Father, and to love the world (its lusts) does not have the love of the Father in him.
17 And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.
The world is not only morally at odds with God but also transient. As in 2.8 where John says the “darkness is passing away.”
The world and its lusts are temporal. When this world passes away, so will its character and experience in its opposition to God.
The obedient believer will abide forever. The things done to satisfy the flesh will pass away with this world order. But the things done in obedience to God will establish an eternal identity that will outlast the present world system.
There is an eternal permanence to the character and activity of a person who can be identified as one who does the will of God.
The Christian's identity in eternity will be determined by obedience to God in time. The one who abides in Christ, walking as his Teacher walked, will gain an eternal identity.
The Antichrists, 1 John 2.18-23
18 Little children, it is the last hour; and as you have heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come, by which we know that it is the last hour.
The "last hour" is the time between the advents of Christ, similar to the "last days." It may be the same as the "end of the ages." It anticipates the end of this age with the coming of the kingdom.
There is no definite article before antichrist. It is the spirit of antichrist in view. Antichrist is coming, but many antichrists have come. Many call the "beast" of Revelation the antichrist. Jesus prophesied that false prophets and christs would arise in the last days.
19 They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us; but [they] [went] [out] that they might be made manifest, that none of them were of us.
There were antichrists among them, for otherwise, what was John's concern? The "us" here is probably the Apostles and the Jerusalem fellowship. This going out from them is similar to what we read in Acts 15.23 They wrote this [letter] by them: The apostles, the elders, and the brethren, To the brethren who are of the Gentiles in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia: Greetings. 24 Since we have heard that some who went out from us have troubled you with words, unsettling your souls, saying, "[You] [must] be circumcised and keep the law"--to whom we gave no [such] commandment--
John's writings sought to clarify the issues about fellowship and sin and knowing God. The antichrists may have tried to have an influence about these things. The issues about Jesus being the Christ and the promise of eternal life are also challenged by them. There are antichrists in the visible church today, or at least the doctrine of antchrist.
20 But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you know all things.
This anointing, I believe, is divine truth. That truth is normative yet distinctive Christian truth that every Christian should possess as it relates to salvation information. He calls them "little children," and as little children they have understanding (vss 12, 13) of forgiveness of sins through faith in Christ and have "known the Father." They know the truth and way of eternal life. This knowledge should be grid truth by which all things should be filtered or judged.
21 I have not written to you because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and that no lie is of the truth.
What distinguishes them from the antichrists is that they know the truth. Sometimes, believers need to be reminded and refreshed in the truth. Antichrists can not accept the truth.
22 Who is a liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist who denies the Father and the Son. 23 Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father either; he who acknowledges the Son has the Father also.
They are not Christian or obeying the truth if they deny that Jesus is the Christ. To deny He is the Christ or the Son of God is the same. The denial is usually one that claims he is/ was a great man or one of many prophets or avatars.
24 Therefore let that abide in you which you heard from the beginning. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, you also will abide in the Son and in the Father.
That truth which is foundational, which is the anointing, should abide in the believer. That truth abiding is necessary for abiding in God.
25 And this is the promise that He has promised us--eternal life.
This is a major part of that foundational truth every believer should possess; it is the anointing. It is eternal life that is the promise of God to everyone who believes in Jesus Christ alone for it. It is grid truth. Eternal life by faith is promised by God, and it is through jesus Christ alone and believing in in for it, according to the Divine promise.
26 These things I have written to you concerning those who [try] [to] deceive you.
The antichrists want to deceive them concerning the way of eternal life and the certainty of it.
27 But the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you, and you do not need that anyone teach you; but as the same anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you will abide in Him.
They have the truth of eternal life through Christ, and they have it by which to discern truth from error. By continuing in that truth they abide in Christ and God.
Learning to See the Children of God 1 John 2.28 - 3.10a
They need to continue to abide in the truth that they have heard, but if they go in the direction of their adversaries, they will forfeit the experience that abiding in Christ and God makes possible (peace, joy, purpose/ ministry, healthy relationships).
Abiding
1 John 2.28 And now, little children, abide in Him, that when He appears, we may have confidence and not be ashamed before Him at His coming.
Abiding is a Christ-like walk, involving obedience, 1 John 2.6, such as loving one another, but what is its exact character?
Abiding is required for confidence/ boldness in the presence of Christ (at the judgment seat). The Greek word for "abide" is used concerning the antichrists who did not "continue" with the Apostolic circle, 1 John 2.19.
29 If you know that He is righteous, you know that everyone who practices righteousness is born of Him.
A new line of thought begins here... If you know that God is righteous (in contrast to those who would ascribe evil to God), then you know...
Christian righteousness manifests the new birth.
"Born of God" is the new birth. Righteousness is God's character and the capacity of those born of God.
This righteousness is in keeping the commandments of Christ, summarized in 1 John 3.23.
3:1 Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him.
Divine love calls believers children of God.
Generally speaking, just as the world did not know/ recognize Christ (John 1.10), neither does it recognize the children of God. I say "generally speaking" because there is an impact that godliness can have on the unsaved, but generally, only believers recognize believers.
2 Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.
Children of God have no physical aspect or characteristic to identify them as such. The physical transformation will be take place when Christ is revealed in glory, much like spiritual transformation now. See Romans 8.18-19 and 2 Cor 3.18 and Col 3.9-10.
3 And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.
This future transformation is the hope of the believer. It is a sure future expectation, not a thing wished for. Job spoke of the future change: Job 14.14 If a man dies, shall he live [again]? All the days of my hard service I will wait, till my change comes .
The one who has this hope has believed in Christ for salvation, and therefore has purified himself. This again speaks of the new birth. See Eph 4.24: and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.
4 Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness.
Sin is anomia which is Greek for "no law," but the idea can be broader like "unrighteousness" and "wickedness."
5 And you know that He was manifested to take away our sins, and in Him there is no sin.
The reason for the coming of Christ was to take away sin; the same as in John 1.29: Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.
This could speak of bearing the penalty of sin and or the removing of its penalty, but it could be speaking of something broader, the removal of sin from the human experience. The removal of sin's penalty requires the eventual removal of sin's experience. See Romans 8.18-22.
Sin is wholly unacceptable in the presence of God, and therefore unacceptable for the child of God.
6 Whoever abides in Him does not sin. Whoever sins has neither seen Him nor known Him.
This is talking about the abiding experience. The words "does not sin" should be taken as absolute and not softened to say "does not continue" in sin. The abiding experience is a sinless experience.
Hodges says that "no Christian can ever claim (in this life) to be experientially completely free from sin ... But at the same time, we can say that the experience of "abiding in Him" is in and of itself is a sinless experience.
The not seen or known is the perfect tense and suggests a present state or situation resulting from a past action or event. Hodges: Whoever sins is in a not-seeing and not-knowing condition with reference to God.
7 Little children, let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous.
Righteousness is what indicates that one has an inward righteousness. Evil is not in the nature of God. "Practices" righteousness should be translated the same as in verse 6 as "does."
8 He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.
This is speaking of source, not a determining factor of who is save and who is not. God is not the source of sin but Satan. When one sins, his actions are sourced in Satan. Just like when Jesus said to Peter, "get behind me Satan." This is not distinguishing who is saved from who is not. The word "continue" does not belong here before "sins" as in some translations. It's not some sin verses a persistence in sin. Christ came to remove what Satan brought upon the human experience.
9 Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God.
This should be taken absolutely. The word "continue" should not be used before "sin."
We still sin in this life, but that new nature within us by which we are born/ children of God is without sin. It is the "seed."
That new nature or spirit creates a new eternal identity called the new man. The new man is not the source of sin but the "old man" with its disposition. We are still responsible for the sin of the old man. Read Eph 4.17-24 and Col 3.9-10.
Romans 7.19 For the good that I will [to] [do], I do not do; but the evil I will not [to] [do], that I practice.
Paul's experience in Romans recounts a discovery about the inability to keep the law. It seems most apply this to his Christian experience. This was probably an early discovery by Paul. He uses the word "practice." One can not soften John's words to mean "does not practice sin" as if the new birth only allows some sin but not persistent sin. Paul said he "practiced" sin--which is the Greek in Paul's use, while John's word "does" is different. John is being absolute.
10 In this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest
This should not be taken as test of salvation. Those who do righteousness manifest themselves as children of God.
Those who oppose the truth or deviated from it align themselves with Satan, and such activity has its source in Satan.
Just as there is no sin in Christ (vs 5), there is no sin in that which is born of God. Sin is contrary to the nature of God, and should not be taken lightly or ascribed to God as part of His nature.
Learning to see Christian Love 1 John 3.10b-23
What love isn't (3.10b-15)
Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor [is] he who does not love his brother.
There is a transition from a broader to a narrower topic. The lack of either reveals the person is not of God, that is, God is not behind what he is doing. Loving a brother is a specific kind of righteousness and only applies to believers.
11 For this is the message that you heard from the beginning, that we should love one another, 12 not as Cain [who] was of the wicked one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his works were evil and his brother's righteous.
This was the commandment of Christ to his disciples, John 13.34., to believers only--after Judas had left. The Cain and Abel account reveals a genuine relationship of brotherhood between one who hates and the object of hatred. It was a case of spiritual envy. Those with conduct contrary to God's will will find it easy to experience hatred toward those who they know God approves. A friend once was critical of my church attendance, while he was not committed.
13 Do not marvel, my brethren, if the world hates you. 14 We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love [his] brother abides in death. 15 Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.
It's expected that the world hates us. The "we" here could be representative of the Apostles, and they are in contrast to the world, because they "love" the brethren. The "knowing" is not proof/ assurance of salvation but the knowledge and experience of the fact that they have "passed from death to life." "Abiding" is the key word, to hate is to abide (dwell) in death; and to love is to abide in life. Hatred is spiritual murder in that we want "to be rid" of our brother and not really care if he died. Death and life are spiritual states in relationship with God.
What Love is (3.16-18)
16 By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down [our] lives for the brethren. 17 But whoever has this world's goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him? 18 My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth.
Christian love can be recognized/ known by its conformity to Christ's example. Hatred for a brother makes us like Cain. It is easier to profess a willingness to die than actually aid someone in a time of need--and this situation is much more likely to occur. John's words are similar to James with reference to faith and works, James 2.14-17. Believing and saying are incomplete without corresponding action that is genuine (in truth)--not like Ananias and Sapphira who acted hypocritically.
What Love does (for believers) (3.19-23)
19 And by this we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before Him. 20 For if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things. 21 Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence toward God. 22 And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight. 23 And this is His commandment: that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another, as He gave us commandment.
By Christian love, we can know our actions are sourced in the truth, and such love gives us a confidence before God in prayer--which seems in view by the words 'before" and "toward" God and the reference to receiving what we ask, vs 22. The truth speaks of genuineness and the love of Christ and an eternal perspective.
A sensitive conscience can still condemn us for thinking we did too little or didn't make up for past failures or had impure motives. If we loved in deed and truth, God knows it. If we know our love is done in deed and truth, then we can have confidence before God. We also can have assurance in what we ask, because we are acting (and surely asking) in accordance to being pleasing to God and His commandments. The commandment here is 2 things linked together, being that belief in Jesus that makes us all related and the love we are to have for each other.
A Christian who hates as like Cain, abides in death, but the one who loves his brother as like Christ, in deed and truth, abides in life, and can have confidence before God in prayer and expect answers to his prayers because he is pleasing to God.
Learning to See the God of Love 1 John 3.24-4.19
Fellowship with God and abiding in Him and He in us are the main subject matter of the letter.
24 Now he who keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him. And by this we know that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us.
Keeping God's commandments, 3:23, evidences the believer abides in Christ, and...John 14.23: We will come and make our home with him. This fellowship with God is the goal of the epistle. The 'spirit' is probably the new nature at work in us by which we know God abides in us.
4:1 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world.
4.1-6 is parenthetical concerning spiritual counterfeits.
The gift of prophesy was probably still at work at this time. Believers are to discern any teaching as to whether it lines up with the word of God and the orthodox views of Christianity. Believers are not responsible to believe but test the spirits.
2 By this you know the Spirit of God:
This corresponds to the previous words: it is by testing what is said.
Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, 3 and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the [spirit] of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world.
The substance of the test is that Jesus is the Christ come in the flesh. The false teaching of John's day was that Jesus was merely human, and the divine Christ ascended at baptism and left before he died. Of course, today, people believe Jesus was only human. Believing that Jesus was the Christ, the son of God is a saving proposition. The denial or the non-affirmation of the incarnation is of antichrist. Reference to antichrist has been made earlier: antichrist is prophesied to come, but the spirit is already here.
4 You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. 5 They are of the world. Therefore they speak [as] of the world, and the world hears them.
The readers are born of God and know and receive the truth about Jesus. They have probably encountered the false claims and have rejected them. John called them young men earlier as those who were strong and had overcome the wicked one--because the word of God abides in them, 2.14. The God whose presence is in the believer is greater than the god of this world. By knowledge and faith, we overcome the sway of the wicked one. The antichrists are obviously under his sway, but so are many who are ignorant of the truth.
6 We are of God. He who knows God hears us; he who is not of God does not hear us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.
There are 3 groups in this letter: The "You" being the readers; the "they" being the false teachers; and the "we" being the apostles. Those who are knowing God and are in touch with him listen to the apostles' doctrine. Even the apostles discern, test, by alignment with their own teaching. Even as Paul said in Galatians that what he originally taught about salvation was the truth, and he could not contradict it later. The apostles' doctine is the guide. The source of truth is the apostles' doctrine as found in Scripture and not any tradition developed later by Christian denominations.
7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. 8 He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.
Loving one another is the command and evidence of abiding in Christ and God in us. It can also be said that they are born of God and knows God. A believer who does not love does not know God. It does not say such a one is not born of God.
9 In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. 10 In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son [to] [be] the propitiation for our sins. 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.
The perfect display and expression of love was the sending of God's only son. This was not a response to our love for God, but His love for us, and to meet our spiritual need. Love for our brother does not require his love for us.
12 No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us.
Though no one can see God, He abides in and is manifested in the believer and among the community of believers in which there is love for one another. God's love is perfected, made complete or mature, in those who love one another.
13 By this we know that we abide in Him, and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit. 14 And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son [as] Savior of the world. 15 Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. 16 And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him.
Verse 13 compares to 3.24: His spirit is the new nature; it's manifestation of the divine nature in love and faith is evidence of abiding in Christ and God in us. The testimony of Christ as savior is evident by loving one another, since loving one another is evidence of God's salvation at work in us. Loving one another and confessing Jesus as the Son of God are inseparable components of the commandment that evidences abiding in God and God in us and that God's love abides in us.
17 Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world. 18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. 19 We love Him because He first loved us.
God's love for us is 'perfected'--complete or mature--through our love for one another. By this activity we can have boldness in the day of judgment--of our works. That judgment is a fearful thing, but if we love one another as God loved us, we are abiding in Christ and God in us and can have a confidence in the day of judgment.
Unfortunately, the rest of my commentary is missing. Somehow it was deleted in the copying process.
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