Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of 1 John 2:12
I write unto you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for his name’s sake.
12 14. Threefold Statement of Reasons for Writing
“Hitherto St John has stated briefly the main scope of his Epistle. He has shewn what is the great problem of life, and how the Gospel meets it with an answer and a law complete and progressive, old and new. He now pauses, as it were to contemplate those whom he is addressing more distinctly and directly, and to gather up in a more definite form the charge which is at once the foundation and the end of all he writes” (Westcott).
These verses have given rise to much discussion (1) as to the different classes addressed, (2) as to the meaning of the change of tense, from ‘I write’ to ‘I wrote’ or ‘have written’.
(1) It will be observed that we have two triplets, each consisting of little children, fathers and young men. There is a slight change of wording in the Greek not apparent in the English, the word for ‘little children’ in the first triplet ( ) being not the same as in the second ( ). But this need not make us give a different interpretation in each case. ‘Little children’ throughout the Epistle, whether expressed as in 1Jn 2:14 ; 1Jn 2:18 ( ), or as in 1Jn 2:1 ; 1Jn 2:12 ; 1Jn 2:28, 1Jn 3:7 ; 1Jn 3:18, 1Jn 4:4 , 1Jn 5:21 ( ), probably means the Apostle’s readers generally, and has nothing to do with age or with standing in the Christian community. It indicates neither those who are of tender years, nor those who are young in the faith. It is a term of affection for all the Apostle’s ‘dear children’. But this is not the case with either ‘fathers’ or ‘young men’. These terms are probably in each triplet to be understood of the older and younger men among the Christians addressed. This fully accounts for the order in each triplet; first the whole community, then the old, then the young. If ‘little children’ had reference to age, we should have had either ‘children, youths, fathers’, or ‘fathers, youths, children’. There is, however, something to be said for the view that all S. John’s readers are addressed in all three cases, the Christian life of all having analogies with youth, manhood, and age; with the innocence of childhood, the strength of prime, and the experience of full maturity.
(2) The change of tense cannot be explained with so much confidence. But an important correction of reading must first be noticed. We ought not to read with A. V. ‘I write’ four times and then ‘I have written’ twice: but with R. V. ‘I write’ thrice and then ‘I have written’ or ‘I wrote’ thrice. This correction confirms the explanation given above of the different classes addressed. The following interpretations of the change from the present to the aorist have been suggested. 1. ‘I write’ refers to the Epistle, ‘I wrote’ to the Gospel which it accompanies. The Apostle first gives reasons why he is writing this letter to the Church and to particular portions of it; and then gives reasons, partly the same and partly not, why he wrote the Gospel to which it makes such frequent allusions. On the whole this seems most satisfactory. It gives a thoroughly intelligible meaning to each tense and accounts for the abrupt change. 2. ‘I write’ refers to this Epistle; ‘I wrote’ to a former Epistle. But of any former Epistle we have no evidence whatever. 3. ‘I write’ refers to the whole Epistle; ‘I wrote’ to the first part down to 1Jn 2:11. But would S. John have first said that he wrote the whole letter for certain reasons, and then said that he wrote a portion of it for much the same reasons? Had ‘I wrote’ preceded ‘I write’, and had the reasons in each triplet been more different, this explanation would have been more satisfactory. 4. ‘I write’ refers to what follows, ‘I wrote’ to what precedes. This is a construction louche indeed! The objection urged against the preceding explanation applies still more strongly. 5. ‘I write’ is written from the writer’s point of view, ‘I wrote’ from the reader’s point of view: the latter is the epistolary aorist, like scripsi or scribebam in Latin (comp. Php 2:25; Php 2:28; Phm 1:12, and especially 19 and 21). But is it likely that S. John would make three statements from his own stand-point, and then repeat them from his readers’ stand-point? And if so, why make any change in them? 6. The repetition is made for emphasis. This explains the repetition, but not the change of tense. Hence ‘What I have written, I have written’ (Joh 19:22), and ‘Rejoice and again I will say, rejoice’ (Php 4:4) are not analogous; for there the same tense is repeated. 7. S. John may have left off writing at the end of 1Jn 2:13, and then on resuming may have partly repeated himself from the new point of time, saying ‘I wrote’ where he had previously said ‘I write’. This is conceivable, but is a little fine-drawn. Without, therefore, confidently affirming that it is the right explanation, we fall back upon the one first stated, as intelligible in itself and more satisfactory than the others.
little children ] All his readers; as in 1Jn 2:1 ; 1Jn 2:28, 1Jn 3:7; 1Jn 3:18, &c.
because your sins are forgiven you ] Some would render ‘ that your sins are forgiven you’; and so in each of these sentences substituting ‘that’ for ‘because’. This is grammatically quite possible, but is otherwise highly improbable: comp. 1Jn 2:21. S. John is not telling them what he is writing, but why he writes it. The forgiveness of sins is the very first condition of Christian morals (1Jn 1:7); therefore he reminds them all of this first.
for His name’s sake ] Of course Jesus Christ’s. It was by believing on His Name that they acquired the right to become children of God (Joh 1:12). ‘The Name of Jesus Christ’ is not a mere periphrasis for Jesus Christ. Names in Scripture are constantly given as marks of character possessed or of functions to be performed. This is the case with all the Divine Names. The Name of Jesus Christ indicates His attributes and His relations to man and to God. It is through these that the sins of S. John’s dear children have been forgiven.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
12 28. The Things and Persons to be Avoided
These are summed up under two heads: i. The World and the Things in the World (15 17); ii. Antichrists (18 26). The section begins with a threefold statement of the happy experiences which those addressed have had in the Gospel, and gives these as a reason for their being addressed (12 14), and ends with an exhortation to abide in Christ as the best safeguard from the dangers against which the Apostle has been warning them (27, 28).
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
I write unto you, little children – There has been much difference of opinion among commentators in regard to this verse and the three following verses, on account of their apparent tautology. Even Doddridge supposes that considerable error has here crept into the text, and that a portion of these verses should be omitted in order to avoid the repetition. But there is no authority for omitting any portion of the text, and the passage is very much in accordance with the general style of the apostle John. The author of this Epistle was evidently accustomed to express his thoughts in a great variety of ways, having even the appearance of tautology, that the exact idea might be before his readers, and that his meaning might not be misapprehended. In order to show that the truths which he was uttering in this Epistle pertained to all, and to secure the interest of all in them, he addresses himself to different classes, and says that there were reasons existing in regard to each class why he wrote to them.
In the expressions I write, and I have written, he refers to what is found in the Epistle itself, and the statements in these verses are designed to be reasons why he brought these truths before their minds. The word here rendered little children ( teknia) is different from that used in 1Jo 2:13, and rendered there little children, ( paidia;) but there can be little doubt that the same class of persons is intended. Some have indeed supposed that by the term little children here, as in 1Jo 2:1, the apostle means to address all believers – speaking to them as a father; but it seems more appropriate to suppose that he means in these verses to divide the body of Christians whom he addressed into three classes – children, young men, and the aged, and to state particular reasons why he wrote to each. If the term ( teknia) little children here means the same as the term ( paidia) little children in 1Jo 2:13, then he addresses each of these classes twice in these two verses, giving each time somewhat varied reasons why he addressed them. That, by the term little children here, he means children literally, seems to me to be clear,
(1) Because this is the usual meaning of the word, and should be understood to be the meaning here, unless there is something in the connection to show that it is used in a metaphorical sense;
(2) Because it seems necessary to understand the other expressions, young men, and fathers, in a literal sense, as denoting those more advanced in life;
(3) Because this would be quite in character for the apostle John. He had recorded, and would doubtless remember the solemn injunction of the Saviour to Peter Joh 21:15, to feed his lambs, and the aged apostle could not but feel that what was worthy of so solemn an injunction from the Lord, was worthy of his attention and care as an apostle; and,
(4) Because in that case, each class, fathers, young men, and children, would be twice addressed in these two verses; whereas if we understood this of Christians in general, then fathers and young men would be twice addressed, and children but once.
If this is so, it may be remarked:
(1) That there were probably quite young children in the church in the time of the apostle John, for the word would naturally convey that idea.
(2) The exact age cannot be indeed determined, but two things are clear:
(a) one is, that they were undoubtedly under 20 years of age, since they were younger than the young men – neaniskoi – a word usually applied to those who were in the vigor of life, from about the period of 20 up to 40 years, (Notes, 1Jo 2:13), and this word would embrace all who were younger than that class; and,
(b) the other is, that the word itself would convey the idea that they were in quite early life, as the word children – fair translation of it – does now with us. It is not possible to determine, from the use of this word, precisely of what age the class here referred to was, but the word would imply that they were in quite early life. No rule is laid down in the New Testament as to the age in which children may be admitted to the communion. The whole subject is left to the wise discretion of the church, and is safely left there. Cases must vary so much that no rule could be laid down; and little or no evil has arisen from leaving the point undetermined in the Scriptures. It may be doubted, however, whether the church has not been rather in danger of erring by having it deferred too late, than by admitting children too early.
(3) Such children, if worthy the attention of an aged apostle, should receive the particular notice of pastors now. Compare the notes at Joh 21:15. There are reasons in all cases now, as there were then, why this part of a congregation should receive the special attention of a minister of religion. The hopes of a church are in them. Their minds are susceptible to impression. The character of the piety in the next age will depend on their views of religion. All that there is of value in the church and the world will soon pass into their hands. The houses, farms, factories; the pulpits, and the chairs of professors in colleges; the seats of senators and the benches of judges; the great offices of state, and all the offices in the church; the interests of learning, and of benevolence and liberty, are all soon to be under their control. Everything valuable in this world will soon depend on their conduct and character; and who, therefore, can over-estimate the importance of training them up in just views of religion. As John wrote to this class, should not pastors preach to them?
Because – hoti. This particle may be rendered for, or because; and the meaning may be either that the fact that their sins were forgiven was a reason for writing to them, since it would be proper, on that ground, to exhort them to a holy life; or that he wrote to them because it was a privilege to address them as those who were forgiven, for he felt that, in speaking to them, he could address them as such. It seems to me that it is to be taken as a causal particle, and that the apostle, in the various specifications which he makes, designs to assign particular reasons why he wrote to each class, enjoining on them the duties of a holy life. Compare 1Jo 2:21.
Your sins are forgiven you – That is, this is a reason why he wrote to them, and enjoined these things on them. The meaning seems to be, that the fact that our past sins are blotted out furnishes a strong reason why we should be holy. That reason is founded on the goodness of God in doing it, and on the obligation under which we are brought by the fact that God has had mercy on us. This is a consideration which children will feel as well as others; for there is nothing which will tend more to make a child obedient hereafter, than the fact that a parent freely forgives the past.
For his names sake – On account of the name of Christ; that is, in virtue of what he has done for us. In 1Jo 2:13, he states another reason why he wrote to this same class – because they had known the Father.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
1Jn 2:12-14
I write unto you, little children
I.
Christians of all ages and ranks are and should be as little children.
1. As little children are newly entered into the world, and beginning their lives, all things are new to them, so whosoever will be saved entereth into a new state by being renewed by the Holy Ghost, and participating of the Divine nature.
2. Having a new life, they look after that which will maintain and keep it up in good vigour; for all creatures that have life have something put into them which attracteth the nourishment proper to that life.
3. In regard of humility, and designs, and contrivances after greatness in the world. They that become as little children seek not after dominions and dignities and honours.
4. Innocent and harmless as a child, who, though infected with sin, and must be saved by Christ as others of grown age, yet cannot act sin.
II. Such who are as little children have obtained remission of sins for Christs names sake.
1. What is forgiveness of sins?
(1) It is a judicial action of God. One man forgiveth another; for our heavenly Father requireth that (Mat 18:35). But our forgiveness is an act of charity or duty imposed upon us. Gods forgiveness is an act of authority, as He is the Governor and Judge of the world.
(2) By which He doth freely and fully release from the guilt of all our transgressions.
(a) Freely. God doeth it, and that without any cost to us (Isa 3:3).
(b) It is full; as God pardoneth freely, so also fully, and not by halves; universally, and not a few sins only.
(c) It is a release from the guilt of our transgressions. Properly if is the obligation to punishment which God releaseth us from. A reprieve only deferreth execution, but a pardon wholly preventeth it.
(d) The object of this pardon is the penitent believer; and that faith is required (Act 10:43).
(e) This sin is forgiven without requiring satisfaction or punishment of the sinner.
2. How it is obtained.
(1) Sin, a transgression of the law, a debt, as being a wrong done against God, obliging the sinner either to repair God in point of honour, or to lie under the wrath of God for evermore; for the wages of sin is death (Rom 6:23).
(2) There is no deliverance from this debt of sin, or obligation to wrath because of sin, but by pardon and forgiveness.
(3) There is some hope of forgiveness, because God forbeareth the worst, and doth not stir up all His wrath against them. They have food, and raiment, and ease, and liberty, and friends and wealth, and honour. Everything about us proclaimeth the goodness of this God with whom we have to do (Act 14:17).
(4) Though forgiveness may be probably hoped for from Gods goodness and mercy as represented in common providence, yet till there be a satisfaction for the offence, and we may have our pardon granted with the good leave of provoked justice, the soul can have no satisfaction. The grand scruple that haunts the guilty creature is how shall God be appeased? (Mic 6:7.)
(5) It was agreeable to the honour and wisdom of God that those who would have benefit by this remedy should be sensible of the weight which is upon them, and humbly confess their sins, and with brokenness of heart sue out their pardon.
(6) It is fit also that those who would sue out their pardon in this humble and submissive way should acknowledge their Redeemer, and thankfully accept of the benefit procured by Him, and offered to them in His name; and heartily consent to His covenant to be brought home to God again, that they may be fully recovered out of their lapsed condition.
III. Such as have obtained remission of sins are bound to express their gratitude and thankfulness to God by new obedience.
1. That they may not undo what is done, and so build again the things they have destroyed (Gal 2:17-18).
2. That we may make good our qualification. Certain it is that none are pardoned but those that are renewed and born again; for the application of the merit of Christ and the gift of the Spirit are inseparable (1Co 6:11). S. To express their gratitude and thankfulness (2Co 5:14).
4. Because they have great encouragements (Psa 130:4). Use–
1. Let me now exhort you to seek after the pardon of sins. To this end–
(1) Consider your necessity.
(2) Consider the grounds and hopes of pardon; Gods merciful nature and self-inclination to pity us.
(3) Consider what a blessed comfort it is to have sin forgiven (Psa 32:1-2). Use–
2. To stir us up not to offend God any more, or provoke Him to anger by our sins. (T. Manton, D. D.)
A sermon to the Lords little children
I. I want the babes in grace, the weak in faith, to notice their privilege. I write unto you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for His names sake.
1. This is a privilege extremely desired by the little children. They have but lately felt the burden of guilt; the Spirit of God has but newly convinced them of sin; and, therefore, above everything, their prayer is, Father, forgive me. To the freshly saved it is a joy worth worlds to have their sins forgiven; and this joy belongs of right to all the saints, yea, even to the little children in the family of God. The pardon of sin is as the pearl of great price to you in your present stage of spiritual life; you would have sold all that you had in order to procure it; and now that you have it your heart is aglow with gratitude. Far be it from me to stay your holy joy, and yet the Lord will show you greater things than these.
2. At your stage of experience pardon is the most prominent blessing of the covenant. The newly pardoned does not yet see the innumerable other blessings which come in the train of forgiveness; he is for the present absorbed in the hearing of that one sentence, Go in peace; thy sins which are many are all forgiven thee. Pardon is but an entrance blessing, a welcome at the doorstep: there are rarer joys within the house. You have become an heir to a boundless inheritance; all things are yours; heaven, and Christ, and God are yours.
3. Here let me observe that the forgiveness of sins is assuredly the possession of the new beginner in the Divine life.
4. Note, also, that your sins are forgiven you on the same terms as those of the apostle, and the greatest of the saints: your sins are forgiven you for the sake of Jesus, for the sake of His glorious person, for the sake of His honourable offices, for the sake of His atoning death, for the sake of His glorious resurrection, for the sake of His perpetual intercession before the throne of God.
5. Now notice that this is the reason why John wrote to you, little children. The moment, then, that a man has his sins forgiven, he is old enough to begin to understand that which is written, and he should become a Bible reader.
II. I have to speak of the knowledge of these little children. I have written unto you, little children, because ye have known, or know, the Father. The tiniest babe in the family of God knows the Father.
1. For, as we have seen, his sins are forgiven him. By whom is that pardon given? Why, by the Father; and, therefore, he that has had his sins forgiven him necessarily knows the Father.
2. Moreover, this is a piece of knowledge which the child of God obtains very early in his spiritual life; for whatever a child does not know, he knows his father. Little children, you know God now in your spiritual childhood. You could not write a treatise upon His attributes; but you know Him by the instinct of a child. Little children, the result of your knowing God as your Father is that when He is away from you you are in the habit of crying after Him. On the other hand, when you do get to your Father you show that you love Him by the perfect restfulness of your spirit. In God you are at home. The presence of God is the paradise of the believer. This also is true, that you seek to imitate Him. Would you not be perfect if you could? If you could, would you not be rid of every sin? And do you not glory in Him? Little children when they begin to talk, and go to school, how proud they are of their father! We cannot make enough of our God. We extol Him with all our might. With the blessed virgin we sing, My soul doth magnify the Lord.
III. The precepts which John has written for your guidance. First, look at 1Jn 2:1-29. My little children, these things I write unto you, that ye sin not.
1. That is the first precept–little children, sin not. Children are very apt to get into the mire. There is so much of carnality about us, so much of the old Adam, that the question is not into which sin we fall, but into which sin we do not fall. Like the pendulum, we swing to the right hand and then to the left: we err first in one way and then in another; we are ever inclined to evil. Avoid every sin. Ask for the grace of God to sanctify you wholly, spirit, soul, and body.
2. Further on in this second chapter the apostle writes to them again, and tells them (1Jn 2:18) that it is the last time, and that there are many antichrists abroad. You will have to run your eye right down the chapter till you come to 1Jn 2:24, for that is what he says to little children, because there are many antichrists in the world that would seduce them; Let that therefore abide in you, which ye have heard from the beginning. Little children are very fickle. The toys which they cry for one day they break the next; young minds change with the wind. So, little children, there are many evil ones who will endeavour to seduce you from the truth of God, it is well to be on your guard against those who would mislead you. Till we are rooted and grounded in the truth, new things have great charms for us, especially if they have about them a great show of holiness and zeal for God. Little children, let that therefore abide in you, which ye have heard from the beginning, leave to others the soon-exhausted novelties.
3. Little children, here is a third precept for you (1Jn 2:28). And now, little children, abide in Him. Let the truth abide in you, and do you abide in Christ, who is the truth. What next?
4. Read on to 1Jn 3:7 –Little children, let no man deceive you. Children are very credulous; they will believe any idle tale if it be told them by a clever and attractive person. Little children, believe your Saviour, but be not ready to believe anybody else.
5. Further on (1Jn 3:18) we read, My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.
6. You have the next word in 1Jn 4:4 –Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world. Satan dwells in the world, and he is mighty; but God dwells in you, and He is almighty; therefore be not afraid.
7. The last precept to little children is at the end of the Epistle. Care fully read the last verse–Little children, keep yourselves from idols. I do not think you are likely to fall in love with the idols of the heathen and bow down to them; but there are plenty of other gods which are the idols of one period and the derision of the next. Keep you to Christ. Ask not for pomp and show; ask not for noise and bluster; ask for nothing but that your sins may be forgiven you, that you may know the Father, and then that you may abide in Christ, and be full of love to all the family of God. (C. H. Spurgeon.)
The gospel to the young
What is the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ to the young?
1. It appeals to their conscience, for youth has a conscience, a very sensitive conscience. How the boy blushes when he tells his first lie. The soul of the boy shrinks from sin at first. How penitent he is for the angry blow or the cruel word. May I not tell that child how sin may be put away? Ah, we tell the child, and we tell him today, that the lie will grow, and that the habit will increase.
2. It is also a gospel to the heart. I believe in making religion a personal thing, in bringing before the child, or the growing boy, the Lord Jesus Christ as a living, loving person, One who feels for him, and One who knows him.
3. It is a gospel which appeals to the admirations. It tells the child of the wondrous promises of God, and the little childs admiration is kindled.
4. It is the gospel to the energies. It represents life as a vineyard to be planted, as a battle to be fought, as a work to be done. The gospel to the young tells them that if they grow up there is work for them to do.
5. It is a gospel of aspirations. Youth is the time of hope. Youth is the time of ambitions. And the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ recognises that, and will never laugh at the young Joseph because he has dreamed that other sheaves are coming and bowing down to his sheaf. But remember, boy, the sheaves will never bow down to your sheaf unless you take off your coat, and sharpen your sickle, and get to work. Life is not simply to be dreamed away. (E. A. Stuart, M. A.)
The Father and His children
Having shown what God is, and what follows from that, what Christ is, and also what follows from that, St. John now tells his readers what by the grace of God they themselves are, and what follows from that. St. Johns description of Christians.
I. In their unity, or as to the things they have in common.
1. A common life (verse 12). Children is one of the standing terms in this Epistle for all Christians of all ages and ranks; and the great truth to which this term witnesses is the kinship of all Christian people.
2. We are all feeble in power, partial in knowledge, fractious in temper, imperfect in all things. If Newton at the height of his career felt himself a child strolling on the shore of a fathomless sea; if St. Paul at the height of his inspiration felt that his views of truth were imperfect, for now I know in part, and prophesy in part; if Michael Angelo at eighty said, I carry my satchel still–still like a little child going every day to school to learn a new lesson; if J.R. Green, with all his mine of knowledge, said, I shall die learning; surely, then, we must feel that the term little ones is no piece of apostolic play fulness, no mere pet name prompted by St. Johns great love, but a strictly accurate description of us all.
3. Faith in His name, i.e., in Himself, as revealed by Him self to us–is the first religious act of man. Forgiveness in His name is the first religious gift of God. Faith and forgiveness constitute the first act of reciprocity, of give and take between God and man. Now forgiveness of sin is the third fact common to all Christians. All Christians are akin. All are imperfect. All are for given.
4. To know the Father means to live in direct personal communion with the Father–personally to love Him, to obey Him, to draw near Him in prayer and praise. To live with regard to God not like an orphan whose father is a mere memory or a hearsay, but like a child whose father is alive and at home, who sees him every day, knows him better and loves more as each day passes–that is the crowning feature of the Christian life.
II. In their variety.
1. Knowledge is the feature of age. I write unto you, fathers, because ye know. You cannot begin your Christian life with knowing; you must begin with believing. Life–only a life of action for God can change belief into knowledge.
2. Young men, there is a fight before you. Mrs. Oliphant, in one of her weird stories, tells of a secret chamber in a haunted castle, where dwelt for ages a bad ancestor of a lordly race, keeping himself alive by unholy arts. Every heir of that house on his twenty-first birth day was compelled to enter the chamber alone and meet the temptations of this evil man. One by one they fell into the snare; till one came who discarded the sword given him, and met the tempter in Gods name, and conquered. Well, that weird ghost story is our own life story. All men and all women meet that spectre. We would protect you young folk; we would save you the temptation in the wilder ness; but it may not be. Hell will assault you at every point of your nature. Now a young mans strength in that dread hour depends on how much of Gods Word he has in him. (J. M. Gibbon.)
Christians as little children
St. John here considers the children of God, whom, as previously, he calls little, not contemptuously, but in reference to known infirmities, abbreviated knowledge, and feeble progress. The greatest saint, after all, is but as a little child, as it respects attainments in virtue and knowledge. As a giant, beside a pyramid of Egypt, is but as a pigmy; and the whole earth, compared with the universe in which it rolls, but a small planet; and its loftiest peaks as mites on its surface when compared with its bulk; so Gods worshippers, compared with Him, the Omniscient, the Omnipresent, and the Eternal, are as nothing. The wisest are the most humble, because they know how little they know, and how much of truth there remains to be known; which, as an ocean, lies before them in fathomless depths. Like those who climb mountains of ashes, who slide back as they make the progressive step, so we, through defective education, and from our own negligence, have to unlearn, as well as to learn; and, after all, are but learners still, and but as children, who are apt to stay, liable to fall, and who require continually to look up to the All-wise and All-good. To little children, even the babes in Christ, St. John proclaims the most consoling truth, viz., that their sins are forgiven. Our blessed Lord authorises us to be happy, when it is thus with us, saying, Be of good cheer, thy sins are forgiven thee. To have our sins forgiven is to have life indeed; all are most miserable till then, however unjustly gay or blindly secure. (John Stock, M. A.)
Young Christians to be cared for
The true pastor careth for every member of Christs body committed to His trust. He does not regard the cedars and the oaks only; but also the tender plants and shrubs in the garden of the Lord. (John Stock, M. A.)
Because your sins are forgiven you for His names sake—
Gods glory in the forgiveness of sin for His names sake
For His names sake! These petitions which occur frequently in the Book of Psalms have been granted to the very letter. For Thy names sake, O Lord, pardon mine iniquity. Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of Thy name. Deliver us, purge away our sins, for Thy names sake. You must be aware that the expression the name of the Lord is used frequently in Scripture to denote, generally, His nature and attributes. Indeed, the name of the Lord is put virtually for God Himself; so that what is said to be done for the sake of His name might be regarded as done for His own sake by God. And you will find that when employed as a motive or reason, there is a prevalence in Gods name which is assigned to no other plea.
I. You cannot mark more distinctly the alteration wrought by Christ on human condition than by representing Him as placing us in such a position that we can ask God for His own sake to pardon iniquity. It is true that prayer, from its very nature, must correspond to the dictates of the Divine attributes, or the demands of the Divine glory; in other words, what our necessities impel us to ask, must be just what God, in compliance with His own properties, can be ready to bestow; else there is no hope of the acceptance of our petitions; but that this should be possible in respect of the forgiveness of sin is a marvel which overwhelms us, even when familiar with the scheme of redemption. The glorious, the stupendous thing in this scheme is, that it consulted equally for God and man; that it made the Divine honour as much interested as human necessity in the granting of pardon to all who would accept. Justice itself, holiness itself–these not only permit our pardon, they demand our glorification. In short, we can not only ask God to forgive in the hope that His compassion may incline Him to show favour, we can take the bold and unassailable ground of asking Him to forgive for His names sake. When the Psalmist asked for forgiveness, he asked it for the sake of Gods name. Indeed, the Psalmist was not privileged to see the things which we see, or to hear the things which we hear. He may not have been allowed to discern the exact process; but, in common with other patriarchs and saints under the old dispensation, he had reached a firm assurance that God stood pledged to provide a ransom; that, therefore, the Divine honour was indissolubly bound up with the pardon of sin. And this sufficed. But if David, living only in the twilight of revelation, taught only through the mysteriousness of prophecy and type–if he believed that pardon might be asked for the sake of Gods name, shall not we acknowledge the fact–we, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth Crucified amongst us–we, who know that God hath made Him to be sin for us who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him–we, who are taught that all the promises of God are yea in Christ, and in Him amen?
II. Consider more particularly the comfort derivable from this great truth, that it is for His names sake that God forgives sin. And we may here say, that since God forgives sin for His own sake, there is no room whatever for fear that our sins are too great to be pardoned. We may even go so far as to declare, that if it be always for the sake of His own name that God acts when pardoning iniquity, then the greater the iniquity the greater the reason why He should forgive. David would seem to have felt this when he prayed–For Thy names sake, O Lord, pardon my iniquity, for it is great. Human sinfulness has been turned into the widest field for the display of Divinity, so that on the arena of this ruined creation there may be such a manifestation of all that is majestic in Godhead as should serve to make it a theatre of instruction to the highest order of being. And we cannot hesitate to maintain that it is the greatness of moral evil which has made His interference so honourable to the Almighty. It was a case, if we dare use the expression, worthy the succours of the Godhead. When a Manasseh, who had sinned beyond all that went before, is forgiven, and Paul, who had thirsted for the blood of the saints, is reconciled unto God, we feel that every attribute which pardon glorifies must be glorified in the highest possible degree. If He was glorified in stilling the tempest, He must be most glorious when that tempest is fiercest. And though when the transgressor remembers that his sins have been numerous and heinous, or that his iniquity has been specially flagrant, if he had to ask forgiveness for his own sake, he might well be discouraged, yet when he calls to mind that if God forgives at all, He must forgive for His names sake, it should not be the greatness of his sin which can withhold him from prayer. The bitter impiety of the reckless is not more offensive to our Maker than the suspicion that He is unwilling to receive back the prodigal. Such suspicion throws doubt upon the truth of His Word; and what can be imagined more derogatory to the honour of God? You are expressly told that God willeth not the death of a sinner, but rather that all would repent and live. Is this true? God saith it. Will you deny it? Will you falsify it? Yet you do if you fear to come to Him, because you know, because you feel that your transgressions are great, that your offences are multiplied. Whom did Christ die for? The guilty. Whom does He intercede for? The guilty. The name of the Lord, saith Solomon, is a strong tower. If so, why should we not flee to it and be safe, forasmuch as to little children an apostle could say, Your sins are forgiven you for His names sake? (H. Melvill, B. D.)
For His names sake
Living in the joy and light of the Divine Fatherhood, the Apostle John had come to regard all disciples of Jesus as children; and as the beauty of a child is in its childhood, its littleness, its unassertiveness, its dependableness, the apostle seems to have a delight in speaking of the disciples of Jesus as little children, remembering doubtless the little child that Jesus took and set in the midst of those disciples who were wrangling about greatness and place and position. I think there is much of instruction, and no little of comfort for us if only we will try and see things as the Apostle John sees them. He acknowledges the dark fact of sin, the bright fact of forgiveness, and the brightest of all facts–that forgiveness is based on the relation which Jesus Christ has established between Himself and us. One is weary of hearing of secular education as a cure for the sinfulness of mans nature. I am sure that an eloquent writer of our day is right on this–that if the influence of the outpoured life of Christ were withdrawn from our world, sins would not only increase incalculably in number, but the tyranny of sin would be fearfully augmented, and it would spread among a greater number of people. It is a new disposition, a new heart which man needs, and the outpoured life of God in Christ is necessary to produce that; as necessary to produce it as the outpoured radiance of the sun is necessary to produce the fruits of the earth by which our physical nature is sustained. Therefore it is that the Apostle John goes far deeper than to connect the forgiveness of sin with repentance for sin; he connects it with the relationship we sustain to Christ and the relationship He sustains to us. Some one asks–why is it necessary that Jesus the Christ of God should put Himself into the relations towards us which have been established, in order that the Everlasting Father may forgive sins? Why cannot He say to the sorrowing man, I forgive you, and have done with it?
1. There are reasons in His own nature. When God undertakes to forgive sin He pledges Himself to rescue the forgiven man from his sin. In a word, He undertakes to regenerate his nature, to renew it so that he shall eventually live the unsinning life. And in order to that, Jesus Christ and His work are necessary.
2. There are reasons in the nature of man. To forgive a sinner and leave him to the helplessness which has come from his sin is only half forgiveness. Man needs to be brought into such an understanding of God and into such a love of God that he will hate to sin against Him. In order to that, Christ Jesus and His sacrifice of Himself are necessary.
3. There are reasons, too, in the Divine government. It must be made universally evident that there is no righteous reason for rebellion against God on the part of any. (R. Thomas.)
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
Verse 12. I write unto you, little children] . Beloved children, (1Jo 2:1) those who were probably the apostle’s own converts, and members of the Church over which he presided. But it may be applied to young converts in general; those who can call God Abba, Father, by the Holy Spirit: therefore he says of them, that their sins were forgiven them for his name’s sake: i.e. on account of Jesus, the Saviour, who had died for them, and was now their Mediator at the right hand of God.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
He here uses an appellation before {1Jo 2:1} applied to all in common, being put alone; but being now set in contradistinction to others, must be understood to intend a distinct rank of Christians, viz. those more newly entered into the Christian state; and to them he suggests the free remission of their sins
for his names sake, i.e. for his own sake, as the reason why they should, out of ingenuity, and a new, recent sense of Gods mercy towards them, comply with his holy pleasure in the following precept. The remission of their sins being a first and most early privilege with them, that commenced from the beginning of their sincere Christianity, and which was sealed to them in their late baptism, it is the more fitly mentioned to this first rank of Christians.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
12. little childrenGreek,“little sons,” or “dear sons and daughters”;not the same Greek as in 1Jo2:13, “little children,” “infants” (inage and standing). He calls ALLto whom he writes, “little sons” (1Jo2:1, Greek; 1Jn 2:28;1Jn 3:18; 1Jn 4:4;1Jn 5:21); but only in 1Jn 2:13;1Jn 2:18 he uses the term “littlechildren,” or “infants.” Our Lord, whose Spirit Johnso deeply drank into, used to His disciples (Joh13:33) the term “little sons,” or dear sons anddaughters; but in Joh 21:5,”little children.” It is an undesigned coincidence with theEpistle here, that in John’s Gospel somewhat similarly theclassification, “lambs, sheep, sheep,” occurs.
are forgiven“havebeen, and are forgiven you”: ALLGod’s sons and daughters alike enjoy this privilege.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
I write unto you, little children,…. By whom the apostle means in common all the saints he writes to, whom he afterwards distributes into fathers, young men, and little children; for the same word is used here as in 1Jo 2:1; and a different one from that which is rendered little children in 1Jo 2:13; and besides, the following blessing of pardon of sin is common to all the children of God of different ages: now what the apostle says he writes unto them, intends not the epistle in general, but the new commandment of love in particular; and which he urges and enforces on them all, for this reason,
because your sins are forgiven you for his name’s sake; these little children had been sinners by nature and practice, and were not now without sin, but they shared in the blessing of the forgiveness of it; which arises from the abundant mercy and rich grace of God, and proceeds on the blood and sacrifice of Christ; and therefore is said to be “for his name’s sake”; not for the sake of any merits in men, any services or works of theirs, but for the sake of Christ, his blood, sacrifice and satisfaction; and it reaches to all sins, original and actual, secret and open, past, present, and to come; and here intends the application of it by the Spirit of God, and the reception of it by faith: and which, as it is a reason and argument encouraging love to God, who freely and fully forgives, and to Christ, whose blood was shed for the remission of sin, so to their brethren and fellow Christians; who are equally sharers in the same blessing, and when they should love, because they are loved of God and Christ; and whom they should forgive, because God, for Christ’s sake, has forgiven them. It may be, they may be called here “little children”, with a view to their interest in this blessing of grace. So the Jews say f, that Saul was called
“”the son of one year in his reign”; 1Sa 13:1; because all his iniquities were forgiven him, “as a sucking child” of a year old.”
f T. Hieros. Biccurim, fol. 65. 4.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
| Against the Love of the World. | A. D. 80. |
12 I write unto you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for his name’s sake. 13 I write unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning. I write unto you, young men, because ye have overcome the wicked one. I write unto you, little children, because ye have known the Father. 14 I have written unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning. I have written unto you, young men, because ye are strong, and the word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome the wicked one. 15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. 17 And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.
This new command of holy love, with the incentives thereto, may possibly be directed to the several ranks of disciples that are here accosted. The several graduates in the Christian university, the catholic church, must be sure to preserve the bond of sacred love. Or, there being an important dehortation and dissuasion to follow, without the observance of which vital religion in the love of God and love of the brethren cannot subsist, the apostle may justly seem to preface it with a solemn address to the several forms or orders in the school of Christ: let the infants or minors, the adults, the seniors (or the adepti, the teleioi, the most perfect), in the Christian institution, know that they must not love this world; and so,
I. We have the address itself made to the various forms and ranks in the church of Christ. All Christians are not of the same standing and stature; there are babes in Christ, there are grown men, and old disciples. As these have their peculiar states, so they have their peculiar duties; but there are precepts and a correspondent obedience common to them all, as particularly mutual love and contempt of the world. We see also that wise pastors will judiciously distribute the word of life, and give to the several members of Christ’s family their several suitable portions: I write unto you children, fathers, and young men. In this distribution the apostle addresses,
1. The lowest in the Christian school: I write unto you, little children, v. 12. There are novices in religion, babes in Christ, those who are learning the rudiments of Christian godliness. The apostle may seem to encourage them by applying to them first; and it may be useful to the greater proficients to hear what is said to their juniors; elements are to be repeated; first principles are the foundation of all. He addresses the children in Christianity upon two accounts:– (1.) Because their sins were forgiven them for his name’s sake, v. 12. The youngest sincere disciple is pardoned; the communion of saints is attended with the forgiveness of sins. Sins are forgiven either for God’s name’s sake, for the praise of his glory (his glorious perfections displayed in forgiveness), or for Christ’s name’s sake, upon his score, and upon the account of the redemption that is in him; and those that are forgiven of God are strongly obliged to relinquish this world, which so interferes with the love of God. (2.) Because of their knowledge of God: I write unto you, little children, because you have known the Father, v. 13. Children are wont to know none so soon as their father. Children in Christianity must and do know God. They shall all know me, from the least to the greatest, Heb. viii. 11. Children in Christ should know that God is their Father; it is their wisdom. We say, It is a wise child that knows his father. These children cannot but know theirs; they can well be assured by whose power they are regenerated and by whose grace they are adopted. Those that know the Father may well be withdrawn from the love of this world. Then the apostle, proceeds,
2. To those of the highest station and stature, to the seniors in Christianity, to whom he gives an honourable appellation: I write unto you, fathers (1Jn 2:13; 1Jn 2:14), unto you, Mnasons, you old disciples, Acts xxi. 16. The apostle immediately passes from the bottom to the top of the school, from the lowest form to the highest, that those in the middle may hear both lessons, may remember what they have learned and perceive what they must come to: I write unto you, fathers. Those that are of longest standing in Christ’s school have need of further advice and instruction; the oldest disciple must go to heaven (the university above) with his book, his Bible, in his hand; fathers must be written to, and preached to; none are too old to learn. He writes to them upon the account of their knowledge: I write unto you, fathers, because you have known him that is from the beginning,1Jn 2:13; 1Jn 2:14. Old men have knowledge and experience, and expect deference. The apostle is ready to own the knowledge of old Christians, and to congratulate them thereupon. They know the Lord Christ, particularly him that was from the beginning; as ch. i. 1. As Christ is Alpha and Omega, so he must be the beginning and end of our Christian knowledge. I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, Phil. iii. 8. Those who know him that was from the beginning, before this world was made, may well be induced thereby to relinquish this world. Then,
3. To the middle age of Christians, to those who are in their bloom and flower: I write unto you, young men,1Jn 2:13; 1Jn 2:14. There are the adult in Christ Jesus, those that have arrived at the strength of spirit and sound sense and can discern between good and evil. The apostle applies to them upon these accounts:– (1.) Upon the account of their martial exploits. Dexterous soldiers they are in the camp of Christ: Because you have overcome the wicked one, v. 13. There is a wicked one that is continually warring against souls, and particularly against the disciples: but those that are well taught in Christ’s school can handle their arms and vanquish the evil one; and those that can vanquish him may be called to vanquish the world too, which is so great an instrument for the devil. (2.) Upon the account of their strength, discovered in this their achievement: Because you are strong, and you have overcome the wicked one, v. 14. Young men are wont to glory in their strength; it will be the glory of youthful persons to be strong in Christ and in his grace; it will be their glory, and it will try their strength, to overcome the devil; if they be not too hard for the devil, he will be too hard for them. Let vigorous Christians show their strength in conquering the world; and the same strength must be exerted in overcoming the world as is employed in overcoming the devil. (3.) Because of their acquaintance with the word of God: And the word of God abideth in you, v. 14. The word of God must abide in the adult disciples; it is the nutriment and supply of strength to them; it is the weapon by which they overcome the wicked one; the sword of the Spirit, whereby they quench his fiery darts: and those in whom the word of God dwells are well furnished for the conquest of the world.
II. We have the dehortation or dissuasion thus prefaced and introduced, a caution fundamental to vital practical religion: “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world, v. 15. Be crucified to the world, be mortified to the things, to the affairs and enticements, of it.” The several degrees of Christians should unite in this, in being dead to the world. Were they thus united, they would soon unite upon other accounts: their love should be reserved for God; throw it not away upon the world. Now here we see the reasons of this dissuasion and caution. They are several, and had need to be so; it is hard to dispute or dissuade disciples themselves from the love of the world. These reasons are taken,
1. From the inconsistency of this love with the love of God: If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him, v. 15. The heart of man is narrow, and cannot contain both loves. The world draws down the heart from God; and so the more the love of the world prevails the more the love of God dwindles and decays.
2. From the prohibition of worldly love or lust; it is not ordained of God: It is not of the Father, but is of the world, v. 16. This love or lust is not appointed of God (he calls us from it), but it intrudes itself from the world; the world is a usurper of our affection. Now here we have the due consideration and notion of the world, according to which it is to be crucified and renounced. The world, physically considered, is good, and is to be admired as the work of God and a glass in which his perfections shine; but it is to be considered in its relation to us now in our corrupted state, and as it works upon our weakness and instigates and inflames our vile affections. There is great affinity and alliance between this world and the flesh, and this world intrudes and encroaches upon the flesh, and thereby makes a party against God. The things of the world therefore are distinguished into three classes, according to the three predominant inclinations of depraved nature; as, (1.) There is the lust of the flesh. The flesh here, being distinguished from the eyes and the life, imports the body. The lust of the flesh is, subjectively, the humour and appetite of indulging fleshly pleasures; and, objectively, all those things that excite and inflame the pleasures of the flesh. This lust is usually called luxury. (2.) There is the lust of the eyes. The eyes are delighted with treasures; riches and rich possessions are craved by an extravagant eye; this is the lust of covetousness. 3. There is the pride of life. A vain mind craves all the grandeur, equipage, and pomp of a vain-glorious life; this is ambition, and thirst after honour and applause. This is, in part, the disease of the ear; it must be flattered with admiration and praise. The objects of these appetites must be abandoned and renounced; as they engage and engross the affection and desire, they are not of the Father, but of the world, v. 16. The Father disallows them, and the world should keep them to itself. The lust or appetite to these things must be mortified and subdued; and so the indulging of it is not appointed by the Father, but is insinuated by the ensnaring world.
3. From the vain and vanishing state of earthly things and the enjoyment of them. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof, v. 17. The things of the world are fading and dying apace. The lust itself and the pleasure of it wither and decay; desire itself will ere long fail and cease, Eccl. xii. 5. And what has become of all the pomp and pleasure of all those who now lie mouldering in the grave?
4. From the immortality of the divine lover, the lover of God: But he that doeth the will of God, which must be the character of the lover of God, in opposition to this lover of the world, abideth for ever, v. 17. The object of his love in opposition to the world that passeth away, abideth for ever; his sacred passion or affection, in opposition to the lust that passeth away, abideth for ever; love shall never fail; and he himself is an heir of immortality and endless life, and shall in time be translated thither.
From the whole of these verses we should observe the purity and spirituality of the apostolical doctrine. The animal life must be subjected to the divine; the body with its affections should be swayed by religion, or the victorious love of God.
Fuente: Matthew Henry’s Whole Bible Commentary
I write (). Present active indicative, repeated three times, referring to this Epistle. For “the name” see 1John 3:23; 3John 1:7. They were loyal to the name of Christ (Mt 10:22).
Are forgiven (). Doric perfect passive indicative of (seen also in Luke 5:20; Luke 5:23) for the usual . (little children) probably includes all, as in verse 1.
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
Little children. See on ver. 1, and Joh 1:12. Not children in age, but addressed to the readers generally.
Name. See on Joh 1:12; Joh 2:23.
Fuente: Vincent’s Word Studies in the New Testament
1) “I write unto you, little children.” John re-addresses those to whom he is writing, as a father affectionately writes to his children. (Greek teknia) intimate term, of “little Children” or “Born ones” – not to be spanked, but to be “cooed over” 1Jn 3:1.
2) “Because your sins are forgiven you.” Sins many, had been forgiven each little child, Rom 3:23, Col 2:13. Their sins had been pardoned and they had been restored to God’s favor, reconciled to him Rom 5:10.
3) “For his name’s sake. The name of Jesus -reflecting the person of all his attributes and authority, is the one name thru whom a sinner may receive pardon, forgiveness, remission of sins and restored fellowship with the Creator, Father-God Mat 1:21; Act 4:11-12; Act 10:43; 2Co 5:18-19; Col 3:17.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
12 Little children This is still a general declaration, for he does not address those only of a tender age, but by little children he means men of all ages, as in the first verse, and also hereafter. I say this, because interpreters have incorrectly applied the term to children. But John, when he speaks of children, calls them παιδία, a word expressive of age; but here, as a spiritual father, he calls the old as well as the young, τεκνία He will, indeed, presently address special words to different ages; yet they are mistaken who think that he begins to do so here. But, on the contrary, lest the preceding exhortation should obscure the free remission of sins, he again inculcates the doctrine which peculiarly belongs to faith, in order that the foundation may with certainty be always retained, that salvation is laid up for us in Christ alone.
Holiness of life ought indeed to be urged, the fear of God ought to be carefully enjoined, men ought to be sharply goaded to repentance, newness of life, together with its fruits, ought to be commended; but still we ought ever to take heed, lest the doctrine of faith be smothered, — that doctrine which teaches that Christ is the only author of salvation and of all blessings; on the contrary, such moderation ought to be presented, that faith may ever retain its own primacy. This is the rule prescribed to us by John: having faithfully spoken of good works, lest he should seem to give them more importance than he ought to have done, he carefully calls us back to contemplate the grace of Christ.
Your sins are forgiven you Without this assurance, religion would not be otherwise than fading and shadowy; nay, they who pass by the free remission of sins, and dwell on other things, build without a foundation. John in the meantime intimates, that nothing is more suitable to stimulate men to fear God than when they are rightly taught what blessing Christ has brought to them, as Paul does, when he beseeches by the bowels of God’s mercies. (Phi 2:1.)
It hence appears how wicked is the calumny of the Papists, who pretend that the desire of doing what is right is frozen, when that is extolled which alone renders us obedient children to God. For the Apostle takes this as the ground of his exhortation, that we know that God is so benevolent to us as not to impute to us our sins.
For his name’s sake The material cause is mentioned, lest we should seek other means to reconcile us to God. For it would not be sufficient to know that God forgives us our sins, except we came directly to Christ, and to that price which he paid on the cross for us. And this ought the more to be observed, because we see that by the craft of Satan, and by the wicked fictions of men, this way is obstructed; for foolish men attempt to pacify God by various satisfactions, and devise innumerable kinds of expiations for the purpose of redeeming themselves. For as many means of deserving pardon we intrude on God, by so many obstacles are we prevented from approaching him. Hence John, not satisfied with stating simply the doctrine, that God remits to us our sins, expressly adds, that he is propitious to us from a regard to Christ, in order that he might exclude all other reasons. We also, that we may enjoy this blessing, must pass by and forget all other names, and rely only on the name of Christ.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
CRITICAL AND EXEGETICAL NOTES
1Jn. 2:12-17 indicate the things which the disciples must not love, if they would walk in the light, and be sons with the Only Begotten.
1Jn. 2:12. Sins are forgiven.The reception of Divine forgiveness is our virtual pledge that we will not again sin. The forgiveness of sins is the first condition of Christian morals. His names sake.His name is Son. The basis of forgiveness is the offering to God the Father of a perfect sonshipthe sonship of a man tested in a human life and death. St. John has not in mind what we mean by for the sake of His atonement.
1Jn. 2:13. Fathers.The older men among the disciples; regarded as having a prolonged personal experience. Young men.Who have gained something like a personal hold of Divine things, but are in danger of being over-confident and over-positive. They have gained first victories over evil, and are in danger of being unduly proud of their success. In each case St. John recognises a certain maturity, in which there is hope, together with a certain immaturity, which exposes disciples to the powers of evil and temptation.
1Jn. 2:15. The world.Compare our Lords words, Ye cannot serve God and mammon. By the world we may understand that moral order which is antagonistic to God. Or we may keep in the line of St. Johns thought and say, It is all that sphere in which only self-interests are allowed to rule. St. John personifies the self, and calls it the evil one, the wicked one. Things in the world.The love of pleasure, money, glory. See Jas. 1:27; Jas. 4:4. Philo taught, It is impossible for love to the world to coexist with love to God.
1Jn. 2:16. Lust of the flesh.The genitive after is usually subjective. The lusts which have their agents in the flesh and in the eyes. Lust is desire that is not being held in wise and safe control. The habit of a mind engrossed by sensual gratifications. Pride of life.This is well expressed by the term braggadocio of life; wanton ostentation in gratifying the desires of sense and sight (Jas. 4:16). All living up to a supposed social position, instead of as the responsible steward of undeserved bounties, is hereby condemned.
1Jn. 2:17. Abideth for ever.Because God is on the side of goodness, and there are no forces which can effectively stop it, or destroy it. In the nature of things evil is temporary, and good is permanent. For ever means, unto the age to come.
MAIN HOMILETICS OF THE PARAGRAPH.1Jn. 2:12-17
Types of Stages in Christian Experience.We have piety here as it appears in individuals at different periods of lifeits characters in each class, and the common danger of all. I. Little children. Their piety is characterised by much affection. II. Young menand women too. Piety in manhood is
1. Strong and courageous.
2. Full of enterprise and achievement. III. Old men, or fathers in Christ. The characteristic of these is knowledgeknowledge of men and things, but especially of Divine things (J. Leifchild, D.D.). It is, however, a fuller understanding of St. John to recognise in his three terms, little children, young men, fathers, figures of the three great stages of religious culture and experience which are represented in every Church. Sometimes the term little children is used to include all the believers, but at other times the threefold distinction is clear. In every Church there are always those who do but look on to Christian living, those who are in the actual strain of Christian living, and those who are able to look back on Christian living. Or to state the case in simple terms, there are united in the fellowship of every Church the immature, the prime, and the mature. And the blending of these classes, their mutual relations, responsibilities, and ministries, make the glory of Church life; and it is skilful and helpful mutual blending that we should try to secure. Let us see if we can recognise the distinctness of these types, and the ways in which each one may be the helper of the other.
I. Little children represent the immature, those who have no experience behind them, and do but look on to Christian living.Of them St. John says, I write unto you, because your sins are forgiven you for His names sakebecause ye know the Father. The very first stage of Christian life is the thought of God which brings personal relations and the joy of forgiveness. The awakening of the soul is the sense of God that comes, the reality of God, the personal relation of God to the soul. No man is converted save as Jacob was, by a personal revelation of God to him. Express it in whatever form you may, the very essence of conversion is a mans discovery that he is a child, and that God is his Father. A man cannot help becoming a new being, conscious of a new atmosphere and new relations, when once he has apprehended those two things. And there is no other possible beginning of the regenerate life. With that discovery there is bound to go another. He will feel his actual relations as a child with a father are not what they should be; and he cannot rest until they are made what they ought to be. And since he feels the wrong to be altogether on his side, he can but seek that Fatherly forgiveness which is so ready to be extended to every seeking child. There are always in the Church some persons who are at this first and simple stage of the Divine life. They are alive to the thought of God, and they have got their relations right with Him. But they have no experience. Christian living is an altogether unknown thing to them; they can but look on, and wonder what the long years will unfold. Such persons come into the fullest concern of Christian pastors, who, like St. John, will try to adapt their teaching and influence so as most efficiently to help and guide all such. The simplicity and strength of faith, the brightness and joy of first experience, in these little children, are a most gracious blessing to the spiritual life of our Churches, and it is well that every Church should have such representative cases always in it.
II. Young men represent the prime, those who are in the actual strain of Christian living.I write unto you, young men, because ye have overcome the evil onebecause ye are strong, and the word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome the evil one. These members of the Church are such as have some experience of the Christian life, enough to fit them for dealing with the duties, difficulties, and temptations that may come. When a man has reached some thirty years of life, he is in a sense prepared for life, partly matured. The unexpected will still happen; but the round of experiences which the man has gone through will have prepared him to deal wisely with any circumstances that may arise. And so there are in a Church those whose experiences of the Divine life have been sufficiently prolonged and varied to give them efficiency and maturity. They are like young men in their prime. On them the strain of Church life and responsibility rests. They are fitted for it: their experiences are fresh; none have become so prolonged as to become wearisome, the sense of strength and wisdom makes Church life and work a delight to them. They have fought evil, in one shape and another. They have felt the thrill of joy in first victories, and a great sense of power is upon them. But they need the wisely adapted teachings of the apostle, and of faithful ministers, because in their conscious strength lies a subtle peril. These experiences are not complete; they have no experience of keeping on. There is too much excitement in their experience; they are too much in it themselves. It is more an experience of what they have been doing, than of what God has been doing in them. It gives them confidence and energy. They feel as if they could overcome all the evil ones, and so need to be reminded that old Satan may prove too much for young Melancthon.
III. Fathers represent the mature, those who are able to look back on Christian living.I write unto you, fathers, because ye know Him which is from the beginning. This is the one thing in St. Johns mind concerning the fathers, and he repeats it a second time. Their experience was complete. It might be that in the Churches which St. John addressed some yet lingered who had been connected with Church life from the very beginning, from the days of the earthly manifestation of the Lord Jesus. Or the thought may be of a long life spent in Christian relations, and bringing not only every kind of experience, but such a repetition of experiences as involves the special experience of weariness through sameness. There are always fathers in this sense in Christian Churches; and they need apostolic counsels, for they are in danger of checking enterprise, by being quite sure that everything attempted will fail, because they have seen so many things fail, and because they know so well how many difficulties everything will have to contend against. A full experience is not an unqualified advantage. In Christian experience it is possible to know so much as to lose faith in anything. These types can be helpful to each other in Church life. The little children call for sympathy, and put the brightness of simple faith into Church relations. The young men bear the burden of Church duties and responsibilities. And the fathers temper enterprise with counsels of prudence. And what is the one message which St. John considers to have its precise adaptation to each of these classes? At first sight it seems to be suitable only for the young men, those in their prime. It is this, Love not the world. But if we understand St. John to mean by the world what we may call personified (or projected) self, we shall at once see how his advice becomes applicable to all the classes. The peril of the little children is making too much of what they have felt; and that is simply putting self into their experiences. The peril of the young men is in making too much of what they do, of what they are doing in their maturity and strength; and that is simply putting self into their experiences. The peril of the fathers is in making too much of what they know, presuming upon their length of years and their observations; and that is simply putting self into their complete experiences. Love not the world really is but, in a figurative way, saying, Love not yourself. And this is plain to view when we notice that it is not the world, but the love of the world, against which we are so carefully warned. That is, it is something in us, not something outside us; it is the self in us that is alwayseither in some secret or some open waytrying to be master of us. St. John is evidently very anxious to make this quite plain to us. So he tells us what he means by the things that are in the world, and we see at once that they are, all three, not things of the outside world at all, but things of the world of self, the world within us. The lust of the flesh is a bad side of the self. The lust of the eyes is a bad side of the self. The vain-glory of life is a bad side of the self. Those things will be found to prove sources of difficulty to Church members in all the stages of the Divine life. Beginners must beware of over-mastering self. Strong men must beware of over-mastering self. Aged menour fathers in Christmust beware of the subtle ways in which self can spoil their witness and their influence. And St. John suggests the safeguard that will defend us at every stage of the Divine lifedefend us from the precise influence of the world of self upon us. It is thisKeep up the full sense of your child-relation to the Father, and in everything watch for and do His will.
SUGGESTIVE NOTES AND SERMON SKETCHES
1Jn. 2:12. Forgiveness of Sins a First Experience.It is remarkable that forgiveness of sins should be associated with the term little children, if children in age are meant by the apostle. The real sense of sin, and consequently the full joy of forgiveness, can only be known by those of mature age, who have intelligent understanding, and personal experience, of what wilful sin is and involves. A childs experience of sin and forgiveness are right enough and important enough for the child-stage of life; but we must look to the larger, fuller life of manhood for real and deep experiences. When a man is awakened by the Spirit of God, he is brought to a sense of sin, and of the conditions into which sin has brought him. He is oppressed above everything by the conviction that it has put him out of pleasant relations with the Father-God, and brought on him the Divine disfavour and frown. Then it is clear that there can be no beginning of Christian life, without such a restoration of relations with God as must involve His forgiveness. Not a step can be taken in the Christian life until we know that we are forgiven and accepted.
1Jn. 2:13. The Young Mans Wicked One.Ye, young men, have overcome the wicked one. It is very easy to assume that there is a Satan, and then say that Satan is meant by the wicked one here. But the verse needs some careful and precise thinking about. Personifying moral or immoral qualities, influences, or forces is constantly done, and constantly occasions difficulty. Joubert very wisely says, The trick of personifying words is a fatal source of mischief in theology. It is not intended here to present any arguments for or against the idea of a personal devilonly to direct attention to the suggestive fact, with which preachers may effectively deal, that the young mans wicked one is nothing outside him, but is himself, in the untried and unrestrained strength of his intensity and passion. It is his undue self-centredness, self-interest. There can be no wicked one so wicked to him as his own weak, untested, over-confident self.
Knowing the Father.Ye know the Father. We may learn from the case of the apostlesthose first discipleswhat is the Christian way of getting to see and know the Father.
I. The disciples were filled with the thought of Christ.They had their Master in the sphere of the senses. They spent day by day with Him. They watched every deed, and listened for every word, and their whole thought was occupied with His personality. We can hardly imagine what it must have been to spend three years in the fascination of Christs daily presence. Those disciples could think of nothing but Jesus, and talk of nothing but Jesus. And this was so far good and right. Since Christ is God, we can never make too much of Him; we may fearlessly fill our heart and thought with Him. His individuality can never be too forcibly impressed upon us. And yet Christ will be grieved if we stop with His earthly manifestation, and fail to enter into His greater mystery. He does not want to be seen only with mens bodily eyes. We may notthe disciples may notstop with the fascination of the Man Christ Jesus. He does indeed strongly impress His human presence, but only with an ultimate design, only as a stepping-stone to something further and better. Though we have known Christ after the flesh, says St. Paul, yet now henceforth know we Him [thus] no more. Christ would neither have His disciples, nor us, rest in Him, if we can only see His earthly features. Disciples must see God in Him, even the Father-God in Him. We may not stay with the outward show of the Christ of the gospels: we too must find God in Him, even the Father-God in Him. The earthly and the human are but stepping-stones; and yet it is only with our feet on them that we can rise to higher and better things. The way to all else, and bettor, is to be, like the first disciples, full of the thought of Christ, and setting all our affection and hope on Him. But, on the other hand
II. Christ was filled with the thought of His Father.All His life was seen by Him in its relation to the Father, and to the Fathers will. He was absorbed with the thought of the Father. He was always talking of the Father. It was the word for God that was characteristic of Him, the sacred name that was continually upon His lips. He seemed to be always putting Himself back into the second place, that He might fill mens thoughts with the holy, righteous Father. So thoroughly characteristic is this of His teaching, that we are almost justified in calling it Jesus Christs name for God, and in saying that it is the very point and essence of the revelation which He brought to men. He seemed only to live among men that, in His character, and by His conduct, He might show us the Father. Was He pure, with a strict and yet winsome purity? He was but bringing closely home to our thought and feeling the holiness of God. Was He gentle, and pitying, and merciful? He was but persuasively making all the goodness of God to pass before us, and proclaiming the Father-name of God before us. Was He personally touched by human sorrows? Did He really take up our human woes as burdens on His own sympathy? He was but convincing us that like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear Him. Look at His mighty works, His miracles of love and power. Are they mere! wonderful eventsmerely demonstrations of almightiness? Nay, surely, better far is their purpose. They are signs of the Father. There are the Fathers great works seen in miniature, that men may recognise the Father-hand that is in all the great things. Christ healed the sick, with a word and a touch, to reveal the living Father, who is watching by all sickbeds, raising up them that are bowed down, restoring, and healing, and comforting, every day and everywhere. Christ stood up to quell the sudden storm on little Galilee, to show His disciples the Father, who holdeth the winds in His fists, and the waters in the hollow of His hand; who can say, even to the winter-driven waves of the great ocean, Hitherto shalt thou come, and no further; who is the all-controlling Father even of the whirlwind and the tempest. Christ took the few loaves, and multiplied them into a full feast for the seated thousands, to show the Father-God, who, each returning year, multiplies the scattered seeds of the spring-time into the rich and waving autumn harvests from which all His children are fed. The miracles are not simply acts that glorify Christs power; the Father who sent Him, He doeth the works, and He stands out to view in all those miracles. They were all wrought with this for their supreme aimto shew us the Father. All that Christ did, all that Christ said, all that Christ suffered, has for its one object the glorifying of the Father; and His closing prayer revealed the great purpose of His life: Now, O Father, glorify Thou Me with Thine own self.
III. When disciples see Christ truly, they go past Him, and know the Father, see the Father, even as He did.Seeing Christ truly! What is the true seeing of anything, or of any one? Is it ever so minute and exact a tracing of his doings or his sayings? Nay, it must be reading the heartsympathetically entering into the very motive and spirit. Seeing is not a mere matter of bodily vision. What can any man who has only eyes in his body see of Christ? True seeing is soul-seeing,apprehending the inner life of thought, principle, motive; seeing a mans secret. What then may we see in Christ? He tells us Himself: He that hath seen Me hath seen the Father. We may see the wise God as we trace the long and chequered history of our race, and note how all things have been working together for good. We can see the strong God as we look upon the everlasting mountains, and hear the mighty storm-voice echoing among the hills. We can know the beautiful and good God as we gaze upon the jewelled lake in its mountain setting, see the threading of the silver streamlet, or watch the golden-flowered fields. Goodness is revealed to all who can read natures heart. But how everything seems to pale, and fade, and pass out of vision, when we find that we can see and know our Father-God, in the human manifestation of Christ the Son, when we can read its heart aright! Simple souls, Christs little children, can know the Father.
1Jn. 2:14-16. An Old Mans Message to the Young.The writer of these words was an old man, a very old man, a very noble old man,one more than usually rich in the experiences of life; one whose work for many years had been to watch the influences for good or for evil affecting the people, so that he might duly warn and guide. We read of Paul the aged, but the man of whom we now speak was John the Beloved, who lived to be nearly a hundred years old. What a wonderful century of life his must have been! Born into Jewish privileges, but at a time when Jewish ceremonial had lost its ever-present Jehovah, and had become a vain formalismborn at a time when Jewish liberty was crushed under the heel of Roman supremacySt. John must have had a hard youth-time and early manhood. For a soul with any bigness in it, any great wants in it, any yearnings after high and Divine things in it, those few years before the birth of Christ must have been a weary timethe cry of the soul ever stifled, the out-reaching hand smitten back, the empty soul left empty still. Manhood had fully dawned when St. John came into the illuminations of the Light God had sent into the world. Prepared by the repentance which John the Baptist demanded, he came to Jesus, found in Him a resting-place, and for some three years knew a kind of joy unspeakable in the daily fellowship of God manifest in the flesh. When he lost his Lord out of hand-grasp, there came years of loving service to the risen and living Oneyears of travel, of preaching, of teaching, of suffering, of practical dealing with varieties of character, and of opposing both subtle and open evils. Who can tell what care and what work were crowded into those long years! He must have come to know young men well. He watched the eagerness with which they received the gospel-message. He mourned over the devices by which they were so often enticed back into the world again. Surely the young may wisely sit at the feet of this reverend, this saintly, this experienced old man. Consider then
I. The old mans kindly description of young men.Ye are strong. If this description were not given by an inspired teacher, we might suspect flattery, or at least such an effort to say kindly things as would open the young mans heart to receive his counsels. But, in truth, St. John gives us a careful, an almost philosophical estimate of the young man. No single word could more exactly describe him. He is strong. The glory of young men is their strength. The prophet exclaims, Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: but they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength. The word is a fitting one to describe the bodily, physical vigour of the young. At no other time in life is the frame so perfect, the energy so abundant, the vitality so strong. Oftentimes there is such a flow of purely physical power, as cannot be exhausted in the toil of life, and must flow over into athletic sports. To the strong man labour is joy, not toil; it is only with the wearying years that a man finds his work grow toilsome and hard. But St. John means more than bodily strength; he applies his word to the whole man, to the moral and spiritual nature, as well as the physical. We never love as we love in youth. We never desire as as we desire in youth. We never battle with obstacles and difficulties as we battle with them in youth. Perhaps it is even true to say, that we never hunger and thirst after righteousness as we do in youth. There is an intensity in all that the young folks do. Sometimes, indeed, it needs checking; sometimes it is not ruled by prudence. Sometimes the young mans glory becomes his shame. The very energy put into worldly pursuits may result in bringing into the soul the love of the world, and pushing out the love of the Father. And St. John says of the young men, the word of God abideth in you. Only just started in life, the cares, and toils, and sorrows that make up our human lot have not yet proved strong enough to efface the impressions of the word of God, as they have been made on your hearts by early teachings and associations. By and by this may be true of you: the cares of life and the deceitfulness of riches may choke the word. By-and-by you may refuse the invitations of Divine grace, using the poor excuses, I have bought a piece of land; I have bought live yoke of oxen. But it is not so with you now. The hallowing impressions of the early years abide. Holy memories of mothers prayers abide. Relics of influence from days of sickness abide. Thoughts come back that were started in the Sabbath class. Warm feelings fill the heart sometimes, renewing the sacred impressions of the Sabbath and the sanctuary. There is on your heart to-day a strong grip of Christian truth and Christian claim. As yet, you have your souls, your memories, filled up with the word of God, the desire for God. In that the beloved apostle finds a basis for his warning: Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. And, again, St. John describes young men as those who have overcome the wicked one. How graciously God must have put the hedge of His protection round you, if this can be said truly of you! Up to this hour you have been kept from that wicked onefrom young mens sins, the sins that come in the line of bodily indulgence and passion. Up to this hour you stand in Gods all-searching presence, pure from these defiling and debasing forms of evil. A stained and erring man, in the shame and weariness of old age, once said to a young brother, John, bless God every day you live, if, by His grace, you have been kept from youthful sins. Up to this time you have overcome that wicked one. You have, then, begun the great conflict: you have begun to understand what life means and involves. Consider
II. The old mans estimate of young mens dangers.The lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. The old man knows what things there really are in the world, and what are their different values and influences. The young man can know very little of the world, and what he does know is largely disguised to deceive. There is an important difference between the old mans I know, and the young mans I know. When the old man says I know, he means, I have been there, I have had to do with it, I have battled through it. When the young man says I know, he only means, I think so, I have heard so, I hope so. Young folk often think that the dangers of life are magnified by the old people: they cannot see such pitfalls, such carefully concealed nets and gins, such gaily decked temptations, as they hear of. And yet the truth is with the old man, not with the young. It is a glorious thing to live, but it is a very responsible thing. It is a blessed thing to be in this wonderful world of Gods, with all these surroundings of pleasure, and all these possible achievements opening before us. But it is a highly perilous thing; and every earnest soul will want to ask, Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way, and be ready to pray, Keep back Thy servant also from presumptuous sins. Aged St. John could see that the world appeals to three faculties, or capacities, in us; and that, if our controlling power be the love of the world, rather than the love of the Father, then the world will be sure to lead us away from all that is true and good, and put us into the power of the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. Everybodys danger and temptation bear relation to these three things. The first, the lust of the flesh, embraces all the indulgences of the natural passions and depraved inclinations of our bodily natureall the excesses in eating, and drinking, and sensuality to which fallen humanity is liable. And how appalling is the ruin wrought by these lusts of the flesh! Every day we may see, on the street, the leering side-glance of the sensualist, the bloated face and figure of the drunkard; and as we see them, we can scarcely admit the possibility of our ever becoming as they are. Yet St. John, with his full experience of life and temptation, sees danger even for us. I have written unto you, young men, because ye are strong. True of the powers of good in us, that is also true of the powers of evil. The lusts of the flesh in the young are strong. The passions and desires of our fallen nature are strongstronger in youth-time than they ever again will be; and in their strength lies our peril. Remember, I beseech you, that the lusts of the flesh are not of the Father; they do not belong to the holy Father, they do not suit the great Fathers thoughts and hopes for you. If you would be the Son of the holy Father, then flee youthful lusts. The second danger comes out of the lust of the eye. This is a peril affecting nobler kinds of men. The eye is one of the most honourable of our senses. The eye is never satisfied with seeing, nor the ear with hearing, and God is graciously pleased to give us exquisite pleasure in the things on which we may gaze. But the Father made them all, gave them all, speaks by them all to our hearts. St. John, however, says that, for you young men, there is some danger. You are strong; the lust of the eye is strong: in passionate satisfying of the senses, even the sense of the beautiful, you may pass by the Father; you may fail to see Him, and find Him; you may be carried away by the love of the world. Your very strength may make you love even the higher pleasures of life for their own sakes; and your soul, with all its noble possibilities, will stop short of God, our only true end. The third danger comes out of the pride of lifea still higher kind of peril, connected with our intelligence, our thought, our ambitions, our aspirations. Many a man has fled youthful lusts, has conquered the desire for pleasure through the senses, and then has fallen before this pride of life. We know well what is meant by that term. We watch, we envy, those above us in society; we want to have houses such as they have, to be as free with wealth as they are, to be able to enjoy what they enjoy, to take the position in society which they are able to take. And St. John reminds us of our peril. We need to step carefully, and to walk watchfully. The pride of life is not wholly wrong; the desire to rise must till every noble breast; it is the feebler sphere of the yearning of our souls for God. But the pride of life must be kept in, curbed, moulded, well-possessed, and inspired with higher principle, or it will surely overwhelm us and degrade us. The danger for the young is that they are strong. Fill the pride of life with all your youthful strength, and you will surely find it is not of the Father; it is of the world, and the world passeth away, and the lust thereof; only he who doeth the will of God abideth for ever. Consider
III. The old mans counsel for the guidance of the young mans way.Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. St. John would say, Young men, take care of yourselves; consider where your love is set, and what is its object. Love is always nobler and mightier than lust. Love is the holy, God-like power within us. Lust is the low, grovelling earth-power. Nothing can really conquer lust and pride but love. Then you will be safe, quite safe, if your love is right. The whole life is endangered if the love be wrong. A man always is according as he loves. A man may drive the evil spirit out, and have his house empty, swept, and garnished. But he is not safe until holy love fills the empty house. There is always the danger that the evil spirit may come back to the empty place, and bring with him seven other spirits worse than himself. The sanctifying capacity in us is love. Then love not the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. The love in us can never rest in anything; it must set itself upon a person. Our lust can do with things, but our love cannot. And our love to a person can never fully satisfy itself with any other person than our Father who is in heaven. Then let your youthful strength go out in love to God, of whom John Tauler so expressively says, Rightly is He called the Master of love, for He rewards nothing but love; He rewards only out of love; and He rewards with love. Love God, and then you shall keep down all lusts, all pride; you shall make such things servants to serve you, not temptations to triumph over you, nor tyrants to enslave you. Love God! What God? Why, God manifest in the flesh,God shadowed to your view in your own humanity, that your eyes may see Him, your ears may hear Him, and your arms twine with a life-clasp about Him,the God whom St. John loved and lived for; the God whom St. Paul loved, and would have died to honour; the God whom Mary loved, and at whose feet she sat up-looking, with those eyes which Tennyson so exquisitely calls homes of silent prayer. Set your hearts upon loving, trusting, following, serving, that brother-man, that manifested God, Jesus Christ. Relying on the man Christ Jesus, you are trusting the God of love. Loving Christ Jesus, on your hearts will be set that love of the Father which alone can keep you, through all the long years, from the love of the world.
1Jn. 2:15. The Love of the Father as the Law of Life.A fragment from Philo declares that it is impossible for love to the world to coexist with love to God. By writing the love of the Father, rather than the love of God, the apostle points to the duty of Christians as children of God. The love of the Father means mans love to Him, not His to man. The love of the Father is the true posture of the soul towards God. If the soul is evenly balanced between love of God and of the world, it is negative and colourless. If the balance incline towards the things that distract from the pure and simple walk with God, then the emotion for Him has died away; if the balance be for Him, the expulsive power of the new affection makes the contrary attractions insignificant and increasingly powerless. A man must have a law of life to be a man at all. Manhood is life under intelligent rule. The law of his life will be the thing which he supremely loves. A man may love the world, which is precisely thishimself projected outside himself, and made a circle round himself. That self will present the entire series of considerations that rules his conduct. Or a man may love the Father; and that is man going out beyond himself, outside his own circle, and living under the most sanctifying rule of love.
1Jn. 2:15-17. Worldliness.Religion differs from morality in the value which it places on the affections. Morality requires that an act be done on principle. Religion goes deeper, and inquires into the state of the heart. In the eye of Christianity he is a Christian who loves the Father. He who loves the world may be in his way a good man, respecting whose eternal destiny we pronounce no opinion; but one of the children of the kingdom he is not. The boundary lines of this love of the world, or worldliness, are exceedingly difficult to define.
I. The nature of the forbidden world.There are three ways in which we learn to know God:
1. By the working of our minds. Love, justice, tenderness: if we would know what they mean in God, we must gain the conception from their existence in ourselves.
2. By the representation which God has given us of Himself in Christ.
3. The world is but manifested DeityGod shown to eye, and ear, and sense. Then to forbid the love of all this world is to forbid the love of that by which God is known to us. The sounds and sights of this lovely world are but the drapery of the robe in which the Invisible has clothed Himself. By the world is sometimes meant the men that are in the worldas if we could love God the more by loving man the less. This is not St. Johns forbidden world. By the world is often understood the worldly occupation, trade, or profession which a man exercises. It is no uncommon thing to hear this spoken of as something which, if not actually anti-religious, so far as it goes, is time taken away from the religious life. A mans profession or trade is his religion. And this is true even of those callings which at first sight appear to have in them something hard to reconcile with religiousness, such as that of the lawyer. Worldliness consists in these three things: attachment to the outward; attachment to the transitory; attachment to the unreal, in opposition to love of the inward, the eternal, and the true.
II. The reasons for which the love of the world is forbidden.
1. It is incompatible with the love of God. St. John takes it for granted that we must love something. Every man must go out of himself for enjoyment.
2. Its transitoriness. It is transitory in itselfthe world passeth away. It is transitory in its power of exciting desirethe lust thereof passeth away. Man becomes satiated with the world. There is something in earthly rapture that cloys.
3. The solitary permanence of Christian action. Christian life is action: not a speculating, not a debating, but a doing. One thing, and only one, in this world has eternity stamped upon it. Feelings pass; resolves and thoughts pass; opinions change. What you have done lastslasts in you. Distinguish, however, between the act and the actor: it is not the thing done, but the doer who lasts. The thing done often is a failure. Two lessons:
1. Learn from earthly changefulness a lesson of cheerful activity.
2. The love of this world is only unlearned by the love of the Father. It were a desolate thing, indeed, to forbid the love of earth, if there were nothing to fill the vacant space in the heart. But it is just for this purpose, that a sublimer affection may find room, that the lower is to be expelled.F. W. Robertson.
1Jn. 2:16. The Pride of Life.This is one of the great frailties of humanity in every age, and it gains expression in every class of society. The forms it took in the days of the apostle John, and in the Christian Churches to which he wrote, may be studied, and used to give point to his counsels and warnings. Attention is now fixed on thisthat the pride of life is a self-toned circle of which the centre is self. The essence of it is self-superiority: it is the Pharisaic I thank thee that I am not as other men are. It is pride of the peculiarities that mark our lives off from the lives of others. It may be pride of superior intellect, or superior acquirements, or superior birth, or superior station, or superior tastes. Our differences from others are no moral temptations to us while we regard them as a Divine trust committed to us, as an agency for service to others. Who maketh thee to differ? and what hast thou that thou hast not received?
ILLUSTRATIONS TO CHAPTER 2
1Jn. 2:16. Love of Dress.A forcible instance occurs in Ten Years of a Preachers Life. A man following the occupation of wood-cutting wrought with exemplary zeal the six working days, hoarding every cent not required to furnish him with the most frugal fare. As his pile increased, he invested it in gold ornaments,watch-chain of massive links, shirt and sleeve buttons, shoe buckles, then buttons for vest and coat, a hat-band of the precious metal, a heavy gold-headed cane; and, in short, wherever an ounce of it could be bestowed upon his person, in or out of taste, it was done. The glory of his life, his sole ambition, was to don this curious attire, which was deposited for safe keeping during the week in one of the banks, on Sunday morning, and then spend the day, the observed of all observers, lounging about the office or bar-room of the St. Charles. He never drank, and rarely spoke. Mystery seemed to envelop him. No one knew whence he came, or the origin of his innocent whim. Old citizens assured you that year after year his narrow savings were measured by the increase of his ornaments, until at length the value of the anomalous garments came to be estimated by thousands of dollars. By ten oclock on Sunday night the exhibition was closedhis one day of self-gratification enjoyedhis costly wardrobe was returned to the bank vault, and he came back into the obscurity of a wood-chopper.
Fuente: The Preacher’s Complete Homiletical Commentary Edited by Joseph S. Exell
(7) THE THINGS THEY MUST NOT LOVE IF THEY WALKED IN THE LIGHT (1Jn. 2:12-17).The solemnity of the thoughts of 1Jn. 2:9; 1Jn. 2:11 is too much for the warm heart of the Apostle. He cannot bear even to seem to suggest that his dear little children are shrouded in the gloomy horrors of moral darkness, haunted by the faithful memories of their sins, and enticed hither and thither by the malevolent spirits of evil. He will warn them with the most tender and pitiful affection against the wicked one, the world, the flesh, the follies and vanities of the human heart; but first he will show them frankly what he thinks of them, what he hopes of them, the trust he places in them, the grounds which he takes for granted in writing to them.
(12) I write unto you, little children.The arrangement of these triplets should be prefaced by saying that the last I write, in 1Jn. 2:13, is, according to the best reading, I wrote, or I have written; and that the little children of 1Jn. 2:12 is the same word as that which he used in 1Jn. 2:1 for the whole class of his readers, and is therefore quite general, but that the little children of 1Jn. 2:13 is a different, word, meaning children in age. So we get:
I write.
I wrote.
1.
All readers.
1.
Children in age. [Suggested, according to the perfect simplicity of St. Johns style, by the term used in the first set for his readers generally.]
2.
Fathers.
2.
Fathers.
3.
Youths.
3.
Youths.
Reasons.
1.
Forgiveness.
1.
Knowledge of the Father.
2.
Knowledge of Christ.
2.
Knowledge of Christ.
3.
Victory.
3.
Strength, perseverance, victory.
Some have thought the second triplet an explanatory note that has crept into the text; others that I write refers to what he is doing at the moment, I wrote the view they would take when they read what he had written. It seems better, however, if we allow the Gospel to have been written first, to refer I am writing to the Epistle; I did write to the Gospel.
Because your sins are forgiven you for his names sake.Rather, have been forgiven. When Christ expired on the cross, the sins of all were forgiven who should in after-time believe and carry on their repentance towards perfection. The process is realised in the soul when it wakes up to a sense of love of the Saviour through faith.
(13) Fathers.The heads of families.
Him that is from the beginning.There can be little doubt that this means the same Person as the subject of His names sake. (Comp. Joh. 1:1; Joh. 8:58; Joh. 17:5; Knowledge of Christ is assigned in both cases as the reason for addressing the elder members of his audience, because fully to understand the work, the doctrine, the example of Christ, is a work fitted for mature thought. (Comp. 1Co. 3:1-2.)
Young men.They might be regarded more as still engaged in the work of settling their character, forming their habits, disciplining their inclinations, confirming the choice which all must make for themselves between good and evil. (Comp. 2Ti. 2:22.) St. John is not here addressing those who have failed in the struggle and not repented, but those who have got the better of such temptations, or are in process of getting it.
The wicked one.Comp. 1Jn. 3:12; 1Jn. 5:18; Mat. 13:19; Eph. 6:16.)
(14) Because ye have known.To those who have once begun to understand Christ, the topic must always be delightful and interesting.
Because ye are strong.For the reasons mentioned before, young men have more special need of strength. (Comp. Psa. 119:9.) This power can only come through the presence of the message and teaching of God in their hearts, which will be brought by faith in Christ, acceptance of His redemption, and reverential study of His example. When Christ has thus dwelt in their minds, then the victory is won, and the spirits of evil can no longer entice them.
(15) Love not the world.Having thus affectionately expressed his hopes about each class of them, the last of the Apostles is freer to express that warning which was suggested to his mind by the mournful picture of 1Jn. 2:11. If they would not walk in darknessif they would be where the true Light shineththen they must not love the world. What does the world mean? In Act. 17:24 it meant the universe; in Joh. 1:9, perhaps more distinctly, the earth; in 1Jn. 2:2 the sum total of mankind; in Joh. 8:23 that moral order, to be found in this spot of creation, which is antagonistic to God. Thus it became a phrase for all such inventions, plans, customs, thoughts, and estimates of mankind as are not in harmony with the will and purpose of God. It is ridiculous to suppose that St. John intended to condemn the love either of natural philosophy; or of the scenery of that creation which God saw to be very good, and which sin has been unable to injure; or of all mankind, who are His children. No created thing is evil in itself; the evil lies in the use which man makes of it. We must remember that our Lord said, I am the Light of the World (Joh. 8:12), so that none of the phases of the meaning of the word can be essentially evil, except where it implies mans own ungodly creations. The world which is not to be loved is the sphere of rebellion, caprice, ambition, vanity, pride, avarice, forgetfulness of God, self-pleasing, sensuous desires and interests, connivance with standards of thought and action antagonistic to the will of God. To take one example: Christ declared all Christians brothers; any respect for rank and wealth beyond a conscientious bowing in the house of Rimmon is a sign of the forbidden affection.
The love of the Father is the true posture of the soul towards God. If the soul is evenly balanced between love of God and of the world it is negative and colourless. If the balance incline towards the things that distract from the pure and simple walk with God, then the emotion for Him has died away; if the balance be for Him, the expulsive power of the new affection makes the contrary attractions insignificant and increasingly powerless.
(16) All that is in the world.The essence, the kernel of this sphere showing itself in countless ways.
The lust of the fleshi.e., that proceeds from the earthly nature; all desire taking possession of the soul as a motive for thought and action which does not arise from principles in harmony with the will of God.
The lust of the eyesi.e., of which the eyes are the seat; all delight in objects living or inanimate apart from their moral and religious importance; personal beauty, for instance, considered otherwise than as an index of a Christ-like soul. (Comp. Joh. 7:24; Joh. 8:15; 2Co. 5:16; Jas. 2:1.) Our Lords, introspection was of moral qualities in Mar. 10:21.
The pride of life.The Greek word is only used besides in the New Testament in Jas. 4:16. The phrase means a boastful, ostentatious attitude in regard to the good things of this life allotted by God to be spent in His service. All living up to a supposed social position instead of as the responsible steward of undeserved bounties, is hereby condemned. Of this any social organism existing for pleasure instead of for moral or religious ends might be considered illustrative.
(17) The world passeth away.No reasonable man can set his affections on what is in its very essence perishable; for the perishable must be ever disappointing, and can in no sense satisfy. It is only passion, and the madness of folly, and the contagion of accumulated examples, that influence the soul towards what can only create the agonising ache of a growing void.
And the lust thereof.Of all the long succession of impulses excited by the world, nothing remains but the injury which they have inflicted.
But he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.There is no permanence but that of defeat and failure in what is in rebellion to the Supreme Author and Ruler of all things. But that which has continuously derived all its sustenance from Him, must have absorbed from Him the bright shoots of that everlastingness which is His. Everything that is good is a part of Him, and can no more fade than He can. It is by being in harmony with this undeviating tendency of righteousness to victory that real happiness discovers its own secret. (Comp. Joh. 10:28-29; 1Co. 7:31; Jas. 1:10; 1Pe. 1:24.)
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
12-14. Second interlude. See note, 1Jn 2:7. Little children here, as in 1Jn 2:1, means our apostle’s entire audience. And the use of the term seems to have suggested forthwith the purpose of addressing the three ages fathers, middle-aged, and youths and by way of emphasis he goes over the triad twice. The little children of 1Jn 2:12 is a different word from the little children, or youths, of 1Jn 2:13; 1Jn 2:18.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
12. I write I am writing. While I write, my mind surveys your different ages of natural and Christian life blended in one.
Sins are forgiven The entire Church is addressed on the common basis of being justified Christians, 13. Fathers Some of them, perhaps, remembered when Paul and Apollos first preached in Ephesus.
Known beginning When Ephesus first received the Gospel. As if this were of itself enough, he repeats precisely the same words to the fathers in the second triad in the next verse.
Young men Thus the three ages must be held to cover the whole of life. The Greek word extends to forty years of life and over. But an old man, like our apostle, makes his youngers younger than they are, and these young men were doubtless young until they became old. The term would be rightly understood of middle-age.
Because To each age he gives its suited motto. In next triad the young men have a fuller certificate. They are strong, are firm and permanent, have overcome the devil. They may not be reposing in their laurels, like the fathers, but they are robust, and are in fact victors in their still enduring battle.
Little children Youths would seem to be too old a term to be equivalent to the Greek, unless we remember the above-named habit of the aged man. The word is plainly intended to cover all less than the young, or rather middle-aged, men. And both here and in 1Jn 2:18 the knowledge imputed to them is too high for a mere child.
Known the Father Namely, the divine Father of all; who is truly known through Jesus Christ. They were the true Gnostics.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
‘I write to you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for his name’s sake (by means of his name).’
John’s tender concern continues to come out. Having spoken of ‘teknia’ (1Jn 2:1) and ‘beloved ones’ (1Jn 2:7), he here again speaks to them all as ‘teknia’ (compare Joh 13:33). With the privilege of an old man and an Apostle he is concerned lest in their comparative tenderness of years and experience in Christ these fathers and young men be led astray. So he first reminds them again that they are forgiven sinners because of Jesus Christ’s work on their behalf (1Jn 1:7; 1Jn 2:1-2). It is for His sake and through what He is (through His name) that they have been forgiven. Thus they enjoy continual forgiveness as they walk with Him (1Jn 1:7; 1Jn 1:9). It is the necessary basis of all Christian life that we have been forgiven as chapter 1 has emphasised. This in contrast with those who claim to have no sin. All who are true acknowledge their own moral failure and that they are forgiven ones.
Seeing this as introductory this blessing of being forgiven is thus applied to all, to both the elder and the younger men. If, however, the reference is only to those who are babes in Christ it is a reminder that they have received the first initial blessing of forgiveness on which they must go on to build their Christian lives. But of course in the end all are ‘forgiven ones’.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
They Know the Father and the Eternal Word and Must Beware of Loving The World ( 1Jn 2:12-17 ).
Having exhorted them of the need to remain true to Him and to the Word Who ‘is’ from the beginning, and to love those who are true to Christ, he now rejoices in the fact that they are of those who have been forgiven and know both Father and Son. This contrasts with the false teachers who denied the need for forgiveness and sought to introduce lesser lights and to diminish the Son. (Heresy regularly seeks to diminish the importance of sin and the status of the Son, blurring the clear Biblical distinctions). Then he warns his readers of the danger of loving ‘the world’. This refers not to the world of men (as in Joh 3:16) but to the attractions and allurements and ways of the world which can only lead them away from God and thus lead them astray. The church, which was now established, faced enemies both within and without. He has dealt with the question of those within (and will again do so later) but now he turns his thoughts on the enemies without.
There is a problem here as to how we are to connect the opening verses. Are we to take 1Jn 2:12 as introductory, seeing it then as expanded in 1Jn 2:13 a dividing the ‘little children’ into fathers and young men, (compare ‘young men — old men’ in Joe 2:28-29), followed again by a similar pattern in the second series, thus giving three ‘I write’ and three ‘I have written’ phrases which are parallel? Or are we to see a reference to babes in Christ either in terms of teknia and paidia, (or of paidia alone with teknia referring to all), with separate references to fathers and young men, so that in mind are babes, fathers and young men? For gaining the sense it is not really important. In the commentary we work on the basis of the first interpretation due to the otherwise strange order of ‘babes, fathers and young men’. On the other hand it may be that the young men are deliberately placed last because they are the most likely to be affected by the attractions of the world which are then spoken of.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
1Jn 2:12-14 Comments – Three Phases of Spiritual Maturity 1Jn 2:12-14 provides a poetic statement that seems to describe three phrase of spiritual maturity. Believers are likened to children, young men, and fathers. These terms most likely refer figuratively to ages of spiritual growth that reflect (1) new believers who have been justification, (2) young men who have been indoctrination in the Word of God, and (3) elders and fathers who have accepted divine service and are now persevering in the faith. The overall plan of redemption for mankind includes seven phrases: predestination, calling, justification, indoctrination, divine service, perseverance, and glorification. The epistle of 1 John focuses upon three of those phrases that require “fellowship” with Jesus and other believers: namely, justification, indoctrination, and divine service. Prior to salvation, man is not in fellowship with God just because he has been predestined and called. The final phase of glorification completes our spiritual journey by entering Heaven, so is not a part of our necessary time on earth to overcome.
The repetition of this three-fold description of spiritual growth in Christ reflects poetic, Hebrew parallelism, which is common to the writings of John. Hebrew parallelism provides emphasis by restating these three stages of development. In order to continue in “fellowshipwith the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ,” which is the underlying theme of this epistle, we must have our sins cleansed, then overcome our past bondages of a sinful lifestyle, and come to intimate fellowship with the Father through Jesus Christ.
1. Children – Paul refers to new believers as “babes in Christ” (1Co 3:1). Peter refers to new believers as “newborn babes desiring the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby” (1Pe 2:2). In 1Jn 2:12-14, the term “children” is used for those sins have recently been forgiven so that they are brought into a relationship with the Father, which is the message of the Gospel of John. However, not every new believe has overcome the bondages of a sinful past.
1Co 3:1, “And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ.”
1Pe 2:2, “As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:”
2. Young Men – The author of Hebrews, which I believe was Paul, contrasts babes in need of milk with those who are of full age and able to take the meat of God’s Word (Heb 5:11-14). In 1Jn 2:12-14, the term “young men” describes those whose who have become strong through maturity in the Word of God, which now abides in them. These have overcome the wicked one because they can discern between good and evil, and have begun to accomplish great exploits for the Kingdom of Heaven.
Heb 5:11-14, “Of whom we have many things to say, and hard to be uttered, seeing ye are dull of hearing. For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat. For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe. But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.”
3. Fathers In 1Jn 2:12-14, the term “fathers” refers to those church elders and leaders, whose longevity and perseverance in the faith have earned them a position of honor and respect in the Church. These have “known” Jesus Christ and His power in their lives through years of walking in fellowship with Him. They have seen the Lord’s mighty hand time and again and know His presence in their daily lives. They have learned to walk in “fellowshipwith the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ” (1Jn 1:3), which is the underlying theme of this epistle.
1Co 4:14-16, “I write not these things to shame you, but as my beloved sons I warn you. For though ye have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet have ye not many fathers: for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel. Wherefore I beseech you, be ye followers of me.”
Php 2:22, “But ye know the proof of him, that, as a son with the father, he hath served with me in the gospel.”
1Jn 2:15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
1Jn 2:15
[28] Creflo Dollar, Changing Your World (College Park, Georgia: Creflo Dollar Ministries), on Trinity Broadcasting Network (Santa Ana, California), television program, 29 July 2009.
Fuente: Everett’s Study Notes on the Holy Scriptures
An appeal to young and old:
v. 12. I write unto you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for His name’s sake.
v. 13. I write unto you, fathers, because ye have known Him that is from the beginning. I write unto you, young men, because ye have overcome the Wicked One. I write unto you, little children, because ye have known the Father.
v. 14. I have written unto you, fathers, because ye have known Him that is from the beginning. I have written unto you, young men, because ye are strong, and the Word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome the Wicked One. The apostle is about to insert an earnest warning against the temptations and perils of the love of the world. It is by way of introduction to this warning that he reminds the Christians of various ages of their station and the duty which they owe themselves: I am writing to you, little children, because your sins have been forgiven you for His name’s sake. It is the affectionate tone and address of the spiritual father addressing such as were united with him in the fellowship of Christian love. His appeal rests upon their having been made partakers of God’s most wonderful gift, the forgiveness of sins for the sake of Christ’s name. It is because Christ obtained a perfect satisfaction for the sins of all mankind, because He took upon Himself both their guilt and their penalty and reconciled God to the whole world, that we are united with the Father in that wonderful mystical union which makes it self-evident for us to walk in the ways of His will.
St. John now distinguishes between the various classes of Christians to whom he is writing: I am writing to you, fathers, because you have known Him who was from the beginning; I am writing to you, young men, because you have overcome the Wicked One. To the fathers, to the older Christians, John is addressing himself, because they have learned to know and to put their trust in Him who was from the beginning, namely, in the eternal Son of God, because their faith rests in Him as their Lord and Savior. To the younger Christians he says that he is making this appeal to them because they have already renounced and overcome the Evil One, the devil, with all his temptations to evil. Though the battle is still continuing, the believers always have the advantage over the wiles and tricks of Satan, they are able effectually to check all his advances.
This point is so important that the apostle varies his appeal: I have written to you, children, because you have known the Father; I have written to you, fathers, because you have known Him that 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 Evil One. Here also the word children is to indicate the intimate relationship which obtained between the readers of this letter and the writer, but still more between the Christians and their heavenly Father. For he writes that they have known the Father, they have learned to believe that He is their Father for the sake of Christ, they are united with Him by such fellowship of faith. The fathers, the older Christians, should never forget that they have the proper understanding of the person and office of Christ, as of the eternal Son of God who came into this world to become the Savior of all mankind. And the younger men, whose victorious fight against the devil the apostle has just mentioned, are never to lose sight of the fact that their strength is not from themselves, but is imparted to them by the Word of God. It is through the Gospel that the Holy Ghost gives us the power to withstand all the attacks of the devil and to remain victorious unto the end. Thus St. John reminds us of the blessings which we enjoy in our station as Christians, of the glory which is ours in this relationship to God, in order to work and confirm in us the unwavering resolution to be true to Christ and not let anyone take our crown.
Fuente: The Popular Commentary on the Bible by Kretzmann
1Jn 2:12. In this and the two following verses, St. John affectionately addresses Christians of various ages or standings in the church; children, or young converts; young men, or those who were more established in the faith; and fathers, or those who were the most confirmed in the divine life. He then cautions them against the love of this world, and enforces the caution with three arguments, shewing, first, that the love of God and the love of this world are inconsistent; secondly, that this world will soon pass away; thirdly, that the rewards of sincere piety will be eternal 1Jn 2:15-17. After which he advises the Christians to be upon their guard against the deceivers, who then appeared in great numbers, and points out to them the many advantages which they had for knowing the truth; and the many obligations which they are under to adhere to it, and to practise accordingly: 1Jn 2:18-28.
I write unto you, little children “These things I say unto you, and they are of universal concern; I hope therefore you will attend to them, and improve them for your own advantage. I write unto you, little children, among the rest, to guard the least and weakest of you against sin; because by his name, even the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, who has made an atonement for them, your sins are forgiven you, and I am very solicitous that you may make all due return for so inestimable a favour, as a pardon purchased at the expence of such sacred Blood.” As they probably had been but lately converted to the Christian faith, St. John, with the greatest propriety, takes notice of their sins having been forgiven them because of Christ’s name; whereby it was insinuated, that if they would not have that forgiveness cancelled, but desired a final justification at the great day, they must not hearken to the deceivers, who were endeavouring to corrupt them, See ch. 1Jn 5:13.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
1Jn 2:12-14 . After the apostle has depicted the Christian life in its essential features, he passes on to exhortation. To this these verses form the introduction, in which the apostle assures his readers that their Christianity is the ground of his writing. The motive of this, which explains also the form of expression, is the earnest longing which inspires the apostle, that his readers may take home to themselves the following exhortation.
The apostle addresses them under four different names: and , , . By the two latter names they are distinguished according to the two corresponding degrees of age; [119] in the case of the proper meaning is not to be strictly retained, but in contrast to it is = or , the members of the church who are already in advanced age; thus Erasmus, Calvin, Socinus, Morus, Carpzov, Lange, Paulus, de Wette-Brckner, Lcke, Dsterdieck, Braune, etc.
The are the younger members of the church; Calvin: tametsi diminutivo utitur, non tamen dubium est, quin sermonem ad omnes dirigat, qui sunt in aetatis flore et statu. The view of Augustine is to be rejected, that under the three names the same persons are addressed, whom the apostle only designates differently in different aspects: filioli , quia baptismo neonati sunt; patres , quia Christum patrem et antiquum dierum agnoscunt; adoleseentes , quia fortes sunt et validi. So also is the opinion that the apostle has in view, not the difference in age, but the difference in the degree, or even in the length of existence of Christian life; a Lapide: triplici hoc aetatis gradu triplicem Christianorum in virtute gradum et quasi aetatum repraesentat; pueri enim repraesentant incipientes et neophytos; juvenes repraesentant proficientes; senes perfectos; similarly Clemens, Oecumenius, further Gagneius, Cajetanus, Russmeyer, Grotius, [120] etc. Some commentators (as Erasmus, Socinus, J. Lange, Myrberg) also refer the two expressions: (1Jn 2:12 ) and (1Jn 2:13 ), to the difference of age, and understand by them children , in the proper sense of the word; but more prevalent is the view that this is true of only, and that , on the other hand, is to be regarded as a form of address to all Christians; Calvin: haec (namely, 1Jn 2:12 ) adhuc generalis est sententia, mox speciales sententias accomodabit singulis aetatibus; similarly Luther, Beza, Calov, Wolf, Baumgarten-Crusius, Sander, Neander, Besser, Ebrard, etc. With the first view there arises a wrong succession, namely: children, fathers, young men, instead of: children, young men, fathers, or: fathers, young men, children; and, moreover, since is in the Epistle frequently the form of address to all readers, and not only with, but also without (see on 1Jn 2:1 ), so it is to be taken here also. Equally, however, by the apostle addresses all readers, as Lcke, de Wette-Brckner, Dsterdieck, Gerlach, Erdmann, Ewald, Braune rightly interpret. If we read before , with the Receptus: , there certainly results, if is taken as alluding to children, a more accurate succession: fathers, young men, children; but (1) according to almost all authorities we must read, not , but , and the former reading can only be explained in this way, that was understood in its proper sense, and it was thought that this clause must be brought into the closest connection with the preceding; (2) then in the repetition of the same succession in 1Jn 2:14 one member of it is wanting, as the children are not mentioned again; and (3) in 1Jn 2:18 is used as a form of address in reference to all readers; comp. Joh 21:5 . Against the two last reasons it might indeed be alleged, with Bengel, Sander, and Besser, that from 1Jn 2:14 to 1Jn 2:17 is still intended for the , and that then in 1Jn 2:18 the address to the children comes in, and that the sequel as far as 1Jn 2:27 refers to them. But against this construction is (1) the dissimilarity in the form of the sentences that thereby results; (2) the absence of an exhortation addressed to the fathers; (3) the unsuitable reference of the warning against false teachers specially to the children , with the additional remark: , 1Jn 2:20 , and , , even though the warning against false teachers in chap. 1Jn 4:1 ff. is referred without distinction to all readers; and finally, (4) the close connection of 1Jn 2:17 and 1Jn 2:18 : (comp. 1Jn 2:8 : ), and .
According to the true construction of the sentences, they fall into two groups; in each group first all Christians, and then specially the older and the younger members of the church, are addressed; [121] the correctness of this construction is shown also by this, that in reference to , and equally to , in both groups the same thing is expressed, but in reference to all there are different statements. The arbitrary conjecture of Calvin (with whom Wall agrees), that both the clauses of 1Jn 2:14 are spurious, and interpolated temere by ignorant readers, requires no refutation.
The interchange of with the aorist is peculiar, and is not to be explained by saying that points to another writing of the apostle, whether it be the Gospel (Storr, Lange, Baumgarten-Crusius, Schott, Ebrard, Hofmann, Schriftbew. II. 2, 336; Braune [122] ), or even an earlier Epistle (Michaelis); both expressions rather refer, as most of the commentators have recognised, to this Epistle; not, however, to the same thing , as some commentators suppose; thus Bengel, who regards the two expressions as synonymous, explains: verbo scribendi ex praesenti in praeterito transposito innuit commonitionem firmissimam, which cannot be grammatically justified; [123] and Dsterdieck, who thinks that the “different import of the present and of the aorist can only be sought for in the representation of the writing itself; that both times the apostle means the whole Epistle lying before him; that by he represents himself in the immediately present act of writing, and by , on the other hand, his readers, who have received the completed Epistle;” opposed to this, however, is the fact that such a change of the mere form of representation would certainly be rather trifling. The must be referred to something else than the preceding ; yet it is not, with Neander and Erdmann, [124] to be referred to that which is expressed in the clauses beginning with ; for, on the one hand, the clauses beginning with have not the form of confirmation, and, on the other hand, there is no real cause apparent for the addition of such a confirmation; it seems more appropriate when Rickli thinks that refers to what follows, and to what precedes; [125] but opposed to this is the fact that would then stand more naturally before . The correct view has been taken by de Wette, Brckner, and Ewald, who refer to what was already written, and to the immediate act of writing, and hence to the Epistle in general; taking this view, it is quite in order for John to write first, and that he then refers specially by to what has been already written is explained in this way, that this contains the principal grounds for the following exhortations and amplifications. [126]
In each part a clause beginning with follows the address; this is not objective or declarative = “that” (Socinus, Lange, Russmeyer, Bengel, Paulus, Johannsen, Neander, Hilgenfeld, etc.), but causal: “because” (Calvin, Beza, Baumgarten-Crusius, Lcke, de Wette-Brckner, Gerlach, Dsterdieck, Myrberg, Ebrard, [127] etc.). The apostle does not want to say what he is writing, but why he is writing to them; comp. especially 1Jn 2:20 , also 1Jn 2:21 ; 1Jn 2:27 ; 1Jn 3:5 ; 1Jn 3:14-15 ; 1Jn 5:18-20 . The particular Christian experiences of his readers form the fundamental presuppositions of the Epistle; it is not anything new that the apostle declares unto them, but he reminds them of what they know, so that they may take it more seriously to heart.
The first thing that the apostle, addressing all, reminds them of is: . The forgiveness of sins is the basis of all Christian life; therefore this is put first.
On the form used here, the perfect passive , see Buttmann, Ausf. gr. Gr. 97, Anmerk. 3, and 108, note 1; and Winer, p. 74, VII. p. 77. The Vulgate and Luther incorrectly translated it as if it were the present: “are forgiven” (similarly Rickli and others; Paulus strangely interprets, deriving it from = , dimittuntur).
with the accusative is not = “through” (this meaning, as is well known, it has only with the genitive, comp. Act 10:43 : ), but = “ for the sake of; ” = , not = (Socinus, Paulus). According to most of the commentators, . . refers to the objective ground of the forgiveness of sins, and signifies Christ Himself; thus Dsterdieck: “Christ who is what His name signifies;” [128] but this is contrary to the Biblical usus loquendi; if by Christ is referred to as the author of salvation, the preposition is always construed with the genitive; by , therefore, it is the subjective ground of forgiveness that is stated (de Wette-Brckner, Braune), in this sense: because His name is in you, i.e. because ye believe on His name (comp. 1Jn 2:23 : ). The name is therefore not regarded as empty, but as the form which includes the contents and reveals them; so that the subjective ground embraces in itself the objective.
In the second group it is said, in regard to the readers of the Epistle there called : . . By we are not to understand, with Hornejus, Christ, inasmuch as believers per fidem in nomen ejus renati sunt, for such a designation of Christ has the constant usus loquendi of Scripture against it, but God; for the name is used here without any more particular definition, with clear reference to , and so God is here so called, not merely on account of His relationship to Christ, but equally on account of His relationship to those who, by faith in Christ, have obtained the forgiveness of their sins, and are thereby placed in the relationship of children to God. From this it is clear also how exactly and correspond with one another. But in the fact that John ascribes to the believers both of these, he testifies to them that they are in possession of the fulness of divine peace and of divine truth.
In regard to the , the apostle brings out the same thing in both groups, 1Jn 2:13-14 : . If the forgiveness of sins and the knowledge of God are common to all, the knowledge of Him who is is specially appropriate to the older members of the church. When some commentators, as a Lapide, Grotius, (novistis Deum, qui Senex dierum; Dan 7:9 ; Dan. 13:22), and others, understand by God, they ignore the deeper connection which exists between the particular ideas; is Christ, but not so called because He is the author of Christianity (Socinus: novi foederis et evangelii patefacti primum initium; Semler: qui inde ab initio auctor fuit hujus melioris religionis), but because He is from all eternity; is used in the same sense as in chap. 1Jn 1:1 . John brings out by this designation of Christ the truth that Christ is subject of their knowledge in the quality of His being herein mentioned; it is therefore incorrect to understand of the personal knowledge of Him who was manifest in the flesh (Bengel, Schoettgen, etc.); the word has rather the same meaning as in 1Jn 2:3 . [129] John ascribes this knowledge to the fathers , because he might with justice assume that they had not contented themselves with a superficial knowledge of Christ in His appearance according to the sense, but had looked more deeply into the eternal nature of the Lord.
In regard to the young men , it is said in both groups: ; not as if the same were not true also of the older members of the church, but John attributes this eminently to the young men, because they in accordance with their age had just recently obtained this victory, and their care therefore must be specially this, not to lose again what had been lately won. That is the devil (comp. Mat 13:19 ; Mat 13:38-39 ; Eph 6:16 ; 1Jn 3:12 ; 1Jn 5:18-19 ) the commentators have rightly recognised. [130] Carpzov suitably says: Viris fortibus et robustis tribuiter supra fortissimum et robustissimum victoria. In the second group some further subordinate clauses precede that word, which state the conditions under which the young men have attained their victory: ; , “ strong in spirit ,” with special reference to the fight, comp. Heb 11:34 ; Luk 11:21 ; Mat 12:29 (Dsterdieck); here also is “ because ,” not: “that,” thus: “ because ye are strong ,” not: “that ye are to be strong” (Paulus).
This conquering power of the young men is not their “own moral strength” (Baumgarten-Crusius), but the effect of the Word of God; therefore John adds: , and only then brings in . . .
The individual sentences are simply placed side by side in order to let each of them appear the more strongly in its own meaning. The train of thought, however, is this, that their strength has its ground in the Word of God, which is permanent in them ( ), and that it is in this power that they have attained the victory. [131] This relation is correctly stated by Grotius, who explains the first by quia , the second by ob id.
is not = Christ, but the word proceeding from God, i.e. the Gospel, of which the personal Christ is no doubt the substance.
[119] That “the distinction between church leaders and church members appears in the distinction between old and young” (Hilgenfeld), is in no way suggested.
[120] Grotius: Partitur Christianos in tres classes, quae discrimina non secundum aetatem, sed secundum gradus diversos ejus profectus, qui in Christo est, intelligi debent, cf. 1Co 13:11-12 ; Heb 5:13 ; Eph 4:13-14 .
[121] Even Ebrard regards the second triad as beginning with , although he understands by it children in age; there is a glaring inconsistency in this construction.
[122] To this view the following reasons are opposed: 1. That if the apostle in had another writing in view than in , he would have expressed this distinctly; 2. That thereby the train of thought of the Epistle is unduly interrupted, since the assertion of the reason why he had written the Gospel is here introduced without any connecting link; 3. That then the emphasis contained in the threefold repetition of remains inexplicable, whereas it is perfectly justifiable if the reference to something written in this Epistle is intended to stimulate the readers more earnestly to attend to the following exhortation. The view of Ebrard, that “while the Epistle plainly could only be understood by grown people,” the Gospel “is even for children ( ) enjoyable and pleasing food,” scarcely any one will endorse; although even Braune passes this over in silence.
[123] When Buttmann (p. 172) thinks that the change of tense is entirely occasioned by the need for variation in a sixfold repetition of the verb, it may be observed against this, that then ver. 14 a would be nothing but a repetition of ver. 13 a .
[124] Neander explains: “As John had said: ‘I write unto you,’ so now he resumes confirmingly what has just been written, and says: ‘I have written unto you,’ as if he would say: It is agreed. This that I am now writing to you, I have now written, it is settled, I have nothing else to say to you, this you must always allow to be said to you.” Erdmann: Pertinet hoc ( ) neque ad superiorem epistolam, neque ad quidquam in hac ep. supra dictum, sed ad ea, quae modo verbo notata sunt. Similarly Paulus, who compares with this the expression: “His majesty deerees and has decreed.”
[125] Lcke, following Rickli, thought that with the first part ( . . .) corresponded the section 1Jn 2:15-17 in what follows, and 1Jn 1:5-7 in what precedes; with the second part ( . . .), in the former 1Jn 2:18-27 , and in the latter 1Jn 1:8 to 1Jn 2:2 ; and with the third part ( . . .), in the former 1Jn 2:28 to 1Jn 3:22 , and in the latter 1Jn 2:3-11 ; but he afterwards gave up this artificial, cruciform construction of the clauses, and explained the with as belonging to the rhetoric of the author. See 3d ed. p. 265, note.
[126] It is only if the signification of the section chap. 1Jn 1:5 to 1Jn 2:11 for the essentially hortatory Epistle is ignored that it can be said, with Ebrard and Braune, that with this view the antithesis of and becomes a mere repetition or play upon words.
[127] Luther varies curiously in his translation; in ver. 12 he translates : “that,” in ver. 13 “for,” and in ver. 14 again “that.” Sander thinks that in vv. 14 and 18 is used causatively, but that in ver. 12 both “because” and “that” are contained in . Erdmann takes in the first three sentences objectively , but he leaves it undecided whether in the last three sentences it is to be taken objectively or causally.
[128]
[129] Neander: “A knowledge of Christ as the One who is from the beginning, which results from the deeper communion with the personality of Christ. This is something else than the statement of a certain formula about the person of Christ.”
[130] Even Semler admits this, but then observes: Est usitata Judaeorum descriptio, quae gravium peccatorum et flagitiorum magistrum diabolum designat, quam descriptionem non opus est ut Christiani retineant, quum non sint ex Judaeis.
[131] Weiss groundlessly finds in what is said above an incorrect expression, and thinks that not the abiding , but the being , of the Word of God in them is the ground of their strength; for to the Apostle John the being is really this only when it is a firm and abiding existence.
Fuente: Heinrich August Wilhelm Meyer’s New Testament Commentary
6. Consolatory warning against the love of the world
1Jn 2:12-17
12I write unto you, little children, because your sins are17 forgiven you for his names sake. 13I write unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning. I write unto you, young men, because ye have overcome the wicked one.18 I write19 unto you, little children, because ye have known the Father. 14I have written unto you, fathers, because ye have known him20 that is from the beginning. I have written unto you, young men, because ye are strong, and the word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome the wicked one. 15Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world.21 If any man love the world, the love of the Father22 is not in 16him. For23 all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. 17And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof:24 but he that doeth the will of God abideth forever.
EXEGETICAL AND CRITICAL
The structure of 1Jn 2:12-14.The six members are evidently divided into two triads: the thrice repeated Present , and the thrice-repeated Aorist , as well as the address , , joined to the Present, and , e, joined to the Aorist, clearly intimate as much. The sentences subjoined by exhibit the same correspondency, and confirm this arrangement. This has to be proved by the exegesis.
The addresses, 1Jn 2:12-14. must be taken here in the same sense as in the other passages of the Epistle where it occurs, 1Jn 2:1; 1Jn 2:28; 1Jn 3:18; 1Jn 4:4; 1Jn 5:21. It applies to all readers, the whole Church, and should not be made to designate a particular age (as has been done by Erasmus, Socinus, J. Lange), or a peculiarly near relation to the author. The diminutive form is chosen for the sake of intimacy and cordiality, and is indicative of the paternal relation and advanced age of the Apostle. The addition , 1Jn 2:1, may have a still more intimate sound, but there is no want of intimacy here or in 1Jn 3:18; 1Jn 4:4; 1Jn 5:21, although is wanting. It is altogether parallel to , 1Jn 2:7; 1Jn 3:2; 1Jn 3:21; 1Jn 4:1; 1Jn 4:7; 1Jn 4:11, or to , 1Jn 2:18; 1Jn 3:7, (var lect.). Although is thus rarely used, nevertheless it is used, and, if we take it here=, it is used thrice. Hence there is no reason whatsoever why , 1Jn 2:13, should not be applied to the whole Church, but, like and , be understood to designate a particular age (with Calvin, Luther, Calov, Sander, Neander, Besser, Ebrard, al.), and to disturb the harmony of the structure of this group of sentences. Particularly as the comprehensive , little children, offered a more natural sequence to and than , little sons. The order in which and occur, forbids their being referred to a particular age, for either , would have to follow, or , to go before. Hence and must be construed as denoting the general address, and and the specialization of church-members, describing those of maturer years (, , heads of families, the more experienced), and those younger in years. This is the view of most commentators. Augustines view, according to which the Apostle refers throughout to the same persons, only designating them by different names from different points of view, is consequently untenable; he says: filioli, quia baptismo neonati sunt, patres, quia Christum, patrem et antiquum dierum agnoscunt, adolescentes, qui, fortes sunt et validi; nor must we refer, with a Lapide, the different addresses to a triplicem Christianorum in virtute gradum; pueri enim reprsentanti incipientes et neophytos; juvenes proficientes, senes perfectos. Similar explanations are given by Clement, Oecumen., Grotius (with reference to 1Co 13:11-12; Heb 5:13; Eph 4:13-14) and others.
The tenses of the otherwise clear verb, and , 1Jn 2:12-14, present great difficulties. It is clear that does not denote the substance of his present or former writing. John writes not that their sins are forgiven, and that they have known the Father, that they have known Him that is from the beginning, that they have overcome the wicked one, that they are strong, that the word of God abideth in them, all this he does not write, and has not written to his church, but other things. Hence can only be taken as a causative particle; it denotes the reason and cause of his writing, and must be rendered because. It is self-evident that , if translated because once, must be translated thus throughout, in all the six consecutive places where it occurs, and not be rendered with Luther the first, fifth and sixth time that, and the second, third and fourth time for (=because).Socinus, Schott, Sander, Neander translate that; Calvin, Beza, Lcke, de Wette, Huther, Dsterdieck, al. because; while Erdmann gives to a declarative meaning in the first three sentences, without determining whether it should be construed objectively and causatively in the last three sentences. I writesimply defines the act of writing: I write just now what I write, because. The object is the Epistle, even this Epistle. Now, if John, after this thrice-repeated signifying this Epistle, says again three times, , the reference cannot be to the Epistle, neither to the preceding exhortations (Grotius), nor to the first chapter (Calov), neither in respect of the thrice-repeated to 1Jn 1:5-7; 1Jn 1:8-10; 1Jn 2:3-11 and to 1Jn 2:15-17; 1Jn 2:18-27; 1Jn 2:28 to 1Jn 3:22 (Rickli and Lcke), nor so that the reference is general, the Aorist denoting that part of the Epistle which is already written, the Present the part as yet unwritten, but in process of development [the very act of writing, i.e., the Epistle itself.M.] (so de Wette, Brckner, Huther) nor can the reference be to 1Jn 2:12-13, as if the apostle had said I write, and I have written, it is a settled thing (J. Lange, Neander, Sander, Ewald, Heubner, Bengel [innuit commonitionem firmissimam), nor are Beza and Dsterdieck any more satisfactory, who suppose the Present to indicate the present stand-point of the Apostle, his present act of writing, and the Aorist to describe the standpoint of the readers after they had received the Epistle, when, of course, it was written;all these explanations are so many attempts whose very forced and artificial character shows them to be mere make-shifts, which, even in their more simple forms, do not remove the appearance of trifling, and explain as little the position of the Present relating to what follows before the Aorist relating to what goes before, as that the author by this change of tense tears asunder that which he has written from that which he is about to write, both of which belong together as one. If we are thus constrained to think of another writing, we must not think of a previous Epistle (Michaelis), but of the Gospel (Socinus, Lange, Schott, Baumgarten-Crusius, Ebrard, Hoffmann), to which this Epistle is not only nearly related in the exordium, but also in its very kernel and essence. Cf. Introduction, 8, 3. The consciousness of the importance of the Gospel he had written, fully justifies in the Epistle the threefold repetition of in consideration of the reasons relating to different groups of persons in the Church, and warranting such repetition; nor can it be thought singular that he had no other reasons () for having written the Gospel than those for writing the Epistle. Nor may an objection be raised to the Apostles not specifying the object either of or , and his not describing the writing to which he refers, because both the Gospel and the Epistle were in the hands of the readers, and enabled them both to find the necessary explanation, and to prevent possible misunderstanding. [The peculiarly involved statement of Braune renders it desirable to supply the English reader with a more lucid account of the views he advocates. , denotes the present act of writing, not only the particular sentence in which that word occurs, but the present Epistle; , a writing already written, finished and complete in the hands of the readers of the Epistle, to which they might refer; and that writing was the Gospel, which would clear up every doubt, remove every difficulty, and furnish a commentary on the statements and exhortations contained in the Epistle. It must be confessed that this is, on the whole, the most simple and satisfactory solution of a very knotty question, although that advocated by de Wette, Brckner and Huther is not so trifling as Braune, echoing the words of Ebrard, asserts. Said authors explain of that part of the Epistle which the Apostle had already written, and of the immediate act of writing, that is, to the Epistle in general; in their view it is proper that John should begin with while his reference to the part already written by may be explained by the fact that that part (especially 1Jn 1:5 to 1Jn 2:11) contains the fundamental principles of the subsequent exhortations and developments. Personally we prefer the view of Braune, but many readers will, doubtless, incline to that set forth by Huther and others.Ebrard gives the following synopsis of, the two triads:
TRIAD THE FIRST.
TRIAD THE SECOND.
.
.
1. =all readers.
1. Children (in point of age).
2. Fathers.
2. Fathers.
3. Young men.
3. Young men.
and Wordsworth (who, however, does not discuss the details of his arrangement, and carries the series down to 1Jn 2:28) makes a series of seven, closed by an eighth, the octave of the first, with a symbolical reference to the number seven and eight. His arrangement is this:
, , 1Jn 2:12.
, , 1Jn 2:13.
, , 1Jn 2:14.
, , 1Jn 2:13.
, , 1Jn 2:15.
, , 1Jn 2:13.
, , 1Jn 2:18.
, , , 1Jn 2:28.
This arrangement is more curious than valuable or logical, and merely added to complete the catalogue of representative views begun above. M.].
The reasons of the Apostles writing 1Jn 2:12-14.
First series, 1Jn 2:12; 1Jn 2:18 b.
1Jn 2:12. I write unto you, little children, because your sins have been forgiven you.The Perfect (See Winer, Grammar, 14, 3, p. 98, on the form of this word) points to the forgiveness of sins, mentioned 1Jn 1:8, sqq.; 1Jn 2:1-2, as a completed fact, which, as a ground whereon they stand, as a sphere wherein they move, as a benefit they have received, has and is to have on them and the rest of their life a lasting effect and an efficient power. [The forgiveness of sins is the ground of the Christian life.M.]. Vulg., Augustine and Calvin render falsely remittuntur, so Luther, are forgiven you, [and E. V.M.] For His names sake. The reference is not to Him who forgives sins, God the Father, but to Him, for whose sake the Father forgives; that is Christ; for with the Accusative is not per, through (instrumental), but propter, on account of, for the sake of, indicating the ground of the forgiveness of sins, and here, where the cordiality of the address (little children), and the direct application to the persons addressed (I write unto you, your sins have been forgiven you), are to be brought out, it denotes the objective ground, rendered subjective: since His name is with you, in you and among you; His name is He Himself and what He is, but revealed and known, believed and confessed; hence=since ye have believed on Him, confess and invoke Him, individually and collectively, and since He has manifested Himself and may yet further manifest Himself as , ; consequently for Christs sake in you. Thus we might combine with Neander the explanation of Dsterdieck, who insists with the majority of commentators on the objective ground of the forgiveness of sins, and that of Luther, who understands the subjective ground. [Neander says: He comforts them with the assurance of sins forgiven through the mediation of Christ. For the name of Christ are their sins forgiven; that is, for the sake of what Christ is as the Son of God and the Son of Man, the divine-human Redeemerit being as such that they invoke Him as their Mediator.M.].
1Jn 2:13 a. I write unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning. , according to 1Jn 1:1 and the context, can only signify Christ, with reference to His eternal, Divine Nature; for the reaches beyond the beginning of time and of the world, into Gods eternal life, and must not be weakened into initium novi fderis et evangelii patefacti (Socinus). Grotius and a Lapide, without all contextual sanction, explain novistis Deum, qui Senex dierum, Dan 7:9; Dan 13:22. consequently denotes only the more profound understanding of the nature and eternal glory of Christ, spiritual knowledge, and not personal acquaintance, not even on the part of some (Bengel: vivebant patres eo tempore, quo Christus in terris fuerat conspiciendus, et eorum nonnulli eum et facie et fide, omnes fide cognorant) so the , 1Jn 2:13 c must on no account be explained of personal acquaintance. Nor does this exhortation warrant the idea that the Fathers, the aged, love to hear and talk of old things, and that to them, in particular, knowledge ought to belong. (The Greek Fathers, Augustine, Erasmus, Luther, Calvin, Neander). But more profound knowledge in general, and knowledge of Jesus Christ, His Person and work in particular, is peculiarly suited to the calmness and experience of old age.
1Jn 2:13 b. I write unto you, young men, because ye have overcome the wicked one.While young men are exposed to the power of temptation in respect of the world, both within and without, they have also fresh vigor and courage to fight against and overcome the wicked one, , the devil, who is thus designated in the N. T. in general (Mat 13:19, cf. Mat 13:28; Mat 13:38, sq.; Eph 6:16); and in this Epistle in particular (1Jn 3:12; 1Jn 5:18 sq.) Carpzov: Viris fortibus et robustis tribuitur supra fortissimum et robustissimum victoria. But we must not narrow the idea with Bengel, who says: Insigne quoddam specimen virtutis a juvenibus, quibus scribit, exhibitum, cujusmodi erat constantia confessionis in persecutione Domitiani, itemque reditus juvenis illius, quem apostolus summa mansuetudine a lactrocinio ad pnitentiam reduxit, suavissime descriptus a Clemente Al. lib. quis dives salv. c. 42, ab. Eusebio H. E., lib. 3, cap. 20 et a Chrysostomo, Parn. 1 ad Theodorum lapsum, cap. 11. We may think of it, but take it in the widest reach. That which John says to all, the , that their sins have been forgiven, applies indeed to all, and it does not apply exclusively to the fathers, that they have known the Lord, or exclusively to the young men, that they have overcome the wicked one; for it may be that there are fathers who have just gained the victory, and young men who have acquired profound knowledge; but besides the general truth of the forgiveness of sins, those particular affirmations are admirably distributed among the different classes, and only possible and real on the condition of that general declaration. Christian life-truth is essentially one; in whichever direction its riches may be developed, or to whichever relations it may be applied, all these different exhortations and instructions are always of one casting, resting on one foundation, and animated by one spirit Dsterdieck). But John has a particular word, a word of peculiar application for the whole Church, as well as for the separate groups and individuals.
Second series, 1Jn 2:13 c1Joh 2:14.
1Jn 2:13 c.I have written unto you, little sons, because ye have known the Father. To know the Father, that is, to know God as our Father, to cast deeper looks into the peace-thoughts of His heart concerning us, into the holy Love which is His Being, is possible only in the more intimate converse with Him which He opens in the forgiveness of our sins and our reconciliation. The child, with its child-like ways and mind, with its humility, attachment, diligence, teachableness and receptivity, is nearer to God than an adult. Here also apply the words, Become as little children Mat 18:3. It is easy to see that we have here the parallel of the clause, Because your sins have been forgiven you; adoption and forgiveness of sins interpenetrate each other, and more than mere correlates. He now writes to the fathers precisely the same thing as before:
1Jn 2:14. I have written unto you, fathers, because ye have known Him that is from the beginning.His object is not to write something else; for he has rightly divided the word.
I have written unto you, young men, because ye are strong, and the word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome the wicked one.Alii juvenes corpore, vos fide. (Bengel). Mat 12:29; Luk 11:21, sq.; Heb 11:34. It is the strength of the Spirit for the combat and victory, the strength of their own spirit, and derived from the Spirit of God, given from above, through and with the adoption and the forgiveness of sins. The (1Jn 1:5). with the 1Jn 1:6; 1Jn 1:8; 1Jn 2:4), in the word of God, (1Jn 1:10; 1Jn 2:2; 1Jn 2:5; 1Jn 2:7), creates and moves this vital strength and vital courage for the combat. Hence is immediately followed by . , therefore, does not denote Christ, although He is the centre and star of that word. The word of God, with its eternal power, must not only be brought to them, but it must have entered into them and remain in them; then it happens: . The strength is grounded on the word of God, which abides in them (), and in virtue of this strength they have overcome the devil [the thought belongs to HutherM.]; the decisive battle, of course, has been fought by Jesus Christ, but His people ought to follow up His victory by continuous warfare, and gain further triumphs in their heart and sphere of life, cf. Joh 16:33. A retrospective view of the preceding verses, assigning the reasons for the Apostles writing and having written, characterizes the readers as possessing not a small degree of Christian knowledge and ability, and the writings in question as taking for granted such a degree of Christian culture. While we may therefore think of the Epistle and the Gospel, we cannot say with Ebrard that the Gospel is wholesome and pleasant food for the little ones (), but that the Epistle can be understood by adults only. Now has been laid down an important and sure foundation for the subsequent warnings and exhortations (Luther, S. Schmid, Episcopius, Bengel, Lcke, de Wette, Dsterdieck, al.): You have received and acquired so much, and succeeded so well, that you ought to progress, and not to retrograde! You stand in life-fellowship with Goddo not dissolve it!
The warning. 1Jn 2:15 a. Love not the world, neither the things in the world. The correct exposition of the whole depends on the meaning of , which signifies according to Suidas: e, , , , or according to Hesychius: and then the beautiful fabric of the material universe. Quem Grci nomine ornamenti appellaverunt, eum nos a perfecta absolutaque elegantia mundum (Plinius. H. N. 2, 3). The LXX do not apply the word , strictly taken, to the universe. In the New Testament we find it used in all these senses, 1Pe 1:3=, ; Act 17:24; Joh 21:25; Joh 17:5; Mat 24:21; Rev 12:8; Rev 17:8= , and especially by John in the Gospel, Joh 1:9; Joh 11:9; Joh 12:19; Joh 18:36; 1Jn 2:2; 1Jn 4:1; 1Jn 4:3; 1Jn 4:9; 1Jn 4:14.=the creation of the earth, especially of the world of man (Dsterdieck)= . Now the difference between = and (Joh 8:23), which is at the same time the opposite of both, makes to denote the whole kingdom of sin and death, inimical to God, under Satan its prince, and more particularly the world of man as fallen away and estranged from God (Joh 12:31; Joh 14:30; Joh 16:11, 1Jn 4:4; 1Jn 5:19; 2Co 4:4; Eph 6:11, sq.). But all this without the faintest trace of dualism. For the , as originally created by God, was very good (cf. Gen 1:31, with Joh 1:3; Joh 1:10), but became evil and is the object of redeeming love (Joh 3:16; 1Jn 2:2; 1Jn 4:14), so that the children of the world become the children of God in their faith in Christ and His Word (Joh 1:12; Joh 12:45-50); there is no man who is not first born flesh of the flesh, and yet born spirit of the spirit may not and should not become the child of God (Joh 3:6; 1Jn 3:9; 1Jn 3:14),Now the sum-total of this earthly kingdom of evil is alternately applied in a real sense to the earthly sphere in general, and in a personal sense to the world of man, sinful, and abiding in sin; and these two conceptions frequently and easily play the one into the other. The present passage must be interpreted by the usus loquendi current in the N. T., and we must lay down the rule that bears the same meaning in all the three verses, so intimately connected together (Dsterdieck). We cannot say with a Lapide omnibus hisce modis (i.e. three different meanings: 1. homines mundani, in his proprie est concupiscentia; 2. orbis sublunaris, in hoc mundo proprie et formaliter non est concupiscentia; sed in eo est concupiscentia materialis i.e. objectum concupiscibile: 3. ipsa mundana vita vel concupiscentia in genere): omnibus hisce modis mundus hic accipi potest et Johannes nunc ad unum, nunc ad alterum respicit; ludit enim in voce mundus. Points of support necessary to the right explanation of our passage are these: is the opposite of God, it is a whole consisting of various parts and members, it is easily the object of love: it has a life, but lacks permanence and endurance. Hence it is evidently the earthly sphere of life, especially as filled with the world of man and opposing God, whose real side often alternates or concurs with its personal side; as applied to things, we have to think not so much of trees, flowers, mountains and stars as of whatever forms part of and constitutes the world of man, such as rank or dignity, possessions and gifts of the mind and of the body and such like. Consequently the must not be taken as the sum-total of transient creatures as far as they are natural things as Lcke (sum-total of all sensuous manifestations, exciting sensuous pleasure), with whom we must rank, de Wette, Brckner, or J. Lange (systema totius mundi), Neander (the world and worldly things), and others construe the word. But equally objectionable is the interpretation which makes =the evil inhering in the world, as given by Greek authors ( ), Luther (=the world, i.e. ungodliness itself, human passions according to which man does not rightly use the creature), Calvin (omne genus corruptionis et malorum omnium abyssum), Morus (malum morale) Semler (vulgata consuetudo hominum, res corporeas unice appetentium), Erdmann (totus complexus et ambitus mali), Ebrard ( =kinds of sinful living, thinking and demeanor e.g. covetousness, ambition, sensuality.M.]). Lastly, we must not limit the application of to the heathen world (Lange), the mass of ordinary men (Oecumenius: not , as Braune corrects M.] , ; Calov.: homines dediti rebus hujus mundi), the major part of men (Grotius: humanum genus, secundum partem majorem, qu in malis actionibus versatur), to that part of the world which constituted the anti-christians (Storr, Socinus). Cf. Dsterdieck and Huther ad loc. [the latter giving all the passages cited by Braune.M.].Now while John, according to the Lord, urges love, notwithstanding Joh 3:16 : he says here: . There is a difference, if the Lord our Saviour and Redeemer, who is above the world, loves, or if we love that are of the world, needing salvation, although salvable. To love is to surrender oneself; God surrenders Himself in order to save, overcome and glorify; the creature can only surrender itself to the world to be ruined, swept along and carried off. The creature is forbidden to enter into intimate and vital communion, or entire life-fellowship with that sphere of humanity which has fallen away from God. The Saviour does it in order to save from it those who suffer themselves to be seized by Him.=but not even, or no, not even. The Apostle consequently draws a sharp distinction between and , the whole or the general, and the particular or the specific. You are not even to love a particular, a specific part of the ; one may be fascinated by this thing, another by that, it all amounts to the same; the love of the world is there where we find the love of the particular or of one particular in the world, be it the gold of the earth, which is highly valued among men, or human wisdom, or honour with men, or power and dominion, or only influence of a less degree and in a limited sphere.This warning is obviously addressed to all, the and . Omnibus hc generaliter ecclesi filiis scribit (Bede). It is not said to the children only (Oecumenius); for and , denote the whole church (see above); nor to the young men only (Bengel, Sander, Besser), although it follows the last address. The next verse, which is purely general, as well as the import of this warning, require us to understand it as being universal in its application.
The reasons. 1Jn 2:15 b17.
First reason. 1Jn 2:15 b, 16. If any one love the world, the love of the Father is
not in him.Unum cor duos tam sibi adversarios amores non capit. (Bede) Contraria non sunt simul (Bengel). Since is the object of love, since the Apostle is concerned with the love of the world and the heart of man which loves, is of course our love of the Father; for the love of the Father is not incompatible with the love of the world (Joh 3:16). Hence denotes neither amor Patris erga suos et filialis erga Patrem (Bengel), nor the love of God toward us (Luther II., Calov.), nor the caritas quam Pater prscribit (Socinus). We have here the same antithesis which is noted in Mat 6:24 : , Rom 8:5 ( and ), 1Jn 2:7 ( ); 2Co 6:15 ( and ); Jam 4:4 ( and in this Epistle 1Jn 1:5 ( and ). This is the reason of the warning against the love of the world; the love of the world is incompatible with the love of God, as our Father; the love of the world cannot consist with the sonship of God. [Christians are the children of God, God is their Father; their vocation is to love their Father, not to love the world.M.]. This is explicitly brought out in
1Jn 2:16. Because all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. The connection of this verse with the one preceding by =because, compels us to emphasize ; for, because there is nothing in the world, the , which is of the Father, the love of the world is utterly incompatible with the love of the Father. is evidently not identical with (1Jn 2:15); the Singular denotes the transition from the particular to the unit: what is in the world is conceived as a whole, a totality comprehending the particular; hence the reference is not to objects only, as all those maintain who make it identical with (although Ebrards exposition correctly adverts to particular forms of demeanour, and Dsterdieck speaks of a transformation of the conception of the objects of the love of the world into the conception of subjective love itself and its essential modes of representation); still less to persons (omnes mundi dilectores non habent nisi concupiscentiam Bede); but as Huther excellently puts it: All that which constitutes the substance, i.e. the essence of the , its inward life, which animates it. The apposition indicates the nature of , and shows how we are to take, and what is the true import of these words. The apposition has obviously respect to life-manifestations in the world of man; the whole, the sum and substance, the totality of those life-manifestations in the God-forsaken world of man, is not of God, but without, and opposed to God. In dealing with the difficulty connected with the exposition of the apposition: , we have to remember that all the three clauses must be taken as cordinated, and that the Genitive must be construed alike in all three cases. The three ideas are placed in juxtaposition by . Hence Dsterdieck errs in making the principal idea governing and . This is confirmed by the explanation of the separate ideas. In we have evidently the Genitive of the subject; it cannot mean: lust after the eyes. We have therefore three times the Genitive of the subject. In the Genitive of the subject is analogous to the idea: (Gal 5:17), and to the grammatical usage of the N. T., where, with the exception of 2Pe 2:10, the Genitive connected with always denotes the subject; but denotes here what it signifies elsewhere, e.g. in Eph 2:3 ( .) 1Pe 2:11 ( ), the desire, the lust of the flesh, as suggested by the antithesis of , . Limitations like those of Augustine (desiderium earum rerum qu pertinent ad carnem, sicut cibus et concubitus et ctera hujusmodi), Grotius, Baumgarten-Crusius, Sander and Besser, who agree with him, or those of Brckner, who suggests carnal lust in the strict sense, Bengel (ea quibus pascuntur sensus qui appellantur fruitivi: gustus et tactus,) Gerlach (every kind of the lust of enjoyment) and Ebrard (sexual enjoyments)are not in agreement with the context and more or less arbitrary. Only the limitation required by the cordinated is justifiable; but even this is an , and as such equal to the former, yet not , but . This must not be subordinated to the former (as is done by Lcke, de Wette and Dsterdieck), but it is cordinated with it. Nor must the Genitive be taken at once subjectively and objectively: the lust of the eyes, and at the same time that, wherein as the sensuous-worldly, the eyes delight themselves (Brckner). The lust of the eyes has respect to seeing, consequently the lust to see, and to see that which is the object of such lust. Hence Spener explains correctly: all sinful lust which seeks for enjoyment in the very seeing, and so does Huther: the desire of seeing that which is unseemly, and the sinful gratification afforded by seeing it. Hence it must not be restricted to omnis curiositas in spectaculis, in theatris (Augustine, Neander); nor is it sufficient to say with Calvin: tam libidinosos aspectus comprehendit, quam vanitatem, qu in pompis et inani splendors vagatur. Nor may it be referred with Bengel to ea, quibus tenentur sensus investigativi, oculus sive visus, auditus et olfactus. Nor must extraneous ideas be added thereto, so as to make it denote a desire of possession excited by sight (Rickli), or straightforth (Luther, Socinus, Grotius, Lorinus, Wolf, Baumgarten-Crusius, Gerlach, al.), or even the whole sphere of the desires of selfishness, envy, covetousness, hatred and revenge (Ebrard). Thus the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes are arbitrarily distinguished from each other or rather confounded, since the former is taken as sensuality and the latter as covetousness, or vice versa. The eyes, instruments of the senses, are preminently the ministering members of the life of the soul and the spirit: here is flesh, become transparent, whereby surrounding objects and manifestations produce impressions on the life of the soul, and the soul requires insight of them. As the Scripture draws a distinction between grass and the flower of grass, and understands thereby the flesh and the glory of the flesh (1Pe 1:24 : and ), and thus points beyond the nearest sphere of carnal life to the life-sphere of the soul, so we may distinguish the from the in such manner that the former denotes absolute, purely sensuous lust, and the latter lust which through the instrumentality of the soul, points to the spiritual sphere of life. It is noteworthy that as Peter subjoins the words (1Jn 2:25) , so John has almost the identical addition: . Hence the former includes all the desires of possession and enjoyment, of covetousness and sensuality, of vulgar or refined form, while the latter embraces the desire which longs for, seeks and finds gratification in social intercourse and the manifestations of social joys, in works of art down to the rude outbreaks of festal joy.To this is now added as a third . While refers twice to acquisition, has respect to spending. The noun occurs, besides this place, in the N. T. only at Jam 4:16 : , the adjective in Rom 1:30, after, and in 2Ti 3:2, before . In classical Greek it signifies arrogance and vaunting, with the secondary idea of untruthfulness and boasting about ones rank or wealth. In James it evidently denotes the outbreaks of that arrogance which overlooks the vanity and nothingness of earthly happiness, and boastingly confides in it. The is the vain braggart at whom and with whom one may perhaps smile; the is the haughty man, who is irritable and injurious; the one recognizable in the national character of the French, the other in that of the English. The Genitive , of the life, with reference to sustenance and necessaries, as is evident from 1Jn 3:17; Mar 12:44; Luk 8:14; Luk 8:43; Luk 15:12; Luk 15:30; Luk 21:4; 2Ti 2:4, designating occasionally personal property (living), indicates the side on which this braggart arrogance does and is wont to appear, as well where there is little or great abundance as where it is merely coveted and want is concealed; braggart arrogance is wont to appear in connection with bodily sustenance and necessaries. Augustine: Jactare se vult in honoribus, magnus sibi videtur, sive de divitiis, sive de aliqua potentia. Bengel: Ut velit quam plurimus esse in victu, cultu, apparatu, suppellectili, dificiis, prdiis, famulitio, clientibus, jumentis, muneribus, etc., Rev 18:12. Chrysostomus appellat et . Examples occur in Gen 11:2-4; 1Ch 22:1, sqq.; Ecc 2:1, sqq.; Eze 28:12-19; Dan 4:27; Rev 17:4-6; Revelation 18, 4-7. So Lcke, Sander, Besser and Huther; Neander, Gerlach and Dsterdieck may be included in this category. Hence it is not correct to restrict the meaning to ambition, superbia, ambitio (Cyrillus, Socinus, al.).We should hold with Bengel that: Non coincidunt cum his tribus tria vitia cardinalia, voluptas, avaritia, superbia: sed tamen in his continentur. The hypothesis that this trinity contains, a complete indication of all the forms in which evil is apt to manifest itself, has become traditional, and goes so far that Bede following Augustine said: Per hc tria tantum cupiditas humana tentatur; per hc tria Adam tentatus est et victus; per hc tentatus est Christus et vicit. A Lapide actually discovered in them the correlatives of the three Persons of the Holy Trinity answering to the three primari virtutes, continentia, caritas, humilitas [which according to Huther are closely connected with the three monastic vows of chastity, poverty and obedience.M.]. The majority of practical expositors have followed this track with various modifications, even Pascal (Penses, 28, 55) says: libido sentiendi, sciendi, dominandi. Lcke very rightly opposed this interpretation and maintained that the point in question did not relate to cardinal vices, but to the chief forms (Brckner; leading Masses) of worldly-mindedness. These, as Bengel observes, sustain an intimate relation to one another: Etiam ii, qui arrogantiam vit non amant, tamen concupiscentiam oculorum sectari possunt, et qui hanc superarunt, tamen concupiscentiam carnis perspe retinent: hc enimprofundissima et communissima, apud minores, medioximos et potentes: apud eos etiam, qui abnegationem sui colere videntur; et rursum, nisi vincatur, ab ea facile progreditur homo ad concupiscentiam oculorum, ubi materiam habet; et ab hac ad superbiam vit, ubi facultatem habet; tertioque includitur secundum, secundo primum. Thus ambition is only in so far as it wants to cast others in the shade, it is as far as it aims at recognition and marks of recognition, and it is as far as it is indulged in the consciousness of position and wealth, and in every form there are degrees of intensiveness and coarseness. The same holds good of avarice, voluptuousness and the love of pleasure. We have here by no means a complete catalogue of the biasses and forms of manifestation of evil. Unlovingness specified above (1Jn 2:2-11) and mendacity mentioned below (1Jn 2:18-20) although connected with this [trichotomy M.], are not contained in or denoted by it. Hence Luther, followed by Sander, rightly observes: These three particulars are not of the Father: 1. Hatred of the brethren. 2. The three idols of the world. 3. False and corrupt doctrine.The terms , denote origin and indicate similarity, congruity and connection. This is the profound truth that nothing is esteemed with God except His own Image; whatever is to have respect to Him, to belong to Him, to be, and able to be united with Him, must come from Him; 1Jn 2:29; 1Jn 3:7 sqq.; 1Jn 4:2 sqq.; 7 sqq.; 1Jn 5:1 sqq.; Joh 8:44. So Dsterdieck, Huther, and Ebrard in opposition to de Wette [Paulus and Baumgarten-CrusiusM. ], who deny the reference to origin and restrict the application of the terms to congruity and similarity. The antithesis, intensified by the repetition of is not of the Father, but is of the world marks with peculiar pointedness the world as the source of ungodliness. The world will not tolerate any thing that does not derive its being from it or belongs to it. We see therefore how God and the world are just here opposed to each other, irreconciled and irreconcilable; both are inflexible and neither can yield the place to the other. [Dsterdieck: Through our whole Epistle runs the view which is also manifest in the Gospel of St. John, that only the mind which springs from God is directed to God. He who is born of God, loves God, knows God, does Gods will. God Himself, who first loved us, viz. in Christ His incarnate Son, begot in us that love which of moral necessity returns again to the Father, and of like necessity embraces our brethren also. This love is hated by the world, because it springs not from the world. It depends not on the world, any more than that perverted love which springs from the world and is directed towards the world, the lust of the flesh, etc., can be directed to the Father or to Gods children. So that John grasps in reality down to the very foundations of the moral life, when he reminds his readers of the essentially distinct origin of the love of the world, and the love of God. The inmost kernel of the matter is hereby laid bare, and with it a glimpse is given of the whole process of the love of the world and the love of God, even to the end; and this end is now set forth expressly with extraordinary power.M.]. But
The second reason: 1Jn 2:17.
And the world passeth away and the lust thereof; but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.The world can only be taken here in the same sense as in the preceding verses, viz.: the world of man fallen away from and opposing God, which is a power, and as a power awes many, but does and has great things. But what is true of the , 1Jn 2:8, applies also to it: , it passeth away, it is passing away and disappearing; the sense must not be limited to the transitory world, to be destroyed in the judgment (Bede: mundus transibit, quum in die judicii per ignem in meliorem mutabitur figuram, ut sit clum novum et terra nova), nor must the term be so construed as to express the consciousness of the approaching advent of Christ and the judgment of the connected with it (Luther, with reference to 1Jn 2:8; 1Jn 2:18 : ). It is, in effect, the uninterruptedly peculiar nature and destiny of the world (Oecumenius: , (Dsterdieck: because of its alienation from God, doomed to passing away, to death). The antithesis requires and confirms this view. Although Dsterdieck distinguishes his view, according to which he finds here more permanently valid axiomatic truths concerning the course of the love of God or the love of the world, from that of Oecumenius, who gives prominence to the properties of the love of the world and of the obedience to the commandments of God, the two views ought really to be combined thus: it fares with the world according to its nature, and the nature of the world agrees with its passing away. And as it passes away, so also passes away its lust, the lust which inheres in it, emanates from it, and governs it. Hence is the Genitive of the subject, as maintained by most commentators; it cannot mean lust after it or in it, as if were the Genitive of the object (Lcke, Neander, Sander, Besser, al.). Of course, the lust of the world refers also to the world and the things and manifestations in it, and not to God and the riches of His Kingdom. If the whole, the world, belonging to death, passes away, then also its parts, the life that is in it, its separate manifestations and exhibitions of life in individuals, must pass away. This makes one thoroughly loathe the love of the worldthe . Who wants to seize and hold as the object of his love that which is perishable, doomed to death and perpetual defeat? The clause supplies not only an antithesis, but affirms that the does not the will of God, that the shows and verifies itself in the , even as unfolded in 1Jn 2:3, sqq., that the child does not trifle with the will of the Father, for the Father is God. To such applies the , the antithesis of , he abides therefore unto, into eternity, sharing and assured of the imperishable and beatific life: redeemed from , from the , he gains , . [Huther: The destiny of the is , that of the children of God .M.]. This antithesis points to the fact that the of the world will sooner or later have run its course, and that the world will have ceased to exist. Most singular and arbitrary is the opinion of Ebrard, who says that is the on which will gloriously begin with the visible establishment of Christs Kingdom on earth, and that consequently signifies that he that does the will of God will abide until then, until the Kingdom of Christ is established, and be suffered to witness the victory of Christs Kingdom. The addition, quomodo et deus manet in ternum, found in several Latin translations, but not in Jeromes, is rather remarkable.
DOCTRINAL AND ETHICAL
1. The gift of the forgiveness of sins (1Jn 2:12), which is, at the same time, the gift of adoption, [of being made the child of GodM.], 1Jn 2:13 c, establishes a relationship which must verify itself in corresponding conduct, in the way of sanctification. God has taken the initiative, but man must seize it and hold fast, keep and verify it in striving after more profound knowledge, and in struggling for the peace of victory. On the gift of the forgiveness of our sins, and on that of our adoption with the Father, rest the more intimate knowledge of Christ, the victorious fight against Satan, and the enjoyment of the fruits of victory. In the fellowship with the Father and the Son are given us life, light, forgiveness, truth, wisdom, and understanding, and victory over the world and the devil. The victory of Christ (Joh 16:33) is the presupposition of all true victories, and His victory must continue in ours. John grounds the duties of Church members on the high privileges and immunities of the Christian state, and makes gratitude the principle of morality.
2. The peace-work of profound meditation and mature knowledge in men can only take place and prove successful if preceded by the struggles and triumphs of young men [i.e., the man must have passed through the discipline of the young man.M.]. Great purity and integrity are indispensable to the clear perception and more thorough knowledge of the glory of Christ, of His Person, His Word, and His work. True knowledge presupposes life in fellowship with the Person known; it is a living reality and not a mere dogmatical formula (concerning the Person of Christ). Nothing but fighting against Satan will facilitate our knowledge of the eternal glory of Christ.
3. The is diametrically opposed to God, and the heart of man cannot combine the love of the world and the love of the Father; the latter cannot thrive because of the former, or the former must be overcome, and disappearing, yield the place to the latter in the course of its growth and development. Where the life of [emanating fromM.] God is extant there may still be the world, but its power must be broken, it must wane more and more, and its still surviving remainder must recede before increasing and waxing knowledge and joy. Worldly life and godly life are not only two different biasses, but two opposite inclinations, incompatible and destroying each other.
4. It is not in point of space that we must flee from the world, but it is with reference to ethical principles that we must shun it, without loving it, turned away from it, to prevent our dying and perishing in and with it; some one thing may so effectually lay hold of one or another as to sweep him along with the fearful destruction of the whole .
5. The definite superiority of the divine to the worldly may be gathered from the transitoriness of the world. Here is afforded a vista through the whole process of the worlds history, as well as of the love of God, right on to the end (Dsterdieck), and at the same time an insight into the biography of individuals.
6. He that has separated himself from God, has estranged himself from Him, falls into the power of death; the world contains death in the love of itself. None but those who love the Father have the life; yet none love the Father but those who have and with true fidelity keep His word. But there exists no eternal kingdom of evil, the principially dualistic predisposition to evil, but only a condition which has become so, from which any and every man may and shall be redeemed, who does not offer any resistance.
HOMILETICAL AND PRACTICAL
The gift of the forgiveness of sins sets us the task of fighting against the destroyer, and acquiring the knowledge of the Saviour. The gift of the forgiveness of sins is sonship with God and the knowledge of the Father. Holy Scripture directs us first to the knowledge of sin, then to fight against and overcome the wicked one, and lastly to acquire the knowledge of the God-man. Holy Scripture addresses first childrenthat is to say, the children of God; the word of God is the word of the Father to His children; the word of God calls all, whom it addresses, children, because He is the Father of all. Young men and fathers cannot go beyond this child-ship [I retain this Germanism in this place in order to render the thought more perspicuous; neither the word sonship nor adoption conveys the precise shade of thought.M.]. No age of life can or may desire to surpass the stage of childhood before God. The life-truth of the Gospel is only one, emanating from one Spirit, resting on one foundation, consisting in one Spirit, but like the sun, shedding its illuminating and vitalizing beams in all directions: away with all false individualizing and all dry moralizing! He that loves not the world in God as the object of redemption to its salvation, loves it only without God to his own perdition. The world, which thou lovest, reacts more on thee than thou art able to influence it; thou wilt sooner become worldly through it, than it will become Christian through thee. Shun not the world, but love it not; be not afraid of it, but be afraid of thy love of it.
Bodmer:John the Apostle survived twelve Roman emperors: Augustus, Tiberius, Caligula, Claudius, Nero, Galba, Otho, Vitellius, Vespasianus, Titus, Domitianus and Nerva; great expectations and hopes were entertained of each one of these lords of the world, but all failed in the case of the best of them: instead of healing, they inflicted wounds, and many came to a miserable end.
Gerson:Amor habet vim uniendi, si terram amas, terrenus es; si deum, divinus.
Spener:Every age should diligently cultivate the virtue becoming it before others, which is especially done by each particular age applying its natural gifts to the growth of life (understanding in the case of the old, strength in the case of young men, simplicity in the case of children).Those who have overcome Satan as young men, may afterwards truly and fully know Christ as fathers, while those who have served him do not easily attain such knowledge, which is a kind of reward of grace.The word of God does not only come to us, but abides also in us, and consequently is not a dead or passing soundThat which does not abide forever is not worthy of our love; for God has created, appointed and called us unto eternal things.
Starke:Preachers should particularly urge obedience to the commandments of God, and renunciation of the love of the world on the plea of the grace of God in the forgiveness of sins, as a more powerful incentive than considerations founded on the Law.Although you have conquered the devil once, he will return and assault you with sevenfold strength to rob you of your crown. Therefore, ye warriors of Jesus, grow not secure, but think that your task is not done with one well-fought battle.O the deluded souls that fancy that it is the privilege of their rank to use the world at their pleasure, to lead a worldly and carnal life, and to be good Christians for all! They will terribly deceive themselves, for the mere name is not sufficient.Christians, would you love the Father, you must content yourselves with the necessaries of the body, bridle your eyes, and lead a life of simplicity.The world and its lusts pass swiftly away, like an arrow cuts through the air, like smoke blows away, like a river flows along, like a bird flies past, like a sound dies away. What folly to set ones hope and pleasure on such changeable and transitory things!It is well, but not enough to know the will of God, we must do it in the strength of God, with all diligence, at all times, in all things, if we would abide forever.It is a great mercy of God that He accepts our poor, imperfect doing, provided it be done with a childlike heart, as the doing of His willNone can do the will of God without denying his own will, for the will of God and corruptible self-will are utterly opposed to each other.
Heubner:Fathers are spiritual adults, matured Christians; they have known Christ, the Son of God, from personal experience, made proof of His power, or He has been fully formed in them (Eph 4:13; 1Th 2:7; 1Th 2:11; Heb 5:14). The image of Christ has a feeble and tender beginning in childhood; it continues growing in youth, but does not attain perfect clearness with open face until manhood. No warrior can go beyond this: Christ and His knowledge excel all perfection. We have here the case of souls that long since have acquired forgiveness and cleansing from their sins, overcome the wicked one, stood severe trials and hard conflicts, in victory have been planted in the likeness of Christs death, and made experience of the power of His resurrection. As fathers they possess spiritual generative powers. They are the mellow old wine. They are called , they are the nearest friends of the Lord, His intimates, that have a better understanding of His counsel: but, although thus highly raised by God, they never divest themselves of their childlike disposition. The sense of redemption in Christ, true poverty of spirit, voluntary and constant self-denial and strong love are their characteristics. But they still stand in need of instruction and caution (an old Christian had been victorious in the fight for thirty-nine years, but was overcome in the fortieth year.) They must fight senectute contra senectutem. They have more works than words. They are engaged in ceaseless intercessions for all the people of God, and gather riches for the children (2Co 12:14). But they must he very careful not to usurp an authority and power, in virtue of which they require others blindly and unconditionally to follow and agree with them; the moment they fall into this snare they cease to be fathers, and become the destroyers of the Christlike spirit in the children.Young men are those who are still engaged in active warfare, and have to fear most the assaults of the flesh, the world and the devil; they ought to have begun to taste the better delights [of religion] and should overcome Satan. Hence they are always prepared for the battle. He that has become a true child of God must not care for the age of youth. Can any one, by anxious care, add one cubit unto his stature [age]? He that preserves that which he has, to him shall be given more; the process of growth is imperceptible (Mar 4:28). They ought to have the spirit of power and vigilance; as valiant soldiers they must always be at their post, warring against the enemy. Their dangers are rashness, undue ardor, temerity and negligence. They must have work to do, they must destroy Babylon, but abstain from all things, and fight faithfully unto death. They must not be discouraged in the first ardor of their zeal, for that first ardor may lose its intensity. Their strength will be in proportion to their allowing their strength quietly to strike root; even Christ walked in silence and retirement during His youth, and John was in the wilderness. They must learn to enter into the mystery of godliness, abstain from their doing in order that God may work in them, that thus they may resist the , the spoiler, who comes from without and forces his way into them, and would fain seize the youthful warriors. Hence they need circumspection and weapons (Ephesians 6).Children are beginners in Christianity who have already tasted the paternal love of God, who receive from the Father more tokens of love, as it were, more caressing. But they must be truly born of God, have a new mind, the Spirit of adoption whereby they cry Abba, Father. Their general characteristics are these: a childlike disposition, lowliness, obedience, sincerity, joyfulness. Their childlike failings are: credulity, carelessness, rashness, inconstancy, or even wandering from the simplicity in Christ. They are strongly attached to the sweet taste of grace. They require oversight, guidance, nursing, care, keeping; they require milk until they are able to take stronger food and grow. (Here we may refer to the choral divisions among the unitas fratrum: children, older boys, single brethren, single sisters, the chorus of married people, widowers and widows, to the incipientes, proficientes and profecti of the Moravians, and to the analogies of paganism, Plato de legg. II., where the chorus of boys, of young men to the age of thirty, of men to the age of sixty, used fascinatingly to implant the true and the good into the minds of the people in songs, and Plutarch lacon. instit. according to which, among the Spartans, old men used to sing: Once we were vigorous youths; men, We are so; if thou desirest it, try; and the boys, Some day we shall even be better).Love is the noblest power in man, which he ought not to waste on unworthy objects, but he ought to love God only.The world is set before men to try them, whether they will lay hold of it or of heavenly things.The objects of our desires, as far as they are creatures, are not evil in themselves (1Ti 4:4; 1Co 10:26), but the passionate desire of them is evil, and of the evil spirit. The excusatio of worldlings is: it is natural, it is innocent. That is to lay the responsibility of sin on God.Worldly-mindedness and religion are incompatible. There are, indeed, many degrees of this worldly-mindedness and fondness of worldly pleasures, but this much is certain: 1. Those in whom this fondness is strong and supreme, to whom non-gratification causes anger and a blank, are without the divine life. 2. Every worldly pleasure, though indifferent of itself, becomes sin if it leads astray from God, and has to be enjoyed without God. 3. In proportion to the growth of religion is the decrease of a mind and taste for worldly lusts, and vice versa.It is disgraceful in clergymen [Germ. Geistliche, a technical term for clergymen, of which the English divines is the nearest approximation, or we may also say spiritual and secular, but, of course, without any reference to the Roman Catholic use of these termsM.], who ought to be the opposite of the worldly, to exhibit worldliness in the bias of their mind and conversation.What comes of the transitoriness of the world and of the things which lust desires? What harm does it do to the worldly? 1. Even in respect of this earthly life it is painful and humiliating to take pleasure in enjoyments which are wholly idle and transient, and leave behind them nothing that is refreshing or ennobling, but, perhaps, something that will fill the mind with gloom, paralyze and deject the spirita melancholy blank. 2. This holds good still more in respect of the life to come. The objects will cease, but not the desire, which will then lack the instruments and means of its gratification. Painful condition. Such a soul will then behold itself in its miserable emptiness and vileness. Therefore consider the transitoriness and consequences of every sinful lust. (Oriental saying: The treasures of the world are so constituted that they will deprive thee of life, if thou gatherest them).
Neander:It is not part of the nature of the love of God that we must retire from the world and worldly things, but rather that we should use them according to the purpose which God has assigned to all men, to His glory.
Besser:The forgiveness of sins is the bread on which the great and the small, Apostles and malefactors, the wise and the illiterate, kings and beggars (kings as beggars, and beggars as kings), live in the kingdom of God, even as the fourth and fifth petitions of the Lords Prayer are significantly joined together by and.
Johann Bugenhagens motto was: Si Christum bene scis, satis est, si cetera nescis: si Christum nescis, nil est, si cetera discis.
Leo the Great:There are two kinds of love from which proceeds every lust according to its kind: man, who cannot exist without love, loves either God or the world.
Spener.This eitheror is an established thing which will never yield the place to an as wellas. To contribute one cent to ungodliness is as much as to give up to it the whole. St. Bernard calls pride the arch-artificer of fraud, and the true fountain of vice, the tinder of sin, the rust of virtues, the moth of holiness, the beguiler of hearts, that turns medicine into poison, and cordials into stupefying draughts. A soul has nothing in eternity but what it has gathered in time.
Nitzsch:The principal question of the divine word addressed to fathers: Do you know Him that is from the beginning? Let us consider: 1. Why this question is peculiarly suited to the aged? The excellency and glory of old age is experience, its natural avocation to gather and to have gathered it, its supreme requirement, to have wisdom by and in experience. How much more important is it to have seen and felt a thing, to have shared its suffering, than merely to have heard of it! 2. Which knowledge does it speak of? The First and the Last has been revealed in the centre of history, He by whom and for whom all things consist; time has become conscious of eternity. Humanity has been raised from profound misery to high glory. This knowledge compensates the eye for every unavoidable want of light, supplies the solution of many riddles, finds the kernel of many experiences, marks the holy line of human effort, cherishes the sweet hope of beholding [God], and thinks well done that which God doeth. 3. The great monition and the glorious consolation contained therein. Many things improve by age, but not the fundamental error, erring from God. Self-will and unbelief do not break spontaneously by mere events; the secret will of the natural man grows to a fearful height and resoluteness; rather die in sins than present oneself blind and naked, miserable and poor before the only Mediator, the Conqueror on the cross. Do you still know Him, do you know Him again? Be overcome and ye shall conquer; His knowledge rejuvenates you like eagles, makes you wise, and crowns all knowledge and experience with faith in the eternal words. The monition of the divine word to young men that they have overcome the wicked one. Regard it1, as a congratulation on their participation in the victory of Christ, but also as a threefold test-inquiry of the reality of their Christianity. After the victory of Christ, the time of the mere doubtful struggle between the death and life of mankind, the time of invincible sin, of the immeasurable progress of corruption, belongs to the remote past. If you fear already, or are still afraid in this world, be of good courage and know that you enter into a reconciled world, and stand in eternal peace, and partake of a happiness and liberty that have not to be fought for and devised, but may be seized and enjoyed in true faith. But here you have to inquire after faith in this word,since the tendency prevails not to believe that which was believed by the fathers; many, all believe to indemnify themselves for childlike faith with the conceits of the unvanished beauty of the world, of the power of the mind of man and of the innocence and goodness of the heart of man,to inquire after the knowledge of this truth, after the decision and conversion of the heart, whether that will reigns supreme which says, How should I do this great evil and sin against my God? whether you are consciously or unconsciously under the jurisdiction of the prince of this world, and unfitted for the true work of your calling. 2. As a call to resistance, and at the same time as a promise of assistance. This bears on your bravery, your honour, your independence, ye that are in such hurry to be men. There are many adversaries from without that reappear again and again; fight the invisible battles in your souls. It is good for a man to have worn the yoke in his youth, but how much better this yoke; thus you will gain a clear and pure view of your future, thus you spend the time of your transitory youth for the purpose of securing eternal youth, thus you care to-day for to-morrow and ever, even unto the judgment; all things are yours.
Hast thou broken with the world? 1. Art thou perhaps still wholly entangled in its lust? 2. Art thou convinced that it is impossible to love God and the world at the same time? 3. Dost thou daily fight victoriously against the lust of the world tempting thee?
What is the Christians relation to the world? 1. He knows that its lust, without any exception, is sin (1Jn 2:16), and such sin as is incompatible with the Christian profession (1Jn 2:15), and on this very account 2. He shuns and flies it (v.15).
Consider how little the love of the world comports with sincere conversion towards God. 1. The latter imposes renunciation of the world and its lust as a necessary condition. 2. It affords strength for overcoming the world. 3. And is itself a continued combat with the temptations of the world.
The infamy of a Christian being the slave of worldly lust. 1. He thereby enters the service of worldly vanity, 2. becomes the enemy of God, and 3. will perish with the world (L. in Gesetz und Zeugniss for 1860).
[Ezekiel Hopkins:1Jn 2:15. For these things (Pleasures, Riches, Honours), though they make a fair and gaudy show, yet it is all but show and appearance. As bubbles, blown into the air, will represent great variety of orient and glittering colours, not, as some suppose, that there are any such really there, but only they appear so to us, through a false reflection of light cast upon them: so truly this world, this earth on which we live, is nothing else but a great bubble blown up by the breath of God in the midst of the air, where it now hangs. It sparkles with ten thousand glories: not that they are so in themselves, but only they seem so to us through the false light by which we look upon them. If we come to grasp it, it breaks and leaves nothing but wind and disappointment in our hands: as histories report of the fruits that grow near the Dead sea, where once Sodom and Gomorrah stood, they appear very fair and beautiful to the eye, but if they be crushed, turn straight to smoke and ashes.
There is nothing in the world vain in respect of its natural being or of God the Creatorbut all the vanity that is in worldly things, is only in respect of the sin and folly of man. [Augustine: Utendum est hoc mundo, non fruendum; ut invisibilia Dei, per ea qu facta sunt, intelligantur; hoc est, ut de temporalibus terna capiantur.M.].
The vanity of the world appears in:
1. That all its glory and splendour depend merely on opinion and fancy.
2. In its deceitfulness and treachery. It is not only vanity, but a lying vanity.
3. As all things in the world are lying vanities, so are they all vexatious. Uncertain comforts but most certain crosses.
4. A little cross will embitter great comfortsanother mark of the vanity of the world.
5. The longer we enjoy any worldly thing, the more flat and insipid doth it grow.
6. All the pleasure of the world is nothing else but a tedious repetition of the same things.
7. The world can stand us in no stead, when we have the greatest need of support and comfort.
8. All things in the world are vain, because they are unsuitable.
The soul is spiritual and immortal, worldly things are material and perishable.
Its wants are spiritualbut the world supplies only material wants.
9. The vanity of the world appears in its inconstancy and fickleness and
10. In that it is altogether unsatisfactory.M.].
[Barrow:The world is an enemy, an irreconcilable enemy to our salvation. The World, that is, the wicked principles, the bad customs, the naughty conversation and example which commonly prevail here among men; alluring to evil and deterring from good; the cares also, the riches, the pleasures, the glories of the world, which possess or distract the minds, satiate and cloy the desires, employ all the affections and endeavours, take up the time of men; all in the world which fasteneth our hearts to earth, and to those low transitory things; or which sink them down toward hell and which detain them from soaring toward heaven.
The world passeth away and the desire () thereof; whatever seemeth most lovely and desirable in the world is very flitting; however, our desire and our enjoyment thereof must suddenly cease. Imagine a man, therefore, possessed of all worldly goods, armed with power, flourishing in credit, flowing with plenty, swimming in all delight (such as were sometime Priamus, Polycrates, Crsus, Pompey) yet since he is withal supposed a man, and mortal, subject both to fortune and death, none of those things can he reasonably confide or much satisfy himself in; they may be violently divorced from him by fortune, they must naturally be loosed from him by death; the closest union here cannot last longer than till death us depart; wherefore no man upon such account can truly call, or, if he consider well, heartily esteem himself happy; a man cannot hence receive profit or content from any labour he taketh under the sun. (Ecc 1:3 sqq.)M.].
[On 1Jn 2:16. It was a pertinent discourse of Cineas, dissuading Pyrrhus from undertaking a war against the Romans. Sir, saith he, when you have conquered them, what will you do next? Then Sicily is near at hand, and easy to master.And what when you have subdued Sicily? Then we will pass over to Africa and take Carthage, which cannot long withstand us.When these are conquered, what will be your next attempt?Then we will fall in upon Greece and Macedon and recover what we have lost there.Well, when all are subdued, what fruit do you expect from all your victories? Then we will sit down and enjoy ourselves. Sir, replied Cineas, may we not do it now? Have you not already a kingdom of your own? and he that cannot enjoy himself with a kingdom, cannot with the world. Plutarch in Vita Pyrrhi.M.].
[Pyle (1Jn 2:12-14):The cautions I here give you ought to be equally regarded by all degrees of Christian professors. The new converts and younger Christians are to consider themselves as newly put into a state of salvation, the pardon of sin, and the favour of God, through Jesus Christ; and to endeavour to confirm themselves in it by the careful practice of true Christian virtue. Such as are come to more maturity in their profession and are in the strength and vigour of their age, have a great advantage, and ought to employ the utmost of that vigour in resisting the strongest temptations of the devil, and perfecting their conquest over him and all his wicked instruments. And the aged Christians cannot but have so dear a knowledge of God, and the revelation of His will by Jesus Christ, during the long season from their first conversion, that it would be utterly inexcusable for them to be wanting in their essential duties or be drawn from them by the false teachers.M.].
[1Jn 2:12. Simeon, C., The different growth and privileges of Gods children. Works xx. 393.
1Jn 2:13-14. Marshall, N., Peculiar temptations attending every stage of life, with the special advantages and counter-motives that are found in each, considered particularly with regard to old age.
The temptations that most endanger our first stage of life, with the duties most incumbent upon us in that early period, and the motives to discharge them.
Peculiar temptations treated in reference to such as are in the bloom and vigour of life. Sermons, 2:433, 459, 485.
1Jn 2:15. Fuller, Thos., An ill match well broken off. Josephs party-coloured coat.
1Jn 2:15-17. Bossuet, Trait de la Concupiscence. uvres, xi 1Jn 2:26.M.].
Footnotes:
[17][1Jn 2:12. , Perf. Pass. formed after the Perfect Active , here and Mat 9:2-5; Mar 2:5; Luk 5:20; Luk 5:23; Luk 7:47; Syriac=remissa sunt, have been forgiven you more correct than E. V. are forgiven you.M.]
[18][Cod. Sin. reads .M.]
[19]1Jn 2:13. , A. B. C., Cod. Sin. The reading is without critical authority, and opposed to the ructure of this series of sentences.
[20]1Jn 2:14. in B., which might allude to 1Jn 1:1, is evidently a slip of the pen, since the same Codex reads in 1Jn 2:13.
[21][1Jn 2:15. =nor the things in the world, more correct than the things that are in the world E.V.M.]
[22] , B. [G. K.] Cod. Sin.; the best verss. Fathers [Oec. Theophyl.M.]. The reading A. C. must yield the place to the former authorities, and to the context 1Jn 2:16.
[23][1Jn 2:16. =because, so German.M.]
[24][1Jn 2:17. after , although wanting in A. and cancelled by Griesbach; is the true reading. The difficulty readily accounts for the omission.M].
Fuente: A Commentary on the Holy Scriptures, Critical, Doctrinal, and Homiletical by Lange
DISCOURSE: 2437
THE DIFFERENT GROWTH AND PRIVILEGES OF GODS CHILDREN
1Jn 2:12-14. I write unto you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for his names sake. I write unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning. I write unto you, young men, because ye have overcome the wicked one. I write unto you, little children, because ye have known the Father. I have written unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning. I have written unto you, young men, because ye are strong, and the word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome the wicked one.
THE word of God is intended for every individual of mankind, that all, being acquainted with their own state, may know what God says respecting them. On this account it is the duty of ministers to mark with accuracy the discriminating features of every character, and, by rightly dividing the word of truth, to give to every one his portion in due season. St. John affords us a good example with respect to this: for, not content with separating the precious from the vile, he arranges the saints themselves into distinct classes, according to their several attainments, and declares to each those peculiar marks wherein they differ from each other.
There is indeed a tautology in this place, such as does not occur in any other part of the inspired volume. Whether this was intended, or whether a considerable part of the thirteenth verse was inserted by the mistake of an early transcriber, we cannot say: but the whole of that verse, except the last clause, might be omitted without any loss, because every word in it is repeated afterwards.
Our intention is simply to address the several classes of Christians here specified; first drawing their respective characters, and then setting before them their distinctive privileges and attainments.
I.
We speak to you, little children
[In order to come under this title, it is necessary that you should have been begotten with the incorruptible seed, the Word of God, and been brought into Gods family by the renewing influences of his Spirit. It is not supposed that you have grown to any stature in the family of Christ, but, on the contrary, that you have either recently come out of darkness into the marvellous light of the Gospel, or, at least, made very little advance in the divine life. You are, however, born again. You have seen your guilt and helplessness; you have fled to Christ for refuge: you have sought for mercy through the blood and righteousness of your incarnate God. You have obtained a new nature: and, though you are yet weak in all your faculties and all your powers, there is no part in you that is wholly unrenewed. Your understanding, though dark, is enlightened with some rays from the Sun of Righteousness. Your affections, though far from pure, are yet, on the whole, turned to God, and heavenly things. The Divine image, though far from perfect, is, in a measure, formed upon your souls; so that it already appears whose you are, by the resemblance which you bear to your heavenly Father.
Hear then the privileges which belong to you. In the first place, we declare from God himself, that your sins are forgiven you. Whatever they may have been, however numerous, however heinous, (God makes no distinction, nor can we presume to make any,) they are all blotted out of the book of Gods remembrance, nor shall so much as one of them ever appear in judgment against you. From the first moment that you believed in Christ, and became truly regenerate, this was your happy portion: you were not to wait for it till a life of holiness should confirm your title to it: a free and full pardon was yours, the very instant you became a child of God. But remember for whose sake this pardon has been bestowed upon you. It has not been for your own sake; for you deserved nothing but wrath; yea, if God at this moment were to enter into judgment with you according to your present deserts, you must inevitably perish. God has had respect to his dear Son: and for his sake has forgiven you. The pardon you enjoy, was bought with the precious blood of Christ. It is altogether on account of what Christ has done and suffered for you, that you have found acceptance. There is no other name given under heaven whereby you, or any other sinner, can be saved, but the name of Jesus Christ.
Further, it is said of you, that ye have known the Father. Your views of the Gospel are at present very partial, and confused. You merely see that you were sinners before God: and that God, in infinite mercy, sent his only-begotten Son to die for you; and that through the death of Christ you are to obtain mercy. Hence you are emboldened to look unto God as reconciled to you in Christ Jesus; and with a spirit of adoption to cry, Abba, Father. Thus, though you see as yet but little of the work and offices of Christ, you know the Father as a just, yet merciful, and gracious God.]
II.
We would next address you, young men
[As in the natural world children grow up to manhood, so in the spiritual world there is a similar progress to maturity. We might proceed to draw the necessary distinctions between your infantile and adult state: but the privileges annexed to your state in the words of our text, will serve at the same time to mark the progress which you have made in the divine life; and therefore we shall confine ourselves to them.
You then are declared to be strong: and in this you differ widely from your former state: for whereas you formerly were liable to be tossed to and fro by every wind of doctrine, and to be overcome by every temptation, you now have obtained a stability both in knowledge and in grace. Not that you are stronger in yourselves than you were formerly: but you have learned how weak you are; and have been led to rely wholly on the Lord Jesus Christ; and through him have been enabled to do what, in your self-confident state, you were unable to perform. Hence ye are strong; but it is in the grace that is in Christ Jesus, and in the power of his might. Your conscious weakness is the means of your strength. You can say with the Apostle, when I am weak, then am I strong.
It is characteristic of your state also, that the word of God abideth in you. When you were children, you knew but little of the word of God; but you have studied it: you have desired it, and delighted in it, as unadulterated milk; and by means of it have grown up to maturity. You have found that there is no weapon so powerful as that. You have learned, not only from the Saviours example, but from your own experience, that one single arrow taken out of that quiver is sufficient to vanquish all the hosts of hell. Hence you have been led to treasure up the promises in your memory; and to have recourse to the inspired volume for direction and support in every emergency.
Further, it is said, that you have overcome the wicked one. In your earlier days Satan beguiled and vanquished you in ten thousand instances; but now you have attained the knowledge of his devices. He himself, if we may so speak, has at last taught you how to repel his assaults, and to resist him with success. You are become expert in the spiritual warfare. You know how to wield the sword of the Spirit. You know when and where to expect your enemy. You know the way in which he manages his assaults. And you have learned to combat him upon your knees. This, though a disadvantageous posture in earthly conflicts, you have found to be the best that can possibly be resorted to in the spiritual warfare. Hence you have had the comfort of seeing that wicked fiend, who assaulted you with the subtilty of a serpent, and the fury of a roaring lion, flee from your face intimidated and confounded [Note: Jam 4:7.].
O remember these your high privileges, and labour continually to walk worthy of them! ]
III.
Lastly, we would speak to you also who are fathers in Christ
[As age and experience elevate a man to a higher rank in the community than he possessed while in the vigour of his youth, so it is in the Church of God. Not that age, or even long continuance in the Church of Christ, can entitle a man to the appellation of father: for some are not born to God till they are far advanced in life; and others, through carnality or sloth, have made so little progress in religion, that they have need to be treated as babes, when, for the time that they have professed godliness, they ought to have attained the age and stature of fathers [Note: 1Co 3:1-2. Heb 5:12.]. Those only are deserving of this honourable name, who have maintained a long and successful conflict with the powers of darkness.
Respecting you then it is said, that ye have known him that is from the beginning. Whom he intended to designate under this expression, the Apostle himself tells us: it is Christ, who was in the beginning with God, and was God [Note: Compare Joh 1:1. with 1Jn 1:1.]. Now the distinction between you and young men principally consists in this; that by your numerous conflicts you have been compelled to make use of Christ in all his offices, and have thereby attained a more extensive knowledge of his love and mercy, his power and grace, his truth and faithfulness. From your own experience therefore you can trust in him yourselves, and can exhort others also to trust in him with the most unlimited confidence, and to glory in him as their all in all.
See then, fathers, that ye improve your knowledge for this end: and soon ye shall see him as ye are seen, and know him as ye are known ]
Application
1.
To those who are included under any of the foregoing titles
[Let the least and meanest in Gods family rejoice in the unspeakable blessings vouchsafed unto them. But let not the most advanced imagine, that they are not yet to proceed to higher attainments. All must war a good warfare; all must seek to grow in grace, and in the knowledge of the Lord Jesus: all must be faithful unto death, if ever they would obtain a crown of life.]
2.
To those who have never yet been brought into the family of God
[Dearly beloved, the forgiveness of sins is the exclusive privilege of Gods children. This is manifestly implied in the address to little children. O then seek to be made new creatures in Christ Jesus! Our Lord tells you repeatedly that you must be born again: and that, if you be not, you never can enter into the kingdom of heaven. Pray then that you may be born of the Spirit; and that you may be interested in the Redeemers death. So shall you be numbered with the children of God, and be made partakers of their inheritance for evermore.]
Fuente: Charles Simeon’s Horae Homileticae (Old and New Testaments)
I write unto you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for his name’s sake. (13) I write unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning. I write unto you, young men, because ye have overcome the wicked one. I write unto you, little children, because ye have known the Father. (14) I have written unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning. I have written unto you, young men, because ye are strong, and the word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome the wicked one.
Those different ages, in the members of Christ’s body are distinctly spoken to, not as if their interest and union with Christ were not all the same, and the claims upon them the same, to live to Christ, and to walk with Christ; but, as those different ages furnish out occasion for promoting the Lord’s glory in the earth, by their several graces, arising from that different age, brought into exercise. A babe in Christ is as truly part of Christ as the oldest saint of God. The single leaf on a tree, is as truly part of that tree, as the largest and loftiest branch belonging to it. And in both, it is the root gives support and nourishment, and not the leaf or the branch the tree. So is it in relation to Christ’s body. The weakest, humblest, and most inconsiderable of Christ’s members, is as much the Father’s gift, Christ’s purchase, and the Spirit’s work of regeneration, as a Prophet or an Apostle. Paul, under the Holy Ghost, blessedly explains this: Eph 4:4-13 . I beg the Reader to notice how sweetly the Apostle speaks to little children, and what a comprehensiveness of expression he folds up in one, Your sins are forgiven you for his name’s sake. Hence, here is a complete justification of their persons, though but children, yea, little children; for Christ’s name sake. I would recommend those who would presume to call in question the finished salvation of Christ, to consider this declaration of the Holy Ghost by John; and let them shew the Church, if they can, what is wanting to make this complete? By regeneration, these little children, babes as they are yet in Christ, are made partakers of the divine nature, and have all things that pertain to life and godliness; and, therefore, they are washed, they are sanctified, they are justified, in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God. Compare 2Pe 1:3-4 with 1Co 6:11 , and Isa 65:20 .
The fathers John writes to are considered as having long known the Lord, and as such, long proved his faithfulness; and, therefore, can well speak of it, to his glory and the Church’s comfort. The Lord (if we may so presume to speak,) delights to be known and acknowledged in his faithfulness. Deu 7:9 . And holy men of old, when a-dying, took pleasure to recount to the by-standers, of God’s faithfulness and truth. We have beautiful instances to this amount in scripture record: Jacob; Gen 48:15 to the end; Joseph; Gen 1:24 ; Moses; Deu 33:26 to the end; Joshua; Jos 23:1-10 . And, in more modern times, the Church of God hath no wanted testimonies of old saints, when dying out of time, and going into eternity, faithfully recording the righteous acts of the Lord, as a covenant God in Christ. Indeed, what can be more suitable and proper?
Young men come in for a portion of the Apostle’s address, because, by regeneration, they are made strong in the Lord; the devil hath thereby received his deadly wound, and the sweet communications of grace give a withering to the fleshly lusts which war against the soul. But, Reader! do not overlook in all these, that little children, and old men, and young men, yea, every age in the Church of whatever standing, all derive their being, and well-being in grace, not from themselves or their attainments, but from the Lord. All these worketh that one and the self-same Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will; 1Co 12:11 .
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
12 I write unto you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for his name’s sake.
Ver. 12. I write unto you, little children ] A Christian hath his degrees of growth; childhood, 1Co 3:1-2 ; youth or well grown age, when he is past the spoon, as here; old age, Act 21:16 .
Because your sins are forgiven you ] Though perhaps you as yet know it not, through weakness of faith and strength of corruption.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
12 14 .] Threefold address to the readers, accompanied by a threefold reason for writing to them; all repeated by way of parallelism, with some variations and enlargements . On the connexion and explanation of these verses, it may be observed, 1) that we have three classes of readers, denoted the first time by , , , and the second time by , , . 2) that all three are addressed the first time in the present , the second time in the aorist . 3) that while to the and the same words are each time used (to the latter with an addition the second time), the and are differently addressed.
The first question arising is, what do these three classes import, and how are they to be distributed among the readers? It is obvious that the chief difficulty here is with and . The former word is used by our Apostle once with , 1Jn 2:1 , and six times without ; 1Jn 2:28 , ch. 1Jn 3:7 ; 1Jn 3:18 , 1Jn 4:4 , 1Jn 5:21 ; but always as importing the whole of his readers; and once it is reported by him as used by our Lord, also in a general address to all His disciples, Joh 13:33 . is used by him similarly in our 1Jn 2:18 , and reported by him as used by our Lord in a general address, Joh 21:5 . These facts make it very probable that both the words are here used as general designations of all the readers, and not as a designation of any particular class among them. And this is made more probable, by the fact that if and did point out the children among them, properly or spiritually so called, the rank of classes would be different from that which would occur to any writer, viz. neither according to ascending age nor to descending, but children, fathers, young men. We seem then to have made it highly probable that and address all the readers alike. Now if we lay any stress on the third circumstance above mentioned, that and are differently addressed, and not so and , and endeavour therefrom to deduce any distinction between and in the age or qualities expressed by them, I conceive that we shall establish nothing satisfactory. If a reason for this variation of address is to be discovered, it must be sought in the parallelism of the passage. With these preliminary remarks, we come to the details. I write to you, little children (see above), because (Socinus, Seb.-Schmidt, Schtt., Bengel, Paulus, Sander, Neander, render “ that .” But the meaning seems determined for us by 1Jn 2:21 , where it is quite impossible thus to render it: although even there Bengel tries to be consistent. It is manifest that we must keep the same rendering throughout. The particle then gives the reasons why he writes ( what , see below on the first ) to each class among them) your sins have been (perf.: see note on Mat 9:2 ) forgiven you for the sake of His (Christ’s) name ( , the Saviour, the anointed one, bringing to mind all the work wrought out by Him for us, and all the acceptance of that work by the Father: so that it may be well said that on account of, for the sake of, that Name which the Father hath given Him, which is above every name, our sins are forgiven).
Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament
1Jn 2:12-17 . The Appeal of Experience. “I am writing to you, little children, because your sins have been forgiven you for His name’s sake; I am writing to you, fathers, because ye have got to know Him that it is from the beginning I am writing to you, young men, because ye have conquered the Evil One. I wrote to you, little ones, because ye have got to know the Father; I wrote to you, fathers, because ye have got to know Him that is from the beginning; I wrote to you, young men, because ye are strong, and the Word of God abideth in you, and ye have conquered the Evil One. Love not the world, nor the things that are in the world. If any one loveth the world, the love of the Father is not in him; because everything that is in the world the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the braggart boast of life is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away and the lust of it, but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.”
The Apostle has been setting forth searching truths and is about to make an exacting claim; and here he pauses and with much tenderness reassures his readers: “I am not addressing you as unbelievers or casting doubt upon the sincerity of your faith. On the contrary, it is because I am assured thereof that I am writing this letter to you and wrote the Gospel which accompanies it”.
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
1Jn 2:12 . , all the Apostle’s readers, his customary appellation (see n. on 1Jn 2:1 ). , perf., the Doric form of . , the character, mind, purpose of God revealed in Christ. “The name of God” is “whatsoever there is whereby he makes himself known” ( Westm. Larg. Catech. ).
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 1Jn 2:12-14
12I am writing to you, little children, because your sins have been forgiven you for His name’s sake. 13I am writing to you, fathers, because you know Him who has been from the beginning. I am writing to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one. 14I have written to you, children, because you know the Father. I have written to you, fathers, because you know Him who has been 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 evil one.
1Jn 2:12-14 All of the verbs in these verses (except “I am writing” [NASB 1970], “I have written” [NASB 1995], UBS4 gives the second option an “A” rating [certain]) are perfect tense, which speak of action in the past resulting in an ongoing state of being. As the previous context addressed the false teachers, this context addresses the believer. There are three different titles given to believers: “little children,” “fathers,” and “young men.” This paragraph does not fit smoothly into the context of lifestyle evidences of assurance. It is possible that we are not dealing with three groups but a literary device describing the settled condition of all Christians.
There are four things listed that believers know.
1. that their sins are forgiven (1Jn 2:12)
2. that through Christ they have overcome the devil (1Jn 2:13)
3. that they “know” they have fellowship with both the Father (1Jn 2:14) and the Son (1Jn 2:13-14)
4. that they are strong in the Word of God (1Jn 2:14).
This list is expressed grammatically in (1) the phrase “I am writing you” and (2) the six hoti (because ) clauses.
1Jn 2:12 “because your sins have been forgiven you for His name’s sake” Jesus’ ministry is mankind’s only hope for forgiveness (perfect passive indicative). In Hebrew understanding, the name equals the character and personality (cf. 1Jn 3:23; 3Jn 1:7; Rom 10:9-13; Php 2:6-11).
There is a series of six hoti clauses in 1Jn 2:12-14. They may be purpose clauses (NASB, NRSV, NJB, “because”) or simply a literary way to introduce statements of fact (NET, “that”).
1Jn 2:13 “Him who has been from the beginning” The pronouns in 1 John are ambiguous and can refer to God the Father or God the Son. In context this one refers to Jesus. It is a statement of pre-existence and, thereby, His Deity (cf. Joh 1:1; Joh 1:15; Joh 3:13; Joh 8:48-59; Joh 17:5; Joh 17:24; 2Co 8:9; Php 2:6-7; Col 1:17; Heb 1:3).
“you have overcome” This is a recurrent promise and warning in 1 John (cf. 1Jn 2:14; 1Jn 4:4; 1Jn 5:4-5; 1Jn 5:18-19). This is expressed in a perfect active indicative which speaks of the culmination of a process. Here again, John writes in black and white terms (this realized eschatological victory is so reminiscent of the Gospel of John). Believers are victors, yet because of the “already but not yet” tension of the Kingdom of God, they still struggle with sin, temptation, persecution, and death.
“the evil one” This is a reference to Satan, who is mentioned again in 1Jn 2:14. 1Jn 2:13-14 are parallel. See Special Topic at Joh 12:31.
“because you know the Father” The biblical concept of “know” involves the Hebrew sense of intimate personal relationship (cf. Gen 4:1; Jer 1:5) and the Greek concept of “facts about.” The gospel is both a person to welcome (Jesus), a message (doctrine) to accept and act on, and a life to live.
SPECIAL TOPIC: KNOW (using mostly Deuteronomy as a paradigm)
1Jn 2:14 “you are strong” Notice that their strength is based on the abiding word of God. This is similar to Paul’s admonitions in Eph 6:10-18. The abiding word is the gospel. It is both conceptual and personal, God initiated and individually received, both a decision and a discipleship, both truth and trustworthiness.
“the word of God abides in you” This personifies the concept of the word of God (the gospel, cf. 1Jn 2:24). This is an allusion to John 15. It is used in a negative sense in Joh 5:38; Joh 8:37.
“you have overcome the evil one” This is an emphasis on the perseverance of true saints. It is found again in 1Jn 2:17; 1Jn 2:19; 1Jn 2:24; 1Jn 2:27-28; 1Jn 5:18; and 2Jn 1:9. The doctrine of the security of the believer needs to be balanced with the truth that those who are truly redeemed will hold out until the end (cf. Rev 2:7; Rev 2:11; Rev 2:17; Rev 2:26; Rev 3:5; Rev 3:12; Rev 3:21). See Special Topic: the Need to Persevere at Joh 8:31. This does not imply sinlessness now, though that is a theoretical possibility in Christ’s finished work (cf. Romans 6).
Fuente: You Can Understand the Bible: Study Guide Commentary Series by Bob Utley
are forgiven. App-174.
for, &c. = on account of (App-104. 1Jn 2:2)
His name.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
12-14.] Threefold address to the readers, accompanied by a threefold reason for writing to them; all repeated by way of parallelism, with some variations and enlargements. On the connexion and explanation of these verses, it may be observed, 1) that we have three classes of readers, denoted the first time by , , , and the second time by , , . 2) that all three are addressed the first time in the present , the second time in the aorist . 3) that while to the and the same words are each time used (to the latter with an addition the second time), the and are differently addressed.
The first question arising is, what do these three classes import, and how are they to be distributed among the readers? It is obvious that the chief difficulty here is with and . The former word is used by our Apostle once with , 1Jn 2:1, and six times without ; 1Jn 2:28, ch. 1Jn 3:7; 1Jn 3:18, 1Jn 4:4, 1Jn 5:21; but always as importing the whole of his readers; and once it is reported by him as used by our Lord, also in a general address to all His disciples, Joh 13:33. is used by him similarly in our 1Jn 2:18, and reported by him as used by our Lord in a general address, Joh 21:5. These facts make it very probable that both the words are here used as general designations of all the readers, and not as a designation of any particular class among them. And this is made more probable, by the fact that if and did point out the children among them, properly or spiritually so called, the rank of classes would be different from that which would occur to any writer, viz. neither according to ascending age nor to descending, but children, fathers, young men. We seem then to have made it highly probable that and address all the readers alike. Now if we lay any stress on the third circumstance above mentioned, that and are differently addressed, and not so and , and endeavour therefrom to deduce any distinction between and in the age or qualities expressed by them, I conceive that we shall establish nothing satisfactory. If a reason for this variation of address is to be discovered, it must be sought in the parallelism of the passage. With these preliminary remarks, we come to the details. I write to you, little children (see above), because (Socinus, Seb.-Schmidt, Schtt., Bengel, Paulus, Sander, Neander, render that. But the meaning seems determined for us by 1Jn 2:21, where it is quite impossible thus to render it: although even there Bengel tries to be consistent. It is manifest that we must keep the same rendering throughout. The particle then gives the reasons why he writes (what, see below on the first ) to each class among them) your sins have been (perf.: see note on Mat 9:2) forgiven you for the sake of His (Christs) name ( , the Saviour, the anointed one, bringing to mind all the work wrought out by Him for us, and all the acceptance of that work by the Father: so that it may be well said that on account of, for the sake of, that Name which the Father hath given Him, which is above every name, our sins are forgiven).
Fuente: The Greek Testament
Shall we turn now in our Bibles to I John chapter 2. And we’ll begin tonight at verse 1Jn 2:12 where we left off last Sunday night.
The book of I John is a book of proofs. It isn’t what I say; it’s what I am. And I can say one thing and do another. What I say doesn’t count; what I do is what counts. For if I say that I have no sin, I’m only deceiving myself, and the truth isn’t in me. If I say that I have fellowship with God and I am walking in darkness, I’m lying and I’m not telling the truth. If I say I know Him and I don’t keep His commandments, I’m a liar, and the truth isn’t in me. If I say I abide in Him, then I ought also to walk even as He walked. If I say that I’m in the light and I hate my brother, I’m in darkness.
Now John said,
I write unto you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for his name’s sake. I write unto you, fathers, because you have known him that is from the beginning. I write unto you, young men, because you have overcome the wicked one. I write unto, little children, because you have known the Father ( 1Jn 2:12-13 ).
I believe that John is here referring to spiritual development.
There are people who have just received the Lord and they are babes in Christ. “I write unto little children,” little children in your experience, and what he has to say to them is that your sins are forgiven. And hey, that’s great, that’s where you start. And there are a lot of people who are new in the Lord, and about the only thing they know is that their sins are forgiven. You know, they are not really versed in Christian doctrine. They really don’t know too much yet about the nature of God and the nature of man and the nature of angels. They don’t know much of Christian yet, but at least they know the important thing, that their sins are forgiven. And how important it is that we know that fact, that our sins are forgiven. So that’s sort of your infancy state. In your first realization as a child of God is the fact that my sins are forgiven.
Now as we grow and mature, then He addresses the state of the young man, “You’re strong.” “I write unto you, fathers, because you know Him who was from the beginning.” Now again, here is the declaration of the fact that Christ has always existed. This is something that the Bible does teach. “In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God. And the same was in the beginning with God” ( Joh 1:1-2 ). Now, there are those who would try to reduce Christ to a created being and put Him in an angel category. The Jehovah Witnesses try to equate Him to Michael, one of the archangels, a created being of God. They deny the eternal existence of Jesus. But you know Him who was from the beginning. When Micah announced His birthplace in prophecy, he said to Bethlehem, “Out of thee shall come He who is to rule my people Israel, whose going forth has been from old, from everlasting” ( Mic 5:2 ).
Now it is interesting, there are a couple of Hebrew words that are translated everlasting. The one word literally means “to the vanishing point”. Now what that means is that in your mind you think back as far as you can think, let your mind go back, back, back. The scientists say, some of them at least, there’s a dispute on this, but some of them say that the universe is twelve billion years old. Well, let’s go back beyond that. Let’s go back beyond the twelve billion years that they say that the universe has existed and let’s go, say, ten times farther back, 120 billion years ago. Can you conceive of 120 billion years ago? Well, let’s go back beyond that. Let’s go back a trillion years ago, ten trillion, 100 trillion years ago. How far can you go back before you hit a vanishing point? Your mind just sort of . . . All right, that place where your mind can’t conceive of anything before that. I mean, your mind hits the vanishing point. It sort of fades out, your mind can’t grasp it or conceive it beyond that point. That is the word in Hebrew that is translated everlasting. But there is another Hebrew word, and this word literally is “beyond the vanishing point”. So when your mind gets to that vanishing point where you can’t think any farther back, then beyond that. And this is the particular word that Micah used. Beyond the vanishing point. The one who existed beyond the vanishing point is the one who will be born in Bethlehem. Who God has ordained to rule over the nation of Israel.
“You have known Him,” he said, “who was from the beginning.” That which was from the beginning. He introduces the Epistle this way. “Which we have seen, which we have heard, which we have looked upon, which we have touched. The eternal God, Jesus Christ our Lord, became flesh and dwelt among us.” So I write unto you, fathers, because you have known Him that is from the beginning.
And then, “I write unto you, young men, because you have overcome the wicked one.” So those who are really in the battle against the enemy and have experienced God’s victory. God doesn’t put the babes, so often, in the front lines. He sort of holds them back and lets them learn and lets them develop, and we grow through the testings and the trials that we have. But as we begin to mature, many times, God then allows increased trials to the strengthening of our faith and our trust in Him. And that is why the Scripture exhorts us, “Count it all joy when you fall into these diverse testings” ( Jas 1:2 ). It’s part of our growth, part of the development of our relationship with God. It’s the thing that causes our roots to go deeper in Him and in the Word. It’s sort of exciting when God closes every possible door, because you know He’s gonna do something now. He only can do something, we can’t do a thing, you know. And usually you’re in pretty good shape when God has closed every door. Because now you’re gonna give up, because there’s no place to turn, you just turn to God and say, “Well, God, it’s impossible. It can’t be done.” And then He’ll show you what He can do. He has the opportunity . . . .
We’ve heard, and it’s not a scripture, but it probably should be, “Man’s extremities are God’s opportunities.” I thought that was a scripture for a long time, because I heard it so much. But there’s a lot of truth to that. God works, so often, when we come to the end of our resources, our genius, our devices. And when we give up is often when God then does His work, and oftentimes He does not do it until we get to that point. For the reason that if He would act prematurely, we would be apt to attribute it to our device that we had worked out. And then we would write success formula books. For we know how to do it now. We’ve got it all set out in a formula and we can teach people how to work the right combination and open the doors of everything, you know. And so God lets us get to that place of desperation, hopelessness in ourselves, that when He works, all we can say is, “I can’t believe what God did today.”
“I write unto young men because you’ve overcome the wicked one.”
Then he goes back and he goes through the same progression again and saying the same thing to the little children, only declaring unto them this time, “I write unto little children because you have known the Father.” And then
I write unto you, fathers, because you have known him that was from the beginning ( 1Jn 2:14 ).
Just declares the same thing to them, but then with the young men he changes.
I have written unto you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the wicked one ( 1Jn 2:14 ).
So, first of all, he just says, “You’ve overcome the wicked one.” Now he gives you the secret of their strength and how it is that they overcame the wicked one. “I write unto you, young men, because you are strong, because God’s Word abides in you.” And that is always our strength against the enemy. None of us are immune from the attacks of the enemy. I don’t care how far you progress in your spiritual experience and your relationship with God. You will, as long as you are in this body, not be immune from Satan’s attacks. You never grow beyond temptation, in fact, many times the more you grow, the greater is the temptation that the enemy lays before you. You never grow beyond the point of being tempted. You never grow beyond the point of struggling with the enemy, being in conflict with Satan. But, “I write unto you, young men, because you are strong, because the Word of God abides in you.” And that’s the secret of my strength in overcoming the enemy is the Word of God abiding in my heart. “Thy Word,” David said, “have I hid in my heart, O Lord, that I might not sin against you” ( Psa 119:11 ). The power of the Word in my heart against temptation, against sinning against God.
When Satan came to Jesus with the temptations, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes and the pride of life, Jesus answered those temptations with the Word. “It is written,” Jesus said. And the secret of His strength in overcoming the temptations of Satan was the Word of God abiding in you.
Now, there are many times when a person gets tripped up by the enemy and it is the time when there is a dearth of God’s Word within your heart. Satan likes to see us so busy in so many things that we don’t have time for the Word. And our soul becomes sort of parched for the Word of God. And I’ll tell you, at that point you are very vulnerable to the attacks of the enemy. Oh, how we need to be strong in the Word, that we might be able to overcome the wicked one, because God’s Word abides in us.
Now John enjoins us,
Love not the world, [that is, the materialistic world around you,] neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him ( 1Jn 2:15 ).
Now, this is a pretty strong statement, and we better give it careful attention. “If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.” Jesus said, “No man can serve two masters: for either he will hold to one and despise the other, or he will love the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon” ( Mat 6:24 ). You cannot, not you should not, you cannot. And mammon, of course, is that worldly materialistic things, the monetary system of the world. You can’t serve them both.
Now John defines for us what he is meaning by the world.
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 ( 1Jn 2:16 ).
When Satan comes to tempt, you can be sure that the temptation will fall in one of three categories. Either in the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, or in the pride of life. Those are the three areas where Satan will attack. Go back to the Garden of Eden when he came to Eve there in the garden, “Hath God said that you can eat of all of the trees that are in the garden?” “Yes,” Eve said, “all except the one in the midst of the garden, and God said that we should not eat of it. For in the day that we ate of it, we shall surely die.” “Aw, you won’t die. God knows that in that tree lies the knowledge of good and evil. He is trying to protect Himself to keep you from becoming like God.” And when she saw that it was pleasant to eyes, a beautiful fruit, that it was pleasant to the taste, and it could make her wise as God, she ate. The lust of the flesh, great to eat, delicious, the lust of the eyes, beautiful to look upon. And, “Hey, it will make me like God,” the pride of life. And Satan tripped her up.
Basically, when he came to Jesus, “Command the stones to be turned to bread,” the lust of the flesh. The promise of all the kingdoms of the world, the pride of life. And of course, “Cast yourself down, he will give His angels . . . ” again, the pride of life, do something spectacular, draw attention to yourself. These are the areas where Satan will attack you. These are the areas of the world.
Now today we are living in a day and age in which I feel that Satan is attacking in these areas in a greater degree than ever before. Jesus talked about, “Evil days shall wax worse and worse, and because the iniquity of the earth will abound, the love of many will wax cold. The iniquity of the earth is abounding, as it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be at the coming of the Son of Man” ( Mat 24:12 , Mat 24:37 ). Days of Noah, eating, drinking and all, and hey, we’ve got a day and an age in which the opportunity of fulfilling the lust of the flesh are just myriad. And the lust of the eye, Satan has opened the flood gates of lustful material, magazines, billboards, movies, where there seems to be no holds barred, anything goes. And these things designed to inflame the passions, to start your mind thinking in these ways of the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and they’re working together. Creating desires for fleshly fulfillment that is outside of the confines that God has established. If any man love the world, the world system, the things that are going on, the love of the Father is not in him.
There’s a great inconsistency today, as so many Christians are taking and abusing their Christian liberty. Presuming on the grace of God and are trying to join with God and join with the world and make Christ one with Belial, you can’t do it. You can’t mix light and darkness. “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world, for he who has the love of the world in his heart has not the love of the Father.” Pretty strong words. You better examine your own heart. Do I have a love for the world in my heart? Am I attracted to worldly things? Am I moving in those directions? If I have the love of the world in my heart, I have not the love of the Father. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, the pride of life is of the world and is not of God.
Now, he gives to us then the rationale.
The world passes away, and the lust thereof ( 1Jn 2:17 ):
Hey, if your life is bound up in worldly things, the lust and the desires and the love for the world, if that’s where your life is, know that it’s gonna pass away. “The world passes away and the lust thereof.” You’re investing in things that are gonna perish.
but he that doeth the will of God abides for ever ( 1Jn 2:17 ).
That’s great rationale. You see, our problem is that we so often lose sight of eternity. As we are in this world we get so involved in the worldly things, that our vision becomes clouded and we lose the sense and the consciousness of the eternal. And when you lose the consciousness of the eternal, then Satan can just really do a trip on your mind.
The seventy-third Psalm, Asaph speaks about that trip that Satan did on his mind, when he got his eyes upon the world and the people in the world. He said, “Now I know that God is good, but when I sought to understand a few things I was almost wiped out. Because I began to look at the prosperity of the wicked, I began to see how they got along and they didn’t seem to have any problems,” and this that and the other. And Satan just really started to put a real trip on him. And he said, “When I sought to know these things, I almost slipped.” He said, “It doesn’t pay to try and serve God. It doesn’t pay to try and be good. And when I sought to know these things I almost slipped. Until I went unto the sanctuary of God and then I saw their end.” In the sanctuary of God his vision was corrected and he got sight now of the eternal.
And that’s why it’s so important that we come into the sanctuary of God. Living in this materialistic world it’s so easy to just get caught in the whole worldly flow, and we lose sight of the eternal. But it’s important that we come into the sanctuary of God and we be reminded again that the world is going to pass away and the lust thereof, but he who does the will of God will abide forever, so that we get the right perspective on those things that we are drawn to or seeking after, that we keep the true perspective, that we don’t get involved in those material things that are gonna pass away, but we keep our hearts on those things that are eternal. And that should always be our experience in the sanctuary of God, the correcting of the perspective, where we come again into the sense and the consciousness of the eternal.
Now there’s where, of course, our problems lie as God deals with our lives. Because as God deals with our lives, He always has the eternal in view. And when I have only the temporal in view, many times my view differs from God’s. And I say, “God, what are You doing? God, how can You say You love me? God, if You love me, why is this happening to me?” It’s because I have my eyes on the temporal, material advantage and God is looking at the eternal plan and the eternal advantage. It’s important that we step back and we get the long view and realize that the world is gonna pass away and the lust thereof. He who does the will of God abides forever.
Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that the antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time ( 1Jn 2:18 ).
Jesus said, “In the last times there will be many false christs that will arise.” Many men declaring themselves to be the Savior. Now, that happened in John’s day, and John took that as the sign that they were in the last times. But you know, I am convinced that it is God’s desire that we all, in every generation, believe that ours is the final generation. I think that that is something that God wants to keep in the consciousness of the church. That this is it, that the Lord is coming soon. Because I really believe that this is one of the most purifying influences within the church and one the things that helps us to keep perspective almost more than anything else, is the realization that the Lord is coming soon. What difference does it make that the Lord is coming? Hey, He’s coming soon. I’m very convinced that the Lord is coming within the next twenty years for me. I’ll be extremely shocked if He doesn’t come within twenty years for me. And hey, that’s getting pretty soon, almost shockingly soon. The Lord is coming soon, sooner than what we realize or think.
Now, I personally also believe that He’s coming for all of us very soon, even you young people. I believe that we are at the time of the end, and I do believe that God wants me to believe that, and God wants that to be in the consciousness of the church. Now, I do believe that there is much more reason to believe that today than there was to believe that twenty-five years ago. I believe that things have happened in the last twenty-five years in the development of certain technology that make Biblical prophecies now far more realistic than they could have been twenty-five years ago as far as their fulfillment was concerned. I really believe that we are getting down to the wire. I believe that we are in the last time.
John believed that he was in the last time, but I do believe that God intended him to believe that, as He intends all of us to live in the awareness or consciousness that at any moment the whole program can be interrupted. So that you don’t get too attached to things. That you live lightly. As Paul said to Corinthians, and he also believed that, that he was in the last times, and writing to the Corinthians, in light of believing that this was it, he said, “The time has come when they that are married should be as though they weren’t married.” That is, your first priority should be that of serving God, rather than pleasing your wife. “When our every contact with the world,” he said, “should be just as light as possible.” That’s the way we should always live, with a light touch with the world. Don’t get so rooted, don’t get so wound up in the worldly system that you’re not ready to just drop it at moment’s notice, at the blast of the trump of God.
So there were antichrists in those days. We are looking for the antichrist to soon come, but here it is plural, there were many antichrists.
Now John says concerning a lot of these who had turned against Christ that,
They went out from us, [some of them had even become a part of the fellowship of the church for a time,] but they were not of us; for had they been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us ( 1Jn 2:19 ).
You know, it is a healthy body that is able to purge the poisons from its system. And when a body gets so weak that it can no longer purge the poisons, it will soon die. So it is a healthy body that is able to purge itself of poison. “They went out from us, but they weren’t of us, for had they been of us, they no doubt would have remained with us, but they went out from us, that it might be made manifest that they were not of us.”
But you have an unction [anointing] from the Holy One, and you know all things ( 1Jn 2:20 ).
Now, we mentioned that there are two Greek words for know, ginosko, which is knowledge by experience, and then oetis, knowledge by intuition. What would you believe that this particular Greek word would be? “You have an unction from the Holy one and you know all things.” Do you know all things by experience? Have you experienced everything? I haven’t, and I’m glad. Lot of things I haven’t experienced and I don’t desire to experience them. So no, I don’t know all things by experience, but I do know them by the anointing of the Holy Spirit. You have this anointing of the Holy Spirit and you know all things. There is a intuitive knowledge of the Spirit that comes to us. And it’s an interesting thing, and almost a difficult thing when you have the intuitive knowledge of the Spirit and you’re dealing a person that doesn’t. You are absolutely amazed that they can’t see it, because it’s so clear.
This one problem we’ve often had is when God gives you an understanding, a knowledge of something, and you can see it so clearly and you try to explain it to somebody, and they say, “No, no. It’s not that way.” And they can’t see it. It’s almost frustrating. But the Spirit gives you an edge. And a lot of times you know things and you can’t really tell how you know them. People say, “How do you know that?” And you say, “Well, I don’t know how I know that, but I just know it.” They say, “Oh, you can’t know that.” “Well, I do.” You have an anointing from the Holy One, and He gives you this intuitive knowledge of people, many times, of circumstances and, of course, in this particular instance it is of people. “They went out from us.” This intuition, you knew that they weren’t really of us.
I have not written unto because you know not the truth, but because you know it, and that no lie is of the truth ( 1Jn 2:21 ).
And again, both of these words are oetis in Greek, knowledge by intuition. We know the truth. How do we know the truth? Because the Spirit of God has planted the truth in our hearts. We know that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. We know that He died for our sins. Try to explain that to someone who hasn’t had the work of the Spirit within their heart. And all of the doubts and all of the misgivings and everything. So you know, thank God you know. You know by the work of the Spirit within your heart, thank God the Spirit worked in your heart, or you wouldn’t know. You’d be just like the others, lost in the darkness of your own ignorance. “I have not written unto you because you don’t know the truth, but because you do know it, and that no lie is of the truth.”
Who is a liar but he that denies that Jesus is the Messiah? ( 1Jn 2:22 )
As I say, you know that, you know that Jesus is the Messiah. How do know that? Because the Spirit of God has borne witness to your heart of this truth. A lot of people don’t know this; they believe a lie. Those that deny that Jesus is the Messiah,
He is an antichrist, that denies the Father and the Son ( 1Jn 2:22 ).
“Well, I believe in God, but I don’t know why Jesus is necessary. You know, I believe that Jesus was a good man, a prophet and all, but . . . ” No, you can’t pass Him off as good man. There’s too many inconsistencies there. You see, if He wasn’t the Son of God, then He was a liar, and how can you say that a liar is a good man? He was a fraud, He was a deceiver, how can you say that He was a good man? You see, He was either God manifested in the flesh, or He was a deceiver and a liar and a fraud, and thus, He wasn’t a good man. He was one of the worst charlatans who ever came down the road. If you deny the Father and the Son.
Whosoever denieth the Son, the same has not the Father ( 1Jn 2:23 ):
“Well, I believe in God, but I don’t believe in Jesus.” No, you don’t really believe in the Father. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth and the life and no man comes to the Father but by Me” ( Joh 14:6 ). Now a lot of people claim to believe in God, and I don’t doubt their claim, I just don’t know what god they believe in. You see, there are a lot of gods. David said, “The gods of the heathen are many.” So a person says, “Hey, I believe in God, you know, a supreme being.” Who does he believe in? I don’t know. When Jesus talks about the Father, He is talking about the eternal God, the creator of the heaven and the earth. “Yea, yea, that’s the one I believe in.” Not if you don’t believe in Jesus. You see, if you don’t have the Son, you don’t have the Father. If you don’t have the Son, you can’t come to the Father. “No man can come to the Father but by Him.” So the only way to the God who is revealed in the Bible is through Jesus Christ.
Now there are many Jewish people today who say, “Well, we just pray to God. We don’t need Jesus.” Well then, I don’t know to which god they are praying to. Because the God, even of their own Old Testament, required that before they could come to Him they had to offer a sacrifice and get rid of the sins, by the animal sacrifice. “Oh well, I just come to God with my good works, and I just believe that God accepts me because of my good works and my sincerity.” Well, your god may, but he is not the god who is revealed in the Bible, because He said your works are like filthy rags in His sight. He has no interest in your works. The just shall live by faith, and not faith in your works, but faith in His work.
So there is a bond between the Father and the Son that you cannot have one without the other. To deny one is to deny the other; to receive one is to receive the other. They go together as a package and you can’t separate them. Now the King James translators, here in verse 1Jn 2:23 , added
he that acknowledges the Son has the Father also ( 1Jn 2:23 ).
But that’s just an addition to the text; you notice it’s in italics. Which indicates it to be an addition to the text, and they’re just trying to complete the thought, but the thought is complete enough without their addition. “Whosoever denies the Son has not the Father.”
Let that therefore abide in you, which you have heard from the beginning. For if that which you have heard from the beginning shall remain in you, ye also shall continue in the Son, and in the Father ( 1Jn 2:24 ).
So in the beginning of their faith they were taught that Jesus Christ was the Son of God. He came to be the Savior of the world. Now hold fast to that, let it abide in you, for you will continue both in the Son and in the Father.
And this is the promise that he has promised to us, even eternal life ( 1Jn 2:25 ).
“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life” ( Joh 3:16 ). And Jesus said there in Joh 3:36 ,”He that hath the Son of God hath everlasting life, and he that does not have the Son of God shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.” “I am the resurrection, and the life. He that believeth on Me, though he were dead, yet shall he live. And if you live and believe in Me you’ll never die” ( Joh 11:25-26 ). So the promise that He has promised us is eternal life with Him in God’s kingdom, that’s the hope that I have now. I plan to spend my eternity with Jesus Christ, to forever be with the Lord. Wherever He is, there’s where I’m gonna be.
These things I have written to you concerning them that would seduce you. But the anointing [that unction, same word] that you have received of him abides in you: and you need not that any man should teach you: but as the same anointing teaches you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it has taught you, ye shall abide in him ( 1Jn 2:26-27 ).
Now, in the declaration that, “you have need that no man should teach you, but the Holy Spirit would teach you,” and Jesus promised that. He said, “But the comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, in which the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things and bring all things to your remembrance whatsoever I have commanded you” ( Joh 14:26 ). And for you to really learn anything takes the work of the Holy Spirit within your heart. Now, the interesting thing is, though I may be teaching you God’s Word and God’s truth, and some of you are seeing it and understanding it, and it is being clarified, and you are saying, “Wow! Yea, man. Great,” and others are saying, “What in the world is he talking about? When’s this thing gonna get over? You know, I want to go to Bob’s.” And what’s happening? With some the Holy Spirit is teaching you. You couldn’t learn unless the Holy Spirit . . . . Even though you’re hearing the truth, even though you read truth, you read the Word of God, unless the Holy Spirit teaches you, you can’t really comprehend or understand it.
“The natural man does not understand the things of the Spirit, neither can he know them, they are spiritually discerned. But he that is spiritual understands all things” ( 1Co 2:14-15 ). Now, what John is not saying is that we don’t need teaching or men to be teaching the Word of God. For Paul says that the Lord has placed in the church, pastors and teachers, and God would not place them there unless we needed pastor-teachers. But though I may be called as a pastor-teacher and may be teaching the Word of God, you can’t really learn the Word of God except the Holy Spirit bear witness to your own heart of the truth and plant the truth within your heart. So the teaching really comes from the Holy Spirit, that which really sticks in your heart and abides in your heart.
It’s an interesting thing that I learn even from my own tapes. And a lot of times as I am listening to my tapes, I say, “Did I say that? I must be, it’s my voice. I don’t remember saying that. Hey, that’s good, that’s rich.” Because of the anointing of the Spirit and the gift of teaching, and so that’s what John is saying here. We need the Holy Spirit to teach us all things. Our hearts need to be open to the Spirit of God. We cannot learn the things of the Spirit, apart from the work of the Holy Spirit in teaching us. That is why whenever we open the Bible to read it, we should pray, “Now, Lord, You teach me. Let the Spirit of God just instruct my heart in the way of truth.”
And now, little children, what does the Spirit of God teach you? Abide in Him. That’s the message–abide in Christ.
And now, little children, abide in him; that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming ( 1Jn 2:28 ).
Now if you abide in Christ, then you will be walking as He walked. I wonder just what I will be doing when the Lord, suddenly, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye calls me home. Raptures His church. What will I be doing? Well, I’ll tell you, I know what I don’t want to be doing. Honestly, now really, to be honest with you, I hope I’m not watching a football game on T.V., especially if the Rams are losing to the Giants. I would think that would be sort of a waste of time, and I don’t want the Lord to catch me wasting time. Even more than that, I hope I’m not watching A-Team. Now, I would prefer that I would be probably here preaching when the Lord comes. “Hey, all right. Look where I am, Lord.”
Now we need to live in the awareness that the Lord can come at any time. You don’t want to be ashamed at His coming. The Bible tells us to redeem the time, buy up the opportunities, take advantage of the time that God gives us. That we might have confidence and not be ashamed before Him at His coming.
For if you know that he is righteous ( 1Jn 2:29 ),
Do you know that He is righteous? How do you know that He is righteous? Oetis or ginosko? We know that He is righteous by the Spirit, intuitively.
then ye know that every one that doeth righteousness is born of him ( 1Jn 2:29 ).
How do I know that? Because I can see them, and by experience, I know those that do righteousness are born of Him. So you have the oetis and the ginosko, both in one verse there.
“
Fuente: Through the Bible Commentary
1Jn 2:12. , , I have written to you, my sons) John, throughout the whole of the Epistle, and in this chapter, calls all to whom he writes, , sons; but in 1Jn 2:13-27, he particularly divides them into fathers, young men, and , or children. Wherefore and are not synonymous. Writing to , his sons, ch. 1Jn 2:1, he says, at the beginning of the paragraph, I write, 1Jn 2:1 (comp. 1Jn 2:7-8); and here, at the conclusion, he sub joins, I have written; not changing the things already mentioned, but confirming them again and again: 1Jn 2:12. Comp. 1Pe 5:12, I have written. Thence he suitably addresses three degrees of age, which are according to nature, but variously imbued with grace: and he addresses as fathers, those who had witnessed the time of Jesus Christ engaged on earth: as young men, those who, having overcome the wicked one, ought also boldly to have subdued the world lying in the wicked one, and the lust of the world: as , little children, those whom, after the departure of the fathers and the young men, the last hour was unexpectedly[1] coming upon, and in it Antichrist. This address has a proposition or statement, and a discussion of the subject. In the statement he says: I write to you, fathers: I write to you, young men: I write to you, , little children: 1Jn 2:13; but in the discussion of the subject, he says, I have written to you, fathers, 1Jn 2:14 : I have written to you, young men, 1Jn 2:14-17 : I have written to you, , little children, 1Jn 2:18-27; the word, I have written, being itself twice inserted at 1Jn 2:21; 1Jn 2:26. The method of these passages very closely resembles that of the beginning and conclusion of the Epistle: for ch. 1Jn 1:4, he uses the verb, of writing, in the present tense; but in ch. 1Jn 5:13 he says, I have written. Having ended the threefold address, he returns to them collectively, again addressing them as , beloved sons, 1Jn 2:28. From this division the various readings in 12th[2] and following verses, noticed in the Apparatus, are more easily refuted.-, to you) The doctrine of the remission of sins belongs to the fathers also, respecting whom we have just spoken.-, are remitted) The apostle puts this summing up of the things which he has hitherto treated of, proceeding to other things which are built upon the remission of sins as a foundation.-) on account of.-, of Himself) Jesus Christ.
[1] Occupo, like , used in the sense of taking by surprise. He warns them that the last time, in which Antichrist should appear, was about to come. The last time was in a certain sense already come, but its decided development was to be after the death of the fathers and young men.-T.
[2] Inferior authorities read for in 1Jn 2:13.-E.
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
1Jn 2:12-14
1 John 2:12-14
LITTLE CHILDREN, YOUNG MEN,
AND FATHERS ADDRESSE
(1Jn 2:12-15)
The verses which immediately follow, 12, 13, 14, involve matters admittedly difficult, and which have long taxed the ingenuity of Bible students, expositors, and commentators. An analysis reveals that there are six clauses, divided into two sets of three each by the different tenses of the verb grapho, I write. They may be arranged thus
20.I am writing unto you (grapho):
(a)children (teknia) You are forgiven
(b)fathersbecauseYou know the Lord
(c)young men You have overcome
1.I have written unto you (egrapsa):
(a)children (paidia) You know the Father
(b)fathersbecauseYou know the Lord
(c)young men You are strong, and have overcome
Numerous questions arise, the answers to which are essential to the understanding of this section. (1) Why did John use the present tense, “I write” (grapho), in the first three clauses, and “I have written” (egrapsa), epistolary aorist, in the second three? (2) To what writing does he refer in the first instance? In the second? (3) What is the meaning of the word “children” in the first clause of each of the divisions? (4) Why did he use the word teknia in the first reference to children, and paidia in the second? (5) In what sense is the reference to “fathers” and “young men” to be taken, literal or figurative?
Here, as often elsewhere in the Epistle, the opinions which have been advanced are many, and merely to list them would ex-tend the limits of this commentary far beyond that which the plan justifies. In seeking the answers to these questions, it is not our purpose to burden the reader with views which have accumulated across the years, only to refute them; those interested may exam-ine them at their sources. We shall, instead, set forth the grounds which, after much careful consideration and study, we have adopted as, on the whole, the most reasonable exegesis of the passage.
Why did John use the present, “I write” (grapho), in the first three clauses, and “I wrote” (egrapsa), epistolary aorist, or as it may be rendered in English, “I have written,” in the second? “I write” is from the viewpoint of the writer–as the matter occurred to John as he actually wrote. The “I wrote,” or, as it may be translated, “I have written,” is the viewpoint of the reader. The first reflects the author’s position; the second, his readers. “I write” these matters to you; when you read them, your position will be with reference to that which is written.
To what writing does he refer in the first instance? In the second? In both instances the reference is the same: to the Epistle which he was then writing. Efforts to make one refer to the Epistle, the other to the Gospel which he wrote; or, the first to the whole Epistle, and the second to that which preceded what he was then writing, we reject as unsound. A simpler and more satisfactory conclusion is that both words embrace the same com-position, the entire first Epistle.
What is the meaning of the word “children” in the first clause of each of the divisions? All of John’s readers, so most expositors think. And, that such is the significance of the word in 1Jn 2:1 (“My little children, these things I write unto you . . .”) seems certain. But that the word has this significance here, we are disposed to doubt. (a) The designations “children,” “fathers,” and “young men” appear to be a detailed analysis of all his read-ers. There was, it seems, evident definite design on the part of the writer to particularize those addressed. (2) On the assump-tion that “children” embrace the whom of those addressed, who are the “fathers” and the “young men?” (c) Why, if the term is used thus comprehensively, did the writer use two different Greek terms–teknia, paidia–to designate the children? Does not this fact lead to the conclusion that it was the author’s purpose to assign a specific, and therefore, a limited meaning, to the terms used? On the whole, it seems more in keeping with all the facts to assign to the word “children” a limited significance, and to conclude that those thus addressed were the ones among John’s readers who had but lately obeyed the gospel, and whose sins had accordingly but recently been forgiven. This view is supported by the fact that the reason given why John addressed them par-ticularly is “because your sins are forgiven you for his name’s sake.”
Why were two different Greek words, teknia, paidia, used to designate this particular group? The reason is not immediately apparent. It is obvious, from the context, that both terms describe the same individuals; and this consideration leads to the conclu-sion that the variation was resorted to, not for the purpose of dis-tinguishing between two groups, but to emphasize the different characteristics of the same group. The answer to our question must, therefore, be sought in the difference of meaning in the terms themselves. Teknia, plural of teknion, designates the fact of childhood; paidia, the infancy of those thus designated. The words, in their literal sense, denote those of tender age; and, as here figuratively used, denote those who are babes in Christ. The first reveals that those thus designated were children the second, that they were infant children. Not literal babies, of course, but those lately born into the family of God. (Joh 3:3-5; 1 Pet. 2 1, 2.)
In what sense are the words “fathers” and “young men” to be taken, as a literal designation, or a figurative one? If literal, then no elderly men, not fathers, were addressed in this connection by John. In such an instance, no women whatsoever were included. It must, therefore, be obvious that the words “children,” “fathers,” and “young men” were used to describe three different classes of people among John’s readers. The children were the recent con-verts; the young men, those who had reached maturity and were possessed of great spiritual strength in the Lord; and the fathers were those who had been in Christ the longest, and had therefore attained to the greatest spiritual growth.
12 I write unto you, my little children, because your sins are forgiven you for his name’s sake.–Those thus addressed were familiarly styled “little children”; the occasion for the address was that their sins had been forgiven them; and the reason as-signed for their forgiveness was “for his name’s sake.” “For his name’s sake” means on the basis of his name, i.e., God, the Father, forgives on account of Christ’s name and because of his advocacy of our cause. (1Jn 2:1.) It is through the name of Christ that we are privileged to approach the Father. “Jesus said unto him, I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one cometh unto the Father, but by me.” (Joh 14:6.) “And in none other is there salvation: for neither is there any other name under heaven, that is given among men, wherein we must be saved.” (Act 4:12.) The words “are forgiven” are translated from a Greek per-fect (apheontai), a tense pointing to past action with existing results. “You have been, and consequently stand forgiven of your past, or alien, sins.”
13 I write unto you, fathers, because ye know him who is from the beginning.–As there was a special reason for ad-dressing those who had but lately obeyed the gospel, so John also felt it needful to include instruction for those of more maturity in the Christian life, and who had long been faithful disciples of the Lord. The fathers were, therefore, addressed because “ye know him . . .” The word “know,” as here used, means far more than casual acquaintance. The verb is in the perfect tense (egnokate), “You came to know, and now know,” and describes the rich and full experience which these fathers had with the Lord. He who is “from the beginning” was the word, the second person of the Godhead: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” (Joh 1:1.)
I write unto you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one.–Here, and often elsewhere in the Epistle, as also through the New Testament, the personality of Satan is clearly indicated. Far from being merely or solely an influence, he is revealed as a definite and distinct agent who must be resisted, repelled, and overcome by the saints. (See comments on 1Jn 3:8; 1Jn 3:10.) Those thus addressed by the apostle had “overcome the evil one.” This they had done by remaining stedfast in the faith and not succumbing to the seductions of the devil. “And this is the victory that hath overcome the world, even our faith.” (1Jn 5:4.
I have written unto you, little children, because ye know the Father.–For a full discussion of the various terms used, an analysis of the passage, and reasons assigned for the change in tense here, see above at the beginning of this section. The word “know” here is of the same tense, and has the same significance as in verses 3 and 4, literally, “you have come to know, and now retain this knowledge of the Father.” Such knew him as their Father, because they were his children; they had been adopted into his family, and were by him regarded as such. In verse 12, these alluded to as children are declared to have been forgiven, to know the father. The ideas are correlative and dependent; only those who are forgiven know the Father; only those who know the Father have been forgiven.
14 I have written unto you, fathers, because ye know him who is from the beginning.–He who is from the beginning is the Word (Joh 1:1-2 1Jn 1:1-3); the reference is thus to the pre-existent Christ who occupies eternity. The nature, attributes, and characteristics of the Eternal One constitute a profound study; but these mature saints, from long and careful consideration of the facts available to them, had come to possess a knowledge of him who thus bridges the brief span of time before and after which is the eternity without end. It is a subject especially intriguing to those advanced in years and mature of mind.
I have written unto you, young men, because ye are strong, and the word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome the evil one.–Three characteristics of these young men are mentioned: (1) They were strong; (2) the word of God abode in them; and (3) they had overcome the evil one. The occasion of their strength was in the fact that the word of God was in them. and the consequence of this indwelling was their triumph over the evil one. In no other fashion may one achieve victory over Satan. Only as the word dwells in us richly (Col 3:16), do we become strong in the Lord and in the power of his might (Eph 6:10), and are we protected from sinning against God (Psa 119:11).
Commentary on 1Jn 2:12-14 by E.M. Zerr
1Jn 2:12. In this and the two verses following the writer uses the different age groups in a natural family to compare the ones with different talents and experiences in the family of God. Little children, therefore, cannot mean those usually designated by the term, since they do not have sins to be forgiven. It is used in view of some of them who were recent additions to the divine family by the spiritual birth.
1Jn 2:13. As fathers in the natural family would be mature and ripe with the experience of age, so there are those in the church who have that qualification over other brethren. Young men are more mature than little childdren and have lived long enough to have demonstrated their strength in the contests of life. In the preceding verse the little children are given mention because of their purification from sins. Now they are named because of their knowledge of the Father from whom they have received the forgiveness of their sins.
1Jn 2:14. This verse adds no special thoughts to the preceding two, except to indicate their importance by the repetition for emphasis.
Commentary on 1Jn 2:12-14 by N.T. Caton
1Jn 2:12-I write unto you, little children.
John calls all the followers of Christ little children. While to him they were a loving charge, I rather think the use of this phrase was designed by him to impress upon their minds his parental anxiety over their spiritual welfare, and his care for them in this respect. Taking the whole body of believers into account, this is the view he would impress upon them: The relation of the teacher and the taught of father and children. This view becomes the more apparent when we lay alongside of the common version the expression as it appears in the Syriac. It is, “dear children,” or, as it is elsewhere, “children.” John subsequently divides them into three classes, as we shall soon see.
1Jn 2:12 –Because your sins are forgiven.
The reason is here given for his writing to them, and the anxiety he manifests toward them. They were in covenant relation with God; they were in Christ Jesus. They had obeyed and thus came into Christ, and, as his children, their sins were forgiven; and through him, as their advocate, future sins would be forgiven upon confession, repentance and prayer.
1Jn 2:13-I write unto you, fathers.
Here, John begins the classification of those denominated. Little children, or dear children, or simply, my children. First, it is to those of them somewhat advanced in age, if, in fact, it may not be said of them, fathers, as respect the time of their service in the cause of Christ; to you I write because you have known him, that is walked with him, recognizing, realizing, and enjoying his presence.
1Jn 2:13 –I write unto you, young men.
Those who became obedient to the faith at a later period than those whom I denominate fathers, I write to you, because you overcame the wicked one when you threw off his yoke and accepted the leadership of Christ, and now abide in him by resisting the temptations of your former master.
1Jn 2:13 –I write unto you, little children.
John’s third classification of believers: These are later converts to the Master; they are the babes in Christ; they are written to because they have become acquainted with the Father, his great love for the children of men, manifested in the gift of his Son.
1Jn 2:14-I have written unto you, fathers.
A repetition to those fathers contained in 1Jn 2:13. I fail to see, as some do, any additional injunction herein contained, over and above former exhortations. I take it to be simply a system of enforcement of the same thought common among Hebrews.
1Jn 2:14 –I have written unto you, young men.
Here, young men are again addressed, but additional reasons are given. Those reasons are three in number. 1. Because ye are strong. 2. Because the word of God abides in you. 3. Because you have overcome the wicked one. Here we have a magnificent commentary on the beauty, strength, and grandeur of the Christian religion. A power that can so transform our humanity is demonstrative of its divine origin. Youth is the vigor of manhood. These young Christians were vigorous Christians. They embraced the teachings of Christ, abode in his love, and in his light; they were, therefore, strong in the faith and impervious to the shafts and evil machinations of the devil.
Commentary on 1Jn 2:12-14 by Burton Coffman
1Jn 2:12 –I write unto you my little children, because your sins are forgiven you for his name’s sake.
My little children … is usually thought to be John’s loving designation of the whole church to which he wrote. See more on this under 1Jn 2:13.
Because your sins are forgiven you … The great purpose of redemption in Christ is precisely this, the forgiveness of sins. All of the wonderful social and environmental benefits of Christianity are tangential and not fundamental. Man’s great problem is sin; and, with the sin problem fully resolved in Christ Jesus, man has the ability to solve other problems himself. The word for children here is [@teknia].[31]
ENDNOTE:
[31] John R. W. Stott, op. cit., p. 96.
1Jn 2:13 –I write unto you, fathers, because ye know him who is from the beginning. I write unto you, young men, because ye have overcome the evil one. I have written unto you, little children, because ye know the Father.
Having addressed the entire group of Christians in 1Jn 2:12 as “little children,” John here singled out three age groups: fathers, young men, and children, arranged quite logically in a descending order, and using a different word for “children” ([@paidia])[32] in order to distinguish the different meaning here from that in 1Jn 2:12. Many scholars reject this interpretation, but the essential logic of it cannot be denied. Other scholars (including Westcott) “regard these words as indicating different age groups.”[33] There has never been any other good explanation of why John used different words for children. The difference in “I write unto you” and “I have written unto you” is not clear at all and may be merely a variation of style. If “I have written” is understood as epistolary, the meaning of the various expressions is exactly the same.
It is by no means clear why many object to understanding children (especially in 1Jn 2:13) in the ordinary sense. Many children who have reached an age of accountability are still “little children”; and those who had obeyed the gospel when John wrote were here included with young men and fathers as full participants in the total benefits of Christianity. Certainly, such an objection as that made by Barclay can have little merit. He wrote:
Literalism and poetry do not go comfortably hand in hand … The fact that the passage is kin to poetry makes us think twice before insisting that so literal a meaning must be given to the words and so cut and dried a classification be taken as intended.[34]
Well, there you have it. This passage is “kin to poetry”; therefore, we do not need to take “children” literally! It must be a weak case indeed that requires support from an argument like this.
That the primary purpose of the whole passage is that of showing the full participation of various age groups is also derived from the synonymous nature of the affirmations made concerning each. There is no essential difference in them:
Of children (meaning the whole church), “your sins are forgiven you for his name’s sake.”
Of fathers, “ye know him who is from the beginning.”
Of young men, “ye have overcome the evil one.”
Of little children (literally), “ye know the Father.”SIZE>
The one and identical meaning of all these statements is that the persons indicated were walking in the light, enjoying salvation, possessed a knowledge of God and were abiding in Christ.
John extended his declarations further, mentioning two of the three sub-classifications again, that is, the fathers and the young men; but, in this case, the two groups stand for all three. Paul also mentioned three charismatic gifts in 1Co 13:8, making the three stand for all nine mentioned in 1Co 12:8-10. John did a similar thing in the next verse.
[32] Ibid.
[33] R. W. Orr, op. cit., p. 612.
[34] William Barclay, The Letters of John and Jude (Philadelphia: The Westminster Press, 1976), p. 52.
1Jn 2:14 –I have written unto you, fathers, because ye know him who is from the beginning. I have written unto you, young men, because ye are strong, and the word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome the evil one.
It is no problem that the essential truth of this verse repeats what had just been written. Christ himself repeated over and over again the great messages of the kingdom, sometimes with slight variations; and it was that quality of our Saviour’s teaching that fully accounts for the so-called “variations” in the synoptic Gospels.
Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary
Transient Desires, Abiding Life
1Jn 2:12-17
There are gradations in Christian experience-the child, the father, the young man. The note of the child is the glad sense of forgiveness; of the father, a deep knowledge of God; of the young man, victory over the power of evil. With all these is growth. The child, through forgiveness, also comes to know the Father; the fathers can only go on to know God more profoundly; and as the young men become stronger they are more aware of the indwelling spirit of power.
Distinguish between the world of nature and the world of appearance, which is an illusion, the vain dream of human imaginings and boastings. It is the sphere of sense as contrasted with the sphere of spirit. It is the sum of all that the flesh lusts after, the eyes feast on, and the soul takes pride in. The Preacher gathers the world into one phrase, under the sun, Ecc 1:3. The world is passing as a moving-picture film, and the power to enjoy it is vanishing also. Only that which is rooted in God abides.
Fuente: F.B. Meyer’s Through the Bible Commentary
sins
Sin. (See Scofield “Rom 3:23”).
Fuente: Scofield Reference Bible Notes
write: 1Jo 2:7, 1Jo 2:13, 1Jo 2:14, 1Jo 2:21, 1Jo 1:4
little: 1Jo 2:1
your: 1Jo 1:7, 1Jo 1:9, Psa 32:1, Psa 32:2, Luk 5:20, Luk 7:47-50, Luk 24:47, Act 4:12, Act 10:43, Act 13:38, Rom 4:6, Rom 4:7, Eph 1:7, Col 1:14
for: Psa 25:11, Psa 106:8, Jer 14:7, Eph 4:32
Reciprocal: Isa 53:12 – made Act 26:18 – that they Rom 15:15 – I have 1Co 3:1 – babes 2Co 6:13 – I speak Gal 4:19 – little Col 2:13 – having Heb 6:20 – for
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
1Jn 2:12. In this and the two verses following the writer uses the different age groups in a natural family to compare the ones with different talents and experiences in the family of God. Little children, therefore, cannot mean those usually designated by the term, since they do not have sins to be forgiven. It is used in view of some of them who were recent additions to the divine family by the spiritual birth.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Testimony to the reality of their religion; addressed to the church generally, and specially under two aspects.
1Jn 2:12-13. I write unto you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for his names sake. The apostle, in the act of writing the Epistle, now ceases to distinguish between true and false Christians; he affectionately uses the same appellation which he had used in the first verse when pointing his readers to the intercession and atonement of Jesus Christ; and, taking up again that truth, says that he wrote to them with the confidence that for the sake of His name, on the ground of His finished work on earth and presentation of His Person in heaven, they had the forgiveness of their sins. For My names sake in the Old Testament becomes now for His names sake; but it occurs only here, and is parallel with St. Pauls God for Christs sake, or in Christ hath forgiven you. This confidence is expressed here first simply as the utterance of joyful congratulation.
Continuing the same strain, St. John, to whom all were little children, regards them as divided among themselves into two classes: the more mature, whom he congratulates on that spiritual knowledge of which he had spoken in 1Jn 2:3 : I write unto you, fathers, because ye know him that was from the beginning: that which was in chap. 1Jn 1:1 becomes here Him that was; that is, the same Jesus through whose name they were all forgiven was, in His Divine Person as the ultimate secret of the virtue of His atonement, fully revealed to them in the faith which they had received and studied and continued to know. This was true concerning all; but it was the special characteristic of the more advanced. The same may be said of the next clause. I write unto you, young men, because ye have overcome the evil one. The head of the kingdom of darkness, alluded to in 1Jn 2:8, in whom the whole world lieth (chap. 1Jn 5:19), elsewhere the Prince of this world (Joh 12:31), had been overcome by all the little children; but the struggle in the case of the fathers had issued in the calm certitude of the full assurance of understanding (Col 2:2), while in the young men it was a confident but recent victory. Let it be observed, be-fore proceeding, that hitherto the church had been addressed as children by regeneration; in what follows they are rather children by adoption. Hitherto the Divine Son has been pre eminent: His name, His eternal personality, His opposition to the wicked one. Communion with Him has been chiefly in the apostles thoughts.
1Jn 2:13-14. Here the apostle takes up again the strain which had been suspended, if not actually, yet in thought. The word I write is changed for I wrote: first, because the three great principles dwelt onredemption from sin and from the worlds ruler by knowledge of Godare absolutely fundamental, and must be repeated emphatically; secondly, because the writer sees fit to regard his Epistle as now in the hands of the readers, and I wrote what I am now writing becomes simple enough; thirdly, because he is about to commence two solemn exhortations for which he would doubly prepare them.
I have written unto you, children or sons of God, because ye know the Father. Sons, the new designation, corresponds here with the Father. The Father becomes now pre-eminent, and fellowship with Him through the Son. Forgiveness is connected with regeneration in the Son; as it respects the Father, it is the knowing His fatherly name, and we are called the children of God: in the order of thought this is preceded by the knowledge of the name of the Son. I write to you, fathers, because ye know him that is from the beginning. This exact repetition is very impressive. To the mature the apostle has nothing to add, for to know Christ is to have all knowledge; through it the Father is known, on the one hand, and the enemy is overcome, on the other.
I write to you, young men, because ye are strong, and the word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome the evil one. Re-writing what went before, the apostle reminds the young men both of their strength and of the source of it. They were strong or valiant in fight (Heb 11:34), having waxed or become such through constant victory; not, however, in their own power, but through Him that strengthened them, who Himself through His word was the in-dwelling and abiding source of their conquest Greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world (chap. 1Jn 4:4): hence it is difficult to decide whether the personal Logos is here meant or His living word, the sword of the Spirit: certainly not one without the other, though the former use of the phrase suggests that the living Gospel is signified here. Note with what emphasis the last clause is repeated. He who has entered into fellowship with the Son has an abiding victory over the enemy, and this conscious experience of triumph over him, not only in particular assaults but over him, the conqueror has only to maintain by keeping himself so that the enemy may approach, but touch him not (chap. 1Jn 5:18). This is not a promise only, nor an exhortation, but the present reality of the healthy Christian life.
Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament
Division 2. (1Jn 2:12-27.)
Growth by the Truth.
We now come to what is very distinct in character. The being in the light is not in itself a sufficient statement of the believer’s condition. If he is in it, and the light in him, this involves another thing which must be true of him -a life which God has given, and by virtue of which he is a child of God. This is a life which he has received through the gospel. We are begotten by the Word of truth. The Word becomes, as James has said, an “engrafted Word.” It has come not as word merely, but in the power of the Spirit, who works in it. We see, therefore, the perfect connection between the life and the light. In Christ it was always perfect. “The life was the light of men.” In us there is now, through grace, a life which is light also, the light giving it its character; and its seed, as the apostle speaks afterwards, being the seed of the truth, which abides in the heart in which it has been sown. Growth, therefore, is also by the truth, and that is it to which the apostle now goes on. By the life we are children of a common Father; but then, while it is thus of necessity eternal life, and is divine in character, it may be in us, and will of necessity be, at the beginning, in feebleness and immaturity. Dependent it always is. It does not take us out of the creature place, but rather puts us fully in it, and makes us realize the source of all to be in Him from whom we draw. Christ is the truth. The reception of Christ is the reception of the life which the truth characterizes, and Christ is thus before the eyes of faith as the perfect Example and full Reality of that into which we are daily growing up as we know Him and walk with Him.
1. Here the apostle lays down the fundamental distinction as to all those of whom he is writing now. “I write unto you, children, because your sins are forgiven you for His name’s sake.” This is true of every child of God, and it is as true of any one of these as of any other. There is no child of God who is not forgiven. “We have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.” This is the ground upon which the apostle writes, therefore. He would have no ground for writing if their sins were not forgiven; for it is not a question of the gospel here, that is, of preaching it to those outside, but he writes to those who have received it, and who therefore are forgiven -forgiven for the sake of that blessed Name which is now named upon them. They are forgiven, therefore, in all the grace that the work of Christ for them implies. This, then, is the basis of what he is at present saying. He has already been defining what is true perfection, and separating it from the false. He can now therefore write to those whom this definition has shown to be the true children of God. These have eternal life.
2. But immediately now he recognizes that there are grades and distinctions among these. There are fathers, young men, little children. The word in the last case is a different one from that which we had in the twelfth verse, which applies to all Christians. Here, on the other hand, the “little children” are those in whom life is only beginning to develop itself. The young men are those who have attained or are attaining maturity. The fathers are those that are fully mature in the perfect ripeness of what is implied in Christianity. Notice there are no “old men” here. There is no feebleness or decay hinted at, at all. The life is eternal, and this may and does need development, but in it there is no decline; it is eternal. But the different classes that he is addressing here are named from the evident correspondence to such classes in nature, and there is a certain relationship even between these, which we can easily trace. An old man brought to God, as such, will, of course, be at the same time but a little child in the things of God. Yet even so, he will not be found, probably, to have all the characteristics of little children. This will be more apparent as we proceed. But, as we see here, while the little children already know the Father -they have learnt to look in His face and recognize their relationship to Him -yet the energy of youth does not as yet belong to them. They have not known conflict yet. They have not overcome the wicked one. Yet this is not failure. It is inexperience, necessarily. It characterizes a condition which needs peculiar care, and from which failure may readily come, if God do not avert it. Nevertheless, it is not in itself failure, but very far from this. To know the Father is a wonderful and blessed reality. And the apostle has no idea really of anything lower than this. The cry of “Abba, Father,” is the children’s. cry.*
{*The knowledge of the Father is what is distinctive of Christianity, there is no Christianity apart from this; it is what our Lord came to make known, and what the Spirit bears witness to. It includes a knowledge of the dignity of our relationship -membership in the family of God; it reminds us as well of the Father’s love and care, “The Father Himself loveth you;” it also recalls the fact that we are under the Father’s government, therefore the necessity of walking in godly fear and obedience. Thus even the babe knows relationship, divine love, and the claims of such upon his obedience. -S.R.}
The young men have the vigor of life, and have overcome the wicked one; but there is danger for them yet; danger, perhaps, in the very activity which this implies -danger necessarily implied, one may say, in the very fact of conflict, though they have overcome, and are looked at, in the apostle’s style here, necessarily as overcomers. He puts the Christian condition here before us characteristically. He does not bring in the blots and disfigurements, nor the imperfections, though he may warn against them. He is giving us a picture of Christianity, and not of whatever foreign elements may still cleave to the Christian. This is easily to be understood. He would animate us by the realization of what we are, and not draw in what is contrary to this, -even though we may have admitted it, -as if he were going to admit it. We have already seen that he can say, “If any one should sin, we have an Advocate with the Father;” but he does not say, -when we sin, we have an Advocate with the Father. That would be a very different style of speaking; and, instead of being encouragement, would be great discouragement. He writes as to those who have the Spirit of God and know it, and with whom, therefore, the full capacity of full privilege is found, though the young men have, as it were a matter of course, overcome the wicked one. Is not He that is in them greater than he that is in the world? What else must it be than overcoming? Is not this “the victory that overcometh the world, even your faith?” Have they not faith? Here he will have no abatement of this blessedness. He could not, addressing himself to Christians as a whole, or in classes such as this, take in the defect and evil as if it were a matter of course, as if it belonged to His people. It does not belong. The young men that he is addressing, the ideal young men if you like, (but still he does not make mere ideals of them,) have overcome the wicked one.*
{*Strength is what characterizes the young men. “The glory of young men is their strength.” There is the vigor needed for the inevitable conflict. As the knowledge of relationship marks the babes, so the practical carrying out of God’s will -and in the circumstances in which we are -marks the young men. -S.R.}
Now, as to the fathers, it is remarkable what he has to say of them. What is it? “Ye have known Him who is from the beginning.” What is that more than the little children have known? Have not the little children known Him who is from the beginning -that is, Christ? Yes, they have known Him; and yet how little they have known Him! Knowledge it is, wonderful, blessed knowledge -knowledge which distinguishes them from all the world around; and yet who that in fact knows Christ will account his knowledge of Him to be, as it were, anything? As we have seen in the opening of the epistle, the apostle will say for himself and others who had the inestimable blessing of being with Him upon earth -he will say, rather “That which was from the beginning, which we have seen, of the Word of life.” They have seen somewhat of Him. How great a mystery of blessing lies beyond! Not that they are debarred from anything; not that they have it put at a distance in any wise; quite the contrary. They are invited and drawn near by the very fulness of the revelation itself. We have seen how he continually, as it were, draws nearer in those opening words, “We have heard,” “seen,” “handled.” Yet it is, after all, only somewhat of this divine Person, this Son who in His fulness the Father only knows. Yet he can say of these Christian fathers, “Ye have known Him who is from the beginning.” Here he will not say “that which is from the beginning” exactly. He does not want to qualify it in this way. In one relation it may be qualified, but here he is speaking of a Person whom they know, who is the real Person upon whom their eyes have been fixed ever since they were drawn to Him by His grace and made His own. He is speaking of One in the knowledge of whom they have grown up to where they are now, and their growth is by that which they have learnt more and more of Him. They have been in His company; they have listened to His words; they have heard told out the very thoughts of His heart; they have learnt to look at all things with His eyes. They have now, as fathers, as it were proved for themselves that world, which, for the young men even, had necessarily been much of an untried world. Though they could speak of it as Scripture had declared it, yet they could not speak of it exactly as knowing it in experience yet. They had not yet tested all things in the presence of Christ. The fathers have done this, and the world has shriveled up for them into the vanity which belongs to it, and the One that abides is Christ, and only Christ. Thus, to have known Him is to have known all. It is not that they will not know Him better, but that they have got now before them (impossible to be confounded with anything else), they have got One who has given rest and satisfaction to their hearts, in whom they have found indeed “all things that pertain to life and godliness,” and in such a way that there they abide, “rooted and built up in Him.” There is plenty to be learnt yet, as has already been said; but as, for us all, the discernment between good and evil is that which is counted knowledge, so the discernment between Christ and all else is the fathers’ knowledge here.* Thus, then, we have the three classes before us. He is going to address himself now to each.
{*To know Christ -the eternal Son -there is nothing beyond that, and it is far, far beyond all knowledge of relationship and all power for warfare. It was for this that Paul was ever pressing on -“that I may know Him.” We can well understand the place the fathers would have in the assembly of God. No vigor can supply the lack of that judgment, that poise of soul which comes alone from a knowledge of Christ. -S.R.}
3. But it is very striking, as soon as he begins to address himself to the fathers, as we saw first, he has no more to say to them than he had said already. How strange that seems at the first thought of it! They have got Him before them who is the fulness of knowledge, and they have got Him before them in such a way that nothing else can possibly be confounded with Him at all. This is what suits the apostle, as it were. He has nothing further in this way to say to them. With them the value of the teacher has been realized in such a measure as to make them, we may say, independent of the teacher. He seems to say this even of the little children afterwards, but not in the same way as he can say it here. The office of a teacher is, in fact, always to make people more and more independent of himself. What teacher is there, that is worth anything as that, who will not aim to accomplish this? Who is going to keep others always in school to himself? What is school for but to enable them to go out from it and to live their independent lives apart? Alas, when we think of this, and look around us! Plenty there are who undervalue teaching. Fathers will not do that. Plenty there are who think that they can draw for themselves independently, as it were, from the divine Source, and be in debt to no man. They are not fathers ever who admit this. Fathers have learnt the use of teaching, and of teachers; but they have learnt, as it was surely the only right thing for them to do, that which, as already said, brings them more and more out of the school in which they have learnt it. That does not mean, of course, the school of God, in which we all are, but the school of the teacher; even when the teacher is most thoroughly such, and used of God as such. How blessed to see this kind of independence beginning in the soul! In fact, as we shall shortly see, there must be a character of this even from the beginning. But here is the full maturity of such a character. Here are those who have so learnt Christ, and are so in His company, that while they still learn, as we all do, perhaps from the very mouth of a babe, yet at the same time are not in the same sense scholars as once they were. They “have known Him that is from the beginning.” How sweet it is indeed to know Him so! How blessed if we can see characteristics of this sort developing amongst us in the independent life and walk of those who are made so just by their recognition of their absolute dependence upon Christ, upon all the fulness of God manifested in Him into which they are daily drinking! “Rooted and built up in Him,” they are “stablished in the faith, . . . abounding therein with thanksgiving.”
The young men are now addressed as before, as in the energy of youth, those who have already overcome the wicked one. This is what the little children have yet to do. They have to discern antichrist, the falsehood from the truth; but with those here, the word of God, the first necessity for doing this, abides in them. They have fought in this respect their battle, and come through. Thus they are strong as nourished by the Word, for it is “the food of the mighty” still; it is that which gives strength.
But he has more now to say to them, and his exhortation has to do with that in which, after all, they are not yet experienced, in which their new experience has to be, and into which their very energy will necessarily lead them. The young men, naturally, are those who are going out into the world. Life in this sense is beginning with them. Their necessary occupation is in it. They cannot refuse, therefore, the having to do with it. But in this world, opposed as it is to Christ, there is yet that which, alas, is capable of attracting the heart, even of a disciple. The life which he is beginning has in itself its own attractiveness. He can be in it for Christ, and is to be. Sanctified by Him and taken out of it, we are sent into it just as those sanctified; but conflict is implied in this, and the stratagem of him who is the prince of it, and who can display all its glory still for the disciple, as he did of old for the disciple’s Master. The evils that are in the world, by daily contact with them, grow familiar, have a natural tendency to impress us less. We are in it at any rate; have, as it were, to make the best of it. The daily wear and tear of things begins; we are not in the retirement of the family; we are away from home, more or less single and independent in our lives now, exposed thus to varied influences in which the eye may readily affect the heart, and having also in the heart that which can be attracted still by that which has overcome so many strong men already.
Here is the ground of the apostle’s exhortation, then. “Love not the world,” he says, “nor the things in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.” Strong, separative words for those who have but a while since come to know the Father, and who have been growing in the knowledge of the intimacy which this implies! What a thing for the young man entering the world, the remembrance of that home upon which now his back is more or less necessarily turned! The apostle would encompass those spiritually young with these affections of One who, blessed be His name, is with us still, from whose presence we are not to go, whose love has sought us and abides with us.
But the love of the world is inconsistent with the love of the Father. There is no element in it which is of Him. It is the great, imposing system which, for all the show it makes, has grown out just of its alienation from God. The things that are in it are “the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life.” These characterize it, -a heart away from God which finds no longer its satisfaction in Him, -seeks it no more there, and as a consequence has to make its riches just of the things that are in its hands, with nothing beyond; the things that pamper fleshly instincts; the things that raise question and incite to how many paths of knowledge in a scene which has so many mysteries for us. There follows with this “the pride of life,” the realization of man’s place over the world, which, indeed, was given him of God from the beginning, but which he is all the less enjoying when he seems most conscious of it. It is not hard to understand the development here, in days when the desire of knowledge is so great with us, and the sense of acquirement so strong. In all this, the things that attract us have a certain natural and necessary interest. God did not put us here amid the wonders of His own creation without meaning them to be something to us, and He has, indeed, provided in His own Word that which stimulates question, and of a deeper character than mere nature in itself could raise. He has provided in it also the answer to these questions in a way we very little realize, and, if we turned to Him with them, how should we find what, even naturally, our heritage is! But men seek it away from God. They go into it to make it a substitute for Himself. They receive it not from Him, but from the one into whose hands it has fallen through their sin, and into whose hands they have fallen. Thus the most innocent delight can in this way draw the soul away from God. While the gifts are valued, they are not valued as His gifts, nor Himself trusted in. The gifts draw from the Giver.*
{*We have three most important definitions in this brief epistle -of God, of sin, and here of the world. God is light and love; sin is lawlessness; and the lust of the world is described in the threefold way -the lust of the flesh, of the eyes, and the pride of life. The application of this to the temptation of the woman in Eden has often been noticed. She saw that the tree was “good for food;” this answers to the lust of the flesh, those more animal and sensual appetites, which would include the grosser lusts which have degraded the race. The tree was also pleasant to the eyes, answering to the lust of the eyes, that craving of an empty heart which has turned from God, and seeks in vain to fill itself by “the things that are seen.” How Satan has used the tinsel of this gaudy world to stir up lust -for riches, position, power -in his captives. But it was also “a tree to be desired to make one wise,” and the pride of man has ever asserted itself in claiming wisdom for itself. This sin was that of Satan, and is far more subtle than the grosser forms of the world previously spoken of. What a blessed remedy for worldliness is suggested in the words “of the Father.” Where He and His love, and obedience to Him control the life, the world can have little power. -S.R.}
This, as we know, began in Eden itself, where God had specially provided all that was pleasant to the sight and good for food, and destined all that He had created beneath man to subjection to him and to minister to his enjoyment. God is not the enemy of joy. It is away from Him that we have learned to think of Him so, and the effect of the tree of knowledge of good and evil has been thus made to turn our eyes away from the tree of life. This spirit intensifies as it grows, as the world becomes larger, as the material accumulates, as men incite one another more and more in the paths that they have chosen for themselves. They learn to rejoice in their independence of God. That will which is the highest influence in man must be for them a free will, setting to work after its own fashion, with methods of its own, apart from God; a course which at the beginning brought death into it, the shadow of which must necessarily, therefore, lie across it all. But for man this shadow is over the face of God Himself. The evil in the world he resents as from a malevolent being envying his joys, and the spirit that turns from Him becomes naturally evermore defiant of Him. Upon all this, however, death must pass; and it does pass. The commonest and most familiar thing with us now is death. “The world passeth away, and the lust thereof;” and where faith does not exist, there is no knowledge of a path upon which the shadows do not lie. Yet “He that doeth the will of God abideth forever.”
But how should man be brought to believe this? Christ has been here upon earth, the Pattern of it; one whose very words were spirit and life, one Himself in the joy of the Father, and therefore at whose touch death itself passed. The life in Him was eternal life. The Son of God, from the glory which He had with the Father before the world was, was in the world to turn men back to Him from whom they have wandered. What have they done with Him? Why has not this gracious Presence remained with us? The cross was man’s answer to the Father’s grace, and the world remains of necessity in the death that it has chosen, and with the brand upon it that it has rejected the Father’s Son. Plain all this is, indeed, to one who has received the truth which God is proclaiming. How can the world have power any more over him who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? How can there be any more anything to glory in, save in that cross by which the world is crucified to us and we unto the world? And yet what a struggle to go through the world unreduced by it! Here is what indeed requires all the energy of the young man in Christ, with all his soul awake, and everything around him full of fresh interest -as, in a sense, it ought to be. God has provided for all this energy. He has provided for us that which, as we occupy ourselves with it, more and more satisfies, even while begetting fresh desire in the soul; and here in occupation with our own things, while in a world, too, which, when we learn it rightly, belongs to us, for its true use with God; for “all is yours,” says the apostle, “whether the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come.” What a mastery over all is here set before us to be ours if we so will, but which, as we realize it, instead of lifting the heart up with pride, will more and more teach it dependence and the joy of being with and under the omnipotent eye of God, who is for us with all that He is, and only eager to put us in possession of that which is our own. God give His young men to accept this place, and find the true field for deathless energies, which abide in the eternal life which He has given them.
The apostle turns once more now to the little children, and, strangely as at first sight it would seem, addresses them as to antichrist. Who would think of that as a topic for the babe? But it is not just with prophetical questions that he would occupy them here. What is antichrist? It is in essence all that is opposed to Christ; all that would substitute itself for Him. “I have come in My Father’s name,” says the Lord, “and ye receive Me not. If another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive.” If Christ be rejected, antichrist must come. If Christ does not satisfy the soul, antichrist will press his claim upon it; and here, in fact, even doctrinally in the history of the Church, was the first and long struggle of faith. All forms of antichrist were abroad, as John says here: “Even now there are many antichrists.” Conflict as to the person of Christ began in the very first days. We look back at it now, perhaps, to wonder at all the many questions which arose about the glorious person of the Son of God. We wonder at the subtleties which grew out of these, and are disposed to put much of it down as the mere curious questioning of minds that were but too little occupied with the One they questioned of; but underneath it all there lay surely that which was of fundamental interest to every soul taught of God. If the knowledge of Christ constitutes Christians, then must the enemy seek to pervert the truth of Christ in every way which devilish wisdom could suggest.
The little children are in this way peculiarly open to attack. The word of God has become a new and wonderful enjoyment to them, but they are yet largely ignorant of it, and are only beginning to know Christ, “whom to know is” indeed “life eternal.” Here is the secret of the form which the enemy’s attack takes. If he can now get, in some way, the very truth of Christ away from them, then the whole victory is won without any question. In that early Church, which doubtless we often misconceive as to its intelligence, as in other ways, there was not yet that intimate acquaintance with the word of God upon which so much depended. As we know, it was not in their hands as it is in our hands today. Men might obtain laboriously a copy of a Gospel, or some other book written out by their own hands, perhaps, in order to secure it, and the Scriptures did not multiply as even in this form we might expect they would. How everything fails with us through lack of the intense desire with which our hearts should go after things like these! Now, when Scripture is in all our houses and in all our hands, how much acquaintance, after all, have we with it? How many terrible gaps are there in our knowledge? Has our familiarity with it brought all this about? Has it brought contempt, or what? Alas, how our unused Bibles cry out against us! Do they not cry into the ear of God? Must He not take note of them? And all the various forms of evil that are abroad today, do they not show how still, for masses, the infancy of things has never passed?
We must not look back to those so-called primitive times expecting to find how entirely different things were then with them. Every epistle that we have is witness that they were not different. At Rome, amongst those Roman Christians whom the apostle had so long been desiring to see, whose faith had come abroad so much, -when he actually got there, what was his account? “All seek their own, not the things that are Jesus Christ’s.” In Ephesus, where he had been so long, so that almost all Asia heard the word of God from him at that time, how earnestly he warns them of the decay which was already creeping in! And in all this men found their opportunity to sow, in this ground so little occupied with the true seed of blessing, seed of their own (which was, after all, the enemy’s sowing), and to have plentiful crops within the very harvest-field of Christendom. The world had hardly woke up with astonishment to find itself Christian, when it woke up once more to find itself Arian. Christ was almost slipping away, and the Nicene Creed, with the Athanasian, are witnesses to us of the necessary conflict by which, under God, the truth was in measure saved. But the apostle’s interest here is, as ours must ever mainly be, with individual souls, and with conditions out of which these things arose, and still arise.
Nor must we expect any bettering. The many antichrists proved for an apostle only that it was the “last hour.” It was a departure from the truth once held -a departure which, as that, did not imply mere ignorance, but rejection. “They went out from us,” says the apostle, “but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have remained with us, but they went out that they might be made manifest that they all are not of us.” The doubt in this last statement implied in the common version does not really exist. The apostle does not say, “that it might be made manifest that they were not all of us.” In the nature of things, that would be a contradiction. How could their going out make manifest with regard to some what it did not make manifest with regard to others? The form of speech here is merely a common form of Greek expression. “Except those days were shortened, no flesh should be saved;” but the Greek literally says: “all flesh should not be saved.” Here it is plain that the going out makes manifest the same thing as to all that go out. It could not make manifest as to some what it did not make manifest as to others; and “if they had been of us,” says the apostle, “they would have remained with us.” He that is in Christ abides in Christ, thank God. He that is in the light abideth in the light. The apostle has no thought of the divine work in the soul being ever undone again, or that He that has begun a good work in any could fail to carry it on; but a mixed condition, such as obtains in Christendom, (such as, indeed, early obtained,) makes itself plain in this way; and through this the power of the enemy works; the antichrists are found amongst those who, not being of us, fall from the truth into the more attractive error.
But the apostle returns here to the comforting assurance of how amply God has provided even for His babes, in view of such things as these. It is to the little children that he says: “But ye have an anointing from the Holy One, and ye know all things.” Strange that may seem at first; yet he manifestly does not mean that they have anything like perfect knowledge, but that in this anointing from the Holy One, in the power of the Spirit who abode in them, they had really the capacity for the judgment of all such things as might be presented to them. In this character, as led of Him, they knew the truth. They had but to be subject to One abiding in them, who searched even the deep things of God. He had not written unto them, then, because they did not know the truth, and as if they were now to take, so to speak, his bare word for it. No, they knew it, and that no lie was of the truth. These things never really intermingled -the lie and the truth. Men may indeed seek to mix them together, and for those who are not of the truth themselves the imposition may stand; but God does not leave His people to the imperfection natural to them, and there is not one lie that they have any need of accepting along with truth, which they cannot distinguish from it. Moreover, the spirit of falsehood naturally tends to come out in its true character. It may hide itself in sophistry at the beginning, but the power of the enemy more and more is seen in the opposition to Christ. In the Jewish form it may deny that Jesus is the Christ; in the Christian form it will deny the Father and the Son. The great Antichrist in whom the full reality of these tendencies will appear will join the Jewish denial of Jesus being Christ with the antichristian denial of the Father and the Son; and here the point of controversy is always Christ Himself. Men may, after a sort, as we well know, own the Father when they deny the Son. In our own day, “the universal Father” is held prominently by those who, in fact, deny the Son. But the apostle tells us that those who deny the Son have not the Father either; and that, on the other hand, “he who confesseth the Son hath the Father also.” How can one truly confess the Son without confessing the Father? But the Father only -whose Father may He be? Yours and mine, of sinner or saint alike! The most emphatic affirmation of the Father, therefore, may go with the most perfect denial of the Son; but the apostle warns us against any possible deception here. All this is merely Satan’s substitute for truth, not the truth; with all its large liberality and plausibility. The very One in whom, as we recognize Him, we see God manifest in the fullest way is denied by it. Christ Himself is the central point of controversy, and he who confesseth the Son must surely accept the Father.
So that again he carries us back to what was heard “from the beginning.” The time when that blessed Voice had first been heard amongst men was indeed a beginning, such a beginning as made it seem that there was none before. We are to expect no developments beyond this, whatever glories may develop in it. We have but to abide in that which He Himself has uttered; and what He has uttered, He is. He is the essential truth of His own words. If, then, that which we have heard from the beginning abide in us, we too shall abide “in the Son and in the Father.” Along with this, to ourselves comes this immense blessedness; the promise that He hath promised us is eternal life; a promise, because in its full manifestation it is still before us. In us, as it is, it is yet to develop itself in such a way as alone will show all its power and value. All that it has proved itself already to be to us is yet only the anticipation and the earnest of the eternal blessing. Thus, in the energy of hope we are to go on, pressing on, indeed, to enjoy more and more that which we enjoy already, and kept in the light which is thus ever brightening, far from the paths of those who already, even in the apostle’s time, were leading men astray. He reiterates the comfort here that that anointing which we have received of Him abideth in us, and we need not that any one should teach us. We are not disciples of this or that man, but of Christ! The truth which we rejoice in as it is ministered to us comes to us authenticated not by that which is the mere channel of it, but by Him who alone certifies divinely to the soul in the power of this same anointing, teaching us as to all things, and which is truth, and with no mixture of falsehood whatever in it. Even as it hath taught us, we shall abide in Him.
Fuente: Grant’s Numerical Bible Notes and Commentary
Observe here, 1. The care which God has taken, not only to have his word preached, but written; I write unto you, partly to supply his ministers’ absence, that their writings might be instead of vocal instructions, partly to perpetuate truth unto posterity, and to transmit divine revelations to future ages.
Observe, 2. The subject or persons whom our apostle writes to; fathers, young men, and children; where, in general the great wisdom of the apostle is to be observed and taken notice of, that he contents not himself with generals, but directs his discourse particularly to old and young; plainly intimating, that none are too young to receive instruction, none are old enough to reject it. And if St. John wrote to persons of all ages and conditions, then the sacred writings are to be read to, and read by, persons of every age and condition soever. And if the Scriptures be perverted by some, that is not a natural effect, but only an accidental consequent of reading the Scriptures. Now, as evil must not be done that good may come of it, so good must not be left undone, though evil come of it.
Observe, 3. The duty which all sorts of Christians ought to be exhorted and excited to, and that is love; love to God, accompanied with obedience; and love to all Christians, in obedience to the command of God. It belongs to all sorts of Christians, weak and strong; to all ages of men, young and old, children and fathers, to expel the poison of anger and hatred out of their bosoms, and mutually to embrace one another.
Observe, 4. The reasons of our apostle’s writing to all christians in general, and to each age in particular.
Note, 1. The reason assigned for writing to children, 1Jn 2:12 Because your sins are forgiven you for his name’s sake: therefore ought you mutually to forgive, and cordially to love one another.
Note, 2. The reason assigned for writing to fathers; Because ye have known him that is from the beginning; that is Jesus Christ, who, in respect of his divine nature, had subsistence from the beginning; that is from all eternity. And if so, then our blessed Saviour had a being antecedent to his conception, and before he was born of the virgin Mary; he then began to be man, but he did not then begin to be; for before Abraham was he was; and he prays to his Father, Jos 17:5 to glorify him with the glory which he had with him before the world was.
Mark, It is not said, with the glory which thou preparedst for me in thy decree and purpose before the world was. As the Socinians would have it, but the glory which I had with thee. He that gave being to all things, must have a being before all things.
Note, 3. The reasons assigned for writing to young men, Because ye are strong, and have overcome the wicked one, and the word of God abideth in you.
Here we have observable, 1. The enemy described, Satan, called the wicked one: Not that he was so by creation, but by his apostacy and defection. Because the first in wickedness, because most industriously wicked, and because most obstinate and persevering in wickedness.
2. The conquest ingeminated; Ye have overcome the wicked one.
Mark, he doth not say. You have made a league with him, but overcome him; there is no way to accomodate or compound matters with Satan, no way to deal with him, but by victory; we are said to overcome him, because we are sure to overcome him; resist him, and he will flee; and because we have overcome him in God’s account, and because we have begun to overcome him. Yield to him, and you will find him an imperious tyrant; resist him, and you will find him a timorous coward.
3. The combatants, young men. Youth is the warlike age; young men are fit for action, old men for advice; young ones should begin this spiritual war betimes, possibly they may never live to be old; or if so, victory will be the more difficulty, by how much the longer it is delayed; and God may deny thee that grace which now thou deniest thyself. The proverb says, “A young saint, but an old devil;” but it is very hard for a young devil to become an old saint; whereas a young Christian soldier is most amiable in God’s eye, and most terrible in the devil’s.
4. The aid, helps, and assistants, by which this victory is attained, ye are strong, that is, made partakers of divine strength; ye have your second in the field, the Holy Spirit, you are strong in the Lord, And the word of God abideth in you. By the strength of God, and the abiding of his word and grace in us, we overcome the wicked one, and prevail against him. God’s word is the richest treasury to supply our wants, and the strongest armoury to oppose our enemies. I write unto you, young men, because ye are strong, and the word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome the wicked one.
Fuente: Expository Notes with Practical Observations on the New Testament
1Jn 2:12. I write unto you, little, or beloved, children Because this appellation is used (1Jn 2:1) to denote Christians of all ages and characters. Beza, and many other critics, suppose that St. John here addresses the whole body of Christs disciples, as their common instructer, (see on 1Jn 2:1,) whom he afterward divides into three classes. In support of this opinion, it may be observed, 1st, That the word by which, in the distribution, he expresses young Christians, is , which properly means young children, and not , which, it seems, should be here rendered dear, or beloved children; 2d, That the reason which St. John assigns for writing to those to whom he gives the latter appellation, namely, that their sins were forgiven them, through Christ, is applicable to the whole body of believers; and was a strong reason, for such of them as John addressed, not to love the world, &c.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
ARGUMENT 4
SANCTIFICATION AND GROWTH GRACE
12. I write unto you as infants, i.e., newly converted people, the weakest of all Christians.
13. I write unto you fathers, i.e., spiritual fathers, soul-savers, who have never backslidden, but would go on into sanctification and still into the higher experiences. I write unto you young men, i.e., persons who have advanced out of spiritual infancy, i.e., been sanctified and grown into stalwarts, so that they have conquered the devil. I write unto you lads and lasses, i.e., persons intermediate between spiritual infancy and manhood, because you know the fathers, i.e., you have passed all the wilderness fogs and smoke and crossed over into Beulah land.
14. John congratulates the fathers in Israel, mighty in wisdom, and the young, i.e., spiritual stalwarts, redoubtable in conflict, because the Word of God abides in them, the old men are mighty in the Scriptures and the young men invincible on the battlefield. You have conquered the wicked one, i.e., the devil.
15. People in the enjoyment of divine love are here warned not to love the world. It did not mean the material, but the fallen world.
16. All that which is in the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, are not of the Father but of this world. This verse
forever settles the world problem. When the devil conquered the world in Eden, he turned it over to the unholy trinity:
(1) the lust of the flesh, i.e., all carnal appetites;
(2) the lust of the eyes, i.e., the admission of evil through the sense, and
(3) the pride of this life, i.e., ambition, selfish aggrandizement.
These three hellish demons have ruled the world ever since the fall. The Holy Spirit everywhere anathematizes the world, i.e., the unholy trinity of carnal and sensual lust and pride, as utterly and hopelessly irreconcilable to God. Then what is to be done? These lusts are to be utterly consumed with Holy Ghost fire. Gods method with sin is destruction. Rom 6:6. Hagiazoo, to sanctify, is from alpha, not, and gee, the world. Hence it means to take the world out of you, Ecclesia, church, is from ek, out, and kaleo, to call. Hence it means the called, i.e., the souls who have hard the call of the Holy Ghost and came out of the world and separated themselves to God. Oh, how plain and simple is visible truth? You see from these facts regeneration takes you out of the world. Sanctification takes the world out of you. The Church and the world are irreconcilable antipodes. You can not be in both at the same time. The world is Satans passport to hell. The Church is Gods balloon to waft you to heaven.
17. The world passeth away and its lusts; but he that doeth the will of God abideth forever. The devils world, i.e., all the sin in this world, with its effects will be utterly consumed in the fiery baptism destined to come on this world to sanctify it. Meanwhile the renewed and celestialized earth will survive (Rom 11:1), the celestial abode of saints and angels constituting a constituent member of the glorious heavenly universe, through the flight of eternal ages.
Fuente: William Godbey’s Commentary on the New Testament
1Jn 2:12-14 slightly breaks the argument. It is prompted by Johns desire to remove any impression which the earnestness of his previous words may have created, that he had misgivings as to the spiritual condition of his readers. He speaks approvingly of their knowledge both of Christ (him which is from the beginning) and of the Father, and of their victories over temptation. He writes not because they are faulty, but to save them from being injured. The phrase little children (Joh 13:33) is a term of endearment applied here to Christians in general (Mat 18:6*), whilst fathers and young men will represent two stages, the sage and mature, the active and strenuous.
1Jn 2:13. I have written, by a grammatical usage peculiar to Gr., probably means no more than I write in 1Jn 2:12.
Fuente: Peake’s Commentary on the Bible
Verse 12
Many conjectures have been offered in regard to the distinctions intended by the writer in the several classes of persons addressed in this passage (1 John 2:12-14,) and in the nature and appropriateness of the reasons assigned in each case. But it is not certain that any accurate logical distinctions were intended. We are probably to regard the changes in the forms of expression as only designed to give variety to the mode of presenting the considerations by which the various classes of Christians should feel impelled to give most serious and earnest attention to the instructions which they received.
Fuente: Abbott’s Illustrated New Testament
2:12 {i} I write unto you, {9} little children, because your sins are forgiven you for his {k} name’s sake.
(i) Therefore I write to you, because you are of their number whom God has reconciled to himself.
(9) He returns again from the sanctification to remission of sins, because that free reconciliation in Christ is the ground of our salvation upon which afterwards sanctification must be built as upon a foundation.
(k) For his own sake: in that he names Christ he eliminates all others, whether they are in heaven or on earth.
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes
III. RESISTING ENEMIES 2:12-27
"In this section . . . John refers to the Revisionists directly. In so doing he makes clear the overall purpose of the epistle. The appearance of these ’antichrists’ on the scene is what has occasioned this letter. Appropriately, the apostle’s concern is with the threat they constitute to the readers’ continuing fellowship with God (cf. 1Jn 1:3). Of course, no matter how much the readership might be misled, there was no danger to their eternal salvation; although, as we shall see, there was a threat to their assurance of salvation." [Note: Hodges, The Epistles . . ., p. 93.]
Fuente: Expository Notes of Dr. Constable (Old and New Testaments)
A. Appreciating Spiritual Advances 2:12-14
John began this section by affirming the spiritual competence of his readers. He reminded them of their spiritual blessings to motivate them to cultivate intimate fellowship with God.
"Because his readers are Christians and have in part experienced the power of their faith he moves them to nobler efforts; his object is that their ’joy may be fulfilled’ (cf. 1. 4)." [Note: Westcott, p. 57.]
This pericope contains two series of three sentences. Each sentence begins, "I am writing to you . . . because . . ."
Fuente: Expository Notes of Dr. Constable (Old and New Testaments)
Who did John have in mind when he addressed his readers as little children, fathers, and young men? Perhaps he meant those who physically fell into these categories. If he did, what about his female readers and others who were not in these categories? Perhaps he was thinking of those in his audience who were in their spiritual development children, men, and youths. [Note: Bruce, p. 58.] If this is what he meant, why did he address them in this unnatural order? We could ask the same question about the first possibility also. Perhaps John addressed all his readers as little children (cf. Joh 21:5) and then spoke more specifically to the more mature or older (fathers) and then to the less mature or younger (young men). [Note: Smalley, pp. 69-70. Cf. Barker, p. 319; and Yarbrough, p. 114-21.] Yet what he said to the three groups is so parallel that it seems more likely that he was addressing three distinct groups. It seems best to conclude that John used these three stages of life to describe qualities typical of each age group that ought to characterize all believers. [Note: Marshall, p. 138; Dodd, pp. 37-39; Westcott, p. 59; James M. Boice, The Epistles of John, pp. 72-73; Hodges, The Epistles . . ., p. 94.] In other words, all the titles refer to the entire readership from three points of view.
Another problem is whether John meant that he was writing because the stated condition was true of each group or so that the condition might become true of them. The Greek particle hoti can have either sense: causal or declarative, and John could have intended both meanings. However the causal meaning seems a bit stronger. [Note: Smalley, p. 71; Marshall, pp. 136-37; Hodges, The Epistles . . ., p. 95.]
As children, John’s readers had known forgiveness by their heavenly Father (cf. 1Jn 1:5 to 1Jn 2:2). As fathers, they had experienced fellowship with God through Jesus Christ (cf. 1Jn 2:3-11). "Fathers" connotes seasoned experience with God. As young men, they had known some victory over their spiritual adversary, Satan (cf. 1Jn 2:15-23). John mentioned these three experiences in their proper experiential sequence in the Christian life. "Him who has been from the beginning" (1Jn 2:13 a) is Jesus Christ (Joh 1:1).