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The Letters of John
BC Weekly Digest Monday, April 13 1998 In this issue: 1 John 2: 20, 27 1 John 2:7 1 John 2:7 1 John 2:5,6 1 John 2:8 1 John 2:7 1 John 2: 20, 27 There is another interesting aspect of the "annointing" spoken of by John, found foretold by Jerimiah in chapter 31, verses 31 through 34, that I believe helps us understand the difference in the old physical law of the Mosiac age and the spiritual law of these "last days" 31 Behold, the days come, saith Jehovah, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: 32 not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was a husband unto them, saith Jehovah. 33 But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith Jehovah: I will put my law in their inward parts, and in their heart will I write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people: 34 and they shall teach no more every man his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, Know Jehovah; for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith Jehovah: for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin will I remember no more. (ASV) Ed. Crabtree ------------------------------ 1 John 2:7 The question has been asked: What are the 'old' and 'new' commandments? In point of fact, they are the same commandment. The commandment is to love and obey God, as can be seen from John's emphasis in this letter. 1 John 3:11, says, "For this is the message ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another." This command to love and obey God is as old as God's dealings with man. When asked by the Pharisees what is the great commandment in the law, Jesus answered, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and all thy soul, and with all thy mind. And a second like unto it is this, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself." (Matthew 22:37-28) What is new about it is the new emphasis Jesus placed upon it. To the eleven, just before he was crucified, Jesus said, "This is my commandment, that ye love one another, even as I have loved you." (John 15:12) Jesus loved them and all mankind enough to die for them. "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on him should not perish, but have eternal life." (John 3:16) The word they had heard was the word of truth. Contained in that word were the two great commandments, love God and love your neighbor. Whether one considers the "beginning' to be the Patriarchal, Mosaical or Christian dispensation, the command is still the same: Love God and keep his commandments. -James Willett ------------------------------ 1 John 2:7 The question has been asked, "What 'beginning' is being talked about in 1 John 2:7?" There are two possibilities here. One is that it is the beginning of God's dealings with man. God demanded love and obedience from man right from the beginning, so the command is as old as God's dealings with his creature, man. The second possibility is that John is referring to the beginning of their lives as Christians. Certainly they would have been taught the central role love plays in the life of a Christian. In the balance of John's letter, he reminds them over and over of the principle of love in the relationship of Christians to God and to one another. The conclusion is the same with both possibilities. "If you love me, you will keep my commandments." (John 14:15) - James Willett ------------------------------ 1 John 2:5,6 1 John 2:5,6 (OPV) 5 But whoever keeps His word, in him the love of God has truly been perfected. By this we know that we are in Him. 6 He who says he remains in Him ought himself also to walk as He walked. === 2:5 "Whoever keeps His word" Compare "keep His commandments" in verses 3 and 4 with "keeps His word" here. In observing what is simply taught in Scripture, namely, that we are obligated to do certain things on the basis of commands, prescriptive examples and inevitable conclusions, some have mistakenly limited this to direct commands. It must be understood, however, that God's commandments include more than those portions of Scripture which are in the form of a direct command. Paul warned the Corinthians: "If any man thinketh himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him take knowledge of the things which I write unto you, that they are the commandment of the Lord" (1 Cor 14:37 ASV). When Jesus said, "teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I commanded you," more is involved than direct commands. After He washed the disciples' feet He said, "For I have given you an example, that ye also should do as I have done to you" (John 13:15 ASV). Is this an example or a command? Both! Peter explains: "For hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, that ye should follow his steps" (1 Peter 2:21 ASV). Thus keeping His commandments (verses 3 and 4), keeping His word (verse 5) and walking as He walked (verse 6) simply mean doing from day to day what the Lord has instructed us to do. 2:5 "In him the love of God has truly been perfected" Our love for God is verified when we keep His word, which in turn leads us along the path of God's love! Jesus explained to the Jews who were wanting to kill Him: "And ye have not his word abiding in you: for whom he sent, him ye believe not. Ye search the scriptures, because ye think that in them ye have eternal life; and these are they which bear witness of me; and ye will not come to me, that ye may have life. I receive not glory from men. But I know you, that ye have not the love of God in yourselves" (John 5:38 ASV). When the word of God and the love of God abide in us, we will go to Jesus and follow Him, which is the realization of that word and love in our lives. 2:5 "By this we know that we are in Him" By keeping His word and walking as He walked we can know that we are in Him! Remember that John wants his readers to know that they know certain things and to know how they can know them. 2:6 "He who says he remains in Him ought himself also to walk as He walked" We want to be in Christ and to remain in Christ. Recall that false teachers were evidently saying that one could remain in Christ spiritually, while living a life of sin in the flesh. John says that is impossible. What higher calling can anyone have than to walk as He walked? Roy Davison ------------------------------ 1 John 2:8 The question has been asked:"What does it mean 'the darkness is passing away'?" Please read 1 John 1:5-2:14 for the context. God is both light and love, and knowing Him is eternal life (John 17:3).The only perfect knowledge of God is manifest through Christ who reveals Him (Matthew 11:27; John 14:6,7). Not everyone (the unspiritual) can apprehend or know Him (John 1:4,5,9,10; 1 Corinthans 2:14). Jesus is the light of the world and where men walk as He walked the darkness of evil is being banished. Jesus said:"I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me may not abide in the darkness "(John 12:46; 14:6,7 ASV). When we come to a "knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord", we reflect this light and become "partakers of the divine nature"(2 Peter 1:2-4). When Jesus came incarnating the 'new commandment', He ushered in a new era of splendor greater than any known before Him. The splendor of this new 'ministration of the Spirit' overwhelms the 'ministration of death' whose glory is passing away (2 Corinthians 3:6-4:6). With His 'new commandment' Jesus gave a new dimension to serving God- and it is a QUALITY of love: for God and for our neighbor. This new quality is not 'perfected' in us until we also walk in the light - in loving obedience (John 13:34,35; 15:9-12; and Galatians 5:6). As we too embody the new commandment to love, we reflect Him and have a part in banishing the darkness (2 Corinthians 4:6). J.Lee Roberts ------------------------------ 1 John 2:7 1 John 2:7 (OPV) 7 Beloved, I am not writing a new commandment to you, but an old commandment which you have had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which you heard. === 2:7 "Beloved" This is the plural form of a noun meaning "loved ones." In everyday speech it usually refers to close family members (see Mark 12:6; Luke 20:13). This is sometimes used in a spiritual sense (1 Cor 4:17; Eph 5:1; 2 Tim 1:2). The Father calls Jesus "my beloved Son" (Mat 3:7; 17:5; Mark 1:11; 9:7; Luke 3:22; 1 Peter 1:17 - compare with Mat 12:18). The Apostles and elders at Jerusalem (Acts 15:4) speak of "our beloved Barnabas and Paul" (Acts 15:25). Paul writes "To all God's loved ones in Rome" (Rom 1:17). Paul often refers to his fellow Christians as "beloved" or "my beloved" (Rom 12:19; 16:5,8,9; 1 Cor 4:14; 10:14; 15:58; 2 Cor 7:1; 12:19; Phil 2:12; 4:1; Col 1:7; 1 Thes 2:8; Philemon 1,16; James addresses his readers as "my beloved brethren" (James 1:16,19; 2:5). Peter calls his fellow Christians "beloved" (1 Peter 2:11; 4:12; 2 Peter 3:1,8,14,17) and speaks of Paul as "our beloved brother Paul" (2 Peter 3:15). John calls his brethren "my little children" (1 John 2:1) and "beloved" (1 John 2:7; 3:2,21; 4:1,7,11; 3 John 2). Jude also addresses fellow Christians as "beloved" (Jude 3,17,20). Sometimes "beloved" is used to designate someone who is well-loved by others (Rom 16:12; Eph 6:21; Col 4:7,9,14; 3 John 1). Thus we see that the first Christians loved one another with the same kind of love that exists among close family members and that they referred to each other as their loved ones. Roy Davison