Things Hard to be Understood 2 PETER, UIL by the Spiritually Unlearned. sin and the apostasy, before Christ's coming. "Paul seemed thereby to delay Christ's coming to a longer period than the other apostles, whence some doubted altogether His coming." [BENGEL] Though there be some things hard to be understood, there are enough besides plain, easy, and sufficient for perfecting the man of God. "There is scarce anything drawn from the obscure places, but the same in other places may be found most plain." [AUGUSTINE.] It is our own prejudice, foolish expectations, and carnal fancies, that make Scripture difficult. (JEREMY TAYLOR] learned- Not those wanting human learning are meant, but those lacking the learning imparted by the Spirit. The humanly earned have been often most deficient in spiritual learning, and have originated many heresies. Cf. 2 Timothy. 2. 23, a different Greek word, "unlearned," lit., "untutored." When religion is studied as a science, nothing is more abstruse; when studied in order to know our duty and practise it, nothing is easier. unstable-not yet established in what they have learned; shaken by every seeming difficulty; who, in perplexing texts, instead of waiting until God by His Spirit make them plain in comparing them with other Scriptures, hastily adopt distorted views. wrest-strain and twist (properiy with a hand-screw) what is straight in itself, &.. 2 Timothy, 2. 18. other scriptures-Paul's epistles were. therefore, by this time, recognised in the church, as "Scripture:" a term never applied in any of the fifty places where it occurs, save to the Old and New Testament sacred writings. Men in each church baving miraculous discernments of spirits would have come, Lord Jesus." the coming-Greek, "presence" of showing that certain definite churches, or particular a person: usually, of the Saviour. the day of God-God classes of believers, are meant by "you." in which— has given many myriads of days to men: one shall be epistles. The oldest MSS. read the feminine relative the great day of God" Himself. wherein-rather as thais); not as Received text (hois)," in which things.” Greek, "on account of (or owing to) which day. hea- some things hard to be understood-viz., in reference to vens-the upper and lower regions of the sky. melt-Christ's coming, e.g., the statements as to the man of Our igneous rocks show that they were once in a liquid state. 13. Nevertheless-"But" in contrast to the destructive effects of the day of God stand its constructive effects. As the flood was the baptism of the earth, eventuating in a renovated earth, partially delivered from "the curse." so the baptism with fire shall purify the earth so as to be the renovated abode of regenerated man, wholly freed from the curse. his promise — (Isaiah, 65, 17; 66, 22.) The "we" is not emphatical as in English Version, new heavens-new atmospheric heavens surrounding the renovated earth. righteousness-dwelleth in that coming world as its essential feature, all pollutions having been removed, 14. that ye... be found of him-"in His sight" [ALFORD], at His coming; plainly implying a personal coming. without spot at the coming marriage feast of the Lamb, in contrast to ch. 2. 13, "Spots they are and blemishes while they feast," not having on the King's pure wedding garment. blameless-(1 Corinthians, 1. 8; Philippians, 1. 10; 1 Thessalonians, 3. 13; 5. 23.) in peace-in all its aspects, towards God, your own consciences, and your fellowmen, and as its consequence eternal blessedness; "the God of peace" will effect this for you. 15. account...the long-suffering...is saivation-is designed for the salvation of those yet to be gathered into the church: whereas those scoffers "count it to be the result of) slackness" on the Lord's part (v.9). our beloved brother Paul - A beautiful instance of love and humility. Peter praises the very epistles which contain his condemnation. according to the wisdom given unto him - Adopting Paul's own language, 1 Corinthians, 3. 10, "According to the grace of God which is given unto me as a wise master-prevented any uninspired writing from being put on a builder." Supernatural and inspired wisdom "GIVEN" him, not acquired in human schools of learning. bath written-Greek aorist, "wrote," as a thing wholly past: Paul was by this time either dead, or had ceased to minister to them. to you Galatians, Ephesians, Colossians, the same region as Peter addresses. Cf. "in peace," v. 14, a practical exhibition of which Peter now gives in showing how perfectly agreeing Paul (who wrote the epistle to the Galatians and he are, not withstanding the event recorded Galatians, 2. 11-14. Colossians, 3. 4, refers to Christ's second coming. The epistle to the Hebrews, too (addressed not only to the Palestinian, but also secondarily to the Hebrew Christians everywhere), may be referred to, as Peter primarily (though not exclusively) addresses in both epistles the Hebrew Christians of the dispersion (Note, 1 Peter, 1. 1). Hebrews, 9. 27, 28; 10. 25, 37, "speak of these things" (v. 16) which Peter has been handling, viz., the coming of the day of the Lord, delayed through His long-suffering," yet near and sudden. 16. also in all his epistles-Romans, 2. 4, is very similar to . 15 beginning. The Pauline epistles were by this time become the common property of all the churches. The "all" seems to imply they were now completed. The subject of the Lord's coming is handled, 1 Thessalonians, 4. 13,-5, 11; cf. v. 10, with 1 Thessalonians, 5. 2. Still Peter distinguishes Paul's epistle, or epistles," TO YOU," from "all his (other) epistles," 536 par with the Old Testament word of God: the THE FIRST EPISTLE GENERAL OF JOHN. INTRODUCTION. AUTHORSHIP-Polycarp, the disciple of John (ad Philippenses, o. 71. quotes on one useins, Ecclesiastical History. 3. 39, says of Papias, a hearer of John, and friend of Polycarp," He used testimonies from the first epistle of John." Ireneus, according to Eusebius, Ecclesiastical History, 5. 8, often quoted this epistle. So in his work against heresies (3. 15. 5,8) he quotes from John by name, ch. 2, 18, &c.; and in 3. 16. 7, he quotes ch. 4. 1-3; 5. 1, and 2 John, 7, 8. Clement of Alexandria, Stromata, 2. 66, p. 464, refers to ch. 5. 16, as in John's larger epistle. See other quotations, Stromata, 3. 32, 42; 4102. Tertullian, adversus Marcion, 5. 16, refers to ch. 4. 1, &c.; adversus Praxean, c. 15, to 1 John, 1. 1. See his other quotatiens, c. 28; and contra Gnosticos, 12. Cyprian, Epistle 28 (24), quotes, as John's, ch. 2. 3, 4; and de Oratione Domini, 5., quotes ch. 2. 15-17; and de Opere and Eleemos, ch. 1. 8; and de Bono Patientiæ, 2., quotes ch. 2. 6. Muratori's fragment on the canon states, "There are two of John (the gospel and epistle?) esteemed Catholic." and quotes ch. 1. 3. The Peschito Syriac contains it. Origen in Eusebius, 6. 25, speaks of the first epistle as genuine, and "probably the second and third, though all do not recognise the latter two:" on the Gospel of John, tom. 13., vol. 2, he quotes ch. 1. 5. Dionysius of Alexandria, Origen's scholar, cites the words of this epistle as those of the Evangelist John. Eusebius, Ecclesiastical History, 3. 24, says, John's first epistle and gospel are acknowledged without question by those of the present day, as well as by the ancients. So also Jerome, in Catalogus Ecclesiasticorum Scriptorum. The opposition of Cosmas Indicopleustes, in the sixth century, and that of Marcion, because our epistle was inconsistent with his views, are of no weight against such irrefragable testimony. The internal evidence is equally strong. Neither the gospel, nor our epistle, can be pronounced an imitation; yet both, in style and modes of thought, are evidently of the same mind. The individual notices are not so numerous or obvious as in Paul's writings, as was to be expected in a Catholic epistle; but such as there are, accord with John's position. He implies his apostleship, and perhaps alludes to his gospel, and the affectionate tie which bound him as an aged pastor to his spiritual" children;" and in ch. 2. 18, 19; 4. 1-3, he alludes to the false teachers as known to his readers; and in ch. 5. 21, warns them against the idols of the surrounding world. It is no objection against its authenticity, that the doctrine of the Word, or Divine second person, existing from everlasting, and in due time made flesh, appears in it, as also in the gospel, as opposed to the heresy of the Docet in the second century, who denied that our Lord is come in the flesh, and maintained He came only in outward semblance; for the same doctrine appears in Colossians, 1. 15-18; 1 Timothy, 3. 16; Hebrews, 1. 1-3; and the germs of docetism, though not fully developed till the second century, were in existence in the first. The Spirit, presciently through John, puts the church beforehand on its guard against the coming heresy. TO WHOM ADDRESSED.-Augustine, Quæst. Evang., 2, 39, says this epistle was written to the Parthians. Bede, in a prologue to the seven Catholic epistles, says that Athanasius attests the same. By the Parthians may be meant the Christians living beyond the Euphrates in the Parthian territory, outside the Roman empire, "the church at Babylon elected together with" the churches in the Ephesian region, the quarter to which Peter addressed his epistles. As Peter addressed the flock which John subsequently tended (and in which Paul had formerly ministered), so John, Peter's close companion after the ascension, addresses the flock among whom Peter had been when he wrote. Thus the elect lady" answers to "the church elected together." See further confirmation of this view in Introduction to 2 John. It is not necessarily an objection to this view, that John never is known to have personally ministered in the Parthian territory. For neither did Peter personally minister to the churches in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, Bithynia, though he wrote his epistles to them. Moreover, in John's prolonged life, we cannot dogmatically assert that he did not visit the Parthian Christians, after Peter had ceased to minister to them, on the mere ground of absence of extant testimony to that effect. This is as probable a view as Alford's, &c., that in the passage of Augustine, "to the Parthians," is to be altered by conjectural emendation; and that the epistle is addressed to the churches at and around Ephesus, on the ground of the fatherly tone of affectionate address in it, implying his personal ministry among his readers. But his position, as probably the only surviving apostle, accords very well with his addressing, in a Catholic epistle, a cycle of churches which he may not have specially ministered to in person, with affectionate fatherly counsel, by virtue of his general apostolic superintendence of all the churches. TIME AND PLACE OF WRITING.-This epistle seems to have been written subsequently to his gospel, as it assumes the readers' acquaintance with the gospel facts and Christ's speeches, and also with the special aspect of the incarnate Word, as God manifest in the flesh, set forth more fully in his gospel. The tone of address, as a father addressing his “little children” (the continually-recurring term), accords with the view that this epistle was written in John's old age, perhaps about 90 A.D. In ch. 2. 18," It is the last time," probably does not refer to any particular event, as the destruction of Jerusalem, which was now many years past, but refers to the nearness of the Lord's coming as proved by the rise of anti-Christian teachers, the mark of the lost time. It was the Spirit's purpose to keep the church always expecting Christ as ready to come at any moment. The whole Christian age is the last time in the sense that no other dispensation is to arise till Christ comes. Cf. "these last days," Hebrews, 1.2 Ephesus may be conjectured to be the place whence it was written. The controversial allusions to the germs of Gnostic heresy, accord with Asia Minor being the place, and the last part of the apostolic aze the time, of writing this epistle. CONTENTS.-The leading subject of the whole is, fellowship with the Father and the Son (ch. 1. 31. Two principal divisions may be noted, (1.) ch. 1. 5,-2. 28: the theme of this portion is stated at the outset," God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all;" consequently, in order to have fellowship with Him, we must walk in light; connected with which is the confession and subsequent forgiveness of our sins through Christ's propitiation and advocacy, without which forgiveness there could be no light or fellowship with God: a further step in thus walking in the light is, positively keeping God's com mandments, the sum of which is love, as opposed to hatred, the acme of disobedience to God's word: negatively, he exhorts them according to their several stages of spiritual growth, children, fathers, young men, in consonance with their privileges as forgiven, knowing the Father, and having overcome the wicked one, not to love the world, which is incompatible with the indwelling of the love of the Father, and to be on their guard against the anti-Christian teachers already in the world, who were not of the church, but of the world, against whom the true defence is, that his believing readers who have the anointing of God, should continue to abide in the Son and in the Father. (2) The second division (ch. 2. 29,-5. 5) discuss the theme with which it opens, He is righteous;" consequently (as in the first division), " every one that doeth righteousness is Introduction. 1 JOHN. Introduction. born of Him." Sonship in us involves our purifying ourselves as He is pure, even as we hope to see, and therefore to be made like our Lord when He shall appear: in this second, as in the first division, both a positive and a negative side are presented of "doing righteousness as He is righteous," involving a contrast between the children of God and the children of the devil. Hatred marks the latter; love, the former: this love gives assurance of acceptance with God for ourselves and our prayers, accompanied as they are (23) with obedience to His great commandment, to believe on Jezus, and love one another: the seal (v. 24) of His dwelling in us and assuring our hearts, is the Spirit which He hath given us. In contrast to this (as in the first division), he warns against false spirits, the notes of which are, denial of Christ, and siherence to the world. Sonship, or birth of God is, then, more fully described: its essential feature is unslavish free love to God, because God first loved us, and gave His Son to die for us, and consequent love to the brethren, grounded on their being sons of God also like ourselves, and so victory over the world: this victory being gained only by the man who believes in Jerus as the Son of God. (8) The conclusion establishes this last central truth, on which rests our fellowship with God, Christ's having come by the water of baptism, the blood of atonement, and the witnessing Spirit, which is truth. As in the opening, he rested this cardinal truth on the apostles' witness of the eye, the ear, and the touch, so now at the close he rests it on God's witness, which is accepted by the believer, in contrast with the unbeliever who makes God a har. Then follows his closing statement of his reason for writing (ch. 5. 13; cf. the corresponding ch. 1. 4, at the beginning), namely, that believers in Christ the Son of God may know that they have (now already) eternal life (the source of joy," eh. 1. 4; ef. similarly his object in writing the gospel, John, 20. 31), and so have confidence as to their prayers being answered (corresponding to ch 3. 22 in the second part); for instance, their intercessions for a sinning brother (unless his sin be a sin unto death. He closes with a brief summing up of the instruction of the epistle, the high dignity, sanctity, and safety from evil, of the children of God, in contrast to the sinful world, and a warning against idolatry, literal and spiritual: Keep yourselves from idols." Though the epistle is not directly polemical, the occasion which suggested his writing was probably the rise of antiChristian teachers; and, because he knew the spiritual character of the several classes whom he addresses, children, youths, fathers, he feels it necessary to write to confirm them in the faith and joyful fellowship of the Father and Son, and to assure them of the reality of the things they believe, that so they may have the full privileges of believing. STYLE-His peculiarity is fondness for aphorism and repetition. His tendency to repeat his own phrases arises partly from the affectionate, hortatory character of the epistle; partly, also, from its Hebraistic form, abounding in parallel clauses, as distinguished from the Grecian and more logical style of Paul; also, from his child-like simplicity of spirit which, full of his one grand theme, repeats, and dwells on it, with fond delight and enthusiasm. Moreover, as Alford well says, the appearance of uniformity is often produced by want of deep enough exegesis to discover the real differences in passages which seem to express the same. Contemplative, rather than argumentative, he dwells more on the general, than on the particular, on the inner, than on the outer Christian life. Certain fundamental truths be recurs again and again to, at one time enlarging on, and applying them, at another time repeating them in their condensed simplicity. The thoughts do not march onward by successive steps, as in the logical style of Paul, but rather in circles drawn round one central thought which he reiterates, ever reverting to it, and viewing it, now under its positive, now under its negative aspect. Many terms which in the gospel are given as Christ's, in the epistle appear as the favourite expressions of John, naturally adopted from the Lord. Thus the contrasted terms, "flesh" and "spirit," "light" and "darkness," "life" and "death," "abide in Him:""fellowship with the Father and Son, and with one another," is a favourite phrase also. not found in the gospel, but in Acts, and Paul's epistles. In him appears the harmonious union of opposites, adapting him for his high functions in the kingdom of God, contemplative repose of character, and at the same time ardent zeal, com bined with burning, all-absorbing love: less adapted for active outward work, such as Paul's, than for spiritual service. He handles Christian verities not as abstract dogmas, but as living realities, personally enjoyed in fellowship with God in Christ, and with the brethren. Simple, and at the same time profound, his writing is in consonance with his spirit, warbe torical, and undialectic, gentle, consolatory, and loving: the reflexion of the Spirit of Him in whose breast he lay at the last supper, and whose beloved disciple he was. Ewald in Alford, speaking of the "unruffled and heavenly repose” which characterize this epistle, says, "It appears to be the tone, not so much of a father talking with his beloved children, as of a glorified saint addressing mankind from a higher world. Never in any writing has the doctrine of heavenly love, a love working in stillness, ever unwearied, never exhausted, so thoroughly approved itself, as in this epistle." JOHN'S PLACE IN THE BUILDING UP OF THE CHURCH.-As Peter founded, and Paul propagated, so Jeho completed the spiritual building. As the Old Testament puts prominently forward the fear of God, so John, the last writer of the New Testament, gives prominence to the love of God. Yet, as the Old Testament is not all limited to presenting the fear of God, but sets forth also His love, so John, as a representative of the New Testament, whilst breathing se os tinually the spirit of love, gives also the plainest and most awful warnings against sin, in accordance with his original character as Boanerges, "son of thunder." His mother was Salome, mother of the sons of Zebedee, probably sister to Jess' mother (cf. John, 19. 25, "His mother's sister," with Matthew, 2. 56; Mark, 15. 40), so that he was cousin of our Lord; t his mother, under God, he may have owed his first serious impressions. Expecting, as she did, the Messianic kingdom glory, as appears from her petition (Matthew, 20. 20-23), she doubtless tried to fill his young and ardent mind with the same hope. Neander distinguishes three leading tendencies in the development of the Christian doctrine, the Pauline, the Jacobean (between which the Petrine forms an intermediate link), and the Johanneau, John, in common with James, was less disposed to the intellectual and dialectic cast of thought which distinguishes Paul. He had not, like the apostle of the Gentiles, been brought to faith and peace through severe conflict; but, like James, had reached his Christianit dividuality through a quiet development: James however, had passed through a moulding in Judaism previously, which, under the Spirit, caused him to present Christian truth in connexion with the law, in so far as the latter in its spiri though not letter, is permanent, and not abolished, but established under the gospel. But John, from the first, hai drawn his whole spiritual development from the personal view of Christ, the model man, and from intercourse w Him. Hence, in his writings, every thing turns on one simple contrast: divine life in communion with Christ; death an separation from Him. as appears from his characteristic phrases, "fe, light, truth; death, darkness, lie." As James and Peter mark the gradual transition from spiritualized Judaism to the independent development of Christianity, and as l'aul represents the independent development of Christianity in opposition to the Jewish stand-point, so E contemplative element of John reconciles the two, and forms the clo ing point in the training of the apostolic church” [Neander.] Our Fellowship with the CHAPTER I. may thus be known, but not comprehended. The repetition of "with" before the "Son," distinguishes the persons, whilst the fellowship or communion with both Father and Son, implies their unity. It is not added, "and with the Holy Ghost;" for it is by the Holy Ghost or Spirit of the Father and Son in us, that we are enabled to have fellowship with the Father and Son (cf. ch. 3. 24). Believers enjoy the fellowship of, but not WATH, the Holy Ghost. "Through Christ God closes up the chasm that separated Him from the human race, and imparts Himself to them in the communion of the Divine life." [NEANDER.) 4. these things-and none other, viz., this whole epistle. write we unto you-Some oldest MSS. omit "unto you," and emphasize “we.' Thus the antithesis is between "we" (apostles and eye-witnesses) and "your." We write thus, that your joy may be full. Other oldest MSS. and versions read "OUR joy." viz., that our joy may be filled full by bringing you also into fellowship with the Father and Son. Cf. John, 4. 36, end; Philippians, 2. 2, Fulfil ye my joy," 16; and 4. 1; 2 John, 8. It is possible that "your" may be a correction of transcribers to make this verse harmonize with John, 16. 11; 16. 24; however, as John often repeats favourite phrases, he may do so here, so "your" may be from himself. So 2 John, 12, "your" in oldest MSS. The authority of MSS. and versions on both sides here is almost evenly balanced. Christ Himself is the source, object, and centre of His people's joy (cf. v. 3, end); it is in fellowship with Him that we have joy, the fruit of faith. 5. First Division of the body of the epistle (cf. Introduction). declare Greek, "an Ver. 1-10. THE WRITER'S AUTHORITY AS AN EYE-WITNESS TO THE GOSPEL. FACTS, HAVING SEEN, HEARD, AND HANDLED HIM WHO WAS FROM THE BEGINNING: HIS OBJECT IN WRITING: His MESSAGE. IF WE WOULD HAVE Fellowship WITH HIM, WE MUST WALK IN LIGHT, AS HE IS LIGHT. 1. Instead of a formal, John adopts a virtual address (cf. v. 4). To wish joy to the reader was the ancient customary address. The sentence begun in v. 1, is broken off by the parenthetic v. 2, and is resumed at v. 3, with the repetition of some words from v. 1. That which was not "began to be," but was essentially (Greek een, not egeneto) before He was manifested (v. 2): answering to "Him that is from the beginning" | (ch. 2. 13): so John's gospel, 1. 1. "In the beginning was the Word." Proverbs, 8. 23, "I was set up from everlasting. from the beginning, or ever the earth was." we-apostles. heard...seen... looked upon... handled-A series rising in gradation. Seeing is a more convincing proof than hearing of; handling, than even seeing. "Have heard...have seen" (perfects), as a possession still abiding with us; but in Greek (not as English Version "have," but simply) "looked upon" (not perfect, as of a continuing thing, but aorist, past time) whilst Christ the incarnate Word was still with us. **Seen," viz., His glory, as revealed in the transfiguration and in His miracles; and His passion and death in a real body of flesh and blood. "Looked upon" as a wondrous spectacle stedfastly, deeply, contemplatively: so the Greek. Appropriate to John's contemplative character. hands... handled-Thomas and the other disciples on distinct occasions after the re-nounce;" report in turn: a different Greek word from surrection. John himself had leant on Jesus' breast v. 3. As the Son announced the message heard from at the last supper. Contrast the wisest of the heathen the Father as His apostle, so the Son's apostles anfeeling after (the same Greek as here: groping after | nounce what they have heard from the Son. John no WITH THE HANDS) if haply they might find God. This where uses the term "gospel:" but the witness or proves against Socinians, he is here speaking of the testimony, the word, the truth, and here the message. personal incarnate Word, not of Christ's teaching God is light-What light is in the natural world, that from the beginning of His official life. of-"concern- God, the source of even material light, is in the ing :" following "heard." "Heard" is the verb most spiritual, the fountain of wisdom, purity, beauty, joy, applying to the purpose of the epistle, viz., the truth and glory. As all material life and growth depend which John had heard concerning the Word of life, i.e., on light, so all spiritual life and growth depend on (Christ) the Word who is the life. "Heard," viz., from GOD. As God here, so Christ, in ch. 2. 8, is called Christ Himself, including all Christ's teachings about "the true light." no darkness at all-Strong negation: Himself. Therefore he puts "of," or "concerning." Greek, "No, not even one speck of darkness," no before the word of life," which is inapplicable to ignorance, error, untruthfulness, sin, or death. John any of the verbs except "heard;" also "heard" is the heard this from Christ, not only in express words, only one of the verbs which he resumes at v. 5. 2. the but in His acted words, viz., His whole manifestation life-Jesus, "the Word of life." was manifested-who in the flesh as "the brightness of the Father's glory." had previously been "with the Father." show-trans-Christ Himself was the embodiment of "the message," late as in v. 3, "declare" (cf. v. 5). Declare is the representing fully in all His sayings, doings, and sufgeneral term; write is the particular (v. 4). that eter-ferings, Him who is LIGHT.__6. say― profess. have ual life-Greek, "the life which is eternal." As the fellowship with him (v. 3.) The essence of the Chrisepistle begins, so it ends with "eternal life," which tian life. walk-in inward and outward action, whitherwe shall ever enjoy with, and in, Him who is the life soever we turn ourselves. [BENGEL.] in darknesseternal." which- Greek, the which," the before- Greek, "in the darkness," opposed to "the light" (cf. mentioned (v. 1) life which was with the Father "from ch. 2. 8, 11). lie-ch. 2. 4.) do not-in practice, whatthe beginning" (cf. John, 1. 1). This proves the distinct-ever we say. the truth-(Ephesians, 4. 21; John, 3. 21.) ness of the First and Second Persons in the one God- 7. Cf. Ephesians, 5. 8, 11-14. "WE WALK :" "God Is head. 3. That which we have seen and heard-Re- (essentially in His very nature as "the light," v. 5) ia sumed from v. 1, wherein the sentence, being inter- the light." WALKING in the light, the element in rupted by v. 2, parenthesis, was left incomplete. de- which God Himself is, constitutes the test of fellowclare we unto you-Oldest MSS. add also: unto you also ship with Him. Christ, like us, walked in the light who have not seen or heard Him. that ye also may (ch. 2. 6). ALFORD notices, Walking in the light as He have fellowship with us - that we also who have not is in the light, is no mere imitation of God, but seen, may have the fellowship with us which we who an identity in the essential element of our daily waik have seen enjoy; what that fellowship consists in with the essential element of God's eternal being. he proceeds to state, "Our fellowship is with the Fa- we have fellowship one with another-and of course with ther and with His Son." Faith realizes what we have God (to be understood from v. 6), without having felnot seen as spiritually visible; not till by faith we too lowship with whom there can be no true and Christian have seen, do we know all the excellency of the true fellowship one with another (cf.v.3). and-as the result Solomon. He Himself is ours: He in us and we in of "walking in the light, as He is in the light." the Him. We are partakers of the Divine nature." We blood of Jesus... cleanseth us from all sin-daily conknow God only by having fellowship with Him; He tracted through the sinful weakness of the flesh, and To Confess our Sins is the Way to Pardon. 1 JOHN, IL Christ our Advocate, the power of Satan and the world. He is speaking, | revealed in the law and gospel as a whole; for these not of justification through His blood once for all, but throughout rest on the fact that we have sinned, and of the present sanctification ("cleanseth" is present have sin. which the believer, walking in the light and having felCHAPTER II. lowship with God and the saints, enjoys as His privilege. Cf. John, 13, 10, Greek, "He that has been bathed, needeth not save to wash his feet, but is clean every whit." Cf. v. 9, "cleanse us from all unrighteousness," a further step besides "forgiving us our sins." Christ's blood is the cleansing mean, whereby gradually, being already justified and in fellowship with God, we become clean from all sin which would mar our fellowship with God. Faith applies the cleansing, purifying blood. Some oldest MSS. omit "Christ," others retain it. 8. The confession of sins is a necessary consequence of "walking in the light" (v. 7). "If thou shalt confess thyself a sinner, the truth is in thee: for the truth is itself light. Not yet has thy life become perfectly light, as sins are still in thee, but yet thou hast already begun to be illuminated, because there is in thee confession of sins." [AUGUSTINE.] that we have no sin-"HAVE," not "have had," must refer not to the past sinful life whilst unconverted, but to the present state wherein believers have sin even still. Observe, "sin" is in the singular; (confess our) sins" v. 9 in the plural. Sin refers to the corruption of the old man still present in us, and the stain created by the actual sins flowing from that old nature in us. To confess our need of cleansing from present sin is essential to "walking in the light;" so far is the presence of some sin incompatible with our in the main" walking in light." But the believer hates. confesses, and longs to be delivered from, all sin,which is darkness. "They who defend their sins, will see in the great day whether their sins can defend them." deceive ourselves - We cannot deceive God; we only make ourselves to err from the right path. the truth ch. 2. 4.) True faith. "The truth respecting God's holiness and our sinfulness, which is the very first spark of light in us, has no place in us." [ALFORD.] 9. confess with the lips, speaking from a contrite heart; involving also confession to our fellowmen of offences committed against them. he-God. faithful-to His own promises; "true" to His word. just-Not merely the mercy, but the justice or righteousness of God is set forth in the redemption of the penitent believer in Christ. God's promises of mercy, to which He is faithful, are in accordance with His justice. to-Greek, "in order that." His forgiving us our sins and cleansing us from, &c., is in furtherance of the ends of His eternal faithfulness and justice. forgive-remitting the guilt. cleanse-purify from all filthiness, so that henceforth we more and more become free from the presence of sin through the Spirit of sanctification (cf. Hebrews, 9. 14; and above, Note, v. 7). unrighteousness-offensive to Him who is just" or righteous: called "sin," v. 7, because "sin is the transgression of the law," and the law is the expression of God's righteousness; so that sin is unrighteousness. 10. Parallel to v. 8. we have not sinned-referring to the commission of actual sins, even after regeneration and conversion; whereas in v. 8, "we have no sin," refers to the present QUILT remaining (until cleansed from the actual sins committed, and to the SIN of our corrupt old nature still adhering to us. The perfect "have... sinned" brings down the commission of sins to the present time, not merely sins committed before, but since, conversion. we make him a liar-A gradation: v. 6, "we lie" v. 8, "we deceive ourselves" worst of all," we make Him a liar," by denying His word that all men are sinners cf. ch. 5. 10). his word is not in us -"His word." which is "the truth" (v. 8), accuses us truly; by denying it we drive it from our hearts (cf. John, 5.38). Our rejection of" His word" in respect to our being sinners, implies as the consequence our rejection of His word and will Ver. 1-29. THE ADVOCACY OF CHRIST IS OUR ANTIDOTE TO SIN WHILST WALKING IN THE LIGHT; FOR To Know GOD, WE MUST KEEP HIS COMMANDMENTS, AND LOVE The Brethren, AND NOT LOVE THE WORLD, NOR GIVE HEED TO ANTICHRISTS, AGAINST WHOM OUR SAFETY IS THROUGH THE INWARD ANOINTING OF GOD TO ABIDE IN GOD: SO AT CHRIST'S COMING WE SHALL NOT BE ASHAMED. 1. (Ch. 5. 18.) My little children-The diminutive expresses the tender affection of an aged pastor and spiritual father. My own dear children, i.e., sons and daughters Note, v. 12). these things — (ch. 1. 6-10 j My purpose in writing what I have just written is, not that you should abuse them as giving a licence to sin; but, on the contrary, in order that ye may not sin at all" (the Greek aorist implying the absence not only of the habit, but of single acts of sin (ALFORD. In order to "walk in the light" (ch. 1. 57), the first step is confession of sin 'ch. 1. 9), the next (ch. 2. 1) is that we should forsake all sin. The Divine purpose has for its aim, either to prevent the commission of, or to destroy sin. [BENGEL] And-Connected with the former: Futhermore, “if any man sin,” let him, whilst loathing and condemning it, not fear to go at once to God, the Judge, confessing it, for "we have an Advocate with Him." He is speaking of a BELIEVER'S occasional sins of infirmity through Satan's fraud and malice. The use of "we" immediately after implies that we all are liable to this, though not necessarily constrained to sin. we have an advocate-Advocacy is God's family blessing: other blessings He grants to good and bad alike, but justification, sanctification, continued intercession, and peace, He grants to His children alone. advocateGreek, "paraclete," the same term as is applied to the Holy Ghost, as the "other Comforter:" showing the unity of the Second and Third Persons of the Trinity. Christ is the Intercessor for us above; and, in His absence, here below the Holy Ghost is the other intercessor in us. Christ's advocacy is inseparable from the Holy Spirit's comfort and working in us, as the spint of intercessory prayer. righteous-As our "advocate," Christ is not a mere suppliant petitioner. He pleads for us on the ground of justice, or righteousness, as well as mercy. Though He can say nothing good of us, fe can say much for us. It is His righteousness, or obedt ence to the law, and endurance of its full penalty for us, on which He grounds His claim for our acquittal The sense therefore is, "in that He is righteous" contrast to our sin ("if any man sin"). The Father, by raising Him from the dead, and setting Him at His own right, has once for all accepted Christ's claim for us. Therefore the accuser's charges against God's children are vain. The righteousness of Christ stands on our side; for God's righteousness is, 16 Jesus Christ, ours." [LUTHER.) 2. And be-Greek "And Himself." He is our all-prevailing Advocate, because He is Himself “the propitiation: abstract, in 1 Corinthians, 1. 30: He is to us all that is needed for propitiation "in behalf of our sins:" the propitiator sacrifice, provided by the Father's love, removing the estrangement, and appeasing the righteous wrath, God's part, against the sinner. There is no gruity that a father should be offended with thai sal whom he loveth, and at that time offended with him when he loveth him." [BISHOP PEARSON.) The only other place in the New Testament where Grek pitiation occurs, is ch. 4, 10: it answers in LXX Hebrew caphar, to effect an atonement or reconciation with God, and in Ez. 44. 29, to the sun-offering. Romans, 3. 25, Greek, it is "propitiatory," ... mercy seat, or lid of the ark whereon God, represented |