1 John

Tuesday, 24 March 2020

He who loves his brother abides in the light, and there is no cause for stumbling in him. 1 John 2:10

In an initial read of this sentence, one may immediately say, “I understand. John’s words are clear.” But through a quick evaluation of possibilities of what it could mean, the waters may easily get muddied. Cambridge provides four possibilities to what John means –

“There are several ways of taking this. 1. He has in him nothing likely to ensnare him or cause him to stumble. 2. He has in him nothing likely to cause others to stumble. 3. There is in his case nothing likely to cause stumbling. 4. In the light there is nothing likely to cause stumbling;—the Greek for ‘in him’ being either masculine or neuter, and therefore capable of meaning ‘in it’. All make good sense, and the last makes a good antithesis to ‘knoweth not whither he goeth’ in 1 John 2:11 : but the first is to be preferred on account of 1 John 2:11. Yet in favour of the second it is worth noting that σκάνδαλον is commonly, if not always, used of offence caused to others.” 

What may be on John’s mind as he wrote these words was what Jesus said in John 11 –

“Jesus answered, ‘Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. ¹⁰ But if one walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him.’” John 11:9, 10

If this is so, then Cambridge’s Option 4 is what is being referred to. However, the word used in John 11 is not the same as that being used here. Despite this, the thought is rather similar. Verses 9-11 show a progression of thought –

He who says he is in the light, and hates his brother, is in darkness until now.

He who loves his brother abides in the light, and there is no cause for stumbling in him.

But he who hates his brother is in darkness and walks in darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.

It is the light and the darkness which are the main subjects of each verse. They are given to contrast one another, just as Jesus spoke in John 11. Those states are brought about by either love or hate. When one hates, he is in darkness. When one loves, he abides in light. In hating, one has his eyes blinded. In a state of blindness, the person stumbles.

Therefore, John’s words show a uniting of the act of love of a brother and the state of abiding in the light. In such a state, there is no reason why he should stumble. In this, he is safe in his walk and can feel secure in his salvation. In verse 15 (and after), John will show that it is not love itself that makes one secure. There, he will speak of the love of the world – something contrary to “the love of the Father.” Therefore, the love of the brother (a love which is properly directed) is a sign of abiding in the light.

Life application: Notice that this verse says, “He who loves” rather than “He who says he loves.” John is making sure that this is a true heartfelt condition in the believer and not just a casual acknowledgment of an expected condition – “Yeah, I love Brother John, but….” There is no “but” and no other conditional argument to be posited here. In other words, we need to actively pursue the love we may not really be feeling until we come to the point that we really feel it.

It is far too easy to pay lip service to this concept and deprive ourselves of the true joy of brotherly love. And not only do we deprive ourselves of this joy, but we also keep a rift between us and the Lord. Darkness surrounds at least a part of what should be intimate fellowship with Him.

John says that such a person who truly loves his brother “abides” in the light. Rather than being a temporary pilgrim who steps in and out of the light, this person lives as a permanent resident in God’s presence which is absolute light; in Him there is no darkness at all.

There is also “no cause for stumbling” in a person who lives in constant love of his brothers. John Wesley says, “He that hates his brother is an occasion of stumbling to himself. He stumbles against himself, and against all things within and without; while he that loves his brother has a free disencumbered journey.”

Don’t feel bad if you know in your heart that you haven’t measured up to the command here. All Christians struggle with the challenge of loving an annoying brother, all struggle with the challenge of loving a bitter brother, and all struggle with the challenge of loving an antagonistic brother. The path of least resistance is to remove oneself from his presence, but the condition which brings about a real walk in the light of God’s garden is to demonstrate that high and noble love even to the one who is otherwise unlovable.

Heavenly Father, You have asked us to love those who are our brothers in Christ. But that seems like a giant hurdle at times. Help us to consider that Christ also died for them, they received that payment, and they are adopted as sons through faith. If You have accepted them, then how can we hate them? Give us the ability to do what often seems contrary to our will. Help us to love those who otherwise seem unlovable to us so that we will reflect the love You have already shown. Amen.

Monday, 23 March 2020

He who says he is in the light, and hates his brother, is in darkness until now. 1 John 2:9

Again, as he has done elsewhere, John now pens a thought antithetical to the previous thought. In the previous verse, there is a positive statement first which says, “the darkness is passing away, and the true light is already shining.” In this verse, there is a negative which says, “He who says he is in the light, and hates his brother, is in darkness until now.”

The light of Christ is shining, and someone may say, “I am in the light,” claiming that he is a true follower of the Lord. However, John shows the illogical nature of such a statement if he also “hates his brother.” Here, a “brother” is certainly speaking of a saved believer in Christ. It can, at times, extend to all people. In this case, the true believer is in the light. Light and light complement one another, but light and darkness do not.

John equates darkness with hate. But if God is light, and the gospel is the means of transmitting His light to the world, then there can be no darkness in it. So, how can someone who hates one who is in the light be in the light? John is asking his reader to think this through logically, and to understand that in hating a brother, one is hating what is good. As that which is good is light, then such a person who hates one in the light “is in darkness until now.”

In the heart, there is only room for one or the other. We cannot love as instructed (see 1 Corinthians 13) and also have hate at the same time. But this is the contradictory thinking of humans. We do not think critically, and thus our minds are obscured with darkness.

John will take this thought and expand on it, and he will further clarify it in the next two verses.

Life application: We simply cannot hate our fellow Christians and claim we are walking in the light of God’s love. The two are incompatible and John is immensely blunt in what he writes.

We need to be careful though and not take this to an unintended extreme. If a brother has bad doctrine, if a pastor teaches what is inappropriate, if a preacher fails to preach the truth, we aren’t asked to simply roll over and cover their waywardness with a blanket of gushy love. Rather, such teachings need to be addressed, rebuked, and even excommunicated from the fellowship lest they poison the minds of those who are seeking out the truth.

Balance is needed in the Christian walk – love for the brotherhood while maintaining doctrinal purity. To have love without proper doctrine is a demonstration of untrue love; to have doctrine without love leads to only coldness and condemnation. When the two are properly balanced, Christ is in His rightful spot as the Giver of truth and the Sustainer of the fellowship. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus and we will be well rounded in our walk, which is in His light.

Jesus, may we never forsake love when speaking Your word to others. But surely may we also keep from compromising Your truth for the sake of false love and tolerance of what is not right. Give us the proper balance when discussing Your word. May we properly and faithfully fellowship with our brothers in Christ, loving them as is proper and fitting. Amen.

Sunday, 22 March 2020

Again, a new commandment I write to you, which thing is true in Him and in you, because the darkness is passing away, and the true light is already shining. 1 John 2:8

John just wrote about “an old commandment which you have had from the beginning.” In those words, he was referring to the commandment of love which had been given by Christ at the introduction of the New Covenant. Now he says, “Again, a new commandment I write to you.”

His words are still speaking of the same command to love. However, he now terms it “new” to show that it is something which specifically applies to the New Covenant. As Jesus said –

“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. ³⁵ By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” John 13:34, 35

Jesus called it “new,” and thus, it is new in the sense that it specifically belongs to the New Covenant. If someone has a ten-year-old car that needs repair on its motor, he may take it to the mechanic who might say, “No problem, this is an old fix.” He has been working on cars like this for almost ten years now. At the same time, he may say, “This is a new technology,” because the type of motor was just introduced when that car came out. Thus, the fix is “old” because it has been since the beginning, and yet it is “new” because it belongs to the newest line of motors.

Of this, “new commandment,” John then says, “which thing is true in Him.” This refers to Christ Jesus. Jesus demonstrated the very love He commanded to his disciples. He was making a connection between the life He revealed, which reflects the very nature of God, and how Christians should also conduct their lives, thus being imitators of God as well. That is reflected in John’s next words, “and in you.”

The connection between Christ and His disciples is exhibited in the love between His followers. To lack such an exhibition of love is to fail to meet the very standard which Jesus lived out and which He then commanded. That will be addressed in the next verse. But to set up that thought, John next says, “because the darkness is passing away, and the true light is already shining.”

This ties in with what was said in Chapter 1 –

“This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. ⁶ If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. ⁷ But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.” 1 John 1:5-7

The darkness is that which is contrary to God and His nature. The “true light” is that which is revealed through Christ, and in His gospel. That true light is then conveyed through, and in harmony with, the love of God. The gospel – which reveals the light of God in Christ – is causing the darkness to pass away as this is light shines in those who receive this message of reconciliation.

Someday, only that which is light will remain. The darkness of false religion, of hate, and of the works of the devil will be ended, and only those who have come to God through Christ will be left. The true light, which is already shining, will be evidenced everywhere and forever.

Life application: Jesus spoke His command to love before the crucifixion, when darkness still covered the world. But just as a sailboat disappears over the horizon, fading into the sea, the spiritual darkness would fade away as the Light of what Jesus did rose to an anxious world. The love He directs us to – the gospel message – was already beginning to shine, but His victory over death brought it to its full splendor when He rose from the grave.

The darkness is simply dissipating from its own inability to overcome the Light; the Light dispels the darkness. And so, the “new commandment” is that we emulate the fullness of the love received in the Person of Jesus. We now have not only the command, but we also have the ability to love our fellow Christians. This “new commandment” is given from the mouth of Jesus before His death and is repeated by His apostles after His resurrection. Truly, what Jesus says in Revelation is true – “Behold I make all things new.” Revelation 21:5

Marvelous and wise God! Thank You for the New Commandment – that we love our fellow believers even as You have loved us. Give us the desire and the wisdom to be loving and gracious friends to those who belong to You. May we not withhold our love from the fellowship just as You didn’t withhold Yours when You gave us Jesus – the greatest demonstration of love ever. Amen.

Saturday, 21 March 2020

Brethren, I write no new commandment to you, but an old commandment which you have had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which you heard from the beginning. 1 John 2:7

Without understanding what John is getting at in verses 2:7 and 2:8, one might think he is confused. He will speak of writing no new commandment and then of writing a new commandment. There is no confusion though. His words of writing “no new commandment” are a way of referring to a doctrine which has been set since the inception of the New Covenant. The new commandment he will write about will be referring to the fact that this is a part of the New Covenant, which has superseded the Old. With this understanding, He begins with, “Brethren.”

There is a variance in manuscripts here. Some say, “Brethren,” while others say, “Beloved.” “Beloved” would fit better with the previous context concerning “the love of God,” but either way, He next says, “I write no new commandment to you.”

The word “new” is one which defines freshness, not age. For example, it would speak of the “New Covenant” as opposed to the “Old Covenant.” The age of a covenant isn’t what matters, but whether it is applicable still or not. John is saying that he is not writing something new to the ears, but something that has already been established. That is seen in the words, “but an old commandment.”

In this, Vincent’s Word Studies notes that in the New Testament there are four words used to describe “old” or “elder.” He further provides details on each. For brevity, the word used by John here is palaios. He defines it as –

“Παλαιός carries the sense of worn out by time, injury, sorrow, or other causes. Thus the old garment (Matthew 9:16) is παλαιόν. So the old wine-skins (Matthew 9:17). The old men of a living generation compared with the young of the same generation are παλαιοί. In παλαιός the simple conception of time dominates. In ἀρχαῖος there is often a suggestion of a character answering to the remote age. The commandment is here called old because it belonged to the first stage of the Christian church. Believers had had it from the beginning of their Christian faith.”

This is what John was referring to in the verse 2:5, where he said, “But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him.” This is the same thing that they had always heard and been instructed in. It is, therefore, certainly pointing to the commandment of love. That was given by Christ in John 13 –

“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. ³⁵ By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” John 13:34, 35

By the time of John’s writing, this commandment was certainly known to all. Thus, John now calls it an “old commandment.” This is the same thought that Paul speaks of in several ways, including in Ephesians 5:1, 2 –

“Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. ² And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.”

It is this commandment that John now says, “which you have had from the beginning.” From the beginning of the New Covenant, Christ had set forth this commandment, and it then extended forth to all who heard the word. John is repeating that word to ensure it continued to be remembered by those who do believe, and to be passed on to those who will believe. As John notes, “The old commandment is the word which you heard from the beginning.”

The repetition of the thought in these final words is a way of emphasizing what has been conveyed. In essence, “Everything that I am relaying to you is something which has already been put forth. You have heard it from the beginning, and nothing has changed since you heard it.”

Life application: John is saying that he is adding nothing to what was handed down to him from the Lord. Thus, he was not adding in some arbitrary standards of his own.

Jesus told his disciples that the mark of a Christian, and the way which they will be known as true disciples, is by their genuine love for one another. This is a commandment, and it signifies a love which is demonstrable and visible. Whether we like the fellow Christian we are dealing with or not, we are to love him in a way which identifies him as brother in the Lord.

John could pen these words with conviction as he was present with the Lord when he heard Him speak this new commandment. It was his duty as an apostle to pass these words on to his hearers and it is our continued duty – even to this day – to receive them and apply them to our own lives, lest we be found false disciples.

Lord Jesus, you have commanded us to have love for our fellow believers. But you know that can be very hard. They are so…  they do such… they act like… But maybe we are that way to them! And so, Lord, change us if needed. Mold us into the loving vessels You have commanded us to be. Change us as individuals so that we will be pleasing disciples in Your eyes. To Your glory we pray. Amen.

Friday, 20 March 2020

He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked. 1 John 2:6

So far, John has conveyed the thought of “to know Him.” He then has spoken concerning being “in Him.” Now he takes that thought and intensifies it by speaking of one who “abides in Him.” Bengel notes of this “knowledge, fellowship, constancy.” Understanding this, John says, “He who says he abides in Him.”

The word “abides” speaks of exactly this, constancy. If a person has a house, that is where he abides. If he is traveling, he will simply rent a room and then move on. Therefore, when a person “abides” in Christ, John says he “ought himself also to walk just as He walked.”

A person can know of Jesus and not accept Jesus. Or, a person can claim to know Jesus and yet not keep His commandments. But if a person knows Jesus, has called on Jesus, and is in Christ, then John’s logic is that he should desire to then emulate Christ Jesus. It is contradictory to being in Christ and not striving to be like Christ.

Therefore, the manner in which Christ walked is to be the manner in which the person who abides in Christ should walk. As seen throughout the epistles, the term “walk” signifies a person’s continuous conduct in life. As Christ’s walk was one of righteousness, holiness, pleasing the Father in all He did, and so on, then this is how the believer is also to conduct his affairs in life.

There is the obvious truth that we are still in fallen, frail bodies, and our walk is bound to get tripped up, but it should be our life’s desire and practice to walk according to that which was set before us in Christ.

Life application: Jesus “walked” in a state of perfection, fully keeping the laws of the Old Covenant that we could never keep. After doing this, He gave His life up on the cross for us. It is therefore by faith in what Jesus did that we stand justified before God. Paul explains this clearly in Romans 3 and throughout the book of Galatians. In Galatians 2:16, he says –

“… knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified.”

Our faith in Jesus’ accomplishment (to God be the glory) is what puts us in a right standing with God. Once we stand justified, we should walk in a manner befitting His work. We are to keep His commandments and live for Him, not for the world and all it holds. Those who say they abide in Christ should live as if they really believe it and thus bring credit, not disgrace, to His name. May we pay heed to the words of the apostle today and walk just as Jesus walked – to the glory of God the Father.

O Heavenly Father – You sent Jesus to fulfill the impossible standards of the law so that we could be justified by faith in Him, and to stand in a right relationship with You. What a marvelous story Your word tells; what a wonderful Gift has been offered to us, if we will but receive it. Thank You, O God, for Jesus. Amen.