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Jesus Christ is our Advocate
1 My dear children, I am writing these things to you so that you not sin; if someone does sin, we have an Advocate in the Father's presence, righteous Jesus Christ— 2 also, He Himself is the propitiation for our sins;* Now there is a good deal! Having Himself paid my debt, when the Son pleads my case before the Father, I will be cleared. Thank you, Lord! The term ‘propitiation’ is not so well known these days, but it has a specific theological content that needs to be preserved. It refers to an atoning sacrifice that is required to satisfy God's outraged character, outraged by our sin. not concerning ours only but also concerning those of the whole world.† “The whole world” cannot be limited to the elect, if language has verifiable meaning. Just because many do not avail themselves of the propitiation (most have never heard about it) does not mean it is not available.
We must keep His commandments
3 Now by this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments. 4 He who says, “I have come to know Him,” yet does not keep His commandments, is a liar and the Truth is not in him.‡ A statement both strong and uncomfortable, yet true. Deliberate sin indicates an inadequate knowledge of God. 5 But whoever keeps His Word, God's love has truly been perfected in him: by this we know that we are in Him. 6 He who claims to be abiding in Him really needs to act just like He acted.§ I imagine John was remembering the upper room—John 14:12.
An old/new commandment
7 Brothers,* Some 15% of the Greek manuscripts have ‘beloved’ (as in NIV, NASB, LB, TEV, etc.). I am not writing a new commandment to you but an old one that you have had from the beginning; this old commandment is the word that you have heard from the beginning. 8 Again, I am writing a new commandment to you, which thing is true in Him and in you, because the darkness† I take “the darkness” to be a reference to Satan's kingdom, while “the true Light is already shining” would refer to the outworking of Christ's victory, which in a certain sense turned all old commandments into new ones—the indwelling Holy Spirit enables us to do what we could not, before. Darkness is merely the absence of light; to introduce light in any situation reduces the darkness, which is why the world hates us. is passing away and the true Light is already shining. 9 He who claims to be in the Light while hating his brother is in the darkness until now. 10 He who keeps on loving his brother is staying in the Light, and there is no occasion for stumbling in him. 11 But he who keeps on hating his brother is in the darkness and keeps walking in the darkness; he does not know where he is going because the darkness has blinded his eyes.
Look out for the enemy!
A bit of poetry
12 Dear children, I am writing to you because your sins have been forgiven for His name's sake‡ Verse 12 is an introductory cover statement; in verse 13 John divides the cover group into three subgroups; in verse 14 he returns to the first two categories [I confess that I do not understand the purpose of verse 14, unless it be that John wanted to enlarge on what he says to the young men but did not want to pass over the fathers]. 13 —fathers, I am writing to you because you have come to know Him§ An increasingly adequate knowledge of God has everything to do with spiritual maturity. who is from the beginning; young men, I am writing to you because you have overcome the evil one;* Spiritual warfare is not for ‘children’. children, I am writing to you because you have come to know the Father— 14 fathers, I have written to you because you have come to know Him who is from the beginning; young men, I have written to you because you are strong, and the Word of God remains in you,† For the Word to abide in you, you have to abide in it (John 8:31). and you have overcome the evil one.
We must not love the world
15 Do not love the world, neither the things in the world;‡ The crucial issue is the values that the surrounding culture seeks to impose on us—materialism, relativism, humanism; these values are directly opposed to the Father's values, and therefore to His love. if anyone loves the world, the Father's love is not in him. 16 Because everything in the world—the craving of the flesh and the craving of the eyes and the pretension of life—is not from the Father but is from the world.§ The world system is controlled by Satan (5:19 below), so that system with its values is against the Creator. As the Sovereign said in Matthew 6:24, it is impossible to serve two masters—the more so if one is God and the other is Satan! 17 The world, with its craving, is passing away, but he who does God's will remains forever.* Note that we have to do the will. “Whoever does the will of God, the same is my brother, my sister, my mother” (Mark 3:25). The Sovereign also said that it is a son who abides in the house forever (John 8:35).
A bunch of little antichrists
18 Children, it is the last hour, and just as you have heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have appeared, by which we know that it is the last hour.† One gets the impression that the early Christians expected the Lord's return within their lifetime. The Creator is not bound by our notions of time. 19 They went out from us but were not of us,‡ Those who have left the Christian community are often nastier than those who have never been a part of it. Notice that John calls them “antichrists”! There have always been defectors from the Faith, and they have always been bad news. for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us—they left so that they might be exposed, that none of them were of us.
20 You have an Anointing from the Holy One and understand all.§ Presumably the “Anointing” refers to the Holy Spirit; to receive understanding we need to listen to Him. 21 I have not written to you because you do not know the truth, but because you do know it, and because no lie is of the Truth.* The Spirit of the Truth cannot lie (John 14:17, 15:26, 16:13; Titus 1:2), just as Satan cannot tell the truth (John 8:44) [if he ever does it is distorted so as to deceive].
We must abide in the truth
22 Who is the liar† The Text has the definite article—behind every liar is the father of lies. Those who claim that Jesus was only a good man, a great teacher, are on Satan's side. but the one denying that Jesus is the Christ? This is the Antichrist, the one denying the Father and the Son. 23 Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father either.‡ Some 20% of the Greek manuscripts add, “whoever confesses the Son has the Father also”, as in most versions. I take it that John is making the point that to deny either the Father or the Son is to deny them both—the addition is unnecessary. The 80%, including the best line of transmission, are correct. Note that John rejects Unitarianism (Sabellianism, modalism). Also, this verse is directly relevant to how one should present the Gospel to Muslims. 24 So you, let what you have heard from the beginning abide in you; if what you have heard from the beginning abides in you, you also will abide in the Father and in the Son.
25 This is the promise that He Himself promised us—the eternal life. 26 I have written these things to you concerning those who are trying to deceive you; 27 but really, you do not need anyone to teach you, because the Anointing that you received from Him abides in you; further, as the same Anointing teaches you concerning all things,§ Compare John 16:13. and it is true and no lie—well just as He has taught you, you will abide in Him.
Remember the accounting at our Lord's return
28 And now, dear children, do abide in Him, so that whenever He appears we* One might expect ‘you’ instead of “we”, but evidently John is concerned about the results of his labors, as was Paul (1 Thessalonians 2:19). may have confidence and not be ashamed before Him at His coming. 29 If you have understood that He is righteous, you know that everyone who practices righteousness has been begotten by Him.† Do you find this statement to be uncomfortable? You probably know people who live moral, upright lives, but have never gotten ‘saved’ according to our definition of the procedure. Might there be something lacking in our definition?

*2:2 Now there is a good deal! Having Himself paid my debt, when the Son pleads my case before the Father, I will be cleared. Thank you, Lord! The term ‘propitiation’ is not so well known these days, but it has a specific theological content that needs to be preserved. It refers to an atoning sacrifice that is required to satisfy God's outraged character, outraged by our sin.

†2:2 “The whole world” cannot be limited to the elect, if language has verifiable meaning. Just because many do not avail themselves of the propitiation (most have never heard about it) does not mean it is not available.

‡2:4 A statement both strong and uncomfortable, yet true. Deliberate sin indicates an inadequate knowledge of God.

§2:6 I imagine John was remembering the upper room—John 14:12.

*2:7 Some 15% of the Greek manuscripts have ‘beloved’ (as in NIV, NASB, LB, TEV, etc.).

†2:8 I take “the darkness” to be a reference to Satan's kingdom, while “the true Light is already shining” would refer to the outworking of Christ's victory, which in a certain sense turned all old commandments into new ones—the indwelling Holy Spirit enables us to do what we could not, before. Darkness is merely the absence of light; to introduce light in any situation reduces the darkness, which is why the world hates us.

‡2:12 Verse 12 is an introductory cover statement; in verse 13 John divides the cover group into three subgroups; in verse 14 he returns to the first two categories [I confess that I do not understand the purpose of verse 14, unless it be that John wanted to enlarge on what he says to the young men but did not want to pass over the fathers].

§2:13 An increasingly adequate knowledge of God has everything to do with spiritual maturity.

*2:13 Spiritual warfare is not for ‘children’.

†2:14 For the Word to abide in you, you have to abide in it (John 8:31).

‡2:15 The crucial issue is the values that the surrounding culture seeks to impose on us—materialism, relativism, humanism; these values are directly opposed to the Father's values, and therefore to His love.

§2:16 The world system is controlled by Satan (5:19 below), so that system with its values is against the Creator. As the Sovereign said in Matthew 6:24, it is impossible to serve two masters—the more so if one is God and the other is Satan!

*2:17 Note that we have to do the will. “Whoever does the will of God, the same is my brother, my sister, my mother” (Mark 3:25). The Sovereign also said that it is a son who abides in the house forever (John 8:35).

†2:18 One gets the impression that the early Christians expected the Lord's return within their lifetime. The Creator is not bound by our notions of time.

‡2:19 Those who have left the Christian community are often nastier than those who have never been a part of it. Notice that John calls them “antichrists”! There have always been defectors from the Faith, and they have always been bad news.

§2:20 Presumably the “Anointing” refers to the Holy Spirit; to receive understanding we need to listen to Him.

*2:21 The Spirit of the Truth cannot lie (John 14:17, 15:26, 16:13; Titus 1:2), just as Satan cannot tell the truth (John 8:44) [if he ever does it is distorted so as to deceive].

†2:22 The Text has the definite article—behind every liar is the father of lies. Those who claim that Jesus was only a good man, a great teacher, are on Satan's side.

‡2:23 Some 20% of the Greek manuscripts add, “whoever confesses the Son has the Father also”, as in most versions. I take it that John is making the point that to deny either the Father or the Son is to deny them both—the addition is unnecessary. The 80%, including the best line of transmission, are correct. Note that John rejects Unitarianism (Sabellianism, modalism). Also, this verse is directly relevant to how one should present the Gospel to Muslims.

§2:27 Compare John 16:13.

*2:28 One might expect ‘you’ instead of “we”, but evidently John is concerned about the results of his labors, as was Paul (1 Thessalonians 2:19).

†2:29 Do you find this statement to be uncomfortable? You probably know people who live moral, upright lives, but have never gotten ‘saved’ according to our definition of the procedure. Might there be something lacking in our definition?

© 2016 Wilbur N. Pickering, ThM, PhD