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1 John Chapter
Two
I.
Content of the Chapter
How to Keep the Fellowship
A. Be forgiven by God the Father by Jesus
Christ, the righteous (v.1-2);
B. Abide in light through keeping the Lord’s
commandment of love (v.3-11);
1. Only those who know the Lord keep the commandment
of love (v.3-4);
2. Only those who abide in the Lord keep the
commandment of love (v.5-6);
3. This commandment of love is an old and new
commandment (v.7-8);
4. He who loves brothers abides in light
(v.9-11);
C. Keep the fellowship by the knowledge of life
(v.12-29);
1. Know the difference between the Father and
the world (v.12-17);
2. Know the difference between Jesus Christ and
antichrist (v.18-23);
3. Know the difference between the teachings of
the anointment and that of man (v.24-27);
4. Those who abide in the Lord and practice
righteousness are born of Him (v.28-29);
II.
Verse by Verse Commentary
1John. 2:1
“My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And
if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.”
YLT: “My little children, these
things I write to you, that ye may not sin: and if any one may sin, an advocate
we have with the Father, Jesus Christ, a righteous one,”
Meaning of Words:
“children”: infants; “Advocate”: intercessor,
consoler, comforter; “the righteous”: the just;
Literal Meaning:
“my little children, these
things I write to you”, “children”, the love
and care of the elders to juniors in the house of God are manifested here;
“these things” refer to the word in the first chapter of this book, especially
verse five to ten that he who confesses his sins will be forgiven.
“So
that you may not sin”, “not sin”, not sin intentionally, namely,
be not indulged in the flesh but let God’s word of life in us (see 3:9; 5:18);
“And
if anyone sins”, “sin”: commit sins
occasionally (see Rom. 7:18-20).
“We
have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous”, “the Father”: God
in the heavens (see Heb. 4:14); here, it mentions “Father” instead of “God”,
which seems to regard believers’ sins against God as occasional cases in the
house of God; “Advocate”, the Lord Jesus is the defender, who provides help and
becomes an intercessor for us before God (see Heb. 7:22-25); “Jesus Christ the
righteous”, it means that the Lord Jesus is completely without sin, but he has
borne the punishment of sin for us and satisfied the requirements of God’s
righteousness; Only He is able to defend for us, so His intercession must
appease the righteous wrath of God.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) God is perfect, so His requirements for His
people must also be perfect. God does not say that we may sin less, but not sin
(see John 8:11).
2) If a believer relies on God’s grace of
remission selfishly, he will see light of sins. He will not take care of his
conversation since God will forgive him (see 1:7-9).
3) We believers are merely “human beings”.
Therefore, when we reject sins by the Lord, we may still commit sins again.
Thanks God! He has prepared for our possible failure.
4) There are two improper responses to sins for
abnormal Christians ---- sin with boldness without any restraint, and be unable
to overcome sins and become faint and discouraged in mind.
5) “With the Father”, it indicates that even
though the fellowship of believers with God may be interrupted because of sins,
the relationship of God the Father with the children will never be broken.
6) The Lord Jesus has become the Advocate of a
better covenant. He is able to save to the uttermost those who come to God
through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them (Heb. 7:22,
24).
1John. 2:2 “And He Himself is the
propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world.”
YLT:
“and he -- he is a propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only, but also
for the whole world,”
Meaning
of Words: “propitiation”: atonement, expiator; “only”: merely;
Literal
Meaning: “and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins”, “our sins”: all our sins, including those we have
committed after we have been saved; “propitiation”: sacrifices that appease the
wrath of God; the Lord Jesus not only makes intercessions for our sins (see
v.1) but also becomes the sacrifice that appeases the wrath of God ---- who
sacrificed Himself on the cross and became the only offering appeasing the
wrath of God.
“And not for ours only but also for the whole world”, “ours”: that of
believers; “the
whole world”: people in the
world of all generations; the Lord’s redemption on the cross is for all sinners
in the world, but only those who believe will enjoy such effect.
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) The Lord Jesus is both “Advocate” (see v.1)
and “propitiation”. And he is also the High Priest and the
sacrifice.
2) The Lord is the “propitiation”, who is able enough to redeem the relation of God
with the whole world. However if man is unwilling to believe and receive, he is
unable to experience the redemption.
3) The Lord is both our “propitiation” when we are saved to be reconciled with
God and our “propitiation” after we are saved to keep the fellowship with God.
1John. 2:3 “Now by this we know that
we know Him, if we keep His commandments.”
YLT:
“and in this we know that we have known him, if his commands we may keep;”
Meaning
of Words: “keep”: hold fast, watch, preserve; “commandments”: injunctions, precepts;
Literal
Meaning: “if we keep his commandments”, “if”, here it
points out another condition of having fellowship with God. The first two
verses are the negative conditions, and verses from three to eleven are the
positive conditions. “Keep his commandments”: keep the commandment given by the
Lord that we shall love one another (see John 13:34).
“By this we know that we know him”, “know”: consciousness in oneself;
“know him”: subjective and personal knowledge; there are two words of “know” in
Greek: one (ginosko) is the objective knowledge acquired by learning, and the
other one (oida) is the subjective knowledge obtained from personal experience.
And the two “know”s in this verse belong to the latter one. In the original,
the second know is in the present perfect tense, showing that the acquisition
of such knowledge is ongoing.
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) We need to recover our fellowship with God
by the Lord Jesus but also accelerate and develop our fellowship with God by
keeping the Lord’s commandments.
2) The real secret of “knowing oneself and the
Lord” is that one has to experience the Lord’s loving bowel in conversation and
keep the Lord’s commandment of love.
3) Believers shall learn to know God through
knowledge and practical experience of the Lord’s word.
4) Any knowledge that can not make us
determined to keep the truth of God is vain and valueless to us, just like that
priests and scribes clearly knew that the Messiah would be born in
1John. 2:4 “He who says, "I know
Him," and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not
in him.”
YLT:
“he who is saying, `I have known him,' and his command is not keeping, a liar
he is, and in him the truth is not;”
Meaning
of Words: “know”: understand; “keep”: hold fast,
watch, preserve; “commandments”:
injunctions, prescriptions; “truth”:
reality, verity;
Literal
Meaning: “He who says, "I know Him"”, “He”: he who
confesses he is a believer, including false teachers or true believers who have
failed; “I know Him”, many people like to confess that they know the Lord so as
to exalt themselves and teach others.
“And does not keep His commandments”,
“keep”: the present tense shows that it is a
continuous action. “Does not keep His commandments”: fail to manifest the
brotherly love in daily conversation
“Is a liar, and the truth is not in him”, “liar”, the one who confesses that he
knows the Lord and walks oppositely; “the truth is not in him”: the word of the
truth seems to be nothing to such man.
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) Right faith is the foundation of normal
life. Whether a man has right faith can be seen from his conversations.
2) Normally we Christians keep the commandments
of the Lord and abstain from sins, though we may sin occasionally (see v.1,
1:8).
3) He who confesses the Lord and disobeys the
Lord’s commandments is the worst liar in the world.
1John. 2:5 “But whoever keeps His
word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in
Him.”
YLT:
“and whoever may keep his word, truly in him the love of God hath been
perfected; in this we know that in him we are.”
Meaning
of Words: “keep”: preserve,
hold fast, watch; “word”: logos; “love”: divine love (agape); “truly”: really;
“perfected”: finished, make perfect, consecrated; “know”: understand;
Literal
Meaning: “whoever keeps His word”,
“His word”, it is larger than “the Lord’s
commandments” (see v.4). “Keep His word”, it includes keeping the Lord’s
commandment of love.
“Truly the love of God is perfected in him”, “the love of God” is perfect, but the
manifestation of love in believers varies according to their spiritual
conditions respectively. And the divine love will be perfected in all believers
as they keep the Lord’s word.
“By this we know that we are in Him”, “we know”: know consciously (see v.3);
“we are in Him”, only he who is in the Lord will love God and men by the divine
love. He who does not abide in the Lord will love God and men by “the
conditional human love” (phileo). Therefore, we shall know whether we are in
the Lord.
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) “The Lord’s word” and “God’s love” are
interrelated. The degree the Lord’s word has influenced us will decide how much
the love of God has been perfected in us.
2) When we are willing to keep the Lord’s word,
the love of God has been perfected to fulfill the purpose of enabling us to
obey Him.
3) Obedience and love can test whether one is a
true believer and are elements of living in light.
4) Whether a believer has lived in the Lord is
decided by whether “the love of God” has been perfected in him (see 3:14).
1John. 2:6 “He who says he abides in
Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked.”
YLT:
“He who is saying in him he doth remain, ought according as he walked also
himself so to walk.”
Meaning
of Words: “abide”: dwell, live;
“ought to”: have to; “as”: according to; “walk”: conduct;
Literal
Meaning: “He who says he abides in Him”, “abiding in Him” is deeper than “being in the
Lord” (see v.5). “Abides in Him”, it means that abiding in the Lord
continuously has becoming a habitual pattern of one’s life.
“Ought himself also to walk just as He
walked”, “as He walked”,
here it especially refers to the Lord’s love to us. “Walk just as He walked”,
it means that we shall also love one another (see John 13:34).
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) We shall not be merely satisfied that we
“are in the Lord” but seek further to “abide in the Lord”.
2) “Abide in the Lord” is “walking with the
Lord” ---- let us walk as the Lord walks.
3) The closer the relation of believers with
the Lord is, the more shall believers’ interpersonal relationship be
influenced. We cannot be too spiritual to regard others.
4) We are responsible to make our walking
worthy of the gracious calling we are called (see Eph. 4:1).
1John. 2:7 “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.”
YLT:
“Brethren, a new command I write not to you, but an old command, that ye had
from the beginning -- the old command is the word that ye heard from the
beginning;”
Meaning
of Words: “new”: fresh;
“commandment”: prescription, precept, injunction; “from the beginning”: at the
outset; “word”: logos;
Literal
Meaning: “brethren, I write no new commandment to you”, “new commandment”: a commandment that believers have not
heard before with no record in the Scriptures;
“But an old commandment which
you have had from the beginning”, “from the beginning”: from the time when we
believed the Lord; “old commandment”: the commandment that we had once
received;
“The old commandment is the word which you heard from the
beginning”, “the word which you heard” refers to the commandment of “loving one
another” given to us by the Lord (see John 13:34).
Here, “new … old”, it is not “that is new or
old” by nature, but in time. That believers have heard before is old, and that
have not is new.
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) Heretics often boast of the “new” teachings.
However, many Christians also prefer the new to the old and are not drawn by
the truth they heard before so that the heretical teachings creep in.
2) Though believers have to leave the word of
the beginning and go on to full growth (Heb. 6:1), they shall not reject the
word of the beginning, namely, the word we heard when we had just believed the
Lord.
1John. 2:8 “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.”
YLT:
“again, a new command I write to you, which thing is true in him and in you,
because the darkness doth pass away, and the true light doth now shine;”
Meaning
of Words: “again”: anew; “true”: real; “passing away”:
departing, going away; “shine”:
appear, be seen;
Literal
Meaning: “again, a new commandment I write to you”, though the
commandment itself is not new (see v.7), to we believers, we will always find a
kind of new light and feeling in our practice and experience new provision and
power. Therefore, “the new commandment” is different from that in verse seven.
Here, it is the new by nature.
“Which thing is true in Him and in you”, “true in Him”, the
Lord’ revelation and provision to we believers are always new everyday. “And in
you”, our feeling on and experience of this commandment are also fresh
everyday.
“Because the darkness is passing away, and the true light
is already shining”, “darkness”: the
darkness of sin and hating brothers (see 1:6; 2:9); “is passing away”, if
believers keep the Lord’s commandment of love, his power of sin and hatred
toward brothers will decrease and vanish finally because of the Lord’s
provision. “True light”, the light shone out of the Lord’s life and His word
(see 2Cor. 4:4-6).
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) Every time we believers read the word of God
and enjoy and experience the Lord’s life, we will have new feelings and light,
for the Spirit always renews us in us (see Titus 3:5).
2) If we live in the “old man” of us,
everything is old. However, if we live in the Lord, everything has become new
(see 2Cor. 5:17).
3) Darkness cannot resist the true light. The
more we draw near to the true light, the more will the darkness in us vanish.
1John. 2:9 “He who says he is in the
light, and hates his brother, is in darkness until now.”
YLT:
“he who is saying, in the light he is, and his brother is hating, in the
darkness he is till now;”
Meaning
of Words: “hate”: detest;
Literal
Meaning: “he who says he is in the light, and hates
his brother”, “in the light”: that is, “in the Lord” (see v.5), keep the
fellowship with the Lord; “and hates his brother”, it points that the nature of
“hatred” is completely opposite to that of “light”.
“Is in darkness until now”, “until now”, the condition of such man has
not changed yet. “Is in darkness”: he was in darkness and is still in darkness.
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) The conversations of some Christians go
against their words. Their walking is utterly unworthy of their words that seem
to be spiritual.
2) Hatred toward brothers is darkness. He who
hates brothers does not know the Lord or himself, for he is in darkness.
3) Our relationship with brothers reflects that
whether we are in light or darkness. The real spiritual condition of a man can
be clearly seen from how he treats with his brothers.
1John. 2:10 “He who loves his brother
abides in the light, and there is no cause for stumbling in him.”
YLT:
“he who is loving his brother, in the light he doth remain, and a
stumbling-block in him there is not;”
Meaning
of Words: “love”: the divine
love; “abide”: dwell, live, inhabit; “stumbling”: stumbling-block;
Literal
Meaning: “he who loves his brother abides in the
light”, “love his brother”: here it refers to the actions of love, not the
words of love only (see v.9; 3:18); “abides in the light”: “abide in the Lord”
(see v.6), i.e. “walk with the Lord”.
“And there is no cause for stumbling in him”, “stumbling”, make both
oneself and others stumbled; “cause”: reason;
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) Love helps to clear away the barriers on the
moral path. If we love brothers, we may understand how to avoid sinning against
God and men.
2) If a Christian keeps sound relationship with
the Lord, his path will be shone brightly. If once action is consistent with
his words, he will not make others stumble.
3) Our love or hatred toward others influences
our judgment upon things around us and our actions. Therefore, it is true that
out of the heart are the issues of life (Pro. 4:23).
1John. 2:11 “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.”
YLT:
“and he who is hating his brother, in the darkness he is, and in the darkness
he doth walk, and he hath not known whither he doth go, because the darkness
did blind his eyes.”
Meaning
of Words: “hate”: detest; “walk”: go, tread all
around; “know”:
consider, understand;
Literal
Meaning: “but he who hates his brother is in darkness and walks in
darkness”, “in darkness”, it refers to the static situation
without light. “Walk in darkness”: it refers to the dynamic situation in
darkness.
“And does not know where he is going, because the darkness
has blinded his eyes”, “where he is
going”: one has not direction on his path of life and is lost in darkness. “The
darkness had blinded his eyes”: the darkness keeps his eyes shut (see Matt.
13:14-15);
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) Hatred destroys man’s morality, and finally
it makes man dark.
2) Hatred causes three steps of corruption: a)
the first step is in darkness; b) the second step is moving in darkness; c) the
third step is that one loses his life direction in darkness.
3) If people in one church hate those who are
in another church, there must be problems in the doctrines the first church has
received ---- possibly they are heretical doctrines out of darkness.
1John. 2:12 “I write to you, little
children, Because your sins are forgiven you for His name's sake.”
YLT:
“I write to you, little children, because the sins have been forgiven you
through his name;”
Meaning
of Words: “forgiven”:
remitted;
Literal
Meaning: “I write to you, little children”, “children”, it can be proved by the next
verse that children is a common name to all the members in the house of God,
what ever their physical or spiritual age is.
“Because your sins are forgiven you for His
name's sake”, “your sins”: all the sins we committed
before we were saved, “for His name’s sake”, whosoever shall call upon the name
of the Lord shall be saved (Rom. 10:13); “are forgiven”: it is an accomplished
fact.
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) Our sins are forgiven for the sake of the
Lord’s name. It is a real fact to all Christians.
2) God has cast all our sins behind His back
(see Is. 38:17) and will not remember any more. Therefore, we need not to be
worried about sins before we are saved.
1John. 2:13 “I write to you, fathers, Because
you have known Him who is from the beginning. I write to you, young men,
Because you have overcome the wicked one. I write to you, little children,
Because you have known the Father.”
YLT:
“I write to you, fathers, because ye have known him who from the beginning; I
write to you, young men, because ye have overcome the evil. I write to you,
little youths, because ye have known the Father:”
Meaning
of Words: “fathers”: parents; “know”: be aware of, understand; “young men”: youth; “overcome”: subdue,
conquer; “the
wicked one”: the evil one;
Literal
Meaning: “I write to you, fathers, Because you have known Him who
is from the beginning”. “Fathers”: believers who are mature in life; “have known Him who is from
the beginning”: they have already
got knowledge of God in experience and such knowledge is ongoing; “who is from
the beginning”: no matter in what condition they are, God is always true and
living to them.
“I write to you, young men, Because you have overcome the
wicked one”, “young men”:
believers are strong in faith and full of vitality (see v.14); “have overcome the wicked
one”, they have overcome the schemes of the devil by the divine life (see
5:18).
“I write to you, little children, Because you have known
the Father”, “little children”: believers who are still young in the
preliminary stage; “have known the Father”: know that God is the source of all
provisions and He can meet all the needs in the house of God.
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) We shall know God from the objective truth
as well as subjective experience and recognition, which will become our
spiritual sources that never fade.
2) Christians shall early learn the secret of
overcoming the devil, that is, “” (Gal. 2:20).
3) At least, all believers have to know that
God is the “Father”, the supplier of all the needs of the children of God (see
2Cor. 6:18).
1John. 2:14 “I have written to you,
fathers, Because you have known Him who 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 wicked one.”
YLT:
“I did write to you, fathers, because ye have known him who from the beginning;
I did write to you, young men, because ye are strong, and the word of God in
you doth remain, and ye have overcome the evil.”
Meaning
of Words: “strong”: powerful; “abide”: dwell, live;
Literal
Meaning: “I have written to you, fathers, Because you have known
Him who is from the beginning”, this is the
second repeat of the above-mentioned message (see v.13).
“I have written to you, young men, Because you are strong”, “strong”: be strong
in faith and have steadfast in spiritual war (see 1Pet. 5:9).
“And the word of God abides in you, And you have overcome
the wicked one”, “abides”: the word
of God dwells in you lively; “have overcome the wicked one”: have the
experience of overcoming the devil (see v.13);
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) The word of God is the food for the growth
of life as well as the equipment for spiritual war.
2) We believers have to seize the time to equip
us with the word of God so that we are enabled to resist the devil if
necessary.
1John. 2:15 “Do not love the world or
the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is
not in him.”
YLT:
“Love not ye the world, nor the things in the world; if any one doth love the
world, the love of the Father is not in him,”
Meaning
of Words: “love”: agapao;
“world”: orderly arrangement;
Literal
Meaning: “do not love the world or the things in the world”, “world”, the word has three aspects of
meanings in the original: a) people in the world (John 3:16); b) the material
world (Acts 17:24); c) the world ruled by the wicked one (see John 12:31). Here, the world refers to the third one, namely,
the evil system that can occupy man’ heart.
“Things in the world”: the lusts of the world; the detailed explanations
will be given in verse 16.
“The love
of the Father is not in him”, “the love of the Father”, believers love God and men with this
divine love (see v.5; 4:19-21);
“is not in him”,
if believers love the world, the divine love will be shut in them.
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) The love of the world and the love of the
Father cannot be together, for the friendship with the world is enmity with God
(James. 4:4).
2) No one can serve two masters, for either he
will hate the one and will love the other, or he will hold to the one and
despise the other (Matt. 6:24).
1John. 2:16 “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.”
YLT:
“because all that in the world -- the desire of the flesh, and the desire of
the eyes, and the ostentation of the life -- is not of the Father, but of the
world,”
Meaning
of Words: “lust”: desire, lust,
concupiscence; “eyes”:
sight; “life”:
the present state of existence, livelihood; “pride”: boasting, self-confidence;
Literal
Meaning: “for all that is in the world--the lust of the flesh”, “for…”, the
following words are the explanations why man cannot love both the world and God
(see v.15). “The
lust of the flesh”: the desires
caused by our carnal needs, especially the passions and lusts beyond the normal
need.
“The lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—”, “the lust of the eyes” refers to the lust caused by sight,
especially the evil lust beyond the limitation; “and
the pride of life”: vain glory of the
world, including the pursuit and boasting of reputation, fame, riches, etc.
---- the boasting of self-performance;
“Is not of the Father but is of the world”, “is not of the Father”, it shows that the
above-mentioned three kinds of lusts are not normal lusts of a man. For
example, the normal appetite and desire of sleep for the purpose of living as
well as the appreciation of good things by eyes are desires gifted by the
Father. However, if they go beyond the normal limit, they will become abnormal
desires, which are not the will of the Father. “Is not of the Father”, all the
abnormal desires and covetousness and ambitions are products of the king of the
world, the devil, by ruling the world and enticing men’s hearts. Therefore, all
the evil lusts are of the world.
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) The historical fact of man’s falling (Gen.
3:6) shows that man’s sin is caused by the covetousness for such three lusts:
a) goof food ---- the
lust of the flesh; b) delight to the
eyes ---- the
lust of the eyes; c) make men wise ---- the pride of life.
2) The Lord Jesus overcomes the temptations of
the devil (Luke 4:1-12), which shows that His life enables us to overcome the
world: a) refuse to turn the stone to food ---- overcome the lust of the flesh b) refuse the glory of all the kingdoms of
the world ---- overcome
the lust of the eyes, c) refuse to cast
himself down from the edge of the temple ---- overcome the pride of life.
1John. 2:17 “And the world is passing
away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.”
YLT:
“and the world doth pass away, and the desire of it, and he who is doing the
will of God, he doth remain -- to the age.”
Meaning
of Words: “but”: only; “will”:
desire, pleasure; “abide”: dwell;
Literal
Meaning: “and the world is passing away, and the lust of it”, “is passing away”,
things in the world exist transiently and are soon cut off (see Ps. 90:10), so
let us not love the world and things in the world (see v.15).
“But he who does the will of God abides forever”, “does the will of God”: keep the will of
God always; “abides forever”, it means that all things and people that keep the
will of God have the everlasting value.
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) Let believers not spend much energy or power
or time on things that are passing away, but choose things of eternal value and
be diligent so as not be in vain (see 1Cor. 15:58; Rev. 14:13).
2) We can know from this verse that the world
and the lusts in the world are opposite to the will of God. Therefore, let us
be content with sustenance and covering (1Tim. 6:8), and escape from the
pursuit of things of the world (see 1Tim. 6:11).
1John. 2:18 “Little children, it is
the last hour; and as you have heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now
many antichrists have come, by which we know that it is the last hour.”
YLT:
“Little youths, it is the last hour; and even as ye heard that the antichrist
doth come, even now antichrists have become many -- whence we know that it is
the last hour;”
Meaning
of Words: “Antichrist”:
opponent of the Messiah; “many”:
abundant, plenteous; “come”:
exist, become;
Literal
Meaning: “little children, it is the last hour”, “the last hour”: in the New Testament,
the period before the second coming of Christ is often described as “the last
day” or “the last hour” (see Matt. 24:14; John12:48). Here, “the last hour”
seems to emphasize the immediacy of time.
“And as you have heard that the Antichrist is coming”, “the Antichrist”, it is a particular character that will
appear in the last day (see 2Thess. 2:3-10), who opposes against the Lord
Jesus.
“Even now many antichrists have come”, “many antichrists”: false prophets and false teachers that
are taken advantage of by Satan. Their teachings especially deny the deity of
Christ and deny Jesus is Christ and that He is the Son of God (see v.22).
“By which we know that it is the last hour”, before Christ’s coming, one of signs is
that there shall arise false Christs (see Matt. 24:24) and the Antichrist (see
2Thess. 2:1-4). Note that Christ is different from the Antichrist. The false
Christ is that one disguises himself as Christ with deceitfulness, but the
Antichrist opposes against Christ and denies the deity of Christ. When we see
the lawless things, we will know the Lord’s coming is near.
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) All those who are of the Lord have a common
desire ---- (see Rev. 21:20). Therefore, to us, we have to have the sense of
“the last hour” at every moment and prepare to see Him at any time (Amos 4:12).
2) Though the particular person “the
Antichrist” (or the man of sin, or the beast) has not appeared, many people
that have the spirit opposing against Christ emerge in endlessly and everywhere
and attract many followers. We have to watch and take heed to it. .
1John. 2:19 “They went out from us,
but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued
with us; but they went out that they might be made manifest, that none of them
were of us.”
YLT:
“out of us they went forth, but they were not of us, for if they had been of
us, they would have remained with us; but -- that they might be manifested that
they are not all of us.”
Meaning
of Words: “out from”: out of; “continue”: abide,
dwell; “manifest”:
reveal, show;
Literal
Meaning: “they went out from us, but they were not of us”, “went out from us”:
their apparent condition is changed; “were not of us”: the inner nature is
different. The heretical teachers call themselves believers, but actually they
have problems in the preliminary stage of faith. It is stated in the Scriptures
that they were brought in surreptitiously (see Gal. 2:4; Jude v.4). Apparently,
they are in us, but actually they are not of us.
“For if they had been of us, they would have continued with
us”, “they would have continued
with us”, it means that
even though they are not physically in the same place, they still have the same
fellowship in spirit (see Col. 2:5).
“But they went out that they might be made manifest, that
none of them were of us”, “went out”, it contains
the meaning of division; “manifest”: show the fact by the external actions;
“that none of them were of us”, they were not real believers.
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) The nature of a man may often be manifested
in his external actions.
2) All that have not really believed Christ are
not of the body of Christ. The real fact will be given away sooner or later
(see Luke 12:2).
3) The faith of a real Christian has the
persistent nature. Whatever difficulties he meets, his faith will become ever
steadfast.
1John. 2:20 “But you have an anointing
from the Holy One, and you know all things.”
YLT:
“And ye have an anointing from the Holy One, and have known all things;”
Meaning
of Words: “Holy one”: the
sacred; “anointing”:
unction; “know”:
see, perceive;
Literal
Meaning: “but you have an anointing from the Holy One”, “the Holy One” refers to the Lord Jesus (see John 6:69;
Acts 3:14). “Anointing” (see John 14:16-17; 16:13). “Have an anointing”, the anointing of the Holy Spirit.
“And you know all things”, “you know”, all true
believers should know that all those who have born again have the
indwelling-Spirit, who teach believers in everything so that they will know the
Trinity and the truth.
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) God the Father sent the Spirit in believers
to be the Comforter because of the name of the Lord Jesus Christ (see John
14:26). This is the fact that all Christians have to know.
2) The Spirit we have received is like the
anointing by nature. By the anointing we will be enabled to know the Father
(see v.13) and the truth (see v.21).
3) Every believer is able to receive spiritual
knowledge, no matter how long he has been in the Lord, or whatever his life
condition is (see 8:11).
4) The Spirit is the best teacher, who not only
teaches us the truth but also leads us into the truth (John 16:13 the
original), and teaches us both objective knowledge as well as the subjective
knowledge.
1John. 2:21 “I have not written to you
because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and that no lie is
of the truth.”
YLT:
“I did not write to you because ye have not known the truth, but because ye
have known it, and because no lie is of the truth.”
Meaning
of Words: “know”: see, perceive; “truth”: reality; “lie”: falsehood;
Literal
Meaning: “I have not written to you because you do not know the truth”, “truth” does not
refer to all the truth in the Scriptures, but the truth one has to know for
their being saved, especially the basic knowledge of the Trinity and salvation,
namely, the truth through which we are saved.
“But because you know it, and that no lie is of the truth”, “you know”: all those who have been saved
know the basic truth of salvation; “lie”, the devil is the father of the liar
(John 8:44). Therefore, falsehood is one of the characteristics of sin. The purpose
of all the lies of the heretical teachings is to gain the hearts of men. “That no lie is of the truth”, since falsehood and truth are completely
opposite by nature, just as darkness and light, falsehood cannot be out of the
truth.
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) Truth and falsehood cannot exist together.
True faith has no communion with heresy.
2) Heretical teaching is deception by nature,
which is the poison hidden in sugar. Believers cannot receive the truth that
seems to be in agreement with the Scriptures without any differentiation.
1John. 2:22 “Who is a liar but he who
denies that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist who denies the Father and the
Son.”
YLT:
“Who is the liar, except he who is denying that Jesus is the Christ? this one
is the antichrist who is denying the Father and the Son;”
Meaning
of Words: “liar”: he who lies; “deny”: reject,
forsake; “antichrist”:
he who opposes Christ;
Literal
Meaning: “who is a liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ?” “He who denies that Jesus is
the Christ”, one of the
heresies at that time emphasized Jesus is Jesus and Christ is Christ and Jesus
is only a good man and Christ is the Son of God and both of them are
irrelevant. Thus, the heretics denied the redemption of the cross.
“He is antichrist who denies the Father and the Son”, “denies the Father and the Son”, because he who denies the Son does not
have the Father either (see v.23). Therefore, all those who deny that Jesus is
the only begotten Son in the bosom of the Father (John 1:18) deny the Father
and the Son.
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) Today, the liberal theology confesses the
noble morality and teachings of Jesus only, and denies Jesus is the Son of God.
Therefore, they do not confess all the miracles done by Jesus. They oppose
against Christ.
2) The true faith of Christianity cannot be
separated Jesus and Christ, nor the Father and the Son. Even though it is
different between Jesus and Christ and Father and the Son concerning
theological knowledge, they are the same basically.
3) Even though some Christians confess Jesus is
the Lord by mouth, they do not fear the Lord Jesus much. Such mind is the same
as the mind of the antichrist. We have to be confident that the Lord Jesus we
have believed is the living and true God (see 1Thess. 1:9).
1John. 2:23 “Whoever denies the Son
does not have the Father either; he who acknowledges the Son has the Father
also.”
YLT:
“every one who is denying the Son, neither hath he the Father,”
Meaning
of Words: “deny”: reject,
forsake; “acknowledge”:
confess, profess;
Literal
Meaning: “whoever denies the Son does not have the Father either”, the Son and the Father are one (John
10:30; see Is. 9:6). Therefore, he who denies the Son does not have the Father.
“He who acknowledges the Son has the Father also”, the Son is the declaration of the Father
(see John 1:18). Therefore, he who confesses the Son had the Father.
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) Even though some religions or religious
sects that confess “the concept of one God” confess the only true God ---- e.g.
Muslim, Christian Science, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Mormon, the Liberal Theological
Sect, and even some Judaists ---- they do not confess Jesus, the Son of God, or
regard them as the second God. Therefore, they do not have God the Father.
2) The Lord Jesus is the way, and the truth and
the life. No one comes unto the Father, but by me (see John 14:6). Believers of
the belief that “every way is to the true God” must be miserable in the end.
1John. 2:24 “Therefore let that abide
in you which you heard from the beginning. If what you heard from the beginning
abides in you, you also will abide in the Son and in the Father.”
YLT:
“Ye, then, that which ye heard from the beginning, in you let it remain; if in
you may remain that which from the beginning ye did hear, ye also in the Son
and in the Father shall remain,”
Meaning
of Words: “abide”: dwell, live;
Literal
Meaning: “therefore let that abide in you which you heard from the
beginning”, “which you heard from the beginning”: the truth of the gospel, namely, the
faith once delivered to the saints (Jude v.3). We have obtained the eternal
life by faith (see 1:1-2). “Abide in you”, we shall not forsake the faith from
the beginning, but let the word of life abide in us.
“If what you heard from the beginning abides in you”, let the word of
life be rooted and grow and bear fruit in the good land of us (see Matt. 13:8, 23)
“You also will abide in the Son and in the Father”, the sound word of life will bring intimate
fellowship with God the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ (see 1:3).
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) Believers shall keep the good truth of the
gospel with diligence, but not let the “new doctrine” or “liberal theology”
distort the truth from the beginning.
2) Paul said, no matter who preaches the gospel
to us what we have announced as glad tidings to us, let him be accused (see
Gal. 1:8).
1John. 2:25 “And this is the promise
that He has promised us--eternal life.”
YLT:
“and this is the promise that He did promise us -- the life the age-during.”
Meaning
of Words: “promise”: announce,
profess; “eternal
life”: everlasting life;
Literal
Meaning: “and this is the promise that He has promised us--eternal
life”, it suggests that
the Son and the Father are one (see v.24). The promises that both the Lord and
God have promised us are both the promise of eternal life (see 3:16; 6:40;
17:3).
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) For all the promises of God in Him are Yes,
and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us (2Cor. 1:20).
2) The eternal life that the Lord has promised
to us is for our present enjoyment (see 5:13), not for the future merely.
3) Eternal life is the chief source of all
spiritual blessings. And all spiritual blessings are substantiated in this
eternal life. If there is no the eternal life, all the best graciousness and
blessings will be in vain.
1John. 2:26 “These things I have
written to you concerning those who try to deceive you.”
YLT:
“These things I did write to you concerning those leading you astray;”
Meaning
of Words: “concerning”: as to; “deceive”: entice, lead astray;
Literal
Meaning: “these things” refer to the words from verse
18 to 25. “Those who try to deceive you”: false teachers of the heresies. The
heretics deny the Son, so they have no Father (see v.23). Their promises to men
are all lies (see v.21-22). And the teachings of the truth are the words from
the beginning so that man may have both the Father and the Son (see v.23) and
have the promise of eternal life (see v.25).
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) The core of the problems is: what have we
obtained from the teachings we have heard? Vain teachings? Or God Himself and
His eternal life?
2) Christians need no other teaching beside the
word of God to be the truth of God. Even though the heretical teachings are
sounded superior and attractive, they are vain and flattering and unable to
bring real life to men.
1John. 2:27 “But the anointing which
you have received from Him abides in you, and you do not need that anyone teach
you; but as the same anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true,
and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you will abide in Him.”
YLT:
“and you, the anointing that ye did receive from him, in you it doth remain,
and ye have no need that any one may teach you, but as the same anointing doth
teach you concerning all, and is true, and is not a lie, and even as was taught
you, ye shall remain in him.”
Meaning
of Words: “anointing”: the anointing of oil; “teach”: instruct; “lie”: falsehood; “just
as”: according as, like;
Literal
Meaning: “but the anointing which you have received from Him abides
in you”, “the
anointing which you have received from Him” refers to the Spirit (see v.20).
“And you do not need that anyone teach you”, it does not mean that believers do not
need the teaching of the teachers, for there is also a gift of teaching (see
Eph. 4:11), but means that there is the anointing of the Spirit in real
believers, writing the law of life into our hearts (2Cor. 3:3) so that we are
enabled to know the Lord (Heb. 8:10-11).
“But as the same anointing teaches you concerning all
things”, “all things”: all things such as the daily life of
believers, spiritual fellowship, ministry, etc.; “teaches you”, the Spirit in
believers works according to the anointing so that believers shall know the
will of God.
“And is true, and is not a lie”, this verse is a contrast between the teaching of
the anointing and the teaching of men. The teaching of the anointing are true,
and the teaching of men are false. The difference between them is whether it
has “the eternal life” (see v.25).
“And just as it has taught you, you will abide in Him”, “just as it has taught”: do not quench the Spirit (1Thess.
5:17) nor grieve the Holy Spirit (Eph. 4:30); “abides in Him”: dwell in the
Lord;
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) True believers have two treasures with them:
a) the word of God received from the apostle from the beginning (see v.24); b)
the anointing received from the Holy One (see v.20), namely, the indwelling
Spirit. Both of them enable us to lead a normal Christian life.
2) The word of God without the anointing will
become letter and rules (see 2Cor. 3:6). If the anointing is not according to
the word of God, the unchanging truth will be replaced by personal experience
and thus errors will be caused without realization. Partiality shall not be
given to either aspect, or else errors will be caused.
3) The anointing makes normal relationship of
men with the Lord (see v.20) and brings men to abide in the Lord (see v.24).
And abiding in the Lord has strengthened the teaching of the anointing. Both of
them influence one another.
1John. 2:28 “And now, little children,
abide in Him, that when He appears, we may have confidence and not be ashamed
before Him at His coming.”
YLT:
“And now, little children, remain in him, that when he may be manifested, we
may have boldness, and may not be ashamed before him, in his presence;”
Meaning
of Words: “appear”: manifest,
reveal, declare; “confidence”:
frankness, bluntness, assurance; “ashamed”: feel shame;
Literal
Meaning: “and now, little children, abide in Him”, “little children” refers to all believers (see v.1, 12)
without any distinction of age and life condition. “Abide in Him”, from 2:28 to
3:24, it raises another paragraph with the theme of the difference between “the
children of God” (see 3:1-2) and “the children of the devil” (see 3:10). And
the secret of the victory of God’s children is “abiding in the Lord” (see v.28;
3:6, 24).
“That when He appears, we may have confidence”, “when He appears”:
the Lord’s second coming; “have confidence”: be fearless before the judgment
seat of Christ (see 2Cor. 5:10) because one is able to given an account of
himself;
“And not be ashamed before Him at His coming”, “at His coming”: at the Lord’s second
coming (see Heb. 9:28); “not be ashamed”: not be punished by the Lord, but
judged to go away from the countenance of the Lord and not reign with Him in
the kingdom of one thousand years (see Rev. 20:4, 6), and be cast out into the
outer darkness, weeping and gnashing of teeth (see Matt. 25:30) until the bride
has been adorned for her husband (see Rev. 21:2).
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) Believers “who abide in the Lord” bear more
fruit now (see John 15:4-5) and will be rewarded before the Lord in future.
2) He who “abides in the Lord” has intimate
fellowship with Him and beholds His countenance will have confidence and not be
ashamed before Him when He comes.
1John. 2:29 “If you know that He is
righteous, you know that everyone who practices righteousness is born of Him.”
YLT:
“if ye know that he is righteous, know ye that every one doing the
righteousness, of him hath been begotten.”
Meaning
of Words: “know” (the first
one): be aware of, be conscious of (eido); “know” (the second one): be
confident ();
Literal
Meaning: “if you know that He is righteous”,
“He is righteous”, the Lord is both “the Holy One” (see v.20) and
“the Righteous One” (see v.1; Acts 3:14). He is utterly righteous, and He will
judge according to righteousness when He comes again (see 1Tim. 4:8; 1Pet.
2:23).
“You know that everyone who practices righteousness is born
of Him”, “everyone who practices
righteousness”, in a broad sense,
it refers to all believers that are saved; in a narrow sense, it refers to
overcomers; “practice”: the habitual and natural action; “is
born of Him”, the children of
God have the eternal life (see 5:11-13) and are partakers of the divine nature (2Pet. 1:4). Therefore, their works are
worthy of righteousness.
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) As He is, so are we in this world (see
4:17). Since He is righteous, we who are begotten by Him shall also be
righteous.
2) The secret of believers’ practicing
righteousness is still “abiding in the Lord and walking according to His
walking” (see v.6).
3) The normal conversation of Christians is the
manifestation of the inner life. If we are able to let the righteous life
manifest in us, we have practiced the righteousness.
4) Our objective knowledge of the truth will
bring us into deeper subjective knowledge. And such knowledge will yield
practical activities.
III.
Outlines of the Spiritual Lessons
Secrets of Keeping the Fellowship
A. The passive aspect:
1. To deal with “the sin” (v.1-2);
2. To deal with “the evil one” (v.13-14);
3. To deal with “the world” and “the
flesh”(v.15-16);
4. To deal with the teachings of “the
antichrist”(v.18-23);
B. The positive aspect:
1. Keep His commandments, the word of the Lord,
and His walking (v.3-6);
2. Love brother and abide in light (v.7-11);
3. Know God, and love God and the word of God,
and keep the will of God (v.13-17);
4. Abide in the Lord (v.24-28);
Three Aspects of Obedience
A. Keep His commandments (v.3) ---- obey His
teachings;
B. Keep the word of the Lord (v.5) ---- obey
His words;
C. Walk as the Lord walked (v.6) ---- obey His
examples;
Combination of Knowing and Doing
A. Know: know Him ---- do: keep His
commandments (v.3-4);
B. Know: know of being in the Lord ---- do:
keep the word of the Lord (v.5);
C. Know: know of abiding in the Lord ---- do: walk as the Lord walked (v.6);
Three Stages of Life
A. Little children
(v.13) ---- who are young ---- know the Father;
B. Young men (v.13-14) ---- who
are strong ---- overcome the evil one;
C. Fathers (v.13-14) ---- who
are experienced ---- know
Him who is from the beginning;
Reasons Why Believers Shall not Love the
World
A. Because if anyone loves the world, the love of
the Father is not in him (v.15);
B. Because the lust of the world is not of the Father (v.16);
C. Because the world and the lust of it are not
the will of God and are passing
away (v.17);
Characteristics of the Antichrist in the
Last Hour
A. They call them they are of us, but get away
from the normal fellowship (v.19);
B. They claim they know the truth, but their
conversation goes against the truth (v
C. They call them Christians, but deny Jesus is
Christ (v.22b) and do not magnify the Lord;
D. They call them teachers, but entice men away
from the truth (v.26);
──
Caleb Huang《Christian Digest Bible
Commentary Series》
Translated by Mary Zhou