one loveth the world much, the love of the Father is not in him, ver. 15. Besides, the evil affections towards the things of the world, which subsist in the minds of idolaters and unbelievers, do not proceed from the Father, as wicked men falsely suppose, who on that account fancy they may safely gratify them; but they are raised in them, by the things of the world, ver. 16.-Further, though wicked men propose to make themselves happy, by the unrestrained enjoyment of the things which are in the world, they delude themselves. For the world, together with the things which it contains, and the lusts which are gratified by these things, passeth away; they are all of a short duration. But he who doth the will of God by not indulging worldly lusts, shall abide in happiness through all eternity, ver. 17. At the time John wrote this letter, the Christians in Judea and in the neighbouring countries, were greatly harassed by the unbelieving Jews, in the tumults which they excited immediately before their last war with the Romans. Wherefore, to comfort more especially the newly converted under these sufferings, he assured them that it was the last hour of the duration of the Jewish state; so that the power of their persecutors would soon be broken: And to prove that it was the last hour, he put them in mind that Christ, in his prophecy concerning the destruction of Jerusalem, had mentioned the appearing of many false prophets, as a sign of the impending ruin. Wherefore, since many false teachers, whom the apostle called antichrists, because they were opposers of Christ, (ver. 22.) were then going about deceiving many, they might from that circumstance know it was the last hour of the Jewish commonwealth, ver. 18.-These false teachers, the apostle observed, had gone out from them, having been once in the Christian church; but they were not of the number of the teachers, who were commissioned and inspired by Christ. For if they had been of that number, they would have remained with the apostles. But they were permitted to depart from the society of the apostles, that they might be known to be impostors who taught false doctrine, ver. 19.—However, as many of the disciples had the gift of discerning spirits, and could judge with certainty both of teachers and of their doctrine, there was the less occasion to caution them to beware of these deceivers, ver. 20.-The apostle, therefore, added, I have not written to you, because ye know not the truth concerning the life of the word in the flesh, but because ye know it, and know also that the CHAP. II false teachers affirm an abominable lie in direct contradiction to the truth, when they say Christ did not come in the flesh, neither did any of the things related of him, ver. 21.-Who then, said he, is the liar, or false prophet foretold to arise before the destruc tion of Jerusalem, but he who denieth that Jesus is the Christ come in the flesh. They are antichrists, who deny the Father's testimony, that he hath sent his Son in the flesh, and the Son's testimony that he actually came in the flesh, ver. 22.-Whosoever denieth Jesus to be the Son of God come in the flesh, doth not acknowledge the. Father's testimony, delivered at the baptism and transfiguration of Jesus, ver. 23.-Therefore, said the apostle, let the belief of the Father's testimony concerning his Son, which ye have heard from the beginning, abide in you, that ye may abide in the fellowship of the Son and of the Father, and thereby obtain eternal life, ver. 24.-For this is the promise which the Son hath made in the Father's name, to them who abide in his fellowship; namely, that they shall obtain eternal life, ver. 25. OLD TRANSLATION. GREEK TEXT. CHAP. II. 1 My little 1 Τεχνια μου, ταυτα γρα children, these things φω ἱμιν, ἵνα μη ἁμαρτητε και εαν τις ἁμαρτῃ, παρακλητον εχομεν προς τον πα τέρα, Ιησουν Χριςον δικαιον, write I unto you that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: Ver. 1.-1. My little children. The word Tavia, being the diminutive of Texva, is a tender and affectionate appellation, denoting, as Lardner observes, paternal authority, love, and concern, which, in the character of an apostle, John might have used in any period of his life: but in this epistle it seems to imply, together with apostolical authority, advanced age. 2. These things I write to you, that ye may not sin. Having told them, chap. i. 10. that no man is without sin, it is plain, that by their not sinning, the apostle meant, either their not sinning habitually, or their not sinning wilfully. He wrote the things contained in the preceding chapter to prevent them from sinning, because the consideration, that God is faithful to forgive our sins, and to cleanse us from them, suggested chap. i. 9. must have a powerful influence on every good man, to make him solicitous to avoid sin, as far as human infirmity will permit. 3. We have an advocate with the Father. Some critics observe that Пapaxaros, Advocate, here answereth to Patronus, Patron, among the Latins. Doddridge thinks the import of this appellation may be illustrated by the custom of tributary states, who were wont to have certain eminent persons residing in the courts of the princes to whom they were tributaries, In apology for his writing with such earnestness, against the teachers who endeavoured to deceive them, he told them he had written these things to them, ver. 26.-notwithstanding he knew they possessed the gift of discerning spirits, and had no need that any one should teach them, unless it was to confirm them in the belief of what they were taught by their own gifts. Wherefore, said he, as your own gifts have taught you that these teachers are antichrists, reject their doctrine, and hold fast the truth concerning Christ, ver. 27.-I say, little children, by holding the truth concerning the Son, and practising holiness, abide in his fellowship, that when he appears to judge the world, we may have confidence of your being accepted, and may not be put to shame by the errors and vices of our disciples, ver. 28.-This excellent discourse, the apostle concluded by saying to them, if ye have a just idea of the righteousness of God, ye will know that every one who resembles God by working righteousness, is begotten of him; he is a child of God, ver. 29. COMMENTARY. NEW TRANSLATION. CHAP. II. 1 My little children,1 these things I write to you, that (un apag-ing the faithfulness and righteousTTE, 2. aorist subjunct.) ness of God in the forgiveness of ye may not sin.2 (Kai, 211.) sins, not to encourage you to sin, but Yet if any one hath sinned, that ye may not sin; the consideration we have an advocate 3 with of the mercy of God being a strong the Father, Jesus Christ incitement to avoid sin. Psal. cxxx. the just one. 4. Yet if any one hath sinned, and hath repented of his sin, let him not despair: We have an advocate abiding with the Father, Jesus Christ the just one, or Messiah. CHAP. II. 1 My dear children, These things I write to you concern who negociated their affairs, vindicated their rights, and promoted their interests with the reigning powers.-Concerning the intercession of Christ for his people, See Rom. viii. 34. note 3. Heb. vii. 25. 4. Jesus Christ the just one. Axalov. This appellation is given to our Lord as the Messiah, in different places of the New Testament, to denote either that he was just or righteous, in calling himself the Christ, and the Son of God, (See James v. 6. note 1.) or that he was absolutely free from sin.It is introduced in this place, to make us sensible of the dignity of our advocate, and of the efficacy of his intercession on our behalf, founded on the merit of his death. 2 And he is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world. 3 And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his command ments. 4 He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. 5 But whoso keepeth μου. 3 Και εν τουτῳ γινωσκομεν, ότι εγνωκαμεν αυτόν, εαν τας εντολας αυτου τηρώμεν. 4 Ὁ λεγων Εγνωκα αυτόν, και τας εντολας αυτου μη τη ψεύςης εςι, και εν τουτῷ ρων, ή αληθεια ουχ εςιν. 5 Ὡς δ' αν τηρη αυτου τον his word, in him verily is λογον, αληθώς εν τουτῷ ἡ the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him. αγαπη του Θεου τετελειωται. Εν τουτῳ γινωσκομεν, ότι εν αυτῷ εσμεν. Ver. 2.—1. And he is a propitiation for our sins. The word Ίλασμος, i no where found in the New Testament but in this passage, and in chap. iv. 10. But it occurs often in the LXX. translation of the Old Testament, where it signifies, a sacrifice of atonement. Thus Levit. vi. 6, 7. Numb. v. 8. Κριος έλασμα, is a ram for a sin-offering. And Ezek. xliv. 27. προσφερειν λασμον is to offer a sin-offering-In considering the death of Christ as a sacrifice for sin, John, like the other apostles, followed his master, who in the institution of his supper, directed his disciples to consider it, as designed to bring to their remembrance his blood shed for the many, for the remissions of sins. 2. And not for ours only, but even for those of the whole world. Some commentators by the whole world, understand the whole world of the elect. But no where else in scripture doth the world signify the elect. This appellation is given, either to the wicked of the world, (1 John ii. 16. note 1.) or to mankind in general: in which latter sense John uses it here, to shew that Christ is a propitiation, not for the sins of the Jews only, but also for the sins of all mankind. See Oecumenius's excellent gloss on this verse, Pref. to this epistle, Sect. 5. at the end. Farther, as the first clause of the verse, He is the propitiation for our sins, must be understood only of the sins of those Jews who were penitent and whose advocate Christ was, so the second clause, And not for ours only, but even for those of the whole world, must be understood only of the sins of those throughout the whole world from first to last, who having repented of their sins attained to a virtuous manner of living. For the sense in which Christ died for all, See 2 Cor. v. 15. note 1, 2 And he is a propitiation (eg, 280.) for our sins, and not for ours only, but even for THOSE of the whole world.2 3 And by this we know that we have known him, if we keep his command ments. 4 He who saith (chap. i. 6. note) I have known him, and doth not keep his commandments, is a liar,1 and the truth is not in this man. 2. And the merit of his death is so great, that he is a propitiation for our sins who have embraced the gospel, and not for ours only, but even for the sins of the whole world of penitents who forsake their sins. 5 But whosoever keepeth his word,1 truly in this man the love of God is perfected. By this we know that we are in him.3 3 And, since without repentance and reformation no one can be pardoned, by this we know most certainly, that we have known God aright; have a right knowledge of his goodness; if we keep his commandments 4 He who saith, I have known God, and doth not keep his commandments, is a liar in so speaking; and the true knowledge of God is not in this man ; for, by his works, he denieth that God is righteous and good. 5 But whosoever keepeth God's injunction, Matt. xvii. 5. to obey his Son's precepts, truly on such a person, the love which he bears to God is rendered complete. By this we know assuredly, that we are in the fellowship of God, and of his Son Jesus Christ. Ver. 3.-1. By this we know that we have known him, &c. As the apostle is reasoning here against the Nicolaitans and Gnostics, who affirmed that the only thing necessary to eternal life was the knowledge of the true God, (Pref. Sect. 3.) the relative Him in this clause, doth not denote Jesus Christ, the immediate antecedent, but God, whose mercy in forgiving men's sins was mentioned, chap. i. 9.—The apostle doth not deny the excellency of the knowledge of the true God, nor its efficacy in procuring eternal life : He only affirms that the right knowledge of God necessarily leads to the keeping his commandments: And therefore that the keeping of God's. commandments is the only sure mark by which we can know that we have known him aright. Ver. 4.-1. He who saith 1 bave known him, and doth not keep his commandments, is a liar. The Nicolaitans and Gnostics, notwithstanding they lived in an habitual course of the most criminal sensual indulgences, boasted that they were the objects of God's love, and sure of obtaining eternal life, merely because they possessed the knowledge of the true God, and of his mercy in forgiving men's sins. In this boasting, the apostle declared them |