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2:1 My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin
not.
And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the
Father, Jesus Christ
the righteous: 2:2 And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not
for our's only, but also for the sins of the whole world.
2:3 And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his
commandments.
2:4 He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a
liar, and
the truth is not in him.
2:5 But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God
perfected: hereby know we that
we are in him.
2:6 He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk,
even as he
walked.
2:7
Brethren, I write no new commandment unto you, but an old
commandment which ye had from the beginning. The old commandment is
the word which ye have heard from the beginning.
2:8 Again, a new commandment I write unto you, which thing is true in
him and in you: because the darkness is past, and the true
light now
shineth.
2:9 He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in
darkness even until now.
2:10 He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is
none occasion of stumbling in him.
2:11 But he that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in
darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because that darkness hath
blinded his eyes.
2:12 I write unto you, little children, because your sins are forgiven
you for
his name's sake.
2:13 I write unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from
the beginning. I write unto you, young men, because ye have overcome
the wicked one. I write unto you, little children, because ye have
known
the Father.
2:14 I have written unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that
is from
the beginning. I have written unto you, young men, because ye
are strong, and the word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome
the wicked one.
2:15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If
any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
2:16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust
of the eyes, and the
pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of
the world.
2:17 And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that
doeth the will of God
abideth for ever.
2:18 Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that
antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we
know that it is the last time.
2:19 They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had
been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went
out, that they might be made
manifest that they were not all of us.
2:20 But ye have an unction from the
Holy One, and ye know all things.
2:21 I have not written unto you because ye know not the truth, but
because ye know it, and that no lie is of the
truth.
2:22 Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is
antichrist, that denieth the
Father and the
Son.
2:23 Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father: he that
acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also.
2:24 Let that therefore abide in you, which ye have heard from the
beginning. If that which ye have heard from the beginning shall remain
in you, ye also shall continue in the Son, and in the Father.
2:25 And this is the promise that he hath promised us, even
eternal
life.
2:26 These things have I
written unto you concerning them that seduce
you.
2:27 But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you,
and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same
anointing
teacheth you of all things, and is
truth, and is no lie, and even as
it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him.
2:28 And now,
little children, abide in him; that, when he shall
appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his
coming.
2:29 If ye know that he is righteous, ye know that every one that
doeth
righteousness is born of him.
Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible
back to:
1 John
Book: 1 John
Chapter: 2
Overview:
The
Apostle directs to the
Atonement of
Christ for help
against sinful infirmities.
(1,2) The effects of saving
knowledge in producing obedience, and
Love to the brethren.
(3-11) Christians addressed as little children, young men, and
fathers.
(12-14) All are cautioned against the
Love of this
world, and against errors.
(15-23) They are encouraged to stand
Fast in
Faith and
Holiness.
(24-29)
1,2 We have an
Advocate with the
Father; one who has
undertaken, and is fully able, to plead in behalf of every one
who applies for
Pardon and
Salvation in his name, depending
On
his pleading for them. He is "
Jesus," the
Saviour, and "
Christ,"
the
Messiah, the Anointed. He alone is "the Righteous One," who
received his nature pure from
Sin, and as our
Surety perfectly
obeyed the
Law of
God, and
So fulfilled all
Righteousness. All
men, in every land, and through successive generations, are
invited to come to
God through this all-sufficient
Atonement,
and
By this new and living way. The
Gospel, when rightly
understood and received, sets the
Heart against all
Sin, and
stops the allowed practice of it; at the same time it gives
blessed relief to the wounded consciences of those who have
sinned.
3-11 What knowledge of
Christ can that be, which sees not that
he is most worthy of our entire obedience? And a disobedient
Life shows there is neither religion nor honesty in the
professor. The
Love of
God is perfected in him that keeps his
Commandments.
God's
Grace in him attains its true
Mark, and
produces its sovereign effect as far as may be in this world,
and this is
Man's
Regeneration; though never absolutely perfect
here. Yet this observing
Christ's commands, has
Holiness and
excellency which, if universal, would make the
Earth resemble
Heaven itself. The command to
Love one another had been in force
from the beginning of the world; but it might be called a new
command as given to Christians. It was new in them, as their
situation was new in respect of its motives, rules, and
obligations. And those who walk in
Hatred and
Enmity to
believers, remain in a dark state.
Christian Love teaches us to
value our
Brother's soul, and to dread every thing hurtful to
his purity and peace. Where spiritual
Darkness dwells, in mind,
the
Judgment, and the
Conscience will be darkened, and will
mistake the way to heavenly
Life. These things demand serious
self-examination; and
Earnest Prayer, that
God would show us
what we are, and whither we are going.
12-14 As Christians have their
Peculiar states,
So they have
Peculiar duties; but there are precepts and obedience common to
all, particularly mutual
Love, and contempt of the world. The
youngest sincere
Disciple is pardoned: the
Communion of saints
is attended with the forgiveness of sins. Those of the longest
standing in
Christ's school need further advice and instruction.
Even fathers must be written unto, and preached unto; none are
too old to learn. But especially young men in
Christ Jesus,
though they are arrived at strength of
Spirit and sound sense,
and have successfully resisted first trials and temptations,
breaking off bad habits and connections, and entered in at the
strait
Gate of true
Conversion. The different descriptions of
Christians are again addressed. Children in
Christ know that
God
is their
Father; it is
Wisdom. Those advanced believers, who
know Him that was from the beginning, before this world was
made, may
Well be led thereby to give up this world. It will be
the
Glory of young persons to be strong in
Christ, and his
Grace.
By the
Word of God they overcome the wicked one.
15-17 The things of the world may be desired and possessed for
the uses and purposes which
God intended, and they are to be
used
By his
Grace, and to his
Glory; but believers must not seek
or value them for those purposes to which
Sin abuses them. The
world draws the
Heart from
God; and the more the
Love of the
world prevails, the more the
Love of
God decays. The things of
the world are classed according to the three ruling inclinations
of depraved nature. 1. The
Lust of the
Flesh, of the body: wrong
desires of the
Heart, the appetite of indulging all things that
excite and inflame sensual pleasures. 2. The
Lust of the eyes:
the eyes are delighted with riches and rich possessions; this is
the
Lust of
Covetousness. 3. The pride of
Life: a vain
Man
craves the grandeur and pomp of a vain-glorious
Life; this
includes thirst after honour and applause. The things of the
world quickly fade and die away; desire itself will ere long
fail and cease, but holy
Affection is not like the
Lust that
passes away. The
Love of
God shall never fail. Many vain efforts
have been made to evade the force of this
Passage By
limitations, distinctions, or exceptions. Many have tried to
show how far we may be carnally-minded, and
Love the world; but
the
Plain meaning of these verses cannot easily be mistaken.
Unless this victory over the world is begun in the
Heart, a
Man
has
No root in himself, but will fall away, or at most remain an
unfruitful professor. Yet these vanities are
So alluring to the
corruption in our hearts, that without constant watching and
Prayer, we cannot escape the world, or obtain victory over the
God and
Prince of it.
18-23 Every
Man is an
Antichrist, who denies the Person, or any
of the offices of
Christ; and in denying the Son, he denies the
Father also, and has
No part in his favour while he rejects his
great
Salvation. Let this
Prophecy that seducers would rise in
the
Christian world, keep us from being seduced. The
Church
knows not
Well who are its true members, and who are not, but
thus true Christians were proved, and rendered more watchful and
humble. True Christians are anointed ones; their names expresses
this: they are anointed with
Grace, with
Gifts and spiritual
privileges,
By the Holy
Spirit of
Grace. The great and most
hurtful lies that the
Father of lies spreads in the world,
usually are falsehoods and errors relating to the person of
Christ. The
Unction from the Holy One, alone can keep us from
delusions. While we
Judge favourably of all who trust in
Christ
as the Divine
Saviour, and obey his
Word, and seek to live in
union with them, let us pity and pray for those who deny the
Godhead of
Christ, or his
Atonement, and the new-creating work
of the
Holy Ghost. Let us protest against such antichristian
doctrine, and keep from them as much as we may.
24-29 The
Truth of
Christ, abiding in us, is a means to sever
from
Sin, and unites us to the
Son of God, Joh 15:3,4. What
value should we
Put upon
Gospel Truth! Thereby the promise of
eternal
Life is made sure. The promise
God makes, is suitable to
his own greatness, power, and
Goodness; it is eternal
Life. The
Spirit of
Truth will not
Lie; and he teaches all things in the
present
Dispensation, all things necessary to our knowledge of
God in
Christ, and their
Glory in the
Gospel. The
Apostle
repeats the kind words, "little children;" which denotes his
Affection. He would persuade
By Love.
Gospel privileges oblige
to
Gospel duties; and those anointed
By the
Lord Jesus abide
with him. The new spiritual nature is from the
Lord Christ. He
that is constant to the practice of religion in trying times,
shows that he is born from above, from the
Lord Christ. Then,
let us beware of holding the
Truth in unrighteousness,
remembering that those only are born of
God, who
Bear his holy
image, and walk in his most righteous ways.