1 João 2
Matthew Henry · Citado em PreceptAustin
1 João 2:7-11
Henry - It is proper for sincere Christians to acknowledge what God has done for their souls; but in the visible church there are often those who assume to themselves more than is true. There are those who say they are in the light, the divine revelation has made its impression upon their minds and spirits, and yet they walk in hatred and enmity towards their Christian brethren; these cannot be swayed by the sense of the love of Christ to their brethren, and therefore remain in their dark state, notwithstanding their pretended conversion to the Christian religion. (Ed: In short, Henry seems to be saying these professors are not possessors of the Spirit of Christ for they are not yet born from above.) Let a man talk as largely and as loudly as he may, if he loves not, he is in the dark. No love, no light. Pulpit Commentary - This is an unvarying law, all profession to the contrary notwithstanding (John 3:9). Let a man talk as largely and as loudly as he may, if he loves not, he is in the dark. No love, no light. He will not see the light God has shed on the destiny of the race. He will be in miserable darkness as regards his own.(1 John 2 - The Pulpit Commentaries) The individual pictured in this verse displays a conflict between his claim and his conduct. Hiebert comments on "The one hating" (1 John 2:9). The individual pictured in this verse displays a conflict between his claim and his conduct. Two present tense participles under the government of one article portray two distinct characteristics. The one who says he is in the light declares that the light is the sphere of his life and being; he claims to have fellowship with God Who is Light (1Jn 1:5). "And" (kai) introduces a further feature: "and hates his brother", literally, "and the brother of him hating". The word order stresses the flagrant contradiction between his claim and his conduct. "His brother," placed next to his claim to be in the light, denotes a fellow Christian with whom he should have a close relationship. In keeping with John's characteristic usage (1Jn 3:14-15; 5:1), the term "brother" denotes not merely a fellow human being but a Christian brother. This does not mean he is at liberty to hate a non-Christian; the brother-relationship is the key to the test being applied. If he fails to show love within the family circle, he cannot be expected to show love in broader relationships. The present participle "hating" denotes his characteristic attitude, not merely a flash of anger or ill will. As the opposite of Christian love, such hatred cannot be viewed merely as a matter of indifference or deliberate disregard of the brother in his need. A feeling of ill-will or active malice toward the object of hatred is involved. For John there was no neutral ground between love and hate (cf. 1Jn 3:14-15). The test reveals that this individual "is in the darkness until now." His conduct nullifies his claim, and he is still in the realm of "the darkness" (cf. 1Jn 1:5-6); he has never left it "until now." Though "the true light is already shining" (1Jn 2:8), he has never had the transforming experience of passing from the darkness into the light. Kistemaker suggests that John's "until now" "tactfully leaves the door open so that they may repent and come to the light." (1 John 2:7-17) (Bolding added) Zane Hodges is among those writers who feel John is speaking of fellowship only (Thomas Constable is also in this group) and that this passage has nothing to do with the authenticity of salvation. Hodges for example comments that "If the Bible taught that feelings of hatred were a sure sign of an unsaved condition, then virtually no one in the whole church would be saved! But the Bible does not teach this." While I agree with Hodges' statement, that is NOT what John says -- he is not referring to occasional (maybe even extended times) in which one might be angry with another person, but to an unchanged and "unwilling to change'' attitude of hatred. Beware of writers like Hodges and Constable who shy away from linking fruit with faith, the fruit being a result (evidence) of and not the means (faith alone) of salvation. Such teaching leaves the door wide open for a man to say he "believes" in Jesus (perhaps he expressed this as a child, raised his hand at a rally, prayed a prayer, etc) and yet live like the devil all his life. How can such a person who continually manifests unholy behavior be confident that he will forever be in the present of the Holy God? How can such a person think or claim they have the indwelling Holy Spirit when they continually manifest unholy behavior? This genre of teaching leaves the souls of these individuals in a danger state which will be exposed by the Judge Jesus Christ as He warns in Matthew 7:21-23+! Brother (adelphos) - There are 15 uses of adelphos in First John, but the meaning of each use must be determined from the context. For example, clearly use of brother in 1Jn 3:12 speaks of familial relationship and does indicate that Cain was not a believer because John clearly identifies him with the evil one (the devil, cp Jn 8:44). In contrast, Abel is clearly stated to be righteous in Heb 11:4 and was without question an OT saint or believer. As you read the descriptions of associated with brother (brethren) examine the context to determine whether John is describing the behavior of a true believer or the conduct of one who professes to believe in Christ. 1John 2:9 The one who says he is in the light and [yet] hates his brother is in the darkness until now. 1John 2:10 The one who loves his brother abides in the light and there is no cause for stumbling in him. 1John 2:11 But the one who hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going because the darkness has blinded his eyes. 1John 3:10 By this the children of God and the children of the devil are obvious: anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor the one who does not love his brother. 1John 3:12 not as Cain, [who] was of the evil one, and slew his brother. And for what reason did he slay him? Because his deeds were evil, and his brother’s were righteous. 1John 3:13 Do not marvel, brethren, if the world hates you. 1John 3:14 We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love abides in death. 1John 3:15 Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer; and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him. 1John 3:16 We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. 1John 3:17 But whoever has the world's goods, and sees his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him? 1John 4:20 If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen. 1John 4:21 And this commandment we have from Him, that the one who loves God should love his brother also. 1John 5:16 If anyone sees his brother committing a sin not [leading] to death, he shall ask and [God] will for him give life to those who commit sin not [leading] to death. There is a sin [leading] to death; I do not say that he should make request for this. NET note on adelphos as used in this epistle - In the repeated uses of this form of address throughout the letter, it is important to remember that sometimes it refers (1) to genuine Christians (those who have remained faithful to the apostolic eyewitness testimony about who Jesus is, as outlined in the Prologue to the letter, 1Jn 1:1–4; an example of this usage is 1Jn 2:10; 3:14, 16), but often it refers (2) to the secessionist opponents whose views the author rejects (examples are found here at 1Jn 2:9, as well as 1Jn 2:11; 3:10; 3:15; 3:17; 4:20). Of course, to be technically accurate, in the latter case the reference is really to a “fellow member of the community”; the use of the term “fellow Christian” in the translation no more implies that such an individual is genuinely saved than the literal term “brother” which the author uses for such people. But a translation like “fellow member of the community” or “fellow member of the congregation” is extremely awkward and simply cannot be employed consistently throughout. Marvin
1 João 2:15
Henry illustrates how these two masters are in diametric opposition to one another… GOD SAYS MAMMON SAYS "My son, give me thy heart.’’ "No, give it me.’’ "Be content with such things as ye have." "Grasp at all that ever thou canst. Rem, rem, quocunque modo rem Money, money; by fair means or by foul, money.’’ "Defraud not, never lie, be honest and just in all thy dealings.’’ "Cheat thine own Father, if thou canst gain by it.’’ "Be charitable.’’ "Hold thy own: this giving undoes us all.’’ "Be careful (anxious) for nothing.’’ "Be careful (anxious) for every thing.’’ "Keep holy thy sabbath-day.’’ "Make use of that day as well as any other for the world.’’ Thus inconsistent are the commands of God and Mammon, so that we cannot serve both. Let us not then halt between God and Baal (1 Ki 18:21), but choose ye this day whom ye will serve, and abide by our choice. (Matthew 6) Addendum: As quoted above but worth repeating Jesus Declared "(ABSOLUTELY) No one (NO EXCEPTIONS) can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth (MAMMON - see picture of this idol).." (Mt 6:24+). Mammon - Mammon /ˈmæmən/ in the New Testament of the Bible is commonly thought to mean money, material wealth, or any entity that promises wealth, and is associated with the greedy pursuit of gain. The Gospel of Matthew and the Gospel of Luke both quote Jesus using the word in a phrase often rendered in English as "You cannot serve both God and mammon." Hiebert concludes that "The tragic truth concerning such an individual is that love for God "is not in him," is not a motivating reality in his heart and life. He does not have that love for "the Father" which is the mark of those born into the family of God. But since our love for the Father is the result of His love for us (1Jn 4:19), the subjective meaning, God's love for this individual, cannot be rigidly excluded. Smalley notes that "both ideas are probably present (cf. 1Jn 2:5): love for the world inhibits a love for God which both answers his and derives from it.' (The Epistles of John An Expositional Commentary D. Edmond Hiebert) (See Hiebert's Excellent Online Paper on 1John 2:2-17 in Bibliotheca Sacra) This marks this hypothetical person as one who loves the world as a habit of life to the exclusion of any love for God. This is an unsaved person. Wuest = The expression if any man love the world is a hypothetical condition in the subjunctive mode. The verb is in the present tense. John could have used the aorist tense, expressing merely the fact of loving the world. But he goes out of his way to use the present tense, which tense in the subjunctive mode always stresses continuous, habitual action. This marks this hypothetical person as one who loves the world as a habit of life to the exclusion of any love for God. This is an unsaved person. In this person, the love of the Father does not exist. This is love for the Father as generated in the heart of the yielded believer by the Holy Spirit. (Eerdmans Publishing - used by permission) David
1 João 2:24
Henry - Truth is older than error. The truth concerning Christ, that was at first delivered to the saints, is not to be exchanged for novelties. So sure were the apostles of the truth of what they had delivered concerning Christ, and from him, that after all their toils and sufferings they were not willing to relinquish it. Brian Harbour - What did John want to remain in us? "See that what you have heard from the beginning" is the way he put it in 1Jn 2:24. He was referring to the truth about God which has been revealed to them in Jesus Christ. To keep growing and to keep going as Christians, we need to allow the truth of God which was revealed to us in Jesus Christ and in His written word to "take up permanent residence" in our hearts. The key is not how much we expose our minds to but how deeply we expose our minds to the central truths of the faith. One of the hottest books on preaching today is a book by Paul Scott Wilson called The Practice of Preaching. In talking about the method of preaching, Wilson recommends that preachers concentrate on only a few core doctrines. He finds support from a number of other sources. John Broadus, one of the most popular preachers of the 1800s, urged preachers to concentrate on the "great" doctrines and identified them as sin, providence, redemption, repentance, and atonement. James Stewart, the great Scottish preacher of the 1900s, called on preachers to concentrate on preaching Christ. He advocated four dimensions of this: Christ's death and resurrection, the inbreaking of the Realm of God with power; God's intervention in individual human lives; and God's intervention in history." That seems to be what John was saying in our text. Don't always be looking for some new idea to discover or some new tangent to chase. Focus on the basic truths of Scripture so much and so often that they "take up permanent residence in our lives." This is the recommended pattern in other endeavors. Champion tennis players become champions by repeating hundreds of times a day the basic action of hitting the ball with the racket. Champion basketball players become champions by repeating hundreds of times a day the basic action of shooting the ball into the net. And champion Christians… ? It's the same procedure. Remaining in Christ is really quite simple. We simply need to remain in His word, to take "that what you have heard from the beginning" and allow it to take up permanent residence in our lives. (Notable Harbour Verse-by-Verse Studies) You also will abide in the Son and in the Father (cp similar expression in 1Jn 2:23) - Why is the Son mentioned first? Most writers agree that Jesus is mentioned first because it is by abiding in Him that we abide in the Father for no one comes to the Father but through the Son (Jn 14:6, cf 1Ti 2:5, Ro 5:1-2-note). The condition is that they abide. In this context John is not saying that if they don't let what they heard abide in them, then they are going to lose their salvation. He is referring to fellowship with the Father and the Son, the ongoing communion that is the product of a good memory of the truths they had been previously taught. On the other hand, another way of interpreting this section, is that their continuing to abide in the Word is evidence that they are truly saved. Such a person will continue to abide in the Son and the Father. The fact that they continue to abide does not save them but is evidence that they are truly saved. Natural men are unregenerate and have no supernaturally stimulated desire for God's supernatural Word of Truth. In fact, Paul says "a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for (term of explanation - this preposition should prompt the question "Why not?") they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised." (1Cor 2:14). Only the "supernaturally" energized man or woman will seek to abide in the supernatural truth he or she first heard. Will abide is future tense - "The forces of the future… is progressive and expresses the continuing reality of fellowship with God (Ed: through Christ)." (Hiebert 1 John 2:19-24 Exposition) Teacher's Outline and Study Bible asks a question worth pondering - How do you know if the gospel is really in you? If you really know God? This sixth test is a revealing proof: Does the Gospel abide in you? How you live shows quicker than anything else whether or not you know God. If you have grasped the truth of God's Word, of His Gospel, and are living it out in your life, then you definitely know God. But the converse is also tragically true: if the Gospel, God's Word, is not within you, if you are not living out the Gospel, then you do not know God. Regardless of what you may feel or profess—regardless of what others may think—you do not know God. The Gospel lives within the life of every genuine believer and the believer lives out the Gospel… note the evidence of salvation, of knowing God: if the gospel continues in you, "you also shall continue in the Son, and in the Father." The word "remain" means to abide, dwell, remain. It means not to be carried away by false teaching or worldly pleasures and possessions. How do we know if we know God? Are we continuing to live in the Son and in the Father? Is the gospel being lived out in our lives? Are we confessing Jesus Christ to be the Son of God? Do we really believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God? Are we letting Jesus Christ live out His life in us? This is the final proof that we know God. ILLUSTRATION: Does the Gospel abide in you? Or does it come and go according to your circumstances? What some claim to be the Gospel is nothing more than a watered-down cause. Compromise has replaced conviction. The reality of the Gospel can be confirmed in your life when it propels you to remain consistent. This example makes a good point. "The following is a Russian parable. A hunter raised his rifle and took careful aim at a large bear. When about to pull the trigger, the bear spoke in a soft, soothing voice, 'Isn't it better to talk than to shoot? What do you want? Let us negotiate the matter.' "Lowering his rifle, the hunter replied, 'I want a fur coat.' 'Good,' said the bear, 'that is a negotiable question. I only want a full stomach, so let us negotiate a compromise.' "They sat down to negotiate, and after a time the bear walked away alone. The negotiations had been successful. The bear had a full stomach, and the hunter had his fur coat. [But not the way he expected it!] Compromises rarely satisfy both sides in equal measure." There can be no compromise (See Keith Green's life story "No Compromise" - video documentary) with the Gospel: either you live in Christ and His life (Col 3:4) is seen in you or you are going your own way, the way of the world. "For in Him we live, and move, and have our being… " (Acts 17:28a). Never compromise with the enemy. You will lose every time. Keep abiding in the Word and in Christ. It is the only way to be safe! As John
1 João 2:24
Henry: Abiding in Christ is necessary in order to our doing much good. He that is constant in the exercise of faith in Christ and love to him, that lives upon his promises and is led by his Spirit, bringeth forth much fruit, he is very serviceable to God's glory, and his own account in the great day. Note, Union with Christ is a noble principle, productive of all good. A life of faith in the Son of God is incomparably the most excellent life a man can live in this world it is regular and even, pure and heavenly it is useful and comfortable, and all that answers the end of life. (John 15 - Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary on the Bible) Chuck Smith: You cannot bring forth any worthwhile fruit unto God apart from that indwelling power of Jesus Christ. Anything that you endeavor to do for God apart from Jesus Christ is worthless. It is as wood, hay, and stubble that will burn when the day of judgment comes. The only lasting fruit is that which is produced as the result of the relationship with Jesus Christ. And here again, the idea of fruit indicates to us the method of God. The fruit that comes forth from our lives is a very natural thing; it"s not forced. That apple hanging on the tree is not out there struggling and striving and pushing and doing its best to get ripe. All it has to do is just hang in there and it"s going to ripen. And it"s going to come to maturity. And I just need to hang in there, just to abide in Christ, and the natural result of abiding in Christ is my life is going to bring forth fruit. One of the problems in the church today is this endeavor of forced fruit. "Now, you ought to be doing this for the Lord… " And you"re being pushed into all kinds of activities, not really directed by the Spirit. And this can become worthless expenditures of energy, unless God is behind it and God is guiding it and God is directing it. Unless you"re abiding in Him, you cannot bear fruit of yourself. You cannot sit down and say, "Now, this is what I"m going to do for God this year. And these are the projects that I"m going to endeavor. And this is my plan by which I intend to fulfill this goal." That bearing fruit that God desires is the most natural thing that can happen to you as you abide in Christ. It"s just a natural function. And so, "Abide in me. You can"t bear fruit of yourself." (John 15 - Chuck Smith Bible Commentary) A T