_My little children_ So the apostle frequently addresses the whole body of Christians, and so our Lord himself addressed his disciples, John 13:33. It is a tender and affectionate appellation, denoting paternal authority, love, and concern, which, in the character of an apostle, St. John might have... [ Continue Reading ]
_Hereby we do know that we_, truly and savingly, _know him_ As he is the Advocate, the righteous One, the Propitiation; _if we keep his commandments_ Particularly those of faith and love. _He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar_ “The Nicolaitans and Gnostics, notwiths... [ Continue Reading ]
_I write no new commandment_ Ministers must avoid all suspicion and affectation of novelty in their doctrine. _But an old commandment_ Concerning holiness of life, and loving one another. _Which ye had from the beginning_ Which was given to your fathers at the first forming of your commonwealth, Lev... [ Continue Reading ]
_He that saith he is in the light_ In Christ; united to him, and truly enlightened by the gospel and the grace of God; _and_ yet _hateth his brother_ (The very name shows the love due to him;) _is in darkness until now_ Void of Christ, and of all true light. _He that loveth his brother _ See 1 John... [ Continue Reading ]
_I write unto you, little_, or _beloved, children_ Because this appellation is used (1Jn 2:1) to denote Christians of all ages and characters. Beza, and many other critics, suppose that St. John here addresses the whole body of Christ's disciples, as their common instructer, (see on 1 John 2:1,) who... [ Continue Reading ]
Here he distributes the whole body of Christians into three classes, according to their different standings in the faith, and their proficiency in Christian knowledge and holiness; namely, _fathers, young men_, and _young children._ The _fathers_ were the most ancient believers, who had made the gre... [ Continue Reading ]
_I have written_, &c. He repeats almost the same words, in order that they might the more regard them. As if he had said, Observe well what I now write. He speaks very briefly and modestly to those who needed not much to be said to them, as having that deep acquaintance with God, which comprises all... [ Continue Reading ]
To you all, whether fathers, young men, or little children, I say, _Love not the world_ Pursue your victory by overcoming the world, and all the temptations which may assault you from it, whether from prosperity or adversity, from riches or poverty, honour or reproach, pleasure or pain, life or deat... [ Continue Reading ]
_Little_, or _young, children_ The former caution against the love of the world belongs chiefly to old experienced Christians, or those who have attained some considerable knowledge and experience in divine things, because they are most apt to offend in that particular; this against seducers belongs... [ Continue Reading ]
_They went out from us_ Separated themselves from the communion of the true church of Christ. Hence it is one of the marks of antichrist, that he had been once in the Christian Church, and a teacher by profession, but had left it or apostatized; _but they were not of us_ When they went, their hearts... [ Continue Reading ]
_But ye have an unction_ Χρισμα, _a chrism_, (perhaps so termed in opposition to the name of antichrist,) an inward teaching _from the Holy Ghost_, whereby _ye know all things_ Necessary for your preservation from these seducers, and for your eternal salvation. There seems to be no proof that the ap... [ Continue Reading ]
_I have not written unto you_ In the manner I have done; _because ye know not the truth_ In which case I must have entered largely into the discussion of this matter; _but_, on the contrary, I have contented myself with these short intimations; _because ye know it_ Approve of and embrace it, and I a... [ Continue Reading ]
_Let that therefore abide in you_ Namely, that doctrine concerning the Father and the Son; _which ye have heard from the beginning_ Of the preaching of the gospel: retain a firm belief of it, and let your minds be so impressed with a sense of its certain truth and infinite importance, that it may ha... [ Continue Reading ]
_These things_ From 1 John 2:21; _have I written unto you_ St. John, according to his custom, begins and ends with the same form, and having finished a kind of parenthesis, (1 John 2:21,) continues (1Jn 2:27) what he said 1 John 2:20; _concerning them that_ would _seduce you_ That is, I say it to ar... [ Continue Reading ]
_And now, little_ Or rather, _beloved, children_, (for, having finished his address to each, he now returns to all in general,) _abide in him_ Maintain your union with and interest in him, by living a life of faith, love, and new obedience; of prayer, watchfulness, and self-denial; _that when he sha... [ Continue Reading ]