THE ELDER, &C.— The word _elder,_ whether considered as a name of office, or taken in its literal sense, as implying age, will very well suit the character of St. John, who was above 90 years old when this epistle was written, and had the direction and government of the Asiatic churches. There can h... [ Continue Reading ]
I REJOICED GREATLY, THAT I FOUND OF THY CHILDREN, &C.— "In testimony of the sincerity of my love towards you, I can assure you that my soul was warmed with exceeding joy, (οτι,) because upon good evidence, I was well satisfied that, of the children which God has graciously given you, there are some... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THIS IS LOVE,— That is, "the love which God the Father, by Christ his eternal Son, has enjoined upon Christians one towards another," as appears from the connection. The exhortations to mutual love among Christians, and the use of that phrase _from the beginning,_ are so common in St. John's fir... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR MANY DECEIVERS— "I exhort you to walk in the truth, and keep the commandment which you have had from the beginning, _because many deceivers are gone out into the world,_ who, by their novel doctrine, pervert the truth, and render the old commandment of none effect, &c." All the sentiments and ph... [ Continue Reading ]
LOOK TO YOURSELVES, &C.— "Beware therefore of them; look about you; stand upon your guard; and take heed that your own faith and practice be not corrupted by them; that so neither you yourselves, nor we, the ministers of Christ, may lose the good fruit of our ministry, which was instrumental in gain... [ Continue Reading ]
WHOSOEVER TRANSGRESSETH,— Instances of expressing the same thought, both negatively and positively, abound in the first epistle of St. John; (see ch. 2 John 1:5.) and not only the sentiments, but many of the words of this verse are contained in the first epistle. _The doctrine of Christ_ means the p... [ Continue Reading ]
IF THERE COME ANY UNTO YOU,— _If any one come unto you._ Doddridge. Polycarp is said to have reported, that St. John, on going into the bath at Ephesus to washhimself,seeingCerinthusthere,he immediately hastened out of the bath; saying, "that he was afraid the bath should fall down, when Cerinthus,... [ Continue Reading ]
HAVING MANY THINGS TO WRITE— Perhaps this lady, or her children, might have several difficulties to propose to the apostle, which he could answer more directly and largely in conversation; or there might be several particulars with respect to the names, characters, behaviour, and doctrine of the fal... [ Continue Reading ]
THE CHILDREN OF THY ELECT SISTER GREET THEE.— _Brother_ and _sister_ very commonly, in the New Testament, mean fellow-christians; but in that sense the word _sister_ would have been too general and indeterminate in this place, and therefore we must understand it of a sister by blood or relationship.... [ Continue Reading ]