The main object of the Epistle, therefore, does not appear to be simply that of opposing the errors of the Docetje (Schmidt, Bertholdt, Niemeyer), or of the Gnos- tics (Kleuker), or of the Nicolaitans (Macknight), or of the Cerinthians {]\Iichaelis), or of all of them togeth- er (Townsend ), or of the Sabians (Barkey, Storr, Keil), or of Judaizcrs (Liiffler, Semler), or of apostates to Ju- daism (Lange, Eichhom, Hanlein) : the leading pur- pose of the apostle appears to be rather constructive than polemical. John is remarkable both in his historj' and in his writings for his abhorrence of false doctrine, but he does not attack error as a controversialist. He states the deep truth and lays down the deep moral teaching of Christianity, and in this way, rather than directly, condemns heresy. In the introduction (i, 1-4) the apostle states the purpose of his Epistle. It is to declare the Word of life to those whom he is address- ing, in order that he and tliey might be imited in true communion with eacli other, and with God the Father, and his Son Jesus Clirist. He at once begins to explain the nature and conditions of communion with God, and, being led on from this point into other topics, he twice brings himself back to tlie same subject. The first part of the Epistle may be considered to end at ii, 28. The
apostle begins afresh with the doctrine of sonship or communion at ii, 29, and returns to the same tlieme at iv, 7. His lesson throughout is, that the means of union with God are, on the part of Christ, his atoning blood (i, 7 ; ii, 2 ; iii, 5 ; iv, 10, 14 ; v, 6) and advocacy (ii, 1)— on the part of man, hoUness (i, 6), obedience (ii, 3), purity (iii, 3), faith (iii, 23; iv, 3; v, 5), and, above all, love (ii, 7 ; iii, 14 ; iv, 7 ; v, 1). John is designated as the Apostle of Love, and rightly ; but it should l)e ever remembered that his " love" does not exclude or ignore, but embraces both faith and obedience as constituent parts of itself. Indeed, Paul's " faith that worketh by love," and James's " works that are the fruit of faith," and John's "love which springs from faith and pro- duces obedience," are all one and the same state of mind described according to the first, third, or second stage into which we are able to analyze the complex whole. — Smith.
IX. Commentaries. — The special exegetical helps on the whole of the three epistles of John, besides those mentioned under the Gospel above, arc the following, of which we designate the most important by prefixing an asterisk : Didymus, In Ep. Jo. (in Bibl. Max. Pair, v ; also in £ibl. Pair. Gall, vi) ; Bede, Expositio (in 0pp. v); Althamer, Commentarius (Argent. 1521, 1528, 8vo); Hemming, Commentarius (Vitemb. 1569, 8vo) ; Sehieck- er, Homilim (Franc. 1580, 1597, 8vo); Danssus, Commen- tarius (Genev. 1585, 8vo) ; Home, Expositio [including Jude] (Brunsw. 1654, 4to); Rappolt, Commentatio (ed. Carpzov, Lips. 1687, and later, 4to) ; Creyghton, Ontleed- ing (France. 1704, 4to) ; J. Lange, Exegesis (Hal. 1713, 4to ; including Pet., ib. 1724, fol.) ; Rusmeyer, ErUdrung (Hamb. 1717, 4to) ; Whiston, Commentary (Lond. 1719, 8vo) ; Tgilde, Verllaaring (Delph. 1736, 4to) ; Ruhlius, Notw (Amst. 1739, 12mo) ; Benson, Notes (London, 1749, 4to; includ. other cath. ep., ib. 1756, 4to) ; Schirmer, Er- llarimg (Breslau. 1780, 8vo) ; Morus, Prcdectiones (edit. Hempel, Lips. 1797, 8vo) ; Hawkins, Commentary (Hal- ifax. 1808, 8vo) ; isL^-^ii^jAdiioiotio [includ. Rev.] (Lips. 1816, 1821, 8 vo) ; Paulus. Erkldrung (Heidelberg, 1829, 8vo); Bickersteth, 7i>^)o.<?Vi!'(';( [includ. Jude] (London, 1846, 12mo); Braune, Auslegung (Grim. 1847, 8vo) ; JNIayer, Commentar (Wien, 1851, 8vo) ; Sander, Commen- ^flr'(Elberf. 1851, 8vo); Besser, Auslegung (Halle, 1851, 1856, 1862, 12mo) ; *Dlisterdieck, Commentar (Getting. 1852-56, 2 vols. 8vo) ; *Huther, in Meyer's Ilandhuch (Getting. 1853, 1861, 8vo) ; *Maurice, Lectures (Cambr. 1857, 1867, 8vo).
On the First Epistle alone there are the ftillowing : Augustine, Tractatus (in 0pp. iv, 1091 ; tr. into French, Par. 1670, 12mo) ; Luther, Commentarius (ed. Neumann, Lips. 1708; ed. Bruns, Lub. 1797, 8vo; also in German, in Werke, Lpz. xi, 572 ; Halle, ix, 906) ; CEcolampadius, Homilice (Basil. 1525, 8vo) ; Zv;'mg\e, Annotaiiones (in 0pp. iv, 585) ; Tyndale, Exposition (London, 1531, 8vo; reprinted, in Expositions, ib. 1829, p. 145) ; IMegander, Adnotationes [includ. Hebrews] (Tigur. 1539, 8vo) ; Fo- \eng, Commentaria (Venice, 1546, 8 vo) ; Beurlinus, Com- mentarius (Tuh'mg.lb71,8vo)-, Haimins, Enar7-atio (F. ad M. 1586, 1592, 8vo) ; Hessels, Commentarius (Duaci, 1599, 8vo) ; Eckhard, Disputationes (Gies. 1609, 8vo) ; Socinus, Commentarius (Racov. 1614, 8vo; also in 0pp. i, 157) ; Egard, Erkldiung (Gosl. 1628, 8vo) ; Cundisius, QucBstiones (Jena, 1648, 1698, 4to) ; Roberts, Evidences, etc. (Lond. 1649, 8vo) ; Mestrezat, Exposition (Ft., Ge- neve, 1651, 2 vols. 12mo) ; Cotton, Commentary (Lond. 1656, fol.); Hardy, Unfolding [on i-iii] (Lond. 1656-9, 2 vols. 4to); *S. Schmid. Commenfarinx (F. et Lipsia;, 1687, 1707, 1736, 4to) ; Dorsclie, J)i<pu1aihmts (Rostock, 1697, 4to) ; Spener, Erkldniiig (Halle. ]6'.)9, 1711, 4to); Zeller, Predigten (Lpz. 1709. 8vo) ; Marperger, A uskgvng (Niirnb. 1710, 4to) ; Oporinus, Liberatio (Getting. 1741, 4to) ; Freylinghausen, Erkldrung (Halle, 1741, 8vo) ; Steinhofer^ Erkldrung (Tiibing. 1762, Hamb. 1848, 8vo) ; Carpzov, Scholia (Helmstadt, 1773, 4to) ; Semler, Para- phrasis (Riga, 1792, r2mo); Hesselgren. Prolegomena I (Upsala, 1800, 8vo); Weber, De authentia, etc. (Halle.