AN ANALYSIS OF THE THIRD EPISTLJL 1. Vers. 1-4. INTRODUCTION. .Address and occasion. 2. Vera. 5-12. MAIN DIVISION, Exhortation. Vera. 5-8, The hospitality of Gaius. V ers. 9, 10. The arrogance of Diotrephes. Vera. 11, 12. 'rbe moral. 3. Vers, 13, 14. CoNOLUSION,
VI. THE CHARACTERISTICS OF TIIE EPISTLF.9. The style of St. John, most strongly marked in his Gospel and First Epistle, conspicuous in the Second Epistle, and not wanting, though less conspicuous, in the third, is, in one respect, very similar to the subject-matter of the First Epistle ; it is very difficult to analyse. Like a subtle strain of music or an exquisite effect in colouring, it can be felt and appreciated, but not easily described. Two characteristics of this magic style may be mentioned together: pro- fundity of thought and simplicity of language. This marvellous combination to a large extent. accounts for the power which St. John's writings exercise over those who listen to them. We seem to be within a charmed circle, and to be listening to one who will not let us go until he has had his say; until he has placed before us, in words which the most simple-minded can com- prehend, truths which a.re not of this world, nor are to be measured by those of this world. Of the profundity of his thoughts there can be no question. The ideas which he places before us are among the deepest mysteries of revelation: man's relation to God, to the evil one, and to the world; the X INTRODUCTION 'l'O
!,,carnation; the Atonement; the judgment to come; the Son's refotion to 1hc Father and to the Spirit; the essential characteristios of the Godhead. Aud all this is stated in propositions, which commonly contain simple words in a very simple construction. "Now are we children of God." "He that rlucth sin is of the devil." "The world is passing away, and the lust thereof: l,1, the that doeth the will of God abideth fol' ever." "'l'he Father hath sent t'.,c Son, the Saviour of the world." "The blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanseth us from all sin." "God is Light, and in him is no darkness at all." "God is Lo,·e." What form of expression could be more simple? There is not a o.~pcndent sentence or a relative clause in any of thes~ stateme;nts, muoh less an involved construction. And the words uised are _of the simplest. Yet who can fa thorn the depth of such statements? This simplicity of construction arid avoidance of'dependent and relative c1auses involves a good deal of repetition,-a su bstan ti ve or a cll!,use,i1;1 repeii,ted where a relative might have taken its place. But even where repetition is not occasioned in this way we find it employed for the sake of emphasis. St. John is not afraid of wearying us by reiteration, if by reiteration he oan make the impression required. And, as a matter of fact, his repetitions do not weary us, and they do leave their impression. The rhythm of his simple sentences charms the ear, fixes itself in the memory, and sooner or later finds its way home to the heart. Note the effect produced by the repetition of ••love" and " world" in such sentences as these- •• 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."
Or, again, the repetition of "last hour" and "antichrist" in inverse order in the following : - " Little children, it is the last hour: And as ye heard tha.t anLichrist cometh, Even now ha.ve there arisen many antichrists; Whereby we know that it is the last hour." There would be nothing but loss in writing, "He that doeth sin is of the devil, who sinneth from the beginning; to destroy whose works the Son 6f God was manifested," instead of- " He that doeth sin is of the devil ; For the devil sinneth from the beginning. To this end wa.s the Son of God manifested, That be might destroy the works of the devil." Comp. also eh. ii. 24, where the solemn effect produced by the repetition of the word "abide" is lost in the Authorized Version by substituting "abide," "remain," "continue" 1 for the threefold "abide." The repetition and rbyth.m just pointed out is olosely connected with that THE EPISTLES OF ST. JOHN. xi
IC,Y6 of parallcliBm which is so conspicuous in Hebrew poetry. St. John, full cf the spirit of the old psalmists and prophets,constantly employs this form of expression- " We ha'l"e an Advocate with the Father, Jesll8 Christ the righteous: And He ie the propitiation for our sins." "He that batetb bis brother is in darkness, And walketh in darkness, And knoweth not whither he goeth." " For this cause the world knoweth us not, Because it knew him not." " Receive him not into your house, And give him no greeting." Sometimes the parallelism is antithetic, and the second clause deni6S the opposite of the first. "God is Light, And in him is no darkness at all." "Abideth in the light, And there is none occasion of stumbling in him. " He that bath the Son bath the life; He that bath not the Son of God, bath not the life." " He that doeth good is of God; He that doeth evil bath not seen God." And this leads us to yet another characteristic-the love of antithe,ia. Throughout the Epistles, and especially in the first, there is a constant ·movement from one position to its opposite; and the opposite is commonly not the exact converse of the original position, but an advance beyond it; and thus progress is made. " They are of the world : Therefore speak they of the world, And the world heareth them. We are of God: Ee that knoweth God hearcth us; Ee who is not of God heareth us not. By this we know the spirit of truth, And the spirit of error." "The world is passing away, and the lust thereof; But he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever."
Lastly, we may notice the calm tone of conscious authority which pervades all these Epistles, and which, as it is seldom put prominently forward, and is felt rather than heard, would be very difficult to assume if it were not possessed. This is one of the many arguments which converge to point out an apostle, and that apostle St. John, as the writer of these letters. A teacher who oan write like this has already done muoh to vindicate bis claim to be 1:it INTRODUCTION TO THE EPISTLES OF ST. JOHN.