The Pulpit Commentary — 1 John — Section 26

llo mere intellectue.l 11ppreheneion, such as The change from Iv a.~Trp to lKe,voo con- the Onoatice postule.ted, but II moral o.nd firms the view that a~...6v and avTou mean spiritual affection e.nd activity. It is poe- the Father; but St. John's use of bCE1vos to siblo to know nnd ho.ta (John xvi. 24). reeall _with emphaRis e. previous eubjed Again, tho knowledge is not II mero emo- (John 1. 8, 18, 33; v. 11; ix. 37; x. 1; xii. tional appreciation. Christianity knows 48) makes this argument inconclusive. To nothing of piety without morality. To be or abirle in God or in Christ implies ,m know Christ is to love him, e.ncl to Jovo him h_abitual ~midilion, not isolated apprehen- is to obey e.nd imitate him. By "keep" sions of Ins presence. Obedience, not feel- (-r11pwµ,v) is meant "keep the eye fixed ing, is the teat of union ; and the Christian upon, observe." who is really such has least to tell of "ex- Ver. 4.-The po.rticipio.l substantive (tl periences" of special visitations. He who A{-yr,,v) now takes the pl11cc of U.v with the is ever in the light has few sensible illumi- subjunctive, but the two are equivalent (cf. nations to record. Note the strong Ka.01><, oh. i .. 6, which is almoRt exactly parallel to even as (not merely C:.s, as); nothing less this, and shows what "knowing him " than "the measure of the stature of the really is, viz. having fellowship with him, fulness of Christ" (Eph. iv. 13) is to be just o.s not keeping his commandments is aimed at. " Ye therefore shall be perfect as tho so.me as wnlking in darkness). St. John your heavenly Father is perfect" (Matt. v. ee.ye, µ¾ '1'1/pwv, not o/, Tf/pwv, the case being 48). hypothetical-if there be such e. man, he is Vera. 7-28.-(2) Negati?Je Bide. What a lio.r, and has no idea of truth (see on eh. walking in the light excludes: the things i. 8). He must ho.ve lost the very power of and persons to be avoirled-hatred of a recognizrng truth to maintain that he knows brother, love of the world, e.ntichrists. 'l'o Christ, when he habitually transgresses his this section vers. 7, 8 form an introduction, commands. It is no great thing, as Bede as eh. i. 5, 7 to the positive side. says, to know as the devils do, who "believe Ver. 7.-Beloved; d-ya.717/Toi, not c!li,:>..cpo!, and tremble." is the true reading. Addresses of this kind Ver. 5.-Ouce more (cf. eh. i. 7, 9) the commonly introduce a fresh division of the opposite is stated and the thought carried subject, main or subordinate. Thns d-ya.1r1J• further. But whoso keepeth hie word (his Toi (eh. iv. 1, 7); nKv(a. (eh. ii. I); ,rculi/a. dootrine as a whole, including the separate (eh.ii. 18): dli,ll.cpoi (eh.iii. 13). Sometimes, commo.udmente), of a truth in him ho.th the however, they introduce an earnest conclu- love of God been perfeoted; i.e. as an ac- sion (eh. ii. 28: iii. 21: v. 21). In eh. iv. complished fa.et: the relation of love ho.a 11 a.-ya.'"}Tol introduces e. conclusion which been establishecl. In St. John clll.fJ8ws is serves as a fresh starting-point. Not a fresh no mere expletive: it expresses reality, and oommandment do I write to you, but an old reality that is known. From ver. 4 we oommandment. Where it can be conveni- might have expected "of a truth he 1mowet.h ently done, it is worth while distinguishing God;" but the apostle goes beyond this, 1<a.1vos, " fresh," as opposed to '' worn out," and shows that really knowing God involves "obsolete," from v,os, " new," as opposed to loving him (comp. eh. iv. 11). The context "old, aged." "New wine must be put into shows that ,,.oi) 0,oiJ is objective-his love of fres/1 skins" (Mark ii. 22). Are two com- God rather than God's love of him. 'fhe mandments meant-one to cultivate brotherly insertion of ToiJ 0,0;; here, and the drift of love, the other to walk as Christ walked? the Epistle thus fo.r, are in favour of a.b,,.dv Or is there only one, which from di1ferent and a.vTou in vers. 3-5 meaning God rather points of viewme.y be regarded e.s either new the.u Christ, although ab,,.ds· in ver. 2 tells or old? Commentators e.re divided; but the the other wo.y. '.rhe last clause sums up latter seems better. Then what is the com- and reaffirms, but as usual with a new turn mandment which is e.t once new and old? of thought, the whole section (vers. 3-5), The whole gospel, or the command to love which begins and ends with lv TOO'Tq, -y,v~- one another? John xiii. 3cl: e.nd xv. 2 will <1'1Cop.,v. Knowing God implies keeping his incline us to the latter view. The command Word; and keeping his Word involves loving we.a old, for" Thou shnlt love thy neighbour him; and all this implies being in him, i.e. as thyself" (Lev. xix. 18) was port of the having that fellowship with him o.nd his Moso.io Law. But the standar,t was new: Son in which the Christian's life (which is "Even as I loved you;" " Even as he also eternal life) coneiete, and to promote which walked; " and the motive was new : bec,i.use St. John publishes his Gospel (oh. i. 3, 4). "Gotl so loved us" (eh. iv. II). B1·otherly Ver. 6.-Profession involves an obliga- love, enforced by such e.u example, and tion to e.ct up t.o the profession. " He who ba1ed on such a fact, was a now command says tho.t he abides in God is by his words as compared with the cold inj unctiou of the more.Hy bound to walk even as his Son, the Law. From the beginning m&y hnve either inou.rno.te Revelation of hie will, walked." of two benscs: (1) from of old, i.e. long  22 'l'HE FIRS'l' EPIS1'LE GENERAL OF JOHN, [en. n. 1-29.