The Pulpit Commentary — 1 John — Section 38

. V~rs. 7-11.-Love an_d lig~t. Oonnec_t~ng l~nlc: Th~ word "ought" (ver. 6) 1mphes a command oxphc1tly given or 1mphc1tly rnvolv:ed m other teaching; such is the case here. 'l'he Son of God has come. And from him as the Light the command has proceeded. What specific form the commandment has taken from his lips is the main teaching of this paragraph. Hence our theme-The commandment, old and yet new, brought by him who is the Light. The "connecting links" which are tr~ceable in the writings of John, are very different from such as are discoverable in the Epistles of Paul. Paul works out mighty themes cumulatively. John treats key-words radia- tively. Such words are "light," "love," "truth," "life," "knowledge," etc. Conse- quently, it would be a mistake to attempt to find in this Epistle any such continuous unfolding of one great theme, such, e.g., as the doctrine of justification by faith, which is dealt with by Paul in Rom. i.-viii. As another method, and that very widely different, is adopted in this Epistle by the Apostle John, so the work of the pulpit expositor in dealing therewith must vary from the method he would adopt in unfold- ing the Epistle to the Romans. We must take up the key-words of John as he uses them, and expound the teaching concerning them. In this paragraph we have two main lines of remark suggested. I. TEACHINGS CONCERNING LIGHT AND LOVE OBJECTIVELY CONSIDERED. These are fourfold. 1. The true Light is now shining. A reference to John i. 4, 5 and iii. 19 will indicate the way in which the apostle refers to our Lord Jesus as the Light. God has never left men in absolute darkness concerning himself. Even before the Old Testa- ment was written, devout men could "walk with God." But whatever light on the invisible men have had has come from the Lord Jesus Christ. "He is the trne Light, which lighteth every man." ·when, however, he came into the world, men beheld the Source of light; the world has been clearer and brighter ever since; and to this day the light streams from Christ as from the Sun of Righteousness. 2. Because of this the darkness is passing away (,rapd.-y<Taa). 1 It is as if the veil were being lifted off which concealed the great realities on which the meaning and destiny of human life depend. And with new light thrown on the plans and mind of God for our race, it follows that fresh light is cast on the way in which men ought to walk. 3. This being the case, additional force is given to human duty. (Note the o-r, in ver. 8.) The clearer the light on a man's pathway, the greater his obligation to walk aright. Hence, when Jesus brings a faller light, he must needs bring a command for us to walk accordingly. vVe cannot suppose the Son of God to come from heaven to light up our way, and that it can then be an indifferent matter whether we heed him or no. Surely not. The light has a commanding force. It is a new command, as brought in anew by the Lord Jesus, and felt with new force through his infinite love. It is an old one, inasmuch as it had been in force from the very beginning of the Christian economy, and even then was but the resetting of the old law of love which God had enjoined from the first. 1. This command is that we should love our brother. This is the burden of the whole paragraph. '!'his is the sum and substance of that following of Christ to which all "who profess and call themselves Christians" are bound. The light which he brings is meant to guide us to a life of love. " Love one another, as I have loved you." I!, 'l.'HESE SAME TEACIIINGi! CONCERNING LIGHT AND LOVE SUBJECTIVELY APPLIED. It is no wonder to find the apostle setting and resetting his key-words in so many different forms, and ringing the changes, so to speak, on " those charming bells "-life, light, love. A deep and true philosophy underlies the whole. Right conception exist- ing in thought is truth. Right conception expressed in word is light. Right con- ception realized in act is duty. Right conception embodied in a life is love. There are five distinct statements made in this paragraph on the subjective side of our theme, all of them enforcing with terrific power the importance of obeying the command of love. 1. "He who loves his brother abides in the light." lloth </)1/\a.,,Bponrl:. and q,,/1.aBf/\</)la would be included here. When both are learned of Christ the µathway is light, and he who walks therein becomes " light in the Lorn," receiving and reflecting 1 See • Speaker's Commentary' on" The Epistles of St. John," Introduction, § I. 3 (New Testament, vol. iv. p. 276). l, JOHN. U  34 THE FIRST EPISTLE GENERAL OF JOHN. [en. JI. 1-29,