The Pulpit Commentary — 1 John — Section 51

,. 8; 1 ,Tobu iv. 10). 3. 'l'hrongh the medi:ttion of Christ they lrnve access to the Father (Eph. ii. 18; Rom. v. 2). 4. Through the intercession of Christ they have t·,,~s~.ant comrnu_nion _with the Father; not merely o~casional access as ton Kin~, bt\t n tilrnl fellowship ·with n Fa1hor. 5. '.l.'hrough Christ as the channel of commum- cst.ion between e_qrth nnd hc:wcu they rcccil-e of the infinite wealth of tho Father (1 Cor. iii. 21-23). 6. 'l'hroui!h the impnrtation of po,ver nnd life from Chrbt they ~hare the life of the Father (Gal. ii. 20). \Ve are not only ,v Tqi 't'/i, but also iv Tcil n<1Tpl (ver. 24). 7. 'l'hrough the gracious leadership of Christ they will have an everlasting borne with the Fathrr (John xiv. 2, 3). And snch a Fnther I Then how ought wo: (1) 'l'o delight in God in Christ with rapturous joy1 (2) 'l'o rouse all the powers of our soul to contend against tho~e who would miserably impoverish us by compassing the destruction of this blessed life! (3) To honour such a Father by a calm, pw·e, heavenly life! Well might Faber ask- " 0 little henrt of mine I shall pain Or sorrow make thee moan, Wben nil this God is all for thee- A Father all thine own ? " Vers. 24, 28.-Duty annexed to privilege. Connecting link: The apostle had just said that wbrrcver the Christly chrism was bestowed, it would prove so effective a. guard against antichrist that he who received it would a.bide in Christ, since, being taught of God, he would not be deceived by a.ny pretences of antichrist, however plausible. He now guards that thought from abuse by balancing his statement con- cerning the believei's privilege with another, which reminds him of his responsibility and duty, saying, "Let that therefore abide in you, which ye have heard from tho beginning. . . . .And now, little children, abide in him; that when he shall be mani- fested, we may have freedom of speech, and not be ashamed before him at his coming." Hence our topic-fie duty of abiding in Christ. There are six or seven lines of thought which are here pnt before us. I. 'l'HE EXPECTATION OF 'THE DELmVER IS THE SECOND COMING OF THE SoN OF Go». The .Apostle John was not alone in the assertion of this. He joins, indeed, with the rest (cf. ver. 28; eh. iii. 2; Rev. i. 7; xxii. 20). Paul gives his testimony thereto (2 Cor. v. 10; Phil. i. 6, 10; Col. iii. ¾; 1 Thess. i. 19, 20; iii. 13; 2 'l'hess. i. 10; ii. 1 ; 2 Tim. i. 12; iv. S). Peter also (1 Pet. i. 13; v. 4). There are in our day two widely divergent views as to the pface the second coming of Christ holds in the Divine plan. But there i~ no difference among believers as to that coming being "the blessed hope," and as to its being the great event for which all should be "ready" (2 Pet. iii. 12-14). 'l'his, thi1', is indeed the Christi:n1's greatest ambition, to be ready for that clay. For- II. AT HIS SECOND COMTh'G THE LonD JESUS WILL BE MANIFESTED. The deep meaning of the Saviour's" manife~tation" is concealed in the word "appear" (Autho- rized Ver~ion), 'l'he Revised Version brings it out to clear light. When lie was on earth "a weary Man and full of woes" there was a veil over his true glory, through which only a few could see. \Vheu he comes a second time, he will be seen as he is, "in his ?:lory" (Matt. xxv. 1-46; eh. iii. 2; 2 Thess. i. 7-10; 1 Tim. vi. 14, 15; Heh. ix. 28). III. BEFORE HIM AN ACCOUNT WILL HA VE TO DE BE~'DETIED. The word 'lra~~.,,,,.[a. is literally "liberty of speech to speak out all that we think." 1 It denotes "the entire freedom with which we unburden, in the presence of an intimate friend, all which can weigh upou our heart." So Neander. But such a word thus used obviously suggests, as Westcott remarks, such passages as 2 Cor. v. 10; Rom. xiv. 10-12; and also, we would add, Heh. iv. 13 (Greek); xiii. 17 (see Rom. viii. 19; Col. iii. 4; Luke iii. 2; Matt. xii. 36). IV. THERE IS A SOLEMN ALTEilNATIVI!: DEFORE EVEilY MAN. Either .. to have confidence" or "to be ashamed." In the former case, how blessed the freedom! In the latter, how dire the distress! The original reads uot merely "ashamed before him," but "ashamed from him," as if conscious guilt would itself act as a repellent foroe to bar men from their Lord (sec Mark vi. 30 as illustralivc of lovi11g unbmdcn- 1 See Dr. Alexander in 'Speaker's Commentnry,' ill loo. OH. n. 1-29.) 'l'HE FIRS'r EPISTLE GENERAL OF JOHN. 47