The Pulpit Commentary — 1 John — Section 85

Vere. 13-15.-The world's hatred of Christians. Connecting link: In setting forth the broad contrast between sin and righteousness, the apostle bad taken occasion to refor to Cain as the earliest illustration of the wide gulf between the two. The violent contrast between him a.ad bis bPOther generated as violent an antipathy on hiH part towards him. And even now the contrast between sin and righteousness is just as wide as ever. Fr01Il the very nature of the case they are an immeasurable distance asunder; so that it is not to be wondered at if a sinful world chafes under the silent and eliective rebuke administered to it by the lives of holy men, and if in conse1uence thereof hatred is felt by men of the world towards the living Church of God. For our part, says the apostle, we know it is so, because we used to cherish it ourselves; and if now we love the brethren, it is because we have undergone so great a change that it ie no less than passing from death unto life. And even though that hatred which we once felt may never have broken out into a murderous act, yet that hatred itself is the very germ out of which such an act would develop itself; and hence, in the eye of God, he that hateth his brother is a murderer; and you know, certainly and absolutely, that no man, desiring to kill his brother, has an eternal life a.biding in him. The whole passage reminds us of John xv. 13-21, with which it should be compared. Topic--The world's hatred of Christians no surprising fact. I. LET us LOOK AT THE OABE HERE SUPPOSED. "If the world hate you." Close analysis will yield us several distinct facts here. 1. There is a society of brethren in Christ. "You." There is evidently a fellowship of believers in Jesus, who, having passed from death unto life, naturally magnetized each other, and came together by the mutual attraction of the spiritual life they shared in common. 2. There is an outside world, composed of those who are of the earth, earthy, out of which these believers have been drawn, and from which they have become separated. "While "the brethren" are among the living, the outer "world" is still among the dead. 1 3. Those who had been gathered out of the world devoted themselves to testifying against its sin, and to the manifestation of another and a purer life. 4. This double condemnation of the world's sin-that of witness-bearing on behalf of One who came to take it away, and that of the silent condemnation of a holy life-roused the hostility of the world (cf. John xvi. 1, 2; xv. 18-25). II. LET UB INQUIRE IJ.O THE CABE HEBE SUPPOSED HAS .ANY PRESENT-DAY P.AB.ALLEL. Does " the world" really hate Christians now? Is not the time pa.<!t and gone for anything of the kind? Certainly there is a very great difference, on the surface at any rate, between" the world" as we know it and as the Apostle John knew it. .And as certainly there is e. vast difference between the Church life of our days and that ot his. It is well, therefore, that we should set distinctly and clearly before us the thing as it exists under our own eye. How are we to apportion the two apparently contra- dictory propositions-(!) the world is now a great deal nearer to the Church than it was then; and (2) righteousness and unrighteousness are not a whit nearer each other now than they were then? Will not the following considerations, cumulatively weighed, set the matter in its true light? I. There are some professors, and possibly some Churches, that there is no likelihood of the world's ever hating, since, though bsptized into the Christian name, they are entirely worldly in spirit-they have but a name to live. They will never convert, nor startle, nor disturb the world. They will be deemed "highly respectable" and "inoffensive." They will never be hated. 2. A true Christian even, and a true Church, may be so lacking in outspoken testimony for God's truth, and in aggressive attacks on the world's sin, that they arouse no hostility whatever. And in such e. case they will be allowed to pursue their course in peace. 3. Further, it is certainly the case that, with the advance of civilization, the old element of a personal hatred is very largely modified; to persecute any man for his religious faith, or for a holy Christian life, would not be tolerated now in any social circle where there is due regard for the laws of mutual courtesy. 4. Consequently, whatever dislike there me.y be in the world to the doctrines of the gospel, it will now show itself less towards men than towards systems. And when we come to this point, it is abundantly clear that hatred, and a virulent hatred, too, exists on the part of the world towards the doctrines maintained in the Church. The dislike will vary in detail 1 See Mr. Drummond's striking cbapter on "Olnssill.cation" in 'Natural Law in the Spil-ituo,l World.' L~~ a  THE FIRST EPISTLE GENERAL OF JORN. [en. m. 1-24,