1st epistle/letter of John Ch2
For new readers, it is easy to mix this letter/book with the gospel of John.
John is clearly telling the readers yes and no; what is right and what is wrong. With what authority but that of the Holy Spirit.
1Jn 2 -ASV
1. My little children, these things write I unto you that ye may not sin. And if any man sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:
"My little children" - an affectionate phrase. There is much love in the body of Christ, in the assemblies/churches, in union with God.
John is helping the little children to avoid sinning. Sin is against everything. Not just ourselves. Plainly it is something that mankind cannot avoid. So John is supplying/reminding them/us the remedy.
We have an Advocate with the Father.
An Advocate is someone who is alive to do the bidding, not just a dead sacrifice.
We do not have advocates with the Father.
Roman Catholics lie by telling people that the priests, Fathers, Popes, Madonna, and canonised saints are advocates with the Father and the Son. Scriptures teach that there is only one way to reach the Father. Jesus Christ is the Way, the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father except by Him. Jesus did not teach that any other intercessor such as Madonna or Popes may reach Him for others.
God said, "Draw near to me, and I will draw near to you."
Jesus Christ is the Righteous; that is His qualification and substance, representation to be with the Father. None others are of such. He is unique. Only one lamb of God.
Righteousness cannot be swayed, softened by some means of relationship. God is just.
2. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world. -NIV
Atoning sacrifice is dead; a sacrifice that is killed, shedded its blood for the remission of sin. It is for covering (kaper) sin. It is not a priest, and does not hold priestly position.
Strong's Ref. # 2434
Romanized hilasmos
atonement, i.e. (concretely) an expiator:
Pronounced hil-as-mos'
KJV--propitiation.
Strong's lexicon got it wrong. An expiator is a person/performer performing expiation. An atonement for sin is dead or at best lost.
Christ is not lost. He has not got lost.
Though He died, is alive now and evermore.
v2. |2532| And |0846| He |2434| an expiation |2076| is |4012| concerning |3588| the |0266| sins |2257| of us. -ylt
Even Young's translation got "hilasmos" wrong.
2. and he is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for the whole world.
A propitiation is an appeaser appeasing the anger of God [ or historically anger of a divine subject ]
A propitiation is a priest, a person, a middleman. A sacrifice is not.
The propitiation is the only appeasment we have. No other protitiation. No other atonement made.
The sins of the world is also dealt with.
There is sin regardless of acknowledgment of the world. Regardless of the knowledge of the world.
Knowledge is not a pre-condition of sin. Ignorance is no defense.
3. And hereby we know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.
Unity in the keeping of the commandments of God Most High.
Knowledge is proved/acertained by action and deed.
Those who do not keep His commandments do not love Him, please Him or know Him. Serious indeed.
4. He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him;
Just saying is easy. Proving requires the righteousness. No lie may do.
John also is judgmental. He exposed/seeked out liars, and draw differentiation between them and the children of light.
It is not unloving being judgmental. It is for the sake of the truth and righteous and justice that christians must judge according to the principles given to us by God.
The Lord God has spoken. Who can but prophesy?
What has light with darkness?
Liars have not the truth in them. They are judged according to their deeds made clear by comparison with scriptural commandments revealed by Christ.
5. but whoso keepeth his word, in him verily hath the love of God been perfected. Hereby we know that we are in him:
Do you keep His word? His commandments? His commandments is His word.
Christian perfection is compared with keeping His word, which is doing His commandments.
We know right here, with this, that we are in Him. Not just near Him, approaching Him. We have the assurance. We can speak with this proudly, confidently, uprightly. This is the witness.
This is God's way.
6. he that saith he abideth in him ought himself also to walk even as he walked.
Abiding in, is remaining in, is within the essence and substance.
If we are in unity with Him, our conduct ought to be in unity with Him.
We ought to act righteously as He does. We ought to love as He does. We ought to be majestic as He is.
Our walk of life ought to be His mission, His walk of life. Godly!
7. Beloved, no new commandment write I unto you, but an old commandment which ye had from the beginning: the old commandment is the word which ye heard.
John followed the biblical mode of reminding his audience. No new commandment. All that is necessary are given. Nothing was held back. We have an all sufficient set of instruction, explanation, rule, blue print and comfort. We have no lacking in Christ, in His scriptures.
His grace is all sufficient for us. The Lord/Je is our shepherd; no one else is. We lack nothing (Ps23).
8. Again, a new commandment write I unto you, which thing is true in him and in you; because the darkness is passing away, and the true light already shineth.
The old familiar commandment is just like new. For the true light is shinning in us.
Darkness is no longer a stay; no longer ovrwhelming. We are winning.
9. He that saith he is in the light and hateth his brother, is in the darkness even until now.
No mentioning of any evil of his brother. Hating without a righteous course. hating without cause.
Lawlessness is sin, and is in the dark.
No mentioning of love. Void of love. Void of light. A darkened heart.
10. He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is no occasion of stumbling in him.
No mentioning of hatred. Only love.
Doing good is good. No evil consequence in pure goodness.
11. But he that hateth his brother is in the darkness, and walketh in the darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because the darkness hath blinded his eyes.
People are lost in hatred. Hatred blinds the heart.
There is no care in hatred. Void of loving consideration.
12. I write unto you, my little children, because your sins are forgiven you for his name's sake.
Just by/in His name can sins be forgiven.
Glory be to His name. For the sake of His name are our sins forgiven.
13. I write unto you, fathers, because ye know him who is from the beginning. I write unto you, young men, because ye have overcome the evil one. I have written unto you, little children, because ye know the Father.
The older ones ought to be mature and have known God. Just a refreshing reminder.
To have overcome evil is to live. Life in Christ is to live.
Even the little children are born in the Father, and know Him. Like with like.
14. I have written unto you, fathers, because ye know him who is from the beginning. I have written unto you, young men, because ye are strong, and the word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome the evil one.
A hebrew parallelism. Repeating with different emphasis.
The evil one/Satan is overcome by strong young men, strong in the Lord.
15. Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love ot the Father is not in him.
One slave cannot serve 2 masters.
The world is passing away. It is dying. God is eternal. He is the lasting reality.
16. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the vain glory of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
What is passing away is vain.
Life of the flesh is also passing away. Vainity of vainity.
The world holds onto things that are of the world, passing away. Its glory is of a short period/time.
17. And the world passeth away, and the lust therof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.
Lust is also shortlived. All it could gather together passes away.
God is eternal. His will sustain to eternity.
God is with those who does His will. The relationship will extend to eternity.
18. Little children, it is the last hour: and as ye heard that antichrist cometh, even now have there arisen many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last hour.
We are so very close to the end of all things in the world.
The last destruction is at hand. many destroyers have arisen.
How long is the last hour? Very long in earthly terms. Very short comparing with eternity. Set your hopes far and high, and you will be very pleased. No disappointment at all. No disappointment was promised for those who do the will of the Most High.
19. They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they all are not of us.
Not all who were once in the assemblies are saved, christians, elect.
Those who do not belong to the union, will not be unified with God and the elect after some time.
Those who are of us are called by God who does not make mistake, and abide with us by the grace of God for ever. He is able to save to the utmost.
Pity and mercy is not to be extended forever. There is a set time for judgment.
We know darkness because we are of light and have come out of darkness.
We also, were once there.
20. And ye have an anointing from the Holy One, and ye know all the things.
The pledge was supplied by the Holy One.
There is one Holy One we look towards. The devil is not holy.
A reminder that the children, the elect were taught and made to know all the things.
21. I have not written unto you because ye know not the truth, but because ye know it, and because no lie is of the truth.
No chance of cheating the crowd. Speaking to the knowledgable.
But it is God's way to remind His people.
Lies originated from the liar.
22. Who is the liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, even he that denieth the Father and the Son.
The antichrist is the liar.
23. Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father: he that confesseth the Son hath the Father also.
24. As for you, let that abide in you which ye heard from the beginning. If that which ye heard from the beginning abide in you, ye also shall abide in the Son, and in the Father.
25. And this is the promise which he promised us, even the life eternal.
26. These things have I written unto you concerning them that would lead you astray.
Darkness! Sins! Arrogance! Lies! The things that would lead the people of God astray.
Christians are not without knowledge concerning these.
27. And as for you, the anointing which ye received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any one teach you; but as his anointing teacheth you; concerning all things, and is true, and is no lie, and even as it taught you, ye abide in him.
All christians are anointed of God. All Believers are blessed. The mark of God is there. no mistaking.
28. And now, my little children, abide in him; that, if he shall be manifested, we may have boldness, and not be ashamed before him at his coming.
A reminder as well as a commandment again. - abid in Him. There is no better way.
29. If ye know that he is righteous, ye know that every one also that doeth righteousness is begotten of him.
Do we? Do you?
The true righteous ones are of God. It is like having love.
This is affirming that God is righteous.
You want to be right? You want to be with Him?
David Lim Pastoral series ||
Christian witness / testimony series ||
Christian games series ||
Biblical Fellowship of believers ||
God telling His method of Bible Revelation ||
Did Jesus speak only in Aramaic? ||
Black oil is black oil! ||
Answering Allegation of Errancy ||
Is Humanism linked to Bible errancy ? ||
Do all religion lead to God ( the same God )? ||
Freewill Repentance or Pre-destined Redemption ? ||
White Lies? ||
Is there original sin passed down from Adam? Are
babies/infants inheriting sin? ||
Why so many Denominations? ||
Photography ||
Photo Gallery ||
Portrait Gallery ||
Architecture ||
Design Consultancy ||
Preacher - home page ||
Herbalist ||
Cool Sites ||