Chapter XXVII (continued, part 41)
In contrast to "them," the false teachers, overcome them — (cli. .'3. 4, .5)— instead of being "overcome and brought into (spiritual) bondage" by them (2 I'eter 2. 1!)). John 10. 8, "), "The slioep did nat hear them:'' "A stranger win they not follow, bnt will flee from him: for llioy know not the voice of strangers." he that Is In you God, of whom ye are. lie that Is In the world— the spirit 111' Ant iciirist, the Devil, " the prince of this world." 6. of the world— tliey derive their spirit and teaching from the world, " unregeiieiatc' human nature, ruled over and possi'ssrd by .Satan, the prince of this world." [Al,- FORD.I speak . . . of the worhl— th(\v draw the matter of their conversation lioiii the lile, opinions and tV'el'.iigs Of the world. Ilie world hearetli I lieiii -(.loll Ii 1.'). IS, HI.)
'I'lie wiirtd loves its own. <>. We 'J'rue Icnclicrs of Christ : in
colli riisl, lo them, are of Ood—and therefore speak of God: 111 contrast to "speak llie.v of the world," r. '>. knoweth <io<l—as his Father, bring a child "of Clod" (eh.
e,v«>- witnesses totestify to the fads concerning HIni. The Internal evidence ol the Indwelling Spii-ll (v. VI) is eorroboialed by the external evidence of the eye-wllnesses tO the fact of the Father liiivlug ".sent His Son to be the Saviour of the world." seen— f/'-(.Y'Ar, "ci>iiteniplaled " "at-
2. i:!, II). iK'iiretli us -( 'f. John IS. .'iT, " Fvery one that is of IIk! (rulh, hearetli my voice." Ilerehy—(r. 2-())~l!y their i-onfesslng, or not confessing, Jesus; b.v the kind of
recejilloii given them respeetl vel.v b.v tliose who know Uod, and b.v lliose who are of the world and not of (iod. aplrit of \r\\tU~ine tSpiril which comes from God and
Icii lively belu'ld" (A'wr, ch. 1. 1 ). sent— (,'/<'(•<-, " /»n//i sent :"
not an eiitlri'l.v past t'\u:t (aorist), but one o^' which the effects continue U'erfect). 15. shall confess—ouoo for all:
lettihe-' Oi(/A. splrll of error—t/ie .yiirit which comes from
i)'6i
1 JOHN V. He who Lovelh God, Kcepeth Jlis Conmiandmentt. The Apustlc Exhorlelh to Brotherly Love.
BO the Greek aorist means, that Jesiis is tlie S«»ii of God —and therefore "the Saviour of the world" {v.H). 16. And we John and his readers (not as v. 14, the apostles only), known and believed—True faith, according to John, is a faitli of knmcledgc and experience: true knowledge is a knowledge of faith. [Luecke.] to ns Greek, "in our case" (iV'oiIe, t). 9). dwelleth— GreeA:, "aliideth."
"Ver. 1-21. Who are the Brethren Especially to bk Loved (ch. 4. 21); Obedience, the Test op Love, East THROUGH Faith, which Overcomes the World. Last Portion of the Epistle. The Spirit's Witness to thb Believer's Spiritual Life. Truths Repeated at the Close: Farewell Warning. 1. Reason why our "brother" (ch. 4. 21) is entitled to such ?oiic, );(z., because he is "born (begotten) of God :" so that if we want to sh»w our love to God, we must show it to God's visible representative. Whosoever— ffj-eeA, " Every one that." He could not be our "Jesus" (God-Saviour) unless He were "the Christ;" for He could not reveal the way of salvation, except He were a prophet: He could not work out that salvation, except He were a priest: He could not confer that salvation upon us, except He were a king: He could not be prophM, priest, and king, except He were tlie Christ. [Pearson on the Creed.] \>orn—translate, "begotten," as in the latter part of the verse, the Greek being the same. Christ IS the " onlj'-begotten Son" hy generation ; we become begotten sons of God by regeneration and adoption, everyone that loveth him that begat—si ncerel.y, not in mere profession (ch. i. 20). loveth him also that is begotten of him—I'iz., "his brethren" (ch. 4. 21). 2. By— Greek, "In this." As our love to the brethren is the sign and test of our love to God, so (John here says) our love to
Cf. with this verse, v. 7. 17, 18. (Cf. ch. 3. 19-21.) our love—rather as the Greek, "lovb (in the abstract, tlie principle of love [Alford]) is made perfect (in its relations) iwrtft t<s." Love dwelling in us advances to its consummation "with ns," i. e., as It is concerned with iis: so Greek. Luke 1. 58, "Showed mercy upon (lit., ivith) her:"
2 John 2, " the truth shall be ivilh us for ever." boldness —"confidence:" the same Greek as ch. 3. 21, to which this passage is parallel. The opposite to " fear," t;. 18. Herein
Is our love perfected, viz., in God dwelling in vs, and our dwelling in God {v. IG), involving as its result "that we can have confidence (or boldness) in the day of judgment" (so terrible to all other men, Acts 24. 25; Romans 2. 16). because, &c.—The ground of our "confidence" is, "because even as He (Christ) is, we also are in this world" (and He will not, in that day, condemn those who are like Him-
self), i.e., we are righteous as He is righteous, especially in respect to that which is the sum of righteonsness, love
(ch. 3. 14). Christ is righteous, and love itself, in heaven: BO are we. His members, who are still "in this world." Our oneness with Him even now in His exalted position above (Ephesians 2. 6), so that all that belongs to Him of righteousness, &c., belongs to us also by perfect imputation and progressive impartation, is the ground of our
God (tested by our "keeping his commandments") Is, conversely, the ground and only true basis of love to our brother, we know—John means here, not the outivard criteria of genuine brotherly love, but the inward spiritual criteria of it, consciousness of love to God manifested in a hearty keeping of His commandments. When we have this inwardly and outwardly confirmed love to God,we can know assuredly that we truly love the children of God. "Love to one's brother is prior, according to the order of nature {Note, ch. 4. 20); love to God is so, according to the order of grace (ch. 5. 2). At one time the former is more immediately known, at another time the latter, according as tlie mind is more engaged in human relations or in what concerns the Diviiie,honour." [Esrius.] John shows what true love is, viz., that which is referred to God as its first object. As previously John urged the effect, so now he urges the cause. For he wishes mutual love to be so cultivated among us, as that God should always be placed first. [Calvin.] 3. this is—the love of God consists in this, not grlevoiLs-as so many think them. It is "the way of the transgressor" that "is hard." What makes them to the regenerate "not grievous," is faith which "overcoraeth the world" {v. 4): in proportion as faith is strong, the grievousness of God's commandments to tlie rebellious flesh is overcome. Tlie reason why believers feel any degree of irksomeness in God's commandments is, they do not realize fully by faith the privileges of their spiritual life. 4. For—{Note, v. 3.) The reason why " His commandments are not grievous." Though there is a conflict in keeping them, the issue for the whole body of the regenerate is victory over every opposing influence ; meanwhile there is a present joy ta each believer in keeping them which makes them "not grievous." xvUntsoever— Greek, " all that is begotten of God." The neuter expresses the universal whole, or aggregate of the regenerate, regarded as one collective body John 3. 6; 6. 37, 39, 'where Bengel remarks, that in Jesus' discourses, what the Father has given Him Is called, in the singular number and neuter gender, all whatsoever; those who come to the 6'on are described in the masculine gender and plural number, they all, or singular, every one. The Fatlier has given, as it were, the whole mass to the Son, tliat all whom He gave may be one whole: that universtil whole llie Son singly evolves, in the execution of the Divine plan.' ovcrcometb—habitually, the world—all that Is opposed to keeping the commandments of God, or draws us ott' from God, in this world, Including our corrupt /J«7i, on which the world's blandishiiU'iits or threats act, as also including Satan, the prvice of this world, this Is the victory that overcometh
love he\i\g perfected so that we can have confidence in the day
of judgment. We are in, not of, this world. 18. Fear has no place in love. Bold confidence (v. 17), Ijased on love, cannot coexist with fear. Love, which, when perfected, gives bold confidence, casts out fear (cf. Hebrews 2. M, 15). The design of Christ's propitiatory death was to deliver from
th'isi bondage otfear, but—"nay." [Alford.] fear bath torment Greek, punishment. Fear is always revolving In the mind the punishment deserved. [Esxius.] Fear, by anticipating punishment [through consciousness of deserving it], has it even now, i.e., the foretaste of it.
Perfect love is incompatible with such a sell-punishing
fear. Godly fear of offending God is quite distinct from slavish fear of consciously-deserved punishment. The
latter fear is natujal to us all until love casts it out. " Men's states vary: one is without fear and love; another, with fear without love ; another, with fear and love; another, without fear with love." [Bengel.] 19. him—Omitted
in the oldest MSS. Translate, "We (emphatical: we on our part) love (In general: love alike and the breth-
ren, and our fellow-men), because He (emphatical: answering to "we;" 6ecot(.se it J«as /Te tvho) first loved us in sending His Son (Greek aorist of a definite act at a point of time). He was the first to love us: this tliought ought to create in us love casting out fear (v. 18). 20. loveth not
. , . brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen—It is easier for us, influenced as we are here by sense, to direct love towards one within the range of our senses than towards One unseen, apprecial)le only by faith. " Nature is prior to grace ; and we by nature love things seen, before we love things unseen." [F^stius.] The eyes are our leaders in love. "Seeing is an incentive to love." [OJcumenius.] If we do not love the fcrettren, the visible representatives of G3d, how can we love God, the invisiljle One, whose children they aref The true ideal of man, lost in Adam, Is realized In Christ, in whom God is revealed as He is, and man as he ought to be. Thus, by faith in Christ, we learn to love both tlie true God, and the true man, and so to love the brethren as bearing His image, hath seen—and continnally sees. 21. Besides the argument (v. 20) from the ooramon feeling of men, he here adds a stronger one from God's express commandment (Matthew 22. 39). He who loves, will do what the object of his.love wishes, he who loveth God— he who wishes to be regarded by God as loviuK Him.
The Keeping of God's Oommandmenls 1 JOHN V. is Light, a,nd not Grievow
—Greek aorist: "... that hath (already) overcome the world:" the victory (where faith is) h'ereby is implied as having been already obtained (cli.2. 13; 4.4). 5. Wlio— "Who" else "but he that believeth that Jesus is the Sou Of God'— ' the Christ" (t). 1)? Confirming, byatriuinphant question defying all contradiotion, as an undeniable fact,
the Scholiast notices, the word "three" is masctdine, because the three things {the Spirit, the water, anii the blood) are symbols of the Trinity. To this Cyprian, 196, also refers, "Of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, it is written, 'And these three are one' (a unity)." There must be some mystical truth implied in using "three" (Greek) In the masculine, though the antecedents, "Spirit, water, and blood," are neuter. That the Trinity was the truth meant is a natural inference: the triad soecl-
V. 4, tliat the victory which overcomes the world is failh. For it is by believing that we are made one with Jesus the Son of God, so that we partake of His victory over tlie world, and have dwelling lu us One greater than he who is in the world (eh. 4. 4). "Survey the whole world, and show me evt'U one of whom it can be affirmed with truth lliat he overcomes the world, who is not a Christian, and endowed with this faith." [Episcopius in Ali'ord.] 6. This—The Person mentioned in V. 5. This ./c,si(,<. lie tlint came t>y water and blood—"by water," when His min-
fied pointing to a still Higher Trinitj'; as is plain also from v. 9, "the witness of God," referring to the Trinity alluded to in the Spirit, water and blood. It was therefore first written as a marginal comment to complete the sense of the text, and then, as early at least as the eighth century, was introduced into the text of tiie Latin Vulgate. The testimony, however, could only be borne on earth to men, not in heaven. The marginal comment, therefore, that inserted "in heaven," was inappropriate. It is on earth that the context evidently requires the witness of the three, the
istry was inaugurated by baptism in the Jordan, and He received the Father's testimony to His Messialisliip and Divine Sonship. Cf. v. 5, "Believeth that Jesus is tlie Hon
of God," with John 1.33,34, "The Spirit remaining on Him ... I saw and bare record that tills is the A'on of God." and v. 8, below, "There are three tliat bear witness In earth, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood." Corresponding to this is the baptism of water and the Spirit which He has instituted as a standing seal and mean of initiatory incorporation with Him. ami blood— lie came by " tlie blood of His cross" (so "by" is used, Hel)rews i).
Spirit, tlie water, and the blood, to be borne: mystically setting forth the Divine triune witnesses, the Father, the Spirit, and the Son. Luecke notices as internal evidence against the words, John never uses "the Father" and " the Word" as correlates, but, like otlier New Testament writers, associates "the Son" with "the Father," atul always refers " the Word" to "God" as its correlate, not " the Father." Vigilius, at the end of the fifth century, is the first who quotes the disputed words as in tli^ text; but no Greek MS. earlier than the fifteenth Is extant with them. The term " Trinity" occurs first in the third century In Tertullian, adversus Praxean, 3. 8. agree In one—"tend unto one result;" their agreeing testimony to Jesus' Sonship and Messiahship they give by
12: " By," i. e., with, "His own blood He entered in once Into the holy place"): a fact seen and so solemnly witnessed to by John. "These two past facts in the Lord's
life are this abiding testimony to us, by virtue of the permanent application to us of their cleansing and atoning power." Jesus Christ—Not a mere appellation, but a solemn assertion of the Lord's Person and Messiahsliip. not by— Greek, " not IN the water only, hut IN the water and IN (so oldest MSS. add);/if' blood." As "by" implies the mean through, or with, wh\ch He came: so "ih," the element in which He came. "The" implies that tlieirater anJ l/ie blood were sacred and well-known symbols. John Baptist came only baptizing with water, and tln-re-
tiie sacramental grace in the ivaier of baptism, received by the penitent believer, by the atoning efficacy of His
blood, and by the internal witness of His Spirit (r. 10) : answering to the testimony given to .Testis' Sonship and Messiahship by His baptism. His crucifixion, and the Spirit's manifestations in Hlni {Note, v. 6). It was by Ilia coming by ivatei- {i.e., His baptism In Jordan) that Jesus was solemnly inaugurated in office, and revealed Himself as Messiah ; this must have been peculiarly Important in John's estimation, who was first led to Christ by the testimony of the Baptist. By the baptism then received by Christ, and by His redeeming 6too(i-shedAlng, and by that which the Spirit of God, whose witness is Infallible, has
bre was not tlie Messiah.' .lesus came tlrst to undergo Himself the double baptism of water and blood, ami then to liaptize us with the Spirit-cleansing, of wliich u-atcr is the sacr.'imental seal, and with His atoning blood, the
efficacy of which, once-for-all shed, is i>erpelu.il in the Church ; and therefore Is the Messiah. It was llis shed
6<oo(/ wiiicli llrst yia.\e water-baptism its spiritual signiflcancy. We are baptized into His death: the grand point of union between us and Him, and, through Him, be-
effected, and still ert'ects, by Him, the Spirit, the water, and the blood, unite, aS the threefold witness, to verify His Divine Messiahship. [Neandkk.I 9. If, &c.—We do occpp< (and rightly so) the witness of veracious men, falliblo though they be, much more ought we to accept tlte inl'al-
twei'n us and God. It is the Spirit, &c.—t/ie Holj/ Spirit
Is an additional witness (cf. v. 7), besides the ic«/('r ami the blood, to Jesus' <So?is/i/;) and Mcssiahsliip. The Spirit attested these truths at Jesus' baptism liy di'sceiuling on Him, and throughout His ministry liy enal)ling Him to speak and do what man never before or since has s|)oken or done; and " it is the .Si)lrlt that beareth witness" of
lible witness of God (the Father). "The testimony of the Father Is, as It were, the basis of the testimony of the Word and of the Holy .spirit; just as the testimony of the
S/iirit is, as It were, the basis of the testimony of the water and tht' blood." (Ukn(;ici..| for—This principle applies In the present case, kok, itc. whicii-In the oldest M.SS., " Jlecaiise He hath given testimony concerning His Son." What that testimony is we find above In i'. 1, 5, "Jesus Is the Christ, the Son of (Jod;" and below In v. 10, II. 10. hnth Ihe wltnesn-of Go<l, by His Spirit {v. S). In Iiiin- »flf—(Jod's Spirit dwelling in him and U'ilnes.iing that ".lesus is tlur Lord," "the Christ," and "the Son of (iod"
Clirist, now permanently in the Church: both In the inspired New Testament Scriptures, and in the hearts of believers, and in the spiritual reception of l)a|)( Isrn and the Lord's Supper, becttiixe the Spirit In trulli— It Is His essential /rM</i which gives His witness such infallible authority. 7. three-two or three witnesses were required l)y law to constitute adequate lest 1 niony. The only Greek M.SM. t»i any form which supjiort Ihc words, "In heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy (fhost, and these tliree are one; and there are tlirei; Mint bear witness In earth," are the Montfortlanus of Dublin, copied evidently from the modern Lai In Vulnate; I he Ravlanus, i-opl(;d from the Compluteiislan Polyglot; a .MS.
(e. I.T)). Till' witness of the Spirit in the believer /h'hi*?(/
to his own sonship Is not here e.xpressed, but follows as a consequence of believing the witness of God to Jesus' DU vine .Sonship. believeth not tJod—creilUs not His wit'
ni'ss. ninde him n Ilnr—a consequence which miiiiy who virtually, or even avowedly, do not believe, may well
ivt Najiles, with the words added In the margin by a recent hand; Ol tobonlanus, '2)18, of the nitecndi century, the Greek of which Isa translation iii the M(;conipnnyIng Lalln. All the old versions omit the words. The old-
startle back from us fi'arful blasplie|ny and presumptlou
(eh. I. Ill), believeth not the reeord— (JccrA-, "bellevctU not IN the record, or leitne.is." Refusal to credit (lod's testimony (" believeth not God") is Involved In refusal to 6«-
est M.S.'-i. of the Vulgate omit them: the earliest Vulgate MS. whlcii has them lielng Wlzanburgeiisls, 111), ol the eighth cen'ury. A S(!hollum <|Uoted in Matlhici, shows that the words did not arise from fraud ; for In the words
/li re in (to rest one's trust In) Jesus Christ, Ilieob|«>ct of
(Jod's veciird or Irsliinoiii/. " 1)1 vl lie/((i7/i Is an assent unlO something as credible upon the testimony of God. This
Is the highest kind n( faith; because the object hn'.h th«
Jli all (/reek MSS., "there are three that bear rec.oiul," lus
fi36
JesiiK. the Son of God, able to Serve m«, 1 JOHN V. and !o Hear nur Prayers for Ourselve$.
hlgl.esl credibility, because grounded upon the testimony of God, which is iiiluUilile." [1'eakkon on Creed.] "Tlie anthorit,y on whicli we believe is Divine; the doctrine which we follow Is Divine." [Lko.] gave— (Vreet, " iialh
death." "Shall give life," I say, to, i. ?., obtain life "for (in the case of) them that sin not unto death." I do not say (liat 1mshall pray for it— TinGreek for "pray" nieans'a KEm'Ksr as ot one on an f(]Mality, or at least on terms of faniiliaiify, with liiin fiiiiu \i hom the favour is
testified, and now teslilles." of—concerniii";. 11. Iiatli gl-rvn— Greek aorist : "Gave" once for all. Not only " pi oyiiised" it. life Is In Ills Son—essentially (.John l.J; n. 25; U. 6); bodily (Colosslans 2.9); operatively (2 Tini-
soiisjlit. "Tlie Cli'-istian iiilercessm- !(ir his brethren, .St. John declares, shall not assume lln' authority which would be Implied in making re(inest lor a sinner whohas sinned the sin unto death (1 Samuel !").;«; 16. i ; Mark 3.
otl)y 1. 10). [Lanoe in Alford.] It is in the second Adam, the Son of God, that this ii/e is secured to us, whicli, if
29), that it might be forgiven him." [Tkench, Sj/nonyms of New Testament.] Cf. Deuteronomy 3. 26. Greek "ask" implies the humble petition of an interior; so that our Lord never uses it, but always uses {Greek) "request." Martha, from ignorance, once uses "ask" in His case (John 11.22). "Asking" for a brother sinning not unto death, isa humble petition in consonance with God's will. To "request" for a sin unto death [intercede, as it were, aiithnritativcly for it, as though we were more merciful than God] would savour of presumption; prescribing to God in a matter which lies out of the bounds of our brotherly yearning (because one sinning unto death would thereby be demonstrated not to be, nor ever to have been, truly a brother, ch.'2. 19), how He shall inflict and withhold His righteous judgments. Jesus Himself intercedes, not for the world which hardens itself in unbelief, but for tliose given to Him out of the world. 17. " Every unrighteousness (even that of believers, cf. ch.l. 9; 3.4. Every coming short oSright) is sin ;" (but) not every sin Is the sin unto death, and there is a sin not unto death in the case of which, therefore, believers may intercede. Death and life stand in correlative opposition {v. 11-13). The sin unto death must be one tending " towards" (so the Greek), and so resulting In, death. Ai.ford makes it to' be an appreciable act of s\n, viz., the denying Jesus to be the Christ, the Son of God (in contrast to confess this truth,
left to depend on us, we should lose, like the first Adam, la. the Son . . . Ufc— Greek, "thk life." Bengel remarks, The verse has two clauses : in the former the Son
Is mentioned without the addition " of God," for believers know the Son.- In the second clause the addition " of God"
Is made, that unbelievers may know thereby what a serious thing it is not to have Him. In tlie former clause "has" bears the emphasis; in the second, life. To have the Son is to be able to say as the bride, " I am my Beloved's, and my Beloved is mine." Faith is tlie mean whereby the regenerate have Christ as a present possession, and In having Him have life in its germ and reality now, and shall have life in its fully-developed manifestation hereafter. £Sema? ///e hereis (1.) iniYicii, and is an earnestof that wliicli is to follow ; In the intermediate state (2.) partial, belonging but to a part of a man, though that is his nobler part, the soul separated from the body; at and after the resurrection (S.) per/ectional. This life is not only natural, consisting of the union of the soul and tlie liody
(as that of the reprobate in eternal pain, which ought to be termed death eternal, not life), but also spiritual, the union of the soul to God, and supremely blessed for ever
(for life is another term for happines.i). [Pearson on Creed.] 13. These things—This Epistle. He, towards tiie close of his Gospel (John 20.30, 31), wrote similarly, stating his purpose in having written. In ch. 1.4 he states the object of his writing this Epistle to be, " that j'our joy may be full." To "know that we have eternal life" is the sure way to "joy In God." 13. The oldest MSS. and versions read, "These things have I written unto you [omitting
V. 1, 5), ch. 2. 19, 22; 4. 2, 3; 5. 10. Such wilful deniers of Christ are not to be received into one's house, or wished "God speed." Still, I think with Bengei^, not merely the act, but also the state of apostasy accompanying tlio
oe<, is included—a "state of soul In which faith, love, and hope, in short, the new life, is extinguished. The chief commandment Is faith and love. Therefore, the chief sin
l?iat believe on the name of the So7i of God] that ye may know that ye have eternal life (cf. v. 11), those (of you I mean) WHO believe (not as English Version reads, and that ye may
is that by which faith and love are destroyed. In the former case Is Jt/e ,• In the latter, dere^/i. As long as it is not evident (Note, 'see,' v. 16) that it is a sin unto death, it
believe) on the name of the Son of God." English Version, In the latter clause, will mean, " that ye may continue to believe," &c. (cf. v. 12). 14. the conll«lencc—"Ijoldness"
is lawful to pray. But when it is deliberate rejeclion of grace, and the man puts from him life thereby, how can others procure for him life?" Contrast .lames 5. 14-IX. Cf. Matthew 12. 31, 32 as to the wilful reject ion of (Christ, and resistance to the Holy Ghost's plain testimony to Him as the Divine Messiah. Jesus, on the cross, pleaded only for those who knew not what they ivere doing in crucifying Him, not for tho.se wilfully resisting grace and linowledge. If we pray for tlie impenitent, it must be with humble reference of the matter to God's will, not with the Intercessory request wliicli we should offer for a bro/Aer when erring. 18. (Ch.3.9.) We know—Thrice repeated emphatically, to enforce the three truths which the words preface, as matters of the brethren's joint e.\i)crlniental knowledge. This r. 18 warns against aiinsiiig v,
(ch. 4. 17) in prayer, which results from knowing that ive have eternal life (v. 13 ; ch. 3. 19-22). according to his tvlH —which is the believer's will, and which is therefore no restraint to his prayers. In so far as God's will is not our will, we are not abiding In faith, and our prayers are not accepted. Alford well says, If we kneiu God's will thoroughly, and submitted to It heartily, it would be impossible for us to ask anything for the spirit or for the body which He should not perform ; it is this Ideal state which the apostle has in view. It Is the Spirit who teaches us inwardly, and Himself In us asks according to the will of God. 15. hear Greek, " that He heareth us." we have the petitions that we desired of him—we have, as present possessions, everything whatsoever we desired (a.'<ked)from Him. Not one of ourpasi prayers ofl'ered in faitli, according to His will, is lost. Like Hannah, we can rejoice over them as granted even before the event ; and can ri'cognize the event when it comes to pass, as not from chance, l)ut obtained by our past prayers. Cf. also .Tehoshaphat's believing confidence In the Issue of ills prayers, so much so that he appointed singers to praise the Lord beforeliMiid. 16. If any . . . see—on any particular occasion; Greek aorist, his brother—a fellow-Christian, sinningIn tlie act of sinning, and continuing In the sin: present, not unto death—provided that It Is not unto death, he shall give—The asker shall be the means, by his intercessory prayer, of God j^ivmi; life to the sinning brother. Kindly reproof ought to accompany his Intercessions. Life was In process of being forfeited by the sinning lirother, when the believer's Intercession obtained its restoration, for them—Resuming the proviso put forth In the beginning of the verse. "Provided that the sin Is not unto
16, 17, as warranting carnal security, witosnever— Greek, "every one who," <fec. Not only advanced believers, but
ei'eri/ one who Is born again, " sinnetli not." he lliat is begotten6'reeA; aorist, "has been (once for all in past time) begotten of God ;" In the beginning of the verse it is perfect. "Is begotten," or "born," as a ron/i'/iKi'jK/ state, keepeth himself— The Vulgate transtiilcs, "The liaving been begotten of God keepeth him" (so one of the oldest MS.S. reads): so Ai,foko. Lit., "He having been begot ten of God (nominative pendent), it (the Divine generation implied in the nominative) keepetli him." So cli. .). 9, "His .seed remalnerh In him." Still, In English Vernion reading, God's working by His Spirit Inwardly, and man's working under the power of that Spirit as a responsible agent, Is what often occurs elsewhere. That God must keep us. If we are to keep ourselves from evil, is certain. CL .lohn 17. 15 especially with this verse, that wicked oum toucheth him not—so as to hurt him. In so far as he
[ntroduciioh. 2 JOHN. Introduction,
the Father), and eternal life—Predicated of the Son of God ; Alford wrongly says, He was the life, but not eternal life. Tlie Father is indeed eternal life as its source, but the Son also is that eternal life manifested, as the very passage (ch. 1. 2) which Alford quotes, proves against him.
realizes his regeneration-life, the prince of this world hath nothing in him to fasten liis deadly temptations on, as in Christ's own case. His Divine regeneration lias severed once for all his connection witli tlie prince of this world. 19. world lietli in wickedness—rather, " lieth In t?ie wicked one," as the Greek is translated i\ 18 ; ch. 2. 13,
Cf. also V. 11, 13. Plainly it is as the Mediator of eternal LIFE to us that Christ is liere contemplated. The Greek is, "Tlie true God and eternal life is tliis" Jesus Christ, i.e.. In believing in Him we believe in the true God, and have eternal life. The Son is called "He that is true," Revelation 3. 7, as here. This naturally prepares the way for warning against /ai^e gods {v. 21). Jesus Clirist is the only " express image of God's person" which is sanctioned, the only true visible manifestation of God. All otlier representations of God are forbidden as idols. Tlius the Epistle closes as it began (cli. 1. 1, 2). 21. AfTectionate parting caution, from idols—Christians were then everywliere suri'ounded by idolaters, with whom it was impossible to avoid intercourse. Hence tlie need of being on their guard against any even indirect compromise or act of communion with idolatry. Some at Pergamos, in the regioa wlience John wrote, fell into the snare of eating things sacrificed to idols. The moment we cease to abide "in Him that is true (by abiding) in Jesus Christ," we become part of" the world that Ueth in the wicked one," given up to spiritual, if not In all places literal, idolatry (Ephesians
14; cf. ch. 4. 4; John 17. 14, 15. The world Ueth in the power
of, and abiding in, the wicked one, as the resting-place and lord of his slaves ; cf. " abidetli in death," ch. 3. 14 ; contrast u. 20, " We are in Him tliat is true." Wliilst the believer has been delivered out of liis power, the whole world HeZA lielpless and motionless still in it, just as it was ; including the wise, great, respectable, and all who are not by vital union in Clirist. ao. Sumiaary of our Christian privileges. Is come — is present, having come. "He is here—all is full of Him—His incarnation, worlj, and abiding presence, Is to us a living fact." [Alford.] given us an understanding—Christ's office is to give the inner spiritual understanding to discern tlie things of God. tliat we may know—Some oldest MSS. read, "(So) that we know." him tliat is true— God, as opposed to every kind of idol or false god {v. 21). Jesus, by virtue of His oneness with God, is also "He ttiat is true" (Revelation 3. 7). even—" we are in the true" God, by virtue of being "in His Sou Jesus Clirist." Tliis is the true GoA—" This Jesus Christ (the last-named Person) is the true God" (identifying Him thus witli tlie Fatlier in His attribute, "the only true God," John 17. 3, primarily attributed to
5.5; Colossians 3. 5).
THE SECOND EPISTI.E GENEEAL OF
JOHN.
INTRODUCTION TO THE SECOND AND THIRD EPISTLES.
A aTHENTiciTY.—Tliat these two Epistles were written by the same author appears from their similarity of tone,
style, and sentiments. That Jolni, tlie beloved disciple, was the author of tlie Second and Third Epistles, as of the First Epistle, appears from IreNjEUS, Advei sus Uwrcscs, 1. Ki. 3, who quotes 2 John 10. II ; and in 3. 16. 8, he quotes 2 John
7, mistaking it, however, as if occurring in 1 John. Clement of Alexandria (a, d. 192), SIromata, 2. (iO, implies his knowledge of other Epistles of John besides the First Epistle ; and in fragments of his Adumbrations (p. 1011), he says, "John's .Second Epistle which was written to tlie virgins (Greek parthcnom ; perliaps Parthos is what ^''as meant) is the simplest; but it was written to a certain Bal)ylonian named the Elect lady." DiONVSius of Alexandria (in Etjskbivs, JScclesiaxtical IJistory, 7.25) observes tliat Jolin never names himself in his Epistles, " not even in the Second and Third Epistles, although they are short Epistles, but simply calls himself the presbyter," a confutation of those wlio think Jolin the apostle distinct from John the presbyter. Alexander of Alexandria cites 2 John 10.
11, as John's (Socrates, Historia Ecclesiastica, 1. 6). Cyprian, De Hcereticis Baptlznndis, in referring to the bishops at the Council of Carthage, says, "John the apostle. In His Epistle, has said. If any come to you" (2 John 10.); so that this Epistle, and therefore its twin sister, 3 John, was recognized as apostolic in the North African Churcli. TUo MURATOKi fragment is ambiguous. The Second and Third Epistles were not In the Peschlto or old Sy^Hac version; and CosMAS Indicopleustes in the sixth century says, that in liis time the Syriac Church only acknowledgea three out of the Catholic Epistles,! Peter,! John, and James. But Epiirem Syrus quotes tlie Second Epistle of .Tohn. EVHKmufi {/ecclesiastical History) veckoi\s both I'.plstlcs among the Antilegomena or controverted Scriptures, aci distinguished fi om the Ilomologoumena or universally acknorvledgcd from the first. Still his own opinion was that tlie two minor Epistles were genuine, remarking, as ho does In Demonstratio Evangelica, 'i. 5, that In John's "Jipislles" he does not mention his own name, nor call himself an apostle or evangelist, but an "elder" (2 John 1. ; 8 John 1.) Orioen (IN KvHv.mvs, Ecclesiastical JTislory, d. Zy) mentions tlie Second and Third Epistles, but adds, "not aH admit [lmi)lylng that mostauthori ties do] their genuineness." Jerome (De Viris Illusfribus,^}) mentions tlie two latter Epistles as attributed to John the presbyter, whose sepulchre was shown among the Eplieslans In his day. Hut the designation "elder" was used of the apostles by others (e. g., I^apias, in liuSKlilus, Ecclesiastical History, 3. 3!)), and is u.sed by St. Peter, an apostle, of himself (1 I'eter 5. 1). Why, then, should not John also use this designation of himself. In consonance with the humility which loads him not to name himself or his apostleshlp even In the First Epistlet The Antllcgoincna were generally recognlztMl as canonical soon alter the Council of Nice (A. l). 3'25). Thus CYRIL OS Jeruhai.km, , A. D. 319, enumerates fourteen l';plslles of I'aul, and seven Catholic lOplstles. So Grbciory OF Nazianzen, In A. n. 389. The Councils of Hippo, 393, and (,'nrthage, 397, adopted a catalogue of Now Testament books exactly agreeing wll li our canon. So our oldest extant Greek MSS. The Second and Third Epistles of John, from their brevity (which Okiokn notices), and the private nature of their conti^nts, wore less generally read In the earliest Christian assemblies, and were also less quoted by the Fathers; hence arose their non-uiilveisal rocognltlou at the tlrst. TUelr private nature makes them the less likely to be spurious, for there seems uo purpose In their forgery. The style and colouring too accord with the style of the First Epistle.
To WHOM ADDKE.S9KD.—The Third Epistle Is dli-eclod to Galus or Caius ; whether Oalus of Mucrdonia (Acts 19. 29X
f)38
The Elect Lady Exhorted to 2 JOHN. Persevere in Christian Love and Belie/.
or Galusof Corinth (Romans 16.23; 1 Corinthians 1. 14), or Galus of Derbe (Acts 20. 4), it is hard to decide. MlLl. believes Gains, bishop of Pergamos (Apostolic Constitutions, 7. 40), to be the person addressed in 3 John.
The address of the Second Epistle is more disputed. It opens, "The Elder unto the Elect lady." And it closes, "The children of thy elect sister greet thee." Now, 1 Peter 1. 1, 2, addresses the elect in Asia, &c., and closes (1 Peter 5! 13), "The Chui-eh that is at Babylon, elected together with you, saluteth you." Putting together these facts, with the quotations (above) from Clement of Alexandria, and the fact that the word "Church" comes from a Greek word (kyriake) cognate to the Greek for " lady" (liyria, belonging to the Lord, kyrios), Wordsworth's view is probable. As Peter in Babylon had sent the salutations of the elect Church in the then Parthian (see above on Clejient of Alexandria) i?a62/?o/i to her eZec« sister in Asia, so John, tlie metropolitan president of the elect Church in Asia, writes to the elect lady, i. e.. Church, in Babylon. Neander, Alford, &o., think the Greek kyria not to mean " lady," but to be her proper name ; and that she had a "sister, a Christian matron," then with John.
Date and place of writing.—Eusebius {Ecclesiastical History, 3. 25) relates that John, after the deatli of Domltian, returned from his exile in Patmos to Ephesus, and went on missionary tours into the heathen regions around, and also made visitations of the cliurches around, and ordained bishops and clergy. Such journeys are mentioned 2 John 12; 3 John 10, 14. If Eusebius be right, both Epistles must have been written after the Apocalypse, in his old age, which harmonizes with the tone of the Epistles, and in or near Ephesus. It was on one of his visitation tours that he designed to rebuke Diotrephes (3 John 9, 10).
Ver. 1-13. Address: Greeting: Thanksgiving for THE Elect Lady's Faithfulness in the Truth: Enjoins Love: Warns against Deceivers, lest we Lose OUR Reward : Conclusion. 1. The elder—In a familiar letter John gives himself a less authoritative designation than " apostle ;" so 1 Peter 5. 1. lady—Bengel takes the Greek as a proper name Kyria, answering to tlie Hebrew
to decide that a Church, not an individual lady, is meant.
For a man to urge a woman ("thee;" not thee and thy children) that he and she should love one another, is liardly like an apostolic precept, however pure may be the love enjoined ; but all is clear if " the lady " represent a Church. 6. " Love is the fulfilling of the law," and the fulfilling of the law is the sure test of love. This Is the commandment— ffreefc, " The commandment is this," li'z., love,\n which all God's other commandments are summed up. 7. As love and truth go hand in hand (u. 3, 4), he feels it needful to give warning against teachers of untruth. For— Giving the reason why he dwelt on trulh and on love, which manifests itself in keeping God's commandments
'• Martha." Being a person of influence, " deceivers" (v. 7) were insinuating themselves into her family to seduce her and her children from the faith [Tibinus], whence John felt it necessary to write a warning to iier. (But see my Introduction, and 1 Peter 5. 13.) A particular Church, probably that at Babylon, was Intended. "Church" is derived from Greek Kuriake, akin to Kuria, or Kyria here ; the latter word among the Romans and Athenians means the same as ecclesia, the term appropriated to designate the Church assembly, love In tlie truth—Christian
(v. 6). many—(1 John 2. 18; 4. 1.) are entered—The oldest MSS. read, " have gone forth," viz., from us. confess not
. . . Jesus . . . In the flesh—the token of Antlcbrist. U come Greek, " comiv.g." He who denies Clirist's coming in the flesh, denies the possibility of tlie incarnation; he who denies that he has come, denies its actuality. Tliey denied the possibility of a Messiah'sappearing, or coniinsr, in the flesh. [Neander.] I think tlie Greek present participle implies both the flrst and the second advent of Christ. He is often elsewliere called the Coming One {Greek), Matthew 11. 3; Hebrews 10. .37. The denial of the reality of His manifestation in the flesh, at Ills first coming, and of His personal advent again, constitutes Antichrist. "The world turns away from God and Christ, busily intentupon its own husks; but to oppose God and' Clirist is of the leaven of .Satan." [Bengel.] This Is a— Greek, "This (such a one as has been just described) is the deceiver and the Antichrist." The many who in a degree
love rests on the Christian truth (v. 3, end). Not merely " I love m<r«Wi," but "I love In the truth." all—All Christians form one fellowship, rejoicing in the spiritual prosperity of one another "The communion of love is as wide as the communiou of faith." [Alford.] 3. For the truth's Bake—Joined with "I love," v. 1. "They who love in the truth, also love on account of the truth." dwelleth In us, and shall be with us for ever— in consonance with Christ's promise. 3. Grace be with yon—One of the oldest MSS. and several versions have " us" for you. The Greek Is lit., " Grace shall be with us," t. e., with both you and me. A prayer, however, is implied besides a confident affirmation, grace . . . mercy . . . peace—"Grace" covers the sins of men ; " mercy," their miseries. Grace must
flrst do away with man's guilt before his misery can be relieved by mercy. Therefore grace stands befoi-e mercy. Pecux is the result of .both, and therefore stands third in order. Casting all our care on the Lord, with thanksgiving, maintains this peace, the liord—The oldest MSS. and most of the oldest versions omit " the Lord." John never elsewhere uses this title In his Epistles, but "the Son of God." In truth and love—Tiie elemen t or sphere in which alone grace, mercy, and peace, have place. He mentions truth in D. 4 ; love, in v. 5. Paul uses faith and love ; for /at<A and irtrfA are close akin. 4. I found—probablj'in one of his missionary tours of superintendence. See Introduction, at the end, and v. 12; 3 John 10. 14. of thy children—some. In truth—t. e., in </ie Gospel truth, as—even
fulfil the character, are forerunners of the final personal Antichrist, who shall concentrate in himself all the features of previous Antichristian systems. 8. Look to yourselves — amidst the widespread prevalence of deception so many being led astray. So Christ's warning; Matthew 24. 4, 5, 24. we lose not . . . we receive—The oldest MSS. and versions read, "That ye lose not, butthat YE receive." which we have wrought—So one oldest' MS. reads. Other very old MSS., versions, and Fathers, read, "which ye have wrought.'' The we being seemingly the more difficult reading Is less likely to ha-ve been a transcriber's alteration. Looli that ye lose not the believing state of " truth and love," which wb (as God's workmen, 2 Corintliians 6. 1 ; 2 Timothy 2. 1.5) wore the in< struments of working in you. a full rew»rd—of grace not of debt. Fully consummated glory. If "wiiich yis have wrought" be read with very old autlioritles, the reward meant is, that of their " work (of faith) and labour of love." There are degrees of heave»ly reward proportioned to the degrees of capability of receiving heavenly blessedness. Each vessel of glory banking ou Jesus shall be fully happy. But the larger the vessel^ the greater will be its capacity for receiving iieavenly bliss. He who with one pound made ten, received authority over ten cities. He who made five pounds received Ave cities; each According to his capacity of rule, and in, proportion to hia
as. ^'The Father's commandment" is the standard of " the truth." 5. I beseech—Rather (cf. Note, 1 John 5. 16), "I request thee," implying some degree of authority, not
. . . new commandment—It was old in that Christians heard it from the first In the Gospel preacliing; new, in that the Gospel rested love on the new principle of filial imitation of God who first loved us, and gave Jesus to die for tis/ and also In that love is now set forth with greater clearness than in the Old Testament dispensation. Love performs both tables of the law, and is tlie end of the law ani the Gospel alike (cf. Note, 1 John 2. 7, 8). that we— Implying tiiat he already had love, and urging her tojoln lilm in the same Christian grace. This verse seems to me 81
faithfulness. Cf. 1 Corinthians 15. 41j "There Is no haJf 539
Gains Commended for his Piety, 3 JOHN. ind His Hofpitulilif to True Preackcn.
such of good speed and joy (the lit. meaning of the Greek), and tliat you wish him it wliilst opposing Christ; so you identify yourself with "his evil deeds." The Greek ot "partaker" is "having communion with." We cannot have communion with saintsand with Antichrislal once. Here we see John's naturally fiery zeal directed to a right end. PoLYCAKP, the disciple of John, told contemporaries of iREN^us, who narrates the story on their authority, that on one occasion when John was about to bathe, and heard that Cerinthus, tlie heretic, was within, he retired with abhorrence, exclaiming. Surely tbe liousewiU fall in ruins since the enemy of the truth is there. 1^. I would not write—A heart full of love pours itself out more freely face to face, than by letter, paper—made of Egyptian papyrus. Pens were then reeds split, ink—made of soot and water, thickened with gum. Parchment was used for the permanent MSS. in which the Epistles were preserved. Writing tablets were used merely for temporary purposes, as our slates, face to face lit., "mouth to mouth." full— Greek, "tilled full." Your joy will be complete in hearing from me in person the joyful Gospel truths which I now defer communicating till I see you. On other occasions his writing the glad truths was for the same purpose. 13. Alford confesses, The non-mention of the "lady" herself here seems rather to favour the hypothesis that a
reward of the saints. It is either lost altogether, or received !)i full; in full communion with Goil." [ISengeu]
Still no service of minister or people shall fail to receive
Its reward. 9. The loss (v. 8) meant is here explained : the not having God, whicli results from abiding not in the doctrine of Christ, transgresseth—The oldest MSS. and versions read, "Every one who takes the lead;" lit., goes, or leads oti before ; cf. John 10. 4, " He goeth before them " (not the same Greek). Cf. 3 John 9, "Loveth to have the preeminence." hath not God— (1 John 2. Zi ; 5. 15.) The second " of Christ" is omitted in the oldest MSS., but is understood in tlie sense, he—Emphatieal : He and He alone. 10. If there come any—as a teacher or brother. The
Greefc is indicative, not sulijunctive ; implying that sucli persons do actually come, and are sure to come ; when any comes, as there will. True love is combined with hearty renunciation and separation from all that is false, whether persons or doctrines, receive him not . . . neither toi<l !»lm God speed—This is not said of those who were always aliens from the Church, but of tliose who wish to be esteemed brethren, and subvert the true doc-
trine. [Grotius.] The greeting salutation forbidden in the case of such a one is that usual among Christiati brelhre^i in those days, not a mere formality, but a token of Chris-
tian brotherhood. 11. By wishing a false brother or teacher " God (or good) speed," you imply that he is capable as
Church Is meant.
THE THIRD EPISTLE OF
' JOHN.
Ver. 1-H. Addkes-s: Wish for G.\ius' Prosperity: Joy at his Walking in the Truth. His Hospitality TO THE Brethren and Strangers the Fruit of Love. Diotuephes' Opposition and Ambition. Pr.^ise OF Demetrius. Conclusion. 1. I—Emphatieal : I personally, for my part. On Gains or Caius, see Jntroduclion before Second Epistle, love in the tn^th—(2 John 1.) "Beioved" is repeated often in this Epistle, indicating strong affection {v. 1, 2, 5, 11;. 3. above nil tilings Greek, " cmicerning nil things:" soAi.ford: in all respects. But Wahl justifies English Version (cf. 1 Peter I. 8). Of course, since his .soul's prosperity is presupposed, " aliove all things" does not imply that John wishes Caius' bodily
the way. after a godly sort— Greek, "in a manner worthy of God," whose ambassadors they are, and whose servant thou art. He who honours God's missionary servants (r. 7), honours God. 7. his name's sake—Christ's, went forth—as missionaries, taking nothing—refusing to receive aught by way of pay, or maintenance, though justly entitled to it, as Paul at Corinth and at Thessolonica. Gentiles—the Christians just gathered out by their labours from among the heathen. As Caius himself was a Gentile convert, "the Gentiles" here must mean the converts just made from the heathen, the Gentiles to whom they had gone fwth. It would have been inexpedient to have taken aught (the Greek meden implies, not that they got nothing, though they had desired it, but that it was of their own choice they took nothing) from the Infant churches among the heathen : the case was difTerent in receiving hospitallt.v from Caius. R. We—In contradistinction to " the Gentiles" or " heathen" referred to,
healtii above that of his soul, but as the first object to be desired next after spiritual health. 1 know you are prospering ill tlie concerns of your soul. I wish you similar prosperity in your body. Perhaps John had heard from the brclliren (v. 3) that Caius was in bad health, and was
r. 7. therefore-as they take nothing from the Gentiles or heathen, receive—The oldest MSS. read, "take up." As they take nothing from the Gentiles, we ought to take them up so as to support them. fellow-Iielpcrs—with them, to tlie truth— i. e., to promote the truth, t). I wrote —The oldest MSS. add "something:" 'a communication, piob.ably, on the subjocti of nveiving the brethren with
tried in otlier ways {v. 10), to which the wish, v. 2, refers. proHper— In general, he in health—In particular, tes-
tlfled of tintrulli that Ih in thee — <;rer!;, "of (or to) thy Irutli :" thy share of that truth in which thou walk-
est. [ALFOitn.] even aa thou—In contrast to Dlotrephes
ft). 4. n»y children-members of the Qhurch: confirming the view that the elect lad)/ Is a (Miurch. !i. 'fnltlifully— an act becoming a faithful man. wiintsoevcr thoti doent-A distinct Greek word from the former "doost:" translate, "workest:" whatsoever work, or
brotlifi ly love (v. 8, 10). That Epistle was not designed by the .Spirit for the universal Church, or else it would have been preserved, unto tl»e ('hurcli—of which Caius Is a inembor. lovetli . . . pre-eminence—through ambition. Evidently occupying a high place In the Churdk^here Caius was (v. 10). amon;; tl«em—oi'cr the members of the (;hurch. receiveth uh not—virtually, viz., by no\. receiving with love the brethren whom we recommended to bo received (r. 8, 10 ; cf. Matthew 10. -10). 10. if I eome—( V. H.)
lalxi'.ir of love, tliou dost perform. So Matthew 20. 10, ".She hath wrought a good ivork u|)on me." and to gtrnnKern—The oldt^st MSS., "And that (i. c, and those brethren) strangers." The fact of the brethren whom thou didst entertain being "strangers," enliMnces the love uianlfcsted in the act. 0. borne wllncHM of tliy • liarlty before tlic Church—to stimulate others by the good cxiunple. The brethren so entertained liy Cains were uilsslonary evangelists (i'. 7); and, probably. In the course of narrat ing their missionary labours lor the cdlHcallon of the Church where John then was. Incidentally
I will rememlwr- "I will liilng to niind" before all
Iiy stigmatizing and punishing, prating — with merp
silly tattle, neitlner dotli he . . . receive tiic I>rethreiii —with hospitality. "The brethren" are the misslonivrlet on their journey, forl>iddeth tliein Mint would- -r©.
ineiitioni'd the loving hospitality shown th<>m by Caius. hrlnn '<*•'""•'' on tlieir Journey— " If thou (continue to) lorwurd on their Journey" by glv'ng thctii iirovlslims for 540
celv(^ them, easteth tliem—those that would recidve the brethren, by excommunication from the Church, which his liitlucnce, as a leading man (v. I') in It, enabled hini to
Introduction. JUDE. TntrodurMon.
do. Neander thinks that the missionaries were Jews by birth, whence it is said in their praise tliey look nothing /roTO THE Gentiles: in contrast toother Jewisli missionaries who abused ministers' right of maintenance elsewliere, as Paul tells us, 2Corinthians 11.22; Pliilippians 3. 2,5,19. Now In the Gentile cliurches there existed an ultra-Pauline party of anti-Jewish tendency, the forerunners of Marcion: Dlotrephes possibly stood at the head of this party, which fact, as well as his domineering spirit, may account for his hostility to tlie missionaries, and to the apostle J3hn, who had, by the power of love, tried to harmonize the various elements in the Asiatic churches. At a later period, Marcion, we know, attached himself to Paul alone, and paid no deference to the authority of John. H. follow not that wliieU Is evil as manifested in Dlotrephes (v. 9, 10). tout . . . good—as manifested in Demetrius (v. 12). is of God.—is born of God, who is good, hath not seen God—spiritually, not literally. 13. of all men—who have had opportunity of knowing his character, of tlie truth itself—The Gospel Standard ot truth bears witness to him that he walks con-
formably to it, in acts of real love, hospitality to the brethren (in contrast to Diotrepties), &c. Cf. John 3. 21 " He that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest that they are wrought in God. we also—besides tlie testimony of •' a 1 men," and "of th* truth itself." ye know—The oldest MSS. read, " thoi knowesf." 13. I will not—rather a;i Greek, "I wish no.
. . . to write" more. 14. face to face— GreeA, "mouth to mouth." peace—Peace inward of conscience, peace fraternal of friendship, peace supernal of glory. [Lyra.] friends—a title seldom used in the New Testament, as it
is absorbed in the higher titles of " brotlier, brethren." Still Christ recognizes the relation offriend also, based on the highest grounds, obedience to Him from love, and entailing the highest privileges, admission to the intimacy of the holy and glorious God, and sympathizing Saviour; so Christians have "friends" in Clirist. Here In a friendly letter, mention of " friends" appropriately occurs, by name—no less than if their names were written. [Bengel.J
THE GENERAL EPISTLE OF
JUDE.
AuTiiOK.—He calls himself In the address " the servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James." See Introduction to the Epistle of James, in proof of James the ax>ostle, and James the Lord's brother, the bishop of Jerusalem, being one and the same person. Galatlans 1. 19 alone seems to me to prove this. Similarly, Jude the brother of our Lord, and Jude the apostle, seem to be one and the same. Jerome, Contra Helvidiam, rightly maintains that by the Lord's bretliren are meant his cousins, children of Mary and Cleophas (the same as Alphseus). From 1 Corinthians 9. 5 (as "brethren of tlie Lord" stands between "other apostles" and " Cephas"), it seems natural to think that the brethren of the Lord are distinguislied from the apostles only because all his brethren were not apostles, but only James and ,Jude. Jude'.s reason for calling himself " brother of James," was that James, as bishop of Jerusalem, was better known than him*
self. Had he been, in the strict sense, brother of our Lo^-d, he probably would have so entitled himself. His omission
of mention of his apostleship is no proof that he was not an apostle; for so also James omits it in his heading; and Paul, in his Epistles to the Philippians, The.ssalonians, and Philemon, omits it. Had the writer been a counterfeiter of the apostle Jude, he would doubtless have called himself an " apostle." He was called also Lebbeeus and Thaddeus, probably to distinguish him from Judas Iscariot, the traitor. Lebbseus, from Hebrew leeh, "heart," means courageous. Tliaddeus is the same as Theudas, from Hebreiv thad, the "breast." Luke and John, writing later than Matthew, when there would be no confusion between him and Judas Iscariot, give his name Judas. The only circumstance relating
to him recorded in tiie Gospels occurs John It. 22, "Judas saith unto him, not Iscariot, Lord, liow is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world?" &c. Jerome {Annotaiiones in MatlhcKum) says, that he was sent to
Edessa, to Abgarus, king of Osroene, or Edessa, and that he preached in Syria, Arabia, Mesopotamia, and Persia, in which last country he suffered martyrdom. Tlie story is told on Eusebius' authority, that Abgarus, on his sick bed, having heard of Jesus' power to heal, sent to beg Him to come and cure him, to which the Lord replied, praising his
faith, that though he had not seen the Saviour, he yet believed ; adding, "As for what thou hast written, that I should come to thee, it is necessary that all tliose things for which I was sent should be fulfilled by me in tills place, and
that having filled them I should be received up to Him tliat sent me. When, tlierefore, I shall be received into heav-
en, I will send unto tliee some one of my disciples who shall both heal thy distemper and give life to thee and those with thee." Thomas is accordingly said to have been inspired to send Thaddeus for the cure and baptism of Abgarus, The letters are said to have been shown Tliaddeus among the archives of Edessa. It is possible such a message was
verbally sent, and tlie substance of it registered in writing afterwards (cf. 2 Kings 5. ; and Matthew 15. 22). Hegesip-
PU.S {in Eusebius, Ecclesiastical History, 3. 20) states, that when Domitian inquired after David's posterity, .some grand-
sons of Ju.de, called the Lord's brother, were brought into his presence. Being asked as to their possessions, they
said that they had tliirty-nine acres of the value of 90OO denarii, out of which tliey paid him taxes, and lived by the
labour of their hands, a proof of which they gave by showing tlie hardness of tlieir hands. Being interrogated as to
Christ and His kingdom, they replied, that it was not of tliis world, but heavenly; and that it would be manifested
at the end of the world, when He would come in glory to judge the living and the dead.
Authenticity.—Eusebius, Ecclesiastical History, 3. 25, reckons it among the Anliler/omena or controverted Scrip-
tures, "thougli recognized by tlie majority." Tlie reference to tlie contest of Michael, the archangel, witli the devil,
for the body of Moses, not mentioned elsewhere in the Old Testament, but found in the apocrijphal " Book of Enoch,"
probably raised doubts as to its authenticity, as Jehome (CaiaJoi/ui Scriptorum Ecclesiasticorum, 4) says. Moreover, its
not being addres.sed to one particular Cliurcli, or individual, caused it not to be so immediately recognized as canon-
ical. A counterfeiter would have avoided using what did not occur in the Old Testament, and whicli might be re-
garded as apocryphal.
As to tlie book of Enoch, If quot<^d by Jude, his quotation of a pa.ssage from It gives ar inspired sanction only to
Oi' truth of that passage, not to the whole book; just as Paul, by inspiration, sanctions particular sentiments from
oil
Tntroduction. JUDE. Introduction.
Aratus, Epimenides, and Menander, but not all their writings. I think, rathei fts t.iere is some slight variation between Jude's statement and that of tlie booli of Eiiocli, tliat Jude, though probably not ignorant of the book of Enoch, Btanips with inspired sanction the current tradition of the Jews as to Enocli's prophecies; just as Paul mentions the names of the Egyptian magicians, " Jannes and Jambres," not mentioned in the Old Testament. At all events, tho prophecy ascrilied to Enoch by Jude was really his, being sanctioned as such by this inspired writer. So also the narration as to the archangel Michael's dispute with Satan concerning the body of Moses, is by Jude's inspired authority (d. 9) declared true. The book of Enoch is quoted by Justin Martyr, Iren^cs, Clement of Alexandria, &c. Bruce, the Abyssinian traveler, brought liome tliree copies of it in Ethiopic, from Alexandria, of which Archbishop Lawrence, in 1821, gave an English translation. The Ethiopic was aversion from the Greek, and th« Greek doubtless a version from the Hebrew, as tlie names of the angels in it show. The postolic Constitutions, Origen (Contra Celsum), Jerome, and Augustine, pronounce it not canonical. Yet it is in the main edifying, vindicating God's government of the world, natural and spiritual, and contradicting none of the Scripture statements. The name Jesus never occurs, though "Son of man," so often given to Messiah in the Gospels, Is frequent, and terras are used expressive of His dignity, character, and acts, exceeding the views of Messiah in any other Jewish book. The writer seems to have been a Jew who had become thoroughly imbued with the sacred writings of Daniel. And. though many coincidences occur between its sentiments and the New Testament, the Messianic portions are not dis-
tinct enough to prove that the writer knew the New Testament. Rather, he seems to have immediately preceded Christ's coming, about the time of Herod the Great, and so gives us a most interesting view of believing Jews' opinions before the advent of our Lord. The Trinity is recognized, 60. 13, 14. Messiah is " the elect One"' existing from et«rnity, 48. 2, 3, 5; "Ail kings shall fall down before Him, and worship and fix their hopes on this Son of man," 61.
10-13. He is the object of worship, 48. 3, 4; He is the supreme Judge, 60. 10, 11; 68. 38, 39. There shall be a future state of retribution, 93. 8, 9 ; 94. 2, 4 ; chs. 95., 96., 99., 103. The eternity of future punishment, 103. 5. Volkmau, in Alford, thinks the book was written at tlie time of the sedition of Barchochebas (A. d. 132), by a follower of Rabbi Akiba, the upholder of that impostor. This would make tlie book Antichristian in its origin. If this date be correct, doubtless
it copied some things from Jude, giving them the Jewish, not the Christian, colouring. ^ EuSEBius (Demonstratio JSvangelica, 3. 5) remarks, it accords with John's humility that In 2 and 3 John he calls himself " the elder." For the same reason James and Jude call themselves "servants of Jesus Christ." Clemens Alexandrinus (Adumbrations, in Ep. Jud., p. 1007) says, "Jude, through reverential awe, did not call himself
brother, but servant, of Jesus Clirist, and brotlier of James."
Tertullian (De Cultu Fa:minarum, c. 3) cites the Epistle as that of the apostle James. Clemens Alexandrinus quotes it (v. 8, 17) as Scripture, Slromata 3., 2. 11 ; and (v. 5) in Pcedagogus 3., 8. 44. The Muratori fragment asserts its canonicity. [Routh, Reliquia <Sae)-re, 1. ,306.1 Origen (Commentary on Matthew 13. 55) says, "Jude wrote an Epis-
tle of few lines, but one filled full of the strong words of lieavenly grace." Also, in Commentary on Matthew 22. 23, he quotes V. 6; and on Matthew 18. 10, he quotes v. 1. He calls the writer "Jude the apostle," in the Latin remains of his works (cf. Davidson, Introduction III. 498). Jerome (Catalogus Scriptorum Ecclesiasticorum 4) reckons It among the Scriptures. Though the oldest MSS. of the Peschito omit it, Ephrem Syrus recognizes it. Wordsworth reasons for
Its genuineness tlius: St. Jude, we Itnow, died before St. Jolin, i. e., before the beginning of the second century. Now Eusebius (Ecclesiastical History 3. 32) tells us that St. James was succeeded in the bishopric of Jerusalem by SymeoD
his brother: and also tliat Symeon sat in tliatsee till a. d. 107, wlien as a martyr he was crucified in his 120th year, We find that the Epistle to Jude was known in the East and West in the second century; it was therefore circulated
in Symeon's lifetime. It never would have received currency such as it had, nor would Symeon have permitted a
letter bearing the name of an apostle, his own brother Jude, brother of his own apostolical predecessor, St. James, to have been circulated, if it were not really St. Jude's. To Whom Addressed. — The references to Old Testament history, v. 5, 7, and to Jewish tradition, v. 14, Ac, make it liliely that Jewish Christians are the readers to wliom Jude mainly (though Including also all Christians, v.
1) writes, just as the kindred Epistle, 2 Peter, is addressed primarily to the same class; cf. Introductions to 1 and 2
Peter. The persons stigmatized in it were not merely libertines (as Alford thinks), though no doubt that was one
of their prominent characteristics, but lieretics in doctrine, "denying tlie only Lord God, and our Saviour Jesus
Christ." Hence he urges believers " earnestly to contend for the faith once delivered unto the saints." Insubordina-
tion, self-seeking, and licentiousness, the fruit of Antinomian toacliings, were the evils against which Jude warns
his readers; reminding them that, to build themselves in their most holy faith, and to pray In the Holy Ghost, are
tlie only effectual safeguards. The same evils, along willi mocking skepticism, shall characterize the last days before the final judgment, even as in the days when Enoch warned the ungodly of the coming flood. As Peter was in Baby-
lon In writing 1 Peter 5. 13, and probably also in writing 2 Peter (cf. Introductions to 1 and 2 Peter), it seems not un-
likely that Jude addressed his Epistle primarily to the Jewith Christians in and about Mesopotamian Babylon (a place
of great resort to the Jews In that day), or else to the Christian Jews dispersed in Fontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and
Bithynia, the persons addressed by Peter. For Jude Is expressly said to have preached In Mesopotamia (Jerome, Annotaliones in Matlhceum), and his Epistle, consisting of only twenty-five verses, contains in tliem no less than eleven passages from 2 Peter (see the list In my Introduction to 2 Peter). Probably In v. 4 ho witne'sses to the fulfilment of
I'eter's prophecy, "There are cei tnlii men crt'j)t in unaivares, who were before of old ordained (rather as Oreek, ' fore-
written,' i.e., announced beforehand by the apostle Peter's uyr^itten prophecy) to this condemnatitm, ungodly men deny-
ing the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ." Cf. 2 I'eler 2. 1, "There shall be false teacliers among you who primly shall bring In damnable heresies, even denying the lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift
destruction." Also t). 17, 18 plainly refers to the very words of 2 Peter 3. 3, " Remember tho words which were spoken
belong of the apostles of our Lord Jesus; how they told you tluno should be mockers in the last time who should walk
vjlcr their own ungodly lusts." This proves, in opposlMoii to Alfoui), that Judo's Epistle Is later than Peter's (whose
Inspiration he thus confirms. Just as I'eter eonfli ins Paul's, 2 Peter 3. 15, 16), not vice versa. TiMK ANH Place ok Writing.—Aliord thinks, that, considering St. Judo was writing to Jews and citing sig-
nal Instances of Divine vengeance. It Is very unlikely lie would have omitted to allude to the d(«tructlon of Jeruxalem if he had written after that event which uprooted lliir Jewish polity and people. He conjectures from the
tcmeaiid rclerences that tlie writer lived in I'lilcstine. lUil as to the former, negative evidence Is doubtful ; for neither
does John allude In his Epistles, written after the destruction of Jerusalem, to that event. Mill fixes on A. D., 90,
nfter the death of all the apostles suvo John. I lucllne to think from v. 17, 18 that some llmu had elapsed stDoe the
Exhortation to be Constant in the Faith. JUDE. False Teachers Creep in to Seduee them.
Second Epistle of Peter (written probably about a. d. 68 or G9) when Jude wrote, and, therefore, that the Eplstlo of Tilde was written after the destruction of Jerusalem.
Ver. 1-25. ADDRESS : Greeting : His Object in Wkittng: Warning against Seducers in Doctrine and
overtook the apostate angels. The disobedient Israelites, Sodom and Gomorrah, Balaam and Core, and which are written "for an example" (v. 7, and 5, 6, H). God's eternal character as the Punisher of sin, as set forth in Scripture "of old," is the ground on which such apostate characters are ordained to condemnation. Scripture is the reflection of God's book of life in which believers are " written among the living." "Forewritten" is applied also in Romans 15. 4 to the things written in Scripture. Scripture itself reflects God's character from everlasting, which is the ground of His decrees from everlasting. Bengel explains it as an abbreviated phrase for, "Tiiey were of old foretold by Enoch {v. 14, who did not write his prophecies), and afterwards marked out by the written word." to this condemnation—Jude giaphically puts their judgment as
Practice from God's Vengeance on Apostates, Israel, the Fallen Angels, Sodom and Gomorrah. Description of these Bad Men, in Contrast to Michael: Like Cain, Balaam, AND Core: Enoch's Prophecy AS to them: The Apostles' Forewarning: Concluding Exhortation as to Preserving their own Faith, and Trying to Save Others : Doxology. 1. servant of Jesus Christ—as His minister and apostle, brother of James — wlio was more widely litiown as bishop of Jerusalem and " broliier or the Lord " (;'. c, either