Bible Commentary (1871–1879 Edition)
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 iiilu Uilile." [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 Tinisoiisjlit. "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.) ini Yicii, 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 beforeli Miid. 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 jivmi; 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 /aie 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 SyHac 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., Iapias, 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 contints, 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