1 My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may be without sin. And if any man is a sinner, we have a friend and helper with the Father, Jesus Christ, the upright one:
Who will give a decision against us? It is Christ Jesus who not only was put to death, but came again from the dead, who is now at the right hand of God, taking our part.
For there is one God and one peacemaker between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,
If we say that we have no sin, we are false to ourselves and there is nothing true in us. If we say openly that we have done wrong, he is upright and true to his word, giving us forgiveness of sins and making us clean from all evil. If we say that we have no sin, we make him false and his word is not in us.
For him who had no knowledge of sin God made to be sin for us; so that we might become the righteousness of God in him.
And she said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said, And I do not give a decision against you: go, and never do wrong again.]
My little children, let no man take you out of the true way: he who does righteousness is upright, even as he is upright;
For the grace of God has come, giving salvation to all men, Training us so that, turning away from evil and the desires of this world, we may be living wisely and uprightly in the knowledge of God in this present life; Looking for the glad hope, the revelation of the glory of our great God and Saviour Jesus Christ;
Let your work not be for the food which comes to an end, but for the food which goes on for eternal life, which the Son of man will give to you, for on him has God the Father put his mark.
Jesus said to him, I am the true and living way: no one comes to the Father but by me.
But this priest, because his life goes on for ever, is unchanging. So that he is fully able to be the saviour of all who come to God through him, because he is ever living to make prayer to God for them. It was right for us to have such a high priest, one who is holy and without evil, doing no wrong, having no part with sinners, and made higher than the heavens:
So that as Jesus was put to death in the flesh, do you yourselves be of the same mind; for the death of the flesh puts an end to sin; So that you may give the rest of your lives in the flesh, not to the desires of men, but to the purpose of God. Because for long enough, in times past, we have been living after the way of the Gentiles, given up to the desires of the flesh, to drinking and feasting and loose behaviour and unclean worship of images;
I am writing to you, my children, because you have forgiveness of sins through his name. I am writing to you, fathers, because you have knowledge of him who was from the first. I am writing to you, young men, because you have overcome the Evil One. I have sent a letter to you, children, because you have knowledge of the Father.
But be holy in every detail of your lives, as he, whose servants you are, is holy; Because it has been said in the Writings, You are to be holy, for I am holy. And if you give the name of Father to him who, judging every man by his acts, has no respect for a man's position, then go in fear while you are on this earth: Being conscious that you have been made free from that foolish way of life which was your heritage from your fathers, not through a payment of things like silver or gold which come to destruction, But through holy blood, like that of a clean and unmarked lamb, even the blood of Christ:
And now, my children, keep your hearts in him; so that at his revelation, we may have no fear or shame before him at his coming. If you have knowledge that he is upright, it is clear to you that everyone who does righteousness is his offspring.
We give you word of all we have seen and everything which has come to our ears, so that you may be united with us; and we are united with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ: And we are writing these things to you so that our joy may be made complete.
Who did no evil, and there was no deceit in his mouth:
With it we give praise to our Lord and Father; and with it we put a curse on men who are made in God's image.
Be full of joy, O daughter of Zion; give a glad cry, O daughter of Jerusalem: see, your king comes to you: he is upright and has overcome; gentle and seated on an ass, on a young ass.
All things have been given to me by my Father: and no one has knowledge of the Son, but only the Father: and of the Father, but only the Son, and he to whom the Son will make it clear.
So Jesus made answer and said, Truly I say to you, The Son is not able to do anything himself; he is able to do only what he sees the Father doing; whatever the Father does the Son does it in the same way. For the Father has love for the Son and lets him see everything which he does: and he will let him see greater works than these so that you may be full of wonder. In the same way, as the Father gives life to the dead, even so the Son gives life to those to whom he is pleased to give it. The Father is not the judge of men, but he has given all decisions into the hands of the Son; So that all men may give honour to the Son even as they give honour to the Father. He who gives no honour to the Son gives no honour to the Father who sent him. Truly I say to you, The man whose ears are open to my word and who has faith in him who sent me, has eternal life; he will not be judged, but has come from death into life. Truly I say to you, The time is coming, it has even now come, when the voice of the Son of God will come to the ears of the dead, and those hearing it will have life. For even as the Father has life in himself, so he has given to the Son to have life in himself.
But the witness which I have is greater than that of John: the work which the Father has given me to do, the very work which I am now doing, is a witness that the Father has sent me.
I am not saying these things to put you to shame, but so that, as my dear children, you may see what is right. For even if you had ten thousand teachers in Christ, you have not more than one father: for in Christ Jesus I have given birth to you through the good news.
Because through him the two of us are able to come near in one Spirit to the Father.
I am writing these things to you, though I am hoping to come to you before long;
For Christ did not go into a holy place which had been made by men's hands as the copy of the true one; but he went into heaven itself, and now takes his place before the face of God for us.
Let there be fear in your hearts, and do no sin; have bitter feelings on your bed, but make no sound. (Selah.)
My dear children, I am only to be with you a little longer. Then you will be looking for me: and as I said to the Jews, so now I say to you, Where I am going you may not come.
So Jesus said to them, Children, have you taken any fish? They made answer, No.
Be awake to righteousness and keep yourselves from sin; for some have no knowledge of God: I say this to put you to shame.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on 1 John 2
Commentary on 1 John 2 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 2
Here the apostle encourages against sins of infirmity (v. 1, 2), shows the true knowledge and love of God (v. 3-6), renews the precept of fraternal love (v. 7-11), addresses the several ages of Christians (v. 12-14), warns against worldly love (v. 15-17), against seducers (v. 18, 19), shows the security of true Christians (v. 20-27), and advises to abide in Christ (v. 28, 29).
1Jo 2:1-2
These verses relate to the concluding subject of the foregoing chapter, in which the apostle proceeds upon the supposition of the real Christian's sin. And here he gives them both dissuasion and support.
1Jo 2:3-6
These verses may seem to relate to the seventh verse of the former chapter, between which and these verses there occurred an incidental discourse concerning the believer's duty and relief in case of sin, occasioned by the mention of one of the believer's privileges-his being cleansed from sin by the Mediator's blood. In that verse the apostle asserts the beneficial consequence of walking in the light: "We have then fellowship with one another, such divine fellowship and communion as are the prerogative of the church of Christ.' Here now succeeds the trial or test of our light and of our love.
1Jo 2:7-11
The seventh verse may be supposed either to look backward to what immediately preceded (and then it is walking as Christ walked that is here represented as no new, but an old commandment; it is that which the apostles would certainly inculcate wherever they brought Christ's gospel), or to look forward to what the apostle is now going to recommend, and that is the law of fraternal love; this is the message heard from the beginning (ch. 3:11), and the old commandment, 2 Jn. 5. Now, while the apostle addresses himself to the recommendation of such a practice, he is ready to give an instance thereof in his affectionate appellation: "Brethren, you who are dear to me in the bond of that love to which I would solicit you;' and so the precept of fraternal love is recommended,
1Jo 2:12-17
This new command of holy love, with the incentives thereto, may possibly be directed to the several ranks of disciples that are here accosted. The several graduates in the Christian university, the catholic church, must be sure to preserve the bond of sacred love. Or, there being an important dehortation and dissuasion to follow, without the observance of which vital religion in the love of God and love of the brethren cannot subsist, the apostle may justly seem to preface it with a solemn address to the several forms or orders in the school of Christ: let the infants or minors, the adults, the seniors (or the adepti, the teleioi, the most perfect), in the Christian institution, know that they must not love this world; and so,
From the whole of these verses we should observe the purity and spirituality of the apostolical doctrine. The animal life must be subjected to the divine; the body with its affections should be swayed by religion, or the victorious love of God.
1Jo 2:18-19
Here is,
1Jo 2:20-27
Here,
1Jo 2:28-29
From the blessing of the sacred unction the apostle proceeds in his advice and exhortation to constancy in and with Christ: And now, little children, abide in him, v. 28. The apostle repeats his kind appellation, little children, which I suppose does not so much denote their diminutiveness as his affection, and therefore, I judge, may be rendered dear children. He would persuade by love, and prevail by endearment as well as by reason. "Not only the love of Christ, but the love of you, constrains us to inculcate your perseverance, and that you would abide in him, in the truth relating to his person, and in your union with him and allegiance to him.' Evangelical privileges are obligatory to evangelical duties; and those that are anointed by the Lord Jesus are highly obliged to abide with him in opposition to all adversaries whatever. This duty of perseverance and constancy in trying times is strongly urged by the two following considerations:-