Reference: John, The Epistles Of
Fausets
FIRST EPISTLE. Genuineness. Polycarp, John's disciple (ad Philippians 7), quotes 1Jo 4:3. Eusebius (H. E., iii. 39) says of Papias, John's hearer, "he used testimonies from the first epistle of John." Irenaeus (Eusebius, H. E., v. 8) often quoted it; he quotes (Haeres. iii. 15, sections 5,8) from John by name 1Jo 2:18; and in 1Jo 3:16, section 7 he quotes 1Jo 4:1-3; 5:1; 2Jo 1:7-8. Clement Alex. (Strom. ii. 66, p. 664) refers to 1Jo 5:16 as in John's larger epistle; compare Strom. iii. 32,42; iv. 102. Tertullian adv. Marcion, vi. 16, refers to 1Jo 4:1; adv. Praxean xv to 1Jo 1:1; also 1Jo 1:10, and contra Gnost. 12. Cyprian (Ep. 28:24) quotes 1Jo 2:3-4 as John's; and, de Orat. Domini, 5, quotes 1Jo 2:15-17; De opere et Eleemos. quotes 1Jo 1:8; De bono Patientiae quotes 1Jo 2:6.
Muratori's Fragment on the Canon states "there are two (the Gospel and epistle) of John esteemed universal," quoting 1Jo 1:3. The Peshito Syriac has it. Origen (Eusebius vi. 25) designates the first epistle genuine, and "probably second and third epistles, though all do not recognize the latter two"; he quotes 1Jo 1:5 (tom. 13 vol. 2). Dionysius of Alexandria, Origen's scholar, cites this epistle's words as the evangelist John's. Eusebius (H. E., iii. 24) says John's first epistle and Gospel are "acknowledged without question by those of the present day, as well as by the ancients." So Jerome (Catalog. Ecclesiastes Script.). Marcion opposed it only because it was opposed to his heresies. The Gospel and the first epistle are alike in style, yet evidently not mere copies either of the other. The individual notices, it being a universal epistle, are fewer than in Paul's epistles; but what there are accord with John's position.
He implies his apostleship (1Jo 2:7,26), alludes to his Gospel (Joh 1:1, compare Joh 1:14; 20:27), and the affectionate He uniting him as an aged pastor to his spiritual "children" (1Jo 2:18-19). In 1Jo 4:1-3 he alludes to the false teachers as known to his readers; in 1Jo 5:21 he warns them against the idols of the world around. Docetism existed in germ already, though the Docete by name appear first in the second century (Col 1:15-18; 1Ti 3:16; Heb 1:1-3). Hence 1Jo 4:1-3 denounces as "not of God every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh" (compare Joh 2:22-23). Presciently the Spirit through John forearms the church against the coming heresy.
TO WHOM THE EPISTLES WERE ADDRESSED. Augustine (Quaest. Evang. 2:39) says it was addressed to the Parthians, i.e. the Christians beyond the Euphrates, outside the Roman empire, "the church at Babylon elected together with" (1Pe 5:13) the churches in the Ephesian region, where Peter sent his epistles (1Pe 1:1; Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, Bithynia). As Peter addressed the Asiatic flock tended first by Paul, then by John, so John, Peter's close companion, addresses the flock among whom Peter was when he wrote. Thus "the elect lady" (2Jo 1:1) answers to "the church elected together."
TIME AND PLACE. This epistle is subsequent to the Gospel, for it assumes the reader's acquaintance with the Gospel facts and Christ's speeches, and His aspect as the incarnate Word God manifest in the flesh, set forth in John's Gospel. His fatherly tone addressing his "little children" implies it was written in old age, perhaps A.D. 90. The rise of antichristian teachers he marks as a sign of "the last time" (1Jo 2:18), no other "age" or dispensation will be until Christ comes; for His coming the church is to be ever waiting; Heb 1:2, "these last days." The region of Ephesus, where Gnostic heresy sprang up, was probably the place, and the latter part of the apostolic age the time, of writing. Contents. Fellowship with the Father and the Son is the subject and object (1Jo 1:3). Two divisions occur:
(1) 1 John 1:5 - 2:28, God is light without darkness; consequently, to have fellowship with Him necessitates walking in the light. Confession and consequent forgiveness of sins, through Christ's propitiation for the world and advocacy for believers, are a necessary preliminary; a further step is positive keeping God's commandments, the sum of which is love as contrasted with hatred, the sum of disobedience. According to their several stages of spiritual growth, children, fathers, young men, as respectively forgiven, knowing the Father, and having overcome the wicked one, John exhorts them not to love the world, which is incompatible with the indwelling of the Father's love. This anointing love dwelling in us, and our continuing to abide in the Son and in the Father, is the antidote against the antichristian teachers in the world, who are of the world, not of the church, and therefore have gone out from it.
(2) 1 John 2:29 - 5:5 handles the opening thesis: "He is righteous," therefore "every one that doeth righteousness is born of Him." Sonship involves present self purification, first because we desire now to be like Him, "even as He is pure," secondly because we hope hereafter to be perfectly like Him, our sonship now hidden shall be manifested, and we shall be made like Him when He shall be manifested (answering to Paul's Colossians 3), for our then "seeing him as He is" involves transfiguration into His likeness (compare 2Co 3:18; Php 3:21). In contrast, the children of the devil hate; the children of God love. Love assures of acceptance with God for ourselves and our prayers, accompanied as they are with obedience to His commandment to "believe on Jesus Christ, and love one another"; the seal is "the Spirit given us" (1Jo 3:24). In contrast (as in the first division), denial of Christ and adherence to the world characterize the false spirits (1Jo 4:1-6). The essential feature of sonship or birth of God is unslavish love to God, because God first loved us and gave His Son to die for us (1Jo 4:18-19), and consequent love to the brethren as being God's sons like ourselves, and so victory over the world through belief in Jesus as the Son of God (1Jo 5:4-5).
(3) 1Jo 5:6-21. Finally, the truth on which our fellowship with God rests is, Christ came by water in His baptism, the blood of atonement, and the witnessing Spirit which is truth, which correspond to our baptism with water and the Spirit, and our receiving the atonement by His blood and the witness of His Spirit. In the opening he rested this truth on his apostolic witness of the eye, the ear, and the touch; so at the close on God's witness, which the believer accepts, and by rejecting which the unbeliever makes God a liar. He adds his reason for writing (1Jo 5:13), corresponding to 1Jo 1:4 at the beginning, namely, that "believers may know they have (already) eternal life," the spring of "joy" (compare Joh 20:31), and so may have "confidence" in their prayers being answered (1Jo 5:14-15; compare 1Jo 3:22 in the second part), e.g. their intercessions for a brother sinning, provided his sin be not unto death (1Jo 5:16). He sums up with stating our knowledge of Him that is true, through His gift, our being in Him by virtue of being in His Son Jesus Christ; being "born of God" we keep ourselves so that the wicked one toucheth us not, in contrast to the world lying in the wicked one; therefore still, "little children, keep yourselves from idols" literal and spiritual.
STYLE. Aphorism and repetition of his own phrases abound. The affectionate hortatory tone, and the Hebraistic form which delights in parallelism of clauses (as contrasted with Paul's logical Grecian style), and his own simplicity of spirit dwelling fondly on the one grand theme, produce this repetition of fundamental truths again and again, enlarged, applied, and condensed by turns. Contemplative rather than argumentative, he dwells on the inner rather than the outer Christian life. The thoughts do not move forward by progressive steps, as in Paul, but in circles round one central thought, viewed now under the positive now under the negative aspect. His Lord's contrasted phrases in the Gospel John adopts in his epistles, "flesh," "spirit," "light," "darkness," "life," "death," "abide in Him"; "fellowship with the Father and Son, and with one another" is a phrase not in the Gospel, but in Acts and Paul's e
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In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
And the Word became flesh, and tabernacled among us, (and we beheld His glory??lory as of the Only Begotten from the Father), full of grace and truth.
When, therefore, He was raised from the dead, His disciples remembered that He said this; and they believed the Scripture, and the word that Jesus spake. And, when He was in Jerusalem at the passover, during the feast, many believed on His name, beholding His signs which He was doing.
Then He saith to Thomas, "Reach hither your finger, and see My hands; and reach hither your hand, and press it into My side; and be not faithless, but believing."
but these have been written, that ye may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that, believing, ye may have life in His name.
Gaius my host, and of the whole assembly, salutes you. Erastus, the treasurer of the city, salutes you, and Quartus the brother.
But we all, with unveiled face, reflecting as a mirror the glory of the Lord, are transfigured into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.
Who will transform the body of our humiliation into conformity to the body of His glory, according to the working whereby He is able also to subject all things to Himself.
in Whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins; Who is the image of the invisible God, Primal Source of all creation; read more. because in Him were all things created, in the heavens, and upon the earth, the visible and the invisible, whether thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers??ll things have been created through Him, and for Him; and He is before all things, and in Him all things have held together. And He is the Head of the body, the assembly; Who is the Beginning, the First-born from the dead, that in all things He may be preeminent;
God, having in many parts and many ways spoken, of old, to the fathers in the prophets, at the end of these days spake to us in His Son, Whom He appointed Heir of all things, through Whom also He constituted the ages;
at the end of these days spake to us in His Son, Whom He appointed Heir of all things, through Whom also He constituted the ages; Who, being an effulgence of His glory and an exact expression of His substance, and upholding all things by the word of His power, having made a purification of sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;
Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ to the sojourners of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia,
Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ to the sojourners of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, elect according to the fore-knowledge of God the Father, in sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: grace to you, and peace be multiplied.
The elders, therefore, I exhort, who am a fellow-elder, and a witness of Christ's sufferings, also a partaker of the glory about to be revealed;
The assembly in Babylon, elected with you, and Mark my son, salute you.
The assembly in Babylon, elected with you, and Mark my son, salute you.
That which was from the beginning, that which we have heard, that which we have seen with our eyes, that which we gazed upon, and our hands handled, concerning the Word of Life
that which we have seen and heard we declare to you also, that ye also may have fellow-ship with us; and our fellowship also is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ.
that which we have seen and heard we declare to you also, that ye also may have fellow-ship with us; and our fellowship also is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ. And these things we write, that your joy may be made full. read more. And this is the message which we have heard from Him, and announce to you, that God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all.
If we say, "We have no sin," we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
If we say, "We have not sinned," we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.
And in this we know that we have known Him, if we keep His commandments. He who says, "I have known Him," and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him;
He who says that he is abiding in Him ought himself also to walk even as He walked. Beloved, I write no new commandment to you, but and old commandment which ye had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which ye heard.
Love not the world, nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him; because all that is in the world??he desire of the flesh, the desire of the eyes, and the vain-glory of life??s not of the Father, but is of the world. read more. And the world is passing away, and the desire thereof; but be that does the will of God abides forever. Little children, it is the last hour; and, as ye heard that Anti-Christ is coming, even now many anti-christs have arisen; whence we know that it is the last hour.
Little children, it is the last hour; and, as ye heard that Anti-Christ is coming, even now many anti-christs have arisen; whence we know that it is the last hour.
Little children, it is the last hour; and, as ye heard that Anti-Christ is coming, even now many anti-christs have arisen; whence we know that it is the last hour. They went out from among us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us; but they went out, that they might be made manifest, that they are not all of us.
These things I wrote to you concerning those who would deceive you.
In this we have known the love, that He laid down His soul in our behalf; and we ought to lay down our souls in behalf of the brethren.
and whatsoever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments, and do the things that are pleasing before Him.
And he that keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him; and in this we know that He abideth in us, by the Spirit Whom He gave to us.
Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone forth into the world.
Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone forth into the world.
Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone forth into the world.
Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone forth into the world.
Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone forth into the world. In this ye know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ hath come in flesh is of God;
In this ye know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ hath come in flesh is of God;
In this ye know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ hath come in flesh is of God;
In this ye know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ hath come in flesh is of God; and every spirit that confesses not Jesus is not of God; and this is the spirit of the Anti-Christ, of which ye have heard that it is coming, and now it is in the world already.
and every spirit that confesses not Jesus is not of God; and this is the spirit of the Anti-Christ, of which ye have heard that it is coming, and now it is in the world already.
and every spirit that confesses not Jesus is not of God; and this is the spirit of the Anti-Christ, of which ye have heard that it is coming, and now it is in the world already.
and every spirit that confesses not Jesus is not of God; and this is the spirit of the Anti-Christ, of which ye have heard that it is coming, and now it is in the world already.
and every spirit that confesses not Jesus is not of God; and this is the spirit of the Anti-Christ, of which ye have heard that it is coming, and now it is in the world already. Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He Who is in you, than he that is in the world. read more. They are of the world; for this cause they speak of the world, and the world hears them. We are of God; he that knows God hears us; he that is not of God hears us not: from this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.
There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear has punishment; and he who fears is not made perfect in love. We love, because He first loved us.
Every one who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been begotten of God; and every one who loves Him Who begat loves him also that has been begotten of Him.
because all that has been begotten of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that overcomes the world, our faith. And who is he that overcomes the world, but he that believes that Jesus is the Son of God? read more. This is He Who came through water and blood, Jesus Christ; not in the water only, but in the water and in the blood. And the Spirit is He Who beareth witness, because the Spirit is the Truth: because there are Three Who bear witness; the Spirit, and the water, and the blood; and the Three agree in one. If we receive the testimony of men, the testimony of God is greater; because this is the testimony of God, that He hath testified concerning His Son. He that believes on the Son of God has the witness in himself; he that believes not God has made Him a liar; because he has not believed in the testimony that God testified concerning His Son. And this is the testimony, that God gave to us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He that has the Son has the life; he that has not the Son of God has not the life. These things I wrote to you who believe on the name of the Son of God, that ye may know that ye have eternal life.
These things I wrote to you who believe on the name of the Son of God, that ye may know that ye have eternal life. And this is the confidence which we have toward Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He heareth us;
And this is the confidence which we have toward Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He heareth us; and, if we know that He heareth us whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions which we asked of Him.
and, if we know that He heareth us whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions which we asked of Him. If anyone sees his brother sinning a sin not to death, he shall ask, and God will give him life for those that sin not to death. There is a sin to death: I do not say that he shall make request concerning this.
If anyone sees his brother sinning a sin not to death, he shall ask, and God will give him life for those that sin not to death. There is a sin to death: I do not say that he shall make request concerning this.
If anyone sees his brother sinning a sin not to death, he shall ask, and God will give him life for those that sin not to death. There is a sin to death: I do not say that he shall make request concerning this. All unrighteousness is sin; and there is a sin not to death. read more. We know that every one who has been begotten of God sins not; but he who was begotten of God keeps himself, and the evil one touches him not. We know that we are of God, and the whole world is lying in the evil one. And we know that the Son of God hath come, and hath given us understanding, that we may know the True One: and we are in the True One??n His Son Jesus Christ. This is the True God, and eternal life. Little children, guard yourselves from idols.
Little children, guard yourselves from idols.
The elder to an elect lady and her children whom I love in truth??nd not I only, but also all who know the truth??2 for the truth's sake which abides in us, and will be with us forever:
Because many deceivers went out into the world, who confess not Jesus Christ as coming in flesh. This is the deceiver and the Anti-Christ.
If anyone comes to you, and brings not this teaching, receive him not into your house, and say not to him, "Greeting,"
If anyone comes to you, and brings not this teaching, receive him not into your house, and say not to him, "Greeting,"
If anyone comes to you, and brings not this teaching, receive him not into your house, and say not to him, "Greeting," for he that says to him, "Greeting," partakes in his evil works.
for he that says to him, "Greeting," partakes in his evil works. Having many things to write to you, I was not willing to write them with paper and ink; but I hope to come to you, and speak mouth to mouth, that your joy may be made full.
I have no greater joy than this, to hear of my children walking in the truth. Beloved, you do a faithful work, in whatsoever you do to the brethren, and that to strangers,