Page 537 - Demo

 JOHN 
2Christ and His Commandments.
1My children,* I am writing this to you so that you may not commit
sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an
Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ
the righteous one.a 2He is expiation for
our sins, and not for our sins only but
for those of the whole world.b 3The way
we may be sure* that we know him is to
keep his commandments.c 4Whoever
says, “I know him,” but does not keep his
commandments is a liar, and the truth is
not in him.d 5But whoever keeps his word,
the love of God is truly perfected in him.
This is the way we may know that we are in union with him:e 6whoever claims to abide in him ought to live [just] as he lived.
The New Commandment.* 7Beloved, I am writing no new command- ment to you but an old commandment that you had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word that you have heard.f 8And yet I do write a new commandment to you, which holds true in him and among you,* for the darkness is passing away, and the true light is already shining.g 9Whoever says he is in the light, yet hates his brother, is still in the darkness.h 10Whoever loves his brother remains in the light, and there is nothing in him to cause a fall.i 11Whoever hates his brother is in darkness; he walks in darkness and does not know where he is going because the darkness has blinded his eyes. Members of the Community.* 12I am writing to you, children, because your sins have been forgivenj for his name’s sake.*
13I am writing to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning.
I am writing to you, young men, because you have conquered the evil one.k
14I write to you, children, because you know the Father.
I write to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning.
I write to you, young men, because you are strong and the word of God remains in you, and you have conquered the evil one. 15Do not love the world or the things of the world.* If anyone
loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.l 16For all that is
The Sermon on the Mount (detail) by Fra Angelico (1400-1455)
2:6
A simple but reliable formula for the Christian life:
live as Jesus lived.
2:12
John addresses the members of the Christian community as “children,” “fathers,” and “young men,” terms which may refer to people of various ages, or perhaps at di erent stages in the spiritual life.
a. [2:1] Jn 14:16; Heb 7:25.
b. [2:2] 4:10.
c. [2:3] Jn 14:15; 15:10.
d. [2:4] 4:20.
e. [2:5] Jn 14:23.
f. [2:7] 3:11; Dt 6:5; Mt 22:37–40.
g. [2:8] Jn 13:34 / Jn 1:5; Rom 13:12.
h. [2:9] Jn 8:12.
i. [2:10] Eccl 2:14; Jn 11:10.
j. [2:12] 1 Cor 6:11.
k. [2:13] 1:1; Jn 1:1.
l. [2:15] Rom 8:7–8; Jas 4:4; 2 Pt 1:4.
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* [2:1] Children: like the term “beloved,” this is an expression of pastoral love (cf. Jn 13:33; 21:5; 1 Cor 4:14). Advocate: for the use of the term, see Jn 14:16. Forgiveness of sin is assured through Christ’s intercession and expiation or “o ering”; the death of Christ e ected the removal of sin.
* [2:3–6] The way we may be sure: to those who claim, “I have known Christ and therefore I know him,” our author insists on not mere intellectual knowledge but obedience to God’s commandments in a life conformed to the example of Christ; this con rms our knowledge of him and is the love of God. . .perfected. Disparity between moral life and the commandments proves improper belief.
* [2:7–11] The author expresses the continuity and freshness of mutual charity in Christian experience. Through Christ the commandment of love has become the light defeating the darkness of evil in a new age. All hatred as darkness is incompatible with the light and Christian life. Note also the characteristic Johannine polemic in which a positive assertion is emphasized by the negative statement of its opposite.
* [2:8] Which holds true in him and among you: literally, “a thing that holds true in him and in you.”
* [2:12–17] The Christian community that has experienced the grace of God through forgiveness of sin and knowledge of Christ is armed against the evil one.
* [2:12] For his name’s sake: because of Christ our sins are forgiven.
* [2:15] The world: all that is hostile toward God and alienated from him. Love of the
world and love of God are thus mutually exclusive; cf. Jas 4:4.