1 John 2:7-14
The importance of a sub heading
The New Commandment
7 Beloved, I am writing you no new commandment, but an old commandment that you had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word that you have heard. 8 At the same time, it is a new commandment that I am writing to you, which is true in him and in you, because the darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining.
7A ~ Beloved: John is letting them know that even though this church in Ephesus is falling out of fellowship with other believers because of their false beliefs that he still loves them and cares about them.
7-8B ~ I am writing you no new commandment, but an old commandment that you had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word that you have heard. 8 At the same time, it is a new commandment that I am writing to you, which is true in him and in you,
What John is doing is reaffirming probably the most important commandment ever given to mankind, but he doesn't come right out and say it. John is talking about the commandment to “love one another”
Levoticus 19:18 ~ You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against the sons of your own people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord.
John 13:34-35 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. 35 By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
John is reaffirming what Jesus reaffirmed in the Old Testament. But it is important to take note that in all of these passages they are all talking about loving fellow believers specifically. Other verses will talk about loving your enemy but here it is specific to fellow believers.
Jesus in His words says, “all people will know you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” but I'm not always sure the church as a whole is doing a good job at this. Many individuals don't do a good at this and as well many churches don't do a good job at this. But we all need to come together as Christians and get better at this.
8c ~ because the darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining.
John's comment here In my opinion is two fold. John is talking about the spreading of the gospel and the growing of the church and as well Jesus being the light in the darkness though I think it is hard to separate these two things.
9 Whoever says he is in the light and hates his brother is still in darkness. 10 Whoever loves his brother abides in the light, and in him there is no cause for stumbling. 11 But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.
Hate and love among believers does not mix, it is like oil and vinegar. You can shake up that bottle but if you let it sit for only a few moments separation is already taking place. Hate will cause division faster than anything among believers and within the church it can spread quickly and destroy a church.
There is no room for hate among us. John goes as far to say if you have hate for a brother or sister in the faith then you are not in the faith at all.
Now it is rare that the apostles say things for no reason at all so it is likely that not only did this church have a unbiblical understand of Jesus but there must have been some hate flowing in this church as well.
Possibly among those with a correct understanding of Jesus and those who have been led astray and are fallowing a wrong understanding of Jesus.
See unbiblical positions in a church will cause hate a division which is why we need to constantly be seeking truth and growing in it. And when we find falsehoods we need to correct them quickly.
12 I am writing to you, little children, because your sins are forgiven for his name's sake.
We mentioned this last week this term “little children” and what John means by this. It could be his love for them is like a father or it could be that they are immature in there faith which is why they have false beliefs.
We also talked about how John has said more than one time that they are out of fellowship with believers because of there false beliefs but here John is approaching at least some of them as still being saved.
13 I am writing to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning. I am writing to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one. I write to you, children, because you know the Father. 14 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 abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one.
John is ending on a positive note in his closing of this section. It could be that he feels that this corrective letter has brought them back into the fold of believers. I hope it did.
