A PARENTHESIS
(Chapter 2:12-28)
At this point in the epistle, John breaks away from examining the characteristics of God’s nature being replicated in His children to speak of various stages of growth in the family of God. He seems to anticipate someone asking, “Why is it that some of the children bear the features of the divine nature quite distinctly and others don’t?” In a lengthy parenthesis (vss. 12-28), John shows that the children are all at different stages of growth. Those new to the faith (recently saved) will still bear some of the marks of the world in their walk and ways, and this tends to obscure the characteristics of the divine nature in them. It doesn’t mean that they aren’t real believers, but that they lack moral development due to their spiritual infancy. Moses is a picture of this. When he rose up in faith and forsook Egypt (a type of the world), he came into the wilderness where he was mistaken for being an Egyptian (Ex. 2:1919And they said, An Egyptian delivered us out of the hand of the shepherds, and also drew water enough for us, and watered the flock. (Exodus 2:19); Heb. 11:24-2724By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter; 25Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; 26Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward. 27By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible. (Hebrews 11:24‑27)). He was a true child of God, but there was something in the way that he dressed and acted that led those who saw him to think that he was an Egyptian.
Verses 12 and 28, act as bookends to this parenthesis. Verse 12 touches on the fact that those whom John is about to address are truly God’s children—proved by the fact that their sins are forgiven, a common blessing of all in the family. Verse 28 confirms that they are such and is an exhortation to abide in Him in view of His coming. In both verses, the word “little” (in the KJV) should not be in the text. John is addressing the whole family of God, not just those young in the faith. He uses the word “children” in these two verses as a term of endearment, not to denote spiritual infancy.
(Vs. 12)
He says, “I write to you, children, because your sins are forgiven you for His name’s sake.” The forgiveness of sins is a Christian blessing that we have in Christ (Acts 5:31; 10:43; 13:38; 26:1831Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins. (Acts 5:31)
43To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins. (Acts 10:43)
38Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins: (Acts 13:38)
18To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me. (Acts 26:18); Eph. 1:7; 4:327In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace; (Ephesians 1:7)
32And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you. (Ephesians 4:32); etc.). It refers to the judgment of our sins being eternally lifted through faith in Christ’s finished work on the cross. As a result, we have a conscious knowledge that our sins are gone before the eye of God because our consciences have been purged of guilt (Heb. 9:14; 10:2, 2214How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? (Hebrews 9:14)
2For then would they not have ceased to be offered? because that the worshippers once purged should have had no more conscience of sins. (Hebrews 10:2)
22Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. (Hebrews 10:22)). The Old Testament saints didn’t have this blessing. Through the forbearance of God, their sins were atoned for by Christ’s work on the cross (Rom. 3:2525Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; (Romans 3:25)), but they had no knowledge of it in their lifetime, because Christ hadn’t yet come to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself (Heb. 9:2626For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. (Hebrews 9:26)). As a result, they lived with a degree of uncertainty as to the judgment of their sins (Psa. 25:77Remember not the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions: according to thy mercy remember thou me for thy goodness' sake, O Lord. (Psalm 25:7), etc.). The only kind of forgiveness they knew was governmental (Lev. 47And the priest shall put some of the blood upon the horns of the altar of sweet incense before the Lord, which is in the tabernacle of the congregation; and shall pour all the blood of the bullock at the bottom of the altar of the burnt offering, which is at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. (Leviticus 4:7), etc.).
Various Stages of Growth in the Family
In the parenthesis, John addresses the various ones in the family twice. The first time is to identify the various levels of spiritual attainment that each has reached. The second time, he exhorts each according to the specific dangers that they were likely to face at their level. He uses the terms, “fathers,” “young men,” and “little children” as figures to denote various stages of growth in the family. He is not speaking of them literally; hence, sisters would be included in these categories. It is of note that while John mentions young men, he makes no mention of old men, which would imply spiritual decline. Eternal life enjoyed in fellowship with the Father and the Son knows no decline. In divine things, a person may be of great age physically, but still be full of spiritual vitality. Caleb is a type of this (Josh. 14:10-1110And now, behold, the Lord hath kept me alive, as he said, these forty and five years, even since the Lord spake this word unto Moses, while the children of Israel wandered in the wilderness: and now, lo, I am this day fourscore and five years old. 11As yet I am as strong this day as I was in the day that Moses sent me: as my strength was then, even so is my strength now, for war, both to go out, and to come in. (Joshua 14:10‑11)).
Fathers
(Vs. 13a)
John says, “I write unto you, fathers, because ye have known Him that is from the beginning.” “Fathers,” represents those in the family who are full-grown, mature Christians. This word to the fathers shows us that the highest attainment that one can reach in Christian experience is personal acquaintance with Christ—“Him that is from the beginning.” Note: he says, “Ye have known Him.” He does not say, “You are full-grown because you have a lot of Bible knowledge.” We don’t mean to minimize Bible knowledge, for understanding the Scriptures is an important component of spiritual growth (1 Peter 2:22As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby: (1 Peter 2:2))—but that in itself does not produce Christian maturity.
Knowing Him that is from the beginning, coupled with knowing the truth is what leads to Christian maturity. The young men and the little children know Christ too, of course. They know Him as their Saviour, and are thankful that they do, but the fathers know Him in a deeper way, through having spent time with Him in communion. They have reached a stage of spiritual growth in their lives where Christ is everything to them. They have let go of worldly ambitions and goals and are focused on one thing—Christ and His interests. Paul exemplifies this; he said, “This one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark [goal] for the prize of the calling on high of God in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 3:13-1413Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, 14I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 3:13‑14)). The goal of a full-grown Christian is threefold:
Thus, in speaking of fathers, John is not referring to how long a person has been a Christian, but of one’s level of maturity in divine things. It is quite possible for a person to have been a Christian for many years, and yet not be a father in the sense in which John speaks here. There are many who have been saved for a long time, but they are still spiritual babes because they have given little time and exercise to spiritual things.
Young Men
(Vs. 13b)
Next, John says, “I write unto you young men, because ye have overcome the wicked one.” This refers to a class of believers who are not babes in Christ, yet they have not had the depth of personal experience with Christ that the fathers have. They are marked by spiritual vigor and have “overcome” Satan, “the wicked one.” This does not mean that Satan is no longer a force to be reckoned with, but that they have escaped the wiles of the devil. Verse 14 tells us how—by “the Word of God.” Thus, by their obedience to the principles of the Word of God they have defeated his ruses, as did the Lord when He was tempted of the devil in the wilderness (Matt. 4:1-111Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. 2And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred. 3And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. 4But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. 5Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple, 6And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. 7Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. 8Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and showeth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; 9And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me. 10Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. 11Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him. (Matthew 4:1‑11)). This requires an acquaintance with the Scriptures which they evidently have.
Little Children
(Vs. 13c)
Lastly, John says, “I write unto you, little children, because ye have known the Father.” The Greek word translated “little children” here, and in verse 18, is not the same word translated “children” in verses 12 and 28. Here, the word is in the diminutive, and therefore, “little” should be in the text. It is referring to those who are young in the faith—new converts. Again, he is not speaking of physical age; a person could get saved late in life, and would in this sense be a babe in Christ, for we all enter upon the Christian life as little children.
The little children are marked by knowing God as their Father. Those at this stage do not have a working knowledge of the Word of God (the Scriptures) as the young men do, simply because they have not had the time to get established in the Word, being new to the faith. But they have the most elementary thing in Christianity—they know God as their Father. Hence, knowing the Father (as the little children do) marks the beginning of Christian experience, but knowing Christ (as the fathers do) is the pinnacle of Christian experience.
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The second time that John addresses these ones in the family, he exhorts them as to the dangers that they would most likely be susceptible to. These are the first exhortations in the epistle.
Fathers
(Vs. 14a)
John says, “I have written unto you, fathers, because ye have known Him that is from the beginning.” It is interesting that his word to the fathers is the same as what he said to them the first time. He adds nothing because nothing can be added to what is the pinnacle of Christian experience. When Christ becomes the sole Object of our hearts and we are filled with the joy of communion with Him, we can’t get anything higher than that! There is no need for John to give them a word of caution as to the dangers in the way because the enemy cannot touch those who habitually abide in Christ (Deut. 33:1212And of Benjamin he said, The beloved of the Lord shall dwell in safety by him; and the Lord shall cover him all the day long, and he shall dwell between his shoulders. (Deuteronomy 33:12); 1 Sam. 22:2323Abide thou with me, fear not: for he that seeketh my life seeketh thy life: but with me thou shalt be in safeguard. (1 Samuel 22:23)). This shows that being filled with this blessedness is the best safeguard against the enemy’s seductions.
Young Men
(Vss. 14b-17)
Moving on to the young men, he says, “I have written unto you, young men, because ye are strong, and the Word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome the wicked one.” They are commended for two things: being “strong” (spiritually) and having “overcome” the devil’s stratagems (Eph. 6:1111Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. (Ephesians 6:11) – W. Kelly’s translation). John has spoken of the young men overcoming the wicked one in verse 13, but here he gives us the secret of their victory—having the Word of God abiding “in” them. This goes beyond simply knowing the Word to digesting it, and consequently, having it as an integral part of our beings, so that it governs our movements in this world. When that is the case, the devil’s attempts to trip up the believer are defeated. When the Word of God abides in a believer in the way in which John speaks, he will not relinquish the truth even though others around him may be capitulating. Their strength in overcoming the wicked one is derived from their adherence to the principles of the Word of God, not from human fortitude and clever reasoning.
A Warning Against Worldliness
(Vs. 15)
Getting the victory over the wicked one does not mean that the young men were out of danger. In fact, it has often been said that the child of God is never in a more dangerous position spiritually then after he has gained a victory over the enemy. This is because we tend to let our guard down at such times, and we become vulnerable. Having overcome the wicked one, there is another enemy that they need to be wary of—the world. Hence, John warns: “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. The “world” is used in Scripture in three ways:
• As a place—the planet Earth (John 1:10; 9:5; 13:1; 16:28; 18:3710He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. (John 1:10)
5As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world. (John 9:5)
1Now before the feast of the passover, when Jesus knew that his hour was come that he should depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end. (John 13:1)
28I came forth from the Father, and am come into the world: again, I leave the world, and go to the Father. (John 16:28)
37Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice. (John 18:37); Acts 17:2424God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands; (Acts 17:24); Rom. 1:2020For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: (Romans 1:20); 1 Tim. 1:1515This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief. (1 Timothy 1:15); Heb. 11:33Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear. (Hebrews 11:3); Rev. 13:88And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. (Revelation 13:8)).
• As a society where Christ is excluded (John 8:23; 15:19; 17:123And he said unto them, Ye are from beneath; I am from above: ye are of this world; I am not of this world. (John 8:23)
19If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. (John 15:19)
1These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee: (John 17:1)4b-16, 18; Rom. 12:22And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. (Romans 12:2); Gal. 1:4; 6:144Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father: (Galatians 1:4)
14But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world. (Galatians 6:14); 2 Tim. 4:1010For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is departed unto Thessalonica; Crescens to Galatia, Titus unto Dalmatia. (2 Timothy 4:10); James 4:44Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God. (James 4:4); 1 John 2:15-17; 415Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. 17And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever. (1 John 2:15‑17)
15Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God. 16And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him. 17Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world. (1 John 4:15‑17):5a; 5:19). The world, in this sense, refers to the system of affairs and activities on earth which man in his alienation from God has arranged in an attempt to keep himself happy without having to face God about the question of his sins. It started when Cain went out from the presence of the Lord and his posterity developed various pursuits in this life which absorb the interests of men even to this day (Gen. 44And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the Lord had respect unto Abel and to his offering: (Genesis 4:4)). It is now a vast system with many departments—the arts, the sciences, education, literature, religion, commerce, politics, professional sports, etc. It all operates on the false principles and values that are based on the desires of the flesh.
The aspect that John is warning about here, in verse 15, is the society where Christ is excluded. Even if a believer has made considerable spiritual progress, he still needs to be on guard against this enemy. The world’s values, principles, and goals are all centered around self—doing what we want to do to please ourselves. We are led to believe that pursuing those things will make us happy and satisfied, but those who do always feel empty and unfulfilled. Following those worldly goals and ambitions will surely waste our lives on passing things, and thus, we will be hindered from doing the will of God. Hence, John’s cautionary word is: “Love not the world.” By saying, “If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him,” he makes it clear that we can’t enjoy fellowship with the Father and with the world at the same time; it must be one or the other. It’s true that we have to pass through the world, and in doing so, we use “the things that are of the world” in our everyday responsibilities (1 Cor. 7:31, 3331And they that use this world, as not abusing it: for the fashion of this world passeth away. (1 Corinthians 7:31)
33But he that is married careth for the things that are of the world, how he may please his wife. (1 Corinthians 7:33)), but we don’t have to love the world and march to the beat of its drum. The right-minded Christian, therefore, ought to view the world-system as it truly is—an enemy—and separate from it. The Lord prayed for us that we would be preserved from its influences (John 17:14-1714I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. 15I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil. 16They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. 17Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. (John 17:14‑17)).
Three False Principles on Which the World Operates
(Vs. 16)
To help us see what the world really is in its essence, John points to three false principles on which it operates. He says, “For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.” Firstly, there is the “lust of the flesh.” This refers to lusting after things that would gratify illicit bodily appetites. Secondly, there is the “lust of the eyes.” This refers to the evil desires of covetousness, wanting to possess what we see. Thirdly, there is the “pride of life.” This is wanting to be recognized as being someone important in this life. It has often been pointed out that these three things were used successfully by the devil on Eve in the garden of Eden (Gen. 3:66And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat. (Genesis 3:6)) and unsuccessfully on the Lord in the temptations in the wilderness (Matt. 4:1-111Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. 2And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred. 3And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. 4But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. 5Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple, 6And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. 7Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. 8Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and showeth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; 9And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me. 10Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. 11Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him. (Matthew 4:1‑11)).
(Vs. 17)
John concludes his remarks to the young men by saying, “The world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth forever [for eternity].” Worldliness could not be defined more succinctly—it is the love for passing things. Those who live for those things will lose it all when they pass out of this world. Lot is an example here. He lived for worldly things in Sodom, and they were all burnt up when God’s judgment fell on that city. He lost everything that he had lived for! (Gen. 19) On the other hand, the person who does the will of God abides in the blessedness of it for “eternity.” The results of doing the will of God will be carried with us into eternity (Luke 10:42; 12:33; 16:942But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her. (Luke 10:42)
33Sell that ye have, and give alms; provide yourselves bags which wax not old, a treasure in the heavens that faileth not, where no thief approacheth, neither moth corrupteth. (Luke 12:33)
9And I say unto you, Make to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness; that, when ye fail, they may receive you into everlasting habitations. (Luke 16:9)). It should be obvious to all what we should be living for. No sober person invests in a company that is about to go bankrupt! Neither will a sober Christian live for the world that is soon to pass away. It would make as much sense as re-arranging the deck chairs on the sinking Titanic!
Three Reasons Why We Should Not Love the World
John has given us three cogent reasons as to why Christians should not be living for the world:
• The things of the world spoil our enjoyment of the love of the Father (vs. 15).
• The things of this world excite the baser instincts of our fallen natures (the flesh) which lead us on a course of sin away from God (vs. 16).
• The things of the world are transient; the person who lives for them is the loser, because he can’t take them with him into the next world (vs. 17).
Little Children
(Vss. 18-27)
John passes on to exhort the new converts. He says, “Little children, it is the last time [hour]; and as ye have heard that Antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time [hour]. They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us.” As in verse 13, “little” should be in the text here because it is describing those who are new to the faith. John does not speak of their spiritual infancy disparagingly; there is nothing wrong with a person being a spiritual babe in Christ, if he is new to the faith. The Apostle Paul, on the other hand, chides the Corinthians and the Hebrews for being “babes” (1 Cor. 3:1-31And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. 2I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able. 3For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men? (1 Corinthians 3:1‑3); Heb. 5:12-1312For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat. 13For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe. (Hebrews 5:12‑13)). They had been on the Christian path for quite some time and should have progressed; but had failed to do so because of carnality (the Corinthians) and the interference of earthly religion (the Hebrews). Whether one is a babe through his lack of progress or because he is a new believer, all such are vulnerable to the deceptions of the enemy (Eph. 4:1414That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; (Ephesians 4:14)) and need the cautionary warning that John gives here.
A Warning Against Spiritual Seduction
The favourite targets of the enemy are those new to the faith. It is, therefore, imperative that new converts are made aware of the fact that there is a spiritual battle being waged over their heads, and that the enemy of their souls has designs on taking them down through his seductions. Since new converts tend to look up to teachers—often to the point of seeing them above what they are (Mark 8:2424And he looked up, and said, I see men as trees, walking. (Mark 8:24); 2 Cor. 12:6-76For though I would desire to glory, I shall not be a fool; for I will say the truth: but now I forbear, lest any man should think of me above that which he seeth me to be, or that he heareth of me. 7And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. (2 Corinthians 12:6‑7))—the enemy cleverly employs teachers who are heterodox in doctrine to lead the young “astray” (vs. 26). Thus, John informs them that even though the “Antichrist” of Bible prophecy has not yet appeared—a corrupt man who will lead the masses astray through his blasphemy (2 Thess. 2:2-122That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. 3Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; 4Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. 5Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things? 6And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. 7For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. 8And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: 9Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, 10And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 11And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: 12That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness. (2 Thessalonians 2:2‑12); Rev. 13:11-1811And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon. 12And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed. 13And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men, 14And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live. 15And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed. 16And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: 17And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. 18Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six. (Revelation 13:11‑18))—the spirit of Antichrist had already begun to work in the Christian testimony. “Antichrist” means “against Christ.” Any teaching that is against Christ, either in that coming day, or now, has the spirit of Antichrist. He says that there were many antichristian teachers at work in that day, and their presence was a proof that it was “the last hour.” How much more so in our day!
John says, “They went out from us.” The “us” here is referring to the apostles. These charlatans didn’t go out of the Christian testimony—they still called themselves Christians. What they “went out” from was “the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship” (Acts 2:4242And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers. (Acts 2:42)). He says that the fact that they didn’t continue in the truth manifested that “they were not of us.” They didn’t lose their salvation by becoming defective (as some would teach)—they were never real to start with! The KJV says, “They were not all of us.” This could be misleading; it implies that some of them were true believers. But it should be translated: “That none are of us,” meaning that they were all false.
The Unction of the Spirit
(Vss. 20-21)
In view of this assault on Christianity, John directs these little ones to the great resource they have in the Holy Spirit. He says, “But ye have an unction [anointing] from the Holy One, and ye know all truth” (W. Kelly’s translation). The “unction [anointing]” of the Spirit is a special aspect of the Holy Spirit’s indwelling which gives the believer discernment regarding truth and error. This shows that the newest child of God has the indwelling presence of the Spirit. It is received the moment we believe the gospel (Gal. 3:22This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? (Galatians 3:2); Eph. 1:1313In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, (Ephesians 1:13)). In John’s Gospel, the Spirit of God is given to believers to enhance their understanding and enjoyment of the truth (chaps. 14:26; 15:26; 16:13-15), whereas in John’s epistle, the Spirit is given to the saints more for the purpose of protecting them against being misled by the enemy (chaps. 2:18-27; 3:24; 4:1-6, 13; 5:6-7).
It is noteworthy that John doesn’t turn these young ones to the Word of God and tell them to use the Scriptures to refute the evil teaching. Had they been at the level of the young men who had the Word of God abiding in them, he could have said that. But these little children were new to the faith and didn’t have a working knowledge of the Word of God yet, and therefore, would not be able for such a task. This being the case, John points to the “unction [anointing] of the Spirit” that would give them to “know all things.” He says, “I have not written unto you because ye know not the truth, but because ye know it, and that no lie is of the truth” (vs. 21). John does not mean that these new believers knew all the various tenets of the Christian revelation of truth, but having the unction of the Spirit, they had the capacity to discern the truth when it was presented. Thus, they would “know it” when they heard it. The Spirit would give them a sense in their souls that what was being put forth was indeed the truth. Conversely, if someone put forth error, they would also be able to discern that there was something wrong with it. Perhaps they couldn’t explain what exactly was wrong with the false doctrine, but they would know enough to avoid it, and thus, they would be preserved.
(Vss. 22-23)
John pauses to mention the two main forms of error with which the saints will meet before continuing on with his remarks on the unction of the Spirit. These are:
• The denial that “Jesus is the Christ [Messiah].” This is the blasphemy that is held among unbelieving Jews.
• The denial of the eternal relationship of “the Father and the Son.” This is the blasphemy that is held among many false teachers in the Christian testimony.
To deny that Jesus is the Christ is to deny the essential message of the Old Testament (Acts 17:2-32And Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them, and three sabbath days reasoned with them out of the scriptures, 3Opening and alleging, that Christ must needs have suffered, and risen again from the dead; and that this Jesus, whom I preach unto you, is Christ. (Acts 17:2‑3)), and, to deny the Father and the Son is to deny the essential message of the New Testament (Matt. 3:16-1716And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: 17And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. (Matthew 3:16‑17)). We see from this that the attacks of the enemy are usually, if not always, aimed at the Person of Christ. In fact, it will be found that at the bottom of every antichristian system of teaching is some kind of blasphemy in connection with the Person of Christ. These religious systems may use Biblical terminology in their teachings, but the real test is in what they hold in relation to “the doctrine of Christ” (2 John 99Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son. (2 John 9)). H. Smith said, “When the Antichrist appears, he will unite the lie of the Jews with the lie that arises in the Christian profession, denying both that Jesus is the Messiah and that He is a divine Person” (The Epistles of John, p. 17). The Apostle John brands the one who puts forth these false doctrines as being a “liar.”
(Vss. 24-26)
John then adds an important condition in connection with the working of the unction of the Spirit. He says, “Let that therefore abide in you, which ye have heard from the beginning. If that which ye have heard from the beginning shall remain in you, ye also shall continue in the Son, and in the Father. And this is the promise that He hath promised us, even life eternal.” This shows that the spiritual discernment imparted by the Holy Spirit is not an automatic thing. John’s use of the word “if” shows that the Spirit’s work as the unction is contingent upon the believer’s abiding in the Christian revelation of the Father and the Son (received when we believe the gospel) and continuing in conscious fellowship with the Father and the Son, which is the essence of “life eternal” (John 17:33And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent. (John 17:3)). We mention this because there are many who are truly saved and indwelt with the Holy Spirit who have been deceived by erroneous teachers, because they haven’t gone on in communion with the Father and the Son. This shows how important it is to maintain communion with God; it is our spiritual “lifeline.” John explains that he was giving this warning because of the very real danger of those who were trying to “seduce” them (vs. 26).
(Vs. 27)
John then re-states the great resource that they had in the Holy Spirit: “The anointing [unction] which ye have received of Him abideth with you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in Him.” Some have thought that what John is saying here is that the way to solve the problem of imbibing error from false teachers is to refuse all teaching from men. They think that what he is saying is that we don’t need men to teach us the truth because we have the Holy Spirit who teaches us, and that this is all we need. Consequently, they reject the reading of all written ministry (commentaries). But that is not what John is saying. This verse does not mean that we don’t need Christian teachers in the Church. If that were so, why has God raised up “teachers” and sent them to teach the Church? (1 Cor. 12:2828And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues. (1 Corinthians 12:28); Eph. 4:11-1411And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; 12For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: 13Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: 14That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; (Ephesians 4:11‑14)). This verse simply means that when truth or error are presented to us, we won’t need someone to tell us that it is such. If we are in communion with the Lord, the unction of the Spirit will give us to know whether it is truth or error. Accordingly, we will reject the error and hold fast the truth, and thus “abide in Him,” and thus be preserved.
(Vs. 28)
F. B. Hole states: “Verse 28 of chapter 2 stands as a short paragraph by itself, and the second chapter would more fittingly have ended with it” (Epistles, vol. 3, p. 158). The Apostle herein returns to addressing the whole family of God, and in doing so, he brings his digression on growth in the family to a close. (As mentioned earlier, the word “little,” in the KJV, should not be in this verse.)
It is a simple exhortation to the family as a whole (all three categories) to “abide in Him.” It is our great safeguard against all antichristian teaching. This shows that there is no substitute for communion, whether we are mature Christians, or new converts. John looked on to the day of manifestation (the Appearing of Christ) when the results of our service will be displayed. His work as an apostle will be manifested and the labours of the saints will be too. He shows that it is possible that we could be put to shame at that time because we didn’t go on well in the path of faith. His desire is that we would all have “confidence” in that day and that none would be “ashamed before Him at His coming.”