Jamieson, Fausset & Brown

That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our own eyes, which we have gazed upon and touched with our own hands—this is…

“"Seen," namely, His glory, as revealed in the Transfiguration and in His miracles; and His passion and death in a real body of flesh and blood. "Looked upon" as a wondrous spectacle steadfastly, deeply, contemplatively; so the Greek. Appropriate to John's contemplative character. hands .”

And this is the life that was revealed; we have seen it and testified to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life that was with the Father and…

“Declare is the general term; write is the particular (1Jo 1:4). that eternal life--Greek, "the life which is eternal." As the Epistle begins, so it ends with "eternal life," which we shall ever enjoy with, and in, Him who is "the life eternal."”

We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us.

“The repetition of "with" before the "Son," distinguishes the persons, while the fellowship or communion with both Father and Son, implies their unity.”

We write these things so that our joy may be complete.

“So 2Jo 12, "your" in oldest manuscripts. The authority of manuscripts and versions on both sides here is almost evenly balanced.”

And this is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you: God is light, and in Him there is no darkness at all.

“Greek, "No, not even one speck of darkness"; no ignorance, error, untruthfulness, sin, or death. John heard this from Christ, not only in express words, but in His acted words, namely, His is whole manifestation in the flesh as "the brightness of the Father's glory."”

But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all…

“Compare Joh 13:10, Greek, "He that has been bathed, needeth not save to wash his feet, but is clean every whit." Compare 1Jo 1:9, "cleanse us from all unrighteousness," a further step besides "forgiving us our sins."”

If we say we have not sinned, we make Him out to be a liar, and His word is not in us.

“Our rejection of "His word" in respect to our being sinners, implies as the consequence our rejection of His word and will revealed in the law and Gospel as a whole; for these throughout rest on the fact that we have sinned, and have sin.”

My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you will not sin.

“My own dear children, that is, sons and daughters (see on 1Jo 2:12). these things-- (1Jo 1:6-10).”

He Himself is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.

“And he--Greek, "And Himself." He is our all-prevailing Advocate, because He is Himself "the propitiation"; abstract, as in 1Co 1:30: He is to us all that is needed for propitiation "in behalf of our sins"; the propitiatory sacrifice, provided by the Father's love, removing the…”

But if anyone keeps His word, the love of God has been truly perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him:

“Not merely repeating the proposition, 1Jo 2:3, or asserting the merely opposite alternative to 1Jo 2:4, but expanding the "know Him" of 1Jo 2:3, into "in Him, verily (not as a matter of vain boasting) is the love of (that is towards) God perfected," and…”

Whoever claims to abide in Him must walk as Jesus walked.

“"Even as He walked" when on earth, especially in respect to love. John delights in referring to Christ as the model man, with the words, "Even as He," &c.”

Beloved, I am not writing to you a new commandment, but an old one, which you have had from the beginning. This commandment is the message you have heard.

“Brethren--The oldest manuscripts and versions read instead, "Beloved," appropriate to the subject here, love. no new commandment--namely, love, the main principle of walking as Christ walked (1Jo 2:6), and that commandment, of which one exemplification is presently given, 1Jo 2:9, 10, the love of brethren.”

Then again, I am also writing to you a new commandment, which is true in Him and also in you.

“Joh 15:12. which thing is true in him and in you--"In Christ all things are always true, and were so from the beginning; but in Christ and in us conjointly the commandment [the love of brethren] is then true when we acknowledge the truth which…”

If anyone claims to be in the light but hates his brother, he is still in the darkness.

“"Where love is not, there hatred is; for the heart cannot remain a void" [BENGEL]. in the light--as his proper element. his brother--his neighbor, and especially those of the Christian brotherhood. The very title "brother" is a reason why love should be exercised.”

I am writing to you, little children, because your sins have been forgiven through His name.

“Two classes, "fathers" and "young men," are addressed with the same words each time (except that the address to the young men has an addition expressing the source and means of their victory); but the "little sons" and "little children" are differently addressed.”

Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

“Having once for all, through faith, overcome the world (1Jo 4:4; 5:4), carry forward the conquest by not loving it. "The world" here means "man, and man's world" [ALFORD], in his and its state as fallen from God.”

For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh, the desires of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not from the Father but from the world.

“Satan tried this temptation the first on Christ: Lu 4:3, "Command this stone that it be made bread." Youth is especially liable to fleshly lusts. lust of the eyes--the avenue through which outward things of the world, riches, pomp, and beauty, inflame us.”

Children, it is the last hour; and just as you have heard that the antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have appeared.

“The connection with 1Jo 2:15-17 is: There are coming those seducers who are of the world (1Jo 4:5), and would tempt you to go out from us (1Jo 2:19) and deny Christ (1Jo 2:22).”

They went out from us, but they did not belong to us. For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us.

“Still, it is no fatal necessity, but a "voluntary necessity" [DIDYMUS], which causes men to remain, or else go from the body of Christ. "We are either among the members, or else among the bad humors.”

You, however, have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth.

“"It appears that we all are the body of Christ, because we all are anointed: and we all in Him are both Christ's and Christ, because in some measure the whole Christ is Head and body." and--therefore.”

I have not written to you because you lack knowledge of the truth, but because you have it, and because no lie comes from the truth.

“For right (a straight line) is the index of itself and of what is crooked [ESTIUS]. The Greek is susceptible of ALFORD'S translation, "Because ye know it, and because no lie is of the truth" (literally, "every lie is excluded from being of the truth").”

Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father, but whoever confesses the Son has the Father as well.

“These words ought not to be in italics, as though they were not in the original: for the oldest Greek manuscripts have them. hath--namely, in his abiding possession as his "portion"; by living personal "fellowship." acknowledgeth--by open confession of Christ.”

As for you, let what you have heard from the beginning remain in you. If it does, you will also remain in the Son and in the Father.

“Let that--truth respecting the Father and the Son, regarded as a seed not merely dropped in, but having taken root (1Jo 3:9). ye--in the Greek standing emphatically at the beginning of the sentence.”

And now, little children, remain in Christ, so that when He appears, we may be confident and unashamed before Him at His coming.

“John repeats his monition with a loving appellation, as a father addressing dear children. when--literally, "if"; the uncertainty is not as to the fact, but the time. appear--Greek, "be manifested." we--both writer and readers. ashamed before him--literally, "from Him"; shrink back from Him ashamed.”

If you know that He is righteous, you also know that everyone who practices righteousness has been born of Him.

“The heading of the second division of the Epistle: "God is righteous; therefore, every one that doeth righteousness is born of Him." Love is the grand feature and principle of "righteousness" selected for discussion, 1Jo 2:29-3:3. If ye know . . .”