READINGS IN JOHN'S FIRST EPISTLE - 1 JOHN 2
READINGS IN JOHN’S FIRST EPISTLE - 1 JOHN 2
“I write” refers to present exercise. “I have written” shows that the effect of it would continue.
In the addresses to the seven assemblies (Revelation 2, Revelation 3), there was the writing and there was the Spirit speaking. All was written in a book, but “what the Spirit saith” is more present ministry at any time.
All John’s ministry is characterised by writing. We see this in the gospel, in the epistles, and in the Apocalypse. His ministry has in view the protracted period until the coming of the Lord. Peter’s ministry referred more to current needs. Writings are of deep [p. 109] importance when those have fallen asleep in Jesus, who by their personal ministry have introduced the dispensation. John says that if one added to or took away from what was written in the Revelation the judgment written in the book would fall upon him. Writing gives the idea of permanency, and is more accurate as a standard. Paul wrote to Timothy hoping to come shortly, that he might know how to behave himself in the house of God. The Holy Spirit uses these writings today; in them we have a standard of truth, maintaining a range within which we have to keep.
“I write unto you” has in view the current need of those addressed; whereas, “I have written unto you” is something left on record with trustworthy persons. The little children have nothing left with them. John does not say, ‘I have written unto you, little children’. He says, “I have written unto you, fathers”, 1 John 2:14, and “I have written unto you, young men”. 1 John 2:14.
You would not entrust much to little children, they are objects of affection and care. There is more said to them than to the fathers and young men (verses 18 - 27); it is in the way of warning and protection in regard of the things to which they were exposed. There is a special word for little children in 1 John 2: 26, “These things have I written to you concerning those who lead you astray”.
I think the Holy Spirit would instruct us in the need for a current ministry which applies to all saints, whether fathers, young men, or little ones; and then there is something left with those who are matured.
There are classes of Christians in the family that can be entrusted with things, so the fathers are noticed as specially trustworthy, having “known him that is from the beginning”, 1 John 2:13 and the young men as being “strong, and the word of God abides” in them 1 John 2:14. These are the qualifications for trust. The apostle Paul says, “This charge I commit to thee, son Timothy”. 1 Timothy 1:18. There is divine wisdom in the classifications given, the suggestion being that those who are more advanced spiritually are more responsible, but little ones are not to be burdened, the wisdom of God is seen in reminding us of this in our relations with one another, namely, that you do not burden little ones. They are like those who are weak in the faith, you would not put burdens on such. (See Romans 14.) The whole family get the good of what was written to the little ones in verse 18 and onward — it appears in the general epistle.
The natural mind might inquire what he wrote. You miss the point if you inquire that. He says, “I have written unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning”, 1 John 2:14, and “I have written unto you, young men, because ye are strong, and the word of God abideth in you”. 1 John 2::14. The point to get hold of is that there is an obligation resting on elder brethren and on younger brethren and no special obligation, no church obligation is to be imposed on little ones, or you will do them harm. “Him that is weak in the faith receive ye, but not to doubtful disputations”. Romans 14:1. I think “having known him that is from the beginning” means that this class of believers understands the four gospels. The Lord said, concerning Lazarus, “Loose him, and let him go”. John 11:44. The epistles release the soul. Romans and the other epistles release the soul from the world and self and all that would hold it, and as let go you go to the gospels. That is, you sit down and contemplate as John puts it, “we have contemplated his glory”. John 1:14. I think that is what the “fathers” would do.
Earlier in the chapter it says, “Whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected”. 1 John 2:5. Perfection would mark a father. In “fathers”, “young men”, and “little children”, we have the family in its grades of development. There would [p. 111] be among them mutuality of sympathy and interest, care and respect.
The father is characterised by maturity, and his interests would be universal. It is said of the holy city that it lieth foursquare. There are as many gates on the east as there are on the west. I think the fact that it lies four-square suggests the complete idea, the full growth. You cannot move a father by disturbing occurrences, everything you bring to him he has already thought out. He is “steadfast”, unmovable.
The “little children” may be seen in Romans, the “young men” in Colossians, and the “fathers” in Ephesians. I think that the man is “let go” in Ephesians, he is no longer held by anything, because he has got the breadth, the length, the depth, and the height; he knows the love of Christ; he has a wonderful outlook. He apprehends the assembly as that in which is the glory of God for ever.
The believer begins in Romans. At the end of the epistle the apostle’s desire is for establishment, and for this Colossians and Ephesians are needed. Of course the youngest believer may glean in the gospels, but I have to be set free by the epistles; that is, I am made free to sit down and contemplate in the gospels the various glories of Christ, not now as meeting my need, but as accomplishing all the will of God.
As Romans is understood rightly, the believer sees that he is a very great person, being a son; he has the spirit of adoption. You get the full divine thought in that on the personal side, I am a son. Well, if I am that, I can afford to be less than that. If I have to assert my greatness I am not greater than what I am publicly but, as in the good of Romans, I am prepared to be less publicly, and in my service and walk here, than I really am. That is what Romans teaches us, that a man should think [p. 112] soberly of himself, he should not be inflated. The believer is thus in accord with Christ.
In the measurements of the ark the “half” appears in the length, the breadth and the height; that is seen in the gospels. The Lord was everywhere less publicly than He was personally. He says to the woman, “If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him”. John 4:10. I think that the contemplation of Christ in the gospels would enable the believer to shrink publicly; to be less than the least of all saints; to do anything for the Lord’s sake.
The apostles in their administrative capacity were within the reach of the people. The altar of incense was two cubits high, implying what Christ is before God as man, and the saints with Him. You come to these things in Christ, you see them in Him, and you are formed of the same material. The gospels enlarge that in every way. The Lord came into this world as a babe. Think of the shrinkage publicly! and yet He was God over all there. You see it everywhere in the gospels, “I am in the midst of you as one that serves” Luke 22:27; the disciples were disputing as to who should be the greatest. It is in the light of my great position in Christ that I can afford to serve.
In his public testimony the Christian is bold, there is no shrinkage before Satan. “We were bold in our God”, Paul says 1 Thessalonians 2:2. He was as bold as a lion; and so Peter and John. You do not shrink before the enemy, there is double strength. James and John were “sons of thunder” Mark 3:17; but while I may be bold in front, I am content to be anything that God may apportion to me for the sake of the testimony, even in the most insignificant position. The apostles were the off-scouring of all things, and they accepted it. John the Baptist accepted the principle of the “half” when he said, “He must increase, but I must decrease”. John 3:30.
[p. 113] As regards the three grades here, I think that this chapter gives the public position where the work of God is seen. One is recognised not on the ground of growth and spiritual progress. All the saints are included in verse 12 on the ground of being forgiven; that is our common position, but God is fair in discriminating, and those who have progressed in the truth are recognised. There are distinctions flowing from sovereign appointment, and there are distinctions which are the outcome of growth or development.
What is said to the young men indicates that it is harder to overcome the world than to overcome Satan. Overcoming the wicked one, having to do with him personally, is one thing; but then there is the world, and he is behind that too, and the young men are particularly exposed to the things of the world. The resources of energy and vitality in the young men lay them specially open to the ambitions and ideas of the world. It is fearfully seductive, so that a special word of warning is given them.
Romans presents the little children. The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of adoption whereby we cry, “Abba, Father”. Romans 8:15. The Thessalonians were “in God the Father”. 1 Thessalonians 1:1. The young Christian is regarded in that light. The young man has the word of God abiding in him. Such an one reads the Scriptures, he reads them regularly and carefully and acquires the word of God through them.
A danger with the young men also is in regard to what is religious, corresponding with the temptation of the Lord. The enemy took Him to a pinnacle of the temple. Desire to have a place among the saints is a great danger. Every motive that has ever inspired man naturally is included in the “lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life” 1 John 2:16; those things are what Satan presented to the Lord in principle.
Paul said to Timothy, “Give attention to reading” 1 Timothy 4:13, also, “Give thyself wholly to these things”. 1 Timothy 4:15. And again he said, “Thou hast fully known my doctrine and manner of life”. 2 Timothy 3:10. There is a great lack in reading and following up what is for the saints today. One has to pay attention to all that is coming out from the Lord. How great is the thought of “the word of God abiding in you”. 1 John 2:14. It is the present mind of God.
The young man who came forth in the way ( Mark 10:17 - 22) took notice of the One who gave character to the way, but when put to the test, he loved the world, he could not surrender, he had great possessions, and he went away sorrowful. The Lord looked upon him and loved him, but he went away sorrowful because he loved the world. “Love not the world” 1 John 2:15 is a word that we need to take account of. Paul emphasises it in writing to Timothy, “Flee also youthful lusts”. 2 Timothy 2:22. Demas loved the present world.
What comes in from verse 18 to 26 is probably what is most necessary because, alas, most of us are young in the faith, and the danger is in regard of antichrists. The young men are not exposed to that, nor are the fathers, but the little ones are. The danger is in the “last hour”, the critical time. I think the hour suggests a crisis, and so he says, “according as ye have heard that antichrist comes, even now there have come many antichrists, whence we know that it is the last hour”. 1 John 2:18. That is the sign. One has been struck lately with the number of persons and systems that have come up which are against Christ. The development has been enormous and it is sweeping away the outward shell of Christendom.
“Even now”, he says, “there have come many antichrists, whence we know that it is the last hour”. 1 John 2:18. We have to learn what the Antichrist will be by these that have already come. Then he tells us how to finally determine the Antichrist; he denies the [p. 115] Father and the Son. The antichrists may feign to own Christianity, but they are liars; that is what the apostle emphasises. The bold, lying statements that are made today and passed by those who are nominal Christians are dreadful. They allude to the humanity of Christ without His divinity, and they couple Him with Shakespeare or Plato. But the spirit behind all this is easily traced by the unction from the Holy One. The little children are thus preserved.
“The last hour” is the great crisis for us. The fact of the many antichrists proves we have entered on it, “whence we know that it is the last hour”. 1 John 2:18. They are not necessarily unified, they do not coordinate as yet. The apostle brings in the test, the Antichrist denies the Father and the Son. The liar denies Jesus Christ come in flesh; we have to discern the liars. Jesus Christ come in flesh is that the Lord was really human here. This was the foundation that Paul laid; John lays emphasis upon it in chapter 4. The spirit of Antichrist denies it, but when the Antichrist comes he will throw off Christianity, he will deny the Father and Son. That is what is coming.
The generality of the saints are little children spiritually, and hence the danger of the many antichrists. The unction is the resource, as it says, “The same unction teaches you as to all things” 1 John 2:27; that is the position now. I have no doubt that the Lord is graciously helping and that the Spirit is teaching the saints generally, and one is encouraged that there will be preservation of what is of God until the end of the blessed service of the Spirit.
The unction is the Holy Spirit in this particular way, not exactly for our affections, but for our instruction. There is room for the Spirit, that is our position and thus we are in every way independent of man’s natural ability.