Those who Live in the Light Love God's Family. - 1 John :7-11

1 John 2:7-8 form a chiastic narrative (a writing style that uses a unique repetition pattern for clarification and emphasis) focusing on love:

• A. I am writing you no new commandment (1 John 2:7)
  • B. an old commandment that you had from the beginning (1 John 2:7)

  • 'B. The old commandment is the word that you have heard (1 John 2:7)

• 'A. it is a new commandment that I am writing to you (1 John 2:8)

In 1 John 2:7-8 John is referring to the beginning of the Christian movement in the life and teaching of Jesus (1 John 2:24; 3:11) and not the beginning of all things (1 John 1:1; 2:13-14; possibly 1 John 3:18). Hass states:

"From the beginning" is used here in the sense of "from the beginning of your becoming Christians," and may be rendered "since you first became Christians", "from the day you began to believe", "since the Gospel was first preached to you". The phrase occurs also in this sense in 1 John 2:24; 3:11.

John reveals that the new commandment (cf. John 13:34) comes forth from the old when he says that the new command is actually old (cf. Lev. 19:18; Deut. 6:5).

John is not contradicting himself (cf. 2 John 1:5). As Kistemaker explains:

a. Literal

The word "new" in Greek suggests that the old has given birth to the new. The old does not cease to exist but continues along with the new. We note a good example with respect to the two testaments: the Old Testament prepared the way for the New Testament, but did not lose its validity when the New arrived. Likewise, the old command addressed the people of the Old Testament era but kept its validity when Jesus came. Jesus gave this command greater significance, in a new form, in the context of the New Testament.

b. Theological

"Yet I am writing you a new command." From the verses following Leviticus 19:18 ("Love your neighbor as yourself"), we learn that the concept neighbor included the fellow Israelite and the alien who lived with God's people in the land. "Love [the alien] as yourself," God said (Lev. 19:34).

In New Testament times, however, Jesus gave new [re-newed] meaning to the command to love one's neighbor when he taught the Parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37) and when he told his listeners that the command to love ones neighbor extended even to the enemy (Matt. 5:43-44). Jesus became known as "a friend of tax collectors and 'sinners'" (Matt. 11:19). He explained the meaning of the command to love one another by removing manmade obstacles and by revealing the divine intent and purpose of this particular command. The command, then, has been continuously in force from the beginning of history to the present, for it does not grow old with time.

c. Evidential

"Its truth is seen in him and you." Indirectly John refers to Jesus. In the preceding context he mentioned him directly when he said, "Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did" (1 John 2:6). John commends the readers for conduct that is truly characterized by this new command to love one another. "If the Christian fellowship is marked by such love, then it will be recognized as the fellowship of Christ's followers; it will bear the unmistakable stamp of his love."

John provides proof for his observation that the readers are obeying the new command. Here is the proof: "Because the darkness is passing and the true light is already shining." John's penchant for contrast is evident in this verse. He puts "darkness" over against "light" and the verb is passing in contrast with the phrase is already shining. Note that the darkness has not yet disappeared; it is being dispelled because the light of the gospel of Christ enlightens the believers. John identifies the light as true (John 1:9) to indicate that all other light is merely a reflection which leads to disappointment and despair. This true light, says John, is shining already at this moment.

old… new commandment. See WCF 19.5. In his upper room discourse, recorded in the Fourth Gospel, Jesus cites the old commandment that we must love one another (cf. Lev 19:18; Jn 13:34), but places it in a new context: he is laying down his life for his friends (Jn 15:12). John contrasts the love between Christians and the hate the world has for Christians (see notes on Jn. 15:18-19). Christians love each other because Christ loved them, and people hate Christians, because they hate Christ and his ways (see notes on Jn. 15:12, 18). Through the commandment to love one another, Jesus confronts the hatred of the world, demonstrating the power of love to cast out hate, and the power of light to dispel the darkness (see notes on 1 John 4:7-21).

1 John 2:9-11 form a chiasm (a writing style that uses a unique repetition pattern for clarification and emphasis) contrasting the depravity of hatred and divine love:

• A. hates his brother . . . darkness (1 John 2:9)
  • B. loves his brother abides . . . light (1 John 2:10)

• 'A. hates his brother (1 John 2:11)
  • i. is in the darkness (1 John 2:11)
  • ii. walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going (1 John 2:11)
  • iii. because the darkness has blinded his eyes (1 John 2:11)

Some within the Christian community are not believers and thus have been blinded by darkness and walk in darkness. Calvin says that everyone who is a stranger to love is blind and walks in the darkness. Their lack of love for Christians is evidence that they also lack love for Christ. How one walks identifies who one is. Though Christians are at times on crutches (1 John 1:8-10), they still walk (limp) in Christ. See "The Church: Visible and Invisible: Is Everyone in the Church Saved?" below. See HC 106.

hate. See HC 106. If someone does not love their fellow Christians, it shows that they do not love Christ. The word hate here is not about a person who gets angry occasionally, when wronged by others. Rather, the present participle in Greek, "one who hates," suggests a life characterized by opposition to Christ, his commands and his people.

stumbling. This word (skandalon) refers to an object that makes someone trip, that causes a person's downfall. The imagery of 2:9-11 echoes John's primary claim that God is light (see notes on 1:5-7) and that those who walk in the light do not stumble in the darkness. John tightly connects obedience to Jesus' command to love one another with walking in God's light.