June 2014

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. 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.

There are a number of ideas here that deserve our attention, such as the continuity of Old and New Testaments, or the newness that comes with the Advent of Christ. Also familiar are the contrasts that John uses through his letters, and his gospel, too. What stands out here, though, is the complete incompatibility of the contrasts he presents.

Light and hate are incompatible. If someone claims to have the light of insight or understanding, but has hate in his heart, he is wrong. Love and darkness are likewise incompatible. If a person has love in their heart, they have light in their life.

My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. ² He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world. ³ And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. ⁴ Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, ⁵ but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him: ⁶ whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked. - 1 John 2:1-6

What does it mean to have an advocate? It means we have someone on our side. But more than that, an advocate is an ally, but one who has more knowledge or authority than we do. They plead our case when we cannot. We don’t know the rules of the system. We don’t know the language or the protocols. We might not even know what is wrong with us that we need assistance.

That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life— ² the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us— ³ that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. ⁴ And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete. 1 John 1:1-4

There is a danger if we by disposition are more prone to be “thinkers” than “feelers,” or if we find ourselves in churches that are so oriented theologically or in practice, that our faith can become overly academic and intellectual. The Word of God is deep and vast and there is much intellectual fodder there to be mined and meditated upon, to be contemplated and memorized. But the truth of Scripture must never become merely a collection of facts. We must never let our faith reside only in our heads. It must reach to our hearts and move us. We should pursue truth, but we should equally be passionate about the truth!

As an example, the Apostle John has packed the introduction to his first letter with theological content. He addresses the eternality of Christ (“which was from the beginning,”), and the Divinity of Christ (“which was with the Father”; “his Son, Jesus Christ”). He also writes about the Incarnation, that Christ was “made manifest to us” (which he mentions twice), and Whom he has seen (mentioned twice), heard (also two times), and touched.