The Epistles of John. Samuel M. Ngewa
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have had from beginning; the commandment which is old is the word which you heard. (8) Again, a new commandment I write to you, which is true in him and in you, because darkness is passing away and the light which is true is shining already. (9) The person who claims to be in the light and hates his brother (or sister) is in darkness until now. (10) The one who loves his brother (or sister) remains in the light and there is no stumbling block in him or her (11) but the one who hates his brother (or sister) is in darkness and in darkness he (or she) walks and has not known where he (or she) is going, because the darkness has blinded97 his (or her) eyes.
(12) I write to you, children,
because your sins have been forgiven on account of his name
(13) I write to you fathers,
because you have known the one from the beginning
I write to you young men,
because you have overcome the evil one.
(14) I write98 to you children,
because you have known the Father.
I write to you fathers,
because you have known the one from the beginning.
I write to you young men,
because you are strong
and the word of God remains in you
and you have overcome the evil one.
(15) Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him (16) because everything in the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life, is not of the Father but is of the world (17) And the world and its lusts pass away, but the person who does the will of God remains forever.
Having mentioned the need to keep God’s commandments (2:3–6) John now focuses on one of these commandments, namely, the commandment of love. Two objects are the focus of the love John is writing to promote here. There is the love toward a brother or sister (contrasted with hating) and there is the love toward the Father (contrasted with love of the world and what goes with it)
Love Toward a Brother or Sister
After addressing his readers as “beloved” (agapētoi)99 in 2:7a, John goes on to tell them that he is writing to them about a commandment. He gives the commandment the qualities of being both old (2:7) and new (2:8). It is old because his readers have had it from the beginning100 (hēn eichete ap’ archēs) and is by definition the word which they had already heard (hē entolē hē palaia estin ho logos hon ēkousate). At the same time, it is new (2:8). Its newness is most likely to be seen in the example of Christ101 who John has described as hilasmos for our sins (2:2). Jesus himself said that there is no greater love than one laying down his or her life for another (John 15:13). As hilasmos, Jesus did exactly this and so remains a supreme example of the act of love. John says that the practice of this commandment is true in Jesus and in the readers.102 He gives the basis for this conclusion as that darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining (2:8b). Jesus had said that he is the light103 of the world (John 9:5) and the readers have him as their Savior and Lord and so are living in his light. Where that light is in charge, there is love and not hatred. John writes to enhance this love as he encourages his readers to live in fellowship with God who is also described as light (1:5).
John moves on to give a clue as to what commandment he is talking about here by responding to the possible claim104 of being in the light and not loving a brother or sister (2:9–11). The one who hates his brother or sister “is in darkness (en tē skotia estin105—repeated in 2:9, 11) until now” (heōs arti), even when he or she claims to be in the light. He or she is not only in darkness (sphere) but also “walks in darkness” (kai en tē skotia peripatei) and “does not know where he or she is going” (kai ouk oiden pou hupagei). The hating here is a continual practice (present tense misōn), the walking a continual act (present tense peripatei), and the ignorance a current status (the perfect tense oiden, used with the negative particle ouk). John gives the basis for the present status of such a person as that “the darkness has blinded106 his eyes” (hoti hē skotia etuphlōsen tous ophthalmous autou). If the act of hating puts one into the sphere of darkness (2:9) and in God there is no darkness (1:5), it means that the one who hates is not in God’s company. He or she has not known that the Christian walk is one of light (here shown by loving) and its destination is the city of holiness (Rev 21:22–27). The one who hates is not ready for heaven. Darkness clouds his or her eyes not to see the beauty of walking with God, enjoying his fellowship now and in eternity.
So as not to appear to be talking to only the person who makes the unacceptable claim, John also affirms the one who loves107 (2:10). The one who loves (as a habit, present tense agapōn) his brother (or sister) remains in the light (continual status) and in him is no stumbling block (another continual status). The stumbling block is that which can trip him or her from living in fellowship with God and with others.108 John’s words here are like calling to mind the verse “love covers a multitude of sins” (Prov 10:12; 1 Pet 4:8). When we love someone, we shall not do him or her harm of any kind. Love serves as a catalyst to keep us in the light, which is God’s sphere of existence.
While in 2:7–11 John tells his readers what he is writing to them, in 2:12–14 he tells them why he is writing (see discussion of this below). In summary, they have the qualification needed so as to be able to absorb what he is saying into their character. This is an important point because a repetition of the love commandment to a people who do not have that potential amounts to wasting of time. It is only the believer who can exercise the kind of love John is talking about here. It is a love that does not categorize people into classes for purpose of excluding some from love, not even into “enemies” and “friends” categories (Matt 5:43–48) and it is a love that permeates every aspect of one’s life.
John now addresses his readers using three classifications: little children (teknia, 2:12a), fathers (pateres, 2:13a), and young men (neaniskoi, 2:13b), which he repeats in 2:14 using the same classification except he now uses paidia and not teknia for children. These three verses (2:12–14) raise some interesting exegetical questions, including:
1. Are the classifications of children (teknia, paidia), fathers (pateres), and young men (neaniskoi) pointing to their level in physical age or in spiritual maturity, if either of the two?
2. Is there a difference between the two Greek words John uses for children here? That is, are teknia and paidia synonymous or does each have its own focus?
3. Why does John repeat the content of 2:12–13 in 2:14, with some of what he says to the group being exactly the same in both cases?
4. Why does he use the present tense, graphō, in the first set (2:12–13) and aorist tense, egrapsa, in the second set in 2:14?
Concerning the classification into children, fathers, and young men, the majority of scholars view these to be classification on their stage in Christian experience.109 The “children” represents those who have been born into the Christian faith recently (probably both teknia and paidia being used for this group) or have not moved far in their spiritual growth even if they have had many years of belonging to the family of God. The young men represent those believers whose lives show clear evidence of victory in facing temptations and trials, while the fathers represent those who have many years of experience walking in the path of wisdom and fear of God.110 They have come to know and teach that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom (Prov 1:7) and can counsel others about the same on basis of their experience.111
Another approach, still under the spiritual experience classification, is to view the use of “children” (both teknia and paidia) as standing for all believers and the “young men” and “fathers” representing two levels in spiritual growth.112 Brown,113 who supports this position, sees the beauty of it as that once the entire community has been addressed as children (in both sets) the order of “fathers” and “young men” follows naturally (as opposed to the order: “children,” “fathers,” and “young men” if one took it to be three groups). To this can also be added the observation that John uses both teknia and paidia in contexts in which it