1 John 2:28

2:24-29 The truth of Christ, abiding in us, is a means to sever from sin, and unites us to the Son of God, Joh 15:3,4. What value should we put upon gospel truth! Thereby the promise of eternal life is made sure. The promise God makes, is suitable to his own greatness, power, and goodness; it is eternal life. The Spirit of truth will not lie; and he teaches all things in the present dispensation, all things necessary to our knowledge of God in Christ, and their glory in the gospel. The apostle repeats the kind words, little children; which denotes his affection. He would persuade by love. Gospel privileges oblige to gospel duties; and those anointed by the Lord Jesus abide with him. The new spiritual nature is from the Lord Christ. He that is constant to the practice of religion in trying times, shows that he is born from above, from the Lord Christ. Then, let us beware of holding the truth in unrighteousness, remembering that those only are born of God, who bear his holy image, and walk in his most righteous ways.

1 John 2:28 . καὶ νῦν , continuing and reinforcing the exhortation, ἐὰν φανερωθῇ : the uncertainty is not in the manifestation but in the time of it, and this is the reason for steadfast abiding in Him. Cf. unwritten saying of Jesus: ἐφʼ οἷς γὰρ ἂν εὕρω ὑμᾶς , φησὶν , ἐπὶ τούτοις καὶ κρινῶ . σχῶμεν , aor. marking the suddenness of the crisis. παρρησία , properly “freedom of speech” ( cf. Mark 8:2 ; John 7:13 ; John 16:29 ; John 18:20 ; Acts 2:29 ; Acts 4:29 ; Acts 4:31 ; Acts 28:31 ); then “confidence,” “boldness,” especially before God ( cf. Hebrews 4:16 ; 1 John 3:21 ; 1 John 4:17 ; 1 John 5:14 ), the attitude of children to their father in contrast with that of slaves to their master ( cf. Sen. Ep. xlvii.: “Infelicibus servis movere labra ne in hoc quidem ut loquantur licet. Virga murmur omne compescitur: … nocte tota jejuni mutique perstant”). καὶ μὴ αἰσχυνθῶμεν , in contrast to σχῶμεν παρρησίαν . παρουσία , frequent in N.T. but only here in the Johannine writings. Not simply “presence” but “arrival,” “advent” ( adventus ); cf. Luke 13:1 : παρῆσαν , Matthew 11:5 , John 11:28 .

He condescendingly includes himself with them, that we may have confidence; intimating, for their encouragement, the common mutual joy they should have together at Christ’s appearance; he, that he had not been wanting in his endeavours that they might persevere; and they, that they had persevered; which is implied in the menace of the contrary, upon the contrary supposition.

1 John 2:28-29 . And now, little — Or rather, beloved, children, (for, having finished his address to each, he now returns to all in general,) abide in him — Maintain your union with and interest in him, by living a life of faith, love, and new obedience; of prayer, watchfulness, and self-denial; that when he shall appear — As he assuredly will, in his own glory and in that of his Father, with all his holy angels; we may have confidence, (a modest expression,) and not be ashamed before him at his coming — And put to confusion. O how will you, ye Jews, Deists, and nominal Christians, and especially ye apostates from the faith, and all who, having begun in the Spirit, end in the flesh, be ashamed before him in that day! But how certainly may all, who approve their fidelity to him, expect from his mercy and love a gracious reception, and an abundant reward! If ye know — That is, as certainly as you know; that he is righteous, so surely ye know also that every one — And none else; that doeth — That practiseth; righteousness — From a believing, loving heart; is born of him — Is regenerated and made a new creature by the power of God’s Spirit, ( John 1:13 ,) and so is made like him by partaking of the divine nature, 2 Peter 1:4 . For all his children are like himself.

1 John 2:28 . Τεκνία ,[7] dear sons ) Having now finished his address to the three different ages, he returns to the whole.— μένετε , abide )— ἐν αὐτῷ , in Him ) in Jesus Christ. For it is He who shall be manifested .— παῤῥησίαν ) confidence , of having kept the truth (ch. 1 John 3:21 , 1 John 4:17 , 1 John 5:14 ).— μὴ αἰσχυνθῶμεν , we may not be ashamed ) Oh! how great will then be your shame, ye Jews, Socinians, and all pretended Christians, and whomsoever He shall deny to be His!— παρουσίᾳ , at His coming ) He places this object before the fathers, the young men, and children. It appears, therefore, that he wrote this Epistle before the Apocalypse, in which at length His coming is represented as put off to a greater distance. Tertullian supposes that the Epistle was subsequently written. [7] The word μου , which was set down by the margin of both Editions among the readings not to be approved of, by some chance or other has crept into the Germ. Vers.—E. B.

When He shall appear (ὅταν φανερωθῇ) The best texts read ἐὰν if, for when. So Rev., which gives also the proper passive force of φανερωθῇ, if He shall be manifested. Not expressing a doubt of the fact, but uncertainty as to the circumstances. On φανερόω to make manifest, see on John 21:1. John never uses ἀποκαλύπτω to reveal, of the revelation of Christ. Indeed, neither the verb nor the kindred noun, ἀποκάλυψις, occurs in his writings except in John 12:38, which is a citation from Isaiah, and in Revelation 1:1. We may have Thus identifying himself with his children in the faith. Teacher and pupil must alike abide in Him. We may have confidence (σχῶμεν παῤῥησίαν) Rev., boldness. For the phrase have boldness, see 1 John 3:21; 1 John 4:17; 1 John 5:14; Hebrews 3:6; Hebrews 10:19; Plm 1:8. For the word παῤῥησία boldness, see on John 7:13; see on Acts 2:29. It is opposed, as here, to αἰσχύνομαι to be ashamed, in Proverbs 13:5, where the Septuagint reads "a wicked man is ashamed (αἰσχύνεται) and shall not have boldness (παῤῥησίαν). Also in Philippians 1:20. Compare 2 Corinthians 3:12. The idea of free, open speech lies at the bottom of the word: coming before God's bar with nothing to conceal.

The thought is embodied in the general confession of the Book of Common Prayer: "That we should not dissemble nor cloke them before the face of Almighty God our Heavenly Father, but confess them." So John Wesley's Hymn: "Jesus, Thy blood and righteousness My beauty are, my glorious dress: 'Midst flaming worlds, in these arrayed, With joy shall I lift up my head. Bold shall I stand in Thy great day, For who aught to my charge shall lay? Fully absolved through these I am, - From sin and fear, from guilt and shame." continued...

Verse 28. - And now, summing up the whole section (verses 18-28). "If he shall be manifested" expresses no uncertainty as to the fact of Christ's appearing; the uncertainty is in the time (comp. 1 John 3:2 ; John 6:62 ; John 12:32 ; John 14:3 ). In all these cases the point is the result of the act, not the time of it. The graphic αἰσχυνθῶμεν ἀπ αὐτοῦ expresses the shrinking away in shame from his presence. The παρουσία (see on 2 Thessalonians 2:8) is introduced without explanation as a well-known belief. 1 John 2:28

28. little children—Greek, "little sons," as in 1Jo 2:12; believers of every stage and age. abide in him—Christ. 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. Contrast "boldness in the day of judgment," 1Jo 4:17; compare 1Jo 3:21; 5:14. In the Apocalypse (written, therefore, Bengel thinks, subsequently), Christ's coming is represented as put off to a greater distance.

And now, little children - See the notes at 1 John 2:1 . Abide in him; that, when he shall appear - In the end of the world, to receive his people to himself. See the notes at John 14:2-3. We may have confidence - Greek, boldness - παῤῥησίαν parrēsian. This word is commonly used to denote openness, plainness, or boldness in speaking, Mark 8:32; John 7:4, John 7:13, John 7:26; Acts 2:29; Acts 4:13, Acts 4:29; 2 Corinthians 3:12; 2 Corinthians 7:4. Here it means the kind of boldness, or calm assurance, which arises from evidence of piety, and of preparation for heaven. It means that they would not be overwhelmed and confounded at the coming of the Saviour, by its being then found that all their hopes were fallacious. And not be ashamed before him at his coming - By having all our hopes taken away; by being held up to the universe as guilty and condemned. We feel ashamed when our hopes are disappointed; when it is shown that we have a character different from what we professed to have; when our pretensions to goodness are stripped off, and the heart is made bare. Many will thus be ashamed in the last day, Matthew 7:21-23; but it is one of the promises made to those who truly believe on the Saviour, that they shall never be ashamed or confounded. See the notes at 1 Peter 2:6. Compare Isaiah 45:17; Romans 5:5; 1 Peter 4:16; Mark 8:38.

28 . And now ] Introducing the practical conclusion: comp. John 17:5 , where Jesus, ‘having accomplished the work given Him to do’, prays, ‘ And now , O Father, glorify Thou Me’. So also in Acts 7:34 ; Acts 10:5 . See on 2 John 1:5 . Haupt thinks that ‘And now’ introduces the new division of the Epistle, which almost all agree begins near this point. The truth seems to be that these two verses (28, 29) are at once the conclusion of one division and the beginning of another. little children ] Recalling the beginning of this section, 1 John 2:18 : it is the same word ( τέκνια ) as is used in 1 John 2:1; 1 John 2:12 , and means all S. John’s readers. that, when he shall appear ] Better, as R.V., that . if He shall be manifested . The ‘when’ ( ὅταν ) of A.V. (KL) must certainly give place to ‘if’ ( ἐάν ), which is more difficult and has overwhelming support ( א ABC). ‘If’ seems to imply a doubt as to Christ’s return, and the change to ‘when’ has probably been made to avoid this. But ‘if’ implies no doubt as to the fact , it merely implies indifference as to the time : ‘if He should return in our day’ (see on John 6:62 ; John 12:32 ; John 14:3 ). Be manifested is greatly superior to ‘appear’ (as Augustine’s manifestatus fuerit is superior to the Vulgate’s apparuerit ) because (1) the Greek verb is passive; (2) it is a favourite word ( φανεροῦν ) with S.