1 John 2:5

2:3-11 What knowledge of Christ can that be, which sees not that he is most worthy of our entire obedience? And a disobedient life shows there is neither religion nor honesty in the professor. The love of God is perfected in him that keeps his commandments. God's grace in him attains its true mark, and produces its sovereign effect as far as may be in this world, and this is man's regeneration; though never absolutely perfect here. Yet this observing Christ's commands, has holiness and excellency which, if universal, would make the earth resemble heaven itself. The command to love one another had been in force from the beginning of the world; but it might be called a new command as given to Christians. It was new in them, as their situation was new in respect of its motives, rules, and obligations. And those who walk in hatred and enmity to believers, remain in a dark state. Christian love teaches us to value our brother's soul, and to dread every thing hurtful to his purity and peace. Where spiritual darkness dwells, in mind, the judgment, and the conscience will be darkened, and will mistake the way to heavenly life. These things demand serious self-examination; and earnest prayer, that God would show us what we are, and whither we are going.

{4} But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the {f} love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in {g} him. (4) He that keeps God's commandments loves God indeed: He that loves God, is in God, or is joined together with God. Therefore he that keeps his commandments is in him. (f) Wherewith we love God. (g) He means our union with Christ.

1 John 2:5 . ἡ ἀγάπη τοῦ Θεοῦ , “the love of God,” is ambiguous like אַהֲבַת יְהֹוָה , amor Dei, l’ amore di Dio, l’amour de Dieu, die Liebe Gottes . It might be objective genitive, “love for God,” “die Liebe zu Gott” (Rothe). But the believer’s love for God is never perfected in this life. The genitive is subjective ( cf. 1 John 4:9 ), amor Dei erga honunem, per Christum nobis reconciliatus (Bengel), and the idea is that the redeeming love of God has attained its end in the man who observes His Word. Cf. Isaiah 53:11 . St. Augustine understands “the love of God” as His love for sinners, a forgiving love like that of Jesus when He prayed on the Cross “Father, forgive them”. “What is the perfection of love? It is both to love one’s enemies and to love them in order that they may be brethren.” By cultivating a love like this we get to know that we know Him. ἐν τούτῳ ( b ) points forward to ὁ λέγων , κ . τ . λ ., introducing a second assurance. It is not enough to know Him; we must be sure of continuing in fellowship with Him, of “abiding in Him” to the end. This assurance comes by “walking even as He walked”; i.e. the conformation of our lives to His is an evidence of our abiding interest in Him, our vital union with Him.

We get like Him by imitating Him, and our likeness to Him is an irrefragable evidence to ourselves and the the world that we are His, as a son’s likeness to his father proves their relationship. ὀφείλει , “is bound,” “ist schuldig” (Rothe), of moral obligation . The claim ( λέγων ) must be honourably attested. αὐτὸς in this section refers grammatically to Jesus Christ 1 John 2:1-2 ). The change of pronoun ( ἐκεῖνος ) does not imply a change of person, since here as in 1 John 3:3 ; 1 John 3:5 ; 1 John 3:7 ; 1 John 3:16 , 1 John 4:17 , ἐκεῖνος is not a mere pronoun. It is used like ille , and signifies “that great One,” “the Master”. Cf. 2 Timothy 2:12-13 . περιπατεῖν , see note on 1 John 1:6 . Aug.: “Perhaps He admonishes us to walk in the sea. Far from it! He admonishes us to walk in the way of righteousness.”

His faith worketh by love, Galatians 5:6 ; his love is perfected, and attains its end in obedience, whereof it is the vital principle, 1Jo 5:3 John 14:15 . Such an efficacious governing knowledge of him, therefore, as, by the power of the love which it produces, subdues our souls to the obedience of him, is a certain proof to us of our union with him, 1Jo 5:20 , and relation to him.

Keepeth His word (τηρῇ αὐτοῦ τὸν λόγον) Note the changed phrase: word for commandments. The word is the revelation regarded as a whole, which includes all the separate commandments or injunctions. See the use of λόγος word, and ἐντολή precept, in John 14:21-24. Is the love of God perfected (ἡ ἀγάπη τοῦ Θεοῦ τετελείωται) Rev., rendering the perfect tense more closely, hath the love of God been perfected. The change in the form of this antithetic clause is striking. He who claims to know God, yet lives in disobedience, is a liar. We should expect as an offset to this: He that keepeth His commandments is of the truth; or, the truth is in him. Instead we have, "In him has the love of God been perfected." In other words, the obedient child of God is characterized, not by any representative trait or quality of his own personality, but merely as the subject of the work of divine love: as the sphere in which that love accomplishes its perfect work. The phrase ἡ ἀγάπη τοῦ Θεοῦ the love of God, may mean either the love which God shows, or the love of which God is the object, or the love which is characteristic of God whether manifested by Himself or by His obedient child through His Spirit. John's usage is not decisive like Paul's, according to which the love of God habitually means the love which proceeds from and is manifested by God.

The exact phrase, the love of God or the love of the Father, is found in 1 John 3:16; 1 John 4:9, in the undoubted sense of the love of God to men. The same sense is intended in 1 John 3:1, 1 John 3:9, 1 John 3:16, though differently expressed. The sense is doubtful in 1 John 2:5; 1 John 3:17; 1 John 4:12. Men's love to God is clearly meant in 1 John 2:15; 1 John 5:3. The phrase occurs only twice in the Gospels (Luke 6:42; John 5:42), and in both cases the sense is doubtful. Some, as Ebrard, combine the two, and explain the love of God as the mutual relation of love between God and men. It is not possible to settle the point decisively, but I incline to the view that the fundamental idea of the love of God as expounded by John is the love which God has made known and which answers to His nature. In favor of this is the general usage of ἀγάπη love, in the New Testament, with the subjective genitive. The object is more commonly expressed by εἰς towards, or to. See 1 Thessalonians 3:12; Colossians 1:4; 1 Peter 4:8. Still stronger is John's treatment of the subject in ch. 4. Here we have, 1 John 4:9, the manifestation of the love of God in us (ἐν ἡμῖν) By our life in Christ and our love to God we are a manifestation of God's love. Directly following this is a definition of the essential nature of love. "In this is love; i.e., herein consists love: not that we have loved God, but that He loved us" (1 John 4:10). Our mutual love is a proof that God dwells in us.

1 John 2:5 . Αὐτοῦ τὸν λόγον , His word ) the word of Jesus Christ respecting the Father: ch. 1 John 1:5 . The precepts are many; the word is one.— ἀληθῶς , in truth ) It is not a lie or vain boasting. This adverb has great force at the beginning of the clause.— ἡ ἀγάπη τοῦ Θεοῦ , the love of God ) towards man, reconciled to us by Christ.— τετελείωται , is made perfect ) Having obtained perfect rule, it is also perfectly known: ch. 1 John 4:12 .— ἐν τούτῳ , in this ) There is a reference to the preceding words, but whoso keepeth , as ch. 1 John 4:6 , from this .— ἐν αὐτῷ ἐσμεν , we are in Him ) Synonyms, with progressive gradation: to know Him; to be in Him; to abide in Him : 1 John 2:6 , knowledge; fellowship; constancy.

Verse 5. - Once more (cf. 1 John 1:7, 9 ) the opposite is stated and the thought carried further. But whoso keepeth his word (his doctrine as a whole, including the separate commandments), of a truth in him hath the love of God been perfected; i.e. , as an accomplished fact; the relation of love has been established. In St. John ἀληθῶς is no mere expletive; it expresses reality, and reality that is known. From verse 4 we might have expected "of a truth he knoweth God ;" but the apostle goes beyond this, and shows that really knowing God involves loving him (comp. 1 John 4:11 ). The context shows that τοῦ Θεοῦ is objective - his love of God rather than God's love of him. The insertion of τοῦ Θεοῦ here, and the drift of the Epistle thus far, are in favour of αὐτόν and αὐτοῦ in verses 3-5 meaning God rather than Christ, although αὐτός in verse 2 tells the other way. The last clause sums up and reaffirms, but as usual with a new turn of thought, the whole section (verses 3-5), which begins and ends with ἐν τούτῳ γινώσκομεν . Knowing God implies keeping his Word; and keeping his Word involves loving him; and all this implies being in him, i.e. , having that fellowship with him and his Son in which the Christian's life (which is eternal life) consists, and to promote which St. John publishes his Gospel ( 1 John 1:3, 4 ). 1 John 2:5

5. Not merely repeating the proposition, 1Jo 2:3, or asserting the merely opposite alternative to 1Jo 2:4, but expanding the "know Him" of 1Jo 2:3, into "in Him, verily (not as a matter of vain boasting) is the love of (that is towards) God perfected," and "we are in Him." Love here answers to knowledge in 1Jo 2:3. In proportion as we love God, in that same proportion we know Him, and vice versa, until our love and knowledge shall attain their full maturity of perfection. his word—His word is one (see on [2641]1Jo 1:5), and comprises His "commandments," which are many (1Jo 2:3). hereby—in our progressing towards this ideal of perfected love and obedience. There is a gradation: 1Jo 2:3, "know Him"; 1Jo 2:5, "we are in Him"; 1Jo 2:6, "abideth in Him"; respectively, knowledge, fellowship, abiding constancy. [Bengel].