John 13:34

John 13:34 . ἐντολὴν καινὴν δίδωμι ὑμῖν , ἵνα ἀγαπᾶτε ἀλλήλους : “one another,” not “all men,” which is a different commandment. So, rightly, Grotius: “ Novum autem dicit quia non agit de dilectione communi omnium … sed de speciali Christianorum inter se qua tales sunt,” and Holtzmann: “Es ist die φιλαδελφία im Unterschied von der allgemeinen ἀγάπη ”. The necessity of love among those who were to carry on Christ’s work had that night become apparent. It was “new,” because the love of Christ’s friends for Christ’s sake was a new thing in the world. Therefore the kind rather than the degree of love is indicated in the clause καθὼς ἠγάπησα ὑμᾶς κ . τ . λ .

New (καινὴν) See on Matthew 26:29. Commandment (ἐντολὴν) The word for a single commandment or injunction, but used also for the whole body of the moral precepts of Christianity. See 1 Timothy 6:14; 2 Peter 2:21; 2 Peter 3:2. See also on James 2:8. This new commandment embodies the essential principle of the whole law. Compare also 1 John 3:23. Some interpreters instead of taking that ye love one another, etc., as the definition of the commandment, explain the commandment as referring to the ordinance of the Holy Communion, and render, "a new commandment (to observe this ordinance) I give unto you, in order that ye love one another." It is, however, more than improbable, and contrary to usage, that the Holy Supper should be spoken of as ἐντολὴ a commandment. That (ἵνα) With its usual telic force; indicating the scope and not merely the form or nature of the commandment. As (καθὼς) Rev., better, even as. Not a simple comparison (ὥσπερ), but a conformity; the love is to be of the same nature. There are, however, two ways of rendering the passage. 1. "I give you a new commandment, that ye love one another with the same devotion with which I loved you." 2. "I give you a new commandment, that ye love one another, even as up to this moment I loved you, in order that you may imitate my love one toward another." By the first rendering the character of the mutual love of Christians is described; by the second, its ground. The Rev. gives the latter in margin.

34. a new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another—This was the new feature of it. Christ's love to His people in giving His life a ransom for them was altogether new, and consequently as a Model and Standard for theirs to one another. It is not, however, something transcending the great moral law, which is "the old commandment" (1Jo 2:7, and see on [1849]Mr 12:28-33), but that law in a new and peculiar form. Hence it is said to be both new and old (1Jo 2:7, 8).

The commandment of loving one another is strictly no new commandment, we find it in the law of Moses, Leviticus 19:18 ; often pressed in the New Testament, John 15:17 Ephesians 5:2 1Jo 4:21 1Jo 2:7 saith, it is no new commandment, ; see also 2Jo 1:6 . It is therefore called a new commandment, either because of the excellency of it, as new seemeth to be taken, Psalm 33:3 Isaiah 65:17 Matthew 26:29 ; or because it is expounded in the gospel in a new manner, pressed more plainly and in new arguments, and urged by a new example of their Lord and Master.

John 13:34 . Ἐντολὴν καινήν , a new commandment ) The commandment is called new , not so much in respect to the Old Testament, as in respect to the school of Christ; on account of the new measure [standard] established, concerning a love which goes so far as that even life is to be laid down for those who ought to be, or who are, the objects of that love; with which comp. 1 John 3:16 , “Hereby perceive we the love of God, because He laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.” Previously the following after Jesus in His several steps had guided the disciples, and this by implication comprised love [such as He now gives as a new commandment ]: but they cannot follow Him now that He is departing from them; therefore the sum of their duty is prescribed to them in this commandment. Comp. as to prayer, ch. John 16:24 , “Hitherto have ye asked nothing in My name : ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full;” as to giving them the appellation, ‘friends,’ John 15:15 , “ Henceforth I call you not servants, but I have called you friends ; for all things that I have heard of My Father, I have made known unto you;” as to the hatred of the world, ch.

John 16:4 , “These things (as to persecution) have I told you, that when the time shall come, ye may remember that I told you of them.” Thence it is that it is called the law of Christ , Galatians 6:2 , “Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.” Thus it is that the commandment heard from the beginning, and the new commandment, are opposed to one another, 1 John 2:7-8 , “I write no new commandment unto you, but an old commandment, which ye had from the beginning; again a new commandment I write unto you, which thing is true in Him and you:” ( John 13:10 ) “He that loveth his brother,” etc. Ἐντολή , a commandment [precept, charge, injunction], is moreover the term applied to it, in this sense: inasmuch as it is enjoined, not on slaves, but on freemen. Moreover, at the same time a most sweet taste of its newness is added to this commandment, resulting from the perception of the glory, the mention of which goes before. Moses before his death, more than ever previously, in Deuteronomy,[340] recommended the love of God; so Jesus, before His departure, gives to the disciples a new commandment, that they should cherish mutual love. Thus the second law and the new commandment may be compared with one another.— ἀγαπᾶτε — ἀγαπᾶτε , that ye love—that ye love ) This sentiment is twice set forth: first simply, then afterwards with Epitasis [Some augmentation , or emphatic addition , or explanation added . See Appendix on this figure].

34 . A new commandment ] The commandment to love was not new, for ‘thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself’ ( Leviticus 19:18 ) was part of the Mosaic Law. But the motive is new; to love our neighbour because Christ has loved us. We have only to read the ‘most excellent way’ of love set forth in 1 Corinthians 13, and compare it with the measured benevolence of the Pentateuch, to see how new the commandment had become by having this motive added. There are two words for ‘new’ in Greek; one looks forward, ‘young,’ as opposed to ‘aged;’ the other looks back, ‘fresh,’ as opposed to ‘worn out.’ It is the latter that is used here and in John 19:41 . Both are used in Matthew 9:17 , but our version ignores the difference—‘They put new wine into fresh wineskins.’ The phrase ‘to give a commandment’ is peculiar to S. John; comp. John 12:49 ; 1 John 3:23 . as I have loved you ] These words are rightly placed in the second half of the verse. They do not mean ‘love one another in the same way as I have loved you;’ but they give the reason for the fresh commandment—‘ even as I have loved you.’ S. John states the same principle in the First Epistle ( John 4:11 ) ‘If God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.’ Comp. John 15:13 .

(34) A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another. —There is no reference in the context to the Ten Commandments, and we are not therefore to seek the meaning of the “new commandment” in any more or less full contrast with them. They also taught that a man should love his neighbour as himself; and the fulfilment of the law is love. The contrast here is between what our Lord had said unto the Jews and what He now says to the disciples. He had said, and says again, “Whither I go ye cannot come.” To the Jews he added, “Ye shall seek me, and shall die in your sins” ( John 7:34-35 ). For those who believe in Him, He has no such decree of separation, but a new and different commandment, by which His spiritual presence would be at once realised and proved. Love to one another, and therefore sacrifice of self for another’s good, would be, in the truest sense, a realisation of His presence in their midst. (Comp. Note on 1John 2:8 .) For the meaning of the word “commandment,” comp. Note on John 10:18. As I have loved you.—More exactly, Even as I loved you. (Comp. Note on John 13:1.) The punctuation of our version is to be maintained. It is not, as it has sometimes been read, “That ye love one another, as I have loved you . . .” The earlier clause gives the principle of the new commandment. The latter clause repeats this, and prefaces the repetition by words referring to His own acts of love, which should be an example for them.

A new commandment - This command he gave them as he was about to leave them, to be a badge of discipleship, by which they might be known as his friends and followers, and by which they might be distinguished from all others. It is called new, not because there was no command before which required people to love their fellow-man, for one great precept of the law was that they should love their neighbor as themselves Leviticus 19:18 ; but it was new because it had never before been made that by which any class or body of people had been known and distinguished. The Jew was known by his external rites, by his uniqueness of dress, etc.; the philosopher by some other mark of distinction; the military man by another, etc. In none of these cases had love for each other been the distinguishing and special badge by which they were known. But in the case of Christians they were not to be known by distinctions of wealth, or learning, or fame; they were not to aspire to earthly honors; they were not to adopt any special style of dress or badge, but they were to be distinguished by tender and constant attachment to each other. This was to surmount all distinction of country, of color, of rank, of office, of sect. Here they were to feel that they were on a level, that they had common wants, were redeemed by the same sacred blood, and were going to the same heaven.