The MacArthur Study Bible, NKJV

by John MacArthur

  2:9 hates. The original language conveys the idea of someone who habitually hates or is marked by a lifestyle of hate. in darkness until now. Those who profess to be Christians, yet are characterized by hate, demonstrate by such action that they have never been born again. The false teachers made claims to enlightenment, transcendent knowledge of God, and salvation, but their actions, especially the lack of love, proved all such claims false (see also v. 11).

  2:12–14 Only two families exist from God’s perspective: children of God and children of Satan (see John 8:39–44). John reminds his readers in these verses that as Christians they have been forgiven and come to know God as their heavenly Father. As a result, they are a part of God’s family. They must not love Satan’s family or give their allegiance to the world controlled by him (see v. 15). The word “little children” in v. 12 is general for offspring of any age, in contrast to a different Gr. word for “little children” in v. 13, which refers to young children (see note on vv. 13, 14). I write…I have written. John repeats the message in these verses to emphasize the certainty of their belonging to God’s family. “I write” is from John’s perspective, while “I have written” anticipates his readers’ perspective when they received the letter.

  2:13, 14 fathers…young men…little children. These very clear distinctions identify 3 stages of spiritual growth in God’s family. “Fathers,” the most mature, have a deep knowledge of the Eternal God. The pinnacle of spiritual maturity is to know God in His fullness (cf. Phil. 3:10). “Young men” are those who, while not yet having the mature experience of knowing God in the Word and through life, do know sound doctrine. They are strong against sin and error because they have His Word in them. Thus they overcome the wiles of the devil, who makes havoc of children (cf. Eph. 4:14). Since Satan’s efforts are in falsehood and deception, they have overcome him. “Little children” are those who have only the basic awareness of God and need to grow. All are in God’s family and manifest Christ’s character at different levels.

  2:15 Do not love the world. Although John often repeats the importance of love and that God is love (4:7, 8), he also reveals that God hates a certain type of love: love of the world (John 15:18–20). In this text, John expresses a particular form of the fourth test (i.e., the test of love). Positively, the Christian loves God and fellow Christians. Negatively, an absence of love for the world must habitually characterize the love life of those to be considered genuinely born again. “Love” here signifies affection and devotion. God, not the world, must have the first place in the Christian’s life (Matt. 10:37–39; Phil. 3:20). the world. This is not a reference to the physical, material world but the invisible spiritual system of evil dominated by Satan (see notes on 2 Cor. 10:3–5) and all that it offers in opposition to God, His Word, and His people (cf. 5:19; John 12:31; 1 Cor. 1:21; 2 Cor. 4:4; James 4:4; 2 Pet. 1:4). the love of the Father is not in him. Either one is a genuine Christian marked by love and obedience to God, or one is a non-Christian in rebellion against God, i.e., in love with and enslaved by the satanically controlled world system (Eph. 2:1–3; Col. 1:13; James 4:4). No middle ground between these two alternatives exists for someone claiming to be born again. The false teachers had no such singular love, but were devoted to the world’s philosophy and wisdom, thereby revealing their love for the world and their unsaved state (cf. Matt. 6:24; Luke 16:13; 1 Tim. 6:20; 2 Pet. 2:12–22).

  2:16 all that is in the world. Cf. James 4:4. While the world’s philosophies and ideologies and much that it offers may appear attractive and appealing, that is deception. Its true and pervasive nature is evil, harmful, ruinous, and satanic. Its deadly theories are raised up against the knowledge of God and hold the souls of men captive (2 Cor. 10:3–5). lust. John uses the term negatively here for a strong desire for evil things. flesh. The term refers to the sin nature of man; the rebellious self dominated by sin and in opposition to God (Rom. 7:15–25; 8:2–8; Gal. 5:19–21). Satan uses the evil world system to incite the flesh. eyes. Satan uses the eyes as a strategic avenue to incite wrong desires (Josh. 7:20, 21; 2 Sam. 11:2; Matt. 5:27–29). Satan’s temptation of Eve involved being attracted to something beautiful in appearance, but the result was spiritual death (Gen. 3:6 “pleasant to the eyes”). the pride of life. The phrase has the idea of arrogance over one’s circumstances, which produced haughtiness or exaggeration, parading what one possessed to impress other people (James 4:16). not of the Father. The world is the enemy of the Christian because it is in rebellion and opposition against God and controlled by Satan (5:19; Eph. 2:2; 2 Cor. 4:4; 10:3–5). The 3 openings presented, if allowing access to sin, result in tragedy. Not only must the Christian reject the world for what it is but also for what it does.

  2:17 the world is passing away. The Christian also must not love the satanic world system because of its temporary nature. It is in the continual process of disintegration, headed for destruction (Rom. 8:18–22). he who does the will of God abides forever. In contrast to the temporary world, God’s will is permanent and unchangeable. Those who follow God’s will abide as His people forever. While God offers eternal life to His children, the present age is doomed (cf. 1 Cor. 7:31; 2 Cor. 4:18).

  2:18 the Antichrist. This is the first occurrence of the term “antichrist.” Its usage is found only in John’s epistles (4:3; 2 John 7). Here it is a proper name and refers to the coming final world ruler energized by Satan who will seek to replace and oppose the true Christ (Dan. 8:9–11; 11:31–38; 12:11; Matt. 24:15; 2 Thess. 2:1–12; see notes on Rev. 13:1–5; 19:20). many antichrists have come. While the term’s first occurrence refers to a particular person prophesied in Scripture, this one is plural and refers to many individuals. John uses the plural to identify and characterize the false teachers who were troubling John’s congregations because their false doctrine distorted the truth and opposed Christ (Matt. 24:24; Mark 13:22; Acts 20:28–30). The term, therefore, refers to a principle of evil, incarnated in men, who are hostile and opposed to God (cf. 2 Cor. 10:4, 5). John writes to expose the false teachers, the wolves in sheep’s clothing, who purvey damning lies (cf. Eph. 5:11). the last hour. The phrase refers to the “latter times” or “last days,” i.e., the time period between the first and second comings of Christ (1 Tim. 4:1; James 5:3; 1 Pet. 4:7; 2 Pet. 3:3; Jude 18).

  2:19 They went out from us…none of them were of us. The first characteristic mentioned of antichrists, i.e., false teachers and deceivers (vv. 22–26), is that they depart from the faithful (see vv. 22, 23 for the second characteristic and v. 26 for the third). They arise from within the church and depart from true fellowship and lead people out with them. The verse also places emphasis on the doctrine of the perseverance of the saints. Those genuinely born again endure in faith and fellowship and the truth (1 Cor. 11:19; 2 Tim. 2:12). The ultimate test of true Christianity is endurance (Mark 13:13; Heb. 3:14). The departure of people from the truth and the church is their unmasking.

  2:20, 21 Two characteristics mark genuine Christians in contrast to the antichrists. First, the Holy Spirit (“the anointing,” v. 27) guards them from error (cf. Acts 10:38; 2 Cor. 1:21). Christ as the Holy One (Luke 4:34; Acts 3:14) imparts the Holy Spirit as their illuminating guardian from deception. Second, the Holy Spirit guides the believer into knowing “all things” (John 14:26; 16:13). True Christians have a built-in lie detector and persevere in the truth. Those who remain in heresy and apostasy manifest the fact that they were never genuinely born again (cf. v. 19).

  2:22, 23 denies the Father and the Son. A second characteristic of antichrists is that they deny the faith (i.e., sound doctrine). Anyone denying the true nature of Christ as presented in the Scripture is an antichrist (cf. 4:3; 2 Thess. 2:11). The denial of Christ also constitutes a denial of God Himself, who testified to His Son (5:9; John 5:32–38; 8:18).

  2:24, 25 heard from the beginning. The gospel that cannot change. Let it remain, do not follow false teachers (cf. 2 Tim. 3:1, 7, 13; 4:3). Christian truth is fixed and unalterable (Jude 3). If we stay faithful
to the truth, we continue to experience intimate communion with God and Christ and persevere to the full eternal life (cf. 5:11, 12).

  2:26 A third characteristic of antichrists is that they try to deceive the faithful (cf. also 1 Tim. 4:1).

  2:27 anointing. See note on vv. 20, 21. John is not denying the importance of gifted teachers in the church (1 Cor. 12:28; Eph. 4:11) but indicates that neither those teachers nor those believers are dependent on human wisdom or the opinions of men for the truth. God’s Holy Spirit guards and guides the true believer into the truth (see vv. 20, 21). If God is true (cf. 2 Chr. 15:3; Jer. 10:10; John 17:3; 1 Thess. 1:9) and Christ is the truth (cf. John 14:6), so is the Holy Spirit (cf. 5:6; John 15:26; 16:13). abide in Him. In response to such deceivers, the task of the genuine believer is to “walk in the truth,” i.e., persevere in faithfulness and sound doctrine (see vv. 20–21; 2 John 4; 3 John 4).

  2:28—3:3 This section deals with the “purifying hope” of every Christian, i.e., the return of Christ. John uses this purifying hope to reiterate and elaborate on the moral test (love and obedience) of a true Christian. The hope of Christ’s return has a sanctifying effect on moral behavior. In anticipation of Christ’s return and reward (cf. 1 Cor. 3:10–17; 4:1–5; 2 Cor. 5:9, 10; Rev. 22:12), a genuine Christian walks in holiness of life. Those who do not evidence such behavior manifest an unsaved life. In these 5 verses, John has given 5 features of the believer’s hope.

  2:28 abide in Him. John repeats his emphasis on abiding (v. 27) to introduce it as the first feature of the believer’s hope in 2:28—3:3. Whenever John refers to abiding he is referring to persevering in the faith of salvation, which is evidence of being a true believer (John 15:1–6). The hope of Christ’s return produces the effect of continual abiding in every true believer as they long for the glorious future prepared for them. Paul called it “loving His appearing” (2 Tim. 4:8) and said those who do that are the ones who will be crowned with eternal righteousness in heaven. Abiding signifies a permanent remaining in Christ and guarantees the believer’s hope. Those who truly abide continue in the faith and in fellowship with the saints (v. 19). In contrast to v. 27 (“you will abide”), however, he commands (imperative) believers to abide. The command signals that abiding is not passive; continual, active abiding must be pursued by every genuine believer (Phil. 2:12). Salvation is eternal because of the Lord’s side—He holds us (cf. John 6:37–44) and because of our side—we persevere in faith and obedience (cf. John 8:31, 32). It is not unlike salvation in which God sovereignly saves, but not apart from personal faith from the one He saves. Or in the case of sanctification, God conforms us to His Son but not apart from obedience. The NT is rich with statements about God’s work and the work of the believer. Paul said it well in Col. 1:29. when He appears. This refers especially to the Rapture and gathering of the church (cf. John 14:1–6; 1 Cor. 15:51–54; 1 Thess. 4:13–18) and the Judgment Seat of Christ to follow (cf. 1 Cor. 4:5; 2 Cor. 5:9, 10). confidence…not be ashamed before Him. The word “confidence” means “outspokenness” or “freedom of speech.” Those who are saved will have confidence at Christ’s coming because they will be blameless in holiness based on abiding in Christ (Eph. 5:27; Col. 1:22; 1 Thess. 3:13; 5:23). In contrast, there will be many, like the soils in Matthew 13, who are temporary look-alike believers (see 13:20–22; cf. John 8:31), who did not believe, who did not persevere in abiding, and consequently, face only shame at His appearance.

  2:29 everyone who practices righteousness is born of Him. This is the second feature of the believer’s hope in 2:28—3:3. The hope of Christ’s return not only sustains faith (v. 28), but makes righteousness a habit. The term for “born” is the same verb used in John 3:7 where Jesus told Nicodemus that he must be “born” again. Those truly born again as God’s children have their heavenly Father’s righteous nature (1 Pet. 1:3, 13–16). As a result, they will display characteristics of God’s righteousness. John looks from effect (righteous behavior) to cause (being truly born again) to affirm that righteous living is the proof of being born again (James 2:20, 26; 2 Pet. 3:11).

  1 John 3

  3:1 what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us. This outburst of wonder introduces the third feature of the believer’s hope in 2:28—3:3. The believer’s hope is strengthened by the fact that God’s love initiated his salvation (Eph. 1:3–6). Christ’s return will unite the believer with the heavenly Father who loves His child with an immeasurable love. John expresses utter astonishment at God’s love for believers in making them His children (Rom. 8:17). Therefore the world does not know us. The real aliens in the world are not extra-terrestrials but Christians. Having been born again, given a new nature of heavenly origin, Christians display a nature and lifestyle like their Savior and heavenly Father; a nature totally foreign (other worldly) to the unsaved (1 Cor. 2:15, 16; 1 Pet. 4:3, 4). No wonder Scripture describes Christians as “pilgrims,” “sojourners,” and “strangers” (Heb. 11:13; 1 Pet. 1:1; 2:11). The Lord Jesus was unearthly in origin, and so are those born again. Our true transformed lives have not yet been manifested (see notes on Rom. 8:18–24).

  3:2 now we are children of God. Everyone who exercises genuine saving faith becomes a child of God at the moment of belief (John 1:12; Rom. 8:16; 2 Pet. 1:4), though the truly heavenly, divine life in that person (cf. Eph. 4:24; Col. 3:10) will not be revealed until Jesus appears (see note on Rom. 8:19). In the meantime, the Holy Spirit is working into us the image of Christ (see note on 2 Cor. 3:18). we shall be like Him. This phrase introduces the fourth feature of the believer’s hope in 2:28—3:3. When Christ returns He shall conform every believer to His image, i.e., His nature. A tension exists between the first part of the verse (“now we are children”) and the latter part (“we shall be like Him”). Such tension finds resolution in the solid hope that at Christ’s return the believer shall experience ultimate conformity to His likeness (see notes on Rom. 8:29; 1 Cor. 15:42–49; Phil. 3:21). The glorious nature of that conformity defies description, but as much as glorified humanity can be like incarnate deity, believers will be, without becoming deity.

  3:3 purifies himself, just as He is pure. This is the key verse to 2:28—3:3 and introduces the fifth feature of the believer’s hope in this section. Living in the reality of Christ’s return makes a difference in a Christian’s behavior. Since Christians someday will be like Him, a desire should grow within the Christian to become like Him now. That was Paul’s passion, expressed in Phil. 3:12–14 (see notes there). That calls for a purifying of sin, in which we play a part (see notes on 2 Cor. 7:1; 1 Tim. 5:22; 1 Pet. 1:22).

  3:4–24 The primary aim of this section is to combat false teachers who are corrupting the fundamentals of the faith. These verses further amplify, reiterate and emphasize the moral test already presented by John (see 2:3–6, 7–11). Verses 4–10 convey that genuine believers practice righteousness, while vv. 11–24 relate that genuine believers practice love toward fellow believers. John was very concerned that Christians know how to tell the true from the false; the genuine from the artificial; true believers from false ones. He presents tests here and throughout this letter to help determine the validity of anybody’s claim to be a Christian.

  3:4–10 These verses deal with the Christian’s incompatibility with sin. The false teachers that John combated, because of their gnostic-like concepts (see Introduction: Background and Setting), discounted the significance of sin and the need for obedience. Because of their philosophical dualism, they viewed matter as inherently bad, and as a result, any sins committed in the physical realm as inconsequential. In this section, John gives 4 reasons why true Christians cannot habitually practice sin (John 8:31, 34–36; Rom. 6:11; 2 John 9).

  3:4 commits sin. The verb, “commits,” in the Gr. conveys the idea of making sin a habitual practice. Although genuine Christians have a sin disposition (1:8), and do commit and need to confess sin (1:9; 2:1), that is not the unbroken pattern of their lives. A genuinely born again believer has a built-in check or guard agains
t habitual sinning due to a new nature (“born of God”—v. 9; Rom. 6:12). sin is lawlessness. The first reason why Christians cannot practice sin is because sin is incompatible with the law of God which they love (Ps. 119:34, 77, 97; Rom. 7:12, 22). The term “lawlessness” conveys more than transgressing God’s law. It conveys the ultimate sense of rebellion, i.e., living as if there was no law or ignoring what laws exist (James 4:17).

  3:5 He was manifested to take away our sins. A second reason why Christians cannot practice sin is because it is incompatible with the work of Christ. Christ died to sanctify (i.e., make holy) the believer (2 Cor. 5:21; Eph. 5:25–27). To sin is contrary to Christ’s work of breaking the dominion of sin in the believer’s life (Rom. 6:1–15).

  3:6 does not sin. Like the phrase “commits sin” of verse 4, the sense conveyed here is the idea of habitual, constant sinning. Whoever sins has neither seen Him nor known Him. If no check against habitual sin exists in someone who professes to be a Christian, John’s pronouncement is absolutely clear—salvation never took place.

  3:7 let no one deceive you. The word “deceive” means “to be led astray.” Since false teachers were attempting to pervert the fundamentals of the faith, the possibility existed that some Christians might be fooled into accepting what they were advocating. To prevent this deception from occurring, John repeatedly emphasized the basics of Christianity, e.g., the need for obedience, the need for love, and the need for a proper view of Christ (see Introduction: Historical and Theological Themes). practices righteousness. The genuine believer’s habitual lifestyle of righteousness stands in sharp contrast to those false teachers who practiced sin (cf. vv. 4, 6). Since Christ died on the cross to transform sinners, those truly born again have replaced the habit of sin with the habit of righteous living (Rom. 6:13, 14). just as He is righteous. Those who are truly born again reflect the divine nature of the Son. They behave like Him, manifesting the power of His life in them (Gal. 2:20).