صور الصفحة
PDF
النشر الإلكتروني

THE

FIRST EPISTLE GENERAL

OF

JOHN.

CHAP. I.

CONCERNING* the Word of Lifet, him, who was from the beginning t, whom we have heard, whom we have seen with our eyes, whom we have looked upon, 2 and our hands have handled ; (for the Life was mani

• This version of the three first verses of this chapter was proposed by the venerable Theophilus Lindsey, in his Second Address to the Students at Oxford and Cambridge, p. 302. It is to the unwearied and successful labours of this pious and learned person, whose life and doctrine have exhibited the most perfect model in modern times of the purity and simplicity of apostolical christianity, in conjunction with those of his able coadjutors, Jebb, Priestley, Wakefield, and others, that the christian world is indebted for that clear and discriminating light which has of late years been diffused over the obscurities of the sacred scriptures, and which promises, at no very distant period, to purify the christian religion from those numerous and enormous corruptions, which have so long disfigured its doctrines and impeded its progress.

+ The Word of Life, i. e. Jesus Christ, who is called the Word, Luke i. 2; John i. 1; and the Word of God, Rev. xix. 13. He was the divinely inspired teacher of the doctrine of a future life. The attentive reader will observe the resemblance between the introduction to the Epistle and that to the Gospel of John, which mutually il lustrate and explain each other, and are a presumptive proof that both were written by the same author.

Not from the beginning of time, but from the beginning of our Saviour's ministry. Lindsey, ibid. p. 303. See John i. 1, 2, and the notes there.

The Primate's version is: "That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked on, and our hands have handled, as concerning the Word of life."

¶ Life, and in the next clause, Everlasting Life.-Christ is so called as the great Teacher of everlasting life.

fested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare unto you that Everlasting Life which was with the Father, 3 and was manifested unto us ;) him whom we have seen and heard, we declare unto you †, that ye also may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the 4 Father, and with his son Jesus Christ. And these things we write unto you, that your joy may be completed ‡.

5

Now this is the declaration which we have heard from him, and make known unto you; that God is light, and 6 in him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we speak falsely, 7 and conform not to the truth: but if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, God and we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son 8 cleanseth us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, 9 we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, God is faithful and just to forgive || us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make him false, CH. and his word is not in us. II. things unto you, that ye may not sin. Yet if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ

:

My children, I write these

2 the righteous and he is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for the whole world **.

3

And we hereby know that we know him, if we keep

* that which, Gr. and Newcome.

+ The following is Mr. Wakefield's version: "What was at first, what we heard, what we saw with our eyes, what we observed, and our hands handled, concerning the doctrine of life: (for this Life shewed itself, and we saw it, and bear testimony, and declare unto you this Eternal Life, which was with the Father, and shewed itself unto us); what we saw and heard we declare unto you."

may be full. N.

God is so faithful and just as to forgive, N.

¶ Or, a righteous advocate with the Father, even Jesus Christ. Wakefield. The word Tagunλntos, advocate, is of very general import : q. d. Christ is the medium of re

conciliation. See Schleusner.

** for the sins of, etc. N. ¡λauss, the act of pacifying an offended party. Schleusner. Christ is a propitiation, as by his gospel he brings sinners to repentance, and thus averts the divine displeasure.

4 his commandments. He who saith, "I know him,” and keepeth not his commandments, speaketh falsely, and 5 the truth is not in him. But whosoever keepeth his word, of a truth the love of God is perfected in him: hereby we 6 know that we are in him. He who saith that he abideth in him, ought himself so to walk as He walked.

7

Beloved, I write not a new commandment unto you, but an old commandment which ye had from the beginning the old commandment is the word which ye have 8 heard [from the beginning]. Again, a new commandment I write unto you: which thing is true in Him and in you also: for the darkness is passed away †, and the 9 true light now shineth. "He who saith that he is

in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness until 10 now. He who loveth his brother, abideth in the light, 11 and he hath no cause of stumbling. But he who hateth

12

his brother, is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because darkness hath blinded his eyes."

I write unto you, my children, because your sins are 13 forgiven you on account of his name ‡. [I write unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that was from the beginning. I write unto you, young men, because ye have overcome the evil One ||. I write unto you, my 14 children, because ye have known the Father.] I write unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that was from the beginning. I write unto you, young men, because ye are strong, and the word of God abideth in you, 15 and ye have overcome the evil One. Love not the world,

nor the things which are in the world. If any man love 16 the world, the love of the Father is not in him; for all that is in the world, (the desire of the flesh, and the

* Brethren, R. T.

+ Or, is passing away.

q d. you have subdued vicious habits and inclinations. over persecution.

through his name. N.

Or, you have triumphed

desire of the eyes, and the pride of life,) is not of the 17 Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the desire of it: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.

18

My children, it is the last time and as ye have heard that antichrist will come, so even now there are many antichrists; by which we know that it is the last time. 19 They went out from us, but they were not of us for if

they had been of us, they would have remained with us : but this hath come to pass to make it manifest that all are 20 not of us*. But ye have an anointing † from the Holy One, 21 and know all things. I write not unto you because ye know not the truth: but because ye know it, and that no falsehood is from the truth. Who speaketh falsely, but he who denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, 23 who denieth the Father and the Son. Whosoever denieth the Son, hath not the Father: but he that acknowledgeth 24 the Son, hath the Father also. Let that [therefore] abide in you, which ye have heard from the beginning. If that which ye have heard from the beginning shall abide in you, ye also will abide in the Son, and in the Father.

25

And this is the promise which he promised us ‡, even 26 everlasting life. These things I write unto you concern27 ing those who would deceive you. But the anointing which

ye have received from him abideth in you, and ye need not that any one teach you: but as that anointing † teacheth you of all things, and is true, and is not falsehood, 28 even as it hath taught you, abide in him. And now, my

children, abide in him; that, when he shall be manifested, we may have confidence, and may not be ashamed before 29 him at his appearance. If ye know that he is righteous, be assured that every one who doeth righteousness is born of him.

CH. III. Behold what great love the Father hath bestowed on

* Or, they are made manifest; for all are not of us. Or, they went out, that they might be manifested, that all are not of us.

+ Or, anointing.

which the Son hath promised us, N.

2

us, that we should be called children of God: the world therefore knoweth us not, because it knew him not.

Beloved, now we are the children of God, and it hath not yet been manifested what we shall be: [but] we know that, when he shall be manifested, we shall be like him; 3 for we shall see him as he is. And every man who placeth this hope in him, purifieth himself, even as Christ is pure. 4 Whosoever committeth sin, transgresseth the law also: 5 for sin is a transgression of the law. And ye know that Christ was manifested to take away [our] sins: and in 6 him is no sin. Whosoever abideth in him, sinneth not: whosoever sinneth, hath not seen him, nor known him. 7 My children, let no man deceive you. He that doeth 8 righteousness is righteous, as Christ is righteous: he who committeth sin, is of the devil*; for the devil hath sinned from the beginning: for this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the 9 devil. Whosoever is born of God, doth not commit sin; for his seed abideth in him: and he cannot sin, because 10 he is born of God. In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness, is not of God; nor he who loveth not 11 his brother. For this is the charge which ye heard from 12 the beginning, that we love one another. Not as Cain, who was of that evil One, and slew his brother. And why did he slay him? Because his own works were evil, 13 and his brother's righteous. Wonder not, [my] brethren, 14 if the world hate you. We know that we have passed over from death to life, because we love the brethren. 15 He who loveth not [his brother] abideth in death. Who

soever hateth his brother is a murtherer: and ye know that no murtherer hath everlasting life abiding in him. 16 Hereby we know love †, because Christ laid down his not a real, but a hypothetical and fictitious being; the principle of evil personified: the supposed cause of evil. Hence called the evil Onc. Ch. ii, 13, 14. See Simpson's

Essays, p. 152.

+ Or, Hereby we have understood what love is.

« السابقةمتابعة »