First John: 1 John 2:8-The Command to Love One Another is Associated with the New Age Lesson # 56
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On the other hand, I am writing a new commandment to you, which is true in Him and in you, because the darkness is passing away and the true Light is already shining. (NASB95)
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Tuesday June 13, 2017
www.wenstrom.org
-The Command to Love One Another is Associated with the New Age
Lesson # 56
On the other hand, I am writing a new commandment to you, which is true in Him and in you, because the darkness is passing away and the true Light is already shining. (NASB95)
“On the other hand” is the adverb palin (πάλιν), which is functioning as a marker of contrast meaning it is introducing a declarative statement which stands in contrast to the previous assertions in .
“A new commandment” is composed of the following: (1) accusative feminine singular form of the noun entolē (ἐντολή), “a commandment” (2) accusative feminine singular form of the adjective kainos (καινός), “new.”
The noun entolē means “command” referring to the Lord Jesus Christ’s Spirit inspired command recorded in to love one another as He loved which is indicated by John’s teaching in where he contrasts loving one’s fellow believer with hating them which is in fact the absence of love.
The adjective kainos means new in contrast to what is relatively old which is indicated by the causal clause which follows and modifies it, namely, “because the darkness is passing away and the true Light is already shining.”
Therefore, in , the adjective kainos is describing the Lord’s command to love one another as new in relation to the new age in which Christ will rule over this earth and in contrast to the old age in which Satan is presently and temporarily the ruler of this earth.
“True” is the adjective alēthēs (ἀληθής), which describes the command to love one another as being a reality or an historical fact in the life of Jesus Christ and the recipients of this epistle who were Christians in the Roman province of Asia.
“Because the darkness is passing away” presents the reason for John providing information in writing for the benefit of the recipients of this epistle regarding a new command.
“The darkness is passing away” refers to Satan’s kingdom and his world system, which is totally opposed to Christ’s kingdom, as “passing away” or “passing out of existence.”
“The true Light is already shining” is figurative language for Jesus Christ’s kingdom manifesting the holiness of God in the midst of the spiritual darkness of Satan’s kingdom.
But from a different perspective, I am providing information in writing at this particular time for the benefit of each one of you regarding a new command, which is true in Him as well as in each one of you, because the darkness is being made to pass away while the true light is already shining. (My translation)
John’s statements in regarding the command to love one another stand in contrast to his statements regarding this command in .
In , the apostle John asserts that this command to love another is new but not mean new in the sense of being unfamiliar as was the case in but rather it is new in contrast to what is relatively old.
Specifically, it is new in relation to the new age in which Christ will reign over all the earth in contrast to the present evil age in which Satan rules the earth.
This is indicated by the causal clause which follows and modifies it: “because the darkness is being made to pass away while the true light is already shining.”
This causal clause asserts that the darkness is passing away which refers to the fact that the reign of Satan and the kingdom of darkness over planet earth is coming to an end and also asserts that the true Light is already shining.
The true Light is Jesus Christ’s kingdom and by already shining, John means that the holy character of Christ’s kingdom is already manifesting itself during this present evil age.
By this assertion, John also means that the holy character of Christ’s kingdom is presently being manifested through the church as they obey His command to love one another as He has loved them.
Therefore, in the causal clause, the adjective kainos, “new” is describing this command to love one another in relationship to the present age in which Satan is the ruler of this earth which John asserts is passing away.
It is also describing this command in relation to Jesus Christ’s victory over Satan’s kingdom and which victory is presently being manifested through the church as they obey this command.
This causal clause affirms that this future new age in which Jesus Christ will reign over the entire for a thousand years has already manifested itself during this present evil age during Jesus Christ’s First Advent and particular through Christ’s act of love on the cross.
It also affirms that this future new age is manifesting itself during the present evil age through the church, which is the body of Christ as they obey the Lord’s command to love one another.
Jesus Christ died on the cross for the entire human race because He loved the entire human race who were created by Him in His image and by doing so, He also destroyed the works of the devil.
Therefore, Jesus Christ’s act of love on the cross gave His kingdom the victory over Satan’s kingdom, thus, this adjective kainos means “new in relation to what is relatively old.”
The command to love one another is new in relation to Christ’s future millennial reign over the earth and thus it is new because obedience to this command will characterize this future age which stands in contrast to present evil age in which Satan is the god of this world.
The relative pronoun clause “which is true in Him as well as in each one of you” which precedes this hoti causal clause asserts that this command to love one another is true in the life of Jesus Christ and the recipients of this epistle.
It was true in the life of Jesus Christ in that He perfectly exemplified this command or in other words, this command found its perfect expression in the life of Jesus Christ.
He always loved His neighbor as Himself and in the same way, He always loved those who trusted in Him as their Savior.
He demonstrated this love when He voluntarily suffered a substitutionary spiritual and physical death on the cross for not only for all believers but also the entire human race.
This relative pronoun clause also asserts that this command to love one another was also true in the members of the Christian community in the Roman province of Asia who were recipients of this epistle.
It was true in the them in the sense that they were obedient to the Lord Jesus Christ’s command to love one another as He had loved them.
Therefore, in the relative pronoun clause, the adjective kainos is describing this command to love one another in relation to Jesus Christ and His church but it is not telling reader why this command is new.
It is simply affirming that this command found its fulfillment in the life of Christ and finds its fulfillment in the lives of those members of His body the church who are obedient to this command and the implication is that they are part of the new age, which is superior to the old.
Therefore, this relative pronoun clause is not defining why the command to love one another is new but rather affirming that Christ and His church love one another.
Consequently, this relative pronoun clause in relation to the causal clause infers that Christ and His church achieved victory over Satan’s kingdom by virtue of their loving one another.
Jesus Christ’s obedience to the Old Testament command to love His fellow human being as Himself defeated Satan and his kingdom.
The church’s obedience to the Lord’s command to love one another manifests this victory Christ achieved over Satan’s kingdom.
Therefore, in , the Lord’s command to love one another is new in relation to the new age in which Christ will rule over this earth and stands in direct contrast to the present evil age in which Satan is presently and temporarily the ruler of this earth.
Now, when John asserts that this command is true in Jesus as well as in the recipients of this epistle, he means that this command to love one another was a reality or an historical fact in the life of Jesus Christ and in the lives of the recipients of this epistle who were Christians in the Roman province of Asia.
The reference to “darkness” is figurative language for Satan’s kingdom which is characterized by sin and evil in contrast to God’s kingdom which is characterized by holiness.
When John asserts that Satan’s kingdom is being made to pass away, he means that it is passing out of existence.
The reason why it is passing out of existence from the earth is that the command to love one another is an historical fact in the life of Jesus Christ and the lives of the member of His church who are obeying His command to love one another.
The kingdom of darkness is being made to pass out of existence from the earth because the command to love one another was true in the life of Christ and in the lives of the members of His church.
The “true light” is also figurative language for Jesus Christ’s kingdom.
“Light” is a figure for God’s holiness and “true” means that this kingdom is characterized by integrity.
By asserting that this true light is already shining, John is using figurative language to signify that the kingdom of Jesus Christ was manifesting through the church the holiness of God in the midst of the spiritual darkness of Satan’s kingdom.
The church manifests the holy character of Christ’s kingdom by obeying His command to love one another as He has loved them.