First John: 1 John 2:24b-The Believer Will Experience Fellowship with the Son and the Father If They Obey the Apostolic Teaching Concerning Jesus Lesson # 84
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Let what you heard from the beginning abide in you. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, then you too will abide in the Son and in the Father. (ESV)
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Wednesday September 13, 2017
www.wenstrom.org
Lesson # 84
Let what you heard from the beginning abide in you. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, then you too will abide in the Son and in the Father. (ESV)
“If what you heard from the beginning abides in you” is the protasis of a third class condition which presents the condition as uncertain of fulfillment, but still likely.
Here in , the third class condition is expressing certain fulfillment meaning that if the recipients of this epistle fulfill the condition presented in the protasis, they will certainly fulfill the condition presented in the apodosis.
Therefore, it is communicating a spiritual principle or spiritual axiom which is true all the time.
Thus, it is expressing the idea that the recipients of this epistle are certain to experience fellowship with the Son as well as with the Father if they fulfill the condition of adhering to John’s apostolic teaching concerning the person of Jesus Christ.
In , the protasis is “If what you heard from the beginning abides in you” and the apodosis is “then you too will abide in the Son and in the Father.”
The relationship between the protasis and the apodosis is “cause-effect.”
The cause: “If what you heard from the beginning abides in you.”
The effect: “then you too will abide in the Son and in the Father.”
“Then you too will abide in the Son and in the Father” is composed of the following: (1) conjunction kai (καί), “too” (2) nominative second person plural form of the personal pronoun su (σύ), “you” (3) preposition en (ἐν), “in” (4) articular dative masculine singular form of the noun huios (υἱός), “the Son” (5) conjunction kai (καί), “and” (6) articular dative masculine singular form of the noun pater (πατήρ), “the Father” (7) second person plural future active indicative form of the verb menō (μένω), “will abide.”
The conjunction kai means “indeed” since the word is an emphatic marker emphasizing with the recipients of this epistle that they will live in fellowship with both the Son and the Father if they continue to obey his apostolic teaching concerning the person of Jesus of Nazareth.
The nominative second person plural form of the personal pronoun su means “each of you” since the word refers to the recipients of this epistle as a corporate unit and is used in a distributive sense emphasizing no exceptions expressing John’s concern for each of them.
Here it is used for emphasis and contrast indicating that it is expressing an emphatic contrast between the recipients of this epistle and the antichrists mentioned in .
The verb menō means, “to live” since the word pertains to experiencing fellowship with Jesus Christ and the Father.
The noun huios is used in relation to Jesus Christ and is employed here as a title for the deity of Christ describing the relationship between the Father and Jesus Christ implying that they share the same nature.
The word expresses three fundamental concepts regarding the Lord Jesus Christ: (1) His eternal relationship with the Father. (2) His appointment to the office of Savior and Messiah. (3) His divine essence.
This word expresses the Lord Jesus Christ’s eternality and that He is infinite and eternal God (, ; ; ; ; ) indicating His equality with the Father (; , ; ; , ; ; ; ; ).
The noun huios is the object of the preposition en, which is a marker of association expressing the idea of living in association with or in fellowship with the Son.
The articular accusative masculine singular form of the noun pater means “the Father” referring to the first member of the Trinity emphasizing the familial relationship between not only Jesus Christ and God but also between those who trust in Jesus Christ and believe He is the Savior and God.
The noun pater is the object of the preposition en, which is a marker of association expressing the idea of living in association with or in fellowship with the Father.
The future tense of the verb menō is a predictive future indicating that something will take place or come to pass.
Here it expresses the certainty that the recipients of this epistle will live in fellowship with the Son and the Father if they continue to obey John’s apostolic teaching that Jesus of Nazareth is the Christ and the Son of God.
In contrast to them, what each of you have heard from the beginning must continue to remain in each of you. If what each of you have heard from the beginning remains in each of you, indeed each of you will also live in fellowship with Son as well as in fellowship with the Father. (My translation)
The third class conditional statement is expressing an eternal spiritual principle or axiom pertaining to maintaining fellowship with both the Father and the Son.
It asserts that if John’s apostolic teaching concerning Jesus which the recipients of this epistle heard from the beginning of their Christian instruction continues to remain in their souls, then indeed, they will also live in fellowship with the Son as well as the Father.
Notice the repetition in in that twice he mentions the recipients adhering to the apostolic teaching that Jesus is the Christ from the beginning of their Christian instruction.
D.L. Akin writes “John is so concerned that what they heard from the beginning remains in them that he repeats himself (this repetition is unfortunately not obvious in the NIV, which reduces it to “if it does”). Repetition reinforces the urgency of the teaching: Do not move away from the word you heard from us.[1]”[2]
John’s teaching in points the reader back to the prologue of this epistle.
In the latter, he informs the recipients of this epistle that he was writing to them concerning the historicity of the incarnation and hypostatic union of Jesus Christ in order that they would continue to regularly experience fellowship with the Father and the Son.
Now, here in , John exhorts them to continue to adhere to this apostolic teaching concerning Jesus Christ in order that they would continue to experience fellowship with the Son as well as the Father.
Notice in , John mentions the Son first and then the Father just as he did twice in .
There is a specific purpose for doing this and was not done indiscriminately.
No one can enter into an eternal relationship with and experience fellowship with the Father except through the Son only.
As we noted, in , the second assertion which appears in this verse teaches that the person who does at any time acknowledge the Son, does possess a relationship with the Father also.
This statement echoes what Jesus Christ Himself taught in , and 14:6 and what Peter taught in and Paul taught in , , and 5:1-10.
In fact, John taught in that the Son of God became a human being in order to explain the Father to the human race or in other words, Jesus manifested the Father’s character and nature to the human race through His words and actions.
Paul taught in that Jesus is the only mediator between sinful humanity and God who is holy.
Therefore, the apostles taught that faith in Jesus Christ is the only way to a relationship with the Father who is holy.
Also, notice the critical importance John places on believers adhering to sound doctrine in order to continue to experience fellowship with the Trinity.
“Sound doctrine” refers to the Christian faith, the gospel or in other words, that body of doctrine which the church believes and adheres to (cf. , ; ; ; ).
It speaks of that which Jesus and His apostles taught and emphasizes that this body of doctrine is free from error or falsehood.
This stands in contrast with false doctrine.
Therefore, this phrase refers to the apostolic teaching or the Christian gospel, which is the accepted and authoritative teaching of the church that is free from error or falsehood since it is inspired by the Holy Spirit and originates from the Lord Jesus Christ.
This teaching promotes spiritual growth in the body of Christ as well as godliness.
“Sound doctrine” refers to the content of the apostolic teaching which originates from the Lord Jesus Christ, was inspired by the Holy Spirit and a revelation of the Father’s will and now resides in the Greek New Testament.
It was passed down to the pastors and evangelists in the church.
It refers to the apostles’ teaching concerning the person of Jesus Christ and His finished work on the cross as well as His teaching, which are a set of truths or practices to be learned and obeyed by Christians which originate with Jesus Christ, and are inspired by the Spirit and a revelation of the Father’s will.
It refers to historical facts concerning the Person and life of the Lord Jesus Christ that are absolutely essential for unregenerate man to know in order to make a rational decision to accept Jesus Christ as Savior or not since the acceptance by faith of His Person and Work results in justification.
NIV New International Version
[1] Smalley, 1, 2, 3 John, 199; Marshall, Epistles of John, 160.
[2] Akin, D. L. (2001). 1, 2, 3 John (Vol. 38, p. 123). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.