Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible · 1 John 第1章

1 John 1:1. That which was from the beginning, &c.— Though from the beginning (απ αρχης ), and in the beginning (εν αρχη ), as we have it, Joh 1:1 are somewhat different expressions; yet, as Christ is here styled in the next verse eternal Life, it is natural to take in his eternal existence, correspondent to this apostle's assertion of it, John 1:1. The phrase Ye have known him that is from the beginning

(απ αρχης ), ch. 1Jn 2:13-14 whether applied to the Father or Son, evidently relates to his eternal existence. Accordingly, we may take the phrase that which was from the beginning to relate to the eternal Deity of Christ, rather than to the beginning of the gospel dispensation, though it may bear the last of these senses in some other parts of this epistle. The neuter gender is sometimes used concerning a person, both in the New Testament and in some of the Greek classics. St. John, as well as the other eleven apostles, had heard Christ preach, and had heard the Father bear testimony to him by an audible voice from heaven: they had seen him with their own eyes; they had viewed him attentively and deliberately. Nay, St. John here declares, that he had not only seen and heard Christ in the flesh, but had felt and handled his body, and had all possible evidence that he came in the flesh, or had a real body: by which expressions St. John seems particularly to advert to the heresy of the docetae. See the introduction to this chapter.

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1 John 1:2. For the life was manifested— Jesus Christ is here called the Life, not only as having life in himself, but as the author of eternal life, or that great and glorious Person, who revealed,and will bestow, that immortal glory and felicity, which was in former ages comparatively concealed in the breast or council of Deity; and which the Lord Jesus Christ so clearly manifested unto the apostles, and brought to light in the gospel. See John 1:4; John 11:25; Joh 14:6 and 1Jn 5:11-12; 1 John 5:20. All this second verse ought evidently to be read in a parenthesis.

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1 John 1:3. That ye also may have fellowship, &c.— According to the scriptures, every man who, to the best of his power, follows the true doctrines of the apostles, and through grace acts according to their precepts, is entitled to communion with every Christian church wherever he comes: but if any part of the visible church should refuse to have communion with him, he nevertheless belongs to the true and invisible church of Christ, which consists of all his sincere and faithful disciples throughout the whole world. He has communion with all righteous and good men: he has likewise communion with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. False teachers and wicked men cut themselves off from the true church of Christ by their heresies or wickedness; but, though a good man may perhaps be rejected by some parties of Christians here on earth, he will not be rejected by the Judge of the world, but admitted to the communion of the saints above. See on 1 John 1:6.

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1 John 1:4. That your joy may be full.— "That the divine life may be so improved in your souls, and your meetness for the heavenly inheritance may be so apparent, and so advanced, that your joy may, as far as possible, be fulfilled; and no circumstance which this mortal life will admit, may be wanting to complete it."

1 John 1:5. Which we have heard of him, &c.— Of him, means, "From Jesus Christ;" for St. John evidently refers to what he had said in some of the preceding verses, concerning his seeing Christ in the flesh, and hearing him preach the word of life; what that apostle had heard from Him, he delivered faithfully unto the Christians. Light is in several texts put for knowledge or felicity; and darkness for ignorance or misery. But here light is put for purity or holiness, and darkness for moral impurity, or vice and wickedness. God is a pure and spotless Being, without any dark stain of impurity whatever. The phraseology of this verse, of affirming one thing, and immediately denying the contrary, or of denying one thing and affirming the contrary, was very common with the Hebrews, and St. John has often made use of that idiom. See 1 John 1:6; 1 John 1:8; 1 John 2:4; 1 John 2:7; 1 John 2:10, &c. Dr. Bates says, that the phrase, God is Light, expresses his most clear and perfect knowledge; for light discovers all things: his unspotted holiness; for light is incapable of any pollution: and sovereign goodness and happiness; for light, joined with vital heat, inspires pleasure into universal nat

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1 John 1:6. If we say that we have fellowship with him,— By communion with God, St. John means a holy exercise of the Divine presence, walking by faith in the light of his countenance, and an abiding consciousness of his favour, which can be experienced by none but those who lead a holy life. We cannot have communion with God, unless we resemble himin purity, holiness, and all moral perfection. Holiness is through grace preserved and increased by the habitual practice of it, and by devotion. Thus may we maintain communion with God: but if any one who neglects to worship and obey God, or who practices vice, should pretend to communion with God, he wilfully imposes upon himself, and does not act according to truth: truth is the rule or measure of right.

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1 John 1:7. But if we walk in the light, &c.— "But if, on the other hand, we walk in the light of holiness, as he himself is ever in the light of it, and surrounded with it as his brightest glory, we have then communion with him, and withone another in him; and though we are indeed conscious to ourselves of many past offences, for which so holy a God might for ever banish us from his presence, and of many remaining imperfections which might discourage our approaches to him, we have this grand consolation, that the Blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanses us from all sin." See Isaiah 2:5.

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1 John 1:8. If we say that we have no sin, &c.— Several commentators of note judge that this text has particular reference to the Gnostics: others give it a more general sense, but still as referring solely to the unawakened or unconverted, and having no allusion to the children of God: others, that the first clause signifies If we say that we have not sinned, the present tense being inserted instead of the past. The followers of Dr. John Calvin lay peculiar stress upon these words, as favouring the doctrine which maintains the impossibility of being saved from all sin in the present life. Mr. John Wesley supposes that the words before his Blood has cleansed us, are to be understood—If we say that we have no sin before his Blood has cleansed us. And when I compare the following passages of this epistle, viz. ch. 1 John 1:9 1Jn 2:5 1 John 3:3; 1 John 4:12; 1 John 4:16-18; 1Jn 5:18 with the present, I am constrained to acknowledge that I believe Mr. Wesley's comment on the passage to be perfectly just. At the same time I suppose no one will deny, that every human being on this side of the grave, may say with truth, "Father, forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive them that trespass against us." We every moment need the atoning Blood, the propitiatory Sacrifice as such, whatever be our situation or experience in the church of God.

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1 John 1:9. If we confess our sins, &c.— "If, on the other hand, we, under a humbling sense of our imperfections and many disallowed failures, acknowledge our transgressionstotheLord,andconfessthemwithfaithinChrist'spropitiatorysacrifice for the forgiveness of them, he is so true and faithful to his promise to the Redeemer, and to those that believe in him (Isaiah 53:11.Hebrews 8:12; Hebrews 8:12.); and is so just to the merit of his Blood (Romans 3:26.), as for his sake freely to pardon all our sins of omission and commission, in thought, word, and deed, and to purge our consciences from all guilt; and to cleanse us from the internal defilement of all our iniquities by the sanctification of the Spirit, which was purchased by the blood of his Son to purify our hearts and lives, thatwe may be fit for constant communion with him in this world, and eternally enjoy his presence and glory in the world which is to come."

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