1Jo 2:28, 3:18, 4:4, 5:21 | JFB | STEP | 28. little children — Greek, "little sons," as in ; believers of every stage and age. abide in him —Christ. John repeats his monition with a loving appellation, as a father addressing dear children. when —literally, "if"; the uncertainty is not as to the fact, but the time. appear — Greek, "be manifested." we —both writer and readers. ashamed before him —literally, " from Him"; shrink back from Him ashamed. Contrast "boldness in the day of judgment," ; compare . In the Apocalypse (written, therefore, BENGEL thinks, subsequently), Christ's coming is represented as put off to a greater distance.

1 John 2:28

28. little children—Greek, "little sons," as in 1Jo 2:12; believers of every stage and age.

abide in him—Christ. John repeats his monition with a loving appellation, as a father addressing dear children.

when—literally, "if"; the uncertainty is not as to the fact, but the time.

appear—Greek, "be manifested."

we—both writer and readers.

ashamed before him—literally, "from Him"; shrink back from Him ashamed. Contrast "boldness in the day of judgment," 1Jo 4:17; compare 1Jo 3:21; 5:14. In the Apocalypse (written, therefore, BENGEL thinks, subsequently), Christ's coming is represented as put off to a greater distance.

1 John 3:18

18. When the venerable John could no longer walk to the meetings of the Church but was borne thither by his disciples, he always uttered the same address to the Church; he reminded them of that one commandment which he had received from Christ Himself, as comprising all the rest, and forming the distinction of the new covenant, "My little children, love one another." When the brethren present, wearied of hearing the same thing so often, asked why he always repeated the same thing, he replied, "Because it is the commandment of the Lord, and if this one thing be attained, it is enough" [JEROME].

in word—Greek, "with word . . . with tongue, but in deed and truth."

1 John 4:4

4. Ye—emphatical: YE who confess Jesus: in contrast to "them," the false teachers.

overcome them— (1Jo 5:4, 5); instead of being "overcome and brought into (spiritual) bondage" by them (2Pe 2:19). Joh 10:8, 5, "the sheep did not hear them": "a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers."

he that is in you—God, of whom ye are.

he that is in the word—the spirit of Antichrist, the devil, "the prince of this world."

1 John 5:21

21. Affectionate parting caution.

from idols—Christians were then everywhere surrounded by idolaters, with whom it was impossible to avoid intercourse. Hence the need of being on their guard against any even indirect compromise or act of communion with idolatry. Some at Pergamos, in the region whence John wrote, fell into the snare of eating things sacrificed to idols. The moment we cease to abide "in Him that is true (by abiding) in Jesus Christ," we become part of "the world that lieth in the wicked one," given up to spiritual, if not in all places literal, idolatry (Eph 5:5; Col 3:5).