1Jo 2:27-29 | Barnes | STEP | Verse 27. But the anointing which ye have received of him . . Abideth in you . The meaning is, that the influence on your heart and life, which results from the fact that you are anointed of God, permanently abides with you, and will keep you from dangerous error. The apostle evidently meant to say that he felt assured that they would not be seduced from the truth, and that his confidence in regard to this was placed in the fact that they had been truly anointed unto God as kings and priests. Thus understood, what he here says is equivalent to the expression of a firm conviction that those who are true Christians will not fall away. Comp, , . And ye need not that any man teach you . That is, what are the things essential to true religion. . But as the same anointing teacheth you of all things . This cannot mean that the mere act of anointing , if that had been performed in their case, would teach them; but it refers to what John includes in what he calls the anointing--that is, in the solemn consecrating to the duties of religion under the influences of the Holy Spirit. And is truth, and is no lie . Leads to truth, and not to error. No man was ever led into error by those influences which result from the fact that he has been consecrated to the service of God. Ye shall abide in him . Marg., "or it ." The Greek will bear either construction. The connexion, however, seems to demand that it should be understood as referring to him --that is, to the Saviour. (a) "teacheth" (1) "him" "it"

1 John 2:27-29

Verse 27. But the anointing which ye have received of him. 1Jn 2:20.

Abideth in you. The meaning is, that the influence on your heart and life, which results from the fact that you are anointed of God, permanently abides with you, and will keep you from dangerous error. The apostle evidently meant to say that he felt assured that they would not be seduced from the truth, and that his confidence in regard to this was placed in the fact that they had been truly anointed unto God as kings and priests. Thus understood, what he here says is equivalent to the expression of a firm conviction that those who are true Christians will not fall away. Comp, 1Jn 2:19, 1Jn 2:20.

And ye need not that any man teach you. That is, what are the things essential to true religion. 1Jn 2:20.

But as the same anointing teacheth you of all things. This cannot mean that the mere act of anointing, if that had been performed in their case, would teach them; but it refers to what John includes in what he calls the anointing--that is, in the solemn consecrating to the duties of religion under the influences of the Holy Spirit.

And is truth, and is no lie. Leads to truth, and not to error. No man was ever led into error by those influences which result from the fact that he has been consecrated to the service of God.

Ye shall abide in him. Marg., "or it." The Greek will bear either construction. The connexion, however, seems to demand that it should be understood as referring to him--that is, to the Saviour.

(a) "teacheth" Jn 16:26 (1) "him" "it" Verse 28. And now, little children. 1Jn 2:1. Abide in him; that, when he shall appear. In the end of the world, to receive his people to himself. Jn 14:2,3. We may have confidence. Greek, boldness--παρρησιαν. This word is commonly used to denote openness, plainness, or boldness in speaking, Mk 8:32, Jn 7:4,13,26, Acts 2:29, 4:13,29, 2Cor 3:12, 7:4. Here it means the kind of boldness, or calm assurance, which arises from evidence of piety, and of preparation for heaven. It means that they would not be overwhelmed and confounded at the coming of the Saviour, by its being then found that all their hopes were fallacious.

And not be ashamed before him at his coming. By having all our hopes taken away; by being held up to the universe as guilty and condemned. We feel ashamed when our hopes are disappointed; when it is shown that we have a character different from what we professed to have; when our pretensions to goodness are stripped off, and the heart is made bare. Many will thus be ashamed in the last day, (Mt 7:21-23;) but it is one of the promises made to those who truly believe on the Saviour, that they shall never be ashamed or confounded. 1Pet 2:6, Comp. Isa 45:17, Rom 5:5, 1Pet 4:16, Mk 8:38. Verse 29. If ye know that he is righteous. This is not said as if there could be any doubt on the subject, but merely to call their attention to it as a well-known truth, and to state what followed from it. Every one who has any true acquaintance with God, must have the fullest conviction that he is a righteous Being. But, if this be so, John says, then it must follow that only those who are truly righteous can regard themselves as begotten of him.

Ye know. Marg., know ye. The Greek will bear either construction, and either would make good sense. Assuming that God is righteous, it would be proper to state, as in the text, that it followed from this that they must know that only those who are righteous can be regarded as begotten of him; or, assuming this to be true, it was proper to exhort them to be righteous, as in the margin. Whichever interpretation is adopted, the great truth is taught, that only those who are truly righteous can regard themselves as the children of God.

That every one that doeth righteousness is born of him. Or rather, is begotten of him; is truly a child of God. This truth is everywhere taught in the Bible, and is worthy of being often repeated. No one who is not, in the proper sense of the term, a righteous man, can have any well-founded pretensions to being regarded as a child of God. If this be so, then it is not difficult to determine whether we are the children of God.

(1.) If we are unjust, false, dishonest, we cannot be his children.

(2.) If we are indulging in any known sin, we cannot be.

(3.) If we are not truly righteous, all visions and raptures, all zeal and ardour, though in the cause of religion, all that we may pride ourselves on in being fervent in prayer, or eloquent in preaching, is vain.

(4.) If we are righteous, in the true and proper sense, doing that which is right toward God and toward men, to ourselves, to our families, to our neighbours, to the world at large, to the Saviour who died for us, then we are true Christians; and then, no matter how soon he may appear, or how solemn and overwhelming the scenes that shall close the world, we shall not be ashamed or confounded, for we shall hail him as our Saviour, and rejoice that the time has come that we may go and dwell with him for ever.

(2) "ye know" "know ye" (b) "that every one" Jer 13:23, Mt 7:16-18