Charles Ellicott Commentary 1 John 2:12-17

"I write unto you, [my] little children, because your sins are forgiven you for his name`s sake. I write unto you, fathers, because ye know him who is from the beginning. I write unto you, young men, because ye have overcome the evil one. I have written unto you, little children, because ye know the Father. I have written unto you, fathers, because ye know him who is from the beginning. I have written unto you, young men, because ye are strong, and the word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome the evil one. Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the vain glory of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever." — 1 John 2:12-17 (ASV)

THE THINGS THEY MUST NOT LOVE IF THEY WALKED IN THE LIGHT (1 John 2:12–17).—The solemnity of the thoughts of 1 John 2:9; 1 John 2:11 is too much for the warm heart of the Apostle. He cannot bear even to seem to suggest that his “dear little children” are shrouded in the gloomy horrors of moral darkness, haunted by the faithful memories of their sins, and enticed here and there by the malevolent spirits of evil. He will warn them with the most tender and compassionate affection against the wicked one, the world, the flesh, the follies and vanities of the human heart; but first he will show them frankly what he thinks of them, what he hopes of them, the trust he places in them, the foundation he assumes in writing to them.

I write unto you, little children.—The arrangement of these triplets should be prefaced by saying that the last “I write,” in 1 John 2:13, is, according to the best reading, “I wrote,” or “I have written;” and that the “little children” of 1 John 2:12 is the same word as that which he used in 1 John 2:1 for the whole class of his readers, and is therefore quite general, but that the “little children” of 1 John 2:13 is a different word, meaning children in age.

Some have thought the second triplet an explanatory note that has crept into the text; others that “I write” refers to what he is doing at the moment, and “I wrote” to the view they would take when they read what he had written. It seems better, however, if we allow the Gospel to have been written first, to refer “I am writing” to the Epistle, and “I did write” to the Gospel.

Because your sins are forgiven you for his name’s sake.—Rather, have been forgiven. When Christ expired on the cross, the sins of all were forgiven who should afterward believe and carry on their repentance towards perfection. The process is realized in the soul when it wakes up to a sense of love of the Savior through faith.

Fathers.—The heads of families.

Him that is from the beginning.—There can be little doubt that this means the same Person as the subject of “His name’s sake.” (John 8:58; John 17:5). Knowledge of Christ is assigned in both cases as the reason for addressing the elder members of his audience, because fully to understand the work, the doctrine, and the example of Christ is a work fitted for mature thought. (Compare 1 Corinthians 3:1–2.)

Young men.—They might be regarded more as still engaged in the work of settling their character, forming their habits, disciplining their inclinations, and confirming the choice which all must make for themselves between good and evil. (Compare 2 Timothy 2:22.) St. John is not here addressing those who have failed in the struggle and not repented, but those who have overcome such temptations, or are in the process of overcoming them.

The wicked one.—(Compare 1 John 3:12; 1 John 5:18; Matthew 13:19; Ephesians 6:16.)

Because ye have known.—To those who have once begun to understand Christ, the topic must always be delightful and interesting.

Because ye are strong.—For the reasons mentioned before, young men have more special need of strength. (Compare Psalm 119:9.) This power can only come through the presence of the message and teaching of God in their hearts, which will be brought by faith in Christ, acceptance of His redemption, and reverential study of His example. When Christ has thus dwelt in their minds, then the victory is won, and the spirits of evil can no longer entice them.

Love not the world.—Having thus affectionately expressed his hopes about each class of them, the last of the Apostles is freer to express that warning which was suggested to his mind by the mournful picture of 1 John 2:11. If they would not walk in darkness—if they would be where the true Light shines—then they must not love the world.

What does “the world” mean? In Acts 17:24 it meant the universe; in John 1:9, perhaps more distinctly, the earth; in 1 John 2:2 the sum total of mankind; and in John 8:23 that moral order, found in this part of creation, which is antagonistic to God. Thus it became a phrase for all such inventions, plans, customs, thoughts, and evaluations of mankind as are not in harmony with the will and purpose of God.

It is ridiculous to suppose that St. John intended to condemn the love either of natural philosophy; or of the scenery of that creation which God saw to be very good, and which sin has been unable to injure; or of all mankind, who are His children. No created thing is evil in itself; the evil lies in the use which man makes of it. We must remember that our Lord said, I am the Light of the World (John 8:12), so that none of the phases of the meaning of the word can be essentially evil, except where it implies man’s own ungodly creations.

The world which is not to be loved is the sphere of rebellion, caprice, ambition, vanity, pride, avarice, forgetfulness of God, self-pleasing, sensuous desires and interests, and connivance with standards of thought and action antagonistic to the will of God. To take one example: Christ declared all Christians brothers; any respect for rank and wealth beyond a conscientious “bowing in the house of Rimmon” is a sign of the forbidden affection.

The love of the Father is the true posture of the soul towards God. If the soul is evenly balanced between love of God and of the world, it is negative and colorless. If the balance inclines towards the things that distract from the pure and simple walk with God, then the emotion for Him has died away; if the balance is for Him, “the expulsive power of the new affection” makes the contrary attractions insignificant and increasingly powerless.

All that is in the world.—The essence, the kernel of this sphere, showing itself in countless ways.

The lust of the flesh—i.e., that which proceeds from the earthly nature. It refers to all desire that takes possession of the soul as a motive for thought and action, a desire not arising from principles in harmony with the will of God.

The lust of the eyes—i.e., that of which the eyes are the seat. This includes all delight in objects, living or inanimate, apart from their moral and religious importance.

Personal beauty, for instance, is part of this when considered otherwise than as an index of a Christ-like soul. (John 8:15; 2 Corinthians 5:16; James 2:1.)

Our Lord's introspection focused on moral qualities (Mark 10:21).

The pride of life.—The Greek word for "pride" here is also used in the New Testament only in James 4:16.

The phrase means a boastful, ostentatious attitude regarding the good things of this life, which are allotted by God to be spent in His service.

All living up to a supposed social position, instead of acting as the responsible steward of undeserved bounties, is thus condemned.

Any social organization existing for pleasure, rather than for moral or religious ends, might be considered an illustration of this.

The world passeth away.—No reasonable person can set his affections on what is in its very essence perishable; for the perishable must always be disappointing and can in no sense satisfy. It is only passion, the madness of folly, and the contagion of accumulated examples that influence the soul towards what can only create the agonizing ache of a growing void.

And the lust thereof.—Of all the long succession of impulses excited by the world, nothing remains but the injury which they have inflicted.

But he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.—There is no permanence except that of defeat and failure in what is in rebellion against the Supreme Author and Ruler of all things.

But that which has continuously derived all its sustenance from Him must have absorbed from Him the “bright shoots” of that “everlastingness” which is His.

Everything that is good is a part of Him and can no more fade than He can.

It is by being in harmony with this undeviating tendency of righteousness to victory that real happiness discovers its own secret. (1 Corinthians 7:31; James 1:10; 1 Peter 1:24.)