Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary 1 John 1:6

"If we say that we have fellowship with him and walk in the darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:" — 1 John 1:6 (ASV)

John introduces the first of three tests of Christian faith by the clause “If we claim.” He uses this device to refer to false claims made by the false teachers. The first claim—to have fellowship with God and yet to walk in darkness— probably belongs to early Gnostics who, as John describes them, have no love for one another (v.7), hate their brothers (2:9, 11), claim sinlessness (v.8), and deny that Jesus came in the flesh (2:22). To “walk in the darkness” is the same as “abiding” in darkness or “living in darkness”—i.e., allowing darkness to define one’s life. In the final part of the verse, the author indicates that the test of truth is not one’s belief—though that is not excluded—but one’s action, deeds, and conduct. Speaking the truth is only one part of doing the truth, and not the most important part. It must not be assumed that the opponents agreed with the author’s claim that they walked in darkness. Far from it! They claimed to walk in the light while they practiced the deeds of darkness. This is what made their actions so pernicious. Inevitably they began to call their “darkness” light and to claim righteousness without doing righteousness. In such situations, the author says, we lie and do not live by the truth.