Obey What Commandments?

Some thoughts on 1 John chapter two

This month, my friend Corri and I committed to writing a blog post on each chapter in 1 John as we studied through the book together using Scot McKnight’s new translation of the New Testament called The Second Testament. You can read my first post here.

One of the things I’ve enjoyed doing over the last few years is “disarming” passages that have been popularly used to condemn other believers. Passages like Galatians 1:6-10, 2 John 9, and Romans 16:16 have been used irresponsibly to disenfranchise our Baptist, Presbyterian, Methodist, Episcopal, etc. brothers and sister in Christ. The passage we will look at today is no exception.

Our passage says,

Now by this we know that we have come to know him, if we obey his commandments. Whoever says, “I have come to know him,” but does not obey his commandments is a liar, and in such a person the truth does not exist… (1 John 2:3–4)

I’ve heard preachers read this passage and say something like, “None of the denominations interpret the Bible like we do. They’re off on baptism. They’re off on instruments. They’re off on communion. John says those who do not keep the commandments are liars, so Baptists are liars, Lutherans are liars, Methodists are liars…” And on and on they go.

Does this passage teach that every person who is “off” on a subject like baptism or the eucharist are liars and in danger of eternal damnation? I don’t think so at all. Let’s check out 1 John 2.

We Have Known Him and are in Him

Since we are using Scot McKnight’s translation, here is The Second Testament’s version of 1 John 2:3-5.

In this we know that we have known him, if we observe his orders. The one who says that “I have known him” and doesn’t observe his orders is a falsifier, and the Truth isn’t in this person, but whoever observes his word, God’s love is truly completed in this person. In this we know that we are in him.”

For the sake of this post, we are limiting ourselves to 1 John 1 and 2 since that is as far as Corri and I have gotten, but towards the end, I’ll allow myself to break that rule. As for now, let’s notice a few things from the first two chapters relating to the ideas of knowing Christ and being in him.

Chapter 1 talks about having fellowship or “a common life” with God twice: once in verse 3 and another time in verse 6. Having a common life with God and Christ through the Spirit means “walking around in light” and staying away from darkness. Those who claim to know Christ but walk in darkness are liars or, as McKnight says, “are falsifiers” (1 John 2:4; cf. 1 John 1:6).

Not only that, but the Truth is not in that person. The Truth refers to Jesus and his Way. He is the Logos of Life and the Truth (1 John 1:1; cf. John 1:1; John 14:16). What’s even more severe is that those who claim to not sin are not only lairs themselves, but they cause God to be a falsifier (1 John 1:10).

Moving into chapter 2, we see that the one who is in Christ and knows Christ obeys his orders and walks like Jesus walked, but so far we have been given nothing to tell us what commandments God expects us to follow. Is he talking about the Ten Commandments or the other 600+ orders of the Law? Are we expected to follow everything Jesus said from being born again to cutting off our hands to selling all we have? Or are we left to blindly decide what are “fellowship issues” or “salvation issues” and what are not?

I don’t think so.

Let’s keep reading in 1 John 2.

Darkness Versus Light

Again, I write to you a new order, which is true in him and in you, that the Darkness is passing away and the true Light is already appearing. (1 John 2:8)

In verse 8, we see that “Darkness” doesn’t just refer to a sinful lifestyle, but it refers to an age, rule, or reign of darkness - a reign that was being supplanted by the kingdom of light through the gospel. As Paul said in Romans 13,

Besides this, you know what time it is, how it is already the moment for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we became believers; the night is far gone; the day is near. Let us then throw off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light; let us walk decently as in the day…Instead, put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires. (Romans 13:11–14)

They were to live “as in the day.” That is, they were to live as if the kosmos had already passed away and the world to come had arrived.

Back in 1 John 2, John’s claim that the Darkness was passing away and the true Light was already shining was motivation for them to follow this new order that was also an ancient command (1 John 2:7-8). What is this order? Read on.

The one who says to be in the Light and hate one’s sibling is until now in the Darkness. The one who loves one’s sibling is remains in the Light, and there is no tripping in the person. (1 John 2:9-10)

The command is simple: love one another. Those who walk around in Darkness doesn’t know where they are going and are blind (1 John 2:11).

(If you want more information on the move from the plural “commandments” to the singular “command,” check out this older post.)

But there’s more.

Believe in Jesus

In 1 John 2:18, John talks about the “Anti-Christos” that had been revealed. I have some ideas of who or what this was, but I’ll share those in a different blog. But for the time being, John’s short explanation will suffice:

Who is the falsifier if not the denier who says “Yēsous isn’t the Christos?” This is the Anti-Christos the denier of the Father and the Son. Everyone who denies the Son doesn’t have the Father. The one who openly agrees about the Son has the Father. (1 John 2:22-23)

What we pick up on in these first two chapters is that our life in Christ basically boils down to two things: love each other and believe in Jesus.

In 2 John, this basic message is repeated.

In 2 John 4, John rejoices because his children were “walking around in Truth.” He says that this old/ new command is to love each other (2 John 5). But here he also goes on to warn them about the Anti-Christos and writes,

Everyone who goes ahead, and doesn’t remain in the teaching about Christ, doesn’t have God. (2 John 9)

What teaching about Christ is he talking about? In verse 7 it is the fact that Jesus came in the flesh. Those who denied this, like in1 John 2, were liars or falsifiers.

Finally, let’s cheat a little and incorporate 1 John 3 into our study with just one quotation and no commentary to see how John defines the commandment God gave us:

This is his order, that we trust in the name of his son, Yēsous Christos, and we love one another, as gave to us in an order. (1 John 3:23)

Rereading the Passage

Now that we’ve taken time to see what John had to say about this “order” or commandment, let’s reread the original passage:

Now by this we know that we have come to know him, if we obey his commandments. Whoever says, “I have come to know him,” but does not obey his commandments is a liar, and in such a person the truth does not exist… (1 John 2:3–4)

One loves others because God has first loved them. God is the First Lover, and when we love our brothers and sisters, then God’s love is being completed in us, which, as 1 John 4 says, should cast out all fear, but I’m not allowed to talk about that passage for a couple of weeks!

Notice how this passage goes from talking about interpretations of certain passages or worship preferences to a very simple teaching: you can’t claim to be a Christian and not show love to your neighbor.

Does someone in your life claim allegiance to Jesus and also love to their neighbor? Yes? Then that person has fellowship with God, and you can have fellowship with them. They are walking around in light.