L Cases, under the Gospel-Dispensation, as long as there are A. D. 67, 18 We know that God sinneth not; but 19 And we know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness. 20 And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an under standing that we may know him that is true : and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life. 21 Litt'e children, keep your selves from idols. Amen. 18. In the mean time, no fincere and true Christian is, without his own great Default, in much Danger of falling into fuch a defperate Degree of Sin, or of wilful Apoftacy from the Service of Chrift to that of Satan. 19 & 20. For to conclude: While the rest of the obstinate and unrepenting World continue enflaved to Ignorance, Idolatry, Sin and Satan, we Chriftians are fully and happily assured, that we are Members of the Church of the True God, by fincerely believing in Jesus Chrift his Son, who came into the World to teach us the Way of true Religion, and, being made Man, Suffered and Died, in order to our Eternal Life and Happiness. 21. Which, fince he has fo fully tation or Example ever from it! Amen. A PARAPHRASE To whom? § 1. St. JOHN. The PREFACE and CONTENTS. Y the Elect Lady, to whom this Epistle is directed, we may understand, either fome particular Person of honourable Descent, a Friend, and (perhaps) Disciple of St. John; or else some Christian Church; the Word Elect being so frequently used of the Jewish Church in the Old, of Christian Churches in the New Testament; and that of Children, to fignify the Members of those Collective Bodies. The Salutation at the Clofe, from the Children of the Elect Sitter, Ver. 13. feem, indeed, to bid most fairly for this latter Acceptation, as fignifying a Sifter-Church; as do also his speaking in the plural Number, Ver. 12. And, whereas the Church of Jerufalem was the Great Original from whence all they of the Circumcifion at first received the Christian Doctrine, She, of all others, lays the best Claim to this Title of (κυρία) the Mistress or Mother-Church; though other Learned Men think it probable to be meant of fome Afian Church, and most likely that of Philadelphia. I will only add, That St. John, in Ailing this Chriftian Church a Lady, follows the Language of the Old Scriptures. Thus Babylon called herself The Lady of Kingdoms, Ifa. xlvii. 5, 7. And the Antichriftian Babylon is represented as saying in her Heart, I fit as a Queen, Revel. xviii. 7. What these arrogantly and falfly applied to themselves, the Apostle here truly applies to the Christian Believers. § 2. The Strain of this Epistle, both in its Argurnent, The Design. and the very Expressions, is so clearly the fame, in the main, with that of the foregoing, that I refer the Reader to the Preface thereto prefixed, for the proper Key to them. § 3. The Shortness of this Letter, though to so principal Why so shore. a Church, is fufficiently accounted for, from Ver. 12. viz. that the Apostle very soon expected to vifit that Church, and give fuil Instructions in the Matters here so briefly handled. HE elder unto 1 & 2. HN, the now Aged * Tthe elect lady, and her children, whom I love in the truth; and not I on ly, but also all they that have known the F Apostle of Christ, fendeth Written this Epistle to the Church of || Jerufa- 3. Wishing you all Divine Fa- C 4 4. Tis * The Elder : πρεσούτερ, Presbyter, here, and in 1 Pet. v. 1. may be a Name of Honour and Dignity; or, as in Phil. ix. it fignifies, Aged; and so it fitly expresseth both the Apoftolical Office, and his long Continuance in it, he being now at least Jeventy Years of Age. † Ver. 3. In Truth and Love: These Words may be connected, either with those immediately foregoing, The Son of the Father, in Truth and Love; i. e. The Author of the true Christian Religion, fo full of Love to Mankind; or else with, Grace, Mercy and Peace be with you, as in the Paraphrase: Which I chuse as most agreeable to the Verse following. A.D.67. 4 I rejoiced great~ ly that I found of thy children walking in truth, as we have received a commandment from the Father. 5 And now, I be- which we had from we love one another. 6 And this is love; that we walk after his commandments. This is the commandment, that as ye have heard from the beginning, ye should walk in it. 7 For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confels not that Jesus flesh. This is a deceiver and an anti Chrift is come in the chrift. 4. 'Tis a mighty Comfort to me to hear of fuch a Number of your Church, that firmly and uncorruptedly adhere to the Christian Religion, as delivered by Christ and his Apostles, from God the Father. 5. Let me now only remind you, that true Chriftianity must be joined to true Faith, in order to make a true Christian. And those of your Church, where Chrift himself immediately delivered his Doctrines, * cannot but know it to be one of his special Commands. 6. For there is no Way of expreffing our true Love and Regard to † God, but by the Entertainment and Belief of his Revelation, as he has plainly delivered it to us, and by Observance of its Moral Precepts, whereof this of Love and Charity is one of the most principal. 7 & 8. I am thus particular in my Cautions in this Matter, to prevent you from being misled in your Principles, and so deprived of your future and glorious State of Happiness, by the deceitful Endeavours of a Set of Men, viz. the Jewish Zealots, that would perswade the world that Jesus is not the True ‡ Messiah; and those Heretical Christians that uphold he did not Live, and Preach, and Die in Reality, but in Appearance; that he was not himself the real Word who was with God his Father, the Son of God made Man 8 Look to your I See 1 John selves, that we lose not iv. 2, 3. the those things which we have wrought, but Note there. receive a full reward. * See 1 John ii. 7, 8. † Ἡ ἀγαπη, viz. τ8 θεῶ, as in 1 John v. 3. -iv. 21. : Man, but a mere Man, distinct in Reality from that A. D. 66. 9 Whosoever tranfgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Chrift, hath not God: he that abideth in the doctrine of Chrift, he hath both the Father and the Son. 18, 19-26. iv. 1, 2, 3. 9. Your Christian Religion, and the plain Facts and Doctrines of it, are so fully and unexceptionably demonstrated, that you must make them the Rule whereby to judge of all Pretenders in Religious Matters †. † See 1 John You know your own Principles are true; and therefore all that contradict them must be false, as plainly giving God himself the Lye. 10 If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed. 11 For he that biddeth him God speed, is partaker of his evil deeds. 12 Having many things to write unto you, I would notwrite with paper and ink; but I trust to come unto you, and speak face to face, that our joy may be full. 13 The children of * thy eldest Sister greet thee. Amen. 10 & 11. If you find any of these Teachers, therefore, that are thus unfound in their Doctrines, and loofe in their Morals; have nothing to do with them, and give them no Entertainment, for fear the Countenance you afford them should bring you into a share of their Guilt and Punishment. 12. I give you now only these brief Cautions, in hopes very foon to visit your Church, and furnish you with more full Directions, to your compleat Comfort and Satiffaction in your true Chriftian Principles, against the Designs of these Deceivers. 13. The Christian Church I am now * with, give hearty Love and good Wishes to you. God preserve you. Amen. * Thy elect Sister. What Church it was, from whence St. John wrote this, is no way certainly to be known: Dr. Lightfoot thinks it to be Ephesus; which, as it was the Metropolis of Afia, might indeed properly be called Sister to the Great Church of Jerufalem. A PARA V. 1-12. |