Exploring 1 John: The Greatest Commandments
1 John 2:7-11; Mark 12:28-34; John 13:34 - We walk in darkness if we don’t love.
”Beloved, I am not writing a new commandment to you, but an old commandment which you have had from the beginning; the old commandment is the word which you have heard. On the other hand, I am writing a new commandment to you, which is true in Him and in you, because the darkness is passing away and the true Light is already shining. The one who says he is in the Light and yet hates his brother is in the darkness until now. The one who loves his brother abides in the Light and there is no cause for stumbling in him. But the one who hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going because the darkness has blinded his eyes.“
1 John 2:7-11 NASB1995
John tells his beloved church members that he is not writing a new commandment to them, but an old commandment that they have had from the beginning in the Word. This commandment is, of course, what is documented in Mark 12:28-34:
”One of the scribes came and heard them arguing, and recognizing that He had answered them well, asked Him, “What commandment is the foremost of all?” Jesus answered, “The foremost is, ‘Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God is one Lord; and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ The second is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” The scribe said to Him, “Right, Teacher; You have truly stated that He is One, and there is no one else besides Him; and to love Him with all the heart and with all the understanding and with all the strength, and to love one’s neighbor as himself, is much more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.” When Jesus saw that he had answered intelligently, He said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” After that, no one would venture to ask Him any more questions.“
Mark 12:28-34 NASB1995
But John is also writing of a new commandment because this new commandment, to love one another, was given to the disciples in John 13:34:
”A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another.“
John 13:34 NASB1995
So what is a commandment? Let’s take a look, although I’m certain we have studied this word before (repetition is at the heart of learning). Commandment comes from Greek word ἐντολή or entolḗ and has the following Biblical usages (67 times in the NT):
an order, command, charge, precept, injunction
that which is prescribed to one by reason of his office
a commandment
a prescribed rule in accordance with which a thing is done
a precept relating to lineage, of the Mosaic precept concerning the priesthood
ethically used of the commandments in the Mosaic law or Jewish tradition
So our commandments are very simple - we are to love God with everything that we have and love others as ourselves. I absolutely love this commentary from Enduring Word about this love that we are commanded to have:
The new commandment “to love” that Jesus spoke of in John 13:34 was really new for several reasons. One of the most important reasons was that Jesus displayed a kind of love never seen before, a love we were to imitate.
The cross points in four directions to show that the love of Jesus is:
Wide enough to include every human being.
Long enough to last through all eternity.
Deep enough to reach the most guilty sinner.
High enough to take us to heaven.
This is a new love, a love the world had never really seen before the work of Jesus on the cross.
Isn’t that a great analogy of the cross? The dimensions are infinite and eternal!
Do I love others, especially other Christians, in this remarkable way? Not yet! Sadly, I still have some of the same bad habits entrenched in my soul that I have asked to have removed from my heart by the Holy Spirit. I am still suspicious, self-absorbed, reactionary, sometimes indifferent, annoyed, pedantic and downright unloving at times. I still stumble around in darkness. I really, really try not to dislike or even hate others. People are so unloveable, though, and it is a huge challenge. We are divided by politics, even in a community of believers (politics and opinions are truly the 21st century dogmas). Believers can also be even more unloveable, with their legalisms, self-righteousness, emotionalism and naïveté. Believers also form the most indomitable fortress-walled cliques with other insiders (it’s true in every church I have attended), leaving the newer people feeling quite left out.
Once again I’m turning to Enduring Word today for the excellent commentary:
He who says he is in the light, and hates his brother, is in darkness until now: Previously in this chapter, John examined us according to the moral measure of our walk with God. Later he will examine us according to doctrine as a measure of our walk with God. Now he examines us according to our love for other Christians as a measure of our walk with God.
Just as our relationship to sin and our obedience is a measure of our fellowship with God, so also is our love for God’s people. If we say that we are in the light yet hate our brother, then our claim to fellowship with the God who is light (1 John 1:5) is hollow. But the one who does love his brother shows that he abides in the light and is not stumbling.
“It seems plain that the expression here is not the same as ‘his neighbor,’ seeing that St. John is writing to Christians, and treating of their fellowship with one another.” (Henry Alford)
Sometimes it is easy to think, “Following Jesus would be easy if it weren’t for all the Christians.” And many, many Christians live as the walking wounded, crippled by the scars other Christians have inflicted on them. Yet this measure still stands. If we can’t love each other, then we have no way to claim a real love for God. Our relationship with God can be measured by our love for other Christians.
On the one hand, God is merciful in requiring this, because we are measured by how we love other Christians, not those who are not Christians. On the other hand, God gives us a particularly difficult measure, because we often – perhaps rightly – expect much more from our Christian friends and associates.
But he who hates his brother is in darkness and walks in darkness: The point is plain. If we lose love then we lose everything. There is nothing left. You can do all the right things, believe all the right truths, but if you do not love other Christians, then all is lost. The three tests – moral, doctrinal, and love – all stand together, like the legs on a three-legged stool.
It is all too easy for people to place “ministry” or “being right” above love in the body of Christ. We must do ministry, and we must be right, but we must do it all in love – if not in perfect actions, then following with proper repentance.
A really important point in this commentary is if we lose love, we lose it all. The three tests that tell us we are walking with God (moral, doctrinal, relational) all stand together. The failure of one causes a collapse of all three. Pray to be brought into the Light and have that firm foundation!
My next devotional examines 1 John 2: 12-14 - John addresses the different stages of spiritual maturity in his flock.
Heaven on Wheels Daily Prayer:
Dear Lord - I still struggle with ingrained sinful attitudes that keep me from loving others. Please help me to emerge from this enslavement by the enemy and be brought into Your Light of Love. Amen.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
The Blue Letter Bible was accessed on 4/10/2024 to review the lexicon for commandment.
Commentary from Enduring Word by David Guzik is used with written permission.