Gospel, not merely in time, but in conception and form. and point of view, is the last of the Gospels, so this is the last of the Epistles. It rises above and consummates all the rest... It is indeed no handbook or summary of Christian doctrine; for it is written expressly for those who know the truth;' and therefore much is left unstated, because it may be taken for granted. But in no other book in the Bible are so many cardinal doctrines touched, or with so firm a hand. Closely connected with this characteristic of finality is another which it shares with the Gospel,-the tone of magisterial authority which pervades the whole. None but an Apostle, perhaps we may almost venture to say, none but the last surviving Apostle, could write like this. There is no fierce denunciation of those who are opposed to him, no attempt at a compromise, no anxiety about the result. He will not argue the point; he states the truth and leaves it. Every sentence seems to tell of the conscious authority and resistless though unexerted strength of one who has seen and heard and handled' the Eternal Word, and who knows that his witness is true.' Once more, there is throughout the Epistle a love of moral and spiritual antithesis. Over against each thought there is constantly placed in sharp contrast its opposite. Thus light and darkness, truth and falsehood, love and hate, life and death, love of the Father and love of the world, the children of God and the children of the devil, the spirit of truth and the spirit of error, sin unto death and sin not unto death, to do righteousness and to do sin, follow one another in impressive alternation. The movement of the Epistle largely consists of progress from one opposite to another." 7. The Plan of the Epistle. It is very difficult to analyze this Epistle, and some have even maintained that there is no systematic arrangement at all,-John writing in detached aphoristic sentences. But though his method is not so dialectical as that of Paul, it is a mistake to suppose that he has no plan. This plan however is difficult. to trace, and each commentator has tried to improve upon the labors of others. It is exceedingly interesting to compare the analyses adopted by such commentators as Duesterdieck, Huther, Haupt, Westcott, and Plummer. The last, whose analysis is perhaps as good as can be made, says: "Probably few commentators have satisfied themselves with their own analysis of this Epistle; still fewer have satisfied other people. Only those who have seriously attempted it know the real difficulties of the problem. It is like analyzing the face of the sky or the sea. .. But about one point most students of the Epistle will agree; that it is better to read it under the guidance of any scheme that will at all coincide with its contents, than with no guidance whatever. Jewels, it is true, remain jewels, even when piled confusedly into a heap; but they are then seen to the very least advantage. Any arrangement is better than that. So also with 1 St. John's utterances in this Epistle. They are robbed of more than half their power if they are regarded as a string of detached aphorisms, with no more organic unity. than a collection of proverbs." The analysis here given is largely based upon the labors of previous commentators, and has gradually taken shape during the writing of this commentary, “ and if it helps any other student to frame a better analysis for himself, it will have served its purpose." I. I John i. 1-4. INTRODUCTION. 1. The Living Christ the Subject-Matter of the Gospel Message (i. 1-3.) 2. The Aim of the Epistle (i. 4.) II. I John i. 5-ii. 28. THE NATURE OF FELLOWSHIP WITH GOD. 3. God is Light (i. 5). 4. The Evidence of True Fellowship with God (i. 6, 7). 5. The Confession of the Contrite Believer (i. 8-10). 6. Christ is the only Remedy for Sin (ii. 1-2). (ii. 3–6). 8. Love of the Brethren (ii. 7–11). 9. Reasons for Writing (ii. 12–14). 10. A Warning against Love of the World (ii. 15 17). II. Warning against the Antichrists (ii. i8 28). III. I John ii. 29--iii. 24. THE FRUIT OF FELLOWSHIP WITH GOD IS HOLINESS. 12. The Children of God and the Children of the Devil contrasted (ii. 29-iii. 12). 13. Brotherly Love and the Hatred of the World contrasted (iii. 13-18). 14. The Fruit of Love (iii. 19-24). IV. 1 John iv. 1-6. THE LAW OF FELLOWSHIP IS TRUTH. 15. The Spirit of Truth and the Spirit of Error contrasted (iv. 1-6). V. 1 John iv. 7-21. THE LIFE OF FELLOWSHIP IS LOVE. 16. Brotherly Love is the active Principle of the Christian Life (iv. 7-21). VI. I John v. I−12. FAITH. THE ROOT OF FELLOWSHIP IS 17. The Power and Witness of Faith (v. 1-12). VII. 1 John v. 13-21. CONCLUSION. 18. The Aim of the Epistle restated (v. 13). 19. Confidence in Prayer (v. 14-17). 20. Assurance of Christian Knowledge (v. 18-20). 21. Final Warning (v. 21). 8. Select Literature. In addition to the Literature given in the General Introduction to the General Epistles, pp. vii, viii, we would call attention to the following: Duesterdieck, Die Drei Johanneischen Briefe, 2 vols. Ebrard, The Epistles of St. John, Edinburgh, Haupt, The First Epistle of St. John, Edinburgh, 1879. Lias, The First Epistle of John, 1887. Luecke, The Epistles of John, 1837, Third Ger. ed., 1856. Luther, Two Expositions in Walch, vol. 9, pp. 909- Macdonald, Life and Writings of St. John, 1877. Neander, First Epistle of John practically explained, 1853. Westcott, The Epistles of St. John, The Greek The four best Commentaries on the Greek text of the First Epistle of John are by Haupt, Braune, Huther, and Westcott, and on the English text we would especially recommend the Commentaries of Plummer, Alexander, and Lias. THE FIRST EPISTLE GENERAL OF JOHN. CHAPTER I. I. THE LIVING CHRIST THE SUBJECT-MATTER OF THE GOSPEL MESSAGE. 1-3. That which was from the beginning, that which we have heard, that which we have seen with our eyes, that which we beheld, and our hands handled, concerning the Word of life (and the life was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare unto you the life, the eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us); that which we have seen and heard declare we unto you also, that ye also may have fellowship with us : yea, and our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. The Introduction (i. 1-4) naturally falls under two heads, the first three verses treating of the subject-matter of the Gospel Message, and the fourth verse of the special aim of this Epistle. There is a very close connection between this Introduction and the Prologue to John's Gospel (i. 1-18), but the two passages are not parallel, but complementary, both treating of the Incarnate Word, but from different points of view. The form which this Introduction takes, so different from that found in the other Epistles of the N. T., reminds us of the exordium to the Epistle to the Hebrews (i. 1-4). The very length of the sentence testifies to the emotion. with which it was written. The structure is somewhat involved. The main verb is we declare of verse 3, and |