Verse 28: Now, little children, abide in Him, so that when He appears, we may have confidence and not shrink away from Him in shame at His coming.
“Little children” is John’s term of endearment indicating his personal affection for those who are his spiritual children. John acquired this particular word from Our Lord Himself (John 13:33), using it 7 times in this epistle. However, he used a different Greek word in 2:13, a more informal term for those who are relatively new believers. There he was comparing the spiritual maturity amongst those mentioned in verse 13.
Abiding in Christ
Next, he picks up from where he left off in verse 27 by restating for emphasis the command to abide in Him. But not to be overlooked is how John now switches for you to we. By this he is including himself, his readers and all believers throughout the ages.
This word abide is not a commonly used word in our English today. The Greek word means to continue, endure or remain.1 It is predominately used by John in his writings more than any other New Testament writer. And as noted in this epistle, he desires his readers to be and remain united with Jesus Christ, “one with him in heart, mind, and will.”2 This is evidenced by “the one who keeps His commandments” (3:24). The essence of true fellowship with the Lord is authenticated when the believer obeys this command to abide in Him. Our Lord first expressed this truth, that being a partaker of His life and death proves we abide in Him and He abides in us (John 6:56). Van Ryn succinctly states that “it simply means that a believer should stay where grace puts him—in touch with Christ.”3
There is a reason John gives for our continuous fellowship with the Lord, so that we are prepared for when He appears. We have assurance that Our Lord will return (1 Thessalonians 4:15-17), but the exact time when He returns is unknown. The event will occur unforeseen, “just like a thief in the night” comes unannounced (1 Thessalonians 5:2). So it is important for us to be ready; that we have our spiritual lives in order, namely, that we are consistently in fellowship and striving to reach spiritual maturity.
There are two motivating objectives given for being ready. First, that we may have confidence. The Greek word for confidence means courage, boldness, fearlessness.4 This is characteristic of the mature believer, one who acquires the boldness to live and speak their faith, being in fellowship with his Lord and guided by the Holy Spirit. This was demonstrated by the early disciples when they proclaimed God’s truth (Acts 2:29; 4:13; 14:3). And it is this same confidence we should have in our relationship with God in prayer (Hebrews 4:16; cf. 10:19).
Second, that we may...not shrink away from Him in shame. ‘Shrink in shame’ is one word in the Greek; here it means to be made ashamed or disgraced by the guilt of our personal failure to maintain fellowship and advance in our Christian life. We have an example of the Apostle Paul who endeavored unashamedly to fulfill the divine objective given to him with all boldness (confidence):
According to my earnest expectation and hope, that I will not be put to shame in anything, but that with all boldness, Christ will even now, as always, be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. (Philippians 1:20)
For even if I boast somewhat further about our authority, which the Lord gave for building you up and not for destroying you, I will not be put to shame (2 Corinthians 10:8)
Therefore, our objective should be the same, making every effort to advance in our Christian life. The principles of living a godly life has been made available to every believer throughout the Scriptures. We can acquire this truth from a qualified pastor-teacher and by daily study and prayer. The understanding and application of God’s Word is what the Apostle Paul describes as the “renewing [renovation] of your mind” (Romans 12:2). This is extremely necessary in our day because of the casual and careless approach that many believers possess regarding their faith in Jesus Christ. The details of life and the overwhelming dictates of the 21st Century culture have captivated the hearts and minds of many Christians, so that Jesus Christ is merely an insignificant fragment of their life instead of the center of their existence.
His Coming
The event to which the phrase at His coming refers to has been debated by many scholars. The Greek word for ‘coming’ is parousia and “denotes both an ‘arrival’ and a consequent ‘presence with,’”5 and is used in both general and technical aspects—the technical usage is at issue in our passage. Some believe this refers to His Second Coming when He returns to the earth and establishes His Millennial Kingdom (Revelation 19:11ff). Others believe that it refers to the Rapture event (1 Corinthians 15:51; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18), of which Dr. John Walvoord remarks concerning this word:
It is alleged, however, that the word is used only of the rapture when it refers to Christ and not to His return to the earth before the millennium. That it is used frequently of the rapture of the church is clear in the following references (1 Corinthians 15:23; 1 Thessalonians 2:19; 4:15; 5:23; 2 Thessalonians 2:1(?); James 5:7, 8; 2 Peter 3:4(?); 1 John 2:28).6
W.E. Vine adds:
When used of the return of Christ, at the rapture of the church, it signifies, not merely His momentary “coming” for His saints, but His presence with them from that moment until His revelation and manifestation to the world.7
Certain details which support that John is referring to the Rapture of the Church need to be considered. First, before John wrote this epistle, the Apostle Paul had explained the Rapture in two important passages (1 Corinthians 15:51-55; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18). This appears to be the next event on the prophetic calendar prior to Christ’s Second Coming (Revelation 19:11ff).
Second, John is writing this epistle about 95 A.D., 40 years after Paul wrote revealing the Rapture event. It is obvious that the Second Coming of Our Lord had not already occurred, nor had His Millennial Kingdom been established within those 50 years. Since John is concerned about the readiness of his readers’ present spiritual lives, it can be determined that in this verse he is anticipating the Rapture event—the coming of Our Lord for His Church.
Conclusion
Walvoord rightly states that “room must be left for difference of opinion”8 regarding the exact event meant by His coming. In considering either opinion, the point of John’s command remains the same that we are to abide in Him: continuously engaged in sinless fellowship with Him, endeavoring to advance to maturity and occupying our hearts and mind on Christ as the center of our life.
Will we be ashamed at His coming?
[1] Vine, W. E., Unger, M. F., & White, W., Jr. (1996). In Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words. Nashville, TN: T. Nelson, 1.299.
[2] Zodhiates, S. (2000). In The Complete Word Study Dictionary. Chattanooga, TN: AMG Publishers, G3306.
[3] Van Ryn, August (1948). The Epistles of John, New York, NY: Loizeaux Brothers, p. 76.
[4] Arndt, W., Gingrich, F. W., Danker, F. W., & Bauer, W. (1979). In A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, p. 630.
[5] Vine, et.al., 2.111.
[6] Walvoord, John. “New Testament Words for the Lord’s Coming.” https://walvoord.com/article/21#GB44C032 [Retrieved September 5, 2024]
[7] Vine, et.al., 2.111.
Expert handling to the point of confident clarity, especially of the "parousia" issue. 'Shame' at the judgment seat (Bema) of Christ is a much-maligned, but evident doctrine that should provide negative reinforcement that motivates the believer to desire to come to know Him via the adult spiritual life. EXCELLENT COMMENTARY.
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