ABIDING IN HIM WITH CONFIDENCE - 1 JOHN 2:28

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 21^st 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?

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[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.

[8] Ibid, Walvoord.

 

© 2024 David M. Rossi

 

"TAKE COURAGE!"

 But when they saw Him walking on the sea, they supposed that it was a ghost, and cried out; for they all saw Him and were terrified. But immediately He spoke with them and said to them, “Take courage; it is I, do not be afraid.” (Mark 6:49–50) 

This English phrase take courage is derived from a single Greek word (tharséō). It appears 7 times in the New Testament—6 times it is a command from the mouth of Our Lord. It is rendered by the idiom take heart in the more recent translations (ESV/NIV). And those familiar with the old King James Bible will note that the translators interpreted this phrase in every instance: be of good cheer. However, cheer tends to imply merriment, happiness or encouragement. There are two Greek words for this type of emotion: hilaros (Romans 12:8; 2 Corinthians 9:7) and euthumos (Acts 24:10; 27:36). Conversely, the Greek word for take courage doesn’t denote cheerfulness. According to the Greek Lexicons take courage “has the basic sense of ‘to dare,’ ’to be bold’”;1 and “to have confidence and firmness of purpose in the face of danger or testing.”2

Let us examine the challenging tests from nature, sickness, sin and evil that Our Lord commands us to take courage.

Contrary Winds

The scene is the Sea of Galilee, and a boat with the 12 disciples onboard. This narrative is recorded in the gospels of Matthew and Mark with a rare parallel account submitted by John. Our Lord has just finished miraculously feeding the multitude of five thousand and now He intends to go to a mountain retreat to pray alone (Matthew 14:23). But first, He compels the disciples to get aboard a boat and go ahead of Him to Bethsaida on the other side of the sea (Mark 6:45).

John states it was evening in his narration (John 6:17-21) and “it had already become dark” (v. 17) and that the disciples had rowed three to four miles from where they had left Our Lord (v. 19). Matthew 14:24 adds that they were rowing against a contrary wind while being “battered by the waves.”

Not to be missed is the remarkable aspect Mark points out in his account. From Our Lord’s place of prayer on the mountain, He was “seeing them straining at the oars”! The Greek verb tenses demonstrate that His seeing them occurred prior to when “He came to them” (Mark 6:48).3 This is a perfect example of Our Lords’ attribute of deity—His omniscience.

Next, the disciples saw Jesus walking on the water and were terrified, crying out in fear that they saw a ghost. Note that Our Lord didn’t ridicule their fears but instead said: “take courage; it is I, do not be afraid” (Mark 6:50). For Our Lord to have said “be of good cheer” in the midst of their fear would seem out of place. Instead take courage is a command for the disciples to have confidence that He is there to alleviate their fears, just as He is for believers today. Therefore, we should recognize that comfort and encouragement arise from overcoming fear and is based on confident hope in God’s help and promises.4

Sickness and Sin

There are two accounts in the synoptic gospels of Our Lord commanding those He healed to take courage. The first is presented in Matthew 9:2-7 of a paralytic man. The extraordinary feature is that when these unidentified men brought this man to Our Lord, He saw their faith that they believed in Him. Turning His attention to the paralytic man Jesus said: “Take courage, son; your sins are forgiven” (v. 2); for according to the erroneous theology of that day, the shaking paralysis was regarded as divine punishment for sin.5

Again Our Lord’s omniscience is on full display. Knowing the evil thoughts of the scribes accusing Him of blaspheme, He responds:

“Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up, and walk’? But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—then He said to the paralytic, “Get up, pick up your bed and go home.”” (Matthew 9:5–6)

This power of Our Lord’s to forgive and heal was precisely stated by David:

Who pardons all your iniquities,

Who heals all your diseases. (Psalm 103:3)

The second instance concerns a woman who had suffered from a hemorrhage for twelve years and physicians were unable to help her (Mark 5:26). Having heard of Jesus’ healing powers, she came up behind Him, thinking “If I only touch His garment, I will get well” (Matthew 9:20-21). Luke relates that Jesus instantly knew that someone touched Him saying: “Who is the one who touched Me?”...“Someone did touch Me, for I was aware that power had gone out of Me.” (Luke 8:45-46). Once again, another example of His divine omniscience! 

Matthew records Our Lord’s response to the expression of this woman’s faith:

But Jesus turning and seeing her said, “Daughter, take courage; your faith has made you well.” At once the woman was made well. (Matthew 9:22)

Our Ultimate Example

The scene is the Upper Room where Our Lord shared the Passover meal with His disciples. After the meal He spoke intending to prepare them for His departure; for He knew that His death by crucifixion was near. At the conclusion of His lengthy discourse (John 14-16) and immediately preceding His High Priestly prayer (John 17), Our Lord stated this:

“These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)

 The previously defined meaning of take courage fittingly coincides with Our Lord’s statement: “In the world you have tribulation.” His claim to have “overcome the world” was made prior to His horrific suffering and death “by the hands of godless men” (Acts 2:23). And now He is asserting that we can overcome any adversity or misfortune that the world challenges us with. But the victory can only be ours if we take courage and have confidence that the Lord will see us through relying on His strength (Psalm 28:7) and His eternal promise: “I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5; cf. Deuteronomy 31:6; Joshua 1:5).

Therefore, since Our Lord was able to overcome the world by the courage He displayed in the midst of His sufferings, He exists as our perfect example forever.

Conclusion

For all believers in Jesus Christ, this phrase take courage should be our rallying cry, making it a vital necessity that we understand its full implication in order to wield it effectively. For in the midst of the distressful ordeals of life, whether personal, spiritual, societal or political, we need to have complete confidence to take courage in Him, convinced that He is able to see us through as we face the conflicts head-on.

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[1] Grundmann, W. (1964–). θαρρέω (θαρσέω). In Theological Dictionary of the New Testament (G. Kittel, G. W. Bromiley, & G. Friedrich, Eds.). Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 3.25.

[2] Louw, J. P., & Nida, E. A. (1996). In Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament: Based on Semantic Domains. New York: United Bible Societies, 1.305.

[3] Wallace, D. B. (1996). Greek Grammar Beyond the Basics, Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, p. 614.

[4] Mundle, W. (1986). θαρσέω. In The New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology (Brown, Colin, Ed.), Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1.328.

[5] Waugh, R.M.L. (1953). The Preacher and His Greek Testament, London: The Epworth Press, p. 76.

 

© 2024 David M. Rossi

OPPOSING DECEPTIVE TEACHING - 1 JOHN 2:26-27

Verses 26-27: These things I have written to you concerning those who are trying to deceive you. As for you, the anointing which you received from Him abides in you, and you have no need for anyone to teach you; but as His anointing teaches you about all things, and is true and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you abide in Him.

 

Concerning the Deceivers

John is summarizing in verse 26 the reason for his writing ‘these things’, which “would seem to point to what is contained in verses 18-25.”1  He is doing his apostolic duty, as Paul did in Acts 20:29, of warning his readers of the savage wolves that are attempting to deceive them by their denial of the deity of Jesus Christ (vv.22-23). Just as John affirmed that we are in the ‘last hour’ (2:18), the Apostle Paul also warned Timothy that this deception will occur in the ‘later times’:

But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons, by means of the hypocrisy of liars seared in their own conscience as with a branding iron. (1 Timothy 4:1–2)

Paul states that the intention of the deceivers is for some to “fall away from the faith.” It is important to understand what Paul means by ‘faith.’ He is not saying that some will no longer go to church or put their money in the offering. The Greek word for faith means “that which is believed, body of faith or belief, doctrine.” 2 In other words, they will begin to believe the false teachings of the liars and deniers. Paul characterizes their teachings as the ‘doctrines of demons,’ which renders it impossible that it is derived from the truth contained in God’s Word.

The method for counteracting false teachings is consistent instruction of ‘sound doctrine’ by qualified pastor-teachers.

In pointing out these things to the brethren, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, constantly nourished on the words of the faith and of the sound doctrine which you have been following. (1 Timothy 4:6)

This recommendation of Paul’s to Timothy is still sound advice for the 21^st Century church today.

 Our Anointing

In verse 20, John has already stated that we have an anointing from the Lord Jesus. Now in verse 27 he advances this truth by asserting that this anointing “abides in you”—that is, we received the anointing of the Holy Spirit at the moment of faith in Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 1:21–22) and now the Spirit continually remains with us. Our Lord anticipated this:

“I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever” (John 14:16, 26)

As mentioned in verse 20, this is known theologically as the doctrine of the indwelling ministry of the Holy Spirit. Dr. Chafer summarizes the essential points of this doctrine.

In this passage, the important truth disclosed is that the anointing abides. The Spirit actually may be grieved (Ephesians 4:30), but He is never grieved away. He may be quenched, or resisted (1 Thessalonians 5:19), but He never departs (John 14:16). By all this it is demonstrated that there is no Scripture which contradicts the clear witness of the New Testament to the truth that all believers are permanently indwelt by the Holy Spirit once they believe.3

No Need of Teachers

With the truth of the permanency of the Holy Spirit firmly established, John makes a statement that has been misunderstood and misused: “you have no need for anyone to teach you.” Some have mistakenly advocated that believers can fully understand God’s Word without any human instructors by equating this verse with what Paul stated:

Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things freely given to us by God (1 Corinthians 2:12)

However, if we really don’t need someone to teach us, then this would present an apparent contradiction in God’s Word. The noted theologian Charles Hodge explains simply why this cannot be possible:

God cannot teach in one place anything which is inconsistent with what He teaches in another. Hence Scripture must explain Scripture.4

If by anyone John means every teacher, then it would be unnecessary for many who do teach or have taught: Jesus, Mark 1:21; the disciples, who were commanded to teach, Matthew 28:20; Acts 4:18; 5:42; 13:1; 18:11. It might also be said that God must have made a mistake by “appointing in the church, first apostles, second prophets, third teachers...” (1 Corinthians 12:28a; cf. Ephesians 4:11-12). The fact is, the Holy Spirit does indeed employ human teachers as His instruments for teaching believers. Therefore, within the context of this verse, anyone denotes the false teachers—liars and deniers, antichrists. And it is these individuals that we have no need of to be our teachers.

Our Teachers

In contrast, John maintains that the anointing we received from Our Lord continually teaches us all things. And that His instruction is absolute truth and is not a lie, meaning that it is an impossibility of being false teachings. This is confirmation that we indeed have the teaching ministry of the Holy Spirit. It is this work of the Holy Spirit that enables the believer to understand the truths of God’s Word as Paul explained in 1 Corinthians 2:10-16.

The last phrase “just as it has taught you,” many believe it refers to the Holy Spirit. However, it makes sense that it refers to Jesus Christ. For at the outset of this verse it is stated that we received the anointing from Him, the Lord Jesus Christ. So therefore, John is reminding us that Jesus Christ is also our teacher: “just as He [Jesus Christ] has taught you, you abide in Him.” For the final phrase ‘you abide in Him’ is a command, the same command Our Lord taught His disciples during His Upper Room Discourse (John 14-17):

“Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me.” (John 15:4ff)

Conclusion

Do we realize how essential the teaching of God’s Word is to our moment-by-moment walk of faith? The Apostle Paul explained its necessity: “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ” (Romans 10:17). What Paul means here by ‘faith’ is the content of our beliefs as Christians. God has provided the means for us to obtain this by hearing the teaching of Scripture from qualified pastor-teachers, by the words of the Lord Jesus Christ and with the Holy Spirit’s enabling power to understand truth.

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[1] Vine, W. E. (1996). Collected Writings of W.E. Vine. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson.

[2] 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, 4^th Ed., Chicago: University of Chicago Press, p. 664, §3.

[3] Chafer, Lewis Sperry (1976). Systematic Theology, Dallas, TX: Dallas Seminary Press, 6.134.

[4] Hodge, Charles (2001). Systematic Theology. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 1.187.

 © 2024 David M. Rossi