A NEW OLD COMMANDMENT!

1 JOHN 2:7-11

 [7] Brethren, I write no new commandment unto you, but an old commandment which ye had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which ye have heard from the beginning.

 [8] Again, a new commandment I write unto you, which thing is true in him and in you: because the darkness is past, and the true light now shineth.

 [9] He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now.

 [10] He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him.

 [11] But he that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because that darkness hath blinded his eyes.

 [7] Brethren, I write no new commandment unto you, but an old commandment which ye had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which ye have heard from the beginning.

John wants to make certain that the readers of this epistle will not think he is making up some new doctrine or ordinance. The teaching he is laying out is not new even though some might think it to be new. He is not declaring a new commandment to be added to the Decalogue (the ten commandments) but is carrying on the doctrine of Jesus who taught that all of the commandments will be kept by simply keeping one simple principle. Love. If you love God you will keep the first four commandments and if you love your neighbor as yourself you will be keeping the other six.

 [36] Master, which is the great commandment in the law?

 [37] Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.

 [38] This is the first and great commandment.

 [39] And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

 [40] On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. (Matthew 22:36-40)

THE COMMANDMENTS WERE NOT ABOLISHED

Doesn’t Ephesians teach that the commandments were abolished?

 [15] Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace;

 [16] And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby: (Ephesians 2:15-16)

The context of these verses deal with the separation of Jews and gentiles as represented by the middle wall of partition in the temple that prevented Gentiles from entering in. Christ has abolished the enmity between Jew and gentile caused by the ordinances of the Jews and has made both bodies… believing Jews and believing Gentiles into one body in Christ. This abolition of the Jewish sacrificial ordinances is further described in Hebrews 8:13 and chapter 9. The moral law, especially that of the Ten commandments has not been abolished but the penalty for us has been satisfied by Christ’s atoning work on the cross… Ephesians 2:14-15

JESUS DID NOT COME TO DESTROY THE LAW BUT TO FULFILL IT.

 [17] Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.

 [18] For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.

 [19] Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 5:17-19)

Doesn’t Paul say that Christ ended the law in Romans 10:4?

For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth. 

It does not say that Christ “ended the law” but that Christ is the completion or fulfillment of the law for everyone that believeth.

Calvin’s commentary says, “The word completion, seems not to me unsuitable in this place; and Erasmus has rendered it perfection: “

The Christian is not saved because they have kept the law because none of us truly keep the law. It is the law that pronounces us guilty which is why we need a savior. Christ has taken our punishment on Himself. He did not blot out the law but blotted out our sins that are exposed by the law.

Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord; (Acts 3:19)

The old commandment is the moral law, the law of righteousness which is written on every heart. This law was in effect before Moses and has always been in effect for all gentiles as well.

[14] For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves:

[15] Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another;)

[16] In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel. (Romans 2:14-16)

John writes about a NEW COMMANDMENT which is not a new commandment. John is stressing the LAW OF LOVE and showing that it is impossible to keep the commandments without the law of love and applies it directly to both Jews for gentiles and gentiles for Jews in the Church. If we cannot love one another within the body of Christ, how can we love our neighbor?

[9] He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now.

 [10] He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him.

 [11] But he that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because that darkness hath blinded his eyes.

Love like faith is not just a feeling. It is action.

My little children, let us not love in word,

neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth. (I John 3:18)

Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him. (I John 3:15)

If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? (I John 4:20)

But whoso hath this world’s good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him? (I John 3:17)