16 - 1Jn 2:5
Ὃς δ᾽ ἂν τηρῇ αὐτοῦ τὸν λόγον, ἀληθῶς ἐν τούτῳ ἡ ἀγάπη τοῦ Θεοῦ τετελείωται. ἐν τούτῳ γινώσκομεν ὅτι ἐν αὐτῷ ἐσμεν. In the same way as 1Jn 2:4 corresponds with 1Jn 1:6, 1Jn 2:5 corresponds with 1Jn 1:7. Both passages urge the importance of the exhibition of true godliness as opposed to the mere semblance of it. The form of the first limb of the sentence, or the protasis, in the latter case is not the participle, as in the previous verse, nor is it an actual conditional clause, as in the former chapter; but it is a relative sentence with ἄνfn, which closely approximates to the positive form with nominative nouns which prevails throughout the section. In the present case also, the last limb of the sentence, or the apodosis, corresponds in 1Jn 1:7-10, 1Jn 2:1-5; as in the former the highest benefit of the walk in light is specified as the καθαρίζει τὸαἷμαἸησοῦ,κ.τ.λ. [“the blood of Jesus cleanses, etc.”], so also here the closing clause declares the blessing of τηρεῖντὸν λόγοντοῦ Θεοῦ [“to keep the word of God”] to be the full and perfect participation in the divine nature of love. The passage of the Gospel, Joh 8:31, which gave us above the right hint for the right interpretation of the λόγος τοῦ Θεοῦ [“the word of God”] will shed some light on the ἀληθῶς [“truly”] also: ἐὰν ὑμεῖς μείνητε ἐν τῷ λόγῳ τῷ ἐμῷ, ἀληθῶς μαθηταί μου ἐστὲ [“If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples”]. It may be, indeed, that ἀληθῶς [“truly”] occurs sometimes in the New Testament with the meaning of mere affirmation, equivalent to profecto; but that is never the case in St. John, not even in Joh 1:48: the expression as he uses it always denotes the internal reality as opposed to the outward appearance only. So it is here. With him who obeys the λόγος τοῦ Θεοῦ [“the word of God”], love, the love which makes the character or nature of God, is perfected in its fullest reality and entire fulness. Τελειοῦσθαι [“made complete”] is reserved by St. John for the consummation of love, and of perfected fellowship with God through love; compare besides 1Jn 4:12, 1Jn 4:17-18; Joh 17:23[N] in the Gospel. In itself it is not a startling or revolting thought, that the love of God should dwell in us in its full measure and in its simple perfection. According to Eph 4:13[N], we are to grow up μέτρον ἡλικίας τοῦ πληρώματος τοῦ Χριστοῦ [“the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ”]; but here our perfecting (μέτρον ἡλικίας [“measure of the stature”]) is this, that the whole fulness of Christ dwells in us. Again, as Christ is the χαρακτήρκαὶἀπαύγασμα [“exact representation and radiance” cf. Heb 1:3] of the Father in such a manner that the whole πλήρωματοῦ Θεοῦ [“fullness of God”] dwells in Him, this proves that the πλήρωματοῦ Θεοῦ [“fullness of God”] is supposed to dwell in us. And that this πλήρωμα [“fullness”] of God is essentially love, we are taught by the fundamental dictum of 1Jn 4:16; as also St. Paul exhorts us, in the only place (Eph 5:1-2[N]) where he places God before us as a pattern, to strive after that pattern through walking in love. The little clause that follows, ἐν τούτῳ γινώσκομεν ὅτι ἐν αὐτῷ ἐσμεν [“by this we know that we are in him”], takes up again the fundamental thought placed first in 1Jn 2:3, and thus bears its witness that the first sub-section of the new section has come to its close. Marking the uniformity of structure throughout, it is not to be overlooked—though we venture to give it only as a supposition—that in 1Jn 2:5 there is but one conclusion, while in 1Jn 1:7, the verse correlative with 1Jn 2:5, there are two; here then we have, instead of the second, this summing up repetition of the fundamental thought. The parallel ἐν τούτῳ [“in this”] of 1Jn 2:3 testifies, were any proof necessary, that these words are not to be referred to the last conclusion, ἡ ἀγάπη τοῦ Θεοῦ τετελείωται [“the love of God is made complete”], but to the first clause, ἐὰντηρῶμεν [“if we obey”], or still better probably, to the whole preceding period.