17 - 1Jn 2:6
Ὁ λέγων ἐν αὐτῷ μένειν, ὀφείλει, καθὼς ἐκεῖνος περιεπάτησε, καὶ αὐτὸς οὕτως περιπατεῖν.
It is clear now that there is a progression in the following verses; but it is important to keep it in the right order. For instance, it is not to be found forthwith in the new idea μένεινἐνΘεῷ [“to abide in God”]. It is undoubtedly true that the three ideas γινῶναι [“to know”], 1Jn 2:3, εἶναι [“to be”], 1Jn 2:5, μένειν [“to abide”], 1Jn 2:6, express a gradation: cognitio, communio, constantia in communione. But because the progress of the thought might rest upon this gradation, that does not prove that it does so in the present case. This is opposed first of all by the fact that in 1Jn 2:5, at the end of the section which began with the γνῶσιςΘεοῦ [“knowledge of God”], what was said is summed up again by εἶναιἐν αὐτῷ [“to be in him”]; it could not have been the apostle’s point to introduce a new thought in the recapitulation; and the emphasis must lie not upon the difference between γινῶναι [“to know”] and εἶναι [“to be”], but upon what they have in common. The main consideration, however, is this. If the gradation in the three ideas before us were the point which carries the apostle’s thoughts onwards, the emphasis would have lain on the blessing conferred in keeping the divine commandments; that, however, is obviously not the case, but it lies in the following the commandment itself. The distinctive feature of our section is not promissory, but hortatory. Consequently, the three ideas only in passing indicate the whole comprehensiveness of the blessing which is attached to the keeping of the divine word, marking it out under its several aspects. The emphasis, however, lies not upon their difference, but upon their relative identity. The progression of the thought rests rather upon the περιπατεῖν καθὼς ἐκεῖνος περιεπάτησεν [“walk just as he walked”]. In that phrase the contents of the divine will, hitherto viewed generally as ἐντολαὶ [“commandments”], and again made more specific as λόγοςαὐτοῦ [“his word”], is yet again more closely defined. We also must exhibit the same walk which Christ exhibited. What was said before had shown, even if the reader did not know it from the outset, that the walking in love was alone signified. And this resemblance to the Lord is imposed on us as the supreme obligation; if indeed the οὕτως [“thus”], against which there is certainly some slight external evidence, is the true reading: the καί [“and”] and the οὕτως [“thus”] would doubly emphasize the αὐτό [“him”] and thus strengthen the parallel. And this walk is obligatory on the Christian (ὀφείλει [“to owe”]); moreover, through an obligation contracted by his own free act, that is, by his own word (ὁλέγων [“the ones saying]). That, for the rest, Holy Scripture has exhibited Christ as a pattern only in His sufferings, is a fact which, admitted by all expositors, we keep in our view here in passing; without, however, entering upon the question whether our passage constitutes an exception, and how far it does so. The sequel will clear up this point.