04 - 1Jn 1:4
Καὶ ταῦτα γράφομεν ὑμῖν, ἵνα ἡ χαρὰ ἡμῶν ᾖ πεπληρωμένη. But not even this redoubled specification of his purpose, as given in what precedes, exhausts the apostle’s design: his aim is not only to establish a fellowship whether with God or with the brethren; but this itself is to him again a means toward the elevation to its highest stage of their individual interests and their attainment of the joy of life (χαρά [“joy”]), and that in its most perfect degree (πεπληρωμένη [“full”]). This is the substance of the fourth verse. Ταῦταγράφομενὑμῖν [“these things we write to you”] (the reading ἡμεῖς [“us”] is neither sufficiently attested, nor is there any internal reason for such prominence to the subject) cannot without violence be referred to anything but the letter before us, to the ἐπαγγελία [“announcement”] announced in the previous verse and defined more closely as to its tendency. If we ask by what means this joy is brought to a state of πεπληρωμένη [“full”], we are led to the everywhere observable coincidence between the Epistle and the Gospel of the apostle. Specifically we have in the latter the πλήρωσιςτῆςχαρᾶς [“fullness of joy”]. Primarily we find it in Joh 15:11; there we read: “If ye keep My commandments, ye shall abide in My love; even as I keep My Father’s commandments, and abide in His love. And this have I said unto you, that My joy may remain in you, καὶ ἡχαρὰ ὑμῶν πληρωθῇ [“your joy may be full”].” The meaning is, that the keeping of the Father’s commands is Christ’s joy, and will be that of His disciples, yea, that their joy would thereby reach its highest point. The commandment, the fulfilment of which is here in question, is then in Joh 15:12 mentioned as ἀγαπᾶνἀλλήλους,καθὼςἠγάπησεὑμᾶς [“love one another, just as i have loved you”], and thus the πλήρωσις [“fullness”] of the joy is attained according to this passage through the confirmation of brotherly love. With this let Php 2:2 be compared, where the πλήρωσις [“fullness”] of the apostolical joy is sought in this, that the church has τὴναὐτὴνἀγάπην [“the same love”]. A second time St. John’s Gospel speaks of χαρὰπεπληρωμένην [“fullness of joy”] Joh 17:13;[N] there the ground of it is given in the consciousness that Christ has kept His own, and that the Father will go on to keep them: thus fellowship with the Father and the Son begins the consummated joy. If we combine together the two passages in the Gospel, the fellowship with the Lord and fellowship with the brethren is St. John’s ground of χαρὰπεπληρωμένην [“fullness of joy”]; literally, therefore, the same which is specified here in the combination of 1Jn 1:3 with 1Jn 1:4 as its ground and substance. We may further point attention to Php 4:4-5, where both these are still laid down as the foundation of a permanent, continuous, intense Christian joy: ὁκύριοςἐγγύς [“the Lord if near”] comes first as the perfected fellowship with the Lord in the near prospect, and then the requirement resulting from this, τὸ ἐπιεικὲςὑμῶνγνωσθήτωπᾶσινἀνθρώποις [“let your gentleness be made known to all men”], follows as the manifestation of brotherly love in its widest comprehension. And, in fact, all joy, that is, every heightened feeling of life, rests upon the consciousness of a communion evermore firmly established and articulated; hence the fulfilment of all joy is produced, first, through the highest, object with whom this fellowship is entered into, that is by God, and then through the participation of others in, this fellowship; accordingly, throughout the Scripture the community of the heavenly songs of praise is regarded as an essential factor of blessedness.
It is accepted by common consent, that with the first four verses the introduction of the Epistle is complete. But as at the very outset a natural and justifiable expectation would independently arise that the introduction will stand in an organic relation to the whole, so we are all the more warranted in expecting it in the present case, inasmuch as the apostle has in express terms laid down the scope of his communication. We shall venture, therefore, to enter on the Epistle with the presumption that we shall find in it a twofold element; the requirement to enter into fellows hip with God; but this such a form that from it shall issue the requirement to enter into brotherly fellowship. Finally, however, we shall be constrained to expect that through both the apostle will lead us to perfected joy. Whether, indeed, this presupposition, thus encouraged by the author himself, will be found warranted in the Epistle, and if so, in what manner this, end is attained, will be shown by a detailed interpretation.