“Now, little children, abide in Him”
Download discussion questions: 1 John 2:21-29
Jump to beginning of 1 John Discussion Group Blog
Jump to Introduction to 1,2,3 John
The discussion in the previous week finished on the topic of abiding. John has already mentioned “abiding” or “remaining” several times in his brief letter: abiding in Christ (1 John 2:6), abiding in the light (2:10), the Word of God that was from the beginning abiding in believers (2:14, 24a), and believers abiding in the Son and in the Father (2:24b). And John is just getting started on that topic. He will come back to the importance of abiding over a dozen times in the rest of his letter.
Repetition
We began our exploration of this passage with the basic observation question about repetition. What words or ideas does the writer use repeatedly? Those topics may have been uppermost in the mind of the author. Our group noted several examples in this passage.
-
- “truth” and “lies” (vv. 21, 22, 27), as well as the related ideas of “deny” (vv. 22, 23), and “deceit” (v. 26)
- “anointing” (v. 27 twice)
- “abide” (vv. 24, 27, 28)
- “writing” (vv. 21, 26)
Several of these are continuations of themes John brought up earlier, such as the sharp distinction between truth and deceptive lies (1 John 1:6-10) or his repeated reasons for writing (1 John 1:4, 2:1, 7-8, 12-14). John seems to return to related themes, building up his message and providing more detailed explanations.
For example, several comments about the purpose for writing refer to the spiritual progress and maturity of the recipients (2:12-14). Someone pointed out that in this passage John is especially careful to clarify that he is writing “not because you do not know the truth, but because you do know it” (2:21, emphasis added). He wants them to know that their understanding of the gospel, what they “heard from the beginning” (v. 24), was not deficient. He is not correcting their belief but affirming it. The apostle is writing “concerning those who are trying to deceive you” (v. 26). He has repeatedly validated their faith. Now he plainly states the shocking truth. Others in the community are actively attempting to undermine that faith.
Response
John’s repeated response to the challenges to the true faith centers on abiding. He addresses two perspectives on the problem and then offers his answer. Each time, his answer is a contrast introduced by “As for you” (vv. 24a, 27a). He draws a definite distinction between his “little children” and those trying to deceive them.
First, he describes the fundamental lie, the denial of Jesus as the Christ (v. 22), and his answer is an appeal to abide. That answer takes an almost poetic form (a “chiasm,”[1] in which the same words or ideas are repeated in the first and fourth phrase, and other words repeated in the second and third.)
As for you,
let that abide in you
which you heard from the beginning.
If what you heard from the beginning
abides in you …
(1 John 2:24a, NASB1995)
John provides structure to help his readers remember his key points.
Not only does John address the content of the deception (denial, v. 22), he also draws attention to the persons responsible and especially to their motive.
These things I have written to you concerning those who are trying to deceive you.
(1 John 2:26)
Again, the response is abiding (v. 27). But John adapts his answer to the particular problem. When the issue was an erroneous message (denying Jesus is the Christ), the answer was about the true message.
let that abide in you which you heard from the beginning.
(1 John 2:24)
Now that the issue is more personal, so is John’s application of abiding. Once again, he sets his readers apart from the deceivers.
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.
(1 John 2:27)
John has mentioned “anointing” a few sentences earlier.
But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you all know.
(1 John 2:20)
But in neither place does he give any further information about what this anointing is.
The Anointing
The word John uses for “anointing” (χρῖσμα, chrisma) is used in the New Testament only in this brief context (three times). Therefore, what we can know about that anointing comes mainly from this passage. The anointing
-
- Is from the Holy One (v. 20b)
- Gives knowledge (v. 20c)
- Is received from Him (v. 27a)
- Abides (remains) in believers (v. 27b)
- Teaches about all things (v. 27c)
The anointing is from “The Holy One” (v. 20b), restated as “Him” in v. 27a. The antecedent is not exactly crystal clear in the context. Both Son and Father are mentioned (vv. 23, 24) between the two references to anointing in verses 20 and 27. Various commentators offer an equal number of opinions about the source of the anointing: the Father,[2] the Son,[3] or the Holy Spirit.[4] Perhaps the wisest advice is from another author.
These references, in light of the context of 1 John 2:20, suggest that John could have in mind Christ, God, the Spirit, or some combination of the three viewed in their joint function. The outcome is the same, whichever referent be chosen: God himself has graced them in such a way that the departure of some need not demoralize those who are still standing fast.[5]
For what it is worth, that same writer notes that John Calvin “relates the anointing to all three persons of the Godhead.”[6]
John’s point is not the precise identity of the source of the anointing. John stresses the impact of the anointing. In both references (vv. 20, 27), the emphasis is on confident knowledge. What the believers have is sufficient. New, unconventional teachers are unnecessary and ultimately deceptive.
Since the noun “anointing” is only used three times in the New Testament, consider the verb form, “to anoint” (χρίω, chriō). Even that form is used only five times, but four of those times refer to Jesus as the object, the receiver of the anointing (Luke 4:18, Acts 4:27, Acts 10:38, Hebrews 1:9). Two of those verses bear on the present passage.
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me,
Because He anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor.
He has sent Me to proclaim release to the captives,
And recovery of sight to the blind,
To set free those who are oppressed,
(Jesus, in Luke 4:18, reading from Isaiah 61:1; emphasis added)
And,
You know of Jesus of Nazareth, how God anointed Him with the Holy Spirit and with power, and how He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.
(Peter, Acts 10:38)
Note also that the most common title for Jesus, “Christ,” is Χριστός (christos, Christ, Messiah, the Anointed One[7]). At least a significant part of the meaning of His anointing was the presence of the Holy Spirit in the Incarnate Jesus.
John had recorded the reassurances that Jesus gave his disciples just before His arrest. That record is filled with promises of the Comforter:
-
- the Spirit of truth (John 14:17)
- the Holy Spirit sent by the Father in Jesus’s name (John 14:26)
- the Spirit proceeding from the Father and testifying about Jesus (John 15:26)
- the Spirit who guides into all truth (John 16:13)
Those descriptions were recorded by the eyewitness from the beginning, John. They fit closely with the description of the anointing John attributes to his audience. It seems safe to assume that the anointing that John intends is the Holy Spirit. He abides in believers and enables believers to abide in Christ.
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.
(1 John 2:27, emphasis added)
John’s wording might even be another memory aid in the form of a chiasm (parallel points in the first and fourth phrases, and in the second and third phrases, as seen earlier in verse 24).
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 [the anointing] has taught you, you abide in Him.
(1 John 2:27, emphasis added)
That affirmation of abiding summarizes John’s response to “those who are trying to deceive you.” Believers will be faced with new or interesting or appealing alternatives to the authentic gospel. The appropriate answer is abiding in Christ “as you heard from the beginning” defined by God’s Word and affirmed by the witness of the anointing Holy Spirit.
No Need for Teaching?
We discussed (briefly) John’s reasoning based on the anointing, “you have no need for anyone to teach you” (v. 27). As we have seen more than once in the past, verses (or fragments of verses) can be taken out of context and used for deceptive purposes even today. Is John saying that teaching (or study, or preaching) is unnecessary? Clearly not, since he earlier commends the children and fathers and young men for their progress in spiritual formation (1 John 2:12-14). Growth in knowledge and depth of understanding is part of the Christian life. As is usually the case, examining the immediate context clears any confusion. In this case, the clue is in the previous sentence (v. 26).
These things I have written to you concerning those who are trying to deceive you.
(1 John 2:26, emphasis added)
John is not dismissing all teaching (like his own teaching in this letter)! His concern is for the teachers (or anyone else) who are moving away from the genuine faith, “that which you have heard from the beginning.” Those deceivers were explaining away the gospel, denying that Jesus is the Christ (2:22-23). They may also have been adding new requirements for salvation or promoting any other distortions of the message. Those are the kinds of “teaching” that are definitely not needed. What is needed is the message provided by the anointing that has already been given.
…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.
(1 John 2:27, emphasis added)
And Now, Little Children
Writing that climactic conclusion must have been emotional for John. People he really cares about are in a dangerous environment, susceptible to deceitful liars with a misleading message about Jesus. That emotion comes out once again with his endearing term, “little children” (τεκνία, teknia). He uses it here for the third of seven times in this letter.
Someone wondered if John might be suggesting that his readers were immature spiritually, calling them “little children.” Would the first recipients feel like he was “talking down” to them? But we were reminded of John’s frequent use of the wording.
Little children is one of John’s favourite expressions … and it is clear in the other cases that he is not thinking of little children in terms of age but of Christians whose spiritual father he is.[8]
Someone pointed out that John was a patriarch, an “elder statesman” of the faith. Probably in his 90s, with the exile experience of Patmos (Revelation 1:9) behind him, he would have been the object of respect and admiration. Instead of upsetting the audience, the words “little children” or “my little children” (2:1) would be a powerful expression of intimacy. As John begins the exhortation to abide, he begins with a “reaffirmation of his affection for them.”[9] As someone commented, he uses tender words to communicate hard truths.
You Abide; Now Abide
John uses some additional interesting grammar at this point. He has just affirmed the anointing that assures his audience of genuine, reliable knowledge about Jesus as the Christ. Because of that anointing, he asserts with confidence, “you abide in Him” at the end of verse 27.
Then, with the affectionate description of “little children,” he gives them an instruction, “Abide in Him” (v. 28a). He uses the same word in two different ways for two different grammatical functions.
On the one hand, John encourages them with the fact that they are abiding in Christ through the “anointing” already experienced. On the other hand, a few words later, he exhorts them to abide. The obvious question becomes, “Exactly what is abiding?” How does it relate to our salvation? Where does it fit in sanctification?
As mentioned in a previous discussion, abiding is a major part of John’s message in the letters and in the gospel he wrote. That question takes on even more importance in light of the fact that John will use the word “abide” or “remain” (μένω, menō) ten more times before the end of the letter.
We considered how John uses “abide” or “remain” so far in his letter.
-
- As for you, let that abide in you which you heard from the beginning. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, … (1 John 2:24a, b); the message of the gospel
- … you also will abide in the Son and in the Father. (2:24c); shared fellowship with the Members of the Trinity, the result of the message
- the anointing which you received from Him abides in you, and you have no need for anyone to teach you; (2:27a); the “inward witness of the Spirit”[12]
- and just as it has taught you, you abide in Him. (2:27c); the reality of remaining in Christ
- Now, little children, abide in Him, (2:28a); the necessity of remaining in Christ
John’s writing even includes a negative example of not abiding.
-
- They went out from us, but they were not really of us; for if they had been of us, they would have remained with us (2:19a); maintaining fellowship
John uses the wording to communicate several aspects of Christian perseverance, particularly in the face of questionable teaching. The abiding message (2:24a), confirmed by the abiding Spirit (2:27a), facilitates abiding in the work of Christ (2:27c), which enables abiding fellowship in the Triune God (2:24c). Finally, he offers his best advice: continue abiding (2:28a).
He now reassures his readers that the discernment they have exercised in the past that brought them to faith is the genuine work of the Spirit, and that they have no need for anyone who teaches something new and different, no matter how “spiritual” such new teaching may appear, John is confident that the Spirit will confirm his teaching about Jesus Christ because the Spirit has inspired it (cf. 1 John 5:7-8).[13]
Like first-century Ephesus, our culture offers a growing variety of “new” interpretations of Jesus, the gospel, the Christian life, and on and on. John exhorted his “dear little children” (and presumably us) to abide. As one group member expressed, “Remember to remain.”
The reality is that we don’t always remember that simple instruction. We briefly discussed how circumstances and emotions and life in general can overwhelm our attention. Distractions become obstacles to consciously abiding in Him. As someone pointed out, wrestling with doubts and struggling with sin are most likely when we are not abiding in trusting dependence on Him.
John will continue to return to the critical concept of abiding a dozen more times in this letter, clarifying and explaining its importance. By God’s grace and the work of His Spirit, may we learn to abide constantly and consistently in Him.
[1] Stephen S. Smalley, 1,2,3 John, Word Biblical Commentary (Waco, Texas: Word Books, Publisher, 1984), 117; that writer points out “this is apparent in the Greek” and not in all translations.
[2] David Smith, The Epistles of John, The Expositor’s Greek Testament, Volume Five (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1976), 180.
[3] Stephen S. Smalley, 1,2,3 John, Word Biblical Commentary (Waco, Texas: Word Books, Publisher, 1984), 108.
[4] Karen H. Jobes, 1, 2, and 3 John, Zondervan Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Academic, 2014), 127.
[5] Robert W. Yarbrough, 1-3 John, Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Academic, 2008), 150-151.
[6] Robert W. Yarbrough, 1-3 John, Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Academic, 2008), 150; note 17.
[7] https://www.billmounce.com/greek-dictionary/christos
[8] William Barclay, The Letters of John and Jude, The Daily Study Bible Series (Philadelphia: The Westminster Press, 1976), 52; note that John also uses τεκνία in v. 12, which Barclay omits. Metzger’s Textual Commentary indicates no textual variant to explain this omission.
[9] Robert W. Yarbrough, 1-3 John, Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Academic, 2008), 169.
[10] https://biblehub.com/interlinear/1_john/2-27.htm V-PIA-2P
[11] https://biblehub.com/interlinear/1_john/2-28.htm V-PMA-2P
[12] Karen H. Jobes, 1, 2, and 3 John, Zondervan Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Academic, 2014), 132.
[13] Karen H. Jobes, 1, 2, and 3 John, Zondervan Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Academic, 2014), 132.