the Third Week of Advent
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Bible Commentaries
Sutcliffe's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments Sutcliffe's Commentary
Fellowship with God; Confession and Forgiveness.Chapter 2
Christ as Advocate; Love and Obedience.Chapter 3
Love and Righteousness; Children of God.Chapter 4
Test the Spirits; God's Love and Ours.Chapter 5
Faith in Jesus; Overcoming the World.
- 1 John
by Joseph Sutcliffe
THE FIRST EPISTLE OF JOHN.
ST. JOHN was the last of the writers of the new testament, and closed the canon of the christian scriptures. In his epistles and revelation, he unfolds the divine wisdom, and unveils with a beautiful simplicity the truth of God. He inscribes this epistle to his little children, who had heard him preach, that he might preserve them from sin, and fortify them against antichrist, who had already appeared, denying that Christ was come in the flesh.
As heretical and jewish sects had thus sprung up among the churches, he developes the glory of the true catholic faith, that Jesus Christ is the Son of God; and by consequence, the glory of their adoption, as the children of God. He exhorts them to love the Lord with a pure and perfect love, to be bold in confessing Christ at the bar of princes, as he himself had given example, and to love their brethren with pure affection, and abound in all good works.
Of the authenticity of this epistle, the church has never had a doubt. The whole style and manner is John himself, still living and speaking to his little children.
