“A PRESENT AND ENDURING APPLICATION”

The Daily (NASB) Reading: 1 John 2:12-14

Why is John readdressing them as “little children” again here? (v.12)

It seems as though he begins again by leveling the playing field in what he is about to say concerning this address. But what was the conclusion of the first address by which he is putting the period upon it here? Wasn’t the “new” but not-so-new commandment for them all to possess this divine love by humbling themselves as little children to obey and honor “the law” of faith?

Romans 3:27–31 (NKJV)

27 Where is [the] boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? Of works? No, but by the law of faith. 28 Therefore, we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law. 29 Or is He the God of the Jews only? Is He not also the God of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also, 30 since there is one God who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith. 31 Do we then make void the law through faith? Certainly not! On the contrary, we establish the law.

Therefore since John “established” the law of faith in the new addition, the holy assembly was commanded to love the new addition with the same love by which they were received. Therefore I believe again that this is not addressing literal children such as toddlers but all those who believe by which he is bringing them all on an equal topography at the foot of the cross. The contextual and grammatical reason I believe this is because there is a distinction of Greek words used to identify them in verse 13. I will try to touch on it in more detail later, but first, the word used there speaks of learners, which in the singular is a paidion, a slave-child that is capable of real intellectual learning. Therefore the next verse is speaking to the useful servants of John’s teaching. But in the present verse, the Greek word is speaking of infants that require service and nothing but service. Therefore John is addressing them all this way to maintain the humility that requires them to be dependent on the Word as little infants upon their mother’s breasts for their spiritual life. That’s the spiritual conclusion that John requires them to make regarding this address, as it speaks to the eldest among them to the youngest. But if it was addressing literal infants here, it is still applying a spiritual constitution to them that cannot be changed because their sins have been forgiven for Christ’s name sake!

However, their spiritual state is based on the knowledge that is in the grace of Christ (that is), the law of faith. And again, if we were to apply it to literal infants, then we would be forced to say they are forgiven for their own sake, not having known the way of righteousness! But that’s just not what John says. These spiritual infants have been forgiven for Christ’s name sake (literally, for the name of Christ’s sake).

Romans 6:2–6 (NKJV)

2 Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? 3 Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? 4 Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so, we also should walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, 6 knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin.

Romans 6:15–22 (NKJV)

15 What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? Certainly not! 16 Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death or of obedience leading to righteousness? 17 But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered. 18 And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness. 19 I speak in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented your members as slaves of uncleanness and of lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves of righteousness for holiness. 20 For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. 21 What fruit did you have then in the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. 22 But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life.

Therefore to be forgiven here, to be the “means” of Christ’s name, translates for Christ’s purpose, Christ’s ends. Therefore as slaves of righteousness, they are the means of Christ’s purpose, which in this context, Christ’s name is Light, for they are to walk in the fellowship of Christ’s Light! Therefore as His “little children,” they are called “sons of light.” These alone were conceived “in the Light” as opposed to being conceived and abiding in darkness.

Psalm 139:12–16 (NKJV)

12 Indeed, the darkness shall not hide from You, But the night shines as the day; The darkness and the light are both alike to You. 13 For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother’s womb. 14 I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, And that my soul knows very well. 15 My frame was not hidden from You, When I was made in secret, And skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. 16 Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written, The days fashioned for me, When as yet there were none of them.

Psalm 51:5–7 (NKJV)

5 Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, And in sin my mother conceived me. 6 Behold, You desire truth in the inward parts, And in the hidden part You will make me to know wisdom. 7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

John 12:31–36 (NKJV)

31 Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be cast out. 32 And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself.” 33 This He said, signifying by what death He would die. 34 The people answered Him, “We have heard from the law that the Christ remains forever; and how can You say, ‘The Son of Man must be lifted up’? Who is this Son of Man?” 35 Then Jesus said to them, “A little while longer the light is with you. Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you; he who walks in darkness does not know where he is going. 36 While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light.” These things Jesus spoke, and departed, and was hidden from them.

1 Thessalonians 5:3–10 (NKJV)

3 For when they say, “Peace and safety!” then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape. 4 But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief. 5 You are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness. 6 Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober. 7 For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk are drunk at night. 8 But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation. 9 For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, 10 who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him.

Ephesians 5:8–14 (NKJV)

8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light 9 (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth), 10 finding out what is acceptable to the Lord. 11 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them. 12 For it is shameful even to speak of those things which are done by them in secret. 13 But all things that are exposed are made manifest by the light, for whatever makes manifest is light. 14 Therefore, He says: “Awake, you who sleep, Arise from the dead, And Christ will give you light.”

Luke 16:8–11 (NKJV)

8 So the master commended the unjust steward because he had dealt shrewdly. For the sons of this world are more shrewd in their generation than the sons of light. 9 “And I say to you, make friends for yourselves by unrighteous mammon, that when you fail, they may receive you into an everlasting home. 10 He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much; and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much. 11 Therefore, if you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches?

But now, why does John address “the” fathers since he has just made the point that they are all on a level playing field? (v.13)

Is he, therefore, denying the reality of their natural functions on this “spiritually” level playing field? And does their spiritual state negate their present natural state in terms of the means of Christ’s purpose? Therefore how are they all equal but not yet equal?!

Galatians 3:26–4:2 (NKJV)

26 For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. 27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise. 1 Now I say that the heir, as long as he is a child, does not differ at all from a slave, though he is master of all, 2 but is under guardians and stewards until the time appointed by the father.

Luke 20:34–36 (NKJV)

34 Jesus answered and said to them, “The sons of this age marry and are given in marriage. 35 But those who are counted worthy to attain that age, and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry nor are given in marriage; 36 nor can they die anymore, for they are equal to the angels and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection.

Therefore when he says, “I am writing to you fathers because you know Him who has been from the beginning,” he is not saying that the spiritual constitution of the fathers negates the natural function to be the fathers of the young men and little children. They are to express what they have learned from the beginning and continue to grow in maturity in it. They are not to cease being fathers just because they have now become spiritual. This new constitution only makes their natural functions holy and purposeful, whereas before, it was vain and profane!

So why, then, are the young men being called out from among the fathers to stand on their own? (v.13)

Wasn’t John a representative republican? Doesn’t he know that these young men are not his own but belong to another? Does he deny that these “young men” are to be represented by their fathers first?

Matthew 23:1–12 (NKJV)

1 Then Jesus spoke to the multitudes and to His disciples, 2 saying: “The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. 3 Therefore, whatever they tell you to observe, that observe and do, but do not do according to their works; for they say, and do not do. 4 For they bind heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers. 5 But all their works they do to be seen by men. They make their phylacteries broad and enlarge the borders of their garments. 6 They love the best places at feasts, the best seats in the synagogues, 7 greetings in the marketplaces, and to be called by men, ‘Rabbi, Rabbi.’ 8 But you, do not be called ‘Rabbi’; for One is your Teacher, the Christ, and you are all brethren. 9 Do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven. 10 And do not be called teachers; for One is your Teacher, the Christ. 11 But he who is greatest among you shall be your servant. 12 And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.

Again, because John is establishing their spiritual state, he is giving the “young men” the liberty to be strictly identified by Christ’s representation, and he seals this by declaring that these “young men” have truly overcome “the evil one.” These “young men” are truly mature according to God’s stature of a young man. They no longer have “the devil” as their father, and now only honor one Father, who by their spiritual state of justification, is honored perfectly in Heaven while on earth (in them).

Matthew 5:48 (NKJV)

48 Therefore, you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.

Matthew 6:9–10 (NKJV)

9 In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. 10 Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven.

But again, does this spiritual state of justification negate their natural function while they are still under guard by the elementary principles, the natural laws of this present world?

Ephesians 6:1–4 (NKJV)

1 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 2 “Honor your father and mother,” which is the first commandment with promise: 3 “that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth.” 4 And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord.

But because they have overcome “the evil one,” they are not bound by these natural principles because they are now a spiritual law to God by (the law of faith) that John has established in and among them.

Colossians 2:6–10 (NKJV)

6 As you, therefore, have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, 7 rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving. 8 Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ. 9 For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; 10 and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power.

Colossians 2:13–23 (NKJV)

13 And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, 14 having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. 15 Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it. 16 So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths, 17 which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ. 18 Let no one cheat you of your reward, taking delight in false humility and worship of angels, intruding into those things which he has not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind, 19 and not holding fast to the Head, from whom all the body, nourished and knit together by joints and ligaments, grows with the increase that is from God. 20 Therefore, if you died with Christ from the basic principles of the world, why, as though living in the world, do you subject yourselves to regulations—21 “Do not touch, do not taste, do not handle,” 22 which all concern things which perish with the using—according to the commandments and doctrines of men? 23 These things indeed have an appearance of wisdom in self-imposed religion, false humility, and neglect of the body but are of no value against the indulgence of the flesh.

These are “spiritual” young men as opposed to sinful young men who are still held captive to the devil’s scheme and image according to the likeness of his spiritual death! And as observed in the next verse, these elect “young men” are strong because the Word of God abides in them. And it was by the Word of God that have overcome the evil one. They are strong because it is the Word of God that keeps them. Therefore this letter was written to John’s own Apostolic fellowship. Therefore verse 13 has a personal application in the present tense of John’s life on earth that verse 14 doesn’t have. This assembly, too, has been given the gift to touch and to handle with the senses the living Word of God through John’s Apostolic ministry.

But why does John now transition to a different verb tense, beginning with what he first had written to “the children” and then again following in repetition of what he wrote to his own assembly? (v.13-14)

He now writes in the aorist active indicative according to the early manuscripts. We find here again a textual variation between the two manuscript traditions. I’m not going to go into detail about why I’m choosing the early manuscript in this case, but again it doesn’t change John’s point much to use the other tense when addressing “the children.” But again, there is a change that is verified in both manuscript traditions for the word “children” between the context of verses 12 and 13. So this leads me to believe the earlier manuscript, in this case, regarding the verb tense of “I have written to you, children, because you know the Father.”

The children referred to here are not John’s immediate spiritual children but are referring to every learner in every generational age until Christ returns. It is aorist because it is a completed act. John is not continuing to write to us today. John knew that he was writing with Apostolic authority and that it would have authoritative implications for all of history. So this is addressing every disciple that has truly come to know the Father under the scrutiny of this spiritual test. The spiritual test, by the way, is not over. John is still defining what this test is as he expounds on this one new commandment to love the brethren as Christ has loved the church from the beginning.

Again, the word children here is like another period put at the end of a sentence, except it is like a new introduction to what he repeats using the aorist tense in what he wrote to both the fathers and the young men. John is not really saying anything new in verse 14 that he hasn’t already said in verse 13. Therefore the only distinction is this verb tense by the manner in which he wants them to understand what he wrote. What he wrote to his immediate assembly was to have a complete abiding effect throughout history. John is only telling them this commandment once, so he tells it to them here twice to seal the deal. It was like he was saying, “I am writing to you, but I am not writing this to you again. What I have written, I have written.”

John 19:19–22 (NKJV)

19 Now Pilate wrote a title and put it on the cross. And the writing was: JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS 20 Then many of the Jews read this title, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city; and it was written in Hebrew, Greek, and Latin. 21 Therefore, the chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate, “Do not write, ‘The King of the Jews,’ but, ‘He said, “I am the King of the Jews.”’” 22 Pilate answered, “What I have written, I have written.”

But there is a second way to understand this word children. Again, as I mentioned previously, the Greek word refers to a child as a slave. Therefore it refers to a spiritual state where these individuals have not yet reached a stage of spiritual affirmation. They are children in their understanding and need to have affirmation in knowing the Father by living in the presence of the Light but have need of the pure milk by which to grow thereby before they are given public assurance in baptism as functioning members. That doesn’t mean that they are useless because they know and live in the Light of the Father, but they are still spiritual slaves and have to be tested before they receive the affirmation as young men. They need to mature before they are given the platform to identify with Christ in the water of his public confession, which was his death, burial, and resurrection.

1 Corinthians 14:20–21 (NKJV)

20 Brethren, do not be children (paidia) in understanding; however, in malice be babes (nepiazete), but in understanding be mature. 21 In the law, it is written: “With men of other tongues and other lips I will speak to this people; And yet, for all that, they will not hear Me,” says the Lord.

Therefore John has written to the children who have ears to hear what the Spirit says to the churches. These are the children who are in the presence of the Light of Christ’s Word. They have access to Christ’s grace and to the knowledge of the truth. But John by the Spirit is reluctant, though very patient with them, to say that God knows them as a manner of affirming their faith. They know things about the Father, but not enough to know the Father knows them. They have need of endurance and of dependence to nurse upon the milk of the Word, to sit at the feet of the Word and listen.

1 Peter 2:1–3 (NKJV)

1 Therefore, laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking, 2 as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby, 3 if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious.

Again, he does not give them the same assurance that he proceeds to give the fathers and the young men. But he doesn’t want to ignore their use either. And they have use because they contribute to the growth of the church as they continue in humility by asking questions to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of themselves among the saints.

Hebrews 10:23–25 (NKJV)

23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, 25 not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.

Therefore these children need to be the most humble of all by recognizing their need for exhortation and the desperation to obtain a good confession among the godly.

Hebrews 10:26–39 (NKJV)

26 For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, 27 but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries. 28 Anyone who has rejected Moses’ law dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. 29 Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace? 30 For we know Him who said, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. And again, “The Lord will judge His people.” 31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. 32 But recall the former days in which, after you were illuminated, you endured a great struggle with sufferings: 33 partly while you were made a spectacle both by reproaches and tribulations, and partly while you became companions of those who were so treated; 34 for you had compassion on me in my chains, and joyfully accepted the plundering of your goods, knowing that you have a better and an enduring possession for yourselves in heaven. 35 Therefore do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward. 36 For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise: 37 “For yet a little while, And He who is coming will come and will not tarry. 38 Now the just shall live by faith; But if anyone draws back, My soul has no pleasure in him.” 39 But we are not of those who draw back to perdition, but of those who believe to the saving of the soul.