1. II. Light and Darkness (1:5-2:24)
    1. B. Test of Obedience to God (2:1-2:6)
Thematic Relation: Love leads to obedience. God's love shows in His forgiveness of our short-comings.

Some Key Words

Advocate (parkletos [3875]):
helper; legal advisor; representative; one who pleads another's cause before a judge.
Propitiation (hilasmos [2434]):
to appease (satisfy, pacify).
Commandments (entole [1785]):
a prescribed rule in accordance with which a thing is done
Abide (meno [3306]):
dwell, remain, not to depart, not to become different.
Walk (peripateo [4043]):
to be occupied with; follow; make due use of opportunities; regulate one's life
 

Paraphrase

1 These reminders are being given to help the reader avoid sin, 2 but such sins as occur are paid for by Christ. 3-5 Our obedience to Him is the proof of our knowing Him, 6 our walk thereby proving our words.

Key Verse

2:6 - the walk ought to prove the words.

Thematic Relevance:

 Love breeds obedience.

Doctrinal Relevance:

 Christ Jesus pays the penalty for our sins. Ours is a religion of action, not just a philosophy of words.

Moral Relevance:

 We must seek always to act as Christ would act. To obey the spirit of God's law - not getting bogged down in legalism, but allowing His perfect nature to guide our imperfect nature. This is yet another test of the truth of our beliefs.

Questions Raised:

 2:2 seems to imply universal salvation - the Arminian(sp?) view. How does this gel? How does it not? Need to find scriptural basis, and not just dogmatic reaction.

Some Parallel Verses

2:1
Ro 8:34 - Christ Jesus intercedes on our behalf. 1Ti 2:5 - and only Christ Jesus. Heb 7:25 - which intercession saves us completely. Heb 9:24 - appearing in heaven before God on our behalf.
2:2
Ro 3:25 - God presented Him as a sacrifice for our sins. Heb 2:17 - which required that He become like us in every way. Jn 4:42 - He is the Savior of the whole world. Jn 11:51 - and for the nation of Israel.
2:3
Jn 14:15 - Those who love Him obey His commands. Jn 15:10 - Those who obey His commands remain in His love, according to His example viz. The Father. Rev 12:17 - which obedience will, of course, put us at odds with Satan. Rev 14:12 - which will require us to patiently endure.
2:4
Ti 1:10 - Many rebel in talking other than they act.
2:5
Jn 14:23 - Obedience comes from love, and leads to love - and to the abiding presence of God in us.
2:6
Jn 15:4 - We cannot be fruitful (act as we talk) unless we remain in Him, and He in us. Jn 13:15 - Christ Himself provides the example for us. 1Pe 2:21 - We are called to follow the example He lived out for us.
 

New Thoughts

Verse 2:6 gives us one of the simplest, yet hardest, tests to check ourselves by. If we lay claim to not becoming different than He, we ought to be occupied with what occupied Him, to make due use of the types of opportunities He made use of in the ways He made use of them, to regulate our lives as He regulated His life - in perfect conformance to the will of God. There's no way this can be done under our own power, only by His grace can we even manage for a time. Lord, help us to walk as you did. Help us to remember not to be easily offended, but to offer a compassionate face to the needy world around us.