Calvin

5:18

This verse cannot be taken to indicate that believers are totally free from sin, for if it were so, then the call to prayer preceding would be foolishness. The point, then, is that the believer will not be so led astray by sin as to abandon all religion and surrender to the devil. Likewise, the idea of being untouched by the devil implies not a complete freedom from his attacks, but a warding off of those attacks such that they don't penetrate to the heart. The believer may well sin, but remains such that they hate the sin that burdens them, and continue in the fear of God. The power, the tools, and the strength wherewith we resist the devil are all had of God, there is nothing here of the believer's own power. This is not a proof of free-will playing a part, as the free-willers would have it. (Jn 17:11 - Christ prayed that God would keep us while we remained in the world.)

5:19

The general statements John has made regarding God's children are now applied to his readers, specifically. Only God's children can be truly faithful. Knowing ourselves to be such, we ought to do our utmost to prove it by our separation from the world, and our sanctity. This reminder is necessitated by the fact that the devil's hindrances are everywhere about us, ready to distract us from our course. "Then, in order to be well prepared for the contest, these two things must be borne in mind, that the world is wicked, and that our calling is from God." We must value that calling highly enough to resist all that opposes it. Since the world encompasses humanity in its definition, we ought to practice self-denial, as all that is worldly is under Satan's rule. Being as God is the one who has called us, we can be assured that we have His protection in opposing the machinations of the world and of Satan.

5:20

Having shown the battle all around, he also reminds us that we can be strengthened to perseverance in knowing we fight under God's own banner, and moreso because we know the Son of God. In Him, we have come to know God beyond all doubting, and are thus enabled to stand firm in faith against all comers. We come to know the only real God by knowing Him who was the only completely real image of God. (Jn 17:3 - eternal life consists in knowing the only true God and His Son.) When we depart from Him, we cannot but become vain in our own devices. In Christ we have our understanding of God, because in Him, God manifested Himself in the flesh. (Col 2:9 - the fullness of the Godhead was in His physical form. 2Co 4:6 - He who shone out of darkness in former times, revealed His face in Jesus.) The light of the gospel shines for all, but Satan blocks many with blindness. Where that light has penetrated, though, it cannot be extinguished, although it may be smothered for a time. The knowledge of this unites us to Christ, and through Him to God. The same who shows us the way to God is God - Jesus, the Christ, the source of life. The Father is the source of life, but Christ is the fountain from which it flows. We are to seek no farther for God, when we have found His Christ.

5:21

Having shown the true light, the true image of God; John concludes by warning us away from all idols and images, for we are inclined by nature to be easily led astray into worship of such things. We are warned to avoid all that provokes superstition; all that might turn us aside from true worship into gross superstition.

 

 

Matthew Henry

5:18-5:21

We are secured against the full dominion or guilt of sin by the inhabitation of the Holy Spirit. While the devil may still manage to tempt us into sin, he cannot reach us with the sting of death - cannot cause us to fall into that unforgivable sin of which he is guilty, himself. We are chosen by Him as His inheritance, and ourselves choose Him over the world. (Dt 32:9 - His people are the Lord's portion.) By the light of Christ, we have knowledge of the One true God. (Jn 1:18 - for He explained to us the God none has seen. Jn 17:3 - whom it is eternal life to know.) We are united with God, both Father and Son, for the Son leads us to the Father, and is yet true God and eternal life, even as the Father is. (Jn 1:1 - He was [and is] God.) United to either, we would have eternal life; more certainly, as we are united to both. Knowing True God, we ought to avoid not only all the false gods of paganism, but also any sharing of His worship with statues and images. "The God whom you have known is he who made you, who redeemed you by his Son, who has sent his gospel to you, who has pardoned your sins, begotten you unto himself by his Spirit, and given you eternal life. Cleave to him in faith, and love, and constant obedience, in opposition to all things that would alienate your mind and heart from God. To this living and true God be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen."

 

 

Adam Clarke

5:18

The adult Christian is cleansed from all unrighteousness, and therefor sins not. Such a one, building himself up in faith, and praying always in the Spirit, cannot be touched by the devil, for he can find none of his nature therein. (Jude 21 - we are to preserve ourselves in God's love.)

5:19

We have full and complete proof of Christianity's truth, and of our status with God by the work of His Son. The world lies embraced and asleep in the arms of the devil, whose influence can easily be seen in all their ways. "Yes, their ACTIONS are opposed to the law of God; their CONVERSATIONS shallow, simulous, and false; their CONTRACTS forced, interested, and deceitful; their QUARRELS puerile, ridiculous, and ferocious: and their FRIENDSHIPS hollow, insincere, capricious, and fickle:-all, all the effect of their lying in the arms of the wicked one."

5:20

The Son of God came in the flesh, revealing the Father to us, and enlightening our understanding so that we could come to know the Trinity, and its unity.

5:21

Have no idols: no pictures, relics, wafers, or crosses; nothing that would divide our minds, and prevent our fullest worship of God in spirit and in truth. John warns against joining with the pagans in their temples, or in any act of worship they might perform, for in joining one cannot but participate. (1Co 8:10 - participation implies acceptance of the practice.) Anything from which a man seeks his happiness is an idol - be it a 'god', or pleasure, or wealth, or friendship, or any such thing. We must find our all in God. Such idols are but puppets and dolls, and are to be avoided as objects of worthless worship.

 

 

Barnes

5:18

Such as are born of God will not be characteristically sinful, nor will they commit the unpardonable sin. Thus, there can never be cause to cease in our prayers for a true brother. This is a proof-text for the infallible grace concept. (Heb 6:4-8 - This would appear to contradict what is asserted here, for it speaks of those who tasted the Spirit, and then fall away, saying there is no repentance left them. Heb 10:26 - for no redemption remains for willful sin after salvation.) The believer will do his best to remain free of sin, and will accomplish it by divine aid. (Jude 21 - the love of God keeps us.) Kept in God's love, we cannot be harmed or snared by the enemy's efforts.

5:19

We are free of any doubt that we belong to God, for the evidence is clear. (2Ti 1:12 - Knowing who it is we believe in, we know we are kept secure by Him.) "World" in this case, indicates people - sinners - as opposed to some material thing. All such - all that is worldly - lies under the power of the wicked one. That this speaks of the wicked one, and not general wickedness, is shown in that (a) it matches the counter-statement of v20; (b) it makes better sense; (c) it accords with the bulk of Scriptural usage (2Co 4:4 - the wicked one is the god of this world, who blinds them; Eph 2:2 - and the prince of the power of the air, both these indicating his dominion over the world. Eph 6:12 - Our struggle is against such powers of wickedness, 1Co 10:20 - against the demons which the world sacrifices to. Ro 1:21-32 - Having given away the godly for the wicked, they are given over to wickedness to do the deeds thereof, and to suffer the penalty thereof.) (d) it is the understanding of the major commentators as to the passage. That the world "lies" under his power shows their passive acquiescence to their condition. "The dominion is complete, and body and soul, individuals and nations, are entirely subject to his will." (2Ti 2:26 - Our prayers are that they would awake and escape the devil's snares, be freed from doing his will.)

5:20

By all the evidence put forth in this letter, we are certain that Jesus came, the Son of God. He has not somehow given us new faculties of comprehension, but has rather instructed us such that we understand the truth. (Lk 24:45 - He 'opened their minds to understand'.) All correct knowledge of God comes of the Prophet He sent. (Jn 1:4 - He was our light, Jn 1:18 - by whom - and only by whom - we had God explained to us. Jn 8:12 - His light is life, which He shed upon us. Jn 9:5 - He remained light while He remained in the world. Heb 1:1-3 - God spoke through His Son, His heir, His co-creator of all that is. Mt 11:27 - Only by His revealing God, do any come to God. Jn 17:3 - Knowing this God, the only true God, is eternal life.) We are intimately united to God, (Jn 15:4-6 - as intimately as the branch is to the vine.) There is the question of whether 'true God' refers to Jesus or to the Father. Barnes chooses the reference to Jesus for the following reasons. The reference is grammatically favored, as Jesus is the nearest antecedent. The additional phrase of 'eternal life' is a phrase John applies exclusively to the person of Jesus, and never to the Father. If the other reference be taken, the sentence devolves to 'the true God is the true God' - which essentially says nothing. There can be no doubt that were John referring to Jesus, this would be his opinion on the matter of Jesus' godhood. If John meant to refer to the Father - and Jesus were not true God, then his statement is misleading, and could easily lead to just the type of idol-worship he warns against. So, it seems this is a clear statement of Jesus' divinity. (Jn 5:26 - He has life in himself,) and is the source of life to our soul. Various references John makes to Christ as life: (Jn 1:4, Jn 5:26, Jn 5:40, Jn 10:10, Jn 6:33, Jn 6:35, Jn 6:48, Jn 6:51, Jn 6:53, Jn 6:63, Jn 11:25, Jn 14:6, Jn 20:31).

5:21

John's great object in this letter has been to lead his 'children' to the knowledge and love of God. This counsel to avoid idols is a logical conclusion to the letter, as the following of that counsel would keep them from becoming estranged from the love led to. In keeping away from idols, the idea of avoiding implied communion with such as worship them is included (1Co 10:14 - We are to flee idolatry.) The term covers any image that would attempt to represent God, for the purpose of acknowledging such as His representative. (1Co 8:4 - no idol is true. 1Co 8:7 - eating sacrificial foods with a mind to their role is defiling. 1Co 10:19 - not that either have any real power, it is the state of mind that is fouling. Ro 2:22 - The robbing of temples is also a form of idolatry. 2Co 6:16 - There can be no common cause between God and idols. 1Th 1:9 - For we have turned from such idols to serve the true God.) The main point of 'idol', then, is that it is set as a representation of the Deity, and made an object of worship in the stead of the true God, Himself. Since the former tends to lead to the latter, both are forbidden by God's law (Ex 20:4-5 - No likeness of anything in heaven, earth, or water is to be made, neither worshiped.) Why this closing? Some possibilities: It might be that those he wrote to were [are] surrounded by such idol-worship, and were [are] in danger of falling into similar acts; there is always the danger of fixing our affections on something other than God, and thereby withholding what is due Him alone. In this latter form, the dangers of idolatry remain ever-present. They come in the form of over-devotion to our children, to wealth and honor, to anything that we find ourselves loving more than God. He ought to reign and be acknowledged as our liege in every place we are; home, work, play, church; submitted to always as the rightful commander of our ways.

 

 

Wycliffe

5:18-5:20

We have certain knowledge of the nature of one born of God - that they are not habitual sinners. The 'touching' of the wicked one indicates a grasping hold of (Jn 20:17 - a clinging, as Mary clung to Jesus at the tomb), which Satan cannot do to those begotten of God. The world is taken to mean the thoughts and ways of those who populate it, and are influenced by it. Christ is come not only in His incarnation, but is even now present in the believer, giving us of His knowledge that we might have experiential knowledge of Him.

5:21

"'An "idol" is anything which occupies the place due to God'". Ephesus was a place with many idols and the practices associated therewith. If this was the church to which the letter was sent, the warning is quite appropriate to their circumstances.

 

 

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown

5:18

Between here and v20, there are three iterations of knowing which introduce three great truths which all should be aware of by their own experience. The first of these acts to warn us against abusing the efficacy of intercessory prayer as a license to sin. All who are reborn - regardless of advancement - are free of habitual sin. There's room for discussion as to whether this says that Jesus - born of God in perfection - keeps us, or we - in our state of rebirth - keep ourselves from evil. "God's working by His Spirit, and man's working under that Spirit as a responsible agent, often occurs." If we keep ourselves, it is only by His power. (Jn 17:15 - He is asked to keep us from evil. 1Pe 1:5 - It is God's power that protects us.) Being regenerate, Satan has nothing to hold to in us. (Jn 14:30 - as he has nothing to hold in Christ.)

5:19

The world rests in the wicked one as its lord. (Jn 17:14-15 - we are not of the world, and thus rest not under its lord, but rather under our Lord.) We are delivered.

5:20

Here is a summing up of our privileges. He is here, abiding; 'a living fact.' He has given us understanding of God. We thus know Him who is true (Rev 3:7 - He is the holy and true one who opens and shuts irrevocably), where all idols are false; and we are united in Him. Jesus is the true God (Jn 17:3 - Eternal life consists in knowing God and His Christ.) Christ is the mediator to us of eternal life. He is the only full image of God, His only true manifestation. "ALL other representations of God are forbidden as idols."

5:21

Avoiding the obvious worshipping of idols may not be so difficult, but when surrounded by such as we are, it requires constant guard to avoid indirect compromise. (Rev 2:14 - some fell into eating of idolatrous sacrifices.) Whenever we stop abiding in Him, we fall into the arms of the wicked one, and thus into at least spiritual idolatry, if not literal idolatry. (Eph 5:5 - No idolater is of the kingdom. By corollary, no one of the kingdom is an idolater. Col 3:5 - Immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed all amount to idolatry.)

 

 

New Thoughts

This last verse is really holding my attention today; especially as I consider the various comments above. Calvin: avoid all that provokes superstition, thereby leading us away from true worship. Clarke: anything other than God in which we seek our happiness is a mere doll, and should not have gained our devotion. Barnes: anything that we become over-devoted to becomes idolatrous for us. Wycliffe: anything that occupies the place (in our affections) due to God. J,F,B: Any representation of God, other than Jesus, Himself is an idol, as well as all that the world attempts to gain our affections by. Only by grace can we keep ourselves from this. And even then, it will require our constant guard to stay clear. God help us! We even turn our worship and our religion into idolatry at times. Cleanse us, oh Lord. Help us to submit to Your will and Your ways completely. Free us from the seeming need for entertainment in Your house. Help us to stop seeking the 'experience', and rather experience the reality of Your rebirth in us. Help us to come to You ready to do Your business; free us from the distractions of our busy-ness. Purify us, oh God, that we may be fully Yours. Amen.