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Abide in John's First Epistle

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Abide in John's First Epistle BY JOSEPH BECKLER BIDE IN john’s FIRST EPISTLE he word abide (Greek, meno) carries Abide in the Greek context carries a sense synonymous meanings such as remaining, of remaining or staying in place. The word in Tstaying, living, dwelling, lasting, enduring, its general usage described an idea of endur- and continuing.1 The Greek New Testament uses ing or of someone holding his or her ground, meno 112 times. of its usage, the Johannine group even when facing adversity. Overall, the word 2009 Summer of literature (the Gospel of John; 1, 2, 3 John; and BI revelation) uses the term 66 times.2 having a LESSON REFERENCE proper understanding of abide is thus important BsFL: 1 John 2:3-17 55 when reading any of John’s writings. ILLUSTRATOR PHOTO/ KRISTEN HILLER (2486) meno communicated a strong sense of tenacity, new heaven and new earth (Isa. 66:22).4 Looking and this certainly shaped the understanding of exclusively at the Old Testament usage, abide those who used the word. For the modern reader, suggests more than a casual “sticking around.” understanding the meaning of abide, as related This word emphasizes the enduring, eternal, and specifically to the Jewish community and the dependable nature of God. early Christian movement, requires looking at meno’s usage in the Greek translation of the Old Abide in 1 John 2:3-17 Testament, the Septuagint. John’s writings, as mentioned above, used abide The Septuagint used abide (meno) in translat- in a brilliant theological fashion. The Book ing Hebrew words that carried the sense of of 1 John was written to a group of Christians standing, lasting, remaining, enduring, being who dealt with the threat of gnostic influence. valid or in force, sitting, dwelling, and remain- Gnosticism was a Greek (or Hellenistic) notion Summer 2009 Summer ing undisturbed.3 The Septuagint’s use of meno that existed prior to Jesus’ life and ministry and BI reveals that the things of earth will waste away, the work of the earliest believers. Early gnos- but the things of God will abide for eternity. tics attempted to commandeer Christ’s teach- Everything associated with God endures, includ- ings for the purpose of shaping early Christian 56 ing His counsel, His Word, and His promised beliefs primarily into a form of secret, mystical Right: Basalt lintel with grape motif; from Hauran in southern Syria. Jesus used the analogy of a vine and branches to describe follow- ers abiding in Him. ILLUSTRATOR PHOTO/DAVID ROGERS/LOUVRE/PARIS (265/27) Left: House ruins at Yehudiye, a relationship with Jesus Christ meant for the which is northeast first-century Christ followers. Verses 5-6 link of the Sea of Galilee. Wanting together three words that describe the relation- to increase the ship between Jesus and the believer—knowledge, population of his ERRINI AND BIONDI (29/22/13) existence, and abiding. John first started with F territories, Herod Y relocated many the concept of knowledge, which was the obvi- Jewish settlers ous topic of importance for the gnostics. He into this region. Yehudiye may explained that being a Christian certainly meant have begun as a knowing the son of God and thus, encountering result of that relo- COURTES BOB SCHATZ/ divine wisdom. John then went further, though, cation. Built on top of Roman Era by saying faith in Jesus was not simply an intel- ruins, the remains lectual process of accruing mystical knowledge. shown date to ILLUSTRATOR PHOTO/ PHOTO/ ILLUSTRATOR the Ottoman He explained, in verse 5, that being in Christ also period. The small meant existing in Him. Existence was synonymous house, with with the idea of abiding.6 two rectangular rooms joined by In verse 6 John used meno to emphasize that arches, is made of Christians abide in an intimate connection with basalt stone and Jesus. Our identity as believers, therefore, comes originally had a wooden roof. only as we abide in a deeply personal relation- ship with Christ. John taught that the Christian’s Above: Beginning spiritual life was inseparable from Jesus. As Jesus of the Prologue of the Book of Himself explained through the metaphor of the John from “The vine and branches, abiding is more than a cordial / BOB SCHATZ (28/2/18) / BOB SCHATZ Martyr’s Bible.” “In the beginning relationship (John 15:1-8). Christ’s followers are was the Word intimately connected to Jesus. In this connec- and the Word tion, Christians experience divine empower- was with God and ILLUSTRATOR PHOTO ILLUSTRATOR the Word was ment, which results in living differently. Apart God.” This page from abiding in Christ, Jesus taught, believers from a Wycliffe 7 New Testament can do nothing. was handwritten Verses 9-10 of 1 John 2 contrast the difference in English about between walking in Jesus (the light) and walking 1410. in darkness. John stated that claiming “to be” in Left: Bells of St. the light, but still hating your brother, was an John’s Monastery on Patmos. indicator of spiritual darkness. In contrast, the Emperor Domitian one who abided “in the light” reflected the moral exiled John to character of Christ.8 John contrasted the weak- Patmos about A.D. 95. After ness of claiming “to be” in the light with one Domitian’s death who genuinely abides (meno) in Christ.9 in 97, however, Meno is also in 1 John 2:17. This usage is dif- John was released and, according to ferent, however, in that it refers to the state of tradition, returned the believer who loves Christ. John explained to Ephesus. that loving Jesus held the promise of abiding in knowledge about God. John, in writing the Letter eternal life. Clearly, this idea reached back to the of 1 John, boldly defended Christianity in the face Jewish roots of understanding what trusting God 2009 Summer of gnostic influences and defined faith as more meant. When someone loves God, that individu- BI than a mere philosophical, mystical pursuit.5 al places his or her trust in God’s son; and thus, Within the passage of 1 John 2:3-17, usage of he or she is immediately placed into the secure 57 meno reveals a superior understanding of what and powerful reality of eternal life.10 ILLUSTRATOR PHOTO/ LOUISE KOHL SMITH (33/38/15) Above: Basilica octagional baptis- works. These of St. John at tery, and a trea- are mentioned Ephesus com- sure house. in The Library memorates the of the Gnostics. traditional loca- Right: Conclusion Discovered at tion of John’s of the Apocryphon Hmra Dom in burial. The basilica of John and the Egypt, these texts originally included beginning of were part of the a nave, an atrium, Thomas’s gospel, Nag Hammadi a narthex, an both non-canonical Library. Regarding the use of abide in John’s writ- ings, 1 John 2:3-17 reveals a couple of amazing conclusions about the Christian faith. First, abiding in Christ affects every aspect of life. secondly, abiding reveals the security we have in Christ. Christians are inseparably and inti- mately connected to Jesus, just as a branch cannot exist apart from the vine. i 1. Kurt Aland et al., The Greek New Testament (Stuttgart: United Bible Societies, 1994), 113. 2. Friedrich Hauck, “mevnw, ejm-, para-, peri-, prosmevnw, monhv, uJpomevnw, uJpomonhv” (remain, abide) in Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, ed. Gerhard Kittel, ed. and trans. Geoffrey W. Bromiley, vol. 4 (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1967), 575. 3. Ibid., 575. Old Testament examples of meno’s usage in the Septuagint are in ILLUSTRATOR PHOTO/ BOB SCHATZ/ COPTIC MUSEUM, Cairo (15/17/15) Isaiah 7:7; 32:8; Job 15:29; Numbers 30:5; and Genesis 24:55. 4. Ibid., 575. 8. Stott, 94-95, 99-100. 5. Harold S. Songer and E. Ray Clendenen, “Gnosticism” in Holman Illustrated 9. Smalley, 61. When John talked of the person who claims to be in the light, he Bible Dictionary, gen. ed. Chad Brand, Charles Draper, and Archie England (Nashville: Summer 2009 Summer uses the simple “to be” verb. When he described the genuine Christian (in verse 10), Holman Bible Publishers, 2003), 656; Glenn W. Barker, “1 John” in The Expositor’s he described this person as abiding (meno) in the light. BI Bible Commentary, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 12 (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1981), 10. Barker, 322; Smalley, 89. 315. 6. Stephen S. Smalley, 1, 2, 3 John, vol. 51 in Word Biblical Commentary (Waco: Word Books, 1984), 50; John R. W. Stott, The Letters of John, vol. 19 in Tyndale New Joseph Beckler is a church planter and resort 58 Testament Commentaries, 2nd ed. (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1988), 95-96. 7. Smalley, 52; Stott, 96-97. minister in Durango, Colorado..
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