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Daily Devotions

1 John

1 John 
Day 
Day 19

"Brethren, I write no new commandment to you..."

Text: 1 John 2:7

THE LURE OF “NEW COMMANDMENTS”

The apostle John with great understanding knew that he had to deal with false teachers who seemed to be able to lure believers with the appeal of “new commandments”. What was this appeal?

1. False teachers know that poorly taught believers are easily drawn to “new teachings”.

2. Somehow the old commandments, though well attested seem to be less appealing after a while.

3. This problem certainly affected ancient Israel adversely.

a) Israel was not faithful in the keeping of old teachings given by Moses.
b) They were drawn to new teachings offered in idolatrous worship.

4. Jeremiah the prophet appealed to the nation to “ask for the old paths, where the good way is.” (Jeremiah 6:16)

THE SOLID WISDOM OF THE OLD COMMANDMENTS

John wrote earnestly of the solid strength of “old commandments.”

“Brethren, I write no new commandment to you,
but an old commandment which you have had from the beginning.
The old commandment is the word which you heard from the beginning.”
1 John 2:7

1. “Brethren, I write no new commandment to you”

a) There were no new commandments given in the first place.
b) Thus there were no new commandments to write about.

2. “But an old commandment which you have had from the beginning”

a) There is nothing wrong with a commandment from the Lord just because it is “old”.
b) John was not tired of writing about “an old commandment”.
c) Even if the “old commandment” was something already well-known to the readers.

3. “The old commandment is the word which you heard from the beginning”

a) The “old commandment” defined.
i) This was heard from the beginning.
ii) This would be a reference to the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.
iii) John was one of the apostles charged with making disciples of the nations.
iv) He was to teach all the commandments given by Jesus (Matthew 28:19-20).
b) John was deeply committed to writing about these “old commandments”.
c) The value of truth in the old commandments does not fade with the passage of time!