Welcome back to the Hope Bible School verse-by-verse Bible study of 1 John. This is Jeff M Newman. Get a new lesson every other week on Mondays at 12:00 PM Eastern.
In Lesson 30, we are going to study 1 John 2:7. You are going to learn how to effectively minister to others by understanding and acknowledging the depth of God's love for them.
By recognizing how much God loves each person, you can convey that love to them when you are with them. Remind them of God's unconditional love and the value He places on them as His beloved children. Then, encourage them to love others.
Let’s read our verse.
1 John 2:7 Beloved, I am not writing to you a new commandment, but an old one, which you have had from the beginning. This commandment is the message you have heard.
Let's start by focusing on the first word of the verse: Beloved
Beloved (27. agapétos) means loved by God or personally experiencing God’s agape or divine love.” (HELPS Word-studies).
John is reminding those who are reading this letter that they are divinely loved by God. John uses this term multiple times in his letters.
By using the term "beloved," he speaks to his readers in a loving manner, reminding them that they are loved by God.
In Matthew 3:16-17, we read that God the Father used the term "beloved" in reference to Jesus, immediately after Jesus was baptized.
Matthew 3:16-17 As soon as Jesus was baptized, He went up out of the water. Suddenly the heavens were opened, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and resting on Him. 17 And a voice from heaven said, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased!”
When you are ministering to others, it is important to remind them that they are beloved by God.
Now let’s focus on the next part of the verse: I am not writing to you a new commandment, but an old one…
Writing (1125. graphó) means express in written characters.
New (2537. kainos) means fresh or “not found exactly like this before.”
Commandment (1785. entolé) is an injunction, order, or command.
But an old one (3820. palaios) means not new or recent, or had been in existence for a long time.
John is not writing about a brand new or fresh commandment.
He is not introducing something that had not already been discussed before.
Even though this verse doesn't explicitly mention which commandment he is referring to, we can infer from the context of 1 John 2 that John is talking about the commandment to "love your neighbor as yourself."
This commandment has its roots in the early books of the Bible and has been passed down through generations.
Let's examine some verses from both the Old and New Testaments that relate to this commandment.
We first time we see the commandment to love your neighbor as yourself in Leviticus 19:18.
Leviticus 19:18 Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against any of your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD.
In Leviticus 19:34 and in Deuteronomy 10:19 we read that the Israelites were commanded to love the foreigner as themselves.
Leviticus 19:34 You must treat the foreigner living among you as native-born and love him as yourself, for you were foreigners in the land of Egypt. I am the LORD your God.
Deuteronomy 10:19 So you also must love the foreigner, since you yourselves were foreigners in the land of Egypt.
In Matthew 22:36-40, we see Jesus engaging in a debate with a Pharisee who was an expert in the law. The Pharisee was attempting to undermine His authority. Jesus responded by stating that the love for God and love for others are the foundational commandments upon which the entire Jewish law is based.
Matthew 22:36-40 “Teacher, which commandment is the greatest in the Law?” 37 Jesus declared, “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
Now let’s focus on the final part of the verse: Which you have had from the beginning. This commandment is the message you have heard.
Which you have had: (2192. echó) means to have or hold in the hand.
From the beginning: (746. arché) means from the initial starting point.
This commandment: (1785. entolé) is an injunction, order, or command.
Is the message: (3056. logos) means a word (as embodying an idea), a statement, a speech.
You have heard: (191. akouó) means to listen and comprehend. Or according to HELPS Word-studies, “to hear God’s voice which prompts Him to birth faith within.”
John is letting his readers know that this commandment is something that they have possessed from their initial starting point as a believer in Jesus.
Loving others is foundational to Jesus’ teachings. He has been proclaiming this from the beginning of His ministry.
When you are ministering to others, you do not need to come up with some new idea. Simply share the message that we should love one another.
1 John 3:11 This is the message you have heard from the beginning: We should love one another.
2 John 1:5-6 And now I urge you, dear lady—not as a new commandment to you, but one we have had from the beginning—that we love one another. 6 And this is love, that we walk according to His commandments. This is the very commandment you have heard from the beginning, that you must walk in love.
In conclusion, remember that the people you are ministering to are beloved by God. When you are with them remind them that they are beloved by God. You don't need to share anything new with them; you simply need to convey the same message that Jesus shared: "Love your neighbor as yourself."
Let’s read our verse one more time.
1 John 2:7 Beloved, I am not writing to you a new commandment, but an old one, which you have had from the beginning. This commandment is the message you have heard.
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Thank you and God bless you,
Jeff M Newman
(Photo by Xavier Coiffic on Unsplash. Berean Study Bible.)
Lesson 30 - 1 John 2:7 Beloved, I am not writing to you a new commandment, but an old one, which you have had from the beginning. This commandment is the message you have heard.