1 John 2:15-17
The Positive Command : Love
The apostle John wrote the following (1 John 2:3):
“Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments.”
In this regard, the two greatest commandments in the Torah (Deuteronomy 6:1-5 / Leviticus 19:18) were identified by Jesus (Matthew 22:34-40):
“But when the Pharisees heard that He (Jesus) had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together. Then one of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, and saying, ‘Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?’ Jesus said to him,‘You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.’”
[For more on that topic, see Obeying His Commands]. A few verses thereafter in 1 John, John also wrote (1 John 2:8a,10a):
“Again, a new commandment I write to you, which thing is true in Him and in you … He who loves (ἀγαπῶν) his brother abides in the light.”
The new commandment that John wrote about is most likely the same about which Jesus spoke (John 13:34):
“A new commandment I give to you, that you love (ἀγαπᾶτε) one another; as I have loved (ἠγάπησα) you, that you also love (ἀγαπᾶτε) one another.”
The three words for love in John 13:34 are all derived from the same root word — ἀγαπάω (ag-ap-ah’-o) — which means to love, embracing God’s will (choosing His choices) and obeying them through His power; or actively doing what the Lord prefers, with Him (by His power and direction). And as Jesus loved His disciples sacrificially, so too should Christians be willing to love one another sacrificially [for more on that topic see Love One Another].
The Negative Command : Do Not Love
After encouraging the disciples to whom he was writing [see Children of God have and will Overcome the Wicked One], John wrote the following [1 John 2:15-17]:
“Do not love (ἀγαπᾶτε) the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves (ἀγαπᾷ) the world, the love (ἀγάπη) of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.”
The word used for love — ἀγαπᾶτε (agapate) — is an active present imperative form of ἀγαπάω (ag-ap-ah’-o). Why is use of the imperative case relevant? To indicate that this is a command. What does use of the active present tense indicate? That this love is something that occurs in the present. So then, what are people commanded not to love?
• The world (κόσμον); and
• The things in the world (κόσμῳ)
WAIT A MINUTE! Didn’t Jesus say that (John 3:16):
“For God so loved (ἠγάπησεν) the world (κόσμον) that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”
God Himself loved the world, but He commands us to not love the world? What’s the deal? The key to understanding this apparent contradiction is context. That is, in John 3:16, Jesus is speaking of God’s unconditional, perfect love for His creation, in particular His creatures that bear His image. In this regard, “God demonstrates His own love (ἀγάπην) toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8).” Conversely, in 1 John 2:15-17, God is referring to the world in a negative context, commanding us to avoid the Satanic system of the world (1 John 5:19), its temptations, corruptions and vices.
The World and the Things of the World
What’s so wrong with the world (1 John 2:16)?
• The lust of the flesh (NKJV,NASB,NIV) or desires of the flesh (ESV)
• The lust of the eyes (NKJV,NASB,NIV) or desires of the eyes (ESV); and
• The pride of life (NKJV,NIV), boastful pride of life (NASB), or pride in possessions (ESV)
• None of which are of the Father (or consistent with His nature).
What’s “lust (desire)”?
ἐπιθυμία (ep-ee-thoo-mee’-ah) means lust or passionate desire and it is used in both positive and negative ways in Scripture [1]. In 1 John 2:16, it’s clearly used in a negative way. Consider also, for example, James 1:14-15:
“But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires (ἐπιθυμίας) and enticed. Then, when desire (ἐπιθυμία) has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.”
What is “the lust (desire) of the flesh”?
σαρκὸς (sarkos) literally means flesh or human nature and it is used in both positive and negative ways in Scripture [1]. The expression “the lust of the flesh” could specifically refer to illicit bodily appetites, but it could also more figuratively refer to all sinful desires that aren’t from God and haven’t been taken captive and held obedient to Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5).
What is “the lust (desire) of the eyes”?
ὀφθαλμός (of-thal-mos’) literally means an eye or figuratively “the mind’s eye [1].” The expression “the lust of the eyes” likely refers to unhealthy (sinful) coveting.
What is “the (boastful) pride of life” or “pride in possessions”?
ἀλαζονεία (al-ad-zon-i’-a) is used only here in the entire New Testament, and it means boasting or ostentatious display (that which attempts to attract attention to oneself) [1].
What should be a Christian’s perspective (2 Corinthians 10:17)?
Boast in the Lord!
It’s interesting and important to note that these worldly problems have existed since the beginning of humanity (Genesis 3:1-6)
“Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, “Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden’?” And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden; but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.’” Then the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God (the pride of life), knowing good and evil.” So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food (the lust of the flesh), that it was pleasant to the eyes (the lust of the eyes), and a tree desirable to make one wise (the pride of life), she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate.”
Eve and Adam knew (in a factual sense) that God had commanded them not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. But Eve, being deceived (1 Timothy 2:14), chose to trust in Satan rather than God and indulge herself in the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. Adam chose to heed the words of his wife instead of those of God (Genesis 3:17). In both cases, John’s point in 1 John 2:15 is the following:
DON’T DO THAT!
Children of God vs Children of the World
A survey of 1 John 2:3-17 reveals differences in characteristics between children of God and children of the world (some are explicit, and some are derived via inference):
A Child of God:
• keeps His commandments;
• has the truth is in him/her;
• has the love of God perfected in him/her;
• walks as Jesus walked;
• loves Christians;
• is forgiven of his/her sins;
• knows God experientially;
• has overcome the wicked one;
• is strong in God’s mighty power;
• doesn’t love the world;
• has the love of the Father is in him / her;
• doesn’t have the lust of the eyes and flesh, and the pride of life; and
• has eternal life.
Conversely, a child of the world:
• doesn’t keep His commandments;
• doesn’t have the truth is in him/her;
• doesn’t have the love of God perfected in him/her;
• doesn’t walk as Jesus walked;
• doesn’t love Christians;
• doesn’t have forgiveness of his/her sins;
• doesn’t know God experientially;
• hasn’t overcome the wicked one;
• isn’t strong in God’s mighty power;
• loves the world;
• doesn’t have the love of the Father is in him / her;
• has the lust of the eyes and flesh, and the pride of life; and
• doesn’t have eternal life!
Two Perspectives on 1 John 2:15-17
In 1 John 1, John often used the word “we” as if to indicate that the primary audience of the letter was of the same “group” as he and the other apostles, i.e., Christian. And in the immediately preceding verses (1 John 2:12-14) John was most likely referring to his fellow disciples of Christ through use of words such as little children, children, young men, and fathers. So then, how do we interpret 1 John 2:15-17?
Identifying Worldly behavior Amongst Christians. In 1 John 2:1 John addressed the audience of the letter as his little children and specifically stated that he was writing this letter so that they wouldn’t sin (that they would be holy), thus indicating that he wrote the letter at least in part to address sin amongst Christians. In addition, 1 John 2:15 begins with the command to not love the world without a change of subject, as if John was indeed addressing the same people that he addressed in 1 John 2:12-14 (his little children, children, etc.). From this perspective, John is emphasizing in 1 John 2:15-17 that even those born of God still periodically succumb to sin (1 John 1:8) and manifest the characteristics of those not born of God, thereby damaging their witness for Jesus, damaging their fellowship with God and other Christians, and thus diminishing or suppressing the joy of the Lord, both of which John desires for the audience to have (1 John 1:3-4). In other words, if a Christian engages in love of the world or the things of the world, it inhibits, damages, or ruins The Joy Ride!
Distinguishing between Authentic and Nominal / Non-Christians. John’s use of the word τις (tis) — translated as “anyone” — in 1 John 2:15b could indicate that he was broadening the scope of his remarks to encompass both Christians and non-Christians. In this sense, in particular when viewed in the broader contrasts in 1 John 2, these verses could be descriptive characteristics used to facilitate distinguishing between Christians and non-Christians, or possibly even Christians and nominal Christians who “associate” and “congregate” with the body of Christ but who aren’t actually born again.
This World is Passing Away
In the beginning, the earth was … (Genesis 1:1-2)?
Without form and void (i.e., order).
So, what did God do (Genesis 1:3-30)?
He gave it order!
And after God created order, everything was (Genesis 1:31)?
Very good!
Yet after Adam succumbed to the lust of the eyes, lust of the flesh, and pride of life, what happened (Genesis 3:16-19)?
Death, disorder and decay entered the world!
What’s the present status of creation (Romans 8:20-22)?
It’s in bondage to futility and corruption / decay, groaning and waiting for deliverance! It’s passing away (1 John 2:17)!
What’s the ultimate fate of creation (Matthew 5:18; 2 Peter 3:10)?
It WILL pass away!
What’s in store thereafter (Revelation 21:1-5)?
A new creation in which there is no more death, sorrow, crying or pain!
Summary
Don’t love this fading world or the things of this fading world; rather, love the Lord, love your neighbor, and love your siblings in the body of Christ as Jesus Himself loved us!
Application Questions
1. Review the preceding comparisons in Children of God vs Children of the World and then examine yourself (2 Corinthians 13:5): Which characteristics best describe you? How have these characteristics changed in you over time? Are you becoming increasingly holy (sanctified)? Or are you becoming increasingly more like a child of the world?
2. Are there any “worldly” things that captivate you (in which you invest much thought, time or $)? If so, which? Why?
3. Are there any fleshly desires with which you struggle? If so, which? Why?
4. Is there something about which you’ve boasted or been boasting? If so, what? Why?
5. Is there something that you need to confess?
6. Is it time to clear the temple? [2]
References
[1] http://interlinearbible.org/1_john/2.htm
[2] Iain Whitfield, “It’s Time to Clear the Temple,” Hope Christian Church, 13 November 2011.
[3] Do download this post in *.doc format, click here.
