1 John 2:7

The New Commandment

7 Beloved, I am writing you 1no new commandment, but 2an old commandment 3that you had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word that you have heard.

1 John 2:7 Meaning and Commentary

1 John 2:7

Brethren, I write no new commandment unto you
Some understand this of faith, which this apostle calls a commandment, ( 1 John 3:23 ) ; but it rather intends the commandment of love, especially to the brethren, of which the apostle says the same things as here in his second epistle, ( 1 John 2:5 1 John 2:6 ) ; and this sense agrees both with what goes before and follows after, and is a considerable branch of the commandments of Christ to be kept, and of walking as he walked; and the word "brethren", prefixed to this account, may direct to, and strengthen this sense, though the Vulgate Latin and Syriac versions read, "beloved"; and so the Alexandrian copy, and others: and this commandment is said to be not a new one,

but an old commandment, which ye had from the beginning;
it being in its original a part of the eternal law of truth, founded upon the unalterable nature and eternal will of God, who is love itself, and requires it in all his creatures; being what was written on Adam's heart in a state of innocence, and a branch of the divine image stamped upon him; and is what was delivered in the law of Moses, for love to God and men is the sum and substance of that; and was taught by Christ and his apostles from the beginning of the Gospel dispensation; and was what these saints had been acquainted with, and influentially instructed in from their first conversion, being taught of God in regeneration to love one another; so that this was no novel doctrine, no upstart notion, no new law, but of the greatest and most venerable antiquity, and therefore to be regarded in the most respectful manner.

The old commandment is the word which ye have heard from the
beginning;
or this ancient law of love is contained in, and enforced by that word or doctrine which was delivered from the beginning of time; and which these saints had heard of, concerning the seed of the woman's bruising the serpent's head, which includes the work of redemption and salvation by Christ, atonement by his sacrifice, forgiveness of sin through his blood, and justification by his righteousness, than which nothing can more powerfully engage to love God, and Christ, and one another; and which is also strongly encouraged by the word of God and Gospel of Christ, which they had heard, and had a spiritual and saving knowledge of, from the time they were effectually called by the grace of God: the phrase, "from the beginning", is left out in the Alexandrian copy, and others, and in the Vulgate Latin, Syriac, and Ethiopic versions; it is omitted in both clauses of the text in the latter.

1 John 2:7 In-Context

5 but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him:
6 whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.
7 Beloved, I am writing you no new commandment, but an old commandment that you had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word that you have heard.
8 At the same time, it is a new commandment that I am writing to you, which is true in him and in you, becausethe darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining.
9 Whoever says he is in the light and hates his brother is still in darkness.

Cross References 3

  • 1. 2 John 5
  • 2. Leviticus 19:18
  • 3. [ver. 24; 1 John 3:11; 2 John 5, 6]
The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.