Yochanan I 2:9

9 The one claiming in the Ohr (Light) to be and the Ach b’Moshiach of him hating, is in the choshech still. [VAYIKRA 19:17]

Yochanan I 2:9 Meaning and Commentary

1 John 2:9

He that saith he is in the light
Is in Christ the light, or has the true knowledge of the light of the Gospel, or is illuminated by the Spirit of God; for persons may profess to be enlightened ones, and not be so: wherefore the apostle does not say, he that is in the light, but he that says he is,

and hateth his brother;
who is so either by creation, as all men are brethren, having one Father, that has made them, and brought them up; or by regeneration, being born of God the Father, and in the same family and household of faith; and so regards such who are in a spiritual relation, whom to hate internally, or not to love, is inconsistent with being in the light, or having faith, which is always naturally and necessarily accompanied with the heat of love; for as light and heat, so faith and love go together: wherefore, let a man's profession of light be what it will, if love to his brother is wanting, he

is in darkness even until now;
he is in a state of nature and unregeneracy, which is a state of darkness and ignorance; he is under the power of darkness, and in the kingdom of Satan; who is the ruler of the darkness of this world; he ever was so from his birth; he never was called nor delivered out of it, but is still in it to this moment, and so remains. This seems to be very much levelled against the Jews, who make hatred of the brother in some cases lawful: for they say ^F4,

``if one man observes sin in another, and reproves him for it, and he does not receive his reproof, (wtwanvl rtwm) , "it is lawful to hate him";''

(See Gill on Matthew 5:43).

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FOOTNOTES:

F4 Moses Kotsensis Mitzvot Tora, pr. neg. 5.

Yochanan I 2:9 In-Context

7 Chaverim, I do not write you a mitzvah chadasha, but a mitzvah yashanah, which you were having from the beginning: the mitzvah yashanah is the dvar which you heard.

8 Again a mitzvah chadasha I write to you, which is HaEmes in Him, and in you, because the choshech is making its histalkus (passing away) and the Ohr HaAmitti (the True Light) already is shining.

9 The one claiming in the Ohr (Light) to be and the Ach b’Moshiach of him hating, is in the choshech still. [VAYIKRA 19:17]

10 The one with ahavah for the Ach b’Moshiach of him makes his maon (dwelling, permanent residence, Yn 14:2, 23) in the Ohr (Light) and a cause for michshol (stumbling, falling) is not in him. [TEHILLIM 119:165]

11 But the one hating the Ach b’Moshiach of him is in the choshech and walks his derech in the choshech and does not have da’as where he goes, because the choshech blinded his eyes.