Commentary on 1 John, Commentary · Chapter 2 · Verse 23
1 JOHN. 2.23.
Whoſoever denieth the Son, the ſame hath not the Father.
WE have heard Three Points out of the former verſe; now becauſe he had ſaid before, that he that denies the Son denies the Father, he proves it from the near relation betwixt them, ſo that he that denies the Son, denies the Father; and contrarily, he that acknowledgeth the Son, acknowledgeth the Father.
Some doubt of theſe words, whether they be in the Canon, but Beza teſtifies, he hath found theſe words in four old good tranſlations, and the Syriack Tranſlation reads it, and the Vulgar Latine, and it is a common thing in this Epiſtle, to ſhew one thing by the contrary to it.
Doct. According to our acknowledgment, or Confeſſion; or Denial of the Son, we either have, or have not the Father.
He that acknowledgeth the Son, hath the Son, and the Father alſo; and he that denies the Son, wants both.
For Explication.
Q. 1. What is it to confeſſe, and to deny the Son?
A. To deny the Son, is not only a dogmatical denying in Doctrine or word, neither is confeſſion only a dogmatical confeſſion of him with the mouth, and yet if in Doctrin you deny the Son, you deny the Father alſo, and if you preach Chriſt in a true manner, you preach and confeſſe the Father alſo. But there are more denials and confeſſions of the Son than in word, ſo that it includes having not the Son and the Father, and not having the Son and the Father, as verſ. 24.
Did not Peter deny Jeſus, and did he deny God? did not many confeſſe Jeſus, and yet at laſt day he will deny them? did not Judas and Demas profeſs Chriſt, and yet denyed both Father and Son?
Therefore in Scripture Phraſe there is a threefold denyall; and ſo a threefold confeſſion.
A denyall in heart, in word, in practiſe.
1 In heart, Pſal. 14.1. The fool hath ſaid in his heart there is no God; he doth not mean natural Idolls, for he ſpeaks of them that eat up Gods people as bread; &c. Luke 9.23. let him deny himſelf, he doth not mean in word, he muſt ſay he is not himſelfe, but he muſt deny all worth, all parts and gifts in himſelfe, he muſt deny all pleaſure and gain; this is to deny a mans ſelfe, though he doe not expreſſe it in word; ſo there is a deniall of Chriſt in heart, when he doth not prize Chriſt and magnifie him, nor ſee the worth nor want of him, this is to deny Chriſt.
2 Some deny him openly in word, 2 Pet. 2.1.
3 Some in carriage, 1 Pet. 5.8. Tit. 1.10. they profeſſe they know Chriſt, but in their works they deny him, 1 Tim. 3.5. one that doth thus, denyes Chriſt, and ſo the Father.
Suitable to this there is a confeſſion
1 In heart, Prov. 3.5.6. In all thy wayes acknowledge him, truſt not in thy own wiſdome, ſo that in a mans heart to truſt on him, and depend on him is to confeſſe him.
2 In words, Joh. 1.20.29. and this kind of confeſſion is mixt with holy boldneſſe, and holy humility; he is ſo humble that he denies all his own credit and life, and ſo bold, that he dares confeſſe Chriſt before Kings and Princes: we read of ſome that profeſſed Chriſt, but it was ſecretly for fear of the Jewes; here was want of humility and boldneſſe, ſuch want of humility was in Peter, for want of chriſtian courage, and leaning to his own ſtrength, he denies Chriſt in word, though in heart he did confeſſe him.
3 There is a confeſſion of Chriſt in our lives and practiſe, Prov. 3.6. in all thy wayes acknowledge him, not only in word, but in thy outward courſe, that ſo in thy whole walking thou mayeſt acknowledge him, and depend on ſome word of command or promiſe, Tit. 2.11, 12, 13. the grace of God hath appeared to all men, teaching us to deny all ungodlineſſe and worldly luſts, &c. A man confeſſes Chriſt, that denies ungodlineſſe, and walks ſoberly, righteouſly, and holily, as one that looks for the hope of his appearing; ſo that in his very practiſe and life, he acknowledgeth Chriſt.
Q. 2 What is it to have the Father, or to want the Father?
A. To have the Father is to have him for my Father, and to deny him, is to renounce him for thy Father; to have him, is to have fellowſhip with him, as with a Father, to continue with him; when God commands us to have him for our God, and ſaith, thou ſhalt have no other God but me, he would have us to truſt in him, and depend upon him, and to ſet him up as the God of all our Peace, and comfort, and help; when we thinke we have enough, if we have God, though nothing elſe; ſo then he is ſaid to have God, that hath fellowſhip with him, that hath God for his portion; to have the wiſdome and righteouſneſſe of God, and not to have God, is to live without God in the World, without fellowſhip with him: what is the reaſon, that according to our confeſſion or denying of the Son, we have, or not have the Father? a Teſtimony of this we have in thoſe poor Gentiles; Epheſ, 2.12. that heard of God, yet not having him through Chriſt, they were foreign but why doth ſuch a man want the Father?
Reaſ. 1 From the dreadfulneſſe of Gods wrath againſt all ſuch as are out of Chriſt, Joh. 3. ult. if we doe not confeſſe Chriſt, and ſhew forth the vertue of Chriſt in our lives, the wrath of God is gone out againſt us, for ſin makes God our enemy; therefore if we have not a Mediatour, woe be unto us.
2 From the neer relation that is between them, I and my Father are one, Joh. 10.30. Joh. 14.11. they are wrapt and folded up, one within another, deny one you deny both.
3 From the great ordinance of God, in ſetting up Chriſt, that we might have acceſſe through him to God: Chriſt is the only way to come to the Father, Joh. 14.6. ſo that if we would get God for our Father we muſt get Chriſt for our elder Brother.
Obj. Some of Gods own Servants have denyed Chriſt with their lips, and had not they the Father? as Peter.
A. Even at that time that Peter denyed Chriſt with his lips, his Faith did not faile him, Luk. 22.31, 32. and if his Faith remained, then Chriſt dwells in our hearts by Faith, and if he had Chriſt, he had the Father; as a Tree in Winter, though you ſee neither leafe nor ſap, yet there is life in the root; ſo, there was faith in Peters heart, even then when he denied Chriſt with his lips: ſo that this is not meant of a vocall denying of Chriſt, for a man may in mouth deny Chriſt, in ſome ſuddain temptation, yet in his heart confeſſe him, and in his mouth will confeſſe him againe, and in his life, as Peter did, and ſo contra: ſo that his was not a totall, but a partiall denying in lips only, neither in heart, nor life.
2 That denyall of him was but for a time, which afterwards he repented of, and profeſt him conſtantly: and according to his threefold denyall he profeſt him three times, ſo that this was but for a time, afterwacds Peter and John when they were charged and threatned to ſpeake no more in his name, they would not ſmother him any more, but confeſt him to the death; otherwiſe, if it be a conſtant denyall in word, that is a fearfull thing, Matth. 3. ult,
Ʋſe 1. Shews the deſperate danger, not only of all ſuch Heretiques that have doctrinally denyed Chriſt, but alſo of the Heathen that never knew Chriſt, there is none of them have God for their Father; it is a woefull conceit of ſome, that hold a man may be ſaved in any Religion, but if we have not Chriſt, we have not the Father; and ſo ſaith the Apoſtle, Epheſ. 2. Remember ye were Gentiles and lived without Christ, and ſo without God in the World. See then the danger of the Turks that deny Chriſt to be their Prophet, and of the Jewes, who though they hold one God, yet in their Liturgy they pray, pereat nomen ejus & memoria, ſpeaking of Chriſt: what a woefull caſe are they in? denying Chriſt they deny the Father; take God out of Chriſt, out of the Trinity, he is a meer Idoll, and it might move us to pity their Eſtate, who have lived without Chriſt many Generations.
2 Hence you may ſee how much the Church of Rome is without the Father; they charge us for holding Chriſt to be foreign, God of himſelfe, they ſay he is Deus de Deo, but not foreign; they deliver him to be ſuch a Chriſt, as whoſe body is in an hundred places at once, and ſo they deny the Son, and ſo they intrench upon all his offices, and ſo in denying the Son, they deny the Father.
Ʋſe 2. It may teach us what to think or believe of all the Saints of God before Chriſt; doth God ſay, I am the Father of Abraham, Iſaac, and Jacob? then you may certainly conclude they had the Chriſt, John 8. your Father Abraham rejoyced to ſee my day, he ſaw Chriſt to come of his Son, and therefore he rejoyced; ſo Moſes wrote of Chriſt, ſo David knew Chriſt, Pſal. 110. quoted Matth. 22. the Lord ſaid to my Lord, &c. ſo that David knew Chriſt, the Lord; God the Father, ſaid to my Lord, that is Chriſt, ſo Chriſt expounds it, ſo Dan. 9.17. he prayes God to be merciful to his people, for the Lords ſake, that is, for Chriſts ſake, Act. 15.11. there is no other way to be ſaved, they ſaw Chriſt in all ſacrifices and types; there is no other name under heaven to be ſaved, but by Chriſt.
Ʋſe 3. It may be a ground of tryall, whether we have God for our Father or no, we ſay daily Our Father, &c. would we know whether he be ſo or no? if we deny the Son, we have not the Father, if we confeſſe the Son, we have the Father; let us enquire therefore whether we acknowledge him in our hearts, if we do, we will deny our ſelves to entertain him, you will deny your owne wiſdome, that his wiſdome may take place, your own honour, that ſo his honour may take place; ſo if you truſt in him, depend on him, chooſe him, cleave to him, then you have the Father alſo; if contrarily you chooſe the World, and prize it above all things, why the Foole hath ſaid in his, heart there is no God, if it be thus with you, you do not acknowledge Chriſt and ſo have not the Father; ſo if you be aſhamed to confeſſe him in your words, for fear of diſgrace, or if you be afraid of danger, Chriſt will be aſhamed of you, or if in your works you deny him, you care not whether your wayes pleaſe him or no, if you walk unholily, or unrighteouſly, you have neither the Father nor the Son, and ſo loſe your own ſouls; but contrarily, if you acknowledge him in your hearts, truſt and depend upon him, chooſe him, prize him, then in thy heart thou doſt profeſſe Chriſt, and ſo the Father; ſo, art thou not aſhamed to be known to be a Chriſtian? are thou bold and conſtant to profeſſe his name before wicked and cruel Tyrants? and if in thy life thou walkeſt as one that expects the comming of Chriſt, and doſt all things by a call from him, if thou walkeſt thus ſoberly, righteouſly and holily, thou haſt the Father.
Ʋſe 4 Of conſolation to every ſuch ſoul as knows and profeſſes Chriſt; there is no poor Chriſtian, but he confeſſes Chriſt, and would profeſſe him, deſires to live as may pleaſe him; why if thou walk thus, thou haſt both the Son and the Father, the Son for thy Saviour, thy King, Prieſt and Prophet, and thou haſt God for thy Father, and if ſo, he will provide for thee, thou ſhalt want nothing, Pſal. 23.1. to 4. therefore here is comfort in ſickneſſe, you have the God of health, Exod. 15.26. I am the Lord that healeth thee, God is the life and length of our dayes, Deut. 30.29. ſo that if you ſhould bury your Children, yet having the Father, they ſhall have length of dayes; God is no weak keeper, none can pluck them out of his hands, 1 Pet. 1.5. 1 Pet. 5.10, if we have God, we have life, and health, and peace, and grace, he is the God of all grace whatſoever we want: therefore if we want any thing, get Chriſt, and with him we ſhall have all things; Rom. 8.32. If a man gives himſelfe to a woman, he gives her the uſe of all things he hath: ſo if we have God, we have enough, The Lord is my Shepheard, I ſhall not want.
Ʋſe 5 Reproves Chriſtians, who acknowledge Chriſt, and ſo have the Son, and having the Son, have the Father, yet they walk as if they had not received Chriſt, walk ſcandalouſly and dully: if we live thus, we either never knew Chriſt, or walk very unworthy of him.
Ʋſe 1 Laſtly it ſhould ſtir up Chriſtians to walk in a daily acknowledgement of Chriſt, we have him, and with him the Father: and therefore have enough, we ſhall have a ſupply of all our wants.
Now there are three graces whereby we walk in an acknowledgement of Chriſt all our dayes.
1 Faith in Chriſt: walk by Faith in him: I live, yet not I, but the life I live in the fleſh, is by the Faith of the Son of God, Gal. 2.19, 20. this Faith is a grace much known, more talkt of, but very little practiſed: ſo much as we live beſides Faith, ſo much we live beſides Chriſt: therefore live by Faith in Chriſt, look at your ſelves as unable to do any thing without him, depend on him, walk as ſuch as live not for your ſelves, but for Chriſt, do all by his ſtrength and for his glory, and ſo you ſhall acknowledge him.
2 Mortification, or ſelf-denyall: when a man denyes his own luſts, his own honour, profit, and credit, and is content to be all in Chriſt, he looks at outward things as Talents he is to imploy to Gods ſervice, he looks at them in a crucified manner, he is weaned from them, regards not much how they go, ſo he can get Chriſt, Contra if every profit or pleaſure withdraw us from Chriſt, we do not deny our ſelves, Luke 9.23. Chriſtians ſhould make it appear that their profit, and pleaſure, and honour, is not of this World, but in Chriſt, they ſhould deny all theſe; as faith makes you acknowledge Chriſt as your Saviour, ſo Self-denial as your Lord,
3 Zeal, when a man doth not only deſire to do good duties, but to do them with life and power, walk in power and zeal, which may ſhew in us the power of the Reſurrection of Chriſt; God requires that we ſhould be zealous, Tit. 2.11, 12, 13, 14. zeale is the life, and ſtrength of grace, 1 Cor. 15. ult. if at any time you finde your ſelves ſtreightned, then think you want the might of the Father, and if you want him, then you want the Son, therefore you muſt ſeek to Chriſt, and then you ſhall finde a new ſpring of help: therefore in all your wayes acknowledge him.