The Great Commentary of Cornelius a Lapide: the First Epistle of S. John
6. Maldonatus understands by ‘new’ something excellent and pre-eminent. And others again by ‘new’ understand a commandment never given before, as men were called ‘new' who were newly made : and ‘new’ also because Christ wished His disciples to observe it ‘anew’ as being the last He gave them. As F. Lucas explains it, “I have reserved this commandment to you, in order that ye may keep it more firmly in your memory. For I wish specially to commend it to you, being such a command as no one ever yet gave his disciples, being a gentle and loving command. It was ‘new’ then, as newly enjoined by Christ in His Last Supper, and as being a command peculiar to Christ, and being in a singular manner commended by Him.” (See. S. Basil, de Bapt, cap, ult,)
7. It was ‘new’ with respect to its effects, the heroic deeds of S. Paul and the other Apostles, their new and unheard-of labours and persecutions, and the new alacrity and ardour with which they subdued the world to Christ. A love which led Paul to wish himself accursed for the sake of his brethren, which caused Paulinus to sell himself into slavery for the sake of ransoming the son of a widow —a love which led S. Dominick, S. Francis, S. Ignatius and others to devote themselves to the salvation of souls, and led the blessed Jacoponus to pray that he might suffer all the sufferings of all the lost, that he might save them all, if it were God’s will.
8. It was a ‘new’ commandment as specially pertaining to the New Testament, and distinguishing it from the Old. See John xiii.
Such was the love of the early Christians. See Acts iv. 32. “See how these Christians love one another, and are ready to die for each other,” was remarked by the heathen. Tertullian says why they called each other brethren, as acknowledging one God as their father, having drunk of the one Spirit of holiness, as having come from the same womb of ignorance to the same Light of Truth, &c.
Which thing is true in Him and in you . Namely, this law of love, as springing from the Law of Nature, and it is not only the most ancient command, but is true also in you, because ye have it together with your new life in Christ. But some refer this to Christ, which is far better. For though He is not expressly mentioned, yet He was mentioned above (ver 1-4). But S. John’s heart was so full of Christ, that when he says ‘ Him,’ he does not mean any one else, but Christ, as was the case also with the Magdalene (John xx. 15). S. Jerome (contra Jovin , lib . 11) accordingly reads, “which is most true both in Christ and in you.” Some explain it thus, “ This law of charity is that which makes you to be as truly in Christ as ye are in yourselves.” 2d. We may explain it thus (and it is the best meaning), “ As Christ loves Christians in the highest degree as members of His Body, so should we devote ourselves entirely to the love of Him and our fellow-Christians.”
Because the darkness (of ignorance, lust, and sin, as well as of the shadows, the terrors and ceremonies of the Old Testament) is past, and the true Light now shineth , the light of faith, grace, love, and of all holiness. See Rom. xiii. 12 ; Eph. v. 6. This is called the ‘true,’ i.e. the perfect, full, Divine Light. See John i. 9. Christ calls Himself the true vine (John xv. 1) and the true head, i.e. fully satisfying (John vi. 55). As a symbol of this, Christ was incarnate at the Vernal Equinox, and was born at the Winter Solstice, when the days are beginning to increase. See S. Augustine, Serm . xxii. de temp . [not S. Augustine.]
Ver. 9. — He that saith he is in the Light (of the Gospel, Faith, and Charity) and hateth his brother, is in darkness , in ignorance of his sins, anger, hatred, lust, &c. And by these he is so blinded as not to see the great evil of hatred, how odious to God, who is the light of Charity, what destruction it causes, what torments of hell with it. “He is blinded with his wickedness,” says S. Chrysostom (de Erudit. discipl.) : “he goes ignorantly into hell-fire, and is hurled headlong into punishments.” See Exodus xi. 16. And S. Cyprian (de zelo et livore) says : “ If thou hast begun to be a man of light, do the things of Christ, for He is our Light and day. Why rushest thou into the darkness of anger ? Why wrappest thou thyself in a mist of envy ? Why dost thou extinguish with the darkness of envy every spark of peace and charity ? Why dost thou go back to the devil, whom thou hast renounced ? Why hast thou become like Cain ? He is in the darkness of hell, because he is tending towards it.” S. Basil says, “ As he who has charity has God within him, so he that has hatred and anger has a devil within him,” &c.; and S. Chrysostom calls anger a self-chosen (voluntarium) devil. In an angry man you may see all the furies of hell. As Seneca says (lib. ii. de Ira).
Even until now . For though baptism be an enlightenment, yet it cannot dispel the darkness of hatred, if it be voluntary, or come on after baptism. (See S. Augustine, Bede, and Hugo.)
Ver. 10. — He that loveth his brother abideth in the light (of faith and love: this is an antithesis to the former verse), and there is no occasion for stumbling in him. S. Jerome (in Matt xxv.) explains the words πρόσκομμα and σκάνδαλον. This may be taken to have either an active or a passive meaning, the giving of offence, or the taking of offence. See 1 Cor. xiii. 4; Prov. xv. 19; Ps. cxix. 165. One who loves neither gives offence, nor takes it: “If my brother offends me,” they would say, “shall I abandon charity? Far from it : I will overcome evil with good, I will follow Christ, I will show him how I love the brethren, how I love God. I will not fight against my brother who has wronged me. I will rather fight against his disease of mind, and drown his anger and ill-will with floods of charity.” S. Augustine says (in loc.), “Who are they who either take or make offence? They who are offended at Christ or the Church. They who are offended in Christ are burnt as by the sun, they who are offended in the Church are burnt as by the moon. But the Psalm says (cxxii. 6), ‘ the sun shall not burn thee by day, nor the moon by night,’ that is, if thou holdest fast by charity thou wilt suffer no offence either in Christ or the Church, and thou wilt forsake neither Christ nor the Church.” A passage is here added from a sermon once supposed to be S. Augustine’s, but subsequently regarded as spurious, as is also another sermon quoted just afterwards , showing who are true and who are false friends, and that those who seem to be our enemies are in truth our best friends, and to be regarded as such. And S. Basil (Reg. brev. clxxvi.) says the same.
Ver. 11. — But he that hateth his brother is in darkness . For, as (Ecumenius says, “ He cannot be in the light of Christ, who hateth him for whom Christ died.”
And knoweth not whither he goeth. “For (as says S. Cyprian, de Zelo) he goes down to hell, ignorantly and blindly, and withdrawn from the light of Christ, who says, ‘I am the Light of the world.’” “Hatred,” says the author of Imperf. Homily xiii. [on S. Matt.] “is the spirit of darkness, and wherever it settles it defiles the purity of holiness;” and adds, “ The world is so full of offences, that if we wish to love our friends only, we shall not find anything to love.” See Prov. iv. 19; Zeph. i. 17; and Isa. lix. 10. For in truth nothing so blinds our reason as hatred. “There is no difference between anger and madness,” says S. Chrysostom on S. John (Horn. xlvii.)
And anger is so blind as not to see its own blindness. Seneca adduces the case of Harpasto, his wife's handmaid (Ep. 11), who did not understand that she was blind, adding, “No one admits that he is covetous, or ambitious, or angry. I have not settled on my course of life (he says), it is our youth that causes it. But why do we deceive ourselves ? The evil is not without us, but within us, and therefore we find it hard to regain our health, because we know not that we are ill.” Democritus blinded himself by looking at the sun, in order that he might not see the happiness of the wicked. And in like manner do the envious and malicious blind themselves.
Ver. 12. — I write unto you , little children . Commending what he had said to the several grades whom he addressed. He places them in three classes according to their respective ages. He congratulates them on the gift of the Gospel which they had received, and exhorts them to persevere and make progress therein. The children represent beginners or neophytes ; young men, those who are advancing ; the old men, those who are perfect. And he thus suggests that Christians should advance in virtue, as they advance in years. Clemens, (Ecumenius, and others take this view, though S. Augustine holds that these three terms apply equally to all classes ; that they are called children as having been new-born in baptism, fathers as acknowledging Christ as their Father and the Ancient of Days, and youths because they are strong. But the first meaning seems the simplest. Because your sins, into which ye are likely to fall, are forgiven you , in baptism, for His Name’s sake, i.e. for Christ's sake, or else by our calling on Christ's Name, or else by the authority and power of Christ. For by this are sins remitted through His grace and merits.