The Great Commentary of Cornelius a Lapide: the First Epistle of S. John
We lie, and do not the truth. The truth here meant is not mere speculative truth, but truth in act and deed. By truth we mean duty, and he who merely pretends to do it, is merely a masked hypocrite. (See Gregory Nyssen, Epist. ad Harm.) It is said of the devil that he abode not in the truth (John viii. 44), because he fell from his first estate, and was “ a liar and the father of a lie.”
Ver. 7. — But if we walk in the light (of reason, virtue, grace), going on from virtue to virtue, as He is in the light. He is in truth the very substantial and divine Light, and does all things in the light of wisdom, prudence, and divine holiness.
We have fellowship one with another , and consequently with God. S. Augustine truly said ( Confess . iv. 9), “Blessed is he that loveth Thee, his friend in Thee, and his enemy on account of Thee. For he loses no friend to whom all men are dear in Him, who is never lost.” See Prov. iv. 18, and Phil ii. 15. S. Augustine says (de Verb. Apost. Serm. xv.), “Ye see that we are wayfarers. What then is walking ? It is in a word to make progress, lest ye should not understand this, and walk too slowly. Be ever displeased with what thou art, if thou wishest to arrive at that which as yet thou art not. For thou remainest in the spot where thou art satisfied to be. If thou sayest it is enough, thou art lost. Ever be adding somewhat, ever be walking, ever make progress. Do not tarry in the way, do not turn back. He tarries who is not going onward, he turns back who goes back to his old starting-place — he who apostatises turns away from the path. A lame man who walks in the way, is better than a swift runner who goes astray from it.”
And the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin. But not so as to make us impeccable. It means that He has cleansed us from our sins by baptism, that He cleanses us (at the present time) from venial sins, and will cleanse us hereafter from the peril of mortal sins, and at last will cleanse in heaven from all concupiscence. S. John uses the present tense, as including both the past and future. (See S. Augustine and Bede in loc. and S. Jerome contra Pelag. Lib . ii.)
Here note (1.) that God does not merely erase sins, but washes them away entirely. The Council of Trent (Sess. vi. chap. 6) says, “No one can be righteous unless the merits of Christ’s Passion are imparted to him,” &c. And Clement VI. ( Extrav . ‘ Unigenitus ’) asserts that “ one drop of Christ’s blood could have redeemed the whole world, as being the blood of the Word by hypostatic union.” S. Gregory Nazianzen says, “ No miracle is comparable with that of our salvation, wherein a few drops of blood restored the whole world, and (as blood curdles milk) binds us all into one;” and S. Augustine, on Ps. lxv., “Ask ye what He purchased ? See what He gave, and then find out what He purchased. The blood of Christ is the price. What did it purchase, save the whole world ? ” “ The blood of the Lord is the price of our life,” &c. And S. Ambrose (de Virg. Lib. iii.), “We have all things in Christ. Let every soul draw nigh to Him, whether suffering from bodily sins, or firmly fastened by the nails of worldly desire, or which is still imperfect, but yet is making progress in inward meditation, or being even perfect in many virtues is altogether in the power of God ; and Christ is all things to us. If thou wishest to cure thy wound, He is thy Physician ; if thou art burning with fever, He is a fountain of waters; if thou art burdened with guilt, He is thy righteousness; if thou needest help, He is thy strength ; if thou fearest death, He is thy life ; if thou longest for heaven, He is the way ; if thou shrinkest from darkness, He is thy light ; if thou seekest food, He is thy sustenance.”
The blood of Jesus Christ is put, by a metonymy, for the pouring forth His Blood. It follows that His blood cleanses us not physically but meritoriously. But see S. Thomas (3 part q. 48, art . 6, and q. 50, art . 6), who says that it has physically power to sanctify as being the physical instrument which God makes use of for our sanctification . But see the whole passage.
Ver. 8. — If we say that we have no sin , we deceive ourselves . Cajetan understands this of original sin, which we all contract from Adam, the Blessed Virgin alone excepted (see authorities quoted). (2.) Lyranus understands it of mortal sin, from which no one can dare to assert that he is free. (3.) Cardinal Hugo and others generally understand it of venial sin, into which we cannot help falling. See Conc. Trid. sess. vi. can. 23, where, however, the Blessed Virgin is counted as an exception.
By speaking in the first person John includes himself and the other Apostles, for though they were so strengthened that they could not sin mortally, yet they did sin venially. And how much more are we guilty, and how constantly should we humble ourselves and sorrow for our sins. Others regard it as speaking of the punishment of sin, others of concupiscence which remains even in those who are regenerate and justified. See Conc. Trident. But we may include all sin under one general statement, the word ‘ have ’ comprehending both past and future time. We have had original sin, and we have, or shall have, some actual sin.
In ver. 10 the past tense is used. S. John wishes to show that all are guilty of sin, and need redemption by Christ, for he says, “ If we say that we have no sin,” &c.
But though these words may be
taken as referring to all sin, yet properly and directly they speak of actual sin, whether mortal or venial. For he speaks of our confessing our sins, which refers only to actual sins. The meaning then is this, that we deceive ourselves if we assert that we are free from any actual sin. It is thus understood by the Council of Milevis, S. Jerome, S. Basil, S. Gregory (Mor. xviii. 4), and many others. S. James supports this view (chap. iii. 2). Both S. John and S. James refer to the heretics of their own day, who said that unbelief was the only sin, and that all things were pure to the believer, however foul his life.
Luther and the Libertines taught the same, while the Beghards and Beguines considered they had attained to such perfection that they could not possibly sin, under whatever temptation. Pelagius taught that all sins could be avoided by the power of nature alone. Durandus (in Part ii. Dist xxviii. q . 3) had much the same opinion, viz., that all deliberate venial sins could be avoided, but not all such as come upon us by surprise.
See Eccles. vii. 20, and Prov. xxiv. 16. It is then our humiliation to own ourselves sinners, and to pray daily in our Lord’s words, “Forgive us our trespasses.” S. Augustine (de Nat . et Gratia, cap. xxxvi.) says, “With the exception of the Virgin Mary (respecting whom I do not wish, for the honour of the Lord, to raise any question about sin, for we know that more grace was given her to overcome sin of every kind, to whom it was vouchsafed to conceive and bear Him who, it is admitted, had no sin) — with her exception, if we were to question all those holy men and women, when they were living here, what, think you, would be their answer? that which this man, or what the apostle John, said? would they not say, ‘If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves '?” And so too S. Gregory (Horn, xxxix. on the Gospels) : “If then thou art elated by thy learning, thy wealth, &c., knowest thou who thou art?
Thou art a sinner. Knowest thou what sin is ? It is the greatest vileness, the greatest misery of man, the greatest evil to the world, for it is in the highest measure opposed to the highest good. It is the greatest contempt of God, the greatest ingratitude, the greatest hatred of God, the greatest offence to Him. It is Christicide, nay Deicide. For if God could be killed, sin would be the weapon.”
Cassian ( Collet . xxxii. cap . 19.) gives an example from prayer, in which there is scarce any one who does not wander in thought, and thus commit a venial sin. But he seems to say that anything which withdraws us, even against our wills, from continual contemplation of God, is a sin ; and therefore he must be read with caution. But he must be understood to speak of the evil of punishment, from which however there frequently arises the evil of guilt.
We deceive ourselves , and moreover are deceived in our own minds : to the ruin of our soul. For he who thinks he is free from sin, neglects to seek a remedy for that sin, for which he will be punished. And moreover, he proudly contradicts Scripture, which says that we all are sinners, and does away with the grace and passion of Christ, in saying that he does not need to be cleansed by His Blood.