Post by Admin on Aug 17, 2023 21:49:21 GMT -5
John Owen
CHAPTER I
That the saints have communion with God—1 John 1:3 considered to that purpose
—Somewhat of the nature of communion in general
In the First Epistle of John, chapter 1, verse 3, the apostle assures those he is writing to that the fellowship of believers "is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ." He expresses this with an unusual kind of emphasis that carries the weight of an affirmation.
Hence, we have translated it as "Truly our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ."
Given the lowly and despised outward appearance and condition of the saints in those days— their leaders being regarded as the scum of the earth and the refuse of all things
—inviting others to partake in fellowship with them and to share in the precious things they enjoy may seem subject to various opposing arguments and objections.
"What benefit is there in having communion with them?
Is it anything more than sharing in troubles, reproaches, scorn, and all kinds of evils?" To prevent or dispel these and similar objections, the apostle emphatically assures those he is writing to (with a sense of urgency) that despite all the disadvantages that may be apparent to a carnal eye, in truth, their fellowship is, and will be found to be (with regard to certain individuals), highly honorable, glorious, and desirable. For he says, "Truly, our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ."
Since the entrance of sin, no one has communion with God by nature. He is Light, and we are darkness.
What communion can light have with darkness? He is life, and we are dead. He is love, and we are enmity.
How can there be any agreement between us?
Those in such a state have neither Christ, nor hope, nor God in the world (Ephesians 2:12). They are alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them (Ephesians 4:18). Two cannot walk together unless they agree (Amos 3:3). As long as this distance exists between God and humanity, there can be no walking together in fellowship or communion. Our initial relationship with God was so lost through sin that we, in ourselves, had no possibility of recovery.
We had deprived ourselves of all power to return to Him, and He had not revealed any way for sinners to approach Him in peace. No work or attribute of God could shed light on such a possibility.
The manifestation of grace and pardoning mercy, which is the only gateway into such communion, is entrusted solely to the one in whom it resides, who purchased that grace and mercy and dispenses it, and who reveals it from the Father's bosom. Hence, this communion and fellowship with God is not explicitly mentioned in the Old Testament. While it is present, its clear light and the boldness of faith in it are revealed in the gospel through the administration of the Spirit. Through the Spirit, we have this liberty (2 Corinthians 3:18). Abraham was a friend of God (Isaiah 41:8),
David was a man after His own heart, and Enoch walked with Him (Genesis 5:22)—all experiencing this communion and fellowship in substance. However, while the first tabernacle stood, the way into the holiest was not yet made manifest (Hebrews 9:8). Although they had communion with God, they did not have παῤῥησίαν—boldness and confidence in that communion. This comes with the entrance of our High Priest into the most holy place (Hebrews 4:16; 10:19). They
were also veiled, lacking ἐλευθερίαν—freedom and liberty in their access to God (2 Corinthians 3:15, 16, etc.). However, in Christ, we have boldness and access with confidence to God (Ephesians 3:12).
This boldness and access with confidence were unfamiliar to the saints of old. It is only through Jesus Christ, based on all considerations of existence and full manifestation, that this distance is removed. He has consecrated for us a new and living way, "through the veil, that is, his flesh" (Hebrews 10:20), and "through him we have access by one Spirit to the Father" (Ephesians 2:18). "You who were once far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ, for
He is our peace" (Ephesians 2:13, 14). More will be said about this foundation of all our communion with God later, in great detail.
Sinners are admitted into communion with God and have fellowship with Him on this new foundation and through this new and living way. Truly, for sinners to have fellowship with the infinitely holy God is a remarkable dispensation. To speak generally about it, communion involves things and persons. The shared participation in anything
—whether good or evil, duty or enjoyment, nature or actions
—gives rise to this designation for those who partake in it. A common interest in the same nature creates fellowship or communion among all people. Concerning the elect, it is said, "For as much then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same" (Hebrews 2:14)
—they share the same common nature as the rest of humanity. Thus, Christ also partook in the same fellowship: "And he likewise took part of the same." There is also communion in terms of state and condition, whether good or evil,
either internally and spiritually (as seen in the communion of the saints among themselves) or in relation to external things. This was the case with Christ and the two thieves, as they shared one condition, and one of the thieves shared in another condition. They were under the same sentence of crucifixion (Luke 23:40, "ejusdem doloris socii"),
sharing in that evil condition to which they were condemned, and one of them requested (and obtained) participation in the blessed condition into which our Savior was about to enter.
There is also communion or fellowship in actions, whether good or evil. In the good sense, it is the communion and fellowship in the gospel or in the performance and celebration of the worship of God instituted in the gospel, which the saints enjoy (Philippians 1:5). This is the general kind of communion that David rejoiced in (Psalm 42:4).
In the evil sense, it was the communion that Simeon and Levi had as brothers in their cruel act of revenge and murder (Genesis 49:5). Our communion with God does not fit into any of these categories; it excludes some of them. It cannot be natural; it must be voluntary and by consent. It cannot be based on state and conditions, but on actions. It cannot be in the same actions toward a third party, but in a reciprocal exchange between two parties. The infinite disparity between God and humanity led the great philosopher to conclude that there could be no friendship between them. He could allow for some distance between persons in a friendship, but in his understanding, there was no room for it between God and man.
Another philosopher indeed stated that there is "communitas homini cum Deo"
—a certain fellowship between God and man—but he only apprehended the general interaction of providence. Some ventured to use loftier expressions, but they did not understand what they were talking about. This knowledge is hidden in Christ, as will become evident later. It is too wonderful for fallen and corrupted human nature. It guides only to terror and apprehensions of death in the presence of God. However, as mentioned before, we have a new foundation and a new revelation of this privilege.
Now, communion is the mutual sharing of those good things in which the participants take delight, based on a certain union between them. This was the case with Jonathan and David; their souls were deeply connected in love (1 Samuel 20:17). They had a union of love, and as a result, they genuinely shared all the expressions of love with each other. In spiritual matters, this is even more significant. Those who experience this communion have the most excellent union as its foundation, and the shared expressions that flow from that union are the most precious and remarkable.
I have extensively discussed the union that serves as the foundation for all our communion with God elsewhere, and I have nothing more to add to that discussion.
So, our communion with God consists of Him communicating Himself to us, and our response to Him by offering what He requires and accepts. This flows from the union we have with Him through Jesus Christ. There are two aspects to this communion:
1. A perfect and complete communion, where we fully enjoy His glory and surrender ourselves completely to Him, finding our ultimate satisfaction in Him. We will experience this when we see Him as He truly is.
2. An initial and incomplete communion, where we experience the first fruits and glimpses of that perfection here in our experience of God's grace. I will only address this aspect. Therefore, what we are discussing is the mutual communication of giving and receiving, in the most holy and spiritual manner, between God and His saints as they walk together in a covenant of peace sealed by the blood of Jesus. If God permits, we will delve into this further. In the meantime, let us pray to the God and Father of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, who, out of the abundance of His
grace, has restored us from a state of enmity to a condition of communion and fellowship with Himself. May both the writer and the readers of His merciful words taste the sweetness and excellencies of His presence, stirring up a deeper longing for the fullness of His salvation and the eternal enjoyment of Him in glory.
CHAPTER I
That the saints have communion with God—1 John 1:3 considered to that purpose
—Somewhat of the nature of communion in general
In the First Epistle of John, chapter 1, verse 3, the apostle assures those he is writing to that the fellowship of believers "is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ." He expresses this with an unusual kind of emphasis that carries the weight of an affirmation.
Hence, we have translated it as "Truly our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ."
Given the lowly and despised outward appearance and condition of the saints in those days— their leaders being regarded as the scum of the earth and the refuse of all things
—inviting others to partake in fellowship with them and to share in the precious things they enjoy may seem subject to various opposing arguments and objections.
"What benefit is there in having communion with them?
Is it anything more than sharing in troubles, reproaches, scorn, and all kinds of evils?" To prevent or dispel these and similar objections, the apostle emphatically assures those he is writing to (with a sense of urgency) that despite all the disadvantages that may be apparent to a carnal eye, in truth, their fellowship is, and will be found to be (with regard to certain individuals), highly honorable, glorious, and desirable. For he says, "Truly, our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ."
Since the entrance of sin, no one has communion with God by nature. He is Light, and we are darkness.
What communion can light have with darkness? He is life, and we are dead. He is love, and we are enmity.
How can there be any agreement between us?
Those in such a state have neither Christ, nor hope, nor God in the world (Ephesians 2:12). They are alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them (Ephesians 4:18). Two cannot walk together unless they agree (Amos 3:3). As long as this distance exists between God and humanity, there can be no walking together in fellowship or communion. Our initial relationship with God was so lost through sin that we, in ourselves, had no possibility of recovery.
We had deprived ourselves of all power to return to Him, and He had not revealed any way for sinners to approach Him in peace. No work or attribute of God could shed light on such a possibility.
The manifestation of grace and pardoning mercy, which is the only gateway into such communion, is entrusted solely to the one in whom it resides, who purchased that grace and mercy and dispenses it, and who reveals it from the Father's bosom. Hence, this communion and fellowship with God is not explicitly mentioned in the Old Testament. While it is present, its clear light and the boldness of faith in it are revealed in the gospel through the administration of the Spirit. Through the Spirit, we have this liberty (2 Corinthians 3:18). Abraham was a friend of God (Isaiah 41:8),
David was a man after His own heart, and Enoch walked with Him (Genesis 5:22)—all experiencing this communion and fellowship in substance. However, while the first tabernacle stood, the way into the holiest was not yet made manifest (Hebrews 9:8). Although they had communion with God, they did not have παῤῥησίαν—boldness and confidence in that communion. This comes with the entrance of our High Priest into the most holy place (Hebrews 4:16; 10:19). They
were also veiled, lacking ἐλευθερίαν—freedom and liberty in their access to God (2 Corinthians 3:15, 16, etc.). However, in Christ, we have boldness and access with confidence to God (Ephesians 3:12).
This boldness and access with confidence were unfamiliar to the saints of old. It is only through Jesus Christ, based on all considerations of existence and full manifestation, that this distance is removed. He has consecrated for us a new and living way, "through the veil, that is, his flesh" (Hebrews 10:20), and "through him we have access by one Spirit to the Father" (Ephesians 2:18). "You who were once far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ, for
He is our peace" (Ephesians 2:13, 14). More will be said about this foundation of all our communion with God later, in great detail.
Sinners are admitted into communion with God and have fellowship with Him on this new foundation and through this new and living way. Truly, for sinners to have fellowship with the infinitely holy God is a remarkable dispensation. To speak generally about it, communion involves things and persons. The shared participation in anything
—whether good or evil, duty or enjoyment, nature or actions
—gives rise to this designation for those who partake in it. A common interest in the same nature creates fellowship or communion among all people. Concerning the elect, it is said, "For as much then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same" (Hebrews 2:14)
—they share the same common nature as the rest of humanity. Thus, Christ also partook in the same fellowship: "And he likewise took part of the same." There is also communion in terms of state and condition, whether good or evil,
either internally and spiritually (as seen in the communion of the saints among themselves) or in relation to external things. This was the case with Christ and the two thieves, as they shared one condition, and one of the thieves shared in another condition. They were under the same sentence of crucifixion (Luke 23:40, "ejusdem doloris socii"),
sharing in that evil condition to which they were condemned, and one of them requested (and obtained) participation in the blessed condition into which our Savior was about to enter.
There is also communion or fellowship in actions, whether good or evil. In the good sense, it is the communion and fellowship in the gospel or in the performance and celebration of the worship of God instituted in the gospel, which the saints enjoy (Philippians 1:5). This is the general kind of communion that David rejoiced in (Psalm 42:4).
In the evil sense, it was the communion that Simeon and Levi had as brothers in their cruel act of revenge and murder (Genesis 49:5). Our communion with God does not fit into any of these categories; it excludes some of them. It cannot be natural; it must be voluntary and by consent. It cannot be based on state and conditions, but on actions. It cannot be in the same actions toward a third party, but in a reciprocal exchange between two parties. The infinite disparity between God and humanity led the great philosopher to conclude that there could be no friendship between them. He could allow for some distance between persons in a friendship, but in his understanding, there was no room for it between God and man.
Another philosopher indeed stated that there is "communitas homini cum Deo"
—a certain fellowship between God and man—but he only apprehended the general interaction of providence. Some ventured to use loftier expressions, but they did not understand what they were talking about. This knowledge is hidden in Christ, as will become evident later. It is too wonderful for fallen and corrupted human nature. It guides only to terror and apprehensions of death in the presence of God. However, as mentioned before, we have a new foundation and a new revelation of this privilege.
Now, communion is the mutual sharing of those good things in which the participants take delight, based on a certain union between them. This was the case with Jonathan and David; their souls were deeply connected in love (1 Samuel 20:17). They had a union of love, and as a result, they genuinely shared all the expressions of love with each other. In spiritual matters, this is even more significant. Those who experience this communion have the most excellent union as its foundation, and the shared expressions that flow from that union are the most precious and remarkable.
I have extensively discussed the union that serves as the foundation for all our communion with God elsewhere, and I have nothing more to add to that discussion.
So, our communion with God consists of Him communicating Himself to us, and our response to Him by offering what He requires and accepts. This flows from the union we have with Him through Jesus Christ. There are two aspects to this communion:
1. A perfect and complete communion, where we fully enjoy His glory and surrender ourselves completely to Him, finding our ultimate satisfaction in Him. We will experience this when we see Him as He truly is.
2. An initial and incomplete communion, where we experience the first fruits and glimpses of that perfection here in our experience of God's grace. I will only address this aspect. Therefore, what we are discussing is the mutual communication of giving and receiving, in the most holy and spiritual manner, between God and His saints as they walk together in a covenant of peace sealed by the blood of Jesus. If God permits, we will delve into this further. In the meantime, let us pray to the God and Father of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, who, out of the abundance of His
grace, has restored us from a state of enmity to a condition of communion and fellowship with Himself. May both the writer and the readers of His merciful words taste the sweetness and excellencies of His presence, stirring up a deeper longing for the fullness of His salvation and the eternal enjoyment of Him in glory.