I Give You a New Command - Love (1 John 2:7-11)
The New Commandment (1 John 2:7–11): Meaning and Reflection
In 1 John 2:7–11, the apostle John introduces the concept of the “new commandment,” which might sound paradoxical to his readers. After all, Jesus had spoken about loving one another as early as the Gospel of John (John 13:34-35). But John’s description of this commandment in his letter takes on deeper implications, reflecting both continuity with and development from the teachings of Jesus. John wants his readers to understand that love is not only a command but a visible manifestation of the life of Christ in the believer. Love for others is the distinguishing mark of those who belong to God.
How we love and care for others reflects our relationship with God and our understand of why Christ came to the world.
Verse by Verse Breakdown of 1 John 2:7–11 and Commentary
1 John 2:7: “Beloved, I am writing you no new commandment, but an old commandment that you have had from the beginning; the old commandment is the word that you have heard.”
John begins this section by clarifying that he is not introducing a completely new commandment. Instead, he is reminding his readers of an old one—the commandment to love one another. This commandment is not new in the sense that it was unknown, but it is renewed in Christ, who not only taught it but demonstrated it in his life and death. The commandment to love is foundational to the Christian faith and is something that has always been central to God’s people.
The idea of love as a foundational command can be traced back to the Old Testament, specifically in Leviticus 19:18, where God commands the people to “love your neighbor as yourself.” Jesus reaffirmed this commandment as central to the Law in Matthew 22:37-40. However, in the Gospel of John, Jesus gives this command a deeper meaning by linking it directly to himself as the source and model of love (John 13:34).
I. Howard Marshall, in The Epistles of John, highlights that John does not see this commandment as a novelty but as a fulfillment of what Jesus taught. John’s emphasis on the old commandment reflects the continuity between the Old and New Testaments. Jesus did not come to abolish the law but to bring it to completion by embodying its fullest expression in his life (Marshall, 1978, p. 130).
Raymond E. Brown in The Epistles of John notes that the repetition of this command is necessary because love is a principle that should permeate every aspect of the Christian life. The reminder serves to reinforce the importance of love as central to the believer’s identity in Christ (Brown, 1982, p. 80).
1 John 2:8: “Yet I am writing you a new commandment, which is true in him and in you, because the darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining.”
Here, John presents the commandment as “new,” not in its essence, but in its context. The newness lies in how it is now fully realized in Christ and his redemptive work. John underscores that this commandment is “true in him and in you,” referring to the way in which believers live out Christ’s example of love. The newness of the commandment is also tied to the defeat of darkness and the establishment of the “true light” in Jesus.
This verse is a reference to the triumph of Christ over sin and death, which is a major theme in the Gospel of John. In John 8:12, Jesus declares, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” This light, which overcomes darkness, is the basis for the believer’s ability to love as Christ loves.
Stephen S. Smalley, in 1, 2, and 3 John, points out that the “true light” refers to the reality of Christ’s revelation. In his person and work, the light of God shines into the world, dispelling the darkness of sin and ignorance. Believers are now called to walk in that light and reflect it in their relationships with others (Smalley, 2007, p. 110).
1 John 2:9: “Whoever says, ‘I am in the light,’ while hating a brother or sister, is still in the darkness.”
John continues to develop the theme of light and darkness, emphasizing that the claim to be “in the light” is meaningless if it is not accompanied by love for others. If a person claims to be in fellowship with God but harbors hatred for others, they are still in spiritual darkness. Love is the evidence of light, and the absence of love exposes the person’s true spiritual condition.
This teaching resonates with the Gospel of John, where Jesus links the presence of love to being in the light of God. In John 13:35, Jesus tells his disciples, “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” The failure to love demonstrates that a person is still in spiritual darkness, disconnected from the life of Christ.
Karen H. Jobes, in 1, 2, and 3 John, highlights that the connection between light and love is essential to John’s teaching. For John, the light of God’s truth is inseparable from the love that believers show to one another. Hatred and division are evidence that someone is still trapped in spiritual darkness, no matter what they claim about their relationship with God (Jobes, 2014, p. 150).
1 John 2:10: “Whoever loves a brother or sister lives in the light, and in such a person there is no cause for stumbling.”
In contrast to the person who claims to be in the light but is filled with hatred, John affirms that the person who loves his brother or sister lives in the light. This person reflects the character of Christ, and there is no cause for stumbling in their walk. Their love is evidence of the transformative power of God’s light in their lives. The person who walks in the light is free from the moral and spiritual pitfalls that come from hatred and division.
John’s teaching on love as evidence of being in the light mirrors the words of Jesus in John 15:12, where he commands his disciples, “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.” Love, as the expression of light, protects the believer from the dangers of spiritual blindness and moral failure.
Raymond E. Brown observes that for John, walking in the light means walking in love. The Christian who loves others is living in accordance with God’s truth and is immune from the stumbling blocks that arise from hatred and division (Brown, 1982, p. 82).
1 John 2:11: “But whoever hates another believer is in the darkness, walks in the darkness, and does not know where they are going, because the darkness has blinded their eyes.”
John concludes this section by making a stark contrast between those who love and those who hate. The one who hates is living in darkness, walking aimlessly without direction, and blinded to the truth. This is a powerful metaphor for the spiritual blindness that accompanies hatred. The inability to love others is a sign that a person is spiritually disoriented and disconnected from God’s light.
This idea is consistent with the teachings of Jesus in the Gospel of John. In John 12:46, Jesus says, “I have come as light into the world, so that everyone who believes in me may not remain in the darkness.” Hatred is a form of spiritual blindness that prevents a person from recognizing the truth of Christ and the light he brings.
I. Howard Marshall explains that hatred is not just an emotion but a refusal to acknowledge the truth and love others. It is a moral condition that keeps a person from experiencing the fullness of God’s light and truth (Marshall, 1978, p. 133).
The New Commandment (1 John 2:7-11): Meaning for Today
In 1 John 2:7–11, John’s message is clear: love is the defining characteristic of the Christian life. It is not a suggestion or a nice ideal; it is a command from God, exemplified in the life of Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit. To claim to be in fellowship with God while harboring hatred for others is a contradiction. Genuine fellowship with God is inseparable from loving others as Christ loved us.
For modern believers, this passage challenges us to examine the consistency of our love for others. Do our actions reflect the light of Christ, or are we still stumbling in the darkness of hatred? In a world that often values division and self-interest, the call to love as Christ loved us is a radical and countercultural command. It is a command that must be lived out daily in our relationships with others. By walking in love, we walk in the light, and by walking in the light, we bring glory to God and demonstrate to the world the reality of His transforming love.
