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Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

Daily Bible readings that follow the church liturgical year, with thematically matched Old and New Testament readings.

Duration: 1245 days

Psalm 135

Psalm 135^[a]

135 Praise the Lord.
Praise the name of the Lord.
Offer praise, you servants of the Lord,
²who serve^[b] in the Lord’s temple,
in the courts of the temple of our God.
³Praise the Lord, for the Lord is good.
Sing praises to his name, for it is pleasant.^[c]
⁴Indeed,^[d] the Lord has chosen Jacob for himself,
Israel to be his special possession.^[e]
⁵Yes,^[f] I know the Lord is great,
and our Lord is superior to all gods.
⁶He does whatever he pleases
in heaven and on earth,
in the seas and all the ocean depths.
⁷He causes the clouds to arise from the end of the earth,
makes lightning bolts accompany the rain,
and brings the wind out of his storehouses.
⁸He struck down the firstborn of Egypt,
including both men and animals.
⁹He performed awesome deeds^[g] and acts of judgment^[h]
in your midst, O Egypt,
against Pharaoh and all his servants.
¹⁰He defeated many nations,
and killed mighty kings—
¹¹Sihon, king of the Amorites,
and Og, king of Bashan,
and all the kingdoms of Canaan.
¹²He gave their land as an inheritance,
as an inheritance to Israel his people.
¹³O Lord, your name endures,^[i]
your reputation, O Lord, lasts.^[j]
¹⁴For the Lord vindicates^[k] his people,
and has compassion on his servants.^[l]
¹⁵The nations’ idols are made of silver and gold;
they are man-made.^[m]
¹⁶They have mouths, but cannot speak,
eyes, but cannot see,
¹⁷and ears, but cannot hear.
Indeed, they cannot breathe.^[n]
¹⁸Those who make them will end up^[o] like them,
as will everyone who trusts in them.
¹⁹O family^[p] of Israel, praise the Lord.
O family of Aaron, praise the Lord.
²⁰O family of Levi, praise the Lord.
You loyal followers^[q] of the Lord, praise the Lord.
²¹The Lord deserves praise in Zion^[r]—
he who dwells in Jerusalem.
Praise the Lord.

Footnotes

Psalm 135:1 sn Psalm 135. The psalmist urges God’s people to praise him because he is the incomparable God and ruler of the world who has accomplished great things for Israel.
Psalm 135:2 tn Heb “stand.”
Psalm 135:3 tn Heb “for [it is] pleasant.” The translation assumes that it is the Lord’s “name” that is pleasant. Another option is to understand the referent of “it” as the act of praising (see Ps 147:1).
Psalm 135:4 tn Or “for.”
Psalm 135:4 sn His special possession. The language echoes Exod 19:5; Deut 7:6; 14:2; 26:18. See also Mal 3:17.
Psalm 135:5 tn Or “for.”
Psalm 135:9 tn Or “signs” (see Ps 65:8).
Psalm 135:9 tn Or “portents”; “omens” (see Ps 71:7). The Egyptian plagues are alluded to here.
Psalm 135:13 tn Or “is forever.”
Psalm 135:13 tn Heb “O Lord, your remembrance [is] for a generation and a generation.” See Ps 102:12.
Psalm 135:14 tn Heb “judges,” but here the idea is that the Lord “judges on behalf of” his people. The imperfect verbal forms here and in the next line draw attention to the Lord’s characteristic actions.
Psalm 135:14 sn Verse 14 echoes Deut 32:36, where Moses affirms that God mercifully relents from fully judging his wayward people.
Psalm 135:15 tn Heb “the work of the hands of man.”
Psalm 135:17 tn Heb “indeed, there is not breath in their mouth.” For the collocation אַף אֵין (ʾaf ʾen, “indeed, there is not”) see Isa 41:26. Another option is to take אַף as “nose” (see Ps 115:6), in which case one might translate, “a nose, [but] they have no breath in their mouths.”
Psalm 135:18 tn Heb “will be.” Another option is to take the prefixed verbal form as a prayer, “may those who make them end up like them.” sn Because the idols are lifeless, they cannot help their worshipers in times of crisis. Consequently the worshipers end up as dead as the gods in which they trust.
Psalm 135:19 tn Heb “house” (here and in the next two lines).
Psalm 135:20 tn Heb “fearers.”
Psalm 135:21 tn Heb “praised be the Lord from Zion.”

Daniel 3

Daniel’s Friends Are Tested

3 ^[a] King Nebuchadnezzar had a golden^[b] statue made.^[c] It was 90 feet^[d] tall and 9 feet^[e] wide. He erected it on the plain of Dura in the province of Babylon. ²Then King Nebuchadnezzar sent out a summons to assemble the satraps, prefects, governors, counselors, treasurers, judges, magistrates,^[f] and all the other authorities of the province to attend the dedication of the statue that he^[g] had erected. ³So the satraps, prefects, governors, counselors, treasurers, judges, magistrates, and all the other provincial authorities assembled for the dedication of the statue that King Nebuchadnezzar had erected. They were standing in front of the statue that Nebuchadnezzar had erected.^[h]

⁴Then the herald^[i] made a loud^[j] proclamation: “To you, O peoples, nations, and language groups, the following command is given:^[k] ⁵When you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither,^[l] trigon, harp, pipes, and all kinds of music, you must^[m] bow down and pay homage to the golden statue that King Nebuchadnezzar has erected. ⁶Whoever does not bow down and pay homage will immediately^[n] be thrown into the midst of a furnace of blazing fire!” ⁷Therefore when they all^[o] heard the sound of the horn, flute, zither, trigon, harp, pipes,^[p] and all kinds of music, all the peoples, nations, and language groups began bowing down and paying homage to the golden statue that King Nebuchadnezzar had erected.

⁸Now^[q] at that time certain^[r] Chaldeans came forward and brought malicious accusations against^[s] the Jews. ⁹They said^[t] to King Nebuchadnezzar, “O king, live forever!^[u] ¹⁰You have issued an edict, O king, that everyone must bow down and pay homage to the golden statue when they hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, trigon, harp, pipes, and all kinds of music. ¹¹And whoever does not bow down and pay homage must be thrown into the midst of a furnace of blazing fire. ¹²But there are Jewish men whom you appointed over the administration of the province of Babylon—Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego—and these men^[v] have not shown proper respect to you, O king. They don’t serve your gods and they don’t pay homage to the golden statue that you have erected.”

¹³Then Nebuchadnezzar in a fit of rage^[w] demanded that they bring^[x] Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego before him. So they brought them^[y] before the king. ¹⁴Nebuchadnezzar said to them, “Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, that you don’t serve my gods and that you don’t pay homage to the golden statue that I erected? ¹⁵Now if you are ready, when you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, trigon, harp, pipes, and all kinds of music, you must bow down and pay homage to the statue that I had made. If you don’t pay homage to it, you will immediately be thrown into the midst of the furnace of blazing fire. Now, who is that god who can rescue you from my power?”^[z] ¹⁶Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego replied to King Nebuchadnezzar,^[aa] “We do not need to give you a reply^[ab] concerning this. ¹⁷If^[ac] our God whom we are serving exists,^[ad] he is able to rescue us from the furnace of blazing fire, and he will rescue us, O king, from your power as well. ¹⁸But if he does not, let it be known to you, O king, that we don’t serve your gods, and we will not pay homage to the golden statue that you have erected.”

¹⁹Then Nebuchadnezzar was filled with rage, and his disposition changed^[ae] toward Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. He gave orders^[af] to heat the furnace seven times hotter than it was normally heated. ²⁰He ordered strong^[ag] soldiers in his army to tie up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and to throw them into the furnace of blazing fire. ²¹So those men were tied up while still wearing their cloaks, trousers, turbans, and other clothes,^[ah] and were thrown into the furnace^[ai] of blazing fire. ²²But since the king’s command was so urgent, and the furnace was so excessively hot, the men who escorted^[aj] Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were killed^[ak] by the leaping flames.^[al] ²³But those three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell into the furnace^[am] of blazing fire while still securely bound.^[an]

God Delivers His Servants

²⁴Then King Nebuchadnezzar was startled and quickly got up. He said to his ministers, “Wasn’t it three men that we tied up and threw^[ao] into^[ap] the fire?” They replied to the king, “For sure, O king.” ²⁵He answered, “But I see four men, untied and walking around in the midst of the fire! No harm has come to them! And the appearance of the fourth is like that of a god!”^[aq] ²⁶Then Nebuchadnezzar approached the door of the furnace of blazing fire. He called out,^[ar] “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, servants of the most high God, come out! Come here!”

Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego emerged from the fire.^[as] ²⁷Once the satraps, prefects, governors, and ministers of the king had gathered around, they saw that those men were physically^[at] unharmed by the fire.^[au] The hair of their heads was not singed, nor were their trousers damaged. Not even the smell of fire was to be found on them!

²⁸Nebuchadnezzar exclaimed,^[av] “Praised be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who has sent forth his angel^[aw] and has rescued his servants who trusted in him, ignoring^[ax] the edict of the king and giving up their bodies rather than^[ay] serve or pay homage to any god other than their God! ²⁹I hereby decree^[az] that any people, nation, or language group that blasphemes^[ba] the God of Shadrach, Meshach, or Abednego will be dismembered and his home reduced to rubble! For there exists no other god who can deliver in this way.” ³⁰Then Nebuchadnezzar^[bb] promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the province of Babylon.

Footnotes

Daniel 3:1 sn The LXX introduces this chapter with the following chronological note: “in the eighteenth year of.” Such a date would place these events at about the time of the destruction of Jerusalem in 586 b.c. (cf. 2 Kgs 25:8). However, there seems to be no real basis for associating the events of Daniel 3 with this date.
Daniel 3:1 sn There is no need to think of Nebuchadnezzar’s image as being solid gold. No doubt the sense is that it was overlaid with gold (cf. Isa 40:19; Jer 10:3-4), with the result that it presented a dazzling self-compliment to the greatness of Nebuchadnezzar’s achievements.
Daniel 3:1 sn According to a number of patristic authors, the image represented a deification of Nebuchadnezzar himself. This is not clear from the biblical text, however.
Daniel 3:1 tn Aram “60 cubits.” Assuming a length of 18 inches for the standard cubit, the image would be 90 feet (27.4 m) high.
Daniel 3:1 tn Aram “6 cubits.” Assuming a length of 18 inches for the standard cubit, the image would be 9 feet (2.74 m) wide.sn The dimensions of the image (90 feet high and 9 feet wide) imply that it did not possess normal human proportions, unless a base for the image is included in the height dimension. The ancient world knew of other tall statues. For example, the Colossus of Rhodes—the huge statue of Helios which stood (ca. 280-224 b.c.) at the entrance to the harbor at Rhodes and was one of the seven wonders of the ancient world—was said to be 70 cubits (105 ft or 32 m) in height, which would make it even taller than Nebuchadnezzar’s image.
Daniel 3:2 sn The specific duties of the seven types of officials listed here (cf. vv. 3, 27) are unclear. The Aramaic words that are used are transliterations of Akkadian or Persian technical terms whose exact meanings are uncertain. The translations given here follow suggestions set forth in BDB.
Daniel 3:2 tn Aram “Nebuchadnezzar the king.” The proper name and title have been replaced by the relative pronoun (“he”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.
Daniel 3:3 tc The LXX and Theodotion lack the words “that Nebuchadnezzar had erected.”
Daniel 3:4 tn According to BDB 1097 s.v. כָּרוֹז the Aramaic word used here is a Greek loanword, but other scholars have argued instead for a Persian derivation (HALOT 1902 s.v. *כָּרוֹז).
Daniel 3:4 tn Aram “in strength.”
Daniel 3:4 tn Aram “they are saying.”
Daniel 3:5 sn The word zither (Aramaic קִיתָרוֹס [qitaros]), and the words for harp (Aramaic פְּסַנְתֵּרִין [p^esanterin]) and pipes (Aramaic סוּמְפֹּנְיָה [sumpon^eyah]), are of Greek derivation. Though much has been made of this in terms of suggesting a date in the Hellenistic period for the writing of the book, it is not surprising that a few Greek cultural terms, all of them the names of musical instruments, should appear in this book. As a number of scholars have pointed out, the bigger surprise (if, in fact, the book is to be dated to the Hellenistic period) may be that there are so few Greek loanwords in Daniel.
Daniel 3:5 tn The imperfect Aramaic verbs have here an injunctive nuance.
Daniel 3:6 tn Aram “in that hour.”
Daniel 3:7 tn Aram “all the peoples.”
Daniel 3:7 tc Though not in the Aramaic text of BHS, this word appears in many medieval Hebrew mss, some LXX mss, and the Vulgate (cf. vv. 5, 10, 15).
Daniel 3:8 tc This expression is absent in Theodotion.
Daniel 3:8 tn Aram “men.”
Daniel 3:8 tn Aram “ate the pieces of.” This is a rather vivid idiom for slander.
Daniel 3:9 tn Aram “answered and said,” a common Aramaic idiom that occurs repeatedly in this chapter.
Daniel 3:9 sn O king, live forever! is a comment of typical court courtesy that is not necessarily indicative of the real sentiments of the speaker. Ancient oriental court protocol could sometimes require a certain amount of hypocrisy.
Daniel 3:12 sn Daniel’s absence from this scene has sparked the imagination of commentators, some of whom have suggested that perhaps he was unable to attend the dedication due to sickness or absence prompted by business. Hippolytus supposed that Daniel may have been watching from a distance.
Daniel 3:13 tn Aram “in anger and wrath”; NASB “in rage and anger.” The expression is a hendiadys.
Daniel 3:13 tn The Aramaic infinitive is active.
Daniel 3:13 tn Aram “these men.” The pronoun is used in the translation to avoid undue repetition.
Daniel 3:15 tn Aram “hand,” as also in v. 17.
Daniel 3:16 tc In the MT this word is understood to begin the following address (“answered and said to the king, ‘O Nebuchadnezzar’”). However, it seems unlikely that Nebuchadnezzar’s subordinates would address the king in such a familiar way, particularly in light of the danger that they now found themselves in. The present translation implies moving the verse-dividing atnakh from “king” to “Nebuchadnezzar.”
Daniel 3:16 tn Aram “to return a word to you.”
Daniel 3:17 tc The ancient versions typically avoid the conditional element of v. 17.
Daniel 3:17 tn The Aramaic expression used here is very difficult to interpret. The question concerns the meaning and syntax of אִיתַי (ʾitay, “is” or “exist”). There are several possibilities. (1) Some interpreters take this word closely with the participle later in the verse יָכִל (yakhil, “able”), understanding the two words to form a periphrastic construction (“if our God is…able”; cf. H. Bauer and P. Leander, Grammatik des Biblisch-Aramäischen, 365, §111b). But the separation of the two elements from one another is not an argument in favor of this understanding. (2) Other interpreters take the first part of v. 17 to mean “If it is so, then our God will deliver us” (cf. KJV, ASV, RSV, NASB). However, the normal sense of ʾitay is existence; on this point see F. Rosenthal, Grammar, 41, §95. The present translation maintains the sense of existence for the verb (“If our God…exists”), even though the statement is admittedly difficult to understand in this light. The statement may be an implicit reference back to Nebuchadnezzar’s comment in v. 15, which denies the existence of a god capable of delivering from the king’s power, thus their statement is rhetorically adapted to the perspective of the person they are addressing.
Daniel 3:19 tn Aram “the appearance of his face was altered”; cf. NLT “his face became distorted with rage”; NAB “[his] face became livid with utter rage.”
Daniel 3:19 tn Aram “he answered and said.”
Daniel 3:20 tn This is sometimes taken as a comparative: “[some of the] strongest.”
Daniel 3:21 sn There is a great deal of uncertainty with regard to the specific nature of these items of clothing.
Daniel 3:21 tn Aram “into the midst of the furnace.” For stylistic reasons the words “the midst of” have been left untranslated.
Daniel 3:22 tn Aram “caused to go up.”
Daniel 3:22 tn The Aramaic verb is active.
Daniel 3:22 tn Aram “the flame of the fire” (so KJV, ASV, NASB); NRSV “the raging flames.”
Daniel 3:23 tn Aram “into the midst of the furnace.” For stylistic reasons the words “the midst of” have been left untranslated.
Daniel 3:23 sn The deuterocanonical writings known as The Prayer of Azariah and The Song of the Three present at this point a confession and petition for God’s forgiveness and a celebration of God’s grace for the three Jewish youths in the fiery furnace. Though not found in the Hebrew/Aramaic text of Daniel, these compositions do appear in the ancient Greek versions.
Daniel 3:24 tn Aram “we threw…bound.”
Daniel 3:24 tn Aram “into the midst of.”
Daniel 3:25 sn The phrase like that of a god is in Aramaic “like that of a son of the gods.” Many patristic writers understood this phrase in a christological sense (i.e., “the Son of God”). But it should be remembered that these are words spoken by a pagan who is seeking to explain things from his own polytheistic frame of reference; for him the phrase “like a son of the gods” is equivalent to “like a divine being.” Despite the king’s description though, the fourth person probably was an angel who had come to deliver the three men, or was a theophany.
Daniel 3:26 tn Aram “answered and said.”
Daniel 3:26 tn Aram “from the midst of the fire.” For stylistic reasons the words “the midst of” have been left untranslated.
Daniel 3:27 tn Aram “in their bodies.”
Daniel 3:27 tn Aram “the fire did not have power.”
Daniel 3:28 tn Aram “answered and said.”
Daniel 3:28 sn The king identifies the “son of the gods” (v. 25) as an angel. Comparable Hebrew expressions are used elsewhere in the Hebrew Bible for the members of God’s angelic assembly (see Gen 6:2, 4; Job 1:6; 2:1; 38:7; Pss 29:1; 89:6). An angel later comes to rescue Daniel from the lions (Dan 6:22).
Daniel 3:28 tn Aram “they changed” or “violated.”
Daniel 3:28 tn Aram “so that they might not.”
Daniel 3:29 tn Aram “from me is placed an edict.”
Daniel 3:29 tn Aram “speaks negligence.”
Daniel 3:30 tn Aram “and the king.” The proper name has been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

1 John 2:3-11

Keeping God’s Commandments

³Now^[a] by this we know that we have come to know God:^[b] if we keep his commandments. ⁴The one who says “I have come to know God”^[c] and yet does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in such a person. ⁵But whoever obeys his^[d] word, truly in this person^[e] the love of God has been perfected. By this we know that we are in him. ⁶The one who says he resides^[f] in God^[g] ought himself to walk^[h] just as Jesus^[i] walked.

⁷Dear friends, I am not writing a new commandment to you, but an old commandment which you have had from the beginning.^[j] The old commandment is the word that you have already^[k] heard. ⁸On the other hand, I am writing a new commandment to you which is true in him^[l] and in you, because^[m] the darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining.^[n] ⁹The one who says he is in the light but still hates^[o] his fellow Christian^[p] is still in the darkness. ¹⁰The one who loves his fellow Christian^[q] resides in the light, and there is no cause for stumbling in him.^[r] ¹¹But the one who hates his fellow Christian^[s] is in the darkness, walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.^[t]

Footnotes

1 John 2:3 tn The translation of καί (kai) at the beginning of 2:3 is important for understanding the argument, because a similar καί occurs at the beginning of 1:5. The use here is not just a simple continuative or connective use, but has more of a resumptive force, pointing back to the previous use in 1:5.sn Now. The author, after discussing three claims of the opponents in 1:6, 8, and 10 and putting forward three counterclaims of his own in 1:7; 1:9, and 2:1, now returns to the theme of “God as light” introduced in 1:5. The author will now discuss how a Christian may have assurance that he or she has come to know the God who is light, again by contrast with the opponents who make the same profession of knowing God, but lack the reality of such knowledge, as their behavior makes clear.
1 John 2:3 tn Grk “know him.” (1) Many take the third person pronoun αὐτον (auton) to refer to Jesus Christ, since he is mentioned in 2:1 and the pronoun αὐτός (autos) at the beginning of 2:2 clearly refers to him. But (2) it is more likely that God is the referent here, since (a) the assurance the author is discussing here is assurance that one has come to know God (all the claims of the opponents in 1:5-2:11 concern knowing and having fellowship with the God who is light); (b) when Jesus Christ is explicitly mentioned as an example to follow in 1 John 2:6, the pronoun ἐκεῖνος (ekeinos) is used to distinguish this from previous references with αὐτός; (c) the καί (kai) which begins 2:3 is parallel to the καί which begins 1:5, suggesting that the author is now returning to the discussion of God who is light, a theme introduced in 1:5. The author will now discuss how a Christian may have assurance that he or she has come to know the God who is light.
1 John 2:4 tn Grk “know him.” See the note on the phrase “know God” in 1 John 2:3 for explanation.
1 John 2:5 tn The referent of this pronoun is probably to be understood as God, since God is the nearest previous antecedent.
1 John 2:5 tn Grk “in him.”
1 John 2:6 tn The Greek verb μένω (menō) is commonly translated into contemporary English as “remain” or “abide,” but both of these translations have some problems: (1) “Abide” has become in some circles almost a “technical term” for some sort of special intimate fellowship or close relationship between the Christian and God, so that one may speak of Christians who are “abiding” and Christians who are not. It is accurate to say the word indicates a close, intimate (and permanent) relationship between the believer and God. However, it is very important to note that for the author of the Gospel of John and the Johannine Epistles every genuine Christian has this type of relationship with God, and the person who does not have this type of relationship (cf. 2 John 9) is not a believer at all (in spite of what he or she may claim). (2) On the other hand, to translate μένω as “remain” removes some of these problems, but creates others: In certain contexts, such a translation can give the impression that those who currently “remain” in this relationship with God can at some point choose not to “remain”, that is, to abandon their faith and return to an unsaved condition. While one may easily think in terms of the author’s opponents in 1 John as not “remaining,” the author makes it inescapably clear in 2:19 that these people, in spite of their claims to know God and be in fellowship with God, never really were genuine believers. (3) In an attempt to avoid both these misconceptions, this translation renders μένω as “reside” except in cases where the context indicates that “remain” is a more accurate nuance, that is, in contexts where a specific change of status or movement from one position to another is in view.sn The Greek word μένω (menō) translated resides indicates a close, intimate (and permanent) relationship between the believer and God. It is very important to note that for the author of the Gospel of John and the Johannine Epistles every genuine Christian has this type of relationship with God, and the person who does not have this type of relationship (cf. 2 John 9) is not a believer at all (in spite of what he or she may claim).
1 John 2:6 tn Grk “in him.” Context indicates a reference to God since a different pronoun, ἐκεινος (ekeinos), is used later in the same verse to indicate a reference to Jesus. See the note on “Jesus” later in this verse.
1 John 2:6 tn That is, ought to behave in the same way Jesus did. “Walking” is a common NT idiom for one’s behavior or conduct.
1 John 2:6 tn Grk “that one.” Context indicates a reference to Jesus here. It is clear that ἐκεῖνος (ekeinos) here does not refer to the same person as αὐτῷ (autō) in 2:6a. The switch to ἐκεῖνος indicates a change in the referent, and a reference to Jesus Christ is confirmed by the verb περιεπάτησεν (periepatēsen), an activity which can only describe Jesus’ earthly life and ministry, the significance of which is one of the points of contention the author has with the opponents. In fact, ἐκεῖνος occurs 6 times in 1 John (2:6; 3:3, 5, 7, 16; and 4:17), and each one refers to Jesus Christ.
1 John 2:7 sn See John 13:34-35.
1 John 2:7 tn “Already” is not in the Greek text, but is supplied for clarity.
1 John 2:8 tn “In him” probably refers to Jesus Christ since the last third person pronoun in 2:6 referred to Jesus Christ and there is no indication in the context of a change in referent.
1 John 2:8 tn The clause beginning with ὅτι (hoti) is often taken as (1) epexegetical or (2) appositional to the commandment (ἐντολήν, entolēn) giving a further explanation or clarification of it. But the statement following the ὅτι is about light and darkness, and it is difficult to see how this has anything to do with the commandment, especially as the commandment is related to the “new commandment” of John 13:34 for believers to love one another. It is far more likely that (3) the ὅτι clause should be understood as causal, but this still does not answer the question of whether it offers the reason for writing the “new commandment” itself or the reason for the relative clause (“that is true in him and in you”). It probably gives the reason for the writing of the commandment, although R. E. Brown (Epistles of John [AB], 268) thinks it refers to both.
1 John 2:8 sn The reference to the darkness…passing away and the true light…already shining is an allusion to John 1:5, 9, and 8:12. Because the author sees the victory of light over darkness as something already begun, he is writing Jesus’ commandment to love one another to the readers as a reminder to (1) hold fast to what they have already heard (see 1 John 2:7) and (2) not be influenced by the teaching of the opponents.
1 John 2:9 tn Grk “the one saying he is in the light and hating his brother.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” because of the contrast present in the two clauses.
1 John 2:9 tn Grk “his brother.” Here the term “brother” means “fellow believer” or “fellow Christian” (cf. BDAG 18 s.v. ἀδελφός 2.a). In the repeated uses of this form of address throughout the letter, it is important to remember that sometimes it refers (1) to genuine Christians (those who have remained faithful to the apostolic eyewitness testimony about who Jesus is, as outlined in the Prologue to the letter, 1:1-4; examples of this usage are 2:10; 3:14, 16), but often it refers (2) to the secessionist opponents whose views the author rejects (examples are found here at 2:9, as well as 2:11; 3:10; 3:15; 3:17; 4:20). Of course, to be technically accurate, in the latter case the reference is really to a “fellow member of the community”; the use of the term “fellow Christian” in the translation no more implies that such an individual is genuinely saved than the literal term “brother” which the author uses for such people. But a translation like “fellow member of the community” or “fellow member of the congregation” is extremely awkward and simply cannot be employed consistently throughout.
1 John 2:10 tn See note on the term “fellow Christian” in 2:9.
1 John 2:10 tn The third person pronoun αὐτῷ (autō) could refer either (1) to the person who loves his brother or (2) to the light itself which has no cause for stumbling “in it.” The following verse (2:11) views darkness as operative within a person, and the analogy with Ps 119:165, which says that the person who loves God’s law does not stumble, expresses a similar concept in relation to an individual. This evidence suggests that the person is the referent here.
1 John 2:11 sn The one who hates his fellow Christian. The author’s paradigm for the opponents portrays them as those who show hatred for fellow Christians (Grk “brothers,” but not referring to one’s physical siblings). This charge will be much more fully developed in chap. 3, where the author will compare the opponents to Cain (who is the model for one who hates a brother, since he ultimately murdered his own brother). In 1 John 3:17 the specific charge against the opponents will be failing to give material aid to a brother in need.
1 John 2:11 sn 1 John 2:3-11. The section 2:3-11 contains three claims to intimate knowledge of God, each introduced by the phrase the one who says (participles in the Greek text) in 2:4, 6, and 9. As with the three claims beginning with “if” in the previous section (1:6, 8, 10), these indirectly reflect the claims of the opponents. Each claim is followed by the author’s evaluation and its implications.

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Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

Psalm 135[a]

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Daniel’s Friends Are Tested

God Delivers His Servants

Footnotes

Keeping God’s Commandments

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Psalm 135^[a]