1 John 5:21Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Since the Apostle wrote this Epistle to perfect believers, some asked why he commands them to keep themselves from idols. We answer that the Apostle wrote this to the whole Church, which was not entirely filled with chosen people. Among them were some of unsound disposition. To such people he gives this commandment, fearing for their weakness.

The Epistle ends as it began, since at the beginning he set forth what God is, so that people would not pray to empty idols. Here is John's golden circle, in which the beginning and the end are one.

An idol in itself is nothing (1 Cor 8:4). Silver, gold, and the other matter found in idols are God's creation and can be turned to one use or another by human consent.

But everyone has idols in the heart: disorderly passions, unclean desire, pride, envy, malice, love of money, and the rest.

Within there are also tormentors that incline us toward these passions as toward idols: evil thoughts. Within man there is also a shrine: his heart.

It is easy to guard oneself from external idols. But from these idols, which we bear within ourselves, we are guarded and delivered with great difficulty, and not without God's all-powerful help, for they belong to our fallen nature.

This is the conclusion of the epistle. After the instructions by which the Apostle persuaded Christians to keep faith in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, and always observe His commandments, without which faith is ineffective and the reception of salvation impossible, St. John warns Christians against a temptation.

In the primitive Church this temptation could turn many away from the path of truth and salvation and cast them into the abyss of pagan superstitions and vices.

Many Christians had recently been converted from paganism. Many of them may not have been entirely free from pagan customs and errors. Many may have been in close relations with pagans, being, for example, members of a family composed of Christians and pagans.

Keep yourselves from things offered to idols. Having led Christians to the knowledge of the true God, the Apostle asks them to guard themselves from worshiping and venerating empty and false gods, that is, idols. Though this remark has no visibly direct connection with what precedes, since the Apostle said nothing in the whole Epistle about idolatry, it becomes understandable when we consider the condition of the Church at that time. It was surrounded on every side by idolaters and had within itself many members recently converted from paganism.

Through crudeness and ignorance, the Shtundists apply the concluding words of the First Epistle of the Apostle John to the Church's holy images: "Little children, keep yourselves from things offered to idols," in Russian, from idols. But icons are not idols, because they present to our sight not invented things, but true manifestations of the Divine Persons narrated in Holy Scripture, and images of God's saints who truly existed.

"Children" (1 Jn 2:1, 28; 3:18; 4:4), "keep yourselves from idols." Having spoken about the necessity of keeping the true faith in God and the Lord Jesus Christ, the apostle in conclusion warns against idolatry, or in general against idol-service and godlessness.

This instruction, or warning, of the apostle is brief, since the readers undoubtedly no longer believed in idols or honored them. Yet the apostle considered it necessary to give such a warning at the conclusion of the epistle.

By this brief and powerful word he expressed the contrast between the faith of Christians and the superstition of pagans.

The sinfulness of the world and the relation of sin to regeneration (1 Jn 5:18-21). "We know that whoever is born of God does not sin," that is, mortally. We know "that the whole world lies in evil," filled with vices and vile passions. We also know that "the Son of God has come and has given us light and understanding" (1 Jn 5:20). That is, He has given us true knowledge, so that we may keep ourselves from everything inconsistent with the holiness of our sonship before God in His Son, Jesus Christ.

At first glance, the present postscript has no connection with what precedes. In essence, however, it is very important and has an essential relation both to the preceding words about the world lying in evil and to the whole content of the Epistle.

The Epistle is directed against the intrusion into the Christian world, through heresies and false teachings, of pagan notions and a pagan manner of life. According to heretical teaching, this manner of life was supposed to be indifferent for Christians.

This indifference could be shown most visibly through calm participation in the idol-service of acquaintances and relatives, or even by one's own participation. One justified oneself by saying that an idol is nothing.

In conclusion (5:18-21), the Apostle briefly sets forth the chief thoughts of the Epistle. He says that one born of God does not sin, because he keeps himself, and the evil one does not touch him. Christians are of God, while the world, that is, unbelievers, lies in evil. The Son of God, who came to earth, gave us light and understanding for the true knowledge of God and for receiving eternal life, that is, salvation. All this should move Christians to keep themselves from idols, meaning from idolatry and godlessness in general, as a state opposed to the true faith.

I warn, as it were, no longer against idolatry, but against idols, that is, against becoming like them. For it is shameful that you, the image of the living God, should become the image of an idol and the image of a mortal.

Why then, after bearing witness throughout his whole Epistle to the perfection of those to whom he writes, does John now at the very end exhort them to keep themselves from idols? We think that he was writing to the whole Church. It is likely that there were in the assembly some who had only recently left idolatry, and for their sake he wrote these words.