How can a commandment from God be both "old" and "new"? The verses above are taken from John's first epistle (letter). The apostle John is known as the apostle of love, so as we continue to read chapter two,1 we find that this is the topic of the commandment that is both old and new.
The old commandment comes from the law found in the Old Testament book of Leviticus:
'You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the sons of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself; I am the LORD. (Leviticus 19:18)
So, how can the commandment to love your neighbor be new, if it was given in the book of Leviticus? The commandments of the Old Testament were given with the same intent as those of the New Testament. However, the theocracy of the time kept adding manmade rules to "clarify" and embellish the commandments. The emphasis was placed on obedience through human willpower. The problem with human willpower is that there is no power in the human will.
The "new" part of the commandment is the means by which the commandment is carried out. It is not through human willpower, but by abiding in "the light."1 This light2 is none other than Jesus Christ - the source of all power.3 If you have tried loving others through your own ability to be nice, you have probably discovered that there are certain people who are "impossible" to love. However, God loves the entire world,4 not just the ones who are "easy" to love. Only by abiding in Christ can we fulfill the perfect love of God in our own lives.
I pray that out of His glorious riches He may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge--that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. (Ephesians 3:16-19)
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