At the same time, it is a new commandment that I am writing to you, which is true in him and in you, because the darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This "new commandment" isn't entirely new in content, but its power and truth are fully revealed in Jesus and now in us as we live in his light. The urgency comes from the fact that the old age of darkness is already fading, meaning we're in a crucial transition where the "true light" is actively breaking through.
At the same time, it is a new commandment that I am writing to you, which is true in him and in you, because the darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining.
English Standard Version (ESV)
John is clarifying what it means to truly know God. He's just warned against claiming to know God while living in sin, and now he emphasizes that genuine fellowship with God produces love for fellow believers. This "new commandment" isn't entirely new in substance, but it's made fresh and powerfully real through Jesus, whose light is actively dispelling the darkness in believers' lives.
John calls this a 'new commandment,' but didn't Jesus talk about loving God and neighbor before? How can it be both new and old?
This is the brilliant paradox of the Christian faith! The commandment to love one another (and by extension, to love God) is as old as creation itself.
The verse states this commandment is 'true in him and in you.' What does that mean for Jesus, and what does it mean for us?
The truth of God's commandments isn't just an abstract idea; it's embodied and activated.
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John uses powerful imagery of darkness passing and light shining. What is this darkness, and what does the light represent?
This imagery speaks to the fundamental conflict between God's kingdom and the world's fallenness, and the triumph of God's presence.
Understand the original words
skotia · Greek Noun
A figurative term representing sin, ignorance, evil, or the realm of Satan; it is the state of separation from the presence and holiness of God.
phōs · Greek Noun
A description of God’s nature and the gospel; it symbolizes holiness, truth, knowledge, and life, standing in total opposition to the kingdom of darkness.
Jesus introduces the commandment to love one another as He has loved them, which is the basis for John's statement about the 'new commandment' being true.
2 Corinthians 4:6This passage speaks of God shining light into our hearts, mirroring John's idea that the true light is already shining and dispelling darkness.
Romans 13:12Paul echoes the theme of light overcoming darkness, urging believers to cast off works of darkness and put on armor of light, reinforcing the immediacy of the spiritual transition John describes.
John 1:5This verse describes how the light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it, directly supporting John's assertion that the true light is shining and the darkness is passing.
This "new commandment" isn't entirely new in content, but its power and truth are fully revealed in Jesus and now in us as we live in his light. The urgency comes from the fact that the old age of darkness is already fading, meaning we're in a crucial transition where the "true light" is actively breaking through.
John is clarifying what it means to truly know God. He's just warned against claiming to know God while living in sin, and now he emphasizes that genuine fellowship with God produces love for fellow believers. This "new commandment" isn't entirely new in substance, but it's made fresh and powerfully real through Jesus, whose light is actively dispelling the darkness in believers' lives.
John is clarifying what it means to truly know God. He's just warned against claiming to know God while living in sin, and now he emphasizes that genuine fellowship with God produces love for fellow believers. This "new commandment" isn't entirely new in substance, but it's made fresh and powerfully real through Jesus, whose light is actively dispelling the darkness in believers' lives.
"At the same time, it is a new commandment that I am writing to you, which is true in him and in you, because the darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining." — This "new commandment" isn't entirely new in content, but its power and truth are fully revealed in Jesus and now in us as we live in his light. The urgency comes from the fact that the old age of…
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Last reviewed October 2026