1 John Chapter 5, Verse 21
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21: τεκνια φυλαξατε εαυτους απο των ειδωλων αμην
21: Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen.
21: Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen.
Little children. This is a favourite mode of address with John, ("1Jn 2:1,) and it was proper to use it in giving his parting counsel; embracing, in fact, all that he had to say -- that they should keep themselves from idols, and suffer nothing to alienate their affections from the true God. His great object had been to lead them to the knowledge and love of God, and all his counsels would be practically followed, if, amidst the temptations of idolatry, and the allurements of sin, nothing were allowed to estrange their hearts from him.
Keep yourselves from idols. From worshipping them; from all that would imply communion with them or their devotees. Compare "1Cor 10:14".
The word rendered idols here (eidwlwn) means, properly, an image, spectre, shade -- as of the dead; then any image or figure which would represent anything, particularly anything invisible; and hence anything designed to represent God, and that was set up with a view to be acknowledged as representing him, or to bring him, or his perfections, more vividly before the mind. The word is applicable to idol-gods -- heathen deities, 1Cor 8:4, 1Cor 8:7, 1Cor 10:19 Rom 2:22 2Cor 6:16 1Thess 1:9; but it would, also, be applicable to any image designed to represent the true God, and through or by which the true God was to be adored. The essential things in the word seem to be,
(a.) an image or representation of the Deity, and
(b.) the making of that an object of adoration instead of the true God. Since one of these things would be likely to lead to the other, both are forbidden in the prohibitions of idolatry, Ex 20:4, Ex 20:5. This would forbid all attempts to represent God by paintings or statuary; all idol-worship, or worship of heathen gods; all images and pictures that would be substituted in the place of God as objects of devotion, or that might transfer the homage from God to the image; and all giving of those affections to other beings or objects which are due to God. Why the apostle closed this epistle with this injunction he has not stated, and it may not be easy to determine.
