SEV Biblia, Chapter 2:20
¶ Mas vosotros tenis la Uncin del Santo, y conocis todas las cosas.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - 1 John 2:20
Verse 20. But ye have an unction] The word crisma signifies not an unction, but an ointment, the very thing itself by which anointing is effected; and so it was properly rendered in our former translations. Probably this is an allusion to the holy anointing oil of the law, and to Psa. xiv. 7: God hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness- he hath given thee the plenitude of the Spirit, which none of thy fellows - none of the prophets, ever received in such abundance. By this it is evident that not only the gifts of the Spirit, but the Holy Spirit himself, is intended.
This Spirit dwelt at that time in a peculiar manner in the Church, to teach apostles, teachers, and all the primitive believers, every thing requisite for their salvation; and to make them the instruments of handing down to posterity that glorious system of truth which is contained in the New Testament. As oil was used among the Asiatics for the inauguration of persons into important offices, and this oil was acknowledged to be an emblem of the gifts and graces of the Holy Spirit, without which the duties of those offices could not be discharged; so it is put here for the Spirit himself, who presided in the Church, and from which all gifts and graces flowed. The crisma, chrism or ointment here mentioned is also an allusion to the holy anointing ointment prescribed by God himself, Exod. xxx. 23-25, which was composed of fine myrrh, sweet cinnamon, sweet calamus, cassia lignea, and olive oil. This was an emblem of the gifts and graces of the Divine Spirit. See the notes on the above place. And for the reason of this anointing see the note on Exod. xxix. 7.
Ye know all things.] Every truth Of God necessary to your salvation and the salvation of man in general, and have no need of that knowledge of which the Gnostics boast.
But although the above is the sense in which this verse is generally understood, yet there is reason to doubt its accuracy. The adjective panta, which we translate all things, is most probably in the accusative case singular, having anqrwpon, man, or some such substantive, understood.
The verse therefore should be translated: Ye have an ointment from the Holy One, and ye know or discern EVERY MAN. This interpretation appears to be confirmed by twn planwntwn in 1 John ii. 26, those who are deceiving or misleading you; and in the same sense should pantwn, ver. 27, be understood: But as the same anointing teacheth you pantwn, not of all things, but of ALL MEN. It is plain, from the whole tenor of the epistle, that St. John is guarding the Christians against seducers and deceivers, who were even then disturbing and striving to corrupt the Church. In consequence of this he desires them to try the spirits whether they were of God, chap. iv. 1. But how were they to try them? Principally by that anointing - that spiritual light and discernment which they had received from God; and also by comparing the doctrine of these men with what they had heard from the beginning. The anointing here mentioned seems to mean the spirit of illumination, or great knowledge and discernment in spiritual things. By this they could readily distinguish the false apostles from the true.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 20. But ye have an unction from the Holy One , &c.] Meaning the Spirit, and his graces, with which Christ, the head, is anointed without measure, and his members in measure; from whence he is called Christ, and they Christians. These were really the Lord's anointed ones; they were true believers; were the wise virgins who had oil in their vessels with their lamps, which would never go out. The grace of the Spirit is called a chrism, or an ointment, or an anointing, in allusion to the anointing oil under the law; (see Gill on Matthew 25:3); of which anointing oil the Jews say f32 , that it continues all of it, awbl dyt[l , to time to come, (i.e. to the times of the Messiah,) as it is said, ( Exodus 30:31). Now this these saints had, from the Holy One; or that Holy One; meaning, not the Holy Spirit of God, though it is true that this anointing, or these graces, were from him; he is the author of them, and may truly be said to anoint with them; nor the Father, who is holy in his nature, and in his works, and is the God of all grace, and is said to anoint the saints too, ( Corinthians 1:21), but rather the Lord Jesus Christ, who is holy, both as God and man, and from whose fulness all grace is had. This oil, or ointment, was first poured on him without measure, and from him it descends to all the members of his mystical body, as the ointment poured on Aaron's head descended to his beard, and to the skirts of his garments; (see 1 John 2:27); and ye know all things ; for this anointing is a teaching one; it makes persons of quick understanding; it enlightens their understandings, refreshes their memories, and strengthens all the powers and faculties of the soul; it leads into the knowledge of all spiritual things, into all the mysteries of grace, and truths of the Gospel, into all things necessary for salvation; for these words are not to be taken in the largest sense, in which they are only applicable to the omniscient God, but to be restrained to the subject matter treated of, and to those things chiefly in which the antichrists and deceivers cited; and regard not a perfect knowledge, for those that know most of these things, under the influence of this unction, know but in part. The Syriac version reads, all men, and so refers to that discerning of spirits, of the Spirit of truth, from the spirit of error; a gift which was bestowed on many in the primitive times, by which they could distinguish hypocrites from true believers, and antichrists and deceivers from the faithful ministers of the word. One of Stephens's copies reads, and ye all know.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 18-23 - Every man is an antichrist, who denies the Person, or any of the offices of Christ; and in denying the Son, he denies the Father also and has no part in his favour while he rejects his great salvation. Le this prophecy that seducers would rise in the Christian world, keep u from being seduced. The church knows not well who are its true members and who are not, but thus true Christians were proved, and rendere more watchful and humble. True Christians are anointed ones; their names expresses this: they are anointed with grace, with gifts an spiritual privileges, by the Holy Spirit of grace. The great and mos hurtful lies that the father of lies spreads in the world, usually ar falsehoods and errors relating to the person of Christ. The unctio from the Holy One, alone can keep us from delusions. While we judg favourably of all who trust in Christ as the Divine Saviour, and obe his word, and seek to live in union with them, let us pity and pray for those who deny the Godhead of Christ, or his atonement, and the new-creating work of the Holy Ghost. Let us protest against suc antichristian doctrine, and keep from them as much as we may.
Greek Textus Receptus
και 2532 υμεις 5210 χρισμα 5545 εχετε 2192 5719 απο 575 του 3588 αγιου 40 και 2532 οιδατε 1492 5758 παντα 3956
Vincent's NT Word Studies
20. An unction (crisma). The word means that with which the anointing is performed - the unguent or ointment. In the New Testament only here and ver. 27. Rev., an anointing. The root of this word and of Cristov, Christ, is the same. See on Matt. i. 1. the anointing is from the Anointed.
The Holy One. Christ. See John vi. 69; Acts iii. 14; iv. 27, 30; Apoc. iii. 7. Ye know all things (oidate pa.nta). The best texts read pantev, ye all know; in which case the connection is with the following clause: "I have not written unto you because ye know not the truth, but because ye know it."
