Commentaries:
Adam Clarke
But the anointing which ye have received - That ointment, the gifts of the Holy Spirit, mentioned I John 2:20 (note).
Ye need not that any man teach you - The Gnostics, who pretended to the highest illumination, could bring no proof that they were divinely taught, nor had they any thing in their teaching worthy the acceptance of the meanest Christian; therefore they had no need of that, nor of any other teaching but that which the same anointing teacheth, the same Spirit from whom they had already received the light of the glory of God, in the face of Jesus Christ. Whatever that taught, they needed; and whatever those taught whose teaching was according to this Spirit, they needed. St. John does not say that those who had once received the teaching of the Divine Spirit had no farther need of the ministry of the Gospel; no, but he says they had no need of such teaching as their false teachers proposed to them; nor of any other teaching that was different from that anointing, i.e. the teaching of the Spirit of God. No man, howsoever holy, wise, or pure, can ever be in such a state as to have no need of the Gospel ministry: they who think so give the highest proof that they have never yet learned of Christ or his Spirit.
And is truth - Because it is the Spirit of truth John 16:13.
And is no lie - It has nothing like the fables of the Gnostics. It can neither deceive, nor be deceived.
Other commentary entries containing this verse:
Exodus 30:23
Exodus 30:30
Deuteronomy 33:6
1 John 2:20
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