1 John 3:21

Beloved See on 1 John 3:2.

if our heart condemn us not An argument à fortiori: if before God we can persuade conscience to acquit us, when it upbraids us, much more may we have assurance before Him, when it does notdo so. It is not quite evident whether -condemn us not" means - ceasesto condemn us", because we have persuaded it, or -does not condemn us from the first", because it has had no misgivings about us. Either makes good sense. The same word for -condemn" occurs Galatians 2:11 of S. Peter's dissimulation at Antioch: -I resisted him to the face, because he stood condemned", and in Sir 14:2, -Blessed is he whose conscience hath not condemned him" (οὐ κατέγνω).

then have we confidence towards God -Then", which is not in the Greek, may be omitted; we have boldness (see on 1 John 2:28) toward God(1 John 5:14). We approach to Him as children to a Father and not as criminals to a Judge. This is not the same as -persuading our heart" (1 John 3:19), but may be the result of it. Compare -to have peace toward God" (Romans 5:1), i.e. in our relations to Him: both A. V. and R. V. render -have peace withGod", but the Greek is the same as here (πρὸς τὸν Θεόν).