1 John 3:3

that hath this hope in him This is certainly wrong: the preposition is -on", not -in", and -Him" is either the Father or Christ; probably the former. It is precisely the man who has the hope, based uponGod, of one day being like Him, that purifies himself. For the construction -to have hope on" a person comp. - OnHim shall the Gentiles hope" (Romans 15:12; comp. 1 Timothy 4:10; 1 Timothy 6:17).

purifieth himself In LXX. this verb (ἁγνίζειν) is used chiefly in a technical sense of ceremonial purifications, e.g. of the priests for divine service: and so also even in N. T. (John 11:55; Acts 21:24; Acts 21:26; Acts 24:18). But we need not infer that, because the outward cleansing is the dominant idea in these passages, it is therefore the only one. Here, James 4:8, and 1 Peter 2:22, the inward purification and dedication become the dominant idea, though perhaps not to the entire exclusion of the other.

-Purifieth himself". See on 1 John 1:8 and 1 John 5:21. S. John once more boldly gives us an apparent contradiction, in order to bring out a real truth. In 1 John 1:7 it is -the blood of Jesus" which -cleanseth us from all sin:" here the Christian -purifieth himself". Both are true, and neither cleansing will avail to salvation without the other. Christ cannot save us if we withhold our efforts: we cannot save ourselves without His merits and grace.

even as he is pure As in 1 John 3:2, the - evenas" brings out the reality of the comparison: similarly in John 17:11; John 17:22 we have -that they may be one, evenas we are". It is not easy to determine with certainty whether -He" means the Father or Christ. There is a change of pronoun in the Greek from -on Him" (ἐπ' αὐτῷ) to -He" (ἐκεῖνος), and this favours, though it does not prove, a change of meaning. Probably throughout this Epistle ἐκεῖνος means Christ (1 John 3:5; 1 John 3:7; 1 John 3:16, 1 John 2:6; 1 John 4:17). He who, relying on God, hopes to be like God hereafter, purifies himself now after the example of Christ. Christ conformed Himself to the Father, we do the like by conforming ourselves to Christ. This interpretation brings us once more in contact with Christ's great prayer. -For their sakes I consecrate Myself, that they themselves may be consecrated in truth" (John 17:19). Moreover, would S. John speak of God as -pure"? God is -holy" (ἅγιος): Christ in His perfect sinlessness as man is -pure" (ἁγνός). Note that S. John does not say -even as He purified Himself:" that grace which the Christian has to seek diligently is the inherent attribute of Christ. The consecration of Christ for the work of redemption is very different from the purification of the Christian in order to be like Him and the Father. Comp. Hebrews 12:14.