He returns to his former doctrine, which he had touched upon in the second chapter; for many (as it is usual in new things) abused the name of Christ for the purpose of serving their own errors. Some made a half profession of Christ; and when they obtained a place among his friends, they had more op... [ Continue Reading ]
2_Hereby_, or _by this_, _know ye _He lays down a special mark by which they might more easily distinguish between true and false prophets. Yet he only repeats here what we have met with before, that as Christ is the object at which faith aims, so he is the stone at which all heretics stumble. As lo... [ Continue Reading ]
3._And this is that spirit of Antichrist _The Apostle added this, to render more detestable the impostures which lead us away from Christ. We have already said that the doctrine respecting the kingdom of Antichrist was well known; so that the faithful had been warned as to the future scattering of t... [ Continue Reading ]
4_Ye are of God _He had spoken of one antichrist; he now mentions many. But the many were the false prophets who had come forth before the head appeared. (83) But the Apostle’s object was to animate the faithful, that they might courageously and boldly resist impostors, for alacrity is weakened when... [ Continue Reading ]
5_They are of the world _It is no small consolation that they who dare to assail God in us, have only the world to aid and help them. And by the world the Apostle means that portion of which Satan is the prince. Another consolation is also added, when he says that the world embraces through the fals... [ Continue Reading ]
6_We are of God _Though this really applies to all the godly, yet it refers properly to the faithful ministers of the Gospel; for the Apostle, through the confidence imparted by the Spirit, glories here that he and his fellow-ministers served God in sincerity, and derived from him whatever they taug... [ Continue Reading ]
7_Beloved _He returns to that exhortation which he enforces almost throughout the Epistle. We have, indeed, said, that it is filled with the doctrine of faith and exhortation to love. On these two points he so dwells, that he continually passes from the one to the other. When he commands _mutual _l... [ Continue Reading ]
He also sets in opposition to this, according to his usual manner, the contrary clause, that there is no knowledge of God where there is no love. And he takes as granted a general principle or truth, that God is love, that is, that his nature is to love men. I know that many reason more refinedly, a... [ Continue Reading ]
9_In this was manifested_, or, _has appeared_. We have the love of God towards us testified also by many other proofs. For if it be asked, why the world has been created, why we have been placed in it to possess the dominion of the earth, why we are preserved in life to enjoy innumerable blessings,... [ Continue Reading ]
10_Herein is love _He amplifies God’s love by another reason, that he gave us his own Son at the time when we were enemies, as Paul teaches us, in Romans 5:8; but he employs other words, that God, induced by no love of men, freely loved them. He meant by these words to teach us that God’s love towar... [ Continue Reading ]
11_Beloved _Now the Almighty accommodates to his own purpose what he has just taught us respecting the love of God; for he exhorts us by God’s example to brotherly love; as also Paul sets before us Christ, who offered himself to the Father a sacrifice of pleasant fragrance, that every one of us migh... [ Continue Reading ]
12_No man hath seen God _The same words are found in John 1:18 of John’s Gospel; but John the Baptist had not there exactly the same thing in view, for he meant only that God could not be otherwise known, but as he has revealed himself in Christ. The Apostle here extends the same truth farther, that... [ Continue Reading ]
14_And we have seen _He now explains the other part of the knowledge of God, which we have referred to, that he communicates himself to us in his Son, and offers himself to be enjoyed in him. It hence follows, that he is by faith received by us. For the design of the Apostle is to shew, that God is... [ Continue Reading ]
15_Whosoever shall confess _He repeats the truth, that we are united to God by Christ, and that we cannot be connected with Christ except, God abides in us. _Faith _and _confession _are used indiscriminately in the same sense; for though hypocrites may wisely boast of faith, yet the apostle here ack... [ Continue Reading ]
16_And we have known and believed _It is the same as though he had said, “We have known by believing;” for such knowledge is not attained but by faith. But we hence learn how different, is an uncertain or doubtful opinion from faith. Besides, though he meant here, as I have already said, to accommod... [ Continue Reading ]
17_Herein is our love made perfect _There are two clauses in this passage, — that we are then partakers of divine adoption, when we resemble God as children their father; and,secondly, that this confidence is invaluable, for without it we must be most miserable. Then in the first place, he shews to... [ Continue Reading ]
18_There is no fear _He now commends the excellency of this blessing by stating the contrary effect, for he says that we are continually tormented until God delivers us from misery and anguish by the remedy of his own love towards us. The meaning is, that as there is nothing more miserable than to b... [ Continue Reading ]
19_We love him _The verb ἀγαπῶμεν may be either in the indicative or imperative mood; but the former is the more suitable here, for the Apostle, as I think, repeats the preceding sentence, that as God has anticipated us by his free love, we ought to return to render love to him, for he immediately i... [ Continue Reading ]
But this love cannot exist, except it generates brotherly love. Hence he says, that they are liars who boast that they love God, when they hate their brethren. But the reason he subjoins seems not sufficiently valid, for it is a comparison between the less and the greater: If, he says, we love not o... [ Continue Reading ]
21_And this commandment _This is a stronger argument, drawn from the authority and doctrine of Christ; for he not only gave a commandment respecting the love of God, but bade us also to love our brethren. We must therefore so begin with God, as that there may be at the same time a transition made to... [ Continue Reading ]