_Episode on the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error; the test to be applied; and the sure application of it._ 1 John 4:1. BELOVED introduces an affectionate interlude, in which the apostle passes from the personal assurance of fellowship with God given by the Holy Ghost, to the assurance given b... [ Continue Reading ]
The ruling idea of the third part is Faith in the Spirit's testimony concerning the Son of God incarnate. The close of chap. 3 introduces the theme by the first explicit mention of faith and the Spirit. In chap. 1 John 4:1-6 the two opposite confessions, resulting from two opposite hearings of two o... [ Continue Reading ]
1 John 4:2-3. HEREBY YE KNOW THE SPIRIT OF GOD: that is, the voice of the one Holy Ghost in the various ‘spirits' proclaiming a confession. The personal faith must have its outward avowal; every teacher or ‘spirit' must teach on the basis of a confession of Jesus. In chap. 2 the test of antichrist w... [ Continue Reading ]
1 John 4:4-6. The apostle makes some strong assertions which have for their object to link a sound confession with a true religion. First, with reference to his Christian hearers, he connects their personal victory over the world, through the strength of Him who is GREATER THAN HE THAT IS IN THE WOR... [ Continue Reading ]
_The love which this Faith embraces and knows: in its origin; its supreme manifestation; its perfect reflection in us; the whole section being begun, continued, and ended in this._ 1 John 4:7-8. Two sentences which exhibit the ‘commandment' of brotherly love in a stronger light than hitherto shed up... [ Continue Reading ]
1 John 4:9-11. God is love; and IN THIS WAS THE LOVE OF GOD MANIFESTED IN US: it had its one supreme expression ‘in our case,' ‘in us' as its sphere. This explains what follows, in the perfect. THAT GOD HATH SENT as the permanent token of His love HIS ONLY-BEGOTTEN SON INTO THE WORLD THAT WE MIGHT L... [ Continue Reading ]
1 John 4:12. This verse contains three clauses, which are severally dilated on, though in a rather different order, in the seven verses which follow: the invisibility of God as the object of love; His invisible indwelling nevertheless; and the perfect operation of His love in our hearts as the repre... [ Continue Reading ]
1 John 4:13-16. Remembering that this whole section has to do with faith in Jesus as the root of brotherly love, we need not be surprised that the apostle goes back to the introductory words of it. Those words, however, are amplified, as usual: the gift of the Spirit is the seal and assurance that W... [ Continue Reading ]
1 John 4:17-19. Here enters the second point of 1 John 4:12: ‘His love is perfected in us.' The ‘His' is omitted; HEREIN IS LOVE MADE PERFECT WITH US, that is, in all that concerns our estate. Love is once more absolute and without object specified. ‘Herein,' in our living and moving and having our... [ Continue Reading ]
1 John 4:19. WE LOVE BECAUSE HE FIRST LOVED US. Looking back, this sublimely shows the possibility that our love here once more absolute or without object, our ‘perfect love' may become supreme: the argument of ‘because' is almost equal to ‘even as,' which is, however, not said. But the words look f... [ Continue Reading ]
1 John 4:20. IF A MAN SAY, I LOVE GOD, AND HATETH HIS BROTHER, HE IS A LIAR. All the words here point, as we have seen before, to an utterly spurious Christianity, which knows nothing of the revelation of the unseen God in His Son: the first phrase and the last are used only of such false religion,... [ Continue Reading ]
_The victory of Faith in Jesus as the victory of Love._ 1 John 4:21. AND THIS COMMANDMENT HAVE WE FROM HIM, THAT HE WHO LOVETH GOD LOVE HIS BROTHER ALSO. The three points of chap. 1 John 3:12 having been discussed, a new subject begins. That is the precept of love given by ‘Him,' that is, Christ, w... [ Continue Reading ]