CHAPTER III. _The extraordinary love of God towards mankind, and the effects_ _of it_, 1-3. _Sin is the transgression of the law, and Christ was manifested_ _to take away our sins_, 4-6. _The children of God are known by the holiness of their lives,_ _the children of the devil by the sinfulnes... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 1 John 3:2. _NOW ARE WE THE SONS OF GOD_] He speaks of those who are _begotten_ of God, and who work righteousness. See the preceding chapter. _AND IT DOTH NOT YET APPEAR WHAT WE SHALL BE_] ουπω εφανερωθη. _It is not yet manifest_; though we _know_ that we are the children of God, we do not k... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 1 John 3:3. _AND EVER MAN THAT HATH THIS HOPE IN HIM_] All who have the hope of seeing Christ as he is; that is, of _enjoying_ him in his own glory; _purifieth himself_-abstains from all evil, and keeps himself from all that is in the world, viz., the lusts of the flesh, of the eye, and the p... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 1 John 3:4. _SIN IS THE TRANSGRESSION OF THE LAW._] The spirit of the law as well as of the Gospel is, that "we should love God with all our powers, and our neighbour as ourselves." All disobedience is contrary to love; therefore sin is the _transgression of the_ _law_, whether the act refers... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 1 John 3:5. _AND YE KNOW THAT HE WAS MANIFESTED TO TAKE AWAY OUR_ _SINS_] He came into the world to destroy the power, pardon the guilt, and cleanse from the pollution of sin. This was the very _design_ of his manifestation in the flesh. He was born, suffered, and died for this very purpose; a... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 6. _WHOSOEVER ABIDETH IN HIM_] By faith, love, and obedience. _SINNETH NOT_] Because his heart is purified by faith, and he is a worker together with God, and consequently does not receive the grace of God in vain. See note on 1 John 3:3. _HATH NOT SEEN HIM_] It is no unusual thing with this... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 7. _LET NO MAN DECEIVE YOU_] Either by asserting that "you cannot be saved from sin in this life," or "that sin will do you no harm and cannot alter your state, if you are adopted into the family of God; for sin cannot annul this adoption." Hear God, ye deceivers! _He that doeth righteousness... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 8. _HE THAT COMMITTETH SIN IS OF THE DEVIL_] Hear this, also, ye who plead for Baal, and cannot bear the thought of that doctrine that states believers are to be saved from all sin in this life! _He who committeth sin is_ a child _of the devil_, and shows that he has still the nature of the de... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 9. _WHOSOEVER IS BORN OF GOD_] γεγεννημενος, _Begotten_ of God, _doth not commit sin_: "that is," say some, "as he used to do, he does not sin _habitually_ as he formerly did." This is bringing the influence and privileges of the heavenly birth very low indeed. We have the most indubitable ev... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 10. _IN THIS THE CHILDREN OF GOD ARE MANIFEST_] Here is a fearful text. Who is a child of the devil? _He that commits sin_. Who is a child of God? _He that works righteousness_. By this text we shall stand or fall before God, whatever our particular _creed_ may say to the contrary. _NEITHER H... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 11. _FOR THIS IS THE MESSAGE_] See 1 John 1:5. From the _beginning_ God hath taught men that they should _love one another_. How essentially necessary this is to the comfort and well-being of man in this state of trial and difficulty, every sensible man must see. All are dependent upon all; al... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 12. _NOT AS CAIN_] Men should not act to each other as Cain did to his brother Abel. He murdered him because he was better than himself. But who was Cain? εκτουπονηρουην, _he was_ _of the devil_. And who are they who, through pride, lust of power, ambition, gain, c., murder each other in _wars... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 13. _MARVEL NOT - IF THE WORLD HATE YOU._] Expect no better treatment from unconverted Jews and Gentiles than Abel received from his wicked and cruel brother. This was a lesson to the Church, preparatory to _martyrdom_. Expect neither justice nor mercy from the men who are enemies of God. They... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 14. _WE KNOW THAT WE HAVE PASSED FROM DEATH UNTO LIFE_] _Death_ and _life_ are represented here as two distinct _territories,_ _states_, or _kingdoms_, to either of which the inhabitants of either may be removed. This is implied in the term μεταβεβηκαμεν, from μετα, denoting _change of place_... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 15. _WHOSOEVER HATETH HIS BROTHER IS A MURDERER_] He has the same principle in him which was in Cain, and it may lead to the same consequences. _NO MURDERER HATH ETERNAL LIFE_] Eternal life springs from an _indwelling God_; and God cannot dwell in the heart where _hatred_ and _malice_ dwell.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 16. _HEREBY PERCEIVE WE THE LOVE OF GOD_] This sixteenth verse of this third chapter of John's first epistle is, in the main, an exact counterpart of the sixteenth verse of the third chapter of St. John's gospel: _God so loved the world, that he gave_ _his only-begotten Son_, c. Here the apost... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 17. _BUT WHOSO HATH THIS WORLDS GOOD_] Here is a _test_ of this love; if we do not _divide our bread_ with the hungry, we certainly would not _lay down our life_ for him. Whatever love we may pretend to mankind, if we are not charitable and benevolent, we give the lie to our profession. If we... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 18. _MY LITTLE CHILDREN_] τεκνιαμου, _My beloved_ _children, let us not love in word_-in merely _allowing_ the general _doctrine_ of love to God and man to be just and right; _NEITHER IN TONGUE_] In making _professions_ of love, and of a charitable and humane disposition, and resting there; _... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 19. _HEREBY WE KNOW THAT WE ARE OF THE TRUTH_] That we have the true religion of the Lord Jesus, _and shall assure our_ _hearts_-be persuaded in our consciences, that we have the truth as it is in Jesus; as no man can _impose upon himself_ by imagining he _loves_ when he _does not_: he may mak... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 20. _IF OUR HEART CONDEMN US_] If we be _conscious_ that our love is _feigned_, we shall feel inwardly condemned in professing to have what we have not. _And if our heart condemn us,_ _God is greater than our heart_, for he knows every hypocritical winding and turning of the soul, he searches... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 21. _IF OUR HEART CONDEMN US NOT_] If we be _conscious_ to ourselves of our own sincerity, that we practise not deceit, and use no mask, then have _we confidence toward God_-we can appeal to him for our sincerity, and we can come with boldness to the throne of grace, to obtain mercy, and find... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 22. _WHATSOEVER WE ASK_] In such a spirit, _we receive of_ _him_, for he delights to bless the humble, upright, and sincere soul. _BECAUSE WE KEEP HIS COMMANDMENTS_] Viz., by loving him and loving our neighbour. These are the great commandments both of the old covenant and the new. And whoeve... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 23. _THAT WE SHOULD BELIEVE ON THE NAME OF HIS SON_] We are commanded to believe on Christ, that for the sake of his passion and death we may be justified from all things from which we could not be justified by the law of Moses; and being through him redeemed from the guilt of sin, restored to... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 1 John 3:24. _DWELLETH IN HIM_] i.e. in God; _and he_-God, _in_ _him_-the believer. _AND HEREBY WE KNOW_] We know by the Spirit which he hath given us that we dwell in God, and God in us. It was not by _conjecture_ or _inference_ that Christians of old knew they were in the favour of God, it... [ Continue Reading ]