First John/Chapter 3:1-16/Commentary

First John Chapter 3:1-16 Outline I. The Purifying Hope Of Christ's Return: 3:1-3 II. Sin Is Incompatible With Christ's First Appearance: 3:4-10 III. Once Again, The Test Of Brotherly Love: 3:10-16 The mention of those "born of him" (2:29) naturally suggests the idea of being a child of God (3:1). John then will note the privileges that come with such a relationship, and the purifying nature that the second and first coming of Jesus should have upon our lives.

1John 3:1 “Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called children of God; and {such} we are. For this cause the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not” “Behold”: “Take notice of, be impressed with...was to fix the attention of John's readers on the measure of love which had been revealed in their behalf” (Woods p. 256). “What manner of love”: “How great a love” (NASV).

“Of what sort or kind, how great, how wonderful, how glorious” (Arndt p.

1

695). “Lit., ‘of what country’, in the New Testament always implies amazement (Matt. 8:27 “what manner of man”)...it implies a marvellous quality” (P.P. Comm. p. 70).

“The mention of being ‘born of him’ leads John to an outburst of wonder at God's love in making us His sons. ‘What manner of’ means originally ‘of what country’. It is as if the Father's love is so unearthly, so foreign to this world, that he wonders from what country it may come” (Stott p. 118). This love is great in scope (all men/1 John 2:2); depth (the price paid for our salvation); and duration (for all who live until the end of time/2 Peter 3:9). The world often talks about "love", but it is clear that the world doesn't know what constitutes "true love". This love is completely unselfish, sacrificial and dedicated to the eternal well-being of others. And such love was manifested towards very selfish and arrogant individuals (Romans 5:6-8).

“The Father hath bestowed upon us”: Emphasizing the "freeness". It wasn't earned or merited. “This love of God has not only ‘shown’ us, but actually bestowed upon us; we have experienced it ourselves” (Stott p. 118). “That we”: John includes himself. At the end of his earthly life, John still stands amazed at the fact that he is a child of God. Let us never tire of or treat as ordinary our relationship with God. “Should be called children of God”: God didn't merely deliver us from eternal destruction, God has also allowed us into His own family. “The purpose of this amazing gift; a wise, holy love, concerned for our highest good; not simply that we may be saved from suffering and loss but in order that we may be styled children of God” (Gr. Ex. N.T. pp. 182-183).

It would have been merciful for God to simply deliver us from eternal suffering. Yet God went beyond that. God has graciously allowed former sinners to be members of His family and have the hope of being with Him in heaven for eternity. Now that is "some love". If we are children of God, then we have the right to address Him as Father (1 Peter 1:17); we have an inheritance (1 Peter 1:4); and we are members of His household (1 Tim. 3:15).

“And such we are”: “The new birth is a reality. Once again, John is expressing

2

the assurance which believers can possess here and now of their standing in God's sight” (Marshall p. 171), This may be a swipe at the false teachers who might have been questioning the "saved status" John's listeners. “The wonder is that sinners on this earth should be granted status as sons of God, a title descriptive of the creatures of heaven. Yet this is our status here” (Roberts p. 76). “John appeals to the conscious nobility of Christians: we have this magnificent title with its corresponding dignity” (P.P. Comm. p. 71). The fact that we are called by such a lofty name (a name given to angels, Job 2:1), should give us incentive to live up to such a privileged position. Barclay notes, “There is something in a name. Just as to belong to a great school, a great regiment, a great household is an inspiration to fine living, so, even more, to bear the name of the family of God is something to keep a man's feet on the right way” (p. 86).

“For this cause the world knoweth us not, because it knew Him not”: “The world does not recognize us? That is simply because it did not recognize him” (Mof). “Immediately the question arises: If men have that great honor when they become Christians, why are they so downtrodden and despised and unrecognized by the world? The answer is that they are only experiencing what Jesus Christ has already experienced” (Barclay p. 88). The world does not understand, appreciate, realize, perceive, or acknowledge our importance. “True Christians will ever be mysterious to unbelievers (Erdman p. 159). The Christian should not get depressed that the world doesn't appreciate what they are trying to accomplish, for the world still doesn't appreciate what Jesus accomplished.

1John 3:2 “Beloved, now are we children of God, and it is not yet made manifest what we shall be. We know that, if He shall be manifested, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him even as He is” “Now we are children of God”: “We are children of God NOW in spite of non-recognition by the world” (Woods p. 257). Which means that we have a PRESENT DIGNITY AND DUTY. “It is not yet made manifest what we shall be”: “What we shall be has not yet been revealed” (TCNT). “The exact

3

manner of our transformation into the spiritual sons of God at the resurrection and the exact nature of our future existence have not been revealed to us” (Roberts p. 77). Yet this lack of precise information on this topic doesn't change the fact that we are presently children of God. “We know that”: But we do have some definitive information about the future. “If He shall be manifested”: “When He appears” (NASV). Thus we have another reference to the fact that the Second Coming will be a visible and literal return of Jesus Christ (Acts 1:11; 1 Thess. 4:16; 1 Peter 5:4; Colossians 3:4). “We shall be like Him”: Which includes the transformation of our physical bodies (Phil. 3:21; 1 Cor. 15:49). “For we shall see Him even as He is”: Matthew 5:8; Revelation 22:4.

“The wondrous blessing which this promise includes--of being like him-should not be lightly regarded or passed over hurriedly. It is a summary of all the good things which the Father has in reserve for His own. There is a story often told of a group of heathen converts who, when they came to this verse in translating into their language, unable to believe that such could possibly be in store for sinful man, stopped and said, ‘No! It is too much'”(Woods p.

258). What greater motivation does a Christian need to remain faithful, then the hope of seeing God in His full glory and then sharing such a glorious existence with Him? In view of such a hope how can anyone become discouraged? How can anyone give up?

1John 3:3 “And every one that hath this hope {set} on Him purifieth himself, even as He is pure” “Everyone”: Everyone has the obligation to live up to such a wonderful hope.

Some may have questioned or denied the obligation of moral purity in their case. “This hope”: The hope of seeing Jesus as He is and being like Him. “Set on Him”: “Fixed on Him” (NASV). “Resting upon” (Robertson p. 221).

Our hope must be "set" (Col. 3:1-3). This is one reason why some Christians never seem to be able to get it together. The primary object of their love, thoughts, and hope keeps shifting. They refuse to make up their mind that

4

God is their only true hope and they keep trying to place their trust in the things of this life. Barclay notes, ‘A novelist draws the picture of a young man who always refused to share in the lower pleasures to which his comrades often invited and even urged him. His explanation was that, "He knew that someday something fine was going to come to him, and he must keep himself ready for it’ The man who knows that God is at the end of the road will make all life a preparation to meet his God” (pp. 90-91).

“Purifieth himself”: James 4:8; 1 Peter 1:22. “Present active indicative” (Robertson p. 221). “Note the verse does not say 'purified himself', but 'purifieth himself', to show that it is a good man's constant study to purify himself” (Macknight p. 67). “Even as He is pure”: “And everyone who has this hope with regard to Christ tries to make himself pure as Christ is pure” (TCNT). 1 Peter 1:15; Matthew 5:48.

Perfectionism is not being taught in the above verse, for: (a) The purifying is a constant process. (b) Part of this process is confessing when we sin (1 John 1:9). Christ is the standard of moral purity. Every Christian is under the moral obligation (since they are children of God), to keep themselves morally pure (1 Tim. 5:22; 2 Cor. 7:1). The Christian is never released from this obligation to strive for a 'perfect realization of human conformity to God' (P.P. Comm. p.

71). Sin is not an inherent part of our nature. Observe that the obligation to abstain from evil and remove it from our lives--rests upon our shoulders.

Such purity must reach even into our thoughts. Only the 'pure in heart' will see God (Matthew 5:8). Our minds, thoughts and motives also need to be pure (2 Cor. 7:1). “They need to be warned against any self-satisfaction or feeling that they have achieved all that is possible in Christian experience. To think in this way is to ignore the dimension of hope...Worse still, it is to acquiesce in the present sorry state of the world and of ourselves” (Marshall p. 174).

Motivation from Jesus’ First Coming “John now proceeds to the second part...and this time he links righteousness with Christ's past appearing. His argument for the indispensable necessity of

5

holy living is drawn now, not from the expectation of the Lord's second coming, when we shall see Him and become like Him, but from the purpose of His first coming which was to remove sins and to destroy the works of the devil...To continue in sin is thus shown to be completely opposed to the whole purpose of Christ's first appearing, which is twice mentioned (5,8)” (Stott p.

121).

1John 3:4 “Every one that doeth sin doeth also lawlessness; and sin is lawlessness” “Everyone”: It doesn't matter who you are. “Doeth”: “Practices” (NASV). ‘'Present active participle, means the habit of doing sin” (Robertson p. 221).

Sin, like righteousness doesn't just happen, both are a conscious choice, a decision of the will. “It is the habitual practice of sin which is here under consideration” (Woods p. 260). “Sin”: “Lit., a missing the mark” (Vine p. 32).

Which should remind us that living in sin not only applies to the habitual liar or fornicator, but also the person who habitually neglects to worship God. “Lawlessness”: “This definition of sin sets forth its essential character as the rejection of the law, or will of God, and the substitution of the will of self” (Vine p. 317). “Everyone who lives sinfully is living in violation of Law” (TCNT).

“Certain heretical sects of the time held that their superior knowledge...made them immune from the demands of the law, and that God did not, in their case, impute to them wrongdoing” (Woods p. 260). “John states a universal truth, from which there is no escape and to which there is no exception… which are directed against the heretics' arrogant assumption that they constituted an initiated elite set apart from the rank and file. John will admit no such distinction. A dual standard of morality is quite foreign to the Christian religion” (Stott p. 121).

“The heretics seem to have taught that to the enlightened Christian questions of morality were a matter of indifference, just as today the truth about sin is concealed by euphemisms, and our sins become mere ‘peccadillos’, ‘temperamental weaknesses’ or ‘personality problems’. In contrast to such underestimates of sin, John declares that it is not just a negative failure...the

6

first step towards holy living is to recognize the true nature and wickedness of sin” (Stott p. 122).

Neither is sin a ‘disease’ and yet modern society tries to place most sins into this category. Sin is so bad--because essentially sin is a rejection of God's authority, to sin is to side with the devil (3:8). Sin is defiance and outright rebellion to the will of God. “Sin is putting one's own desires in the place of the law of God; to sin is to obey oneself rather than to obey God” (Barclay p.

91). Every sin is a violation of God's law. Every sin that one could commit falls into the above category.

“And sin is lawlessness”: “Sin is violation of Law” (TCNT). “So identifies the two as to render them interchangeable terms..It is not just that sin manifests itself in disregard for God's law, but that sin is in its very nature lawlessness” (Stott p. 122). Since all have sinned (Romans 3:23), then all are accountable to the Law of God. '"The law" means the law of God in the fullest sense, not the Mosaic law” (P.P. Comm. p. 71). We need to keep this concept in mind when people start arguing that the non-Christian isn't accountable to the will of God in certain areas. See also (Romans 5:13; 4:15).

1John 3:5 “And ye know that He was manifested to take away sins; and in Him is no sin” “And ye know”: Observe how John treats his readers with respect. They were not ignorant of such facts. Yet Christians do need to be constantly reminded to apply the knowledge they already possess (2 Peter 1:12-15).

“Two additional reasons are thus advanced why Christians are not to engage in the practice of sin: (1) Christ was manifested to take away sins; (2) in Him, who is our example, there is no sin” (Woods p. 261). “He was manifested to take away sins”: John 1:29; 1 Peter 2:24; Heb. 9:26,28.

The first motivation for the Christian to abstain from evil, is that it was for the very purpose of removing sins that Jesus came and died. The Christian who is continuing in sin, is saying by their example that Jesus died for nought (Hebrews 6:4-6; 10:26-31). “Therefore, to sin is to undo the work of Jesus

7

Christ. It is to bring back and to multiply that sin which He came into the world to destroy” (Barclay p. 91).

“And in Him is no sins”: “Lit., is Him sin is not” (Vincent p. 347). 2 Corinthians 5:21; Hebrews 4:15; 7:26; 1 Peter 2:22. “In each case he uses the verb ‘is’, for the sinlessness of Christ belongs neither to His pre-existence, nor to the days of His flesh, nor to His present heavenly condition, but to His essential and eternal nature” (Stott p. 123). That is, Jesus has been and always will be sinless, whether in heaven or on earth. The life of sin is completely incompatible for the Christian, for Christ, our example is sinless. In order to have fellowship with Him, we must strive for purity--and not excuses.

1John 3:6 “Whosoever abideth in Him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen Him, neither knoweth Him” “Whosoever”: There are no "degrees" of what constitutes a faithful Christian. The habitual practice of sin is wrong for the babe in Christ--just as it is for the mature and seasoned Christian. “Abideth in Him”: “Keeps on abiding” (Robertson p. 222). This is the same concept as "walking in the light" (1:7). “Sinneth not”: “Present active indicative...does not keep on sinning” (Robertson p. 222). “Whosoever continually abides in Him does not sin habitually” (Mon). “No one who maintains union with Him lives in sin” (TCNT). Romans 6:1; Heb. 6:6; 10:26.

The Bible makes a distinction between an occasional act of sin (which is to be confessed and forsaken1:8-10) and the habitual practice of sin. The habitual practice of any sin, including the habit of not worshipping God with other Christians is incapable with being a Christian. “John does not say this of every one who commits a sin, but of the habitual sinner (present participle).

Although the believer sometimes sins, yet not sin but the opposition to sin, is the ruling principle of his life; for whenever he sins, he confesses it, and wins forgiveness, and perseveres with his self-purification” (Dodd).

“Whosoever sinneth”: “The one who keeps on sinning, lives a life of sin, not mere occasional acts of sin” (Robertson p. 222). “Hath not seen Him, neither

8

knoweth Him”: The word “seen” obviously refers to mental or spiritual perception. “To notice, recognize, understand” (Arndt p. 578). 1 John 4:12; 3 John 11. For by the time that John writes this letter we are many decades away from the time that Jesus walked on the earth. The word "knoweth" here is certainly a response to the Gnostics who claimed superior knowledge, yet also were indifferent to the deeds of the body. John is plain. If you continue to sin, then your knowledge of Christ and your relationship with Him is non-existent. The same truth still rules. Regardless of one's accomplishments or secular knowledge, the habitual practice of sin proves that one is ignorant of the character, purpose and work of Jesus Christ.

1John 3:7 “My little children, let no man lead you astray: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous” “Let no man lead you astray”: The word “let” implies that if we are led astray, then we share the blame for our deceived condition. We can allow people to deceive us by failing to study and by being apathetic concerning the truth. The verse also suggests that Christians, even faithful Christians can be lead astray, if they are careless. “No man”: Galatians 1:6-9. “Present active imperative, 'let no one keep on leading you astray'” (Robertson p. 222). The same admonition needs to be given to Christians in our own time. Both the secular and the religious world are filled with individuals who are trying to convince us that a relationship with God can be maintained, if one continues in sin. Listen to the following statement that was written long ago, if you doubt the relevancy of Scripture: “Little children, let no one ever seduce you into the belief that character and practice can be separated” (P.P. Comm. p.

72).

“He that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as He is righteous”: The word “doeth” means practices, “present active--'keeps on doing'” (Robertson p. 222). “A righteous character expresses itself in righteous conduct” (Gr. Ex. N.T. p. 185). “There are always persons who endeavor to reconcile religion with moral laxity…The ‘external acts’, says John, ‘prove the man's spiritual character and origin’” (P.P. Comm. p. 72).

9

“As occasional lapses into sin through weakness, inadvertence, or ignorance do not demonstrate that one has never been saved, so isolated and infrequent acts of righteousness...do not justify the conclusion that such a one is a righteous man” (Woods p. 268). Jesus taught the same principle (Matthew 7:16; John 8:39-41). A righteous man will never argue that following the will of God is not important or that sin or even certain sins are a matter of indifference. Doing righteousness doesn't earn salvation, but the righteous man will always be found practicing the will of God. 1John 3:8 “he that doeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. To this end was the Son of God manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil” “Doeth sin”: “He that keeps on doing sin” (Robertson p. 222). “Is of the devil”: “Is spiritually a son of the devil” (Phi). “Belongs to the devil” (TCNT) (John 8:39-47). Seeing that sin is rebellion to God (3:4), and the Son of God is opposed to sin (3:7), it only naturally follows that “the person who sins belongs to the devil's side or draws his inspiration from him” (Marshall p.

184). “Another of John's reasons that Christians must avoid sin is its origin.

Sin is not merely missing the mark or wandering from the path of right. Its seriousness is shown by disclosing the spiritual parentage of the one sinning” (Roberts p. 83).

“For the devil sinneth”: “He has been sinning from the beginning” (Robertson p. 222). “He sinned in the beginning, and has never ceased to sin… and still sinneth” (Vincent p. 348). Thus the life of habitual sin is the life that the devil leads. “From the beginning”: Since the devil is a created being and God created everything 'good' (Genesis 1:31), I think we can assume that the devil started sinning sometime after his creation. The phrase “from the beginning ”may mean from the beginning of human history (Genesis 3), or from the beginning of sin, thus teaching that the devil was the first or original sinner. Stott notes, “Meaning, presumably, from the moment of his proud rebellion against God, from the beginning of his devilish career” (p. 124).

10

“If the devil committed the first sin, and has sinned unceasingly ever since, then whoever sins (continues to sin) is akin to him, is morally his offspring.

There is a kingdom of God and the kingdom of the evil one, and man cannot find or make a third domain; if he is not in the one, he is in the other” (P.P. Comm. p. 72).

“To this end”: “For this purpose” (NASV). “Again (as in verse 5), contrasts sin and those sinning with the purpose of Christ's coming into the world” (Roberts p. 84). “Was the Son of God manifested”: This is why Jesus came to this earth (Luke 19:10). Jesus did not come to reign as a earthly king, but to give His life and thereby undermine the devil's strangle-hold on mankind.

“Destroy”: “Lit., dissolve, loosen, ‘the works of the devil are represented as having a certain consistency and coherence, they show a kind of solid front.

He has ‘undone’ the seeming bonds by which they were held together” (Vincent p. 349). “Does not mean to liquidate or to annihilate, but to negative, to deprive of force, to render inoperative, to conquer and to overthrow. The devil is still busy doing his wicked works, but he has been defeated and in Christ we can escape from his tyranny” (Stott p. 125). “The task of Jesus was to undo whatever the devil had achieved, to thwart whatever he tries to do. No doubt it is his ‘work’ of temptation and enslaving men that is in view” (Marshall p. 185).

“The works of the devil”: “Including his plans, purposes, designs, schemes, aims, and ends which he hopes to accomplish” (Woods p. 270).

1John 3:9 “Whosoever is begotten of God doeth no sin, because his seed abideth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is begotten of God” “Whosoever”: Once again we are told that one standard applies to all men.

“Begotten of God”: Anytime we see the expression begotten of Go', we are dealing with people who have been baptized for the remission of their sins (John 3:5; Mark 16:16). “Doeth no sin”: “Cannot go on sinning” (Mon). Does not keep on practicing sin. The same concept is found in 3:6 and 5:18.

“Because his seed abideth in him”: The word ‘abide’ is in the present tense.

11

It seems logical that the "seed" which keeps the Christian from habitually sinning is personal conviction in and adherence to the Word of God: (a) The Word of God is spoken as "seed" (Luke 8:11). (b) What causes a person to be born again is the word of God, which is incorruptible seed (1 Peter 1:23). (c) What is written is designed to keep us from sin (1 John 2:1). (d) When the Word of God is allowed to "abide" in one (i.e. influence and convict the individual), the life of sin is ceased (1 John 2:14; Psalm 119:11; 104; John 8:37).

“And he cannot sin”: “He cannot keep sinning” (Gr. Ex. N.T. p. 185). “And he cannot go on sinning” (Robertson p. 223). “He cannot go on sinning because he is a child of God” (Mon). “Again, it is not the isolated act of sin which is envisaged, but the settled habit of it” (Stott p. 126). As long as one is being influenced by the Word of God, then they cannot continue a life of sin. Thus preaching the Word of God in a manner that will convict the sinner must always be the priority for the church. I believe we see the above verse played out in the life of such men as Joseph and Daniel and his friends. Truly, one could say of Joseph that God’s teachings dwelled in him and as a result he could not sin (Genesis 39:9; Daniel 3:16).

1John 3:10 “In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother” “In this”: “By this” (NASV). In the principle just stated. “The children of God are manifest”: “Obvious” (NASV). “Plainly recognized and known” (Thayer p. 648). “And the children of the devil”: “In this way it is clear who are the children of God and who are the children of the evil one” (Bas). “Whosoever doeth not righteousness”: “Life reveals the children of God. There is no way of telling what a tree is other than by its fruits, and there is no way of telling what a man is other than by his conduct” (Barclay p. 97). “There are only two groups. There are not three. Nor is there only one. This ‘very plain blackand-white’ is not only true in itself, but, according to C.H. Dodd, also necessary because ‘sophistry can as easily prove that evil is an aspect of good as that error is an aspect of truth. But truth and falsehood, good and evil,

12

right and wrong, God and the devil are irreconcilable opposites’” (Stott p.

128).

“Neither he that loveth not his brother”: John is very practical.

"Righteousness" is not a vague category or concept that is left undefined.

"Righteousness" includes loving your brother. “We are taught here that he who does not love his brother actually has no brother to love, for in his failure to comply with this normal and natural principle, he demonstrates that God is not his father ('is not of God'-3:10). In refusing to love one of God's family, he simply excludes himself from the family itself!” (Woods p. 274).

The Test of Brotherly Love “The nature of brotherly love is illustrated negatively by the contrast with Cain who murdered his brother and positively by the example of Jesus Christ who laid down his own life for us. Each of these illustrations is followed by a corollary. Thus believers must not be surprised if they are hated by people like Cain, and they must avoid the feelings of hatred which are tantamount to murder. In the same way, the positive example of Christ's self-sacrifice leads to an appeal for a practical love which goes beyond feelings to costly sharing of one's possessions” (Marshall p. 188).

1John 3:11 “For this is the message which ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another” “For”: Or, because. “This is the message which ye heard from the beginning”: That is, from the beginning of their Christian lives (2:7,24). This is what had always been preached. Barclay notes: “It is a duty which has been inculcated into the Christian from the very first moment that he entered into the Church...From the moment that a man pledges himself to Christ...he had pledged himself to make love the mainspring of his life” (p. 98).

“That we should love one another”: They had heard this teaching on brotherly love many times since their conversion. They could not plead ignorance and it was not a new teaching that John had just sprung on them.

13

Thus ignoring this command would be to practice lawlessness.

1John 3:12 “Not as Cain was of the evil one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his works were evil, and his brother's righteous” “Not as Cain’: John knew that Cain was a real historical figure. The events of Genesis chapter 4 are not mythical, rather they describe a real historical event. “Was of the evil one”: He demonstrated by his evil deeds that he was a child of the devil (3:8). The devil did not create Cain, and neither was he born depraved, rather, Cain chose to side with evil. “Slew”: “An act of brutal slaughter...literally ‘cut his throat’” (Stott p. 140). “From this it may be inferred that this was the manner in which Cain took the life of Abel” (Woods p. 275). “Wherefore slew he him”: “And for what reason did he slay him?”

(NASV). “And why did he kill him” (TCNT). I like the fact that God gets down to the real motivation. Why did Cain really kill Abel? “Because his works were evil, and his brother’s righteous”: Among the "works" that were evil, was the sacrifice that Cain offered (Genesis 4:3-5). Thus offering God worship that He has not commanded is engaging in sin and not righteousness (Lev. 10:1-2).

Hence continuing in worship in religious bodies which substitute their will for God's will is to side with the devil and not God. What made the sacrifice of Cain "evil" is that the sacrifice wasn't what God had commanded (Romans 10:17; Hebrews 11:4). Jealousy and resentment fueled the hatred that moved Cain to kill his brother. “In life an evil man will always instinctively hate a good man. Righteousness always provokes hostility in the minds of those whose actions are basically evil...The life of a good man always passes a silent judgment on the life of an evil man” (Barclay p. 101).

Lack of brotherly love can have severe consequences. In modern times the work of the Lord has been greatly hindered because members in a congregation failed to practice this commandment. Roberts notes: “There is a possibility which cannot be definitely proved...It is well known that a sect existed somewhat later among the Gnostics...In their dualistic belief of the origin of the world, they held that the God of the Old Testament was evil.

Moreover, he was a tyrant who would have kept man in ignorance. Hence the serpent in attempting to bring man enlightenment was a symbol of

14

righteousness. Adam and Eve, like Cain later, were justified in their rebellion against him. The system taught a complete inversion of the moral principles of the Old Testament. It reasoned, because the God of the Jews was evil, that all he taught as good must be regarded as evil and all he forbade might be indulged in. Christ as redeemer was merely completing what the serpent had begun” (p. 89).

1John 3:13 “Marvel not, brethren, if the world hateth you” “Marvel not”: “Present imperative…’cease wondering’” (Robertson p. 224).

“Do not be surprised” (Wey). “If the world hated you”: Because of the hatred of the good by the bad is as old as the human race. Jesus warned us of such hatred (John 15:18,19,25; 16:1; 17:14). “It is natural that the world should hate those whose lives contradict its maxims and condemn its practices” (Gr. Ex. N.T. p. 186). Christians must continue to practice love, even though they will be objects of hatred, ridicule and resentment. We must never allow the callousness in the world to make us insensitive to the needs of others. And we are not given the right to fight hatred with hatred (Romans 12:17-21) 1John 3:14 “We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not abideth in death” “We know”: “Of certain knowledge” (Alford p. 1729). “Whatever the world may do or feel toward us, ‘we’ know that we have passed from a state of death into life because we love the brethren” (Woods p. 277). “Passed out of”: “To change one's place of residence, move” (Arndt p. 510). “Of death into life”: From a state of spiritual death to spiritual life (John 5:24; Colossians 1:12-14). “Because we love the brethren”: Brotherly love is not the condition for salvation. Rather, brotherly love is a proof that one is still a Christian. Whatever the world may say or argue, this is an objective test of where one stands spiritually. And such a test is desperately needed for the world has always tried to justify its hatred and opposition to Christianity.

Stott notes, “Christians, who have ‘passed from death unto life’, will hunger for Christian fellowship. They will not forsake the assembling of themselves

15

together (Heb. 10:25), but will delight to meet together, to worship and pray together, and to talk together on spiritual topics, while their personal relationship with each other will be marked by unselfish and caring love” (Stott p. 142).

“He that loveth no abideth in death”: “Suggests a state into which one has settled down permanently” (Woods p. 279). “This does not mean that love alone is the basis of our acceptance before God. What it does mean is that love is the base on which all other virtues rest; where it exists, the others may be implied; yea, they must exist. He who loves his brother will not only discharge his whole duty to him; he will be led, by the same considerations which prompt such love, to love God, and so to comply with all the requirements which such a relationship involves” (Woods p. 278). The person who loves will keep the various practical obligations to their brethren (Romans 13:8-10; Matthew 22:39; 1 Corinthians 13:4-8). All of God's commandments concerning our obligations to our brethren are summed up in the command to love them.

1John 3:15 “Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him” “Whoever”: Again, one rule for all. This is true in all cases. “Is a murderer”: “The phrase ‘he that loveth not’ is followed by ‘whosoever hateth’, thus indicating that the two are of identical meaning: it was the design of the writer to show us that in the absence of love there is hate; there can be no middle ground. Not loving is hating...It follows, therefore, that the only protection against hate in the heart is love” (Woods p. 279).

“What is meant is, he has exhibited the disposition and spirit of a murderer.

The reason such a one does not commit murder is not that he lacks the disposition or desire. Either the opportunity is lacking, or the courage or the means with which to accomplish it wanting” (Woods p. 279). Jesus taught the same thing (Matthew 5:21-22). “How can life and the desire to extinguish life be compatible?” (P.P. Comm. p. 74). Now most people would claim that they have no desire to kill anyone. Yet many people vent their "hate" in a manner

16

much worse that a desire for the physical death of another person. Anytime we state or manifest an action in which we are making it clear that we desire another individual to end up in hell, be are acting like murderers.

“And ye know”: John is only making the logical deduction. “That no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him”: “Obviously, spiritual life and spiritual death cannot abide in the same soul” (Woods p. 280). “We may not like to put the point quite so frankly, but it is good that the real character of hatred should be so unambiguously displayed, so as to warn us against it. If I hate somebody, I am no different from a murderer in my attitude toward him” (Marshall p. 191). We need to keep this in mind when we are contending for the faith and opposing error. In standing for the truth, we need to make sure that we don't adopt the carnal tactics of the enemies to the truth, i.e. arrogance, pride, jealousy, and bitterness. We might be more successful in our opposition to false teaching, if our desire towards those in error is their salvation and not their damnation (2 Timothy 2:24ff). “In view of this, how important it is that we search our hearts diligently and purge from them every semblance of bitterness, hate, and envy” (Woods p. 280).

1John 3:16 “Hereby know we love, because He laid down His life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren” “Hereby know we love”: “We know love by this” (NASV). God is always very practical. He never merely gives us a concept. “Because He laid down His life for us”: From the cross we can learn many things about what constitutes true brotherly love. “He explains that the essence of love is self-sacrifice, which has been perfectly manifested in Christ and should characterize the lives of Christian people also. Hate is negative, seeks the other person's harm, and leads to activity against him...Love is positive, seeks the other person's good, and leads to activity for him, even to the point of self-sacrifice” (Stott p.

142). “Cain is the type of hate; Christ, of love. Cain took his brother's life to benefit himself; Christ laid down his own life to benefit his enemies (Romans 5:8)” (P.P. Comm. p. 74). “We ought”: “We on our part” (Gr. Ex. N.T. p. 186).

The fact that Jesus died for us, morally obligates us to love our brethren (1 John 4:11).

17

“To lay down our lives for the brethren”: John 13:34; 15:12; Philippians 2:3.

“His self-sacrifice is not just a revelation of love to be admired; it is an example to copy” (Stott p. 143). This means that love involves the attitude of always being ready make the necessary sacrifices to help our brethren. “Love must be practical. It is easy to "lay down one's life": martyrdom is heroic and exhilarating: the difficulty lies in doing the little things (Matthew 25:31ff), facing day by day the petty sacrifices and self-denials which no one notices and no one applauds” (Gr. Ex. N.T. p. 186). “His statement is a way of saying that love must be prepared to meet the needs of others whatever the cost in self-sacrifice” (Marshall p. 194). This includes being prepared to sacrifice our time, talents, and financial increase to assist our brethren. Being called upon to help a brother or sister should never be viewed as a burden or intrusion into our lives.

18