_That Jesus is the Christ, the promised Messias, the Redeemer of the world, is born of God, is made his adoptive son by his grace in baptism. (Witham) --- Is born of God; that is, is justified, and become a child of God by baptism; which is also to be understood, provided the belief of this fundamen... [ Continue Reading ]
_In this we know that we love the children of God, (that is, all men, and especially the faithful, who are made his adoptive children) when we love God, and keep his commandments, for these two branches of charity, the love of God and of our neighbour, are inseparable: the one is known and proved by... [ Continue Reading ]
_ And his commandments are not heavy; not burdensome. Not but that they comprehend what seems hard to human frailty, and especially to men carried away with the love of vanities in this world, who think it hard to comply with Christ's doctrine of self-denials, of renouncing their inclinations, of su... [ Continue Reading ]
_This is the victory which overcometh the world, our faith. That is, a lively faith, working by charity, makes a man victorious over the greatest temptations, and over all the adversaries of his salvation. (Witham) --- Our faith; Not a bare speculative or dead faith, but a faith working by charity.... [ Continue Reading ]
Came by water and blood. The sense seems to be, by water, with which he ordered every one to be baptized and made Christians; 2ndly, by his blood shed on the cross for our redemption. (Witham) --- Blood: not only to wash away our sins by the water of baptism, but by his own blood. (Challoner) --- An... [ Continue Reading ]
There are three that give testimony in heaven: the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost; and these three are one: i.e. one in nature, in substance, and in all perfections, in the same sense as when Christ himself said, (John x. 30.) I and the Father are one, or one thing. The Socinians object that t... [ Continue Reading ]
_And there are three that give testimony on earth: the Spirit, the water, and the blood; and these three are one. [3] This is a repetition of what was before said, ver. 6, to be expounded in the same manner. But when it is added, these three are one, the sense is, that they witness one and the same... [ Continue Reading ]
_He that believeth not the Son, maketh him (God) a liar, by refusing to believe the testimonies given by the three divine Persons, that Jesus was the Messias and the true Son of God, by whom eternal life is obtained and promised to all that comply with his doctrine. In him we have also this lively c... [ Continue Reading ]
A sin which is not unto death....and life shall be given to him. It is hard to determine what St. John here calls a sin which is not unto death, and a sin which is unto death. The difference cannot be the same as betwixt sins that are called venial and mortal; for he says, that if a man pray for his... [ Continue Reading ]
_All iniquity [4] is sin. The sense here is, that sin is always an injury or an injustice done to God; but though every sin implies such an injury and an offence against God, yet there are different degrees in such injuries, which are not always such an injustice as St. John calls the sin unto death... [ Continue Reading ]
_Sinneth not. See the annotation on chap. iii. 6. &c. (Challoner) --- The generation [5] of God preserveth him, (i.e. the grace of adoption, as long as it remains in the soul; see Chap. iii. 9.) and the wicked one (i.e. the devil) toucheth him not. (Witham)_ [BIBLIOGRAPHY] Sed generatio Dei: Some... [ Continue Reading ]
_And the whole world is seated in wickedness; [6] i.e. a great part of the world. It may also signify, is under the wicked one; meaning the devil, who is elsewhere called the prince of this world, that is, of all the wicked. (John xii. 31.) (Witham)_ [BIBLIOGRAPHY] In maligno positus est, _Greek:... [ Continue Reading ]
_And may be in his true Son. [7] This is the true God, and eternal life. Which words are a clear proof of Christ's divinity, and as such made us of by the ancient Fathers._ [BIBLIOGRAPHY] In vero Filio ejus, hic est verus Deus, _Greek: en to alethino uio autou, outos estin o alethinos Theos, with... [ Continue Reading ]
_Keep yourselves from idols. An admonition to the new converted Christians, lest, conversing with heathens and idolaters, they might fall back into the sin of idolatry, which may be the sin unto death here mentioned by St. John. (Witham)_... [ Continue Reading ]