The scope and sum of this whole paragraph appears from the conclusion of it, 1 John 5:13, "These things have I written to you who believe, that ye may know that ye who believe have eternal life." So faith is the first and last point with St. John also. Every one who loveth — God that begat loveth hi... [ Continue Reading ]
Hereby we know — This is a plain proof. That we love the children of God — As his children.... [ Continue Reading ]
For this is the love of God — The only sure proof of it. That we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous — To any that are born of God.... [ Continue Reading ]
For whatsoever — This expression implies the most unlimited universality. Is born of God overcometh the world — Conquers whatever it can lay in the way, either to allure or fright the children of God from keeping his commandments. And this is the victory — The grand means of overcoming. Even our fai... [ Continue Reading ]
Who is he that overcometh the world — That is superior to all worldly care, desire, fear? Every believer, and none else. 1 John 5:7 (usually so reckoned) is a brief recapitulation of all which has been before advanced concerning the Father, the Son, and the Spirit. It is cited, in conjunction with 1... [ Continue Reading ]
This is he — St. John here shows the immovable foundation of that faith that Jesus is the Son of God; not only the testimony of man, but the firm, indubitable testimony of God. Who came — Jesus is he of whom it was promised that he should come; and who accordingly, is come. And this the Spirit, and... [ Continue Reading ]
What Bengelius has advanced, both concerning the transposition of these two verses, and the authority of the controverted verse, partly in his "Gnomon," and partly in his "Apparatus Criticus," will abundantly satisfy any impartial person. For there are three that testify — Literally, testifying, or... [ Continue Reading ]
And there are three that testify in heaven — The testimony of the Spirit, the water, and the blood, is by an eminent gradation corroborated by three, who give a still greater testimony. The Father — Who clearly testified of the Son, both at his baptism and at his transfiguration. The Word — Who test... [ Continue Reading ]
If we receive the testimony of men — As we do continually, and must do in a thousand instances. The testimony of God is greater — Of higher authority, and much more worthy to be received; namely, this very testimony which God the Father, together with the Word and the Spirit, hath testified of the S... [ Continue Reading ]
He that believeth on the Son of God hath the testimony — The dear evidence of this, in himself: he that believeth not God, in this, hath made him a liar; because he supposes that to be false which God has expressly testified.... [ Continue Reading ]
And this is the sum of that testimony, that God hath given us a title to, and the real beginning of, eternal life; and that this is purchased by, and treasured up in, his Son, who has all the springs and the fulness of it in himself, to communicate to his body, the church, first in grace and then in... [ Continue Reading ]
It plainly follows, he that hath the Son — Living and reigning in him by faith. Hath this life; he that hath not the Son of God hath not this life — Hath no part or lot therein. In the former clause, the apostle says simply, the Son; because believers know him: in the latter, the Son of God; that un... [ Continue Reading ]
These things have I written — In the introduction, 1 John 1:4, he said, I write: now, in the close, I have written. That ye may know — With a fuller and stronger assurance, that ye have eternal life.... [ Continue Reading ]
And we — Who believe. Have this farther confidence in him, that he heareth — That is, favourably regards, whatever prayer we offer in faith, according to his revealed will.... [ Continue Reading ]
We have — Faith anticipates the blessings. The petitions which we asked of him — Even before the event. And when the event comes, we know it comes in answer to our prayer.... [ Continue Reading ]
This extends to things of the greatest importance. If any one see his brother — That is. any man. Sin a sin which is not unto death — That is, any sin but total apostasy from both the power and form of godliness. Let him ask, and God will give him life — Pardon and spiritual life, for that sinner. T... [ Continue Reading ]
All deviation from perfect holiness is sin; but all sin is not unpardonable.... [ Continue Reading ]
Yet this gives us no encouragement to sin: on the contrary, it is an indisputable truth, he that is born of God — That sees and loves God. Sinneth not — So long as that loving faith abides in him, he neither speaks nor does anything which God hath forbidden. He keepeth himself — Watching unto prayer... [ Continue Reading ]
We know that we are children of God — By the witness and the fruit of his Spirit, 1 John 3:24. But the whole world — All who have not his Spirit, not only is "touched" by him, but by idolatry, fraud, violence lasciviousness, impiety, all manner of wickedness. Lieth in the wicked one — Void of life,... [ Continue Reading ]
And we know — By all these infallible proofs. That the Son of God is come — Into the world. And he hath given us a spiritual understanding, that we may know him, the true one — "The faithful and true witness." And we are in the true one — As branches in the vine, even in Jesus Christ, the eternal So... [ Continue Reading ]
Keep yourselves from idols — From all worship of false gods, from all worship of images or of any creature, and from every inward idol; from loving, desiring, fearing anything more than God. Seek all help and defence from evil, all happiness in the true God alone.... [ Continue Reading ]