1 John 3:23

And this is his commandment Or, And His commandment is this; see on 1 John 1:5. Here the singular is right: the various commandments, especially the two here named, faith and love, are summed up as one whole. This verse is the answer to those who would argue from the preceding verses that all that is required of us is to dowhat is right; it does not much matter what we believe. Not so says the Apostle. In order to do what is right it is necessary to believe: this is the first step in our obedience to God's commands.

that we should believe For -that" (ἵνα) see on 1 John 1:9: here perhaps it merely "gives the nature and contents of the commandment, not the aim" (Jelf).

believe on the name of his son Jesus Christ More accurately, believe the Name of &c.It is not the precise phrase used 1 John 5:13; John 1:12; John 2:23; John 3:18 (πιστεύειν εἰς τὸ ὄνομα), a construction of which S. John is very fond, but a phrase which occurs nowhere else in N. T. (πιστεύειν τῷ ὀνόματι), a construction similar to that in 1 John 4:1; 1 John 5:10. The former is the stronger expression, marking the more permanent trust and repose; but in such a phrase as this there cannot be much difference between -believing" and -believing on". -To believe His Name" means to believe all that His Name (here given with solemn fulness) signifies and implies; His Divinity, His Sonship, and His office as Mediator, Advocate and Saviour.

and love one another -Faith if it have not works is dead" (James 2:17): hence the necessity for adding -and love one another", which of course means love -in deedand truth" (1 John 3:18). -And" here is not epexegetic: it adds something fresh, giving active love as the necessary effect of living faith. -Love" is in the present tense of what must be continual.

as he gave us commandment Or even as(to mark the difference between καθώς and ὡς). -He gave" refers to Christ, just mentioned; and this limits -commandment" to -love one another" (John 13:34; John 15:12; John 15:17): moreover love rather than faith is the subject of this portion of the Epistle. -To give commandment" is a phrase which in N. T. is peculiar to S. John (John 11:57; John 12:49; John 13:34): it occurs in Demosthenes.