Expositor's Greek Testament (Nicoll)

1 John 3:1

St. John has been speaking of the salvation which Jesus has brought His Propitiation and Advocacy, and he sees and would have his readers see in it an amazing expression of the love of God. Cf. John 3:16. ποταπός (ποδαπός), properly cujas, “of what country,” though approximating in late Greek to ποῖος, qualis, “of what sort” (cf. Moulton, Gram, of N.T. Gk., i. p. 95), retains something of its proper and original signification. The love of God in Christ is foreign to this world: “from what far realm? what unearthly love?” Cf. Matthew 8:27 : “What unearthly personage?” 2 Peter 3:11 : “How other-worldly”. ἵνα, κ. τ. λ., 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' ”. And we have not only the name but the character: “so we are”. Vulg. and Aug. give simus, as though reading ὦμεν for ἐσμὲν : “that we should be styled and be”. Cf. Aug.: “Nam qui vocantur et non sunt, quid illis prodest nomen ubi res non est? Quam multi vocantur medici, qui curare non norunt? quam multi vocantur vigiles, qui tota nocte dormiunt?” διὰ τοῦτο, not anticipative, of ὅτι, but retrospective: “for this reason,” viz., because we are children of God. ὅτι explains the inference: “(and no wonder) because it did not recognise Him,” i.e. the Father as revealed in His Son (cf. note on 1 John 2:29). We must accept what our high dignity as children of God involves in a world alienated from God. On ὁ κόσμος see note on 1 John 2:15. Cf. Aug.: “Jam cum auditis mundum in mala significatione, non intelligatis nisi dilectores mundi.… Ambulabat et ipse Dominus Jesus Christus, in carne erat Deus, latebat in infirmitate. Et unde non est cognitus? Quia omnia peccata arguebat in hominibus. Illi amando delectationes peccatorum non agnoscebant Deum: amando quod febris suadebat, injuriam medico faciebant.”

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Expositor's Greek Testament (Nicoll)

1 John 3:1

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