07450
 \\A murderer\\ (\\anthr“poktonos\\). Old compound (Euripides) from
 \\anthr“pos\\ (man) and \\ktein“\\ (to kill), a man-killer, in N.T. only
 here and
 # Joh 8:44
 (of Satan). \\No\\ (\\pƒs--ou\\). According to current Hebraistic idiom=
 \\oudeis\\ as in
 # 2:19,21
 \\Abiding\\ (\\menousan\\). Present active feminine accusative predicate
 participle of \\men“\\, "a continuous power and a communicated gift"
 (Westcott).

07451
 \\Know we\\ (\\egn“kamen\\). Perfect active indicative, "we have come to
 know and still know." See
 # 2:3
 for "hereby" (\\en tout“i\\). \\Love\\ (\\tˆn agapˆn\\). "The thing called
 love" (D. Smith). \\He for us\\ (\\ekeinos huper hˆm“n\\). \\Ekeinos\\ as in
 # 2:6; 3:3,5
 \\huper\\ here alone in this Epistle, though common in John's Gospel
 # 10:11,15; 11:50
 etc.) and in
 # 3Jo 1:7
 \\Laid down his life\\ (\\tˆn psuchˆn autou ethˆken\\). First aorist
 active indicative of \\tithˆmi\\, the very idiom used by Jesus of
 himself in
 # Joh 10:11,17
 \\We ought\\ (\\hˆmeis opheilomen\\). Emphatic \\hˆmeis\\ again. For
 \\opheil“\\ see
 # 2:6
 Of course our laying down our lives for the brethren has no
 atoning value in our cases as in that of Christ, but is a supreme
 proof of one's love
 # Joh 13:37; 15:13
 as often happens.

07452
 \\Whoso hath\\ (\\hos an echˆi\\). Indefinite relative clause with modal
 \\an\\ with \\hos\\ and the present active subjunctive of \\ech“\\. \\The\\
 \\world's goods\\ (\\ton bion tou kosmou\\). "The living or livelihood
 (not \\z“ˆ\\, the principle of life, and see
 # 2:16
 for \\bios\\) of the world" (not in the sense of evil or wicked, but
 simply this mundane sphere). \\Beholdeth\\ (\\the“rei\\). Present active
 subjunctive of \\the“re“\\, like \\echei\\ just before. \\In need\\
 (\\chreian echonta\\). "Having need" (present active predicate
 participle of \\ech“\\, agreeing with \\adelphon\\). See the vivid
 picture of a like case in
 # Jas 2:15
 \\Shutteth up\\ (\\kleisˆi\\). First aorist (effective) active
 subjunctive of \\klei“\\, to close like the door, changed on purpose
 from present tense to aorist (graphic slamming the door of his
 compassion, \\splagchna\\, common in LXX and N.T. for the nobler
 viscera, the seat of the emotions, as in
 # Php 2:11; Col 3:12
 Only here in John. \\How\\ (\\p“s\\). Rhetorical question like that in
 # Jas 2:16
 (what is the use?). It is practical, not speculative, that counts
 in the hour of need.

07453
 \\In word, neither with the tongue\\ (\\log“i mˆde tˆi gl“ssˆi\\). Either
 instrumental or locative makes sense. What John means is "not
 merely by word or by the tongue." He does not condemn kind words
 which are comforting and cheering, but warm words should be
 accompanied by warm deeds to make real "in deed and in truth" (\\en\\
 \\erg“i kai alˆtheiƒi\\). Here is a case where actions do speak
 louder than mere words.

07454
 \\Shall we know\\ (\\gn“sometha\\). Future middle indicative of \\gin“sk“\\,
 at any future emergency, we shall come to know by this (\\en\\
 \\tout“i\\) "that we are of the truth" (\\hoti ek tˆs alˆtheias esmen\\).
 \\Before him\\ (\\emprosthen autou\\). In the very presence of God we
 shall have confident assurance (\\peisomen tˆn kardian hˆm“n\\,
 either we shall persuade our heart or shall assure our heart)
 because God understands us.

07455
 \\Whereinsoever our heart condemn us\\ (\\hoti ean katagin“skˆi hˆm“n\\
 \\hˆ kardia\\). A construction like \\hoti an\\, whatever, in
 # Joh 2:5; 14:13
 \\Katagin“sk“\\ occurs only three times in the N.T., here, verse
 # 21; Ga 2:11
 It means to know something against one, to condemn. \\Because God\\
 \\is greater than our heart\\ (\\hoti meiz“n estin tˆs kardias hˆm“n\\).
 Ablative \\kardias\\ after the comparative \\meiz“n\\. \\And knoweth all\\
 \\things\\ (\\kai gin“skei panta\\). Just so Peter replied to Jesus in
 spite of his denials
 # Joh 21:17
 God's omniscience is linked with his love and sympathy. God knows
 every secret in our hearts. This difficult passage strikes the
 very centre of Christian truth (Brooke).

07456
 \\If our heart condemn us not\\ (\\ean hˆ kardia mˆ katagin“skˆi\\).
 Condition of third class with \\ean mˆ\\ and present active
 subjunctive. The converse of the preceding, but not a claim to
 sinlessness, but the consciousness of fellowship in God's
 presence. \\Boldness toward God\\ (\\parrˆsian pros ton theon\\). Even in
 prayer
 # Heb 4:16
 See also
 # 2:28

07457
 \\Whatsoever we ask\\ (\\ho ean ait“men\\). Indefinite relative clause
 with modal \\an\\ and the present active subjunctive, like \\hoti ean\\
 \\katagin“skˆi\\ in verse
 # 20
 In form no limitations are placed here save that of complete
 fellowship with God, which means complete surrender of our will
 to that of God our Father. See the clear teaching of Jesus on
 this subject in
 # Mr 11:24; Lu 11:9; Joh 14:12; 16:23
 and his example
 # Mr 14:36; Mt 26:39; Lu 22:42
 The answer may not always be in the form that we expect, but it
 will be better. \\We receive of him\\ (\\lambanomen ap' autou\\). See
 # 1:5
 for \\ap' autou\\ (from him). \\Because\\ (\\hoti\\). Twofold reason why we
 receive regularly (\\lambanomen\\) the answer to our prayers (1) "we
 keep" (\\tˆroumen\\, for which see
 # 2:3
 his commandments and (2) "we do" (\\poioumen\\, we practise
 regularly) "the things that are pleasing" (\\ta aresta\\, old verbal
 adjective from \\aresk“\\, to please, with dative in
 # Joh 8:29
 with same phrase;
 # Ac 12:3
 and infinitive in
 # Ac 6:2
 only other N.T. examples) "in his sight" (\\en“pion autou\\, common
 late vernacular preposition in papyri, LXX, and in N.T., except
 Matthew and Mark, chiefly by Luke and in the Apocalypse), in
 God's eye, as in
 # Heb 13:21

07458
 \\His commandment\\ (\\hˆ entolˆ autou\\). \\That\\ (\\hina\\). Subfinal use of
 \\hina\\ in apposition with \\entolˆ\\ (commandment) and explanatory of
 it, as in
 # Joh 15:12
 (\\entolˆ hina\\). See Christ's summary of the commandments
 # Mr 12:28-31; Mt 22:34-40
 So these two points here (1) \\We should believe\\ (\\pisteus“men\\,
 first aorist active subjunctive according to B K L, though Aleph
 A C read the present subjunctive \\pisteu“men\\) either in a crisis
 (aorist) or the continuous tenor (present) of our lives. The
 "name" of Jesus Christ here stands for all that he is, "a
 compressed creed " (Westcott) as in
 # 1:3
 Note dative \\onomati\\ here with \\pisteu“\\ as in
 # 5:10
 though \\eis onoma\\ (on the name) in
 # 5:13; Joh 1:12; 2:23; 3:18
 But (2) we should love one another" (\\agap“men allˆlous\\), as he
 has already urged
 # 2:7; 3:11
 and as he will repeat
 # 4:7,11; 2Jo 1:5
 as Jesus (even as he gave us commandment, that is Christ) had
 previously done
 # Joh 13:34; 15:12,17
 There are frequent points of contact between this Epistle and the
 words of Jesus in
 # Joh 13-17

07459
 \\And he in him\\ (\\kai autos en aut“i\\). That is "God abides in him"
 as in
 # 4:15
 We abide in God and God abides in us through the Holy Spirit
 # Joh 14:10,17,23; 17:21
 "Therefore let God be a home to thee, and be thou the home of
 God: abide in God, and let God abide in thee" (Bede). \\By the\\
 \\Spirit\\ (\\ek tou pneumatos\\). It is thus (by the Holy Spirit, first
 mention in this Epistle and "Holy" not used with "Spirit" in this
 Epistle or the Apocalypse) that we know that God abides in us.
 \\Which\\ (\\hou\\). Ablative case by attraction from accusative \\ho\\
 (object of \\ed“ken\\) to agree with \\pneumatos\\ as often, though not
 always. It is a pity that the grammatical gender (which) is
 retained here in the English instead of "whom," as it should be.

07460
 \\Beloved\\ (\\agapˆtoi\\). Three times in this chapter
 # 1,7,11
 we have this tender address on love. \\Believe not every spirit\\ (\\mˆ\\
 \\panti pneumati pisteuete\\). "Stop believing," as some were clearly
 carried away by the spirits of error rampant among them, both
 Docetic and Cerinthian Gnostics. Credulity means gullibility and
 some believers fall easy victims to the latest fads in
 spiritualistic humbuggery. \\Prove the spirits\\ (\\dokimazete ta\\
 \\pneumata\\). Put them to the acid test of truth as the metallurgist
 does his metals. If it stands the test like a coin, it is
 acceptable (\\dokimos\\,
 # 2Co 10:18
 otherwise it is rejected (\\adokimos\\,
 # 1Co 9:27; 2Co 13:5-7
 \\Many false prophets\\ (\\polloi pseudoprophˆtai\\). Jesus had warned
 people against them
 # Mt 7:15
 even when they as false Christs work portents
 # Mt 24:11,24; Mr 13:22
 It is an old story
 # Lu 6:26
 and recurs again and again
 # Ac 13:6; Re 16:13; 19:20; 20:10
 along with false teachers
 # 2Pe 2:1
 \\Are gone out\\ (\\exelˆluthasin\\). Perfect active indicative of
 \\exerchomai\\. Cf. aorist in
 # 2:19
 They are abroad always.

07461
 \\Hereby know ye\\ (\\en tout“i gin“skete\\). Either present active
 indicative or imperative. The test of "the Spirit of God" (\\to\\
 \\pneuma tou theou\\) here alone in this Epistle, save verse
 # 13
 With the clamour of voices then and now this is important. The
 test (\\en tout“i\\, as in
 # 3:19
 follows. \\That Jesus Christ is come in the flesh\\ (\\Iˆsoun Christon\\
 \\en sarki elˆluthota\\). The correct text (perfect active participle
 predicate accusative), not the infinitive (\\elˆluthenai\\, B Vg).
 The predicate participle (see
 # Joh 9:22
 for predicate accusative with \\homologe“\\) describes Jesus as
 already come in the flesh (his actual humanity, not a phantom
 body as the Docetic Gnostics held). See this same idiom in
 # 2Jo 1:7
 with \\erchomenon\\ (coming). A like test is proposed by Paul for
 confessing the deity of Jesus Christ in
 # 1Co 12:3
 and for the Incarnation and Resurrection of Jesus in
 # Ro 10:6-10

07462
 \\Confesseth not\\ (\\mˆ homologei\\). Indefinite relative clause with
 the subjective negative \\mˆ\\ rather than the usual objective
 negative \\ou\\ (verse
 # 6
 It is seen also in
 # 2Pe 1:9; Tit 1:11
 a survival of the literary construction (Moulton, _Prolegomena_,
 p. 171). The Vulgate (along with Irenaeus, Tertullian, Augustine)
 reads _solvit_ (\\luei\\) instead of \\mˆ homologei\\, which means
 "separates Jesus," apparently an allusion to the Cerinthian
 heresy (distinction between Jesus and Christ) as the clause
 before refers to the Docetic heresy. Many MSS. have here also \\en\\
 \\sarki elˆluthota\\ repeated from preceding clause, but not A B Vg
 Cop. and not genuine. \\The spirit of the antichrist\\ (\\to tou\\
 \\antichristou\\). \\Pneuma\\ (spirit) not expressed, but clearly implied
 by the neuter singular article to. It is a repetition of the
 point about antichrists made in
 # 2:18-25
 \\Whereof\\ (\\ho\\). Accusative of person (grammatical neuter referring
 to \\pneuma\\) with \\akou“\\ along with accusative of the thing (\\hoti\\
 \\erchetai\\, as in
 # 2:18
 futuristic present middle indicative). Here the perfect active
 indicative (\\akˆkoate\\), while in
 # 2:18
 the aorist (\\ˆkousate\\). \\And now already\\ (\\kai nun ˆdˆ\\). As in
 # 2:18
 also (many have come). "The prophecy had found fulfilment before
 the Church had looked for it" (Westcott). It is often so. For
 \\ˆdˆ\\ see
 # Joh 4:35; 9:27

07463
 \\Have overcome them\\ (\\nenikˆkate autous\\). Perfect active indicative
 of \\nika“\\, calm confidence of final victory as in
 # 2:13; Joh 16:33
 The reference in \\autous\\ (them) is to the false prophets in
 # 4:1
 \\Because\\ (\\hoti\\). The reason for the victory lies in God, who
 abides in them
 # 3:20,24; Joh 14:20; 15:4
 God is greater than Satan, "he that is in the world" (\\ho en t“i\\
 \\kosm“i\\), the prince of this world
 # Joh 12:31; 14:30
 the god of this age
 # 2Co 4:4
 powerful as he seems.

07464
 \\Of the world\\ (\\ek tou kosmou\\). As Jesus is not and as the
 disciples are not
 # Joh 17:14
 \\As of the world\\ (\\ek tou kosmou\\). No "as" (\\h“s\\), but that is the
 idea, for their talk proceeds from the world and wins a ready
 hearing. The false prophets and the world are in perfect unison.

07465
 \\We\\ (\\hˆmeis\\). In sharp contrast with the false prophets and the
 world. We are in tune with the Infinite God. Hence "he that
 knoweth God" (\\ho gin“sk“n ton theon\\, present active articular
 participle, the one who keeps on getting acquainted with God,
 growing in his knowledge of God) "hears us" (\\akouei hˆm“n\\). This
 is one reason why sermons are dull (some actually are, others so
 to dull hearers) or inspiring. There is a touch of mysticism
 here, to be sure, but the heart of Christianity is mysticism
 (spiritual contact with God in Christ by the Holy Spirit). John
 states the same idea negatively by a relative clause parallel
 with the preceding articular participle, the negative with both
 clauses. John had felt the cold, indifferent, and hostile stare
 of the worldling as he preached Jesus. \\By this\\ (\\ek toutou\\). "From
 this," deduction drawn from the preceding; only example in the
 Epistle for the common \\en tout“i\\ as in
 # 4:2
 The power of recognition (\\gin“skomen\\, we know by personal
 experience) belongs to all believers (Westcott). There is no
 reason for Christians being duped by "the spirit of error" (\\to\\
 \\pneuma tˆs planˆs\\), here alone in the N.T., though we have
 \\pneumasin planois\\ (misleading spirits) in
 # 1Ti 4:1
 Rejection of the truth may be due also to our not speaking the
 truth in love
 # Eph 4:15

07466
 \\Of God\\ (\\ek tou theou\\). Even human love comes from God, "a
 reflection of something in the Divine nature itself" (Brooke).
 John repeats the old commandment of
 # 2:7
 Persistence in loving (present tense \\agap“men\\ indicative and
 \\agap“n\\ participle) is proof that one "has been begotten of God"
 (\\ek tou theou gegennˆtai\\ as in
 # 2:29
 and is acquainted with God. Otherwise mere claim to loving God
 accompanied by hating one's brother is a lie
 # 2:9-11

07467
 \\He that loveth not\\ (\\ho mˆ agap“n\\). Present active articular
 participle of \\agapa“\\ "keeps on not loving." \\Knoweth not God\\ (\\ouk\\
 \\egn“ ton theon\\). Timeless aorist active indicative of \\gin“sk“\\,
 has no acquaintance with God, never did get acquainted with him.
 \\God is love\\ (\\ho theos agapˆ estin\\). Anarthrous predicate, not \\hˆ\\
 \\agapˆ\\. John does not say that love is God, but only that God is
 love. The two terms are not interchangeable. God is also light
 # 1:5
 and spirit
 # Joh 4:24

07468
 \\Was manifested\\ (\\ephaner“thˆ\\). First aorist passive indicative of
 \\phanero“\\. The Incarnation as in
 # 3:5
 Subjective genitive as in
 # 2:5
 \\In us\\ (\\en hˆmin\\). In our case, not "among us" nor "to us." Cf.
 # Ga 1:16
 \\Hath sent\\ (\\apestalken\\). Perfect active indicative of \\apostell“\\,
 as again in verse
 # 14
 the permanent mission of the Son, though in verse
 # 10
 the aorist \\apesteilen\\ occurs for the single event. See
 # Joh 3:16
 for this great idea. \\His only-begotten Son\\ (\\ton huion autou ton\\
 \\monogenˆ\\). "His Son the only-begotten" as in
 # Joh 3:16
 John applies \\monogenˆs\\ to Jesus alone
 # Joh 1:14,18
 but Luke
 # Lu 7:12; 8:42; 9:38
 to others. Jesus alone completely reproduces the nature and
 character of God (Brooke). \\That we might live through him\\ (\\hina\\
 \\zˆs“men di' autou\\). Purpose clause with \\hina\\ and the first aorist
 (ingressive, get life) active subjunctive of \\za“\\. "Through him"
 is through Christ, who is the life
 # Joh 14:6
 Christ also lives in us
 # Ga 2:20
 This life begins here and now.

07469
 \\Not that\\ (\\ouch hoti\\) \\--but that\\ (\\all' hoti\\). Sharp contrast as
 in
 # Joh 7:22; 2Co 7:9; Php 4:17
 \\We loved\\ (\\ˆgapˆsamen\\). First aorist active indicative, but B
 reads \\ˆgapˆkamen\\ (perfect active, we have loved). \\He\\ (\\autos\\).
 Emphatic nominative (God). \\To be the propitiation\\ (\\hilasmon\\).
 Merely predicate accusative in apposition with \\huion\\ (Son). For
 the word see
 # 2:2; Ro 3:25
 for \\hilastˆrion\\, and for \\peri\\ see also
 # 2:2

07470
 \\If God so loved us\\ (\\ei hout“s ho theos ˆgapˆsen hˆmas\\). Condition
 of first class with \\ei\\ and the first aorist active indicative. As
 in
 # Joh 3:16
 so here \\hout“s\\ emphasises the manifestation of God's love both in
 its manner and in its extent
 # Ro 8:32
 \\Ought\\ (\\opheilomen\\). As in
 # 2:6
 _Noblesse oblige_. "Keep on loving," (\\agapƒin\\) as in
 # 3:11

07471
 \\No one hath beheld God at any time\\ (\\theon oudeis p“pote\\
 \\tetheƒtai\\). Perfect middle indicative of \\theaomai\\
 # Joh 1:14
 Almost the very words of
 # Joh 1:18
 \\theon oudeis p“pote he“raken\\ (instead of \\tetheƒtai\\). \\If we love\\
 \\one another\\ (\\ean agap“men allˆlous\\). Third-class condition with
 \\ean\\ and the present active subjunctive, "if we keep on loving one
 another." \\God abideth in us\\ (\\ho theos en hˆmin menei\\). Else we
 cannot go on loving one another. \\His love\\ (\\hˆ agapˆ autou\\). More
 than merely subjective or objective
 # 2:5; 4:9
 "Mutual love is a sign of the indwelling of God in men" (Brooke).
 \\Is perfected\\ (\\tetelei“menˆ estin\\). Periphrastic (see usual form
 \\tetelei“tai\\ in
 # 2:5; 4:17
 perfect passive indicative of \\teleio“\\ (cf.
 # 1:4
 See verse
 # 18
 for "perfect love."

07472
 \\Hereby know we\\ (\\en tout“i gin“skomen\\). The Christian's
 consciousness of the fact of God dwelling in him is due to the
 Spirit of God whom God has given (\\ded“ken\\, perfect active
 indicative here, though the aorist \\ed“ken\\ in
 # 3:24
 This gift of God is proof of our fellowship with God.

07473
 \\We have beheld\\ (\\tetheƒmetha\\). Perfect middle of \\theaomai\\ as in
 verse
 # 12
 though the aorist in
 # 1:1; Joh 1:14
 (\\etheƒsametha\\). John is qualified to bear witness (\\marturoumen\\ as
 in
 # 1:2
 as Jesus had charged the disciples to do
 # Ac 1:8
 \\Hath sent\\ (\\apestalken\\). As in verse
 # 9
 though \\apesteilen\\ in verse
 # 10
 \\To be the Saviour of the world\\ (\\s“tˆra tou kosmou\\). Predicate
 accusative of \\s“tˆr\\ (Saviour), like \\hilasmon\\ in verse
 # 10
 This very phrase occurs elsewhere only in
 # Joh 4:42
 as the confession of the Samaritans, but the idea is in
 # Joh 3:17

07474
 \\Whosoever shall confess\\ (\\hos ean homologˆsˆi\\). Indefinite
 relative clause with modal \\ean\\ (=an) and the first aorist active
 subjunctive, "whoever confesses." See
 # 2:23; 4:2
 for \\homologe“\\. \\That\\ (\\hoti\\). Object clause (indirect assertion)
 after \\homologe“\\. This confession of the deity of Jesus Christ
 implies surrender and obedience also, not mere lip service (cf.
 # 1Co 12:3; Ro 10:6-12
 This confession is proof (if genuine) of the fellowship with God
 # 1:3; 3:24

07475
 \\We know\\ (\\egn“kamen\\). Perfect active indicative, "we have come to
 know and still know" as in
 # Joh 6:9
 only there order is changed (\\pepisteukamen\\ coming before
 \\egn“kamen\\). Confession (\\homologe“\\) follows experimental knowledge
 (\\gin“sk“\\) and confident trust (\\pisteu“\\). Believers are the sphere
 (\\en hˆmin\\, in our case) in which the love of God operates
 (Westcott). See
 # Joh 13:35
 for "having love." \\God is love\\ (\\ho theos agapˆ estin\\). Repeated
 from verse
 # 8
 So he gathers up the whole argument that one who is abiding in
 love is abiding in God and shows that God is abiding in him.
 Thoroughly Johannine style.

07476
 \\Herein\\ (\\en tout“i\\). It is not clear whether the \\hina\\ clause
 (sub-final use) is in apposition with \\en tout“i\\ as in
 # Joh 15:8
 or the \\hoti\\ clause (because) with the \\hina\\ clause as parenthesis.
 Either makes sense. Westcott argues for the latter idea, which is
 reinforced by the preceding sentence. \\With us\\ (\\meth' hˆm“n\\).
 Construed with the verb \\tetelei“tai\\ (is perfected). In contrast
 to \\en hˆmin\\ (verses
 # 12,16
 emphasising cooperation. "God works with man" (Westcott). For
 boldness (\\parrˆsian\\) in the day of judgment (only here with both
 articles, but often with no articles as in
 # 2Pe 2:9
 see
 # 2:28
 \\As he is\\ (\\kath“s ekeinos estin\\). That is Christ as in
 # 2:6; 3:3,5,7,16
 Same tense (present) as in
 # 3:7
 "Love is a heavenly visitant" (David Smith). We are in this world
 to manifest Christ.

07477
 \\Fear\\ (\\phobos\\). Like a bond-slave
 # Ro 8:15
 not the reverence of a son (\\eulabeia\\,
 # Heb 5:7
 or the obedience to a father (\\en phob“i\\,
 # 1Pe 1:17
 This kind of dread is the opposite of \\parrˆsia\\ (boldness).
 \\Perfect love\\ (\\hˆ teleia agapˆ\\). There is such a thing, perfect
 because it has been perfected (verses
 # 12,17
 Cf.
 # Jas 1:4
 \\Casteth out fear\\ (\\ex“ ballei ton phobon\\). "Drives fear out" so
 that it does not exist in real love. See \\ekball“ ex“\\ in
 # Joh 6:37; 9:34; 12:31; 15:6
 to turn out-of-doors, a powerful metaphor. Perfect love harbours
 no suspicion and no dread
 # 1Co 13
 \\Hath punishment\\ (\\kolasin echei\\). Old word, in N.T. only here and
 # Mt 25:46
 \\Tim“ria\\ has only the idea of penalty, \\kolasis\\ has also that of
 discipline, while \\paideia\\ has that of chastisement
 # Heb 12:7
 The one who still dreads (\\phoboumenos\\) has not been made perfect
 in love (\\ou tetelei“tai\\). Bengel graphically describes different
 types of men: "sine timore et amore; cum timore sine amore; cum
 timore et amore; sine timore cum amore."

07478
 \\He first\\ (\\autos pr“tos\\). Note \\pr“tos\\ (nominative), not \\pr“ton\\,
 as in
 # Joh 20:4,8
 God loved us \\before\\ we loved him
 # Joh 3:16
 Our love is in response to his love for us. \\Agap“men\\ is
 indicative (we love), not subjunctive (let us love) of the same
 form. There is no object expressed here.

07479
 \\If a man say\\ (\\ean tis eipˆi\\). Condition of third class with \\ean\\
 and second aorist active subjunctive. Suppose one say. Cf.
 # 1:6
 \\I love God\\ (\\Agap“ ton theon\\). Quoting an imaginary disputant as
 in
 # 2:4
 \\And hateth\\ (\\kai misei\\). Continuation of the same condition with
 \\ean\\ and the present active subjunctive, "and keep on hating." See
 # 2:9; 3:15
 for use of \\mise“\\ (hate) with \\adelphos\\ (brother). A liar
 (\\pseustˆs\\). Blunt and to the point as in
 # 1:10; 2:4
 \\That loveth not\\ (\\ho mˆ agap“n\\). "The one who does not keep on
 loving" (present active negative articular participle). \\Hath\\
 \\seen\\ (\\he“raken\\). Perfect active indicative of \\hora“\\, the form in
 # Joh 1:18
 used of seeing God. \\Cannot love\\ (\\ou dunatai agapƒin\\). "Is not
 able to go on loving," with which compare
 # 2:9
 \\ou dunatai hamartanein\\ (is not able to go on sinning). The best
 MSS. do not have \\p“s\\ (how) here.

07480
 \\That\\ (\\hina\\). Sub-final object clause in apposition with \\entolˆn\\
 as in
 # Joh 13:34; 15:13
 \\From him\\ (\\ap' autou\\). Either God or Christ. See
 # Mr 12:29-31
 for this old commandment
 # 2:7

07481
 \\That Jesus is the Christ\\ (\\hoti Iˆsous estin ho Christos\\). The
 Cerinthian antichrist denies the identity of Jesus and Christ
 # 2:22
 Hence John insists on this form of faith (\\pisteu“n\\ here in the
 full sense, stronger than in
 # 3:23; 4:16
 seen also in \\pistis\\ in verse
 # 4
 where English and Latin fall down in having to use another word
 for the verb) as he does in verse
 # 5
 and in accord with the purpose of John's Gospel
 # 20:31
 Nothing less will satisfy John, not merely intellectual
 conviction, but full surrender to Jesus Christ as Lord and
 Saviour. "The Divine Begetting is the antecedent, not the
 consequent of the believing" (Law). For "is begotten of God" (\\ek\\
 \\tou theou gegennˆtai\\) see
 # 2:29; 3:9; 4:7; 5:4,18
 John appeals here to family relationship and family love. \\Him\\
 \\that begat\\ (\\ton gennˆsanta\\). First aorist active articular
 participle of \\genna“\\, to beget, the Father (our heavenly Father).
 \\Him also that is begotten of him\\ (\\ton gegennˆmenon ex autou\\).
 Perfect passive articular participle of \\genna“\\, the brother or
 sister by the same father. So then we prove our love for the
 common Father by our conduct towards our brothers and sisters in
 Christ.

07482
 \\Hereby\\ (\\en tout“i\\). John's usual phrase for the test of the
 sincerity of our love. "The love of God and the love of the
 brethren do in fact include each the other" (Westcott). Each is a
 test of the other. So put
 # 3:14
 with
 # 5:2
 \\When\\ (\\hotan\\). "Whenever" indefinite temporal clause with \\hotan\\
 and the present active subjunctive (the same form \\agap“men\\ as the
 indicative with \\hoti\\ (that) just before, "whenever we keep on
 loving God." \\And do\\ (\\kai poi“men\\) "and whenever we keep on doing
 (present active subjunctive of \\poie“\\) his commandments." See
 # 1:6
 for "doing the truth."

07483
 \\This\\ (\\hautˆ\\) \\--that\\ (\\hina\\). Explanatory use of \\hina\\ with
 \\hautˆ\\, as in
 # Joh 17:3
 to show what "the love of God"
 # 4:9,12
 in the objective sense is, not mere declamatory boasting
 # 4:20
 but obedience to God's commands, "that we keep on keeping
 (present active subjunctive as in
 # 2:3
 his commandments." This is the supreme test. \\Are not grievous\\
 (\\bareiai ouk eisin\\). "Not heavy," the adjective in
 # Mt 23:4
 with \\phortia\\ (burdens), with \\lupoi\\ (wolves) in
 # Ac 20:29
 of Paul's letters in
 # 2Co 10:10
 of the charges against Paul in
 # Ac 25:7
 Love for God lightens his commands.

07484
 \\For\\ (\\hoti\\). The reason why God's commandments are not heavy is
 the power that comes with the new birth from God. \\Whatsoever is\\
 \\begotten of God\\ (\\pƒn to gegennˆmenon ek tou theou\\). Neuter
 singular perfect passive participle of \\genna“\\ rather than the
 masculine singular (verse
 # 1
 to express sharply the universality of the principle (Rothe) as
 in
 # Joh 3:6,8; 6:37,39
 \\Overcometh the world\\ (\\nikƒi ton kosmon\\). Present active
 indicative of \\nika“\\, a continuous victory because a continuous
 struggle, "keeps on conquering the world" ("the sum of all the
 forces antagonistic to the spiritual life," D. Smith). \\This is\\
 \\the victory\\ (\\hautˆ estin hˆ nikˆ\\). For this form of expression
 see
 # 1:5; Joh 1:19
 \\Nikˆ\\ (victory, cf. \\nika“\\), old word, here alone in N.T., but the
 later form \\nikos\\ in
 # Mt 12:20; 1Co 15:54,57
 \\That overcometh\\ (\\hˆ nikˆsasa\\). First aorist active articular
 participle of \\nika“\\. The English cannot reproduce the play on the
 word here. The aorist tense singles out an individual experience
 when one believed or when one met temptation with victory. Jesus
 won the victory over the world
 # Joh 16:33
 and God in us
 # 1Jo 4:4
 gives us the victory. \\Even our faith\\ (\\hˆ pistis hˆm“n\\). The only
 instance of \\pistis\\ in the Johannine Epistles (not in John's
 Gospel, though in the Apocalypse). It is our faith in Jesus
 Christ as shown by our confession (verse
 # 1
 and by our life (verse
 # 2

07485
 \\And who is he that overcometh?\\ (\\tis estin de ho nik“n?\\). Not a
 mere rhetorical question
 # 2:22
 but an appeal to experience and fact. Note the present active
 articular participle (\\nik“n\\) like \\nikƒi\\ (present active
 indicative in verse
 # 4
 "the one who keeps on conquering the world." See
 # 1Co 15:57
 for the same note of victory (\\nikos\\) through Christ. See verse
 # 1
 for \\ho pisteu“n\\ (the one who believes) as here. \\Jesus is the Son\\
 \\of God\\ (\\Iˆsous estin ho huios tou theou\\). As in verse
 # 1
 save that here \\ho huios tou theou\\ in place of \\Christos\\ and see
 both in
 # 2:22
 Here there is sharp antithesis between "Jesus" (humanity) and
 "the Son of God" (deity) united in the one personality.

07486
 \\This\\ (\\houtos\\). Jesus the Son of God (verse
 # 5
 \\He that came\\ (\\ho elth“n\\). Second aorist active articular
 participle of \\erchomai\\, referring to the Incarnation as a
 definite historic event, the preexistent Son of God "sent from
 heaven to do God's will" (Brooke). \\By water and blood\\ (\\di'\\
 \\hudatos kai haimatos\\). Accompanied by (\\dia\\ used with the genitive
 both as instrument and accompaniment, as in
 # Ga 5:13
 water (as at the baptism) and blood (as on the Cross). These two
 incidents in the Incarnation are singled out because at the
 baptism Jesus was formally set apart to his Messianic work by the
 coming of the Holy Spirit upon him and by the Father's audible
 witness, and because at the Cross his work reached its
 culmination ("It is finished," Jesus said). There are other
 theories that do not accord with the language and the facts. It
 is true that at the Cross both water and blood came out of the
 side of Jesus when pierced by the soldier, as John bore witness
 # Joh 19:34
 a complete refutation of the Docetic denial of an actual human
 body for Jesus and of the Cerinthian distinction between Jesus
 and Christ. There is thus a threefold witness to the fact of the
 Incarnation, but he repeats the twofold witness before giving the
 third. The repetition of both preposition (\\en\\ this time rather
 than \\dia\\) and the article (\\t“i\\ locative case) argues for two
 separate events with particular emphasis on the blood ("not only"
 \\ouk monon\\, "but" \\all'\\) which the Gnostics made light of or even
 denied. \\It is the Spirit that beareth witness\\ (\\to pneuma estin to\\
 \\marturoun\\). Present active articular participle of \\marture“\\ with
 article with both subject and predicate, and so interchangeable
 as in
 # 3:4
 The Holy Spirit is the third and the chief witness at the baptism
 of Jesus and all through his ministry. \\Because\\ (\\hoti\\). Or
 declarative "that." Either makes sense. In
 # Joh 15:26
 Jesus spoke of "the Spirit of truth" (whose characteristic is
 truth). Here John identifies the Spirit with truth as Jesus said
 of himself
 # Joh 14:6
 without denying personality for the Holy Spirit.

07487
 \\For there are three who bear witness\\ (\\hoti treis eisin hoi\\
 \\marturountes\\). At this point the Latin Vulgate gives the words in
 the Textus Receptus, found in no Greek MS. save two late cursives
 (162 in the Vatican Library of the fifteenth century, 34 of the
 sixteenth century in Trinity College, Dublin). Jerome did not
 have it. Cyprian applies the language of the Trinity and
 Priscillian has it. Erasmus did not have it in his first edition,
 but rashly offered to insert it if a single Greek MS. had it and
 34 was produced with the insertion, as if made to order. The
 spurious addition is: \\en t“i ouran“i ho patˆr, ho logos kai to\\
 \\hagion pneuma kai houtoi hoi treis hen eisin kai treis eisin hoi\\
 \\marturountes en tˆi gˆi\\ (in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the
 Holy Ghost: and these three are one. And there are three that
 bear witness in earth). The last clause belongs to verse
 # 8
 The fact and the doctrine of the Trinity do not depend on this
 spurious addition. Some Latin scribe caught up Cyprian's exegesis
 and wrote it on the margin of his text, and so it got into the
 Vulgate and finally into the Textus Receptus by the stupidity of
 Erasmus.

07488
 \\The Spirit and the water and the blood\\ (\\to pneuma kai to hud“r\\
 \\kai to haima\\). The same three witnesses of verses
 # 6,7
 repeated with the Spirit first. \\The three\\ (\\hoi treis\\). The
 resumptive article. \\Agree in one\\ (\\eis to hen eisin\\). "Are for the
 one thing," to bring us to faith in Jesus as the Incarnate Son of
 God, the very purpose for which John wrote his Gospel
 # 20:31

07489
 \\If we receive\\ (\\ei lambanomen\\). Condition of first class with \\ei\\
 and the present active indicative, assumed as true. The
 conditions for a legally valid witness are laid down in
 # De 19:15
 (cf.
 # Mt 18:16; Joh 8:17; 10:25; 2Co 13:1
 \\Greater\\ (\\meiz“n\\). Comparative of \\megas\\, because God is always
 true. \\For\\ (\\hoti\\). So it applies to this case. \\That\\ (\\hoti\\). Thus
 taken in the declarative sense (the fact that) as in
 # Joh 3:19
 though it can be causal (because) or indefinite relative with
 \\memarturˆken\\ (what he hath testified, perfect active indicative
 of \\marture“\\, as in
 # Joh 1:32; 4:44
 etc.), a harsh construction here because of \\marturia\\, though some
 MSS. do read \\hen\\ to agree with it (cf. verse
 # 10
 See \\hoti ean\\ in
 # 3:20
 for that idiom. Westcott notes the Trinity in verses
 # 6-9
 : the Son comes, the Spirit witnesses, the Father has witnessed.

07490
 \\Believeth on\\ (\\pisteu“n eis\\). John draws a distinction between
 "not believing God" (\\mˆ pisteu“n t“i the“i\\) in next clause, the
 testimony of God about his Son, and surrender to and reliance on
 the Son as here (\\eis\\ and the accusative). See the same
 distinction less clearly drawn in
 # Joh 6:30
 See also \\eis tˆn marturian\\ after \\pepisteuken\\ in this same verse
 and
 # Joh 2:23
 \\In him\\ (\\en haut“i\\). "In himself," though the evidence is not
 decisive between \\haut“i\\ and \\aut“i\\. \\Hath made\\ (\\pepoiˆken\\).
 Perfect active indicative of \\poie“\\ like \\memarturˆken\\ and
 \\pepisteuken\\, permanent state. \\A liar\\ (\\pseustˆn\\). As in
 # 1:10
 which see. \\Because he hath not believed\\ (\\hoti ou pepisteuken\\).
 Actual negative reason with negative \\ou\\, not the subjective
 reason as in
 # Joh 3:18
 where we have \\hoti mˆ pepisteuken\\). The subjective negative is
 regular with \\ho mˆ pisteu“n\\. Relative clause here repeats close
 of verse
 # 9

07491
 \\That God gave\\ (\\hoti ed“ken ho theos\\). Declarative \\hoti\\ in
 apposition with \\marturia\\ as in verse
 # 14; Joh 3:19
 Note aorist active indicative \\ed“ken\\ (from \\did“mi\\) as in
 # 3:23
 the great historic fact of the Incarnation
 # Joh 3:16
 but the perfect \\ded“ken\\ in
 # 1Jo 3:1
 to emphasize the abiding presence of God's love. \\Eternal life\\
 (\\z“ˆn ai“nion\\). Anarthrous emphasizing quality, but with the
 article in
 # 1:2
 \\In his Son\\ (\\en t“i hui“i autou\\). This life and the witness also.
 This is why Jesus who is life
 # Joh 14:6
 came to give us abundant life
 # Joh 10:10

07492
 \\Hath the life\\ (\\echei tˆn z“ˆn\\). The life which God gave (verse
 # 11
 This is the position of Jesus himself
 # Joh 5:24; 14:6

07493
 \\I have written\\ (\\egrapsa\\). Not epistolary aorist, but refers to
 verses
 # 1-12
 of this Epistle as in
 # 2:26
 to the preceding verses. \\That ye may know\\ (\\hina eidˆte\\). Purpose
 clause with \\hina\\ and the second perfect active subjunctive of
 \\oida\\, to know with settled intuitive knowledge. He wishes them to
 have eternal life in Christ
 # Joh 20:31
 and to know that they have it, but not with flippant
 superficiality
 # 2:3
 \\Unto you that believe on\\ (\\tois pisteuousin eis\\). Dative of the
 articular present active participle of \\pisteu“\\ and \\eis\\ as in
 verse
 # 10
 For this use of \\onoma\\ (name) with \\pisteu“\\ see
 # 3:23; Joh 2:23

07494
 \\Toward him\\ (\\pros auton\\). Fellowship with (\\pros\\, face to face)
 Christ. For boldness see
 # 2:28
 \\That\\ (\\hoti\\). Declarative again, as in verse
 # 11
 \\If we ask anything\\ (\\ean ti ait“metha\\). Condition of third class
 with \\ean\\ and present middle (indirect) subjunctive (personal
 interest as in
 # Jas 4:3
 though the point is not to be pressed too far, for see
 # Mt 20:20,22; Joh 16:24,26
 \\According to his will\\ (\\kata to thelˆma autou\\). This is the secret
 in all prayer, even in the case of Jesus himself. For the phrase
 see
 # 1Pe 4:19; Ga 1:4; Eph 1:5,11
 \\He heareth us\\ (\\akouei hˆm“n\\). Even when God does not give us what
 we ask, in particular then
 # Heb 5:7

07495
 \\And if we know\\ (\\kai ean oidamen\\). Condition of first class with
 \\ean\\ (usually \\ei\\) and the perfect active indicative, assumed as
 true. See
 # 1Th 3:8; Ac 8:31
 for the indicative with \\ean\\ as in the papyri. "An amplification
 of the second limitation" (D. Smith). \\Whatsoever we ask\\ (\\ho ean\\
 \\ait“metha\\). Indefinite relative clause with modal \\ean\\ (=\\an\\) and
 the present middle (as for ourselves) subjunctive of \\aite“\\. This
 clause, like \\hˆm“n\\, is also the object of \\akouei\\. \\We know that we\\
 \\have\\ (\\oidamen hoti echomen\\). Repetition of \\oidamen\\, the
 confidence of possession by anticipation. \\The petitions\\ (\\ta\\
 \\aitˆmata\\). Old word, from \\aite“\\, requests, here only in John,
 elsewhere in N.T.
 # Lu 23:24; Php 4:6
 We have the answer already as in
 # Mr 11:24
 \\We have asked\\ (\\ˆitˆkamen\\). Perfect active indicative of \\aite“\\,
 the asking abiding.

07496
 \\If any man see\\ (\\ean tis idˆi\\). Third-class condition with \\ean\\ and
 second aorist active subjunctive of \\eidon\\ (\\hora“\\). \\Sinning a sin\\
 (\\hamartanonta hamartian\\). Present active predicate
 (supplementary) participle agreeing with \\adelphon\\ and with
 cognate accusative \\hamartian\\. \\Not unto death\\ (\\mˆ pros thanaton\\).
 Repeated again with \\hamartanousin\\ and in contrast with \\hamartia\\
 \\pros thanaton\\ (sin unto death). Most sins are not mortal sins,
 but clearly John conceives of a sin that is deadly enough to be
 called "unto death." This distinction is common in the rabbinic
 writings and in
 # Nu 18:22
 the LXX has \\labein hamartian thanatˆphoron\\ "to incur a
 death-bearing sin" as many crimes then and now bear the death
 penalty. There is a distinction in
 # Heb 10:26
 between sinning wilfully after full knowledge and sins of
 ignorance
 # Heb 5:2
 Jesus spoke of the unpardonable sin
 # Mr 3:29; Mt 12:32; Lu 12:10
 which was attributing to the devil the manifest work of the Holy
 Spirit. It is possible that John has this idea in mind when he
 applies it to those who reject Jesus Christ as God's Son and set
 themselves up as antichrists. \\Concerning this\\ (\\peri ekeinˆs\\).
 This sin unto death. \\That he should make request\\ (\\hina er“tˆsˆi\\).
 Sub-final use of \\hina\\ with the first aorist active subjunctive of
 \\er“ta“\\, used here as in
 # Joh 17:15,20
 (and often) for request rather than for question. John does not
 forbid praying for such cases; he simply does not command prayer
 for them. He leaves them to God.

07497
 \\All unrighteousness is sin\\ (\\pƒsa adikia hamartia estin\\).
 Unrighteousness is one manifestation of sin as lawlessness
 # 3:4
 is another (Brooke). The world today takes sin too lightly, even
 jokingly as a mere animal inheritance. Sin is a terrible reality,
 but there is no cause for despair. Sin not unto death can be
 overcome in Christ.

07498
 \\We know\\ (\\oidamen\\). As in
 # 3:2,14; 5:15,19,20
 He has "ye know" in
 # 2:20; 3:5,15
 \\Sinneth not\\ (\\ouch hamartanei\\). Lineal present active indicative,
 "does not keep on sinning," as he has already shown in
 # 3:4-10
 \\He that was begotten of God\\ (\\ho gennˆtheis ek tou theou\\). First
 aorist passive articular participle referring to Christ, if the
 reading of A B is correct (\\tˆrei auton\\, not \\tˆrei heauton\\). It is
 Christ who keeps the one begotten of God (\\gegennˆmenos ek tou\\
 \\theou\\ as in
 # 3:9
 and so different from \\ho gennˆtheis\\ here). It is a difficult
 phrase, but this is probably the idea. Jesus
 # Joh 18:37
 uses \\gegennˆmai\\ of himself and uses also \\tˆre“\\ of keeping the
 disciples
 # Joh 17:12,15; Re 3:10
 \\The evil one\\ (\\ho ponˆros\\). Masculine and personal as in
 # 2:13
 not neuter, and probably Satan as in
 # Mt 6:13
 not just any evil man. \\Touchest him not\\ (\\ouch haptetai autou\\).
 Present middle indicative of \\hapt“\\, elsewhere in John only
 # Joh 20:17
 It means to lay hold of or to grasp rather than a mere
 superficial touch (\\thiggan“\\, both in
 # Col 2:21
 Here the idea is to touch to harm. The devil cannot snatch such a
 man from Christ
 # Joh 6:38

07499
 \\Of God\\ (\\ek tou theou\\). See
 # 3:10; 4:6
 for this idiom. \\Lieth in the evil one\\ (\\en t“i ponˆr“i keitai\\).
 Present middle indicative of the defective verb \\keimai\\, to lie,
 as in
 # Lu 2:12
 \\Ponˆr“i\\ is masculine, like \\ho ponˆros\\ in verse
 # 18
 This is a terrible picture of the Graeco-Roman world of the first
 century A.D., which is confirmed by Paul in Romans 1 and 2 and by
 Horace, Seneca, Juvenal, Tacitus.