1 John 3

1 John 3:1

As for the persecutions that befall the orthodox professors at this time, and are such discouragements

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1 John 3:2

My brethren, whatever our persecutions at present are, this state and condition of ours is the state and condition of the sons of God; and what we shall be hereafter, what inheritance shall be made over to those sons, is not yet revealed. But this we know, that when that blessed time shall come, we that are sons of God shall (as the notion of sons signifies in the scripture) be like unto that Father of ours, like him in holiness, and like him in bliss, and that bliss shall consist in seeing of him as he is, a fountain of all that is desirable to our natures.

1 John 3:3

And whosoever hopes or depends on God for any such future state, if he expect to receive it from him according to his manner of promising, not absolutely, but conditionally, or indeed whosoever sets his heart on the vision of God, a pure and blissful state, not any sensual paradise, but a spiritual state of bliss, made up of sinlessness and purity, will in all reason set a purifying here, be a practising and aiming after that excellent copy, that he may be capable of that perfect purity hereafter.

1 John 3:4

Sin is a contrariety to the law of God, an act of disloyalty to our King; and he that deliberately committeth any act of sin, doth proportionably commit a rebellion and disloyalty against Christ.

1 John 3:5

And Christ both by his example, being sinless, never guilty of any act of sin, and by all that he hath done and suffered for us, hath designed this special end to himself, to purify our lives, and cleanse us from all deliberate acts of sin.

1 John 3:6

He that adhereth fast to him, that as a member of his continueth in him, falleth not indulgently or deliberately into any act of sin; he that doth so, dis-

¹ hath not been yet made manifest, οὕτω ἐφανερώθη. ² if he appear, ἴαν— ³ on him, ἴν’ αὐτῷ. ⁴ doth also commit transgression.

² if he appear, ἴαν— ³ on him,

1 John 3:8

[a] committeth sin] Ἀμαρτάνειν, to sin, and ἁμαρτίαν ποιεῖν, to do, or commit, sin, which appear to be directly the same by comparing vv. 6 and 8, and so ἁμαρτίαν ἔχειν, ch. i. 8, to have sin, all one with having sinned, ver. 10, have a special energy in the writings of this apostle, to denote a deliberate, presumptuous commission of sin; not every sin of ignorance, incogitance, frailty, but, after deliberation, an advised commission of it. This is here affirmed to be ποιεῖν ἀνομίαν, the committing transgression, where ἀνομία signifies opposition, or contraricty, to Christ’s law. Justinian renders the word iniquitatem, (Institut. 4. de injur. Iniquitas et injustitia, quam Græci ἀνομίαν καὶ ἀδικίαν vocant,) and iniquitas is this opposition or irregularity to the will of God, viz. that will of his revealed to us by Christ, to which we now profess obedience. It is here made matter of some question, whether these phrases, ἁμαρτάνειν and ποιεῖν ἁμαρτίαν, to sin, and to commit sin, are to be interpreted only of an habit of such deliberate sin, or belong to one single act of it. But the resolution is easy, that though he that lives impenitently in any habit of known sin, be most eminently said to sin and commit sin, yet he that is guilty of any one deliberate act is here primarily meant by these phrases. This appears by the use of the words in some of the places, where it must necessarily denote an act, and not only an habit; as ch. ii. 1, These things I write unto you, ἵνα μὴ ἁμάρτητε, that ye may not sin, where it would be unreasonable to think that the holy apostle designed his Epistle to keep them from habits only, and not also from each act of deliberate sin. This is again evident in this place: for not only he that lives habitually in sin, but he that commits any one deliberate act of it, ἀνομίαν ποιεῖ, committeth a transgression of the law, opposeth and doth contrary to the law of Christ, which severely forbiddeth such single commissions, and not only the habits of them: and so ver. 5, when it is said that Christ appeared that he might take away our sins, and that there is no sin in him, it is evident that he came to take away our acts as well as our habits, and that there was no act as well as no habit of sin in him: and so in all that follows, vv. 6, 8, 9, one act of sin is contrary to abiding in Christ, that is, to adhering to him, to seeing and knowing, that is, to obeying him; one act is of, or from, the devil: one act as contrary to that seed, that purity, that principle of filiation, that is in him that is born of God, and not only an habit of it.

1 John 3:9

[b] born of God] What γεννάσθαι ἐκ Θεοῦ, being born of God, signifies, hath been noted, note [b] on John i, to have received some

[c] cannot sin] What is meant by οὐ δύναται, cannot, here, will best appear by what St. Chrysostom, on Rom. viii, saith of the tree in the gospel, where it is said, A corrupt tree cannot bear good fruit, nor a good tree corrupt fruit: “He,” saith he, “that saith a corrupt tree cannot bring forth good fruit, οὐ κωλύει τὴν ἀπὸ κακίας εἰς ἀρετὴν μεταβολὴν, forbids not a change from vice to virtue,” (denies not that to be possible,) “but affirms, that ἡ ἐν τῇ κακίᾳ διατριβῇ, the continuance in wickedness cannot bring forth good fruit; for,” saith he, “he said not that an ill tree cannot become good, but that remaining evil it cannot bear good fruit.” So when, Rom. viii. 7, it is said, that the carnal mind cannot be subject to God, Theophylact interprets it, ἕως ἂν μὲν τοιοῦτον, it cannot whilst it remains such; οὐχ ὅτι ἀδύνατος ἡ μεταβολὴ, not that the change is impossible; and so again, ver. 8, when it is said, they cannot please God, ἕως ἂν ὦσι τοιοῦτοι, they cannot whilst they are such. And so sure the affirming here of the child of God, the regenerate pious convert, that he cannot sin, is not the affirming that he cannot cease to be what he is, cannot fall off from the performance of his duty, (against which the many warnings and exhortations that are given to pious men, ch. ii. 1, 1 Cor. x. 12, Heb. iii. 12, 2 Pet. iii. 17, are evidences of the possibility of it,) but that remaining thus, a pious follower, imitator, and so child of God, that in his actions resembles him, he cannot yield deliberately to any kind of sin. To which purpose saith Tertullian, De Pudicitia, Hæc non admittet omnino qui natus e Deo fuerit, non futurus Dei filius si admiserit, “He that is born of God will not at all admit such sins as these; he shall not be the child of God if he do admit or commit them.” And Lactantius, Virtus sine ulla intermissione perpetua est, nec discedere ab ea potest qui semel eam cepit: nam si habeat intervallum, si quando ea carere possumus, redeunt protinus peccata, quæ vir-

1 John 3:10

[d] is not of God] Εἶναι ἐκ Θεοῦ, to be of God, here, (and chap. iv. 6, and v. 19, and 3 John 11,) is a phrase to signify one that lives as God requires and approves of, a child of God in the beginning of the verse, born of God, ver. 9, a sincere acceptable servant of his, that imitates the good, 3 John 11, or, in brief, a good Christian; and that not only upon this ground, because all Christian virtue is of God, but especially because it is agreeable to his will, an imitation of that which is most eminently and originally in him. And so, on the contrary, ungodly living is expressed by the phrase to be of the devil, John viii. 44, explained by what follows, θέλετε ποιεῖν ἐπιθυμίας αὐτοῦ, doing, or delighting to do his desires, and his works, ver. 41, and so to be of the world. To this purpose many the like phrases there be observable in scripture, which are set to signify this; as, being in God, 1 John ii. 5, and v. 20, seeing God, 3 John 11, that is, having considered and observed God in his actions, in order to imitating of them; for so to imitate is expressed, John viii. 38, by doing what they have seen with their Father. So again, having known God or Christ, 1 John ii. 3, 13, that is, so as to imitate or transcribe what we see in him; an evidence of which is, as it follows there, the keeping his commandments, and, ch. iv. 6, he that knows God, and he that is of God, are set as directly the same; and so ver. 7, 8, and very often in this writer. So seeing, and knowing him, together, 1 John iii. 6, and especially, John v. 37, to hear his voice, and see his appearance, for that is there all one with having his word abiding in them. So to be the sons of God, John xi. 52, the sons of God that are scattered abroad, that is, all that are or shall be pious faithful servants of his all the world over, that are qualified aright for the receiving of Christ when he preacheth to them, (such as are called the children of the kingdom, Matt. xiii. 38,) and so oft in these epistles, 1 John iii. 2, 10; and to be born of God, 1 John

t In Stobæo, p. 100.

1 John 3:14

We know that we are regenerate Christians (see note [c] Luke xv.) by our charity to other men, which he that hath not is clearly an unregenerate, unchristian person.

1 John 3:15

The hating of others is by interpretation the killing of them, because it is so in intention of heart, did not some outward restraint curb it; and he that is such is acknowledged by all men to be quite contrary to the evangelical temper, the regenerate state, from the having spiritual life abiding in him, which the Gnostics that are so malicious do yet so much talk of.

1 John 3:16

Christ’s love to us was expressed in this, that he was willing to incur the utmost hazard, even to venture his life, to reduce us; and agreeably Christian charity obligeth us to venture even our lives for other men, after the manner and upon so noble a design as Christ did; that is, to bring unto the Christian faith (as the martyrs did) any one or more enemies of Christ, and so likewise in other cases proportionable to this.

1 John 3:17

But how contrary to this is the practice of the world, when rich men, that have to spare for others, have yet no compassion or charity to them? which he that doth, how can he be said to be merciful as God is merciful, or how to love God, when he doth so contrary to his commands?

1 John 3:18

My dearly beloved tender Christians, let our charity to our brethren shew itself in actions of sincere kindness and bounty to them.

1 John 3:19

And by loving one another thus, we are able to discern or judge of ourselves, that we are such as we profess ourselves to be, ver. 18, and by so judging we shall have our hearts secure and confident that God will hear our prayers, ver. 22, and John ix. 31.

20, 21. And indeed that this discerning ourselves to be such as we pretend ourselves to be, is necessary to the giving us this confidence toward God, appears by this, that on the one side our hearts condemning us is a sure argument that God will do so too, (and then not hearken to our prayers,) because he knoweth all things of us that we can know of ourselves; and on the other side, if we have nothing to charge on ourselves, then we may come thus confidently to God, not fearing that he will lay any thing to our charge (see note [a] John vii.) that we are not guilty

⁹ that, &c. ⁹ and we shall persuade, καὶ πείσομεν. ¹⁰ boldness, παρρησίαν.

1 John 3:24

You therefore, whatsoever your temptations be, forsake not the doctrine which from the beginning of your Christianity you have received: to which if you firmly adhere, if you continue in the constant profession of the true faith of Christ at first revealed to you, you shall continue also in the favour and love of God the Father, and of Christ, which is reward sufficient for that constancy.

1 John 3:25

And whatsoever hazard we run by so doing, it matters not, though it be to loss of life itself, because he hath promised eternal life to those that stick fast to him, though with the loss of this.

1 John 3:26

And this have I said to arm you against the seducing Gnostics, &c. that are now among you, and are so solicitous to do so.

1 John 3:27

And indeed I need give you no other armature against these, than what you have already: for the testimony of the Holy Ghost, and so of God himself, given to the truth of that gospel which hath been preached among you, is sufficient to fortify you, and that is still among you, and you have no further need of testimonies of that truth against all opposers and deceivers; only hold fast and persevere in that which you have formerly been infallibly taught by that means, (see ver. 20,) and let not these seducers yet work upon you.

1 John 3:28

I beseech you, my tender children, keep fast to Christ, unmoved, that when that great fatal day of visitation comes, that coming of Christ so long expected (see note [b], and note [b] Matt. xxiv.) wherein the obdurate unbelievers shall be destroyed, and the believers delivered and preserved, we may come with cheerfulness and confidence (see note [a] John vii.) and not be turned with shame from him, or as inconstant (and so guilty) persons, be ashamed to meet him.

1 John 3:29

Resolving of this, that Christ is a most just judge, and consequently that every upright person is a child of his, like unto him, and certainly shall be used by him as a son, have all protection and inheritance from him.

CHAP. III.