Sin and Regeneration

1 JOHN, III.

Mutually Incompatible.

fv. 9): just as we might say. The tree that bears good loud professions, and even seemingly good works) fruit is a good tree, and has a living root: not that the that distinguishes God's children from the devil's. The gospel fruit makes the tree and its root to be good, but it shows 11. the message—"announcement," as of something that they are so. be-Christ. 8. He that committeth good; not a mere command as the law. sin is of the devil-in contrast to "He that doeth message of Him who loved us, announced by His ser righteousness," v. 7. He is a son of the devil (v. 10: vants, is, that we love the brethren; not here all manJohn, 8. 44). John does not, however, say, "born of kind, but those who are our brethren in Christ, children the devil," as he does "born of God," for "the devil of the same family of God, of whom we have been born begets none, nor does he create any; but whoever im- anew. 12. who-not in the Greek. of that wicked one itates the devil, becomes a child of the devil by im--translate," evil one," to accord with "Because his own itating him, not by proper birth."

[AUGUSTINE, works were evil." Cf. v. 8, "of the devil," in contrast Tract 4. 10.1 From the devil there is not genera- to "of God" v. 10. slew...him? because his own works tion, but corruption. [BENGEL.) sinneth from the be- were evil, and his brother's righteous-through envy and Enmity ginning from the time that any began to sin [AL- hatred of his brother's piety, owing to which God se FORD): from the time that he became what he is, the cepted Abel's, but rejected Cain's offering. devil. He seems to have kept his first estate only a from the first existed between the seed of the woman very short time after his creation. [BENGEL] Since and the seed of the serpent. 13. Marvel not - The the fall of man (at the beginning of our world) the devil marvel would be if the world loved you. the world is (ever) sinning (this is the force of "sinneth?" he has of whom Cain is the representative (e. 12). hate you The world feels its bad sinned from the beginning, is the canse of all sins, and as Cain hated even his own brother, and that to the still goes on sinning: present). As the author of sin, extent of murdering him. and prince of this world, he has never ceased to seduce works tacitly reproved by your good works. 14. Weman to sin. [LUECKE.] destroy-break up and do Emphatical: hated though we be by the world, ** Colossians, 1. 13, away with: bruising and crushing the serpent's head. know what the world knows not. know-as an assured works of the devil-sin, and all its awful consequences. fact. passed-changed our state. John argues, Christians cannot do that which Christ "from the power of darkness... translated into the came to destroy. 9. Whosoever is born of God-lit., kingdom of His dear Son." from death unto life-lit. "out of the death (which enthrals the unregenerate "Every one that is begotten of God." doth not commit sin-his higher nature, as one born or begotten of into the life" (of the regenerate). A palpable coinci God, doth not sin. To be begotten of God and to sin, dence of language and thought, the beloved disciple are states mutually excluding one another. In so far adopting his Lord's words. because we love the brethren as one sins, he makes it doubtful whether he be born-the ground, not of our passing over out of death of God. his seed-the living word of God, made by the into life, but of our knowing that we have so. Love, on our part, is the evidence of our justification and "Let each go to Holy Spirit the seed in us of a new life, and the continual mean of sanctification. remaineth-abideth in regeneration, not the cause of them. him (Note, cf. v. 6; John, 5. 38). This does not con- his own heart; if he find there love to the brethren, tradict ch. 1. 8, 9; the regenerate show the utter in- let him feel assured that he has passed from death compatibility of sin with regeneration, by cleansing unto life. Let him not mind that his glory is only hid away every sin into which they may be betrayed by den; when the Lord shall come, then shall he appear the old nature, at once in the blood of Christ. cannot in glory. For he has vital energy, but it is still winter siu, because he is born of God-"because it is of God that time; the root has vigour, but the branches are as it were dry; within there is marrow which is vigorous he is born" (so the Greek order, as compared with the order of the same words in the beginning of the within are leaves, within fruits, but they must wa verse): not "because he was born of God" (the Greek for summer." [AUGUSTINE.] He that loveth tis perfect, which is present in meaning, not aorist); it is Most of the oldest MSS. omit "his brother," which not said, Because a man was once for all born of God makes the statement more general. abideth-still he never afterwards can sin; but, Because he is born of death-"in the (spiritual) death" (ending in eternal God, the seed abiding row in Him, he cannot sin; death) which is the state of all by nature. His want so long as it energetically abides, sin can have no of love evidences that no saving change has passed over "Love and place. Cf. Genesis, 39. 9, Joseph," How CAN I do this him. 15. hateth-equivalent to "loveth not" (r. 14 great wickedness and sin against God?" The principle there is no medium between the two. within me is at utter variance with it. The regenerate hatred, like light and darkness, life and death, peres life is incompatible with sin, and gives the believer a sarily replace, as well as necessarily exclude, "Where hatred for sin in every shape, and an unceasing desire another." (ALFORD.) is a murderer-because indus to resist it. "The child of God in this conflict receives ing in that passion, which, if followed out to indeed wounds daily, but never throws away his arms natural consequences, would make him one. or makes peace with his deadly foe." [LUTHER.] The as, v. 10 desires us to lay down our lives for the breth ren; duels require one (awful to say!) to risk his exceptional sins into which the regenerate are surprised, are owing to the new life principle being for a life, rather than not deprive another of life." (BENGEL time suffered to lie dormant, and to the sword of the God regards the inward disposition as tantamont spirit not being drawn instantly. Sin is ever active, the outward act which would flow from it. Whome but no longer reigns. The normal direction of the be- ever one hates, one wishes to be dead. hathliever's energies is against sin; the law of God after one still "abideth in death." It is not his f the inward man is the ruling principle of his true self, state, but his present, which is referred to. He though the old nature, not yet fully deadened, rebels hates (ie., loveth not) his brother (e. 14), cannot i and sins. Contrast ch. 5. 18, with John, 8. 31; cf. Psalm this his present state have eternal life abiding in hereby - Greek, "herein. 18. 22, 23; 32. 2, 3; 119, 113, 176. The magnetic needle, 16. What true love to the brethren is, illustrated by the nature of which is always to point to the pole, is love of Christ to us. easily turned aside, but always resecks the pole. love of God-The words "of God" are not in the Translate, "We arrive at the knowledge children of the devil-(Note, v. 8; Acts, 13. 10). There is nal. no middle class between the children of God and the love," we apprehend what true love is. be-Christ children of the devil. doeth not righteousness-Con- and we-on our part, if absolutely needed for the of God, the good of the church, or the salvation d trast ch. 2. 29. he that loveth not his brother-(ch. 4. 8) -a particular instance of that love which is the sum brother. lives-Christ alone laid down His one li and fulfilment of all righteousness, and the token (not us all: we ought to lay down our lives severally for

1

Self-Condemnation, Assurance,

1 JOHN, III.

and Confidence before God.

lives of the brethren; if not actually, at least virtually, our hearts before Him') if our heart condemn (Greek, by giving our time, care, labours, prayers, substance: know (aught) against us answering by contrast to "Non nobis, sed omnibus." Our life ought not to be 'we shall know that we are of the truth') us (it is) bedearer to us than God's own Son was to Him. The cause God is greater than our heart and knoweth all apostles and martyrs acted on this principle. F7. this things." If our heart judges us unfavourably, we may world's good-lit., "livelihood" or substance. If we be sure that He, knowing more than our heart knows, ought to lay down our lives for the brethren (v.16), judges us more unfavourably still. (ALFORD.] A how much more ought we not to withhold our sub- similar ellipsis ("it is") occurs 1 Corinthians, 14. 27; stance seeth-not merely casually, but deliberately 2 Corinthians, 1. 6; 8. 23. The condemning testimony contemplates as a spectator; Greek, "beholds." shut- of our conscience is not alone, but is the echo of the teth up his bowels of compassion-which had been mo- voice of Him who is greater and knoweth all things. mentarily opened by the spectacle of his brother's need. Our hypocrisy in loving by word and tongue, not in "The bowels" mean the heart, the seat of compassion. deed and truth, does not escape even our conscience, how-How is it possible that "the love of (ie., to) though weak and knowing but little, how much less God dwelleth (Greek, abideth) in him? Our super- God who knows all things? Still the consolatory view fluities should yield to the necessities: our comforts, may be the right one. For the Greek for "we shall and even our necessaries in some measure, should assure our hearts" (see Note, v. 19), is gain over, peryield to the extreme wants of our brethren. "Faith suade so as to be stilled, implying that there was a previgives Christ to me; love flowing from faith gives me ous state of self-condemnation by the heart (v. 20, which, to my neighbour." 18. When the venerable John could however, is got over by the consolatory thought, no longer walk to the meetings of the church, but was "God is greater than my heart" which condemns me, borne thither by his disciples, he always uttered the and "knows all things," (Greek ginoskei, "knows," not same address to the church; he reminded them of kataginoskei, "condemns"), and therefore knows my that one commandment which he had received from love and desire to serve Him, and knows my frame so Christ Himself, as comprising all the rest, and form- as to pity my weakness of faith. This gaining over of ing the distinction of the new covenant. "My little the heart to peace is not so advanced a stage as the children, love one another." When the brethren pres- having CONFIDENCE towards God, which flows from ent, wearied of hearing the same thing so often, a heart condemning us not. The first "because" thus asked why he always repeated the same thing, he re-applies to the two alternative cases, v. 20, 21 (giving the plied," Because it is the commandment of the Lord, ground of saying, that having love we shall gain over, or and if this one thing be attained it is enough." assure our minds before Him, v. 19); the second "be[JEROME 18. in word-Greek, "with word...with cause" applies to the first alternative alone, viz., if tongue, but in deed and truth." 19. hereby-Greek, our heart condemn us. When he reaches the second "herein;" in our loving in deed and in truth (v. 18). alternative, v. 21, he states it independently of the I we know - The oldest MSS. have "we shall know," former "because" which had connected it with v. 19, viz., if we fulfil the command (v. 18). of the truth-that inasmuch as CONFIDENCE toward God is a farther we are real disciples of, and belonging to, the truth, stage than persuading our hearts, though always preas it is in Jesus: begotten of God with the word of ceded by it. 21. Beloved-There is no But contrasting truth. Having herein the truth radically, we shall be the two cases, v. 20, 21, because "Beloved" sufficiently sure not to love merely in word and tongue (v. 18. marks the transition to the case of the brethren walkassure-lit, persuade, viz., so as to cease to condemn ing in the full confidence of love (v. 18). The two reus; satisfy the questionings and doubts of our consults of our being able to "assure our hearts before sciences as to whether we be accepted before God or Him" (v. 19), and of "our heart condemning us not" (of not (cf. Matthew, 28. 14: Acts, 12. 20, "Having made insincerity as to the truth in general, and as to LOVE Blastus their friend," lit., "persuaded"). The in particular) are, (1.) confidence toward God; (2.) a **beart," as the seat of the feelings, is our inward sure answer to our prayers. John does not mean judge; the conscience, as the witness, acts either as that all whose heart does not condemn them, are our justifying advocate, or our condemning accuser, therefore safe before God; for some have their conbefore God even now. John, 8. 9, has "conscience," science seared, others are ignorant of the truth, and it but the passage is omitted in most old MSS. John no is not only sincerity, but sincerity in the truth which where else uses the term conscience. Peter and Paul can save men. Christians are those meant here: alone use it. before him-as in the sight of Him, the knowing Christ's precepts and testing themselves by omniscient Searcher of hearts. Assurance is designed them. 22. we receive-as a matter of fact, according to be the ordinary experience and privilege of the be- to His promise. Believers, as such, ask only what is liever. 20 LUTHER & BENGEL take this verse as con- in accordance with God's will; or if they ask what God soling the believer whom his heart condemns; and wills not, they bow their will to God's will, and so who, therefore, like Peter, appeals from conscience to God grants them either their request, or something Him who is greater than conscience, "Lord, thou better than it. because we keep his commandmentsknowest all things: thou knowest that I love thee." Cf. Psalm 66. 18; 34. 15; 145. 18, 19. Not as though our Peter's conscience, though condemning him of his sin merits earned a hearing for our prayers, but when we in denying the Lord, assured him of his love; but are believers in Christ, all our works of faith being the fearing the possibility, owing to his past fall, of de- fruit of His Spirit in us, are "pleasing in God's sight;" ceiving himself, he appeals to the all-knowing God: and our prayers being the voice of the same Spirit of so Paul, 1 Corinthians, 4. 3, 4. So if we be believers, God in us, naturally and necessarily are answered by even if our heart condemn us of sin in general, yet Him. 23. Summing up of God's commandments having the one sign of sonship, love, we may still as- under the gospel dispensation in one commandment. sure our hearts (some oldest MSS. read heart, v. 19, as this is his commandment-singular: for faith and love well as v. 20, as knowing that God is greater than our are not separate commandments, but are indissolubly heart, and knoweth all things. But thus the same united. We cannot truly love one another without Greck is translated "because" in the beginning, and faith in Christ, nor can we truly believe in Him with** (we know that" in the middle of the verse, and if the out love. believe-once for all: Greek aorist. on the verse were consolatory, it probably would have been, name of his Son-on all that is revealed in the gospel Because EVEN if our heart condemn us," &c. There- concerning Him, and on Himself in respect to His fore translate, "Because (rendering the reason why it person, offices, and atoning work. as he-as Jesus gave has been stated in v. 19 to be so important to 'assureus commandment. 24. dwelleth in him-The believer

Love and Fear Contrasted: God is

1 JOHN, V.

Love; therefore His Children Love. oldest MSS. Translate, "We emphatical: we on our part) love (in general: love alike Him, and the brethren, and our fellowmen), because He (emphatical: answering to "WE" because it was He who) first loved us in sending His Son (Greek aorist of a definite act at a point of time). He was the first to love us: this thought ought to create in us love casting out fear (v. 18). 20. loveth not...brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen-It is easier for us, influenced as we are here by sense, to direct love towards one within the range of our senses, than towards One unseen, appreciable only by faith. "Nature is prior to grace; and we by nature love things seen, before we love things unseen." [ESTIUS.] The eyes are our leaders in love. "Seeing is an incentive to love." (CECUMENIUS ] If we do not love the brethren, the visible representatives of God, how can we love God, the invisible One, whose children they are? The true ideal of man, lost in Adam, is realized in Christ, in whom God is revealed as He is, and man as he ought to be. Thus, by faith in Christ, we learn to love both the true God and the true man, and so to love the brethren as bearing His image. hath seenand continually sees. 21. Besides the argument (v. 20) from the common feeling of men, he here adds a stronger one from God's express commandment (Matthew, 22. 39). He who loves, will do what the object of his love wishes. he who loveth God-he who wishes to be regarded by God as loving Him. CHAPTER V.

John discusses this, v. 13-16. his love-rather, "the love of (ie., to) Him" (ch. 2. 5), evinced by our love to His representatives, our brethren. is perfected in us -Jolin discusses this, v. 17-19. Cf. ch. 2. 5, "Is perfected." i.e., attains its proper maturity. 13. "Herein." The token vouchsafed to us of God's dwelling (Greek, "abide") in us, though we see Him not, is this, that He hath given us "of His Spirit" (ch. 3. 24). Where the Spirit of God is, there God is. ONE Spirit dwells in the church; each believer receives a measure "of" that Spirit in the proportion God thinks fit. Love is His first fruit (Galatians, 5. 22). In Jesus alone the Spirit dwelt without measure (John. 3. 34). 14. And we-Primarily, we apostles, Christ's appointed eye-witnesses to testify to the facts concerning Him. The internal evidence of the indwelling Spirit (v. 13) is corroborated by the external evidence of the eyewitnesses to the fact of the Father having "sent His Son to be the Saviour of the world." seen Greek, " contemplated:" "attentively beheld" (Note, ch. 1. 1. sent Greek, "hath sent:" not an entirely past fact {aorist), but one of which the effects continue (perfect). | 15. shall confess once for all: so the Greek aorist means. that Jesus is the Son of God and therefore "the Saviour of the world" (v. 14). 16. And we-John and his readers (not as v. 14, the apostles only). known and believed-True faith, according to John, is a faith of knowledge and experience: true knowledge is a knowledge of faith. (LUECKE.] to us-Greek, "in our case" (Note, v. 9'. dwelleth-Greek, "abideth." Cf. with this verse, v. 7. 17, 18. (Cf. ch. 3. 19-21.) our Ver. 1-21 WHO ARE THE BRETHREN ESPECIALLY love-rather as the Greek, "LOVE (in the abstract, the TO BE LOVED (ch. 4. 21): OBEDIENCE, THE TEST OF principle of love (ALFORD]) is made perfect (in its LovE. EASY THROUGH FAITH, WHICH OVERCOMES relations) with us." Love dwelling in us advances to THE WORLD. LAST PORTION OF THE EPISTLE. THE its consummation "with us." i.e., as it is concerned SPIRIT'S WITNESS TO THE BELIEVER'S SPIRITUAL with us: so Greck. Luke, 1. 58, "Showed mercy upon LIFE. TRUTHS REPEATED AT THE CLOSE: FARE(lit., with) her:" 2John 2, "the truth shall be with us WELL WARNING. 1. Reason why our "brother" for ever." boldness-"confidence:" the same Greek as ch. 4. 21) is entitled to such love, viz., because he is ch. 3. 21, to which this passage is parallel. The opposite "born (begotten) of God:" so that if we want to show to fear," v. 18. Herein is our love perfected, viz., our love to God, we must show it to God's visible rein God dwelling in us, and our dwelling in God (v. 16), presentative. Whosoever-Greek, "Every one that." He involving as its result, "that we can have confidence could not be our "Jesus" (God-Saviour) unless He were (or boldness) in the day of judgment" (so terrible to all "the Christ;" for He could not reveal the way of salvaother men, Acts, 24. 25; Romans, 2. 16). because, &c. tion, except He were a prophet: He could not work -The ground of our "confidence" is, "because even as out that salvation, except He were a priest: He could He (Christ) is, we also are in this world" (and He will not confer that salvation upon us, except He were a not, in that day, condenin those who are like Himself), king: He could not be prophet, priest, and king, except i.e we are righteous as He is righteous, especially in He were the Christ. (PEARSON on the Creed bornrespect to that which is the sum of righteousness, love translate, "begotten," as in the latter part of the verse, ch. 3. 14). Christ 18 righteous, and love itself, in the Greek being the same. Christ Is the "only-begotten heaven: so are we. His members, who are still "in Son" by generation: we become begotten sons of this world." Our oneness with Him even now in His God by regeneration and adoption. every one that exalted position above Ephesians, 2. 6), so that all that loveth him that begat-sincerely, not in mere profession belongs to Him of righteousness, &c., belongs to us (ch. 4. 20). loveth him also that is begotten of him-viz., also by perfect imputation, and progressive imparta-"his brethren" (ch. 4. 21). 2. By-Greek, "IN this." As tion, is the ground of our love being perfected so that we can have confidence in the day of judgment. We are in, not of, this world. 18. Fear has no place in love. Bold confidence (v. 17), based on lore, cannot coexist with fear. Lore, which, when perfected, gives bold confidence, casts out fear cf. Hebrews, 2. 14, 15). The design of Christ's propitiatory death was to deliver from this bondage of fear. but-"nay." (ALFORD.] fear hath torment-Greek, punishment. Fear is always revolving in the mind the punishment deserved. IESTIUS.] Fear, by anticipating punishment (through consciousness of deserving it], has it even now. i.e., the foretaste of it. Perfect love is incompatibie with such a self punishing fear. Godly fear of offending God is quite distinct from slavish fear of consciouslydeserved punishment. The latter fear is natural to us all until lore casts it out. "Men's states vary: one is without fear and love; another, with fear without love: another, with fear and love; another, without fear with love." [BENGEL] 19. him-Omitted in the

our love to the brethren is the sign and test of our love to God, so (John here says) our lore to God (tested by our "keeping His commandments") is, conversely, the ground and only true basis of love to our brother. we know-John means here, not the outward criteria of genuine brotherly love, but the inward spiritual criteria of it, consciousness of love to God manifested in a hearty keeping of His commandments. When we have this inwardly-and-outwardly-confirmed love to God, we can know assuredly, that we truly love the children of God. "Love to one's brother is prior, according to the order of nature (Note, ch. 4. 20); love to God is so, according to the order of grace (ch. 5. 2). At one time the former is more immediately known, at another time the latter, according as the mind is more engaged in human relations, or in what concerns the divine honour." [ESTIUS.] John shows what true lore is, viz, that which is referred to God as its first object. As previously John urged the effect, so now he urges the cause. For he wishes mutual love to Le

انات

God's Commandments not Grievous,

1 JOHN, V.

for Faith Conquers Every Foe,"

John Baptist came only bantizing with water, and therefore was not the Messiah. Jesus came first to undergo Himself the double baptism of water and blood, and then to baptize us with the Spirit cleansing, of which water is the sacramental seal, and with His atoning blood, the efficacy of which, once-for-all shed, is perpetual in the church; and therefore is the Messiah. It was His shed blood which first gave waterbaptism its spiritual significancy. We are baptized into His death: the grand point of union between us and Him, and, through Him, between us and God. it is the Spirit, &c.-the Holy Spirit is an additional wit ness cf. v. 7), besides the water and the blood, to Jesus' Sonship and Messiahship. The Spirit attested these truths at Jesus baptism by descending on Him, and throughout His ministry by enabling Him to speak and do what man never before or since has spoken of done; and "it is the Spirit that beareth witness" of Christ, now permanently in the church: both in the inspired New Testament Scriptures, and in the hearts of believers, and in the spiritual reception of baptism and the Lord's supper. because the Spirit is truth-It is His essential truth which gives His witness such in fallible authority. 7. three-two or three witnesses were required by law to constitute adequate testimony. The only Greek MSS. in any form which support the words, "in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost, and these three are one; and there are three that bear witness in earth," are the Montforti anus of Dublin, copied evidently from the moders Latin Vulgate, the Ravianus, copied from the Com plutensian Polyglot; a MS. at Naples, with the words added in the margin by a recent hand; Ottobonianus, 298, of the fifteenth century, the Greck of which is a mere translation of the accompanying Latin. All the old versions omit the words. The oldest MSS. of the Vulgate omit them: the earliest Vulgate MS. which has them being Wizanburgensis, 99, of the eighth century. A scholium quoted in Matthæi, shows that the words did not arise from fraud; for in the words in all Greek MSS., "there are three that bear record," as the Scheliast notices, the word "three" is masculine, be cause the three things (the Spirit, the water, and the blood) are SYMBOLS OF THE TRINITY. To this Cyprian, 196, also refers, "Of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, it is written, And these three are one' (a unity)" There must be some mystical truth implied in using "three" (Greek) in the masculine, though the antece dents. "Spirit, water, and blood," are neuter. That THE TRINITY was the truth meant is a natural inference: the triad specified pointing to a still Higher Trinity; as is plain also from v. 9. "the witness of GOD," referring to the Trinity alluded to in the Spink water, and blood. It was therefore first written as a marginal comment to complete the sense of the te and then, as early at least as the eighth century, was introduced into the text of the Latin Vulgate. The testimony, however, could only be borne on earth t men, not in heaven. The marginal comment, there tore, that inserted "in heaven," was inapproprate It is on earth that the context evidently requires the witness of the three, the Spirit, the water, and the bird to be borne: mystically setting forth the Divine tris witnesses, the Father, the Spirit, and the Son. LUCK! notices as internal evidence against the words, Joba never uses" the Father" and "the Word" as corte lates, but, like other New Testament writers, asse

so cultivated among us, as that God should always be placed first. [CALVIN.) 3. this is-the love of God consists in this. 10: grievous-as so many think them. It is the way of the transgressor" that "is hard." What makes them to the regenerate **not grievous," is faith which" overcometh the world" (v. 4): in proportion as faith is strong, the grievousness of God's commandments to the rebellious flesh is overcome. The reason why believers feel any degree of irksomeness in God's commandments, is, they do not realize fully by faith the privileges of their spiritual life. 4. For(Note, v. 3.) The reason why His commandments are not grievous." Though there is a conflict in keeping them, the issue for the whole body of the regenerate is victory over every opposing influence; meanwhile there is a present joy to each believer in keeping them which makes them "not grievous." whatsoever-Greek, "all that is begotten of God." The neuter expresses the universal whole, or aggregate of the regenerate, regarded as one collective body: John, 3. 6; 6. 37, 59, where BENGEL remarks, that in Jesus' discourses, what the Father has given Him is called, in the singular number and neuter gender, all whatsoever; those who come to the Son are described in the masculine gender and plural number, they all, or singular, every, one. The Father has given, as it were, the whole mass to the Son, that all whom He gave may be one whole: that universal whole the Son singly evolves, in the execution of the Divine plan. overcometh-habitually. the world-all that is opposed to keeping the commandments of God, or draws us off from God, in this world, including our corrupt flesh, on which the world's blandishments or threats act, as also including Satan, the prince of this world. this is the victory that overcometh -Greek aorist: "...that hath (already) overcome the world?" the victory (where faith is) hereby is implied as having been already obtained (ch. 2. 13; 4. 4). 5. Who -"Who" else but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God"-"the Christ" (v. 17 Confirming, by a triumphant question defying all contradiction, as an undeniable fact, v. 4, that the victory which overcomes the world is faith. For it is by believing that we are made one with Jesus the Son of God, so that we partake of His victory over the world, and have dwelling in us One greater than he who is in the world (ch. 4. 4). "Survey the whole world, and show me even one of whom it can be aflirmed with truth that he overcomes the world, who is not a Christian, and endowed with this faith." [EPISCOPIUS in ALFORD.] 6. This-The Person mentioned in v. 5. This Jesus. he that came by water and blood-"by water," when His ministry was inaugurated by baptism in the Jordan, and He received the Father's testimony to His Messiahship and Divine Sonship. Cf. v. 5, "Believeth that Jesus is the Son of God," with John, 1. 33, 34, "The Spirit remaining on Him...I saw and bare record that this is the Son of God;" and v. 8. below, "There are three that bear witness in earth, the spirit, and the water, and the blood." Corresponding to this is the baptism of water and the Spirit which He has instituted as a standing seal and mean of initiatory incorporation with Him. and blood-He came by the blood of His cross" (so "by" is used. Hebrews, 9. 12: "By," i.e., with, "His own blood He entered in once into the holy place"): a fact seen and so solemnly witnessed to by John. "These two past facts in the Lord's life are this abiding testimony to us, by virtue of the permanent application to us of their cleansing and atoning power." Jesus Christates "the Son" with "the Father." and always refers -Not a mere appellation, but a solemn assertion of the Lord's Person and Messiahship. not by-Greek,"not IN the water only, but IN the water and IN (so oldest MSS. add the blood." As "by" implies the mean through, or with, which He came so "in," the element in which He came. "The" implies that the water and the blood were sacred and well-known symbols.

the Word" to "God" as its correlate, not "the Fa ther." Vigilius, at the end of the fifth century, the first who quotes the disputed words as in the tex but no Greek MS. earlier than the fifteenth is exsi with them. The term "Trinity" occurs first in third century in TERTULLIAN, adversus Prazer 8. agree in one-tend unto one result:" their sgretá