Expositor's Bible: The Epistles of St. John Part 18

SECTION V.

GREEK. LATIN.

ea? e?d?te ?t? Si scitis quoniam d??a??? est??, ????s?ete ?t? iustus est, scitote quoniam pa? ? p???? t?? d??a??s???? omnis qui facit e? a?t?? ?e?e???ta?. iust.i.tiam ex ipso natus ?dete p?tap?? a?ap?? est. Videte qualem ded??e? ??? ? pat??, ??a caritatem dedit n.o.bis te??a Te?? ?????e?, ?a? Pater ut filii Dei nominemur ese?. d?a t??t? ? ??s?? et simus.

?? ????s?e? ?a?, ?t? ??? Propter hoc mundus e??? a?t??. ??ap?t??, non novit nos, quia non ??? te??a Te?? ese?, novit eum. Carissimi, ?a? ??p? efa?e???? nunc filii Dei sumus t? es?e?a? ??dae? et nondum apparuit ?t? ea? fa?e???? quid erimus. Scimus ????? a?t? es?e?a, quoniam c.u.m apparuerit ?t? ???e?a a?t?? ?a??? similes ei erimus, est??. ?a? pa? ? e??? quoniam videbimus t?? e?p?da ta?t?? ep' eum sicuti est. Et a?t? a????e? ea?t?? omnis qui habet spem ?a??? e?e???? a???? est??. hanc in eo sanctificat se, ?a? ? p???? t?? ?a?t?a? sicut et ille sanctus est.

?a? t?? a???a? Omnis qui facit peccatum p??e?? ?a? ? aa?t?a et iniquitatem facit, est?? ? a???a. ?a? et peccatum est iniquitas.

??date ?t? e?e???? Et scitis quoniam efa?e???? ??a ta? ?a?t?a? ille apparuit ut a??, ?a? ?a?t?a e? a?t? peccata tolerit, et peccatum ??? est??. pa? ? e? a?t? in eo non est.

e??? ??? ?a?ta?e?? Omnis qui in eo manet pa? ? ?a?ta??? ??? non peccat, et omnis ???a?e? a?t?? ??de qui peccat non videt e????e? a?t??. ?a?d?a, eum nec cognovit eum.

?de?? p?a?at? ?a?? Filioli, nemo vos seducat.

? p???? t?? d??a??s???? Qui facit iust.i.tiam, d??a??? est??, ?a??? iustus est, e?e???? d??a??? est??. sicut et ille iustus est: ? p???? t?? ?a?t?a? qui facit peccatum, ex e? t?? d?a???? est??, diabolo est quoniam ?t? ap' a???? ? d?a???? ab initio diabolus ?a?ta?e?. e?? t??t? peccat. In hoc apparuit efa?e???? ? ???? t?? Filius Dei, ut Te??, ??a ??s? ta e??a dissolvat opera diaboli.

t?? d?a????. pa? ? Omnis qui natus est ?e?e???e??? e? t?? ex Deo peccatum non Te?? ?a?t?a? ?? p??e?, facit, quoniam s.e.m.e.n ?t? spe?a a?t?? e? ipsius in eo manet, et a?t? e?e?? ?a? ?? non potest peccare, d??ata? ?a?ta?e??, ?t? quoniam ex Deo natus est.

e? t?? Te?? ?e?e???ta?.

AUTHORISED VERSION. REVISED VERSION.

If ye know that He If ye know that He is righteous, ye know is righteous, ye know that every one that that every one also doeth righteousness is that doeth righteousness born of Him. Behold, is begotten of what manner of love Him. Behold, what the Father hath bestowed manner of love the upon us, that Father hath bestowed we should be called upon us, that we the sons of G.o.d: should be called children therefore the world of G.o.d: and _such_ knoweth us not, because we are. For this cause it knew Him not. the world knoweth us Beloved, now are we not, because it knew the sons of G.o.d, and it Him not. Beloved, doth not yet appear now are we children what we shall be: but of G.o.d, and it is not we know that, when yet made manifest He shall appear, we what we shall be. We shall be like Him; for know that, if He shall we shall see Him as He be manifested, we shall is. And every man be like Him; for we that hath this hope in shall see Him even as Him purifieth himself, He is. And every one even as He is pure. that hath this hope _set_ Whosoever committeth on Him purifieth himself, sin transgresseth also even as He is the law: for sin is the pure. Every one that transgression of the doeth sin doeth also law. And ye know lawlessness: and sin that He was manifested is lawlessness. And to take away our sins; ye know that He was and in Him is no sin. manifested to take Whosoever abideth in away sins; and in Him sinneth not: whosoever Him is no sin. Whosoever sinneth hath abideth in Him not seen Him, neither sinneth not: whosoever known Him. Little sinneth hath not children, let no man seen Him, neither deceive you: he that knoweth Him. _My_ doeth righteousness is little children, let no righteous, even as He man lead you astray: is righteous. He that he that doeth righteousness committeth sin is of the is righteous, devil; for the devil even as He is righteous; sinneth from the beginning. he that doeth sin For this purpose is of the devil; for the the Son of G.o.d devil sinneth from the was manifested, that beginning. To this He might destroy the end was the Son of works of the devil. G.o.d manifested, that Whosoever is born of He might destroy the G.o.d doth not commit works of the devil.

sin: for His seed remaineth Whosoever is begotten in him: and of G.o.d doeth no sin, he cannot sin, because because His seed he is born of G.o.d. abideth in him; and he cannot sin, because he is begotten of G.o.d.

ANOTHER VERSION.

If ye know that He is righteous, ye are aware that every one who is doing righteousness is born of Him. Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us that we should be called children of G.o.d;--and we are.

Because of this the world knoweth us because it knew not Him. Beloved, now are we children of G.o.d, and it never yet was manifested what we shall be; but we know that if it shall be manifested we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is. And everyone that hath this hope _fixed_ on Him is ever purifying himself even as He is pure. Every one that is doing sin, is also doing lawlessness; and, _indeed_, sin is lawlessness.

And ye know that He was manifested that He should take away sins; and sin in Him is not. Whosoever abideth in Him is not sinning; every one that is sinning hath not seen Him neither hath known Him.

Little children, let no man mislead you; he that is doing righteousness is righteous, even as He is righteous: he that is doing sin is of the devil, because the devil is continually sinning from the beginning.

Unto this end the Son of G.o.d was manifested that He might destroy the works of the devil.

Whosoever is born of G.o.d is not doing sin for his seed abideth in Him, and he is not able to be sinning, because he is born of G.o.d.

NOTES.

Ch. ii. 29, iii. 9.

III. ver. 2. "_Hope fixed in Him_" or "_on_ Him."] The English reader should note the capital letter; not hope in our hearts, but hope unfastened from self. ?p? s?? ????e ??p?sa, is the LXX. translation of Psalm x.x.x. 1.

_Is ever purifying himself._] "See how he does not do away with freewill; for he says _purifies himself_. Who purifies us but G.o.d? Yet G.o.d does not purify you when you are unwilling; therefore in joining your will to G.o.d you purify yourself." (St. Augustine _in loc._)

_We shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is._] "So then we are about to see a certain sight, excelling all beauties of the earth; the beauty of gold, silver, forest, fields--the beauty of sea and air, sun and moon--the beauty of stars--the beauty of angels. Aye, excelling all these, because all these are beautiful only for _it_.

What, therefore, shall we be when we shall see all these? What is promised? _We shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is._ The tongue hath spoken as it could; let the rest be thought over by the heart" (St. Augustine _in loc._). Cf. 2 Cor. iii. 18. "As the whole body, face, above all eyes of those who look towards the sun are _sunnied_" (insolantur).--_Bengel._

Ver. 3. The ample stores of English divinity contain two sermons, one excellent, one beautiful, upon this verse. The first is by Paley; it is founded upon the leading thought, which he expresses with his usual manly common sense. "There are a cla.s.s of Christians to whom the admonition of the text is peculiarly necessary. Finding it an easier thing to do good than to expel sins which cleave to their hearts, their affections, or their imaginations; they set their endeavours more towards _beneficence_ than _purity_. Doing good is not the whole of our duty, nor the most difficult part of it. In particular it is not that part of it which is insisted upon in our text." (Paley, Sermon XLIII.) But the second sermon is perhaps the finest which ever came from the pen of South, and he throws into it the full power of his heart and intellect. The bare a.n.a.lysis is this:--

Is it indeed possible for a man to "purify himself"? There is a twofold work of purification. (1) The infusing of the habit of purity into the soul (regeneration or conversion). In this respect, no man can purify himself. (2) The other work of purification is exercising that habit or grace of purity. "G.o.d who made, and since new made us, without ourselves, will not yet save us without ourselves." But again, how can a man purify himself to that degree _even as Christ is pure_?

_Even as_ denotes similitude of kind, not equality of degree. We are to purify ourselves from the _power_ of sin, and from the _guilt_ of sin. Purification from the _power_ of sin consists in these things.

(1) A continually renewed repentance. Every day, every hour, may afford matter for penitential sorrow. "A fountain of sin may well require a fountain of sorrow." Converting repentance must be followed by daily repentance. (2) Purifying ourselves consists in vigilant prevention of acts of sin for the future. The means of effecting this are these. (_a_) Opposing the very first risings of the heart to sin.

"The bees may be at work, and very busy within, though we see none of them fly abroad." (_b_) Severe mortifying duties, such as watchings and fastings. (_c_) Frequent and fervent prayer. "A praying heart naturally turns into a purified heart." We are to purify ourselves, also, from the _guilt_ of sin. (1) Negatively. No duty or work within our power to perform can take away the guilt of sin. Those who think so, understand neither "the fiery strictness of the law, nor the spirituality of the Gospel." (2) That which alone can purify us from the _guilt_ of sin is applying the virtue of the blood of Christ to the soul by renewed acts of faith. "It is that alone that is able to wash away the deep stain, and to change the hue of the spiritual Ethiopian." The last consideration is--how the life of heaven and future glory has such a sovereign influence upon this work? [This portion of the sermon falls far below the high standard of the rest, and entirely loses the spirit of St. John's thought.] South's _Sermons_. (Sermon 72, pp. 594-616.)

Ver. 6. _That He might destroy the works of the devil._] The word here used for Satan (d?a????) is found in John vii. 70, viii. 44, xiii. 2; Apoc. ii. 10, xii. 9, 12, xx. 2, 10. One cla.s.s of miracles is not specifically recorded by St. John in his Gospel--the dispossession of demoniacs. Probably this terrible affliction was less common in Jerusalem than in Galilee. But the idea of possession is not foreign to his mode of thought. John vi. 70, viii. 44, 48, x. 20, xiii. 27. He here points to the dispossessions, so many of which are recorded by the Synoptics.

III. ver. 9. His _seed abideth in him_.] Of these words only two interpretations appear to be fairly possible. (1) The first would understand "His seed" as "_G.o.d's seed_," the stock or family of His children who are the true ??????? ????, _seed of G.o.d_ (Mal. ii. 15). In favour of this interpretation it may be urged: first, that "seed" in the sense of "children, posterity, any one's entire stock and filiation," in perhaps nearly two hundred pa.s.sages of the LXX., is the Greek rendering of many different Hebrew words. (See spe?a in Num. xxiv. 20; Deut. xxv.

1; Jer. l. 16; Gen. iii. 15; Isa. xiv. 20, 30, xv. 9; Num. xxiii. 10; 2 Chron. xiv. 27.) Secondly, no inapt meaning is given in the present text by so understanding the word. "He is unable to go on in sin, for _G.o.d's_ true stock and family (they who are true to the majesty of their birth) abide in Him." (2) But a second meaning appears preferable. "Seed"

(spe?a) would then be understood as a metaphorical application of the grain in the vegetable world which contains the possible germ of the future plant or tree; and would signify the possibility, or germinal principle, given by the Holy Spirit to the soul in regeneration. For this signification in our pa.s.sage there is a strong argument, which we have not seen adverted to, in St. John's mode of language and of thought. "His seed abideth in him" (spe?a a?t?? e? a?t? e?e?) is really a quotation from the LXX. (?? t? spe?a a?t?? e? a?t?--note the repet.i.tion of the words Gen. i. 11, 12). Now the Book of Genesis seems to have been the part of the Old Testament which (with the Psalms) was chiefly in St. John's mind in the Epistle. (Cf. 1 John i. 1, Gen. i.

1.--iii. 8, Gen. ii.--iii. 12, Gen. iv. 8--iii. 15, Gen. xxvii. 41.) St.

John, also, connects the new birth of the sons of G.o.d, as did our Lord, with the birth of the creation, whose first germ was "the Spirit of G.o.d moving upon the face of the waters" (Gen. i. 2; John iii. 5). This parallel between the first creation and the second, between creation and regeneration, has always commended itself to profound Christian exegesis as being deeply set in the mind of Scripture. Witness the magnificent lines.

Plebs ut sacra renascatur, Per Hunc unda consecratur, Cui super ferebatur In rerum exordium.

Fons, origo pietatis, Fons emundans a peccatis, Fons de fonte Deitatis, Fons sacrator fontium!

Adam of St. Victor, Seq. xx., _Pentecoste_.

It is instructive, to study the treatment of our Lord's words (John iii. 5) by a commentator so little mystical as Professor Westcott. St.

John, then, might point at this as another hint of regeneration in the parable of creation, viewed spiritually. The world of vegetation in Genesis is divided into two cla.s.ses. (1) _Herbs_ ?????? = all gra.s.ses and plants which "_yield seed_." (2) _Trees_ ?????? ??? = shrubs and arboreous plants which have their seed enclosed in their fruit (Gen.

i. 11, 12) Such are the plants of G.o.d's planting in His garden. Of each the "seed" from which he sprung, and which he will reproduce unless he becomes barren and blighted, "is in him." "He cannot sin."

It is against the basis of his new nature. Of the new creation as of the old, the law is--"his seed is in him."

The rest of this verse is interpreted in the Discourse upon 1 John v. 4.

SECTION VI.

GREEK. LATIN.

?? t??t? fa?e?a est?? In hoc manifesti sunt ta te??a t?? Te?? ?a? filii Dei et filii diaboli.

ta te??a t?? d?a????. Omnis qui non est ?a? ? ? p???? d??a??s???? iustus non est ex Deo, ??? est?? e? t?? et qui non diligit Te??, ?a? ? ? a?ap?? fratrem suum; quoniam t?? ade?f?? a?t??? ?t? haec est adnuntiatio a?t? est?? ? a??e??a quam audistis ab ?? ????sate ap' a????, initio, ut diligamus alterutrum, ??a a?ap?e? a???????? non sicut ?? ?a??? ?a?? e? t?? Cain ex maligno erat, p?????? ?? ?a? esfa?e et occidit fratrem suum.

t?? ade?f?? a?t??? ?a? Et propter quid occidit ?a??? t???? esfa?e? eum? quoniam opera a?t??; ?t? ta e??a eius maligna erant, a?t?? p????a ??, ta fratris autem eius de t?? ade?f?? a?t?? iusta. Nolite mirari d??a?a. ? ?a?a?ete, fratres si odit nos ade?f??, e? ?se? ?a? ? mundus. Nos scimus ??s??. ?e?? ??dae? quoniam translati ?t? etae??ae? e? sumus de morte in t?? ?a?at?? e?? t?? vitam, quoniam diligimus ????, ?t? a?ap?e? fratres: qui non t??? ade?f???? ? ? diligit, manet in morte.

a?ap?? e?e?. e? t? Omnis qui odit fratrem ?a?at?? pa? ? ?s?? suum homicida est, et t?? ade?f?? a?t?? scitis quoniam omnis a????p??t???? est??? ?a? homicida non habet ??date ?t? pa? a????p??t???? vitam aeternam in se ??? e?e? ???? manentem. In hoc a?????? e? a?t? e???sa?. cognovimus caritatem ?? t??t? e????ae? Dei, quoniam ille pro t?? a?ap??, ?t? n.o.bis animam suam e?e???? ?pe? ??? t?? posuit: et nos debemus ????? a?t?? e???e? ?a? pro fratribus animas ?e?? ?fe???e? ?pe? ponere. Qui habuerit t?? ade?f?? ta? ???a? substantiam mundi et ?e??a?. ?? d' ?? e?? viderit fratrem suum t?? ??? t?? ??s?? necesse habere et ?a? ?e??? t?? ade?f?? clauserit viscera sua ab a?t?? ??e?a? e???ta ?a? eo, quomodo caritas ??e?s? ta sp?a???a Dei manet in eo?

a?t?? ap' a?t??, p?? Filioli non diligamus ? a?ap? t?? Te?? e?e? verbo nec lingua sed e? a?t?; te???a ? opere et veritate. In a?ap?e? ???? ?de hoc cognovimus quoniam ???ss?, a??' e??? ?a? ex veritate a???e?a. ?a? e? t??t? sumus: et in conspectu ????s?e? ?t? e? t?? eius suademus corda a???e?a? ese?, ?a? nostra, quoniam si ep??s?e? a?t?? pe?s?e? reprehenderit nos cor ta? ?a?d?a? ???? nostrum, major est ?t? ea? ?ata????s?? Deus corde nostro ??? ? ?a?d?a, ?t? et novit omnia. Carissimi e???? est?? ? Te?? si cor nostrum t?? ?a?d?a? ???, ?a? non reprehenderit nos, ????s?e? pa?ta. a?ap?t??, fiduciam habemus ad ea?, ? ?a?d?a Deum, et quodc.u.mque ??? ? ?ata????s?? petierimus accipiemus ???, pa???s?a? e??e? abeo, quoniam mandata p??? t?? Te??, ?a? ? eius custodemus et ea ea? a?t?e?, ?aa??e? quae sunt placita coram pa?' a?t??, ?t? ta? eo facimus. Et hoc e?t??a? a?t?? t????e?, est mandatum eius ut ?a? ta a?esta e??p??? credamus in nomine a?t?? p??s?e?. ?a? filii eius Iesu Christi a?t? est?? ? e?t??? et diligamus alterutrum a?t??, ??a p?ste?s?e? sicut dedit mandatum t? ???at? t?? ???? n.o.bis. Et qui servat a?t?? ??s?? ???st??, mandata eius, in illo ?a? a?ap?e? a???????, manet et ipse in eo: et ?a??? ed??e? e?t????. in hoc scimus quoniam ?a? ? t???? ta? manet in n.o.bis, de e?t??a? a?t??, e? a?t? spiritu quem dedit e?e?, ?a? a?t?? e? a?t?. n.o.bis.

?a? e? t??t? ????s??e?

?t? e?e? e? ???, e?

t?? ??e?at?? ?? ???

ed??e?.

AUTHORISED VERSION. REVISED VERSION.

In this the children In this the children of G.o.d are manifest, of G.o.d are manifest, and the children of the and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness not righteousness is is not of G.o.d, neither not of G.o.d, neither he he that loveth not his that loveth not his brother. For this is brother. For this is the message that ye the message which ye heard from the beginning, heard from the beginning, that we should that we should love one another. Not love one another: not as Cain, _who_ was of as Cain was of the evil that wicked one, and one, and slew his slew his brother. And brother. And wherefore wherefore slew he slew he him?

him? Because his own Because his works works were evil, and were evil, and his his brother's righteous. brother's righteous.

Marvel not, my brethren, Marvel not, brethren, if the world hate if the world hateth you. We know that you. We know that we have pa.s.sed from we have pa.s.sed out of death unto life, because death into life, because we love the brethren. we love the brethren.

He that loveth not _his_ He that loveth not brother abideth in abideth in death.

death. Whosoever Whosoever hateth his hateth his brother is a brother is a murderer: murderer: and ye know and ye know that no that no murderer hath murderer hath eternal eternal life abiding in life abiding in him.

him. Hereby perceive Hereby know we love, we the love _of G.o.d_, because He laid down because He laid down His life for us: and we His life for us: and ought to lay down our we ought to lay down lives for the brethren.