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First Letter of John - Chapter 3
- 1 The greatest sign of love the Father has given us is the gift of his Son incarnate in Jesus. This has made us
children of God; only Jesus is Son of God. We are children from God’s seed - v 9. Moreover this is not
something that will just come about on the last day, it is something that we are already, here and now. The
world cannot know God, and therefore cannot know his children, who resemble him. Being a child of God
is a new relationship with God through Jesus Christ. A new status, a new kind of living, not received by all
mankind as of right by nature, but by Christians as a gift from God. This new relationship does not say that
those without it are condemned - just in a different relationship with God.
- 2 When Christ returns, we - God’s children - will see God as he is, as we will resemble God even more
closely, we will meld into his likeness. As God’s children we bear a family likeness to God, and so looking
at God is like looking in a mirror: we see our face, but with divine characteristics. This intimate
relationship is a present reality and also part of the life to come. We will then have true knowledge of God,
and Christians prepare for this by virtuous lives in imitation of the Son. We are like God, we have
something in common with him: this something may be variously described as the Spirit, or union with God,
or a status before God. But this new close relationship is utterly incompatible with sin.
- 3 Sanctity - like Jesus - is our best preparation for being like God and for seeing him. Christians do not
escape sin, but realise that when they sin they cease to have fellowship with God. Although being children
of God is incompatible with sin, yet Christians do sin - and deceive themselves if the say they do not (1:8).
This apparent contradiction has to be dealt with. There must therefore be some new factor when Christians
sin which rescues them from estrangement with God. John does not go into this factor here, but alludes to it:
Christians purify themselves (3:3); and Christ was revealed to take away sins (3:5, Is 53:12).
- 4 Sin is the mark of iniquity, the mark of the children of Satan. There are some things we must not do, ie
sins, but also some things we must do, ie acts of love. Hence 'lawlessness'.
- 5 Just as there was no sin in Jesus -
- 6 - So no one who remains in Jesus sins; but the sinner has no intimacy with Jesus, who takes sin away.
- 7 Do not be misled by deceivers: the righteous show themselves by their righteous behaviour, just as Jesus
did. The child of God is marked by freedom from sin.
- 8 Children of the devil are marked by their sins, just as the devil is. We sin because an external force of evil,
the devil, makes us sin. Christ has rescued us from sin by overthrowing the force and destroying the works
of the devil.
- 9 Those begotten by God are children of God and do not sin, because God’s grace remains in them. John
sees our rebirth from God
- realistically - with God’s seed within us, ie the Holy Spirit, the breath of live he has given us, an almost
physical relationship. The seed is Christ or the Spirit who shares the nature of God with Christians.
- 10 So one can distinguish the children of God from the children of the devil, by their works: those who act
in righteousness are children of God; those who fail to act righteously, or who do not love their brother, do
not belong to God, but to the devil. For John sin is evil: Christians see sin as evil, but will sin in spite of
being children of God; for the secessionists sin does not affect union with God. John's teaching is fully
consistent with Paul and James: your faith will show in your behaviour. It is not enough just (!) to do right -
we must love one another as well. The opposite is not just absence of love, but hatred - there are only 2
options - light or dark, righteous and loving or sin.
- 11 Again the message (angelia) or gospel, now in terms of love - even to the point of self-sacrifice. And it is
not a new message, but the same as you heard from the beginning (of the Church). The opposite of love is
hatred, which is evil.
- 12 The stark choice between love and hatred is emphasised: hatred is murder. Hatred is the mark of the evil
one’s children, like Cain, and of his domain, ie the world. Although Genesis does not explain why Abel was
murdered, Jewish tradition (eg Wis 10:3) was that Abel was righteous because God accepted Abel's offering
but not Cain's (Gen 4:4-5). An alternative interpretation was that the serpent seduced Eve (although Genesis
clearly says 'the man' was Cain's father), so Cain was son of the devil. Hatred is a form of murder. But Jesus
conquered death by laying down his life voluntarily.
- 13 Aware of Cain killing his brother because his brother was righteous, we should not be surprised that the
world hates us out of jealousy and seeks to kill us. The righteous attract the hatred of those who are evil.
Inside the Christian community was mutual love, outside was hostility and danger of death.
- 14 Our rebirth - as different as life is from death - is shown by our love for our brothers. Proof of
Christians’ deliverance is love towards others, after Christ’s example. Not just friendliness - Christ's
example sets a new standard. Includes material acts of charity.
- 15 Hatred is like murder, and is without eternal life.
- 16 We came to know God through the love of Jesus in laying down his life for us (as the good shepherd); so
also should we show our love - not just theoretically, but practically.
- 17 Someone who has the means to help his brother and does not do so does not appear to have love in him
(aimed at wealthy/worldly secessionists?).
- 18 Sums up: love in deed and in truth, not just in word or speech.
- 19 This can refer either to v 18 or v 20: either our love in practice, or the greatness and all-seeing-ness of
God assures us that we belong to the truth, whatever our feelings at times may be. Our obedience gives us
confidence in prayer and in trust in God’s judgement. This obedience includes belief in Christ and love for
one another. The practice of love assures Christians that they are on God's side.
- 20 Humble acknowledgement that being in the truth is not our doing, but we know we belong to the truth
because we are in the hands of one who is greater than we are and who knows everything. If we are aware
of having sinned, our hearts can be easy, because God knows our weaknesses and is powerful enough to
forgive us. Not our work but his gift. Our adequate response is to act as he did in love.
- 21 If our life has been just, we can have even more confidence in God, even boldness.
- 22 Keeping God’s commandments is the supreme source of our confidence in God’s forgiveness.
- 23 But we should also believe in Jesus' name. The heart of this Epistle: his commandments can be summed
up as: believe in Jesus and love one another. This is where the secessionists are deficient: they don't believe
Jesus was the Christ, and they don't accept that sin matters. Hence the emphasis on the name of Jesus and
on love.
- 24 Keeping his commandments - believing in Jesus as Son of God and loving one another - ensures that we
remain in him, and the divine presence in us is an accomplished fact. His presence is shown - testified - by
the Spirit, given to us as promised. This new idea - the Spirit - leads to the discussion in the next chapter.