1 João 3
Bob Utley · Citado em PreceptAustin
1 João 3:15
Utley says it this way "The significance of this is that there are no exceptions to what John is saying. There are only two kinds of people, lovers and haters. John sees life in black or white terms, no pastels." The identification/interpretation of the pronoun everyone is not as easy as you might think! If one reads the text literally and lets God say through John what He says, the interpretation seems very clear. However some commentators interpret this everyone as a genuine believer while others interpret this as one who professes belief but this person is not a genuine believer! Can you see the theological "chasm" this creates! Such diametrically different interpretations of the one word everyone results in diametrically opposite interpretations of the meaning of the critical concluding statement no murderer has eternal life abiding in him! Those who say everyone includes believers say if a believer has continual hatred in their heart toward a brother, they are "non-abiding believers" (Constable). In other words, they feel John is describing not tests of one's salvation (as John sums up in 1Jn 5:13+) but tests for whether a believer is out of fellowship. I highly respect Ray Stedman but strongly disagree with his interpretation that "the eternal life which Christ has given is no longer in control of that individual (THUS STEDMAN INTERPRETS "EVERYONE" AS A BELIEVER), it is no longer "abiding" in him." Grant Richison another one who favors everyone as including believers explains it this way - "The word “whoever” here refers to Christians, carnal Christians (ED: OH MY! See how this term "carnal" is abused and misused). A Christian can murder and even a fellow Christian at that, according to this verse. Note John’s use of “brother” in this phrase. (NOTE: Richison even interprets "He who does not love abides in death" in 1Jn 3:14 as "A Christian operating in the carnality of attitudinal murder abides in “death”" even though the clear context is "we have passed out of death into life"!) Thomas
1 João 3:18
Utley adds that " The deed and motives must both be motivated by self-giving love (God’s love) and not just be showy deeds that feed the ego of the provider or giver." Truth (225)(aletheia) is that which is seen or expressed as it really is. Truth is the correspondence between a reality and a declaration which professes to describe the reality. Words spoken are true when they correspond with objective reality. Persons are true when they correspond with their profession. ALETHEIA IN JOHN'S EPISTLES - 1 Jn. 1:6; 1 Jn. 1:8; 1 Jn. 2:4; 1 Jn. 2:21; 1 Jn. 3:18; 1 Jn. 3:19; 1 Jn. 4:6; 1 Jn. 5:6; 2 Jn. 1:1; 2 Jn. 1:2; 2 Jn. 1:3; 2 Jn. 1:4; 3 Jn. 1:1; 3 Jn. 1:3; 3 Jn. 1:4; 3 Jn. 1:8; 3 Jn. 1:12 IN TRUTH AND WORDS - Talk is cheap, so unsubstantiated claims (mere word or speech) are worthless. Faith not accompanied by love for others (shown in truth and action) is worthless. Anyone can claim to have faith, but if his or her lifestyle remains selfish and worldly, then what good are the words and speeches? True love expressed in action is the fruit of a living faith. If a person claims to be a believer, has possessions to offer, sees a brother or sister in need, and still refuses to help, that person shows a lack of God’s love. 1, 2, & 3 John - Page 77 Jesus said: Matthew 5:16 Matthew 6:3–4 Matthew 6:19–21 Paul said: 1 Timothy 2:10 1 Timothy 6:17–18 Titus 3:8 James said : James 2:15–17 Peter said: 1 Peter 2:12, 15 John said: 1 John 3:18 Hiebert writes that “Truth here possibly may mean no more than “in reality” as contrasted to mere appearance, for deeds may be hypocritical. But probably “truth” here carries its usual fuller Johannine meaning as being in accord with the divine truth in Christ (cf. John 4:24, “in spirit and in truth”). The truth of God which begets love in the believer must also govern and direct his outward expression of love. Daniel Akin adds that "The quality of truth is added because even actions can be hypocritical. The objective reality of love is that it expresses itself in one’s actions. As Brown paraphrases, “Let us love, not by word of mouth but by real deeds.”" (ED comment: The deed must be motivated by Spirit enabled, selfless love and not for show or pretence.) (1, 2, 3 John - Page 161) NET Note on truth - Words are produced by the tongue, and the (righteous) deeds with which believers are to love one another are produced by the truth. David Allen - use of “truth” here is probably an idiom that means “actually” or “really.” Another option is to take the phrase as meaning "deeds that are produced in truth." Our love should be genuinely demonstrated in action. 91–3 John: Fellowship in God's Family) John Stott - Actions speak louder than words. Essentially love is neither sentiment nor talk, but deeds. If our love is to be genuine (in truth), it will inevitably be positive and constructive (with actions). (Borrow The Letters of John page 148) Warren
1 João 3:20
Utley - All believers have experienced inner grief over not living up to the “standard” that they know is God’s will for their lives. Those pains of conscience can be from God’s Spirit (to cause repentance) or Satan (to cause self-destruction or loss of witness). This is both appropriate guilt and inappropriate guilt. Believers know the difference by reading God’ book (or hearing His messengers). John is trying to console believers who are living by the standard of love but still struggling with sin (both commission and omission). A “condemning heart” is one that robs a believer of peace. An “accusing conscience” is another way to describe it. Warren Wiersbe (POSITIVE INTERPRETATION) - A “condemning heart” is one that robs a believer of peace. An “accusing conscience” is another way to describe it. Sometimes the heart accuses us wrongly, because it “is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it?” (Jer. 17:9) The answer to that question is, “God knows the heart!” More than one Christian has accused himself falsely, or been harder on himself than necessary; but God will never make such a mistake. A Christian who walks in love has a heart open to God (“God is love”) and knows that God never judges wrongly.....No Christian should treat sin lightly, but no Christian should be harder on himself than God is. There is a morbid kind of self-examination and self-condemnation that is not spiritual. (Bible Exposition Commentary) Glenn Barker (POSITIVE INTERPRETATION) - His readers, like all others, know how easily the conscience can render us ineffective. Doubt, guilt, and failure are never far from any of us. Sometimes our misgivings are the result of our own actions or inactions. Sometimes it is the “accuser” who seizes our weaknesses and shortcomings and so elevates them that we wonder whether we can really be in the truth. What then can we do? We can remember that God understands everything. His word and his truth are greater than our feelings or our conscience. We may rest ourselves in his love for us and live in that love and by that love. We will not excuse ourselves of any sin, but neither will we needlessly accuse ourselves (cf. 1 Cor 4:3–5). (see The Expositor's Bible Commentary - Abridged Edition) Spurgeon here seems to favor a positive interpretation - "Sometimes our heart condemns us, but, in doing so, it gives a wrong verdict, and then we have the satisfaction of being able to take the case into a higher court, for 'God is greater than our heart, and knows all things.'" Condemns (2607)(kataginosko) is in the present tense which pictures continual condemnation. Perhaps you are one who has a sensitive conscience and like all of us have fallen short of God's standard, especially His high standard of demonstrating love to your brethren, and so you find your conscience continually condemns you, calling you guilty of breaking God's command to love one another. If that is you (and even as I wrote the notes on 1Jn 3:11-18 I truly had to question the reality of demonstration of my agape love for my brethren), then these verses are for you dearly beloved of the Most High God. Memorize them so the Spirit might be able to bring them to your mind the next time the evil one accuses your heart! Remember that Jesus fought off the temptations of the devil by being filled with the Spirit (Lk 4:1 "full of the Holy Spirit", cp Lk 4:14, Acts 10:38) and filled with the Word ("It is written" - Mt 4:4, 7, 10; Lk 4:4, 8, 10 - And Jesus did not have an Ipod to look up the passages! They were hidden in His heart - Ps 119:9-11 And remember the devil knows the word and tried to trip him up by quoting it out of context - Mt 4:6. We must know the Word - Eph 6:17!), and He is our pattern for the victorious Christian life (cp 1Cor 11:1, 1Jn 2:6, 1Pe 2:21). To fail to memorize (no legalism intended) is to fail in part to follow our Master's example and walk in His steps! See Memorizing His Word and Memory Verses by Topic. The context would seem to support the positive interpretation inasmuch as John was trying to encourage the believers, not discourage them. Cornerstone (see The Gospel of John, 1-3 John - Page 355) - Even if we feel guilty, God is greater than our feelings, and he knows everything… this statement has two possible interpretations—one positive and one negative, each depending on how the expression “God is greater than our feelings [lit., hearts]” is understood. The positive interpretation is that the believer can take consolation in God’s beneficent greatness (cf. Brooke 1912:100; Stott 2000:150–152). The negative interpretation is that the believer should recognize that God, who is greater than us, would echo any condemnation and do so in greater fashion (cf. Alford 1976:4.479–481). The context would seem to support the positive interpretation inasmuch as John was trying to encourage the believers, not discourage them. Certain scholars would repunctuate 1Jn 3:19–20 to make it even clearer that John intended a positive interpretation. Burge (1996:164), following Marshall (1978:198), suggests this format: 1 Jn 3:19a: “In this [the love and obedience we exhibit, 1Jn 3:11–18] we will know that we are of the truth.” 1 Jn 3:19b-20: “We will reassure our hearts in his presence whenever our hearts condemn us, because (1) God is greater than our hearts, and (2) God knows all things.” Paul assured the believers in Rome that they would experience "no condemnation" and "no separation" Ro 8:1+ There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. Ro 8:31-39+ What then shall we say to these things? If God [is] for us, who [is] against us? 32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things? 33 Who will bring a charge against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies; 34 who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 Just as it is written, “FOR THY SAKE WE ARE BEING PUT TO DEATH ALL DAY LONG; WE WERE CONSIDERED AS SHEEP TO BE SLAUGHTERED.” 37 But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Chuck Smith - As a Christian we should not live in condemnation. Jesus said that He did not come into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. The woman taken in the act of adultery. The woman at the well. The prostitute that washed His feet with her tears. If a person has come to Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins, those sins are forgiven, and there is no condemnation. This is a difficult truth for many people to grasp. Before receiving forgiveness there was such great conviction, as David said, "My sin was ever before me." (If Our Heart Condemns Us) John Wesley describes how the conscience functions in three ways: “First. It is a witness, testifying to what we have done in thought, or word, or action. Secondly. It is a judge, passing sentence on what we have done, that it is good or evil. And, thirdly, it, in some sort, executes the sentence, by occasioning a degree of complacency in him that does well, and a degree of uneasiness in him that does evil.” (From his sermon On Conscience) Ray
1 João 3:21
Utley - This is a THIRD CLASS CONDITIONAL SENTENCE. Christians still struggle with sin and self (cf. 1Jn 2:1; 5:16–17). They still face temptations and act inappropriately in specific situations. Often their conscience condemns them. As a Methodist hymn (unknown title and author) states: “And none, O Lord, has perfect rest, For none is wholly free from sin; And they who faint would serve Thee best Are conscious most of wrong within.” A knowledge of the gospel, a sweet fellowship with Jesus, a yieldedness to the Spirit’s leading and the Father’s omniscience calm our hearts of dust! Glenn Barker has an excellent summary of 1 John 3:21 - Christians are called to fellowship with God (1:3; 2:24). But if they are guilt-ridden and conscience-stricken, rather than seeking that fellowship or enjoying it, they will flee the presence of God. They will be unable to abide in Him or claim their position as “His children.” Nor will they dare seek answers to prayer that He alone can provide. On the other hand, those who have His peace in their hearts will have “confidence”(parrhesia) not only at His appearing (1Jn 2:28+) but in the ordinary here-and-now relationship to the Father especially as it involves prayer. (Borrow The Expositor's Bible Commentary page 1098) Sam Storms - the assurance of salvation (1Jn 3:19-20+) issues in a confident and fruitful prayer life for those who are obedient - 1Jn 3:21-23… Simply put, as long as doubt or misgiving reigns in our hearts, it will be difficult, if not impossible, to boldly approach God in prayer. However, if we will but set our hearts at rest in the ways John has prescribed (1Jn 3:19-20), then we shall be able to approach the Lord with boldness, a boldness that is expressed in making requests of him (1Jn 3:21). (First John 3:10b-24) David Allen - 1 John 3:19, 20 functions as the reason for 1Jn 3:21, 22. There are two reasons that assure us we are truly believers. The first is our awareness of the love God has placed in us (1Jn 3:19a). The second is our awareness of the grace of God that accepts our humanness because Christ knows our motives (1Jn 3:20b). On this basis, God is greater than our conscience, and there is no need for fear and trepidation when we approach God. (SEE 1–3 John: Fellowship in God's Family). John