Pastors Jim and Marie Watt
1 John 3:1-24 “GOD’S LOVE IN DIVINE FELLOWSHIP”
A. 3:1-12 THE PRODUCTION OF GOD’S LOVE
1. 3:1-3 PURITY IS PRODUCED
a. 3:1a PROOF OF GOD’S AMAZING LOVE: OUR SONSHIP
Ide-te po-taMEN aGApen DEdo-ken heMIN ho paTER,
Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed upon us,
HIna TEKna TheOU kleTHOmen [2563]; kai es-men.
that we should be called children of God; and we are.
b. 3:1b RESULT: LIKE GOD, WE ARE UNKNOWN TO WORLD
diA TOUto ho KOSmos ou giNOSkei heMAS,
For this cause the world knows us not,
HOti ouk EGno auTON.
because it knew him not.
c. 3:2a OUR PRESENT STATE: NOT VISIBLY APPARENT
A-ga-peTOI, nun TEKna TheOU es-men,
Beloved, now are we children of God,
kai OUpo e-pha-neROthe [5319] ti eSOme-tha.
and it is not yet manifested what we shall be.
d. 3:2b CHRIST’S MANIFESTATION: THE KEY TO OUR GLORIFICATION
OIda-men HOti, eAN pha-ne-roTHE, HOmoi-oi auTO eSOme-tha;
We know that, if he shall be manifested, we shall be like him;
HOti oPSOme-tha auTON kaTHOS es-tin.
for we shall see him even as he is.
e. 3:3 THIS IS THE HOPE THAT PURIFIES
kai pas ho Echon ten elPIda [1680] TAUten ep’ auTO hagNIzei [48] he-auTON,
And every one that has this :hope on him purifies himself,
kaTHOS eKEInos hagNOS [53] es-tin.
even as HE is pure.
2. 3:4-8 SINLESSNESS IS PRODUCED
a. 3:4 DEFINITION OF SIN: LAWLESSNESS
Pas ho poiON ten ha-marTIan kai ten a-noMIan [458] poiEI;
Every one that does :sin does also :lawlessness;
kai he ha-marTIa esTIN he a-noMIa.
and :sin is :lawlessness.
b. 3:5 PURPOSE OF JESUS’ FIRST MANIFESTATION: TO REMOVE SIN
kai OIda-te HOti eKEInos e-pha-neROthe HIna tas ha-marTIas Are [142];
And you know that he was manifested to take away :sins;
kai ha-marTIa en auTO ouk EStin.
and in him is no sin.
c. 3:6 THE SECRET AND PENALTY FOR SIN
pas ho en auTO MEnon ouch ha-marTAnei:
Whoever abides in him sins not:
pas ho ha-marTAnon ouch heOra-ken auTON,
Every one that does sin has not seen him,
ouDE EGno-ken auTON.
neither has known him.
d. 3:7-8a CONTRASTING EFFECTS OF THE RIGHTEOUS AND SINNERS
TekNIa [5038], meDEIS plaNAto [4105] huMAS:
Little children, let no one lead you astray:
ho poiON ten di-kai-oSUnen DIkaiOS es-tin, kaTHOS eKEInos DIkaiOS es-tin:
who does :righteousness is righteous, even as HE is righteous:
ho poiON ten ha-marTIan ek tou di-aBOlou [1228] esTIN;
8 who does :sin is of the devil;
HOti ap’ arCHES ho diAbo-los ha-marTAnei.
for the devil sins from the beginning.
e. 3:8b PURPOSE OF JESUS’ MANIFESTATION: DESTROY WORKS OF DEVIL
eis TOUto e-pha-neROthe ho huiOS tou TheOU,
To this end was the Son of :God manifested,
HIna LUse [3089] ta ERga [2041] tou di-aBOlou.
that he might destroy the works of the devil.
3. 3:9-12 LOVE OF THE BRETHREN IS PRODUCED
a. 3:9 RESULT OF NEW BIRTH: NO SIN!
Pas ho ge-gen-neMEnos [1080] ek tou TheOU ha-marTIan ou poiEI,
Every one born of :God does no sin,
HOti SPERma [4690] auTOU en auTO MEnei:
because his seed abides in him:
kai ou DUna-tai ha-marTAnein [264], HOti ek tou TheOU geGENne-tai [1080].
and he cannot sin, because he is begotten of :God.
b. 3:10 DIFFERENCE BETWEEN TWO KINGDOMS: DEVIL’S CHILDREN SIN
en TOUto pha-neRA es-tin ta TEKna tou TheOU,
In this the children of :God are manifest,
kai ta TEKna tou di-aBOlou:
and the children of the :devil:
pas ho me poiON di-kai-oSUnen ouk EStin ek tou TheOU,
Every one that does not righteousness is not of :God,
kai ho me a-gaPON ton a-delPHON auTOU.
neither he that loves not his :brother.
c. 3:11-12a THE MESSAGE: LOVE – NOT MURDER
HOti HAUte esTIN he ag-geLIa [31] hen eKOUsa-te ap’ arCHES,
Because this is the message which you heard from the beginning,
HIna a-gaPOmen alLElous:
that we should love one another:
ou kaTHOS KaIN ek tou po-neROU [4190] en, kai ESpha-xen [4969] ton a-delPHON auTOU.
12 not as Cain was of the evil one, and slew his :brother.
d. 3:12b WHY DID CAIN KILL?
kai CHArin TInos ESpha-xen auTON?
And wherefore slew he him?
e. 3:12c JEALOUSY OF WORKS OF FAITH
HOti ta ERga auTOU po-neRA en, ta de tou a-delPHOU auTOU DIkai-a.
Because his :works were evil, and his :brother’s righteous.
1. 3:13-15 LOVE PROVES POSSESSION OF ETERNAL LIFE
a. 3:13 NO SURPRISE THAT WORLD HATES CHRISTIANS
Me thauMAze-te [2296], a-delPHOI, ei miSEI [3404] huMAS ho KOSmos.
Marvel not, brothers, if the world hates you.
b. 3:14a LOVE OF BRETHREN: PROOF OF PASSAGE FROM DEATH TO LIFE
heMEIS OIda-men HOti me-ta-beBEka-men [3327] ek tou thaNAtou [2288] eis ten zoEN,
WE know that we have passed out of :death into :life,
HOti a-gaPOmen tous a-delPHOUS.
because we love the brethren.
c. 3:14b DEATH: RESULT OF LACK OF LOVE
ho me a-gaPON MEnei en to thaNAto.
Who loves not abides in :death.
d. 3:15 RESULT OF HATRED: NO ETERNAL LIFE FOR THE MURDERER
pas ho miSON ton a-delPHON auTOU an-thro-pokTOnos [443] esTIN:
Whoever hates his :brother is a murderer:
kai OIda-te HOti pas an-thro-pokTOnos ouk Echei zoEN aiOni-on en auTO MEnou-san.
and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.
2. 3:16-18 LOVE PROVES ITSELF BY ACTION
a. 3:16 LOVE: LED TO CHRIST’S DEATH, AND LEADS TO OUR MARTYRDOM
En TOUto egNOka-men ten aGApen,
Hereby know we :love,
HOti eKEInos huPER heMON ten psuCHEN [5590] auTOU Ethe-ken [5087]:
because HE laid down his :life for us:
kai heMEIS oPHEIla-men huPER ton a-delPHON tas psuCHAS THEInai.
and we ought to lay down our :lives for the brethren.
b. 3:17 LACK OF LOVE: CAUSES HELP TO BE WITHHELD
hos d’ ’AN Eche ton BIon [979] tou KOSmou,
But whoso has the goods of the world,
kai the-oRE ton a-delPHON auTOU CHREIan Echon-ta,
and beholds his :brother in need,
kai KLEIse [2808] ta SPLAGCHna [4698] auTOU ap’ auTOU,
and shuts up his :compassion from him,
pos he aGApe tou TheOU MEnei en auTO?
how does the love of :God abide in him?
c. 3:18 METHOD OF LOVE: ACTION IN DEED AND TRUTH
TekNIa, me a-gaPOmen LOgo [3056],
Little children, let us not love in word,
meDE te GLOSse [1100]; alLA en ERgo [2041] kai a-leTHEIa [225].
neither with the tongue; but in deed and truth.
3. 3:19-24 LOVE PROVES ITSELF BY OBEDIENCE
a. 3:19-20 WALK SO AS NOT TO HAVE CONDEMNATION
En TOUto gnoSOme-tha HOti ek tes a-leTHEIas esMEN,
Hereby shall we know that we are of the truth,
kai EMpros-then auTOU PEIso-men [3982] ten karDIan heMON:
and shall assure our :heart before him:
HOti eAN ka-ta-giNOSke heMON he karDIa,
20 because if our :heart condemn us,
HOti MEIzon esTIN ho TheOS tes karDIas heMON,
:God is greater than our :heart,
kai giNOSkei PANta.
and knows all things.
b. 3:21-22 ANSWER TO PRAYER: RESULT OF NO CONDEMNATION
A-ga-peTOI, eAN he karDIa me ka-ta-giNOSke [2607],
Beloved, if the heart condemn not,
par-reSIan [3954] Echo-men pros ton TheON;
we have boldness toward :God;
kai ho an aiTOmen lamBAno-men ap’ auTOU,
22 and whatever we ask we receive of him,
HOti tas en-toLAS [1785] auTOU teROUmen
because we keep his :commandments
kai ta a-resTA [701] eNOpi-on auTOU poiOUmen.
and do the things pleasing in his sight.
c. 3:23 CHRIST COMMANDS BROTHERLY-LOVE AND FAITH
kai HAUte es-TIN he en-toLE auTOU,
And this is his :commandment,
HIna pisTEUso-men to oNOma-ti tou huiOU auTOU ’IeSOU ChrisTOU,
that we should believe on the name of his :Son Jesus Christ,
kai a-gaPOmen alLElous, kaTHOS Edo-ken en-toLEN heMIN.
and love one another, even as he gave us commandment.
d. 3:24a ABIDING: RESULT OF KEEPING COMMANDMENTS (Moseley).
kai ho teRON tas en-toLAS auTOU en auTO MEnei,
And who keeps his :commandments abides in him,
kai auTOS en auTO.
and he in him.
e. 3:24b WITNESS OF SPIRIT: ANOTHER PROOF OF ABIDING
kai en TOUto giNOSko-men HOti MEnei en huMIN,
And hereby we know that he abides in us,
ek tou PNEUma-tos [4151] hou heMIN Edo-ken.
by the Spirit whom he gave us.
NOTE: These notes are not intended as a commentary. It is my conviction that the above translation, and sentence and paragraph summaries speak for themselves, and little else need be said. And with no knowledge of Greek, it is possible to use the Berlitz method of transliteration along with Strong’s number for significant Greek words, and painlessly over time pick up a good and fair running knowledge of Greek. For those not motivated to do this, the Greek transliteration is in light print, and can easily be passed over – while the English is in black bold print, and appears with but the slightest updates, substantially as it appears from the Oxford Press, England, as delivered to it by Ivan Panin.
Yet I would like to draw special attention to 1 John 3:8b and 3:9. It is so important to note the purpose for Jesus’ first coming. What He came to do, He did! When He cried from the Cross, “It is finished!” – the head of Satan was powerfully bruised. He cannot do as effectively what he did prior to Calvary. For all who press in to understand “The Finished Work” of Christ on the Cross, and what He purchased for us – all such join the ranks of Paul and say, “I am always caused to triumph through Him who loved me and gave Himself for me! I am more that conqueror through the crucified, risen and ascended Christ! Let us learn to daily, hourly and yes – even momentarily – rest in this enormous and relevant truth.
And right on the heels of this revelation, follows 1 John 3:9 – “Every one born of God does no sin, because his seed abides in him, and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. This is the second of the six proofs in this book given to the believer that he is truly born again. It is “Christ’s seed” within us that cannot sin. When like Rees Howells we allow Him to possess us, our relationship with God and our victory over Satan is enormous.
True, there is no good thing in me – that is in my flesh. But that Holy seed of Christ in me, the Hope of Glory – has all transforming power. And God is no respecter of persons – so that what Paul had – you and I have equal access to the same victory, overcoming-life, plus all that Christ purchased for us in His Great Redemptive Act at Calvary! Satan hates to hear this truth proclaimed. Oswald Chambers expressed it most effectively, plus many others. Thank God for the faithful preachers of our day who see it, experience it, and proclaim it! It is becoming a growing number. Let us each one join that band of victorious proclaimers!
Jim Watt