Bibliotheca
Sacra 146 (1989) 198-216.
Copyright © 1989 by
An Expositional
Study of 1 John
Part 5 (of 10 parts):
An Exposition of 1 John 2:29—3:12
D.
Professor Emeritus
of New Testament
Mennonite Brethren Biblical
Seminary,
If you know that He is righteous, you know that everyone also who
practices
righteousness is born of Him.
See how great a love the Father has bestowed upon us, that we
should be
called children of God; and such we are. For this reason the
world does
not know us, because it did not know Him. Beloved, now we
are
children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we shall be.
We know that, when He appears, we
shall be like Him, because we
shall see
Him just as He is. And everyone who has this hope fixed on
Him
purifies himself, just as He is pure. Everyone who practices sin
also
practices lawlessness; and sin is lawlessness. And you know that
He appeared in order to take away
sins; and in Him there is no sin. No
one who
abides in Him sins; no one who sins has seen Him or knows
Him. Little
children, let no one deceive you; the one who practices
righteousness
is righteous, just as He is righteous; the one who prac-
tices sin is of the devil; for the devil has sinned
from the beginning. The
Son of God appeared for this
purpose, that He might destroy the works
of the
devil. No one who is born of God practices sin, because His seed
abides in
him; and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. By this
the
children of God and the children of the devil are obvious: anyone
who does
not practice righteousness is not of God, nor the one who
does not
love his brother. For this is the message which you have heard
from the
beginning, that we should love one another; not as Cain who
was of the
evil one, and slew his brother. And for what reason did he
slay him?
Because his deeds were evil, and his brother's were righteous
(1 John
2:29-3:12).
The conflict between the proponents
of anti-Christian falsehood
and the adherents to God's revelation in His Son
(2:18-28) is now shown
198
An Exposition of 1 John
2:29—3:12 199
to be a conflict between the children of God and
the children of the
devil. The two classes are rigidly distinct in origin
and practice.
John
presented true believers as children of God, characterized by the
practice of righteousness and by love as the bond
that holds the mem-
bers of the family together.
He set forth the marks of the children of
God
(2:29-3:3), depicted the revelation from the practice of sin (3:4-
8a),
held up the provision for deliverance from the practice of sin
(3:8b-9),
and declared the distinctness of the two classes (3:10-12).
The
Marks of the Children of God
John pointed to the practice of
righteousness as the mark of the
new birth (2:29), asserted the reality and dynamic
nature of this new
life (3:1-2), and noted the purifying impact of
Christian hope on
present conduct (3:3).
THE
PRACTICE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS AS THE MARK OF THE NEW BIRTH (2:29)
The practice of righteousness
reveals membership in God's fam-
ily. The conditional
clause, "If you know that He is righteous" (e]a>n
ei]dh?te o!ti
di<kaio<j e]stin),
as a third-class condition leaves open
the readers' answer on the matter, but does not
imply that John had
personal doubts as to whether they were aware of
this fact. The
condition is an appeal to them to confirm openly
their personal per-
ception of this reality. The
adjective "righteous" denotes one who is
in full accord with what is right and just in
character and conduct.
"He
is righteous" expresses a well-known truth about the nature of
God. God "is righteous in all his ways: in his
laws, his promises, his
verdicts, or a single act of his."1
Used without an expressed subject,
John's
reference may be to God the Father, as in 1:9, or to Jesus Christ,
as in 2:1. Westcott holds that since Christ is the
subject of verse 28,
"it is therefore most natural to suppose that He is the
subject in this
verse also."2
This identification is less certain
if verse 29 is accepted as be-
ginning a new division. An obvious difficulty
with this identifica-
tion is that the New
Testament nowhere explicitly speaks of
believers as "born of Christ." In this
letter they are referred to as
"born of God" (3:9; 4:7; 5:1, 4), and in John 3:8 as
"born of the Spirit,"
but nowhere as "born of Christ." In 1
John 3:1-2 believers are ex-
pressly called "children
of God." Bultmann suggested that there is a
1 R. C. H. Lenski, The Interpretation of the Epistles of St.
Peter,
(1945;
reprint,
2 Brooke Foss Westcott, The Epistles of St John (1892; reprint,
Eerdrnans Publishing Co., 1950), p. 83.
200 Bibliotheca
Sacra / April–June 1989
sudden change in the meaning of the pronoun in this
verse, from Jesus
to God.3 Marshall holds that the
statement "He is righteous" refers
to Christ but that the words "born of
Him" refer to God the Father.
"It
was probably so self-evident to him and his readers that spiri-
tual birth was from the
Father that he was not conscious of gliding
from one antecedent for au]tou?
(Christ, 2:28-29a) to another (God,
2:29b)."4 But such
a shift of meaning in the pronominal designation
within one sentence is not obvious. More probable is
the view that
both pronouns refer to God the Father. But this
uncertainty as to the
intended identity of his pronouns is
characteristic of John. As West-
cott remarks, "The true
solution of the difficulty seems to be that
when
apart from Christ (comp. c. v. 20). And again he
never thinks of
Christ
in His human nature without adding the thought of His di-
vine nature."5
The conclusion, "you know that
everyone also who practices
righteousness is born of Him,"
underlines that all members of God's
family display the moral nature of their Father.
"You know"
(ginw<skete) may be taken as an
imperative, "you must recognize,"6
but the indicative is more probable as stating
their acquaintance
with the further fact that God's children are
identified by their
righteous conduct. The presence of
"also" (kai>
)7
indicates that the
two aspects belong together. This understanding
helps a believer
determine if another is a true Christian.
The sure sign of the new birth is
the practice of righteousness:
"everyone who practices righteousness" (pa?j o[ poiw?n
th>n dikaio-
su<nhn). "Everyone"
(pa?j
o[) asserts
that this sign is true of all with-
out exception, while "who practices
righteousness" (o[ poiw?n th>n
dikaiosu<nhn),
literally, "the one doing the righteousness") declares
3 Rudolf Bultmann, The Johannine
Epistles, ed. Robert W. Funk (
Fortress
Press, 1973), p. 45. In this supposed sudden shift Bultmann
found support for
his view that the phrase, "clumsily
appended," demonstrated the composite author-
ship of the epistle.
4
the New Testament (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1978), p. 168, n.
13.
5 Westcott, The Epistles of
6
Alexander
Jones, ed., The New Testament of the
Doubleday
& Co., 1969). It was taken as imperative in the Vulgate, by Wycliffe, Tyn-
dale, Cranmer, and the Rhemish version. The
New Testament in Today's English Ver-
sion (New York: American
Bible Society, 1966) renders, "you should know, then, that
every one who does what is right is God's
child."
7
It does not occur in the Textus
Receptus, although modern textual editors generally
accept it as original. For the textual evidence see
Nestle-Aland, Novum Testamentum
Graece, 26th
ed. (Stuttgart: Deutsche Bibelstiftung, 1979).
An Exposition of 1 John
2:29—3:12 201
the visible sign. The present participle
"denotes a habit of life, the
prevailing principle of one's life, not a single
act, but a succession of
acts which make up the life."8 The
article with "righteousness"
("the righteousness") may have a possessive force,
"His righteous-
ness" as revealing God's character, or it may
denote the righteous-
ness which is truly such.
Such a lifestyle does not produce
the new birth but is the visible
evidence of being "born of Him" (e]c
au]tou? gege<nnhtai). The perfect
tense marks the past fact of the new birth and
stresses the continuing
reality of the new life. The expression "of
Him" (e]c au]tou?) marks
the source of this new life; it is derived from
God. This concept of the
"new birth," first introduced here in 1 John, is
prominent in the rest of
the epistle (3:9; 4:7; 5:1, 4, 18); it is a
familiar New Testament truth.
Through
this divinely imparted spiritual rebirth believers enter
into the family of God, so that they truly are
"children of God." It
portrays a spiritual-life relationship with God
and carries ethical
consequences. The reality of one's
membership in the family of God
is revealed to others through the practice of
righteousness. Other
signs of the new birth in this epistle are love of
the brethren (4:7)
and faith that Jesus is the Christ (5:1).
THE
DYNAMIC REALITY OF THE NEW LIFE OF BELIEVERS (3:1-2)
Having become members of God's
family through the new birth,
this new life has deep significance for believers
for the present as
well as the future. John called on his readers to
contemplate the
amazing reality of present membership in God's
family (v. la), re-
minded them that this explains the reaction of the
world toward
them (v. lb), and stressed that this new life as
God's children has
present and future implications (v. 2).
The amazing
love-gift (v. la). The aorist imperative "see"
(i@dete with the accusative of the object of
consideration) calls on the
readers to take a heart-moving look at the
amazing love which gave
them membership in God's family. They should note
carefully "how
great a love" (potaph>n
a]ga<phn) the Father has
imparted to them.
The
adjective rendered "how great" (potaph>n), occurring only seven
times in the New Testament,9 implies a
reaction of astonishment,
and usually of admiration, on viewing some person
or thing. The ob-
ject of contemplation is
God's "love" (a]ga<phn),
a love that ever seeks
8
William
G. Moorhead, Outline Studies in the New
Testament, Catholic Epistles—
James, I and II Peter,
I, II, III John, and Jude (New York: Fleming H. Revell Co.,
1910),
p. 104. It is well represented in the NASB
rendering who practices." For a discussion
of the Greek present tense see H. E. Dana and
Julius R. Mantey, A
Manual Grammar of
the Greek New Testament (New York: Macmillan Co., 1967), pp. 181-86.
9
It occurs in Matthew 8:27; Mark 13:1 (twice);
Luke 1:29; 7:39; 2 Peter 3:11.
202 Bibliotheca
Sacra / April—June 1989
the true welfare of those loved. This love is
indeed amazing when
one remembers the destitution of those loved. This
love works visi-
ble, transforming results
in the lives of its recipients. The perfect
tense "has bestowed" (de<dwken)
marks the permanent gift; this love-
gift corresponds to the permanent nature of the new
birth (2:29). The
added "upon us" (h[mi?n),
after John's directive to the readers, indi-
cates that he included
himself among the recipients of this amazing
love. To see that love
"aright is to sink down in adoration before it.
It
is beyond all comprehension."10 In the original "the
Father"
stands at the end of the statement, giving emphasis to
the fatherly
character of the Giver and suggests the
continuing, intimate relation
He
established in making believers His children.
The subordinate clause, "that
we should be called children of
God"
(i!na
te<kna qeou? klhqw?men) explains what God's
love does.
The
particle "that" (i!na) has been understood as conveying "the
purpose of His love, its tendency and
direction."11 Addressed to those
who have experienced the new birth, the clause is
definitive and
depicts the effect of God's love. The aorist
verb "should be called"
does not point to an anticipated future recognition
as being God's
"children," but expresses the fact, the passive
indicating that the
name was given by the Father Himself. He thus
acknowledged their
status as members of His family. Used without the
article "children
of God" calls attention to their character
rather than their identity.
The
King James Version rendering "sons" does not adequately convey
the original. "John does not stress the legal
relationship of a son
(ui[o<j) but the natural
relationship of a child (te<knon)."12
The words "and such are
we" (kai>
e]sme<n) emphatically declare
that believers are God's children not merely in name
but also in
reality. They express a ringing note of
assurance, "and we are." As
Cox
remarks, "God does not call men His children until He makes
them so. God's very nature, which is love, flows
into the heart of
the penitent believer and makes him a child of
God."13 These words
are not in the King James Version, which follows
the Textus Recep-
tus. Divergent evaluations
as to their authenticity are advanced.
Some
hold that they are "probably a scribal addition,"14
while
10 Lenski, The Interpretation
of the Epistles of St. Peter,
11 A. Plummer, The Epistles of S. John, The
(1883;
reprint,
12
Donald W. Burdick, The Letters of John the Apostle (Chicago: Moody Press, 1985),
p. 230.
13 Leo G. Cox, "First, Second, and Third
John," in The Wesleyan Bible Commentary
(Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans
Publishing Co., 1966), 6: 339-40.
14 Zane C. Hodges, "1 John," in The Bible Knowledge Commentary, New Testament,
An Exposition of 1 John
2:29—3:12 203
others regard their absence in various manuscripts as
due to "scribal
oversight, perhaps occasioned by graphical
similarity with the
preceding word ... or to deliberate editorial
pruning of an awkward
parenthetical clause."15
On the basis of the textual evidence,16
tual scholars generally
accept them as authentic.17
The world's failure to understand believers
(v. 1b). The amazing
fact of believers' membership in God's family
explains the world's
attitude toward them: "For this reason the
world does not know us,
because it did not know Him." "For
this reason" (dia>
tou?to, "because
of this") points back to the fact that
"children of God" are radically
different from "the world" (o[
ko<smoj), the organized masses
of lost
humanity in their estrangement from God. As such
the world "does
not know us" (ou]
ginw<skei h[ma?j),
is utterly unable to gain a true un-
derstanding of the believers' new
nature. To the world the mystery
of the new birth is incomprehensible (John
3:9-12); it can only regard
as deluded those who testify that they have
received a new nature.
Believers understand the world's
failure "because it did not
know Him" (ou]
ginw<skei h[ma?j).
The aorist tense, "did not know"
(e@gnw) records the historical failure of the world to understand di-
vine reality. The precise failure in view is
determined by the
identity of "Him." If "Him"
is understood as a reference to God the
Father,
then John was summarily noting that "the world's whole
course is one great act of non-recognition of
God."18 "The world
through its wisdom did not come to know
God" (1 Cor. 1:21). But oth-
ers, like White, hold that
the aorist tense more naturally refers to
the Incarnate Christ.19 The world failed
to understand or receive
God's supreme revelation of Himself in His Son
(John 1:10-11).
It
haired and rejected Him. This helps explain the
world's reaction to
the Son's spiritual brothers and sisters. Barker
notes,
ed. John F. Walvoord and
Roy B. Zuck (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1983), p. 893.
15 Bruce M. Metzger, A Textual Commentary on the Greek New
Testament (
United
Bible Societies, 1971), pp. 711-12.
16 For the textual evidence see Kurt Aland, Matthew Black, Carlo M. Martini, Bruce
M.
Metzger, and Allen Wikgren, The Greek New Testament, 3d ed. (United Bible Soci-
eties, 1975), p. 817; Zane C.
Hodges and Arthur L. Farstad, The Greek New Testament
according to the Majority Text (Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers,
1982).
17 For a thorough discussion of the textual
problem see J. Harold Greenlee, Introduc-
tion to New Testament Textual Criticism (
18 Robert
Jamieson, A. R. Fausset, and David Brown, A Commentary, Critical and Ex-
planatory, on the Old and New Testaments, vol. 2: New Testament
(
S.
Scranton Co., n.d.), p. 531.
19 R. E. O. White, Open Letter to Evangelicals: A Devotional and Homiletic Com-
mentary on the First Epistle of John (
1964),
p. 248.
204 Bibliotheca
Sacra / April—June 1989
The author wants his readers to know
that approval by the world is to be
feared, not
desired. To be hated by the world may be unpleasant, but
ultimately
it should reassure the members of the community of faith
that they
are loved by God, which is far more important than the
world's
hatred.20
The implications of God's love-gift (v.
2). Having enjoined his
readers to contemplate God's love-gift, John
then gave personal ex-
pression to that love by
addressing them as "beloved" ( ]Agaphtoi<)
(cf.
2:7). The recipients of God's love are also loved by the apostle.
He
united his readers with himself in contemplating God's saving
love in the present and the future: "Now are we
children of God, and
it has not appeared as yet what we shall be"
(3:2a). The repeated
assertion that "we are children of God,"
with the added time ele-
ment "now" (nu?n), sets up the contrast with the future, again em-
phatically marked by "not ...
yet" (ou@pw), while "and"
(kai>) links
the two aspects of their new life as God's
children. This God-im-
parted life "is not static but dynamic. A son
grows, develops, ma-
tures. His goal of growth is
maturity in the likeness of Christ Him-
self."21 While rejoicing in the
present reality of their new life, be-
lievers also look forward to
the undisclosed future. They know that
the best is yet to come! What that future holds
"has not appeared as
yet." The verb "appeared" (e]fanerw<qh), a favorite word with
John,22 sets forth that the believers' future has not
yet received open,
visible display. "A child of God," Lenski remarks, "is here and now,
indeed like a diamond that is crystal white within but
is still uncut
and shows no brilliant flashes from reflecting
facets."23
While the destiny of God's children
has not yet been openly dis-
played, John gave confident expression to its essence:
"We know that,
when He appears, we shall be like Him" (oi@damen o!ti e]a>n fan-
erwq^?
o!moioi au]t&? e]so<meqa). "We know" (oi@damen) points to a well-
assured recognition grounded in the very nature
of the apostolic mes-
sage. That display awaits a future undated event:
"if He should ap-
pear" (e]a>n fanerwqh?). As in 2:28, the condition is again stated hypo-
thetically, not that John had any
question as to its certainty, but be-
cause the time, from the standpoint of those
cherishing this hope, is
entirely unknown. Neither John
or his readers, like each generation
20 Glenn W. Barker, "1 John," in The Expositor's Bible Commentary (
Zondervan
Publishing House, 1981), 12:330.
21 Edward A. McDowell, "1-2-3 John,"
in The Broadman Bible
Commentary,
(Nashville:
Broadman Press, 1972), 12:207.
22 It occurs nine times in 1 John, nine times in
the Fourth Gospel, and twice in the Book
of Revelation.
23 Lenski, The Interpretation of
the Epistles of St. Peter,
An Exposition of 1 John
2:29—3:12 205
of believers since then, could be sure that it
would occur during their
lifetime. But the condition expresses an attitude
of expectancy.
Since the subject of the verb
"should appear" is unexpressed, views
differ as to whether to render "He,"
referring to Christ, or "it" as re-
ferring back to "what we
shall be." Interpreters differ in their pref-
erence,74 but it seems more
natural to understand "that John would
identify the time of the believer's complete Christlikeness as being
the second coming rather than the time when 'it is
disclosed' (
Members of God's family are assured
that whenever Christ re-
turns "we shall be like Him" (o!moioi au]t&? e]so<meqa). God's purpose to
develop Christlikeness
in all the members of His family will be ful-
filled when Christ returns and all the children are
"conformed to the
image of His Son, that He might be the first-born
among many
brethren (Rom. 8:29). The indwelling Holy Spirit
is already at
work in the lives of believers, inwardly
transforming them into the
moral image of the Lord of glory (2 Cor. 3:18); that transformation
will be completed at the return of the glorified
Christ, who will also
"transform the body of our humble state into conformity with
the
body of His glory" (Phil. 3:21). But this
glorious assurance must not
be misinterpreted to mean believers will become
little gods. The ad-
jective "like" (o!moioi) denotes qualitative comparison, not equality.
Burdick
well remarks, "Believers can never be equal to Christ, since
He
is infinite and they are finite; but they can and will be similar to
Him in holiness and in resurrection
bodies."26 As the incarnate Son of
God,
who died, and rose again in a glorified body, He will ever be
distinct as "the first-born among many
brethren" (Rom. 8:29), and the
vast family of redeemed human beings, purified and
transformed
into His image, will ever "be to the praise of
His glory" (Eph. 1:12).
The explanatory addition,
"because we shall see Him just as He
is" (o!ti
o]yo<meqa au]to>n kaqw<j e]stin), may indicate either the
rea-
son for assurance that
believers shall be like Christ, or the cause
of
being like Him. In the former view
"because" (o!ti) is taken as intro-
ducing a dependent clause
relating back to the main verb "we know,"
giving the sense, "we know that we shall be like
Him, because we
24
The
rendering "it" is preferred by Henry Alford, The New Testament for English
Readers (
and Lenski, The Interpretation of the Epistles of St.
Peter,
The
rendering "He" is preferred by Westcott, The Epistles of St John, p.
98;
The Epistles of John, p. 172, note 29;
Stephen S. Smalley, 1, 2, 3 John,
Word Biblical
Commentary, vol. 51 (Waco, TX: Word Books
Publisher, 1984), pp. 145-46; Simon J.
Kistemaker, Exposition
of the Epistle of James and the Epistles of John, New Bible
Commentary (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House,
1986), p. 295, n. 5.
25 Burdick, The Letters of John the Apostle, p. 233.
26 Ibid., p. 234.
206 Bibliotheca
Sacra / April-June 1989
shall see Him." This assumes that only those who
are like Christ
will then see Him just as He really is. If the
clause is connected with
the immediately preceding words "we shall be
like Him," John was
explaining that the future face-to-face vision of
Him will complete
the transformation into His likeness. Thus the
amazing assertion
that "we shall be like Him" received the
needed explanation. In
the words of Bruce, "If progressive
assimilation to the likeness of
their Lord results from their present beholding of
Him through a
glass darkly, to behold Him face to face, to 'see Him
even as He is,'
will result in their being perfectly like Him."27
The comparative
adverb "just as" (kaqw<j) emphasizes that
beholding Christ will no
longer be the imperfect vision of seeing His
reflection in a mirror but
beholding our glorious Lord "face to
face" (1 Cor. 13:12).
THE
IMPACT OF CHRISTIAN HOPE ON PRESENT LIVING (v. 3)
John returned to the thought of 2:29
that the reality of the new
birth reveals itself in daily conduct. Verse 3 states
"an all-important
corollary of the Christian hope." 28
The opening "and" (kai>) marks
the connection: "And everyone who has this
hope fixed on Him pur-
ifies himself" (kai> pa?j
o[ e@xwn th>n e]lpi<da tau<thn e]p ] au]t&? a[gni<zei
e[auto>n). The comprehensive
"everyone" again allows for no excep-
tions for some elite group.
The expression (pa?j o[) occurs seven times
in verses 3-15, suggesting that John was refuting
some who claimed
special privileges for themselves. John insisted
that this purifying
impact is true of "everyone who has this hope
fixed on Him."
"This hope" (th>n e]lpi<da tau<thn), emphasized by the
definite
article and the demonstrative pronoun, summarizes
verse 2. The
word "hope," which occurs only here in the
Johannine literature,29
concerns the unseen future but does not imply
uncertainty or mere
probability. Christian hope is assured of future
realization because
it is grounded in the Person of Christ. The
familiar, "Every man that
hath this hope in him" (KJV), may be
misunderstood as denoting a
hope the believer harbors in his own heart. John's
expression "on
Him"
(e]p ] au]t&?) describes
this hope as reaching out and resting "on
Him" as its sure and unchanging foundation. It is based on the
Person
of our glorified Lord who has promised to come
again.
John insisted that every individual
who holds to this objective
27 F. F. Bruce, The Epistles of John (Old Tappan, NJ: Fleming H. Revell
Co., 1975), p.
87.
28 C. H. Dodd, The Johannine Epistles, Moffatt
New Testament Commentary (New
29 The noun "hope" occurs 53 times
elsewhere in the New Testament. The verb "to
hope" occurs only in John 5:45; 2 John 12; and
3 John 14 in the Johannine writings.
An Exposition of 1 John
2:29-3:12 207
hope "purifies himself" (a]gni<zei e[auto<n); he willingly and
repeat-
edly exercises
self-purification. In John 11:55, the only other occur-
rence of this verb in the Johannine writings, the reference is to cere-
monial purification; here the
term denotes inner moral purification.
The
present tense points to the repeated experience, while "himself"
marks his consciousness of his own need for
purification. Because of
his hope he cannot live comfortably with sin. In 1
John 1:7 John
stated that the blood of Christ cleanses, while here
he wrote of self-
purification. Both are true and
necessary. As the begrimed workman
must personally apply soap and water to be cleansed,
so the believer
must appropriate the God-given means of cleansing
from the moral
defilement that may have been incurred in daily
life. Theology
speaks of this repeated cleansing as "progressive
sanctification" (cf.
2
Cor. 7:1). In 1 Peter 1:22 Peter used this verb in
the perfect tense,
"seeing ye have purified your souls in your obedience to the
truth"
(ASV)
to denote the cleansing that took place at regeneration (cf. John
13:10; 15:3; 17:19). That initial
purification with its transforming
result is the necessary antecedent to this personal
self-cleansing in
daily experience. The more intimate the believer's
fellowship with
God,
who is "light" (1 John 1:5), the more aware he is of his need to
cleanse himself from all that is moral darkness
(1:5-7). The more he
contemplates this assured hope of
being conformed to the image of
Christ,
the more eagerly he strives for present purity (Phil. 3:13-14).
The added words, "just as He is
pure" (kaqw>j
e]kei?noj
a[gno<j
e]stin) sets before the believer the pattern for
self-purification.
"He"
renders the demonstrative pronoun, "that one" (e]kei?noj),
referring to Christ. “We are not to judge our
lives by other peoples,”
but by Christ's, who is the standard or goal toward
which we are to
move."30 As a man among men, Jesus
was "pure" (a[gno<j), morally
blameless, uncontaminated and sinless in character
and conduct. John
did not say "just as He purified
Himself," but rather "is pure," thus
asserting His unchanging nature. As such He is the
perfect Model,
challenging believers constantly to purify
themselves.
The Revelation from the Practice of Sin
John now showed that the practice of
sin is a serious matter
which cannot be ignored. Since the false teachers
seem to have held
that knowledge was all-important and conduct did not
matter, John
insisted that sin and its practice is
irreconcilable with the very na-
ture of Christianity. He had
already mentioned "sin" before (1:7-9;
30 Herschel H. Hobbs, The Epistles of John (
1983),
p. 81.
208 Bibliotheca
Sacra / April—June 1989
2:2,
12), but now in 3:4-9 he mentioned the concept of sin no less than
10 times. He pointed out that the practice of sin
reveals its true na-
ture (vv. 4-5) and
established the distinctness between the two
classes of humanity (vv. 6-8a).
THE
REVELATION OF THE NATURE OF SIN (vv. 4-5)
John stated that the nature of sin
is lawlessness (v. 4) and is con-
trary to the very mission and
character of Christ (v. 5).
Sin as lawlessness (v. 4). Again
John made a statement that al-
lows for no exceptions: "everyone who practices
sin also practices
lawlessness"
(pa?j
o[ poiw?n th>n a[marti<an kai> th>n a]nomi<an poiei?).
It
pictures a class that is the opposite of those practicing righteous-
ness (2:29). The articular
present participle (o[
poiw?n) portrays an
individual characteristically engaged in the
practice of sin. Burdick
notes that "the KJV translation, 'committeth,' is misleading in that
it suggests a point of action rather than the continuing
practice."31
The
definite article with both "sin" and "lawlessness" shows
that
John
was thinking of two inclusive concepts rather than single occur-
rences. In classical Greek the
word "sin" denoted "to miss, to fail, to
fall short,"32 but in the New
Testament this negative meaning is
largely lost sight of and sin is viewed as
positive and active, a de-
liberate deviation from the standard of right. It
is a willful rebel-
lion, arising from the deliberate choice of the
sinner. "Sin is the
greatest tragedy of the entire universe. It's
actually rebellion
against God."33 Thus by its very
nature the practice of sin has the
character of lawlessness.
The added clause, "and sin is
lawlessness" (kai>
h[ a[marti<a
e]sti>n h[ a]nomi<a), states the essential
nature of sin. Since both nouns
have the definite article, the terms are
interchangeable. Sin by its
very nature involves an element of lawlessness, and
every form of
lawlessness is sin. "Lawlessness" (a]nomi<a) denotes not the
absence of
law but the willful rejection of the law, or the
will of God, and the
substitution of the will of self. It
is thus the very opposite of righ-
teousness, which is conformity to
the standard or law of right.
Sin as
incompatible with Christ's mission (v. 5). John's words
"and you know" (kai>
oi#date) remind his readers that this further
revelation of the nature of sin will be obvious to
all those who have
experienced the truth of the apostolic message about
Christ's re-
31 Burdick, The Letters of John the Apostle, p. 236.
32 Henry George Liddell and Robert Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon, 7th ed. (
Clarendon
Press, 1890), p. 72.
33 Quinton J. Everest, Messages from I John (
1982),
p. 90.
An Exposition of 1 John 2:29–3:12 209
demptive mission. The message,
"that He appeared in order to take
away sins" (o!ti
e]kei?noj e]fanerwqh i!na ta>j a[marti<aj a@r^), de-
clared that the practice of
sin is incompatible with Christ's mission.
The
use of the demonstrative pronoun "that one" (e]kei?noj) as the
subject of the verb points back to the unique
Person who "appeared"
on the scene of human history. John did not say
Christ "was born" but
that He "appeared" or was made visible to
human eyes. This im-
plies His preexistence before His incarnate
appearance among
mankind. He appeared "in order to take away
sins," literally, "the
sins" (ta>j
a[marti<aj), that is, the
multitudinous acts of human sin.
The
plural is in keeping with John's concern with the practice of sin
rather than the sinful inner nature prompting them.
Christ came "to take away"
(a@r^) those sins. The verb
may
mean "to lift and bear" or "to take
away." The latter is the meaning
here. That this involved His expiatory sacrifice on
the cross is cer-
tain, but that is not the
point here. In view is the effect of the
atonement on human practice. Bultmann
remarks that this stated
purpose is parallel to the purpose in verse 8,
"that He might destroy
the works of the devil."34
The reading "to take away our
sins" (KJV) follows the Textus Re-
ceptus (ta>j a[marti<aj h[mw?n a@r^). The manuscript
evidence for "our"
is divided,35 and it is not easy to
decide whether it is authentic. If it
is original, it adds to the forcefulness of John's
reminder to the readers
that the practice of sin is contrary to Christ's
purpose for believers.
For
a professed believer to persist in the practice of sin shows that
he is still spiritually blind to the purpose of
Christ, or demonstrates
that he willfully scorns and rejects the intention
of Christ for him.
The added words, "and in Him
there is no sin," underline the
sinless nature of the Redeemer. As
"righteous" (2:1) and "pure" (3:3),
He
who opposes sins in the lives of His people is Himself without
sin. His sinlessness,
Smalley observes, "was a feature of his exis-
tence to which Christian
witness was constantly borne (in the NT,
see 2 Cor. 5:21; Heb.
4:15; 1 Pet. 1:19; 2:21-22; cf. John 8:46; Heb. 7:26; 1
Pet.
3:18)."36 As such He is the perfect Pattern of what the child
of
God
should be.
THE
REVELATION OF TWO DISTINCT CLASSES OF HUMANITY (vv. 6-8a)
Viewed in the light of Christ's
mission (v. 5), the moral quality
of their habitual conduct reveals two distinct
classes of humanity.
34 Bultmann, The Johannine Epistles, p. 51.
35 For the textual evidence see Nestle-Aland, Novum Testamentum Graece, 26th ed.
36 Smalley, 1,
2, 3 John, p. 157.
210 Bibliotheca
Sacra I April-June 1989
John
wrote of their contrasted conduct (v. 6) and thus established
their distinctive character (vv. 7-8a).
The practice of the two classes (v. 6).
The distinctive practice of
the two classes is tersely stated: "No one who
abides in Him sins; no
one who sins has seen Him or knows Him." In
both statements "no
one" (literally, "everyone" combined
with the negative, pa?j
o[ . . .
ou]x) marks a distinct group with no
exceptions.
Everyone in the first class is
characterized as "one who abides in
Him"
(pa?j
o[ e]n au]t&? me<nwn, "every one in Him
abiding"). The po-
sition of "in Him"
between the article and the participle marks his
intimate relationship with Christ as an essential
part of his iden-
tity, while the present
tense participle denotes the on-going re-
lationship being maintained. To
"abide in Christ means to "obey"
Him (John 15:10). Of such a one John
asserted that "not he sins" (ou]x
a[marta<nei); he does not continue
in willful, habitual sin. John al-
ready indicated that the believer cannot claim never
to commit an
act of sin (1:8-9; 2:1). Sin may enter his experience
as an exception
needing confession and cleansing; he is not at
liberty to make occa-
sional excursions into sin,
but must seek to avoid any lapses into sin.
John's
apparently contradictory statements concerning sin and the
believer reflect the inner tension Paul discussed
in Romans 7.
On the other hand, "no one who
sins has seen Him or knows
Him." The construction again depicts a
distinct class, all character-
ized by the practice of sin
as the ruling principle of their lives. Of
each one in this class John asserted that he has not
"seen Him," has
never experienced a dynamic visual encounter with
Christ, nor
"knows Him," has never gained an intimate acquaintance
with Hirn.
The
two negations are not identical in meaning. "To see a person is to
view his external likeness, but to know a person is
to become familiar
with the characteristics of his personality."37
The first verb, "has
seen" (e[w<raken),
here does not refer to a literal seeing of Jesus in the
flesh, as in 1 John 1:2-3, but denotes a spiritual
vision of Him through
faith (cf. Eph. 1:18; Heb. 11:27).
The character of the two classes
(vv. 7-8a). The moral identity
of each group is established by their
characteristic conduct. John
first expressed a pastoral warning (v. 7a) and then presented
a clear
character evaluation of each group (vv. 7b-8a).
The tender address directed to the
readers, "little children" (tek-
ni<a; see 2:1, 12), appeals to their
consciousness that they are members
of God's family. The warning, "let no one
deceive you" (mhdei>j
pla-
na<tw
u[ma?j), calls on them to be alert constantly to the
danger from
the false teachers, apparently those who had left
their assemblies
37 Burdick, The Letters of John the Apostle, p. 240.
An Exposition of 1 John
2:29—3:12 211
(2:19)
but were aggressively promulgating their false views. While
the negative (mh<) with the present
imperative generally calls for ces-
sation of an action already in
progress, John did not mean that his
readers were already being deceived. He called
on them to be alert
against the danger. In 2:26 the warning was
against doctrinal
deception; here the warning is against moral
deception. John well
knew that "the false teachers with their
sophistry were capable not
merely of condoning sin, but of making it seem
virtuous."38 To avoid de-
ception they needed to discern
the moral identity of the individual.
The criterion for a true believer is
stated in the words, "the one
who practices righteousness is righteous" (o[
poiw?n th>n dikaiosu<nhn
di<kaio<j e]stin). The test is not the
believer's performance of an
occasional righteous deed, but rather his habitual
practice of
"righteousness," literally, "the
righteousness" which is the product
of the new birth (cf. 2:29). The practice of
righteousness does not
make him righteous but reveals his inner nature. It
is the test of
Matthew
7:16, "you will know them by their fruits." It refutes any
claim by the heretical teachers to be righteous
because of their pro-
fessed esoteric knowledge.
The opposite is also true: "the
one who practices sin is of the
devil"
(o[ poiw?n th>n
a[marti<an e]k tou? diabo<lou e]sti<n). The prac-
tice of sin also reveals
family identity. One who practices "the sin,"
as marking the realm of the devil, thereby reveals
his diabolical
nature. John did not say such a one is "born of
the devil" (contrast
2:29),
but "is of the devil." The "of" (e]k)
denotes source, not of his
existence, but of the evil that dominates his life
and practice (John
8:41-44).
By neglecting and rejecting the moral requirements of
God's
Word
the heretics clearly revealed that their priorities were rooted
in the realm of the devil.
The words, "for the devil has
sinned from the beginning" (o!ti
ap ] a]rxh?j
o[ dia<boloj a[marta<nei), explain why the practice
of sin
is diabolical; he is its originator. The phrase
"from the beginning,"
placed emphatically forward, does not mean from the
beginning of
the devil's existence; that would make God
responsible for this evil
being. It rather points back to that primeval
disaster when this au-
gust being arose in self-willed rebellion against
God and thus became
the arch-opponent of God and His good purposes.39
Ever since his
fall the devil "has sinned" (a[marta<nei), "goes on
sinning" as his un-
ceasing activity.
38 Bruce,
The Epistles of John, p. 91.
39 For a survey of the biblical picture of the
devil see The Zondervan Pictorial Ency-
clopedia of the Bible, s.v.
"Satan," by D. Edmond Hiebert, 5:282-86.
212 Bibliotheca
Sacra / April-June 1989
The Deliverance from the Practice of Sin
The nature and results of sin make
inevitable God's opposition to
sin and the work of the devil. John wrote of the
divine provision for
deliverance from sin (v. 8b) and the human
experience of deliverance
through the new birth (v. 9).
DIVINE
PROVISION FOR DELIVERANCE FROM SIN (v. 8b)
Deliverance from sin is grounded in
the work of the incarnate
Son of God. God took the initiative: "The Son
of God appeared for
this purpose, that He might destroy the works of the
devil." The
distinctive title, "the Son of God,"
underlines the true identity of the
One
who "appeared" to crush the power of Satan and sin.
The verb
"appeared," indicating His visible manifestation in the
Incarnation,
points back to His preexistence as the eternal Son of
God. His iden-
tity marks the supernatural
struggle involved in God's purpose "that
He
might destroy the works of the devil." His work was not accom-
plished through a dramatic act
of divine omnipotence, but rather
was wrought by the incarnate Son who identified
Himself with
mankind in taking on Himself human nature to be
their Deliverer.
The stated purpose, "that He
might destroy the works of the
devil" (i!na
lu<s^ ta> e@rga tou? diabo<lou),
presents Christ's redemp-
tive mission as it relates
to that great spiritual antagonist of God
and Mankind. The plural "the works"
points to the massive activi-
ties of the devil in leading human beings into sin.
All those works
have a certain coherence as being prompted by
satanic hatred and
rebellion against God. The aorist verb "might
destroy" (lu<s^) im-
plies a decisive occurrence and seems naturally to
refer to Christ's
victory over the devil on the cross (John 12:31;
Heb. 2:14). The verb
does not mean "to annihilate" but
variously means "to loose, untie,
break up, give release," as when the disciples
loosed the colt in
Matthew
21:2. In His victory over the devil on the cross Christ broke
the chains of sin whereby the devil had brought
mankind under his
domination (Heb. 2:14-15). This undoing of the
devil's works in
breaking the power of sin was effectively
initiated at
now going forward through the Spirit-empowered
preaching of the
gospel, and will be consummated at Christ's return and
the
incarceration of the devil (Rev.
20:1-3).
HUMAN
EXPERIENCE OF DELIVERANCE THROUGH THE NEW BIRTH (v. 9)
John gave a double statement of the
human experience of deliv-
erance from sin as Christ's
provision is apprehended and appropri-
ated by faith. The first
statement, "no one who is born of God prac-
tices sin" (pa?j o[ gegennhme<noj e]k tou? qeou?
a[marti<an ou] poei?,
literally, "Everyone having been born of God
sin not is doing"), again
An Exposition of 1 John
2:29—3:12 213
expresses a universal with no exceptions. The articular perfect pas-
sive participle (o[
gegennhme<noj) points to the
individual's experi-
ence of the new birth with
the result that he is now a newborn being.
The
full phrase "born of God" occurs here in 1 John for the first time
(cf.
2:29, "born of Him") and is repeatedly used hereafter. Concern-
ing everyone who is such a
born-again individual John asserted, "sin
not he is doing" (Gr.). The NASB rendering
"practices" adequately
gives the meaning. It is a restatement of verse 6.
There the believer's
abiding in Christ explains his conduct; here it
is his new nature.
John explained what has happened:
"because His seed abides in
him" (o!ti
spe<rma au]tou? e]n au]t&? me<nei). The indwelling of
"His
seed" motivates the believer's moral conduct.
The metaphorical
designation "His seed" is variously
understood. It may be taken to
denote the Word of God, or the gospel, as the
regenerating agent that
produces the new birth (cf. James 1:18, 21; 1
Pet. 1:23-25).40 Others
take the term more generally as designating the
divine principle of
life, the new birth, which God implants in the
believer.41 Still oth-
ers hold that the reference
is to the Holy Spirit as the life-giving
Agent.42
Though the term "seed" is not elsewhere
directly used of
the Holy Spirit, this view is in keeping with John
3:5-8, where Jesus
associated the Holy Spirit with the new birth, and
the fact that
"He
is also the producer of Christian character in the believer (2
Cor. 3:18; Gal. 5:22-23)."43 In
view of these varied views Smalley
holds that "the most satisfactory exegesis of
this passage is one
which brings together the two concepts of 'word' and
'Spirit."'44
viously the Word of God is the
life-giving means which the Holy
Spirit
uses to implant and develop the new nature in the believer.
John further stated of the believer,
"and he cannot sin, because
he is born of God" (kai> ou]
du<natai a[marta<nein, o!ti e]k tou? qeou?
gege<nnhtai). It is often felt that
these words are difficult, or even
inconsistent with John's teaching in
1:8-2:3, as well as the experience
of the most saintly believer. John's stated
impossibility is grounded
in the moral incongruity between the practice of
sin and the nature of
40 Dodd, The Johannine Epistles, pp. 77-78; William Barclay, The Letters of John and
Jude (Philadelphia:
Westminster Press, 1960), p. 94; Lenski, The Interpretation of the
Epistles of St. Peter,
41 Westcott, The Epistles of
Kistemaker, Exposition
of the Epistle of James and the Epistles of John, p. 303.
42
Burdick, The
Letters of John the Apostle, p. 247; A. E. Brooke, A Critical and Ex-
egetical Commentary on the Johannine
Epistles,
International Critical Commentary
(New
York: Charles Scribners' Sons, 1912), p. 89.
43
Burdick, The Letters of John the Apostle, p. 247.
44
Smalley, 1,
2, 3 John, p. 173.
214 Bibliotheca
Sacra I April—June 1989
the divinely bestowed new birth. Here again the
force of the present
tenses as suggesting habitual practice must be kept in
view. This
moral incompatibility between sin and the new birth
reflects the
conflict between God and the devil. The new birth
inevitably im-
plants this conflict between the two powers into the
experience of
the believer. As Bruce observes,
The new birth involves a radical
change in human nature; for those who
have not
experienced it, sin is natural, whereas for those who have ex-
perienced it, sin is unnatural—so unnatural, indeed,
that its practice
constitutes
a powerful refutation of any claim to possess the divine life.
John's antitheses are clear-cut.
While they are to be understood in the
context of
his letter and of the situation which it presupposes, any at-
tempt to
weaken them out of regard for human infirmity, or to make
them less
sharp and uncompromising than they are, is to misinterpret
them.45
John's present tense "he cannot
sin" (ou]
du<natai a[marta<nein)
does not declare a perfectionism that insists that
the believer no
longer commits an act of sin. Rather, as Barclay,
states,
He
is demanding a life which is ever on the watch against sin, a life
which ever fights the battle of goodness, a life
which has never surren-
dered to sin, a life in which
sin is not the permanent state, but only the
temporary aberration, a life in which sin is not
the normal accepted
way, but the abnormal moment of defeat.46
The Sign of the Children of God
and the Children of the Devil
In verses 10-11 John restated the
sign of the children of God and
the children of the devil and emphasized the
significance of brother-
love. In verse 12 he appended the negative
illustration of Cain.
THE
CRITERIA FOR THE TWO CLASSES OF HUMANITY (vv. 10-11)
The words, "By this the
children of God and the children of the
devil are obvious," mark a summary of the
discussion of the two
classes of mankind. "By this" (e]n tou<t&) may refer either to
what
precedes or what follows. The plural adjective
"obvious" (fanera<),
meaning "visible, plainly to be seen,"
calls attention to the visible
deeds of each group as establishing their spiritual
parentage. "A
man's principles are invisible," Plummer notes,
"but their results are
visible."47 This test reveals
only two classes, "the children of God
and the children of the devil." John knew of
no intermediate class.
45 Bruce, The Epistles of John, p. 92.
46 Barclay, The Letters of John and Jude, pp. 96-97.
47 Plummer, The Epistles of S. John, p. 128.
An Exposition of 1 John
2:29-3:12 215
The children of the devil (v. 10b). The designation,
"children of
the devil," occurs only here in the New
Testament (but compare "son
of the devil" [Acts 13:10] and "your
father the devil" [John 8:44] as
synonymous). "Of the devil" (tou? diabo<lou) does not mean unbe-
lievers owe their existence to
the devil, but rather that "a creature
endowed with free will can choose his own parent
in the moral
world" 48 (cf. John 1:12).
John
restated the evidence from personal conduct: "Anyone who
does not practice rightousness
is not of God" (pa?j
o[ mh> poiw?n
dikaiosu<nhn ou]k
e@stin e]k tou? qeou?). The universal
negation al-
lows for no exceptions. His deeds lack the quality
of righteousness.
The added characterization,
"nor the one who does not love his
brother" (kai>
o[ mh> a]gapw?n to>n
a]delfo>n au]tou?) makes
clear that
the love of the brethren is an important aspect of
the practice of
righteousness. Love is righteousness
in relation to others: "For all
the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this;
Thou shalt love thy
neighbour as thyself" (Gal.
5:14, KJV). "His brother" here denotes a
fellow believer. His failure to love another member of
the family
was tangible evidence that he lacked the inner bond
uniting the
members of the family. He was motivated by a
different spirit.
The children of God (v. 11). The
opening word "For" (o!ti) intro-
duces a verification of the
preceding negative assertion. The absence
of love in the life of a professed believer, is
inconsistent with the
apostolic message proclaimed to them. That message
declared "that
we should love one another" (i!na a]gapw?men
a]llh<louj), that the
practice of mutual love was fundamental to the
Christian faith. The
reciprocal pronoun "one another" (a]llh<louj) stresses the mutual
op-
eration of love in social
relations, each lovingly seeking the welfare
of the other. It was the command of Christ Himself
(John 15:12, 17).
THE
NEGATIVE ILLUSTRATION OF CAIN (v. 12)
John cited the illustration of Cain
as evidence that absence of
love marks a child of the devil. This is the only
reference to an Old
Testament event in John's epistles. It established that
love and ha-
tred, characterizing the
children of God and the children of the
devil, have been operative since the earliest days of
human history.
The opening negative, "not as
Cain, who was of the evil one," in-
troduces a contrast to verse 11.
Cain is identified as "of the evil one"
(e]k tou? ponhrou?), another name for the devil marking his
malignant
and destructive nature. Cain "drew his
inspiration from the evil one,
the devil, who is himself the archetypal murderer (Jn. 8:46)."49
48 Ibid.
49 Marshall, The Epistles of John, p. 189.
216 Bibliotheca
Sacra / April–June 1989
Cain's evil deed, "and slew his
brother," demonstrated his evil
character. The verb "slew" (e@sfacen) portrays the violence of his
action. It occurs in the New Testament only here and
in the Book of
Revelation (Rev. 5:6, 9, 12; 6:4, 9; 13:3, 8;
18:24).
Used of the slaying
of sacrificial animals, it points out the coldblooded, vicious action of
Cain.
John's unexpected rhetorical
question, "And for what reason did
he slay him?" elicits the motive for his
vicious deed. It brings out
more strongly the diabolical nature of the act and
its agent. John's
own answer, "Because his deeds were evil, and
his brother's were
righteous," stresses the contrast between the
deeds of the two broth-
ers as manifestations of
their character. The righteous deeds of Abel
evoked Cain's jealousy and hatred and led to murder.
"Jealousy-ha-
tred-murder is a natural and
terrible sequence."50
It is still true the believer's
righteous character and conduct
arouse the world's hatred. And, as in the case of
Cain, that hatred
is often expressed in vicious and violent action
against the righteous.
50 J. R.
W. Stott, The Epistles of John, The Tyndale New Testament Commentaries
(Grand
Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1964), p.
140.
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