23 and this is His command, that we may believe in the name of His Son Jesus Christ, and may love one another, even as He did give command to us,
`This is my command, that ye love one another, according as I did love you;
`A new commandment I give to you, that ye love one another; according as I did love you, that ye also love one another;
and, before all things, to one another having the earnest love, because the love shall cover a multitude of sins;
Your souls having purified in the obedience of the truth through the Spirit to brotherly love unfeigned, out of a pure heart one another love ye earnestly,
And concerning the brotherly love, ye have no need of `my' writing to you, for ye yourselves are God-taught to love one another,
and this `is' the command we have from Him, that he who is loving God, may also love his brother.
again, a new command I write to you, which thing is true in him and in you, because the darkness doth pass away, and the true light doth now shine; he who is saying, in the light he is, and his brother is hating, in the darkness he is till now; he who is loving his brother, in the light he doth remain, and a stumbling-block in him there is not;
and walk in love, as also the Christ did love us, and did give himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for an odour of a sweet smell,
And there came a cloud overshadowing them, and there came a voice out of the cloud, saying, `This is My Son -- the Beloved, hear ye him;'
and they said, `Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved -- thou and thy house;'
and this is the life age-during, that they may know Thee, the only true God, and him whom Thou didst send -- Jesus Christ;
`A prophet out of thy midst, out of thy brethren, like to me, doth Jehovah thy God raise up to thee -- unto him ye hearken; according to all that thou didst ask from Jehovah thy God, in Horeb, in the day of the assembly, saying, Let me not add to hear the voice of Jehovah my God, and this great fire let me not see any more, and I die not; and Jehovah saith unto me, They have done well that they have spoken; a prophet I raise up to them, out of the midst of their brethren, like to thee; and I have given my words in his mouth, and he hath spoken unto them all that which I command him; and it hath been -- the man who doth not hearken unto My words which he doth speak in My name, I require `it' of him.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on 1 John 3
Commentary on 1 John 3 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 3
The apostle here magnifies the love of God in our adoption (v. 1, 2). He thereupon argues for holiness (v. 3), and against sin (v. 4-19). He presses brotherly love (v. 11-18). How to assure our hearts before God (v. 19-22). The precept of faith (v. 23). And the good of obedience (v. 24).
1Jo 3:1-3
The apostle, having shown the dignity of Christ's faithful followers, that they are born of him and thereby nearly allied to God, now here,
1Jo 3:4-10
The apostle, having alleged the believer's obligation to purity from his hope of heaven, and of communion with Christ in glory at the day of his appearance, now proceeds to fill his own mouth and the believer's mind with multiplied arguments against sin, and all communion with the impure unfruitful works of darkness. And so he reasons and argues,
1Jo 3:11-13
The apostle, having intimated that one mark of the devil's children is hatred of the brethren, takes occasion thence,
1Jo 3:14-19
The beloved apostle can scarcely touch upon the mention of sacred love, but he must enlarge upon the enforcement of it, as here he does by divers arguments and incentives thereto; as,
1Jo 3:20-22
The apostle, having intimated that there may be, even among us, such a privilege as an assurance or sound persuasion of heart towards God, proceeds here,
1Jo 3:23-24
The apostle, having mentioned keeping the commandments, and pleasing God, as the qualification of effectual petitioners in and with Heaven, here suitably proceeds,