Down an Unfamiliar Road

NEW TESTAMENT CONTEXTUAL COMMENTARY

By Dr. Robert R. Seyda

FIRST EPISTLE OF JOHN

CHAPTER FIVE (Lesson XCX) 03/30/23

^5:14 We can come to God with no doubts. This means that when we ask God for things that agree with what He wants for us. God cares about what we tell Him.

Furthermore, our confidence in God consists of this ‒ knowing that we have eternal life (verse thirteen) leads to the thought of boldness before God concerning prayer.[1] This idea develops further with special reference to intercession for others, a particular form of prayer that closely connects with another main idea in the Epistle – the love of fellow believers. Prayer demonstrates the Christian’s confidence in God. Christians can pray confidently because they know God hears and answers prayer. This assurance brings conviction to their prayers that God is accessible to every believer. 

The word “confidence” originates from the idea of freedom of speech.[2]  Christians can talk freely and confidently to God about their needs. So, John addresses the subject of “confidence” at three previous points in this epistle:

            1)      Confidence of freedom from shame at the rapture, 1 John 2:28,

            2)      Confidence of a clear conscience in prayer, 1 John 3:21-22, and

            3)      Confidence at the judgment seat of the Anointed One because our love resembles God’s

                     love, 1 John 4:17. 

While confidence in prayer is for the born-again, many experience frustration. They trust God for eternal life but cannot trust Him to meet their daily financial and physical needs for this life. We have a general faith in God but very little confidence in Him.  However, we know we trust God if we have an effective prayer life.[3] And that confidence is “In Him” literally reads towards Him. This connotes active fellowship with God. We develop boldness in prayer when we are in union with Him. That means we have confidence in prayer when we walk with the Lord.

Our right to ask God for answers and intercessions is unconditional. Our freedom rests on the person and miracles of the Anointed One; that’s why we come to the Father in Jesus’ name.[4] After all, God was accessible to Elijah for a special request in his confrontation with Baal’s prophets.[5] They cut themselves so their god would listen to them, but it did no good. Their god was inaccessible. Their prayers were futile. God heard and answered Elijah’s prayer at that moment. Christians today have access to the God of the universe because Jesus broke the barrier between God and humanity. The Christian has uninhibited boldness in prayer because of the work of Jesus the Anointed One.[6] 

John’s words, “If we ask,” presume expectation.  Since Christians are sure they possess eternal life,[7] they can be confident that God answers prayer. However, we must know the will of God to have confidence in prayer. That is why unanswered prayer is a mystery to many today. They experiment around the edges of prayer but never get serious about it. They do not pray with certainty.  Sometimes they use prayer as the “last resort.”

Nevertheless, the mystery of prayer revolves around the nature of prayer. First, some initiate prayer attempts but give up because of their perceptions about prayers. Then they lose confidence in prayer altogether because God did not answer them immediately.  Finally, they assume that prayer fails to meet their needs. Not only that, but some Christians use prayer as a genie in the bottle that persuades God to do what they want. They get what they want if they rub the genie the right way. These are imitation prayers. By this, they make outlandish demands on God that they believe is their right. God promises to meet our “needs,” not our “greed.” It is praying “according to our cravings.”[8]

So, we learn that genuine prayer is in harmony with God’s will and supernatural character. Prayer outside God’s will is an insult to His integrity. There is a wide range wherein we can pray. We pray for what God requires, not what we desire. The act of prayer is simple, but the attributes of prayer are not superficial. We can have confidence in prayer because God delights Christians to take Him at His word. He loves bold faith and bold prayer.[9]

Prayer is not an endeavor to move God to see things our way. It is not an attempt to change God’s values or standards. God is unwilling to give His children something awful for them. God wants to provide what is in the best interest of the child of God. God does not pander to self-gratification. “And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by the Anointed One Jesus.”[10]

Our prayers must align with God’s will, be consistent with His principles, and plan for His kingdom. Prayer is more than submitting wishes to God. We can have confidence that God will answer our prayers if we ask in His will by faith. The more we grasp God’s will, the more effective our prayer life will be. God always answers prayers “according to His will.”  God reveals His will in His Word. God answers prayer according to the dynamics of our prayer life. The better we know God’s will, the more He will answer our prayers. The clearer we know God’s will, our prayer life will be more effective.

God does not answer any quick impulse or dreamy notion. How do we know His will? His will is in His Word. That is why we have so few prayers answered. These are the blunt, bare, brutal facts. Many Christians do not get any answers to prayer, so they put their trust in luck. They follow their instincts when it comes to the path of their lives. God answers prayer according to specific standards. For example, we must ask in Jesus’ name[11] and be in fellowship[12]for God to answer prayer.

There are three types of God’s will: (1) God’s direct and unchanging will. (2) God’s permissive will be conditioned on certain factors, and (3) God’s overruling will. God does not give a blank check in prayer.  He qualifies prayer with His will.  If our prayer is not in harmony with His will, God will not answer because we are not on His wavelength. Our prayer was out of the will of God. We prayed according to our will, not God’s will.[13]

God hears our prayers because He is omniscient, but He also hears our prayers because He wants to respond to His children. Therefore, hearing our prayers is synonymous with answering prayers. God conditions answered prayer on our ask. God hears our prayer; His will answers it.  You may say, “He hears all prayers.”  Oh no, there are many prayers God never hears.[14]

COMMENTARY AND HOMILETICS

This verse has comments, interpretations, and insights of the Early Church Fathers, Medieval Thinkers, Reformation Theologians, Revivalist Teachers, Reformed Scholars, and Modern Commentators.

With a studious monk’s spiritual insight, Bede the Venerable (672-735 AD) sees the Apostle John repeating what he said many times over to stir us up to more vibrant prayer. But the condition he imposed at the beginning remains valid: we must ask according to our Maker’s will. There are two sides to this because, on the one hand, John urges us to ask for the things God wants to give us, and at the same time, we are expected to understand what those things are for. This understanding is what it means to have the kind of faith which works through love.[15]

With apostolic overtones, Œcumenius of Trikka (circa 990 AD) believes that what the Apostle John says in verse fifteen is that if we ask according to God’s will, He hears us. Therefore, if He hears us in everything we ask of Him, we know we are praying according to His will. Consequently, we already have the things we have asked for inside us, for these are the kingdom and righteousness of God for which He asked us to pray.[16]

Respected Reformation writer Matthew Poole (1624-1679) states that if God determines the best things for us, we will have them. However, if He decides otherwise, we will not get them if it is intended only to benefit themselves. And God answers His children according to the general meaning of their prayers, not always corresponding to the particular item they desire. Accordingly, suppose the thing would be harmful to the believer, their prayer was constructed to be denied, and the denial is in line with what they prayed for.[17] Furthermore, their prayer cannot be considered according to God’s will if it is not for His glory.[18] And it is impossible for anyone with a sincere heart to have the idea that God would bless them with something He is against. Therefore, the liberty of Jesus’ followers is to ask what they will[19] in line with their calling and mission.^[20]

Thomas Pyle (1674-1756), an Anglican priest opposing the monarchy of Church and State in favor of a constitutional parliamentary system, quotes the Apostle John as having said, in the previous five verses, that the sum of our Christianity is this: God promised to provide eternal happiness for godly people. However,  the indispensable condition of enjoying it is a sincere belief in the incarnate Anointed One as God’s Son and His Gospel of Salvation. Accordingly, John’s design in this Epistle was to satisfy all such true believers of the safety of their future condition; and to encourage them to a steadfast belief in this principle, on a full assurance that God will not deny them anything that is genuinely needful for them; but will, in due time and manner, answer all their sincere prayers.^[21]

After skillfully scrutinizing the Apostle John’s theme, John Brown of Haddington (1722-1787) states that we who truly believe in God are not only assured that He will not only bring us safely to everlasting happiness but will graciously grant us whatever blessings we ask by faith in Jesus’ name, according to the declarations of His will given in His Word. So now, if God is ready to hear the prayers offered to Him with faith in the name of the Anointed One, we ought to pray for forgiveness of sins against our fellow Christians and others in the hope of obtaining His blessings – except the sin against the Holy Spirit, which God has established as unpardonable, and connected with eternal damnation.^[22]

More concerned with the Church as a unified body than the sacraments, William Jones of Nyland (1726-1800) says that the Apostle John’s statement in verse fifteen implies: (1) consciousness of things necessary, however many are needed! Regular supplies for the body’s requirements, the forgiveness of sin, daily guidance and grace, reliable hope for our future, etc. We are creatures of constant and countless necessities. Every moment we are dependent upon the power and grace of our Supreme Maker. The exercise of prayer also implies (2) the belief that God is able and willing to supply our needs. Without this faith, a person would never go to God for help in times of need.

Moreover, “we” in verse fifteen refers to Christians “that believe in the Name [Yeshua, meaning “Savior”] of God’s Son,” mentioned by the Apostle John in verse thirteen ‒ their belief in prayer’s reality springs from their faith in the Anointed One. And the exercise of worship is an expression of their spiritual life in addition to God hearing our prayers. How amazing that God hears countless hourly prayers in many of the world’s different languages! None but an Infinite Being could listen to and understand them. And a Being of infinite intelligence cannot fail to observe every request directed towards Him. No utterance whatever escapes the Divine ear. No gracious Being would regard the prayers such unworthy petitioners offer. Great is the grace of God in attending to our requests. That God graciously hears and responds to them is repeatedly declared in the sacred Scriptures.[23] ^[24]

For example, a man with a heartfelt friendship with hymn writer^[25] John Newton (1726-1807), Thomas Scott (1747-1821) declares that through the intercession of the Anointed One, our prayer requests are presented to God on behalf of all, “who come to God through Him,” or “who pray in His name:”[26] and all wandering believers are invited to return in this way to the Lord from whom they have departed, and are assured that the Anointed One will not refuse to defend the cause of anyone, whatever they hath been or are, who seek the benefit of Him as an advocate: yet there is a sense in which it is not general, but particular.

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[1] 1 John 3:21-22

[2] Ibid. 2:28

[3] Matthew 7:7; Ephesians 3:20-21

[4] John 16:24

[5] 1 Kings 18

[6] Hebrews 4:14-16

[7] 1 John 5:12

[8] James 4:3

[9] Hebrew 4:14-16; 10:19

[10] Philippians 4:19

[11] John 14:13; 15:16

[12] John 15:7; 1 John 3:22

[13] Matthew 6:10

[14] Psalm 66:8; 1 Peter 3:7; Psalm 65:2

[15] Bede the Venerable, Ancient Christian Commentary on Scriptures, Bray, G. (Ed.), op. cit., Vol. XI, p. 227

[16] Œcumenius, Ancient Christian Commentary on Scriptures, Bray, G. (Ed.), op. cit., Vol. XI, p. 227

[17] 1 John 3:22

[18] Cf. Matthew 6:9-13; John 14:13; 1 John 5:14-15

[19] See John 14:13,14; 15:16; 16:23 etc.

[20] Poole, Matthew. Commentary on the Holy Bible – Book of 1st, 2nd & 3rd John (Annotated), Kindle Edition

[21] Pyle, Thomas: Paraphrase of the Epistles of the New Testament (1725), op. cit., Vol. II, p. 401

[22] Brown of Haddington, John: Self-Interpreting Bible, N. T., Vol. IV, pp. 506-507

[23] See 2 Samuel 22:7; Psalm 22:4, 5, 24; 30:2, 8-12; 31:22; 34:4-6; 50:15; Matthew 7:7-11; Luke 18:1-8; John 16:23, 24; James 1:5; 5:16

[24] Jones, William: The Pulpit Commentary, op. cit., Vol. 22, pp. 164-165

[25] Newton, John: Composer of “Amazing Grace,”

[26] John 14:13

NEW TESTAMENT CONTEXTUAL COMMENTARY

By Dr. Robert R. Seyda

FIRST EPISTLE OF JOHN

CHAPTER FIVE (Lesson XCIX) 03/29/23

^5:14 We can come to God with no doubts. This means that when we ask God for things that agree with what He wants for us. God cares about what we tell Him.

Ministry & Missions Overseer Muncia Walls (1937) sees the Apostle John’s expression employed here as “confidence,” could also be interpreted as “boldness.” As God’s children, we can come before Him with courage, knowing that we are His and He is concerned about our spiritual well-being. The writer of Hebrews speaks of how we “come boldly into the throne room of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.”[1]

Note, however, there are two limitations placed upon God’s children concerning their approach to the Lord; 1) What we ask of the Lord must be according to His will if we expect to receive a favorable reply to our supplications. Jesus gave us an excellent example when He prayed in the garden that night before His crucifixion, “Not my will, but Your will be done. ”[2] This must also be our approach to the Lord with our supplications. 2) There is no assurance that He will answer us, but it is an assurance that the child of God never prays without the Lord being aware of his prayers.

The Lord will not always answer the way we might want Him to – and it is a good thing He doesn’t. If He answered every prayer the way we want, our life would soon be a mess because we are found asking for something we want but do not need. That is why the Apostle Paul wrote about how the Holy Spirit helps us pray. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for, “But the Holy Spirit prays for us with words expressed by groanings.”[3] There are different ways in which the Lord may answer our prayer. He may say, “No!” He might say, “Not now.” He might say, “Yes!” And so we need to ask with the desire that we want His will for our lives regardless of what it may be.^[4]

As an articulate spokesman for the Reformed Faith movement, James Montgomery Boice (1938-2000) points out that verse fourteen contains the word “assurance” (Greek parresia). It is translated three other times in John’s letter as “confidence.” When contemplating the final judgment, John used it twice concerning the Christian’s confidence before God.[5] On one other occasion, as in verse fourteen, it refers to the Christian’s confidence regarding prayer.[6] John says that Christians need not fear that God will refuse to hear them when they pray. Indeed, such confidence is a product of knowing that one is God’s true child and has no doubts about the matter.

In verse fourteen, John also phrases the content of the Christian’s confidence as being “that if we ask anything according to His will, God hears us. And if we know that He hears us – whatever we ask – we know that we have what we asked of Him.” In English, this promise seems to fall into two parts, (1) that God hears us and (2) that He answers when He hears. This is not the point, however. To begin with, whenever the Bible speaks of God hearing prayer, this means that God answers. So, in this case, the first part of the promise is that God hears in the sense that He answers,

But what does the second part mean? Is it mere repetition? No! Instead it introduces an entirely new idea, for the promise is not just that God answers but rather that we have the items we requested of Him now because He answers. The Greek verb echō (“have”) is in the present tense. Consequently, the promise is not that we will have them but that by faith, we have (echo) them even as we pray. But Christians are not to suppose that God will grant just anything they might pray for, however foolish or sinful it may be, just because they petition God for it; they must pray according to God’s will.^[7]

Great Commission practitioner David Jackman (1945) remarks that the teaching of Jesus on the night of His betrayal[8] is full of similar encouragements. These became formative in John’s prayer life and teaching on prayer. The Master promised, “You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it,”[9] which results from “believing in the name [Yeshua, meaning “Savior”] of God’s Son” and proves the existence of that life-giving faith.

John does, however, introduce a limitation on such confident praying; more accurately, it underlines and explains the restriction that the Lord Jesus placed on asking ‒ it must be according to God’s will for Him to hear us. Within that provision, we may ask anything. Our praying is never on a surer foundation than when it is grounded in Scripture, for God’s revealed will. We know that God will hear and answer as we pray Bible prayers. ^[10]

As a man who loves sharing God’s Word, Robert W. Yarbrough (1948) offers that to confirm John’s message also means to affirm a confident and mature understanding of prayer. The centrality of prayer to fellowship with God should surprise no one familiar with the Bible generally (perhaps most notably the Psalms) and with Jesus’s life as portrayed in the Gospels (most notably Luke).

Yarbrough notes that Swiss Protestant theologian Adolf Schlatter (1852-1938) says prayer essentially defines the meaning of being Christian and “comprises the congregation’s calling.”[11] He captures biblical precedent and precept well: Since prayer is that act by which we turn our will to God, prayer is of the very essence of religion . . . Prayer is the most direct expression of faith because prayerfully turning our thoughts and will to God is the initial step from thinking about God to the full assurance of God. By the same token, prayer is the most direct expression of love. It is an offering of the highest priority since the first thing we owe God is our thinking and willingness.^[12]

With her crafted spiritual insight, Judith Lieu (1951) comments that throughout the Apostle John’s letter, boldness before God has been a recurring symbol of the relationship with God shared by those who believe.[13] Boldness (Greek. parresia) is the freedom of speech granted to the Kingdom of God citizens. Still, it also implies being in the presence of an individual or group of greater power and authority. The confidence in exercising such boldness is, at the same time, an acknowledgment that anxiety might be a more instinctive reaction.

Hence in its previous occurrences, the possibility of merited condemnation has hovered in the background; even if experienced in the present, there has been an element of looking to the future. Already, John expressed the receiving of answered requests experience in the present.[14] In verse fourteen, there is even more emphasis on the present, the example. For someone who sins, John shows that the context continues to be one of approach to a God in whose presence only light and truth belong.^[15]

With a classical thinking approach to understanding the scriptures, Bruce G. Schuchard (1958) sees the first of two final instances of an attention-grabbing “this is” appears twice here in verse fourteen,[16] which helps with the second “these things”[17] to frame John’s conclusion. John further exhorts those certainties of the faith can and must, in the end, be known. Here, he adds that to know the favor of our heavenly Father who gives to His children who believe in the name of His Son the abundance of the life of the age to come[18] is to know Him as an approachable God; God who freely, who gladly, gives. To know is to be assured; to be confirmed is to be confident; to be convinced is, without hesitation, to ask for the very things that we know that our God intends for us all to have and to hold.

We know that hearing us, God will gladly and freely provide from the bounty of the life of the age to come that He secured for us. Therefore, the “if’ of the first of three instances[19] of a conditional sentence is expectations! The first of six clustered references to “requests” and “asking.”[20] It amplifies further the precious treasure that is our asking because ours is the knowledge that God gladly hears.^[21]

In his unorthodox Unitarian way, Duncan Heaster (1967) points out that if God’s Spirit and Eternal Life live in us, then His will is our will, and the Spirit teaches us the “truth.”[22] This “truth” spoken of in verse fourteen is knowing God’s will. If His Spirit and Logos abide in us, we can ask what we will and receive it. Our spirit adheres to His Spirit, so we will better perceive His will, and our prayers will be for those things He knows we need.

This increasingly positive experience of answered prayer, which comes from progressively learning His will, is another evidence that we are indeed inhabited by the Lord and can be confident that we have “eternal life,” His Spirit is encouraging to those who believe and receive the Spirit and yet still have their doubts. But Jesus said as much when He taught that answered prayer means that our joy will be complete.[23] ^[24]

Bright seminarian Karen H. Jobes (1968) clarifies that the initial conjunction “and” in verse fourteen relates to verse thirteen, which concerns the reassurance of eternal life. John is concerned for the spiritual state of his readers, knowing they have been exposed to false teaching and practices by those who walked away from the truth.[25] He argued extensively throughout the letter about the need to live without sin, discern the origin of teaching about God, and the necessity of Jesus’ shed blood as part of the Gospel. So, what do his readers do when they see a spiritual brother or sister not living according to the apostolic teachings? Before encouraging them to pray for one another, he reminds them that God does hear the requests of His people that ask according to His will.[26]

While many readers will immediately wonder what God we might ask for, that is not quite the point. John will explain what to ask for.[27] As Robert Walter Yarbrough (1948) comments, “There are no explicit limits set to such requests, although it is likely that John assumes that believers will pray in keeping with God’s purposes…. John’s point is to affirm that we know God hears when we request, not that we have unerring discernment as to what we should be requesting.”[28] This assurance of personal communion with God is also the context in which seemingly unanswered prayer requests should be understood.^[29] 

EXPOSITION

This promise that the Apostle John makes here does not come easy. It’s not a case of ordering from God online. First, He may have you ask Him several times before He answers. Secondly, He may send you in search of your response in order to grant your request. And thirdly, you might need to press Him harder and harder before He opens the door to victory.^[30] Such requirements are not to discourage you from praying but to test your sincerity and desire for God’s will to be done. This should be comforting to everyone who reads the Apostle John’s letter.

Sometimes when we don’t get an immediate answer from God, we conclude that He either wasn’t listening or didn’t have an answer. But John assures us that God hears us every time we pray and listens to everything we say. But we should not get discouraged. As someone said: “While we are waiting, God is working!” Or, as Brooke Foss Westcott (1825-1901) noted in an earlier comment, “God has already approved the answer, but it may take a while for it to get to you.”

John already made it clear to whom he was writing. Some believers became somewhat unsure about the validity of their salvation caused by all the false doctrines at the time.  People not firmly anchored in God’s Word can sometimes easily be swayed and unsure of their faith.  As God’s chosen servants, it is our job to preach and teach God’s Word so that they build their trust upon a rock, not sand. Then John says something exciting: when we go to God with our requests, make sure they are according to His will for our lives.  John no doubt remembers what Jesus told them about how even a tiny amount of faith could move a mountain.^[31] But since John was there, he also knew that Jesus qualified His statement so that they understood such requests must align with their mission and what God intended for them to do.  Some people will one day be glad that God did not answer all their prayers and give them what they were asking for.  He knows what’s best because He knows our future.

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[1] Hebrews 4:16

[2] Luke 22:42

[3] Romans 8:26

[4] Walls, Muncia: Epistles of John and Jude, op. cit., pp. 90-91

[5] 1 John 2:28; 4:17

[6] Ibid. 3:21-22

[7] Boice, James Montgomery: The Epistles of John, An Expository Commentary, op. cit., pp. 138-139 

[8] John’s Gospel, Chapters 14-16

[9] John 14:14

[10] Jackman, David: The Message of John’s Letters, op. cit., pp. 160-161

[11] Schlatter, Adolf: The Significance of Method for Theological Work, Trans. R. W. Yarbrough, Southern Baptist Journal of Theology, 1997,

[12] Yarbrough, Robert W., 1-3 John (Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament), op. cit., p. 298

[13] 1 John 2:28; 3:21; 4:127

[14] Ibid. 3:22

[15] Lieu, Judith: A New Testament Library, I, II, & III John, op. cit., p. 223

[16] 1 John 5: 3, 4, 9, 11

[17] See ibid. 5:21; cf. 5:13

[18] See ibid. 5:11-12

[19] Ibid. 5:13-17

[20] See ibid. 5:15-16

[21] Schuchard, Bruce G., Concordia Commentary, 1-3 John, op. cit., pp. 570-572

[22] John 16:13

[23] Ibid. 16:24

[24] Heaster, Duncan. New European Christadelphian Commentary: op. cit., The Letters of John, p. 77

[25] See 1 John 2:19

[26] Ibid. 3:21-22

[27] See ibid. 5:15-16

[28] Yarbrough, Robert W., 1-3 John (Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament) p. 300

[29] Jobes, Karen H., 1, 2, and 3 John (Zondervan Exegetical Commentary on The New Testament Series Book 18), op. cit., pp. 231-232

[30] Cf. Luke :11:9-10

[31] Mark 11:23-24

NEW TESTAMENT CONTEXTUAL COMMENTARY

By Dr. Robert R. Seyda

FIRST EPISTLE OF JOHN

CHAPTER FIVE (Lesson XCVIII) 03/28/23

^5:14 We can come to God with no doubts. This means that when we ask God for things that agree with what He wants for us. God cares about what we tell Him.

As a tried and tested biblical scholar who believes in building up the Christian’s spiritual life, Robert Cameron (1839-1904) says that holy living is communion with God; it includes fellowship with others and becomes our possession by receiving the Anointed One. Life, as a fountain, is in the Father; it flows to us through His Son, and we know it is ours upon the authority of God’s Word. This knowledge gives us “boldness toward God.” It is the very phrase used to express the nearness and intimacy of Jesus as “the Word with God” in the beginning. Back then, mankind forfeited God’s presence in their life. But because they could not return to where God was, Jesus came to where they were. And now they are brought back to the bosom of the Father, where Jesus was from the beginning. So, Jesus went out and came back, bringing “many siblings” with Him.^[1]

Manifestly and distinctly, Erich Haupt (1841-1910) utters that the blessed assurance, of which we are partakers, is a true and divine life that produces boldness when speaking to God. It is the feeling of unity with Him, perfect freedom, and the unrestrained and unreserved utterance of our thoughts. But the Apostle John does not view this insurance in verse fourteen like he envisioned assurance on Judgment Day. Instead, he points to the fruit that this boldness revealed through experience, confirming possession of eternal life. It takes the form of confidence in prayer, founded upon the certainty of being heard. But in verse fourteen, prayer comes into consideration only in its intercessory character, as verse sixteen shows.

It is not an isolated thought made prominent at this point for practical reasons. We will see that it corresponds with the general tone of the Epistle when we reflect on the fact that it regards the whole life of prayer, finding deep expression in prayer for others. We have seen that John includes our entire religious life under the one commandment of brotherly love and that he regards our total moral obligation as implemented in this precept. Hence, it is plain that there was to him no other prayer imaginable than that which in its issue should be bound up with our fellow believers.^[2]

With his Spirit-directed calculating mind, Alfred Plummer (1841-1926) points out that for the fourth and last time in his Epistle, the Apostle John touches on the Christian’s “boldness.” Twice he speaks of it in connection with the Day of Judgment[3] and twice when approaching God in prayer.[4] Finally, verse fourteen says it concerns intercessory prayer. Thus, two more leading ideas of the Epistle meet in this restatement, boldness towards God and brotherly love. It is love for fellow believers which induces us to pray for them according to His will. This is the only limitation, and it is a very gracious restraint. His will is always for His children’s good, and, therefore, only when people ignorantly ask for what is not for their benefit are their prayers denied.[5] ^[6]

With regal etiquette, Ernest von Dryander (1843-1922), proposes that the Apostle John is implying the confidence that we have in God to hear and answer our prayers is the sign of living faith. At first sight, the addition “according to His will” would appear to be self-explanatory. How can Almighty God be compelled to grant petitions that are not according to His will? Can we conceive of our eternal holy God as the unjust judge who is compelled against his will to do a righteous deed to get rid of the poor woman and her persistent petitioning?[7] Is God’s solid and unchanging will like mankind’s weak and shifting wishes, which change at every turn, dependent often upon his frame of mind, and scarcely ever to be trusted?

Of this one thing, there can be no question: faith permits no doubt that God will not answer prayers inconsistent with His will. God cannot be false to Himself. But, since all this is from our heavenly Father’s point of view, those little words, “according to His will,” are serious when we regard them as the test of the reality of our prayers. We can sometimes pray not according to the will of God. Let us examine our prayers in the light of the Apostle’s words.^[8]

Prolific writer on the Epistles, George G. Findlay (1849-1919) states that the zest and energy of the Christian life, and its power to influence others, depend on the certainty with which personal salvation is realized. It also involves the confidence with which His servants follow the heavenly Master, like people walking in the sunshine of God’s favor and having the joy of their Lord filling them. Such “light is shown for those living right, and gladness for those doing right.”[9] The purpose of John’s Epistle is the perfecting in them of the assurance of life eternal.

The Epistle ends here in verse thirteen, for the writer’s thought has come around full circle to its starting point. Thus, the Church should be conscious and satisfied with its possession through faith in the eternal life revealed in Jesus the Anointed One. The Apostle John’s labors and prayers have been through a long-drawn-out ministry.

The “confidence toward God” described as a consequence and a needful expression of faith “in the name [Yeshua, meaning “Savior”] of God’s Son” is the faith that makes a person a Christian. The confidence that inspires prevailing prayer[10] springs from the assurance of faith that the Apostle John has labored to infuse into his readers; it presupposes the consciousness of eternal life in the soul. Those who pray to win “life” for an erring brother must have life in themselves; they must possess such a knowledge of God and certainty of His goodwill to mankind in the Anointed One to warrant the boldest intercession on a backslidden believer’s behalf.[11]This knowledge of the Father is eternal life.[12] The postscript is closely attached to the letter and needs no time interval to account for its addition.

Now, verses fourteen and fifteen convey the second lesson of the paragraph, namely, that Christian assurance takes effect in the life of a prevailing prayer warrior: So, says John, the confidence of steadfast and instructed Christians is “that He [God] hears us whenever we ask for anything that pleases Him.” There is something deeply characteristic in the transition from verse thirteen to verse fourteen and of the most significant practical importance. It is natural and easy to rest in the quiet assurance of salvation, to enjoy the comfort of settled faith and a clear sense of the Divine grace through the Anointed One. But the Apostle John will not allow this. The Christian believer’s confidence must be used and yoked with service and faith applied to intercession.^[13] 

With his stately speaking style,  William M. Sinclair (1850-1917) points out that assurance in verse fourteen implies confidence, and confidence means the conviction that God is not deaf. But these must not be contrary to His will. The Lord’s Prayer reminds us that the Person referred to here is the Father.^[14]

One of the most influential Anglican reconcilers, Charles Gore (1853-1932), states that the Apostle John also taught His disciples another lesson. It involves the effectiveness of prayer depending on its being followed by what we know to be God’s desire for us. As the Apostle John says, “according to His will.” And it was God’s will which our Lord Jesus came to make mankind understand. We learn that prayer is not to persuade God to do something different from what He intends to do but to free His hand to do His will in our lives – which can only come to pass when He releases it with our cooperation.

This recognition of God’s unchanging will, expressed in the laws of nature and the whole spiritual world, is not meant to enslave us but to free us. We learned that character could only control by obedience. So long as we approach nature in the light of our instincts and ideas, we can get nothing from her. She remains stubborn and irresponsive. But, when we reverently and submissively study her laws and correspond with them, we can use them for our benefit.

So it is in the spiritual world. We learn this lesson in the petitions of the Lord’s Prayer and the order of those petitions. The beginning of effectual prayer is to abandon our selfish and short-sighted schemes and desires and concentrate our will and desire on God’s kingdom and the fulfillment of the Father’s will. Thus, there is given to faith so great a certainty of ultimate satisfaction that it can be said we already have what we ask for by faith. But that crowning mercy, nevertheless, is that the answer can only be received when we continually pray with sincerity and urgency.^[15]

A man who appreciates Jesus’ embodiment of the divine transforming emotion on how we live in this world, Robert Law (1860-1919) says that the qualification, “according to God’s preference,” is explicit. The extraordinary and supernatural power in prayer consists of not bringing God’s will down to us but lifting our will to His. Thus, the words “according to God’s preference” do not limit the exercise of true prayer. Instead, they display the breadth and pinnacle of its scope and the certainty of its fulfillment. God’s will is the final and perfect redemption of mankind[16] and the providential appointment and control of events that contribute to this.[17] And God’s will has necessarily become the will of everyone who is “born of God” and has Eternal Life abiding in them. Regarding particular events, a person may have no specific knowledge of what that will is, but at the end of all their actions, the future and sum of all their prayers are, “Thy will be done.”^[18]

With his characteristic fundamental thinking, Alan England Brooke (1863-1939) notes that the previous section’s object was to assure the readers that they were in possession of the new life. This assurance is now described as boldness or confidence, with perhaps a particular reference to the word’s original Greek meaning, “absolute freedom of speech.” It is said to consist in the fact that God hears them whenever they ask anything according to His will; it is realized in honest prayer, which always brings conscious faith that it is being listened to. So we have here the fourth mention of the Christian’s confidence; we have it twice relative to Judgment Day and twice concerning prayer, which we have and enjoy in fellowship with God.

In describing relationships, the Greek preposition pros (“in Him”) generally denotes that which “goes out towards,” a relation realized in active conversation and fellowship.[19] One of the standard constructions used by John to introduce the description of that to which “and this is” (KJV) or some such expression refers to our “boldness” with God based on the fact that He hears whatever we ask according to His will. The necessary circumstance of the hearing is subject to this condition that it does not oppose Divine preference. The word naturally includes the idea of a fair hearing.^[20]

As an effective spiritual mentor, Ronald A. Ward (1920-1986) suggests that the logical order for prayer would be like this: saving faith, confessions, and forgiveness of sins; clear conscience; abiding in Him; obedience to His will; boldness in petitions, God’s hearing, and our receiving an answer. It is all done according to God’s will. Many Christians don’t know that many things are waiting for us to ask according to God’s will. His will is not so much a restriction as an invitation.[21]

As a capable scripture analyst, Ian Howard Marshall (1934-2015) raises a possible question by someone reading verse fourteen: “Why pray if prayer is to be made according to God’s will?” Surely, we want His will accomplished, whether or not we pray for it. However, to speak in such terms is to assume that God’s will must be passively understood as if God has made a detailed plan beforehand of all that will happen – including the fact that we will pray in a particular way at a particular time. But while the Bible does speak of God’s plan and purpose for the world, to speak in such predestinated terms is inconsistent with the freedom which the Bible itself assigns to God’s children, and it wreaks havoc upon the biblical idea of the personal relationship which exists between God and His children.

Instead, the believer must seek to submit their will to God by saying, “Your will, not my will, be done.”[22] As we freely yield ourselves to God, He can accomplish His will through us and our prayers. In reality, accomplishing God’s will depends on our prayers. Through prayer, we make ourselves instruments of God’s will, and at the same time, in a manner that lies beyond human comprehension, He can act powerfully to answer our prayers. When we learn to want what God desires, we are happy to receive any response to our petitions.^[23]

As a seasoned essayist on the Apostle John’s writings. Kpjm {aomter (1935) notes, “This is the boldness we have before Him,” namely, in God’s presence. The foundation for such confidence is expressed in a conditional sentence: “If we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.” This truth is consistent with our faith in God through prayer. However, trust is also conditional “if our heart does not condemn us … because we keep His commandments and do what is pleasing in His sight.”[24]^[25]

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[1] Cameron, Robert: The First Epistle of John, or, God Revealed in Light, Life, and Love, op. cit., p. 241

[2] Haupt, Erich: The First Epistle of St. John: Clark’s Foreign Theological Library, Vol. LXIV, op. cit., pp. 321-322

[3] 1 John 2:28; 4:17

[4] Ibid. 3:21; 5:14

[5] Cf. 1 Corinthians 12:9; John 9:31; 11:41-41. See Proverbs 10:24

[6] Plummer, Alfred: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges, N. T., Vol. IV, pp. 165-166

[7] Luke 18:2-5

[8] Dryander, Ernst von: A Commentary on the First Epistle of St. John in the Form of Addresses, op. cit., XVI. Prayer According to the Will of God, p. 212

[9] Psalm 97:11 – Complete Jewish Bible

[10] 1 John 5:14-16

[11] Ibid. 5:16

[12] John 17:3

[13] Findlay, George G., Fellowship in the Life Eternal: An Exposition of the Epistles of St. John, op. cit., p. 399

[14] Sinclair, William M., New Testament Commentary for English Readers, Charles J. Ellicott, op. cit., Vol. 3, p. 493

[15] Gore, Charles: The Epistles of St. John, op. cit., p. 206

[16] John 6:39, 40; Ephesians 1:9, 10, 11; Colossians 1:9, etc.

[17] Matthew 26:42; Acts of the Apostles 21:14; Romans 15:32; 1 Peter 4:19, etc.

[18] Law, Robert: The Tests of Life: A Study of the First Epistle of St. John, op. cit., p. 222

[19] Cf. John 1:1-2; Mark 6:3

[20] Brooke, Alan E., A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Johannine Epistles, op. cit., pp. 143-144

[21] Ward, Ronald A., The Epistles on John and Jude, op. cit., p. 57

[22] Matthew 6:10

[23] Marshall, Ian Howard. The Epistles of John (The New International Commentary on the New Testament), op. cit., pp. 244-245

[24] 1 John 3:21-22

[25] Painter, John. Sacra Pagina: 1, 2, and 3 John: Volume 18, op. cit., loc. cit., Kindle Edition

NEW TESTAMENT CONTEXTUAL COMMENTARY

By Dr. Robert R. Seyda

FIRST EPISTLE OF JOHN

CHAPTER FIVE (Lesson XCVII) 03/27/23

^5:14 We can come to God with no doubts. This means that when we ask God for things that agree with what He wants for us. God cares about what we tell Him.

Anti-evolutionary creationist Gospel preacher, Robert N. Dabney (1820-1898), announces that the whole tone of Scripture in verse fourteen sets some practical limitations on God’s general promises. All our prayers will be answered in God’s time and His way, and if they are faith-filled, virtuous prayers for things according to God’s will, He will answer them with absolute accuracy. There are only two ways to find out what items meet these criteria: by special revelation, as in the case of faith in miracles and petitions for them; the other is by the Bible. If Christians pray with the right motives and an assured belief that it will be given to them.[1] [2]

After contemplating the Apostle John’s train of thought, William Kelly (1822-1888) urges every believer to dwell in love, stay in union with God, and let God live in them. Through His grace, hindrances, tremendous or petty, are expelled and provide us boldness through the unchanging love of an unchanging God amid all the changes. God is pleased with this confidence in counting on His care for us during our trials, weakness, needs, in the sorrow that sickness brings, in painful circumstances, and in all the ways in which we are put to the test from day-to-day.

How then should we feel? Do we have bold faith in our present communication with God and count on Him through the grace that delivered us from death and sins, that gave us life and the Holy Spirit, or are we trembling and doubtful because of minor difficulties in life? Is not this unworthy and an inconsistency? By faith, we become bold in asking for the best blessings, so let us have no less self-assurance about the smaller things day after day.

We should never doubt that He who loves us is involved in all that is allowed or sent to prove that we are faithful. We see this in the Apostle John’s words in verse fourteen. Indeed, we should be hesitant to ask anything against His will. His Word lets us know what His will is. So, let us never doubt Him in these comparatively small trials after proving His infinite love in our deepest wants. Chapter four tells us that nothing is too difficult for faithful believers in the Anointed One, and in chapter five, nothing is too small for God’s love. How easily we forget to act when it might be for His answer. Then requests come in we are unable to respond to! Prayer is due to our God and a rich blessing to us and others. But it is not as it should be without the confidence which honors God’s love for us.^[3]

With precise spiritual discernment, William Alexander (1824-1911) believes that verses fourteen and fifteen should be considered one verse: “We can come to God with no doubts. This signifies that God cares about what we say when we ask God for things (and those things agree with what God wants for us).  He listens to us every time we ask Him. So, we know that He gives us whatever we ask from Him.” In this case, means “it must first agree with God’s will,” justifies the end, “He gives us whatever we ask.”^[4]

As an expert in holiness doctrine, Daniel Steele (1824-1914) notes that the Apostle John speaks of the Christian’s boldness three other times in this epistle.[5] Verse fourteen is about intercessory prayer, prompted by love for fellow believers. The conscious possession of eternal life enables the believer to come directly before God and express every thought with absolute freedom. This boldness is more than simple belief; it is a sure inward experience. “According to His will” is the only limit to acceptable prayer and is equivalent to “in my name,”[6] It comprises all spiritual perfection and all temporary things that contribute to this perfection.^[7]

After sufficient examination of the Greek text, Brooke F. Westcott (1825-1901) says that the words in verse fourteen imply that the knowledge Christians gain is not for passive possession for themselves alone. On the contrary, it finds possibilities in the corresponding expression: “The Christian life bears the fruit[8] of the boldness of speech, which we have due to our possession of spiritual life.[9] The gift of eternal life also “enables believers to come directly before God and speak every thought without reserve.”[10] Thus they have the strength to do in life’s present trials[11] with unrestricted trust “at the presence of the Anointed One”[12] and “on the day of judgment.”[13]

This confidence is directed towards God; He is the main subject of the passage. The fact He hears, not the conviction of (“knowing that He hears,”) is identified with feeling. Our boldness is not simply a belief, but a certainty, an experience, if we ask for anything according to His will.[14] It finds expression in the soul[15] and is the continuous manifestation of the divine nature through the Anointed One.

Therefore, asking “according to God’s will” is equivalent to asking “in Jesus’ name.”[16] Knowing and doing God’s will shows the spiritual maturity of the believer[17] and all external things only so far as they contribute to this discovery.[18]  This sense of God’s hearing is peculiar to John. The “hearing” by God, like the “knowledge” of God, carries with it every proper consequence. The force of this unusual construction appears to be to throw the uncertainty on the fact and not upon knowing. The sense required is not “and should we know” but “and should it be that we know.” whatsoever we ask. Westcott also notes that the believer should not compose a prayer that is not according to God’s will. And since they made God’s will their will, they seek an immediate and present possession,[19] although the visible fulfillment may be delayed.[20] ^[21]

Like a spiritual farmer planting the seed of God’s Word, Henry A. Sawtelle (1832-1913) sees the confidence (or boldness) the Apostle John speaks of springs from the sense of union with the Anointed One and the sure knowledge that we have eternal life. This boldness, or “confidence,” is the same as the boldness John spoke of earlier [22] that we have in (towards) Him. “Towards God”[23] is holy boldness before God, and effectual praying is connected.[24] As seen in verse thirteen, there is no feeling of shame or condemnation in the full consciousness of spiritual life, and hence the abundant freedom in God’s presence. And having that freedom prepares us for the asking. Besides, God and His will are much in the soul in this complete spiritual life, so our will in what we ask for is likely to be His will. According to His will, God hears us if we ask anything (temporal or spiritual, for ourselves or others).

But what is the relation of this conditional sentence to boldness before God? The following paraphrase may answer: “And this is the kind of boldness, the degree of boldness, which, in the full realization of eternal life, we have before God for whatever we ask of Him.” It is that kind of boldness that is accompanied by effectual praying and is proven by it. It is not a guarantee that we will be heard, but unrestrained courage of such a kind that meets God’s acceptance and makes this reception a thing to be expected.[25] When one is full of spiritual life and familial bravery, the believer’s praying is likely according to God’s will, so their praying is as welcome as their person.

When one prays in complete union with the Anointed One, it is also the Anointed One praying; it is praying in His name, and the prayer is accepted. It is the will of God. So, when the Spirit prays in us, it is the will of God. A faithful spiritual life is at the foundation of effective prayer. The Apostle James espoused the same principle.[26] [27]

Adonriam J. Gordon (1836-1895), who taught that the duty and privilege of believers to receive the Holy Spirit by an actual conscious act of faith, made a point. To repeat a holy name may be easy, but attaining His divine indwelling for perfect unity with our True Vine takes active faith. For instance, to ask a fig tree branch to sprout the buds and flower of a thorn is like asking the True Vine to produce the works of the flesh rather than the fruit of the spirit for ideal discipleship.”[28]

With his systematic spiritual mindset, Augustus Hopkins Strong (1836-1921) points out that a conscious union with the Anointed One gives assurance of salvation. It is an excellent stimulus for believing prayers and patient labor. It is a duty to “Know the hope to which God called us, the riches of His glorious inheritance in His holy people, ¹⁹ and His incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength.”[29] The Anointed One’s command, “Abide in me, and I in you,”[30] implies that we are both to realize and confirm this union by actively exerting our will. We are to abide in Him by complete consecration and let Him dwell in us by appropriating faith. We are to give ourselves to the Anointed One and accept Him in return. In other words, we must believe the Anointed One’s promises and act on them.

All sin consists of separating a person’s spiritual life from God. Thus, all religious systems based on falsehoods attempt to save people without merging their life with God. The only religion that can save mankind is the one that fills the whole heart and life with God, aiming to permeate universal humanity with that same living Anointed One who has already made Himself one with the believer. This conscious union with the Anointed One gives “boldness” toward others and God. The Greek noun parrēsia belongs to the Greek democracies. Freemen are bold.

The Anointed One frees us from prejudiced, reflective, and self-conscious biased attitudes. In Him, we become free, affectionate, and outspoken. So, we find, in John’s epistles, that boldness in prayer is spoken of as a virtue, and the author of the Epistle to the Hebrews urges us to “draw near with boldness unto the throne of grace.”[31] An engagement to be married is not the same as marriage. The parties may still be distant from each other. Nevertheless, many Christians get near enough to the Anointed One to be spiritually engaged as a “bride to be,” but never marry the groom, Jesus. Our privilege is to have the Anointed One in us to help us do our work for Him. “Since the Anointed One and we are one, Why should we doubt or fear?”^[32]

Noting the Apostle John’s doctrinal implications, John James Lias (1834-1923) states that we now encounter the Apostle John’s concluding words of application of the truth by successive steps. The first consideration to which he invites us is the duty of intercessory prayer to spread the life obtainable in the Anointed One. The next is the perfect safety of those who have the life of God and are disposed to live it. Finally, he concludes with a warning to those he speaks about not being carried away by the temptations to return to the life they have forsaken.

Then John speaks of the idea of boldness or confidence he revealed.[33] But he gives a different opinion on the thought in verse fourteen. Earlier, John talks about boldness – not being ashamed to speak about how we feel when in God’s presence.[34] Then, John comments on this boldness resulting from a clear conscience.[35] Finally, our boldness on Judgment Day is due to our likeness to the Anointed One and the spirit of love we received from Him.[36] Here a result of our boldness is spoken of. We feel that we may venture to approach God. And not only so, but we feel sure He hears our petitions.

One requirement remains: We should not ask for what He will not grant.[37] We can do this when we are permeated with the life that comes from God through His Son, especially when we seek no selfish advantage.[38] Here John connects boldness with prayer when we pray according to God’s will. We must never take the liberty to ask for what we need as a license to insist on having everything we want. The “confidence” of the Authorized Version is introduced from the Latin Rheims Douay version. The principal earlier versions have trust here.[39] It includes the idea of granting the petition.^[40]

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[1] Cf. Matthew 21:22; Mark 11:24

[2] Dabney, Robert L., Systematic Theology, Kindle Edition

[3] Kelly, William: An Exposition of the Epistle of John the Apostle, op. cit., p. 385

[4] Alexander, William: The Holy Bible with an Explanatory and Critical Commentary, Vol. IV, op. cit., p. 344

[5] 1 John 2:28; 3:21, 22; 4:17

[6] John 14:13

[7] Steele, Daniel: Half-Hours with St. John’s Epistles, op. cit., p. 141

[8] Cf. Matthew 18:15, 20

[9] See 1 John 2:28

[10] Hebrews 4:16

[11] 1 John 3:21

[12] Ibid. 2:28

[13] Ibid. 4:17

[14] Cf. 1 Peter 4:19; Galatians 1:4; Ephesians 1:5, 11

[15] John 15:7

[16] Ibid. 14:13

[17] Romans 2:18

[18] Cf. John 9:31; 11:41

[19] Mark 11:24

[20] See Philippians 4:6; Luke 23:24

[21] Westcott, Brooke F., The Epistles of St. John: Greek Text with Notes, op. cit., pp. 189-190

[22] 1 John 2:28; 3:21; 4:17

[23] See 1 John 3:21

[24] Hebrews 4:16

[25] Cf. 1 John 3:21; Hebrews 4:16

[26] James 5:16

[27] Sawtelle, Henry A., Commentary on the Epistles of John, op. cit., pp. 59-60

[28] Gordon, Adonriam J., The Believer’s Union with His Lord, Gould and Lincoln, Boston, 1872, Ch. VII, p. 137

[29] Ephesians 1:18-19

[30] John 15:4

[31] Hebrews 4:16

[32] Strong, Augustus H., Systematic Theology, Vol. 3, op. cit., p. 60

[33] 1 John 2:23; 3:2; 4:17

[34] Ibid. 2:28

[35] Ibid. 3:21

[36] Ibid. 4:17

[37] James 4:3

[38] Cf. 1 John 3:22

[39] Cf. John 9:31

[40] Lias, John James: The First Epistle of St. John with Exposition, op. cit., pp. 398-399

NEW TESTAMENT CONTEXTUAL COMMENTARY

By Dr. Robert R. Seyda

FIRST EPISTLE OF JOHN

CHAPTER FIVE (Lesson XCVI) 03/24/23

^5:14 We can come to God with no doubts. This means that when we ask God for things that agree with what He wants for us. God cares about what we tell Him.

Considering everything the Apostle John has said so far, Adam Clarke (1774-1849) mentions that the “confidence “(Greek noun, parrēsia) we have is the liberty of access and speech so that if we ask anything according to His will that is, which He has promised in His word, reveals His will in things concerning mankind’s salvation. All that God promised we are justified in expecting we should pray for. Prayer is the language of God’s children. They call God Abba, Father, in the true spirit of prayer. Prayer expresses dependence on God; there is neither life, love, nor faith where the soul is numb. Faith and prayer are not boldly to advance claims upon God; we must remember that what we ask and believe for is agreeable to God’s revealed will. Such promises are what we should pray for.^[1]

After spiritually analyzing John’s conclusions, Gottfried C. F. Lücke (1791-1855) notes that Christian joy,[2] cheerfulness, and confidence in God are grounded in faith, and consciousness of the possession of eternal life is inseparable from our belief. This confidence and cheerfulness primarily manifest themselves in prayer. But, perhaps too, the Apostle John’s readers’ understanding was defective. Possibly, because they were discouraged by the oppression of the times and the world’s persecution, their prayer lacked complete confidence[3] and partly the genuine Christian spirit. Concerning both, John says (in the Greek text): “And this is the freedom of speech which we have toward Him,” (namely, to God as the chief grammatical subject after verse nine). However, we should never take “we ask anything” as a blank check.[4] ^[5]

Without using complicated language, Albert Barnes (1798-1870) notes that the confidence referred to relates to God’s answer to prayer. The Apostle John does not say that this is the only thing concerning our trust in God, but it is worthy of special consideration. One of the effects of believing in the Lord Jesus[6] is that we have the assurance that our prayers will be answered if we ask anything according to His will. This is the proper and necessary limitation in all prayer. God has not promised to grant anything contrary to His will, and it could not be right that He should do it. We should not wish to receive anything contrary to what He judges best. No one could hope for good who esteems their wishes to be a better guide than God’s will, and it is one of the most desirable arrangements that promises of any blessing obtained by prayer should be according to God’s will, not ours.[7]

The limitation here, “according to His will,” probably implies the following things: (1) In accordance with what God has declared He is willing to grant. (2) The expression “according to His will” must limit the answer to prayer to what God sees to be best for us. (3) The expression must limit the petition to what it will be consistent for God to bestow upon us. (4) The expression “according to His will” must limit the promise to what will be best for the whole matter. For example, in a family, it is conceivable that a child might ask for some favor that would interfere with the rights of others or be inconsistent with the whole family’s good. In such a case, a father would withhold it. With these necessary limitations, the range of promises through prayer is sufficient.^[8]

With impressive theological vision, Richard Rothe (1799-1867) writes that in verse fourteen and the following verses, John shows his readers how firm his conviction remains with what he said in verse thirteen that they who believe in Jesus as God’s Son possess eternal life. Those who do this display the confidence they (with every true believer) have in their Redeemer. As John describes it, this confidence is fantastic; it is the confidence of possessing life and perfect satisfaction in the Anointed One.

So, John’s thoughts are connected as follows. We have written these things to awaken the vivid consciousness that you possess eternal life through your faith in Jesus as God’s Son. And our boldness towards Him is so great that we are confident of receiving the fulfillment of all our desires in accordance with His will. Thereby, we maintain life and perfect satisfaction,[9] namely, eternal life, by virtue of our faith in Him, ^[10]

Consistent with the Apostle John’s advice, Heinrich A. W. Meyer (1800-1882) adds the conjunction “and” at the beginning of verse fourteen, which results from the knowledge mentioned in verse thirteen, opens a unique line of communication to God. That “line” involves that which our petitions use to go towards Him; thus, because of that open line, we find support, joy, and peace in our life. In this line or sphere, the knowledge produces confidence towards God. This confidence is explained or defined in the following words: “If we ask anything according to His will, He hears us; and if we know that He hears us, we know that we have the petitions we asked of Him.”

The Christian believer has confidence, founded upon possessing the Divine life in the soul, that their future prayers will be answered. They know that as their desire and will are conformed to God’s will, the fundamental petition in every prayer, that God’s will may be done, is answered in their experience and life. All things work together for their benefit as they love God;[11] their joy comes from fellowship with the Father, His Son, and other believers.[12] ^[13]

According to Robert Jamieson (1802-1880), Andrew Fausset (1821-1910), and David Brown’s (1803-1897) way of thinking, the Apostle John’s encouragement for coming to God which no doubt means that when we ask God for things (and those things agree with what God wants for us), God cares about our praying it with confidence or boldness.[14] It results from knowing that we have eternal life[15] according to God’s will and the believer’s will and is, therefore, no restraint to prayers. However, as God’s will is not our will, we are not abiding by faith, and our prayers are unacceptable.[16]

With an inquiring mind, Daniel D. Whedon (1808-1885) says that this confidence of which the Apostle John speaks is a firm feeling of the heart in free expression. The indwelling life puts forth a confident utterance according to their will. The utterance expresses our will and God’s. Since we are not speechless and God is not deaf, like wood or stone idols[17] or the pantheist’s “unknown supreme force.”[18] Our life with God constitutes a method of blessed intercommunication. Our lips are vocal, and His ear is sensitive.^[19]

In line with Apostle John’s conclusion, Henry Alford (1810-1871) proposes that the believer’s confidence as shown in prayer. And the faith we have towards Him (which follows as a matter of immediate inference from our spiritual life)[20] is that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us (such confidence is expressed in various ways, including prayer. But Alford also feels the “He” in “He hears us” refers to the Father, not the Son. So, the truth that God hears all our prayers, has been explained in what the Apostle John said earlier, “We receive from Him anything we ask, because we keep His commandments and do what pleases Him.”[21]

The condition attached, that the request be according to God’s will does not limit the Christian’s free speech before God. For God’s will is that to which our glorious Savior submitted Himself, and which rules the whole course of the Christian life for our good and His glory, Anyone who intends to violate God’s will is thereby transgressing the bounds of their life in God.[22] By the continual feeling of submission to His will, combined with a constant increase in knowledge of His will, our prayers will be corrected and redirected to what is right. If we knew His will thoroughly and submitted to it heartily, it would be impossible for us to ask anything, for the spirit or for the body, which He should not hear and perform. And it is this ideal state, as always, which the Apostle John has in view.[23]

As a faithful and zealous scholar, William Graham (1810-1883), every believing soul has confidence (boldness) in God our Father and may come boldly to His throne of grace in time of need.[24] Let us never forget that God’s ways from the beginning, so far as they are related to grace, have been calculated to inspire his children with confidence in Him. His many great and precious promises are intended to remove our guilty suspicions and tranquilize our sin-stricken hearts. He is the living, eternal fountain from which all our blessings for time and eternity flow. He opens His heavenly mansions to the weary, heavily burdened, and all returning prodigals. He unseals His bosom and heart. Did He not give His Son to die for us, and will He not, with Him, also freely give us all things?[25]

Surely all this should give us confidence in Him. He has loved us from eternity, and every step in our life is but a fresh manifestation of his love for our souls. The Bible, providence, prophecy, God’s Son in His atoning love, the Spirit of God in His sanctifying powers are all His gifts, because they are all intended and calculated to restore the interaction between God and us which sin and Satan interrupted.”^[26]

With the zeal of a scriptural text examiner, William E. Jelf (811-1875) says that one of the most notable points and privileges of eternal life is the access to and communion with God, the power, and the privilege of conversing with Him without fear. Instead, it points to it as assurance. Free speech (resulting from faith or commitment) consists of this “that we know.” the Apostle John refers to the privilege he spoke of by confidence in prayer.[27] He wishes to reiterate and impress upon their minds the great benefit which arose from a well-grounded assurance that God would hear their prayer. If our heart, looking into all the circumstances, experimental and practical, of our spiritual state, passes a verdict in favor of our being at peace with God, if we know on solid grounds that we have eternal life, then we enjoy that freedom of communication with God, the essence of which is our certainty that He hears us. 

This confidence is part of eternal life. Here is the limitation of reasonable expectation of our prayers being heard and answered. Our prayers must square with His will. If we ask for things contrary to His will or in the way He desires, we have no reason to look for what we ask for.[28] In Luke’s Gospel, we have an instance of even our Savior’s praying not being heard.[29] ^[30]

With an inquiring spiritual mind, Johannes H. A. Ebrard (1819-1893) notes that our confidence that God hears us is the seed of the Apostle John’s thinking. But, to make clear how great and glorious a thing it is to be able to possess such confidence, instead of the simple “freedom of speech” (“confidence” NIV), John uses the emphatic, “and this is the freedom of speech that we have.” Ebrard says that after analyzing John’s conclusions,  Gottfried Lücke (1791-1855) says that John is correct, therefore, in saying that the logical completion of the clause would be thus: “In this consists the confidence,[31] which we have in Him, (that we know), supplied from verse fifteen, or more correctly: that we have that reliance in Him – which is provided from the freedom of speech we have when we ask anything according to His will, namely, anything that pleases Him,[32] He hears us,[33] (not, fulfills our petitions), for this is first mentioned in verse fifteen.”[34]

It confirmed what was observed by John earlier,[35] that, the doctrine concerning the granting of prayer, the petitioner is always assumed to live in the Holy Spirit and possession of a regenerate life; that, consequently, their supplication proceeds from a will which is in harmony with the Divine will, which frames its desires according to the norm of God’s Spirit and will; that, therefore, they never urge presumptuous requests, but prays only for that which the Anointed One taught us to ask for.^[36]

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[1] Clarke, Adam: Wesleyan Heritage Commentary, op. cit., Hebrews-Revelation, p. 398

[2] 1 John 1:4

[3] Cf. James 1:6-7

[4] 1 John 5:11

[5] Lücke, Gottfried C. F., A Commentary on the Epistles of St. John, op. cit., p. 277

[6] 1 John 5:13

[7] Luke 22:42

[8] Barnes, Albert: New Testament Notes, op. cit., 1 John 5, pp. 4887-4888

[9] John 10:10

[10] Rothe, Richard: Exposition of the First Epistle of St. John, op. cit., The Expository Times, July 1895, p. 469

[11] Romans 8:28

[12] 1 John 1:4; cf. John 15:11

[13] Meyer, Heinrich A. W., Critical Exegetical Handbook New Testament, op. cit., Vol. 10, p. 615

[14] 1 John 4:17

[15] Ibid. 5:13; cf. 3:19, 22

[16] Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown’s Commentary on the Whole Bible, New Testament Volume, op. cit., p. 730

[17] 1 John 5:21

[18] Kuyper, Abraham, Pantheism’s Destruction of Boundaries, Methodist Review, New York, July and September 1893, Article VI, Part I 

[19] Whedon, Daniel D., Commentary on the New Testament, op. cit., pp. 279-280

[20] 1 John 3:19-21

[21] Cf. 1 John 3:21-22

[22] James 4:3

[23] Alford, Henry: The Greek New Testament, Vol. IV, op. cit., pp. 508-509

[24] Hebrews 4:16

[25] Romans 8:32

[26] Graham, William: The Spirit of Love, op. cit., pp. 338-339

[27] 1 John 3:21

[28] Cf. James 4:3

[29] Luke 22:42

[30] Jelf, William E., Commentary on the First Epistle of St. John, op. cit., p. 76-77

[31] Cf. 1 John 3:23; 5:11, John 17:3

[32] Matthew 6:10; 26:39; John 14:13

[33] John 9:31

[34] Lücke, Friedrich: A Commentary on the Epistles of St. John, op. cit., trans. Thorleif Gudmundson Repp, The Biblical Cabinet, Thomas Clark, Edinburgh, 1837, p. 278

[35] 1 John 3:22

[36] Ebrard, Johannes H. A., Biblical Commentary on the Epistles of St. John, op. cit., p. 336

NEW TESTAMENT CONTEXTUAL COMMENTARY

By Dr. Robert R. Seyda

FIRST EPISTLE OF JOHN

CHAPTER FIVE (Lesson XCV) 03/23/23

^5:14 We can come to God with no doubts. This means that when we ask God for things that agree with what He wants for us. God cares about what we tell Him.

When John speaks of “in Him,” it literally means “towards Him.”  This implies active fellowship with God. We develop confidence in prayer when we are in union with Him. Thus, we have confidence in prayer when we walk with the Lord. As such, our right to ask God for petitions and intercessions is unconditional, for it rests on the person and work of the Anointed One. That is why we come to God in Jesus’ name.[1]

Remember, God was accessible to Elijah in his confrontation with the prophets of Baal.[2] The Baal prophets cut themselves so their gods would listen to them, but it did no good. Their gods were inaccessible. Their prayers were futile. But God heard and answered Elijah’s prayer.  Christians today have access to the God of the universe because Jesus broke the barrier between God and mankind. The Christian has uninhibited boldness in prayer because of the work of Jesus the Anointed One.[3] So, when we ask, we expect an answer. Thus, believers are confident that they possess eternal life[4] and convinced that God answers prayer. However, the chief principle is that we must know God’s will to have confidence in prayer.

Unanswered prayer is a mystery to many today because they experiment around the edges of prayer but never get serious about it. They do not pray with certainty. Sometimes they use prayer as the “last resort.” Most mysteries about prayer revolve around the nature of prayer. First, some try to pray but give up because of their perceptions about what prayers accomplish. Then they lose confidence in prayer altogether because God did not answer their prayer. They assume then that praying fails to meet their needs. Finally, some Christians use prayer as a genie that persuades God to do what they want. They get what they want if they rub the genie’s bottle right. This is an imitation of prayer. By this, they make outlandish demands on God that they believe is their right. God promises to meet our “needs,” not our “greed.”[5]

We learn that valid petitions are according to God’s will and nature. Prayer outside God’s will is an insult to His integrity. There is a wide range wherein we can pray. We pray for what God requires, not our desires. The act of prayer is simple, but the characteristics of prayer are not superficial. We can have confidence in prayer because God delights when Christians take Him at His word. He loves bold faith and prayer.[6]

Therefore, prayer is not an attempt to move God to see things our way. It is not an effort to change God’s values or standards. God is not willing to give His child something that is not good for them. God wants to provide what is in the best interest of His children. God does not pander to self-gratification.[7] Prayer is more than submitting wishes to God. We can have confidence that God will answer our prayers if we ask according to His will by faith. The more we invoke God’s will, the more our prayer He will fulfill.

God always answers prayer when asked, “according to His will.”  God reveals His will in His Word. God answers prayer according to the dynamics of our prayer life.  The better we know God’s will, the more He will answer our prayers. The better we know God’s will; our prayer life will be better. God does not answer any whim or imagination.  If we pray with confidence, we must pray according to His will. That is why we have so few prayers answered. These are the plain, bare, brutal facts. When Christians do not receive answers to their prayers, they put their trust in being lucky. God answers prayer according to specific standards. For example, we must ask in Jesus’ name[8] and be in fellowship with Him[9]for God to answer prayer.[10]

COMMENTARY AND HOMILETICS

This verse has comments, interpretations, and insights of the Early Church Fathers, Medieval Thinkers, Reformation Theologians, Revivalist Teachers, Reformed Scholars, and Modern Commentators.

With great assurance, early church ecclesiastical teacher Didymus the Blind (313-398) finds that those who possess technical skills and know how to repair things are confident they will be able to do so when need arises. Similarly, these holy men, John, and the other apostles, knew from their own experience that if they asked God for what was pleasing and acceptable to Him, they would obtain it. God is most generous to those with this knowledge and will grant the requests of those who ask according to his will.[11]

With a studious monk’s spiritual insight, Bede the Venerable (672-735) John holds out to us the great assurance that we can expect to receive heavenly blessings from the Lord and that whatever we ask for here on earth will be given to us as long as we ask for it in the right way. This is in complete agreement with what Jesus said in the Gospels: “I say to you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you receive it, and you will.”[12]

In the Heidelberg Catechism (1563), one question reads: “What are the requisites of that prayer which is acceptable to God and which He will hear?” Answer: First, that we from the heart to the one true God only, who has manifested Himself in His Word,^[13] for all things He has commanded us to ask of Him;^[14] secondly, that we rightly and thoroughly know our need and misery, that so we may deeply humble ourselves in the presence of His divine majesty;^[15] thirdly, that we are fully persuaded that He, notwithstanding that we are unworthy of it,^[16] will, for the sake of the Anointed One our Lord, certainly hear our prayer,^[17] as He has promised us in His Word.^[18] [19]

Respected Reformation writer Matthew Poole (1624-1679) explains that “according to His will,” it is not to be taken negatively since it does not forbid our praying for and enjoying the things that bring us joy. On the contrary, it must be looked at positively, namely, according to His will signifies: 1) By His commands, that is, when our prayers involve some spiritually good thing, as when we pray for grace to enable us to be and to do what He requires us. 2) By his promises, which are absolute and particular regarding things of that nature.[20]

About things of a less critical nature, the things promised coming under the common notion of good things, not in themselves only, but for us, in present circumstances; which, whether they are or not, God reserves the liberty of determining and only promise them, if they are; and so we are only to pray for them; for that is praying, according to what signification He has given us of His will, in such cases. And so, we will surely be heard in the former case, in the very particular kind, about which His will is expressly made known beforehand. And if we are persuaded that He hears us, respecting what we ask of Him, we are confident of receiving the petitions we asked of Him.^[21]

Assuredly, says George Swinnock (1627-1673), believers are not to exceed the limits of prayer. Israel had their wish, to their sorrowful cost, when they cried out, “If we had only died in Egypt or in this wilderness.”[22] As the Apostle Paul said, “Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do.”[23] Indeed, Christians may have anything of God they ask in prayer, but only when they seek to promote God’s glory. But those that prioritize their will, not minding God’s, are like proud and ungracious beggars. They want to be choosers; therefore, they will be sent away as losers. The Christian’s charter is wide enough; they have no cause to desire more than they need.^[24]

From his strategic viewpoint as a biblical expositor and educational pioneer, William Burkitt (1650-1703) says that for the Apostle John to enforce this appeal to believers, namely, to be confirmed and constant in the faith, he shows them what an extraordinary advantage believers have above other persons, namely, confidence in all their approaches to God; with complete assurance: 1) In general, that whatever they ask in faith according to His will, they will obtain. 2) In particular, our several petitions, which we present to God, will in His time and His way, and after His custom will be granted, provided our prayers qualify according to the Gospel for receiving His promise.

Thus, we learn the following, 1) Through our interest in the Anointed One and for His satisfaction and prevailing intercession as our Mediator, our prayers are heard by God, and we will have what God promised to give, and we are eligible to receive. God, indeed, does not always come with an answer to prayer immediately, but He never stays a moment beyond His time. 2) In all the prayers we present and put to God, special regard must be given to God’s will if we expect to be heard and answered. The will of God is the rule, not only of things to be done by us but also of those we crave God to do for us.

The will of God under a threefold revelation is the rule and matter of prayer, 1) The will of God in His commands; whatever God requires us to do, we may pray for power that we may do. 2) The will of God in His promises; what God has said He will give; we may pray that we may receive. And 3) The will of God in prophecies; what God has foretold will come to pass; we may and ought to pray that it may come to pass. Our prayers give birth to the prophecies and promises of God.[25] ^[26]

With scholarly meditation, James Macknight (1721-1800) speaks of our boldness with God if we ask anything according to His will. The fact that He listens to us is commonly understood as the Apostle John speaking of Christians, in general, to assure them that God will grant it to them if they ask for anything necessary to their salvation. Nevertheless, from verses sixteen to seventeen, it is plain that John is speaking not of our asking for spiritual blessings for ourselves but of our asking life for a spiritual brother or sister who committed a moral sin, not a mortal sin. Others, therefore, think John, in these verses, directs Christians, in general, to pray for the eternal pardon of each other’s sins. But a better interpretation is suggested as no person’s sins will be pardoned at the request. Moreover, this directive contains an allusion to our Lord’s promise to His apostles, which John recorded in his Gospel.[27]

We also see that the Anointed One promised that His apostles should do greater[28] miracles than He did and that whatever they should ask in His name, He would do it; the meaning is that whatever blessing they should ask for, the confirmation of their mission as His apostles, He would do it. In like manner, when He promised, in the second passage, that they should ask the Father in His name, and He would give it to them. Jesus then said, “Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.”[29] Therefore, we should not doubt that the things Jesus directed them to ask of the Father were miracles for the manifestation of His character as God’s Son and for the successful spread of the Gospel, whereby the apostle’s joy would be rendered complete.

These declarations and promises were the foundation for the boldness that the persons to whom John was writing had with the Father that if they asked anything according to His will, He would listen to them. So, John is speaking of their boldness in asking for miracles. Macknight compliments John Tillotson (1630-1694)[30] for being sensible for saying that the boldness in asking of which John speaks was boldness in asking blessings, supposing that this is to be understood by the apostles alone. But that this boldness also belonged to such of the disciples as, in the first age, were endowed with the gift of healing diseases miraculously.[31]^[32]

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[1] John 16:24

[2] 1 Kings 18

[3] Hebrews 4:14-16

[4] 1 John 5:13

[5] James 4:3

[6] Hebrews 4:13-16; 10:19

[7] Philippians 4:19

[8] John 14:13; 15:16

[9] Ibid. 15:7; 1 John 3:22

[10] Matthew 6:10

[11] Didymus the Blind, Ancient Christian Commentary on Scriptures, Bray, G. (Ed.), op. cit., Vol. XI, p. 225

[12] Bede the Venerable, Ancient Christian Commentary on Scriptures, Bray, G. (Ed.), op. cit., Vol. XI, p. 226

[13] John 4:22-23

[14] Romans 8:26; 1 John 5:14

[15] John 4:23-24

[16] 2 Chronicles 20:12

[17] Psalm 2:11

[18] Romans 10:13

[19] Heidelberg Catechism: Of Prayer Lord’s Day 45, Question 117

[20] Matthew 5:6; Luke 11:13

[21] Poole, Matthew. Commentary on the Holy Bible – Book of 1st, 2nd & 3rd John (Annotated), Kindle Edition

[22] Numbers 14:2, 28-29

[23] Ephesians 5:17

[24] Swinnock, George: The Christian Man’s Calling, Vol. 1, Ch. XIII, p. 121

[25] Ezekiel 36:37

[26] Burkitt, William: Expository Notes, op. cit., Vol. II, p. 738

[27] John 14:12; 16:23

[28] The Greek meizōn means “enlarged” or “more abundant.” Abarim Biblical Dictionary: The New Testament

[29] Matthew 7:7

[30] John Tillotson whose father was a Puritan, was the Anglican Archbishop of Canterbury

[31] See Mark 16:17

[32] Macknight, James: Apostolic Epistles with Commentary, Vol. VI, pp. 116-117

NEW TESTAMENT CONTEXTUAL COMMENTARY

By Dr. Robert R. Seyda

FIRST EPISTLE OF JOHN

CHAPTER FIVE (Lesson XCIV) 03/22/23

^5:13 I write this letter to you who believe in God’s Son. I write so that you will know that you have eternal life now.

In his unorthodox Unitarian way, Duncan Heaster (1967) points out that some believed in the Name of Jesus, demonstrating it through baptism in that Name, who now doubt their salvation, and whether they had received the promise of “eternal life” as a present experience. In this, we find John addressing so many of us. John has extended beyond discussing how to recognize a faithful Christian and thereby reject false Christians into the more personal application to us. They are those who believe in the Lord and have received the gift of His Spirit, His life, which is eternal life.^[1]

Bright seminarian Karen H. Jobes (1968) notes that verse thirteen is strikingly similar to the mission statement of John’s Gospel.[2] John’s Gospel is logically prior in its relevance to believers since it presents reasons to believe. John’s epistle encourages those who have dedicated themselves to continue in that faith, even in confusing circumstances. Theology is the “Application of What We Believe About the Future Determines How We’ll Live Today.” In the busyness of daily life, it is easy to lose sight of one’s eternal future and not even give it a thought until one is confronted with mortality at the grave of a friend or loved one. The priorities of our modern lives probably include working, meals, worship, exercise, shopping, mowing the grass, maintaining our homes and cars, spending time with family and friends, and so on. The importance of life after death seldom comes to mind, even for Christian believers.

Yet, says Jobes, nothing seems to have been a greater concern to John’s Gospel and Letters than securing people with the only source of eternal life, Jesus the Anointed One. He is the Eternal Life sent to earth to die and to open the way through death to life for all who would believe and follow. Jesus’ atoning death – the “water and blood” Gospel – is the heart of Christian theology. No theology claiming otherwise can be true, for God’s testimony confirms only a “water and blood” Gospel, not a “water only” gospel ‒ today’s theology trends toward a “nonviolent” atonement. While perhaps well-intentioned, it is a modern expression of the thinking the Apostle John corrects by reminding his readers that Jesus the Anointed One did not come by water (baptism) only but that His blood (crucifixion) is essential for the atonement that secures our eternal life after death.^[3]

As a dedicated messenger of God’s Word, Douglas Sean O’Donnell (1972) remarks that it is a strange day in which we live when doubt is considered a virtue and skepticism as humility. They view absolute truth as unconditionally false. Reflective of this trend, a college chaplain once held “A Festival of Doubt,” during which various campus activities underscored the importance of religious uncertainty. The spirit of our age is so different from God’s Spirit. In John’s epistle – from the beginning of chapter one through the end of chapter five – the chaplain in Ephesus holds a “Festival of Faith.” It is a celebration that crescendos and concludes with certainty: “I write these things to you who believe in the name [Yeshua, meaning “Savior”] of God’s Son that you may know that you have eternal life.”

John’s call to confidence escalates in verses fourteen to twenty-one, where he repeats the word oidamen (“we know”) five times,[4] and the phrase “that you may know” is used in verse thirteen and “that we may know” in verse twenty. That is seven “knows” in nine verses! But what are we to know? Here John teaches that we are to know that (1) God hears our prayers, (2) Jesus protects us from sin and the evil one, and (3) Jesus is the true God, and in Him, we have eternal life.[5]

^5:14 We can come to God with no doubts, which means that when we ask God for things that agree with what He wants for us. God cares about what we tell Him.

EXPOSITION

All believers need to know that the Anointed One, as God’s Son, is in charge of His Father’s entire household. And we are God’s family; if we keep our courage and remain confident in our hope as we did when we first became believers in the Anointed One.^[6] Therefore, John institutes his seventh text, the Test of Prayer. It means the Apostle John wanted them to know that when they come to God with no doubts in their hearts or minds, if we are faithful to the end, trusting God just as we did when we first became Christians, we will share in all that belongs to the Anointed One.^[7] So, don’t throw it all away now. You were sure of yourselves then. It’s still a secured thing!^[8]

But how can we be sure? God gave the prophet Jeremiah a promise that is still valid today. He told him, “When you call on Me in prayer, I’ll be listening. When you come looking for Me, you’ll find me if you are sincere about contacting Me.^[9] When Jesus came, He reinforced what the prophet Jeremiah heard. He told His followers, “Keep asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep seeking, and you will find. Keep knocking, and the door will be opened to you, for everyone who asks receives. Everyone who seeks finds. And for everyone who knocks, doors will open.”^[10] However, Jesus made it clear that none of this will work without faith.^[11] Yet, says Jesus, such trust can only be valid if you make yourselves My home and My words are at home in you; you can be sure that whatever you ask will be listened to and acted upon by God.^[12] But the Master doesn’t leave it there; He tells everyone that if they haven’t tried this before, begin now. When asking My Father, use My name, and you will receive, and your cup of joy will overflow.^[13]

The Apostle James adds another factor to this invitation to ask God for one’s spiritual needs. He wrote that if someone doesn’t know what they are doing, they should pray to the Father, He loves to help. You’ll get His assistance and won’t be ashamed when you ask for it. So, ask boldly, believingly, without a second thought. People who “constantly second-guess God’s answers are like wind-whipped waves.^[14] But be careful; you may not get what you’re asking for because you know that what you ask for is something you have no right to. You’re like a spoiled kid, always wanting things your way.^[15]

Remember what Job, the wise man, said about such conceited people: “They stopped listening to God. They no longer think about Him or His ways.”^[16] That is what King David did, and he tells us, in a panic, I cried out, “I am cut off from the Lord!” But you heard my cry for mercy and answered my call for help.^[17] David was encouraged to do so because he knew that God is listening when you plead for help, ready to rescue you.^[18] It’s based upon the promise that God stops and listens to those in need; He doesn’t walk off and leave depressed people to themselves.^[19] God stays away from evil-minded people. Yet He stands by to help those loyal to Him.^[20]

Also, a blind man that Jesus healed echoed Job’s words in his testimony. He told the Jewish elders we all know that God doesn’t listen to sinners, but He is ready to hear those who worship Him and do His will.^[21] And Jesus prayed with that same assurance after He called Lazarus out of his tomb. But He did so loudly that everyone standing there could hear Him. He told His Father in heaven, I know You always listen, but because of this crowd standing here, I’ve spoken so that they might believe You sent me.^[22]

When the Jews were in exile in Babylon and Persia, and some were losing hope of ever being able to worship God again as they did in Jerusalem, the Lord used Jeremiah to send them a message. “I have good plans for you. I don’t plan to hurt you. I plan to give you hope and a good future. Then you will call my name. You will come and pray to me, and I will listen. You will search for me; when you search for me with all your heart, you will find me. I will let you find me.”^[23]

But John’s statement here also proves that he listened when Jesus told His disciples: “If you have faith, it will happen. You will get anything you ask for in prayer if you believe.”^[24] I must confess that when I hear some believers pray, it sounds like they are either praying to a picture in their mind or are leaving a message on God’s message machine. I do not detect they are aware that their words are being directed to a living God listening to them at that very moment. He understands every human language, and His vocabulary contains every word. So, we need not talk to Him like a baby or senile person.

Even Elihu told Job that when those down and out felt hurt and discriminated against, they would cry to God for help. And He would hear their cry!^[25] Elihu didn’t say that God “could hear,” “might hear,” or even “may hear,” but “will hear” our words as soon as they leave our lips.  David sang that once; he was afraid and hiding for his life in a cave where Saul could not find him.  But says David to the Lord, “I prayed to You, and you listened to my loud cries for help.”^[26]  Later, when he had to cross the border into enemy territory to escape Saul’s henchmen, David could say with assurance, “Pray to the Lord, and He will hear you. He will save you from all your troubles.”^[27]

Solomon carried his father’s faith with him, so he states this with certainty: “The Lord seems far away to the wicked, but He is always close by for the prayers of those who do what is right.”^[28]  This testimony is precisely what the blind man offered the Jewish leaders who were disputing that Jesus had healed him by calling Jesus a sinner.  The man told them, “We all know that God does not listen to sinners, but He will listen to anyone who worships and obeys Him.”^[29]

Also, after they rolled the stone away from Lazarus’ grave before Jesus called him out, He looked up to heaven and said to His Father, “I know that You always hear me. But I’m saying this so that those standing around me can hear what I say because I want them to believe that You sent me.”^[30] The Letter to the Hebrews’ author could confidently say, “With Jesus as our high priest, we can feel free to come before God’s throne where there is grace. There we receive mercy and kindness to help us when we need it.”^[31] This no doubt stayed in John’s mind, so he told his readers.

This idea of having God pay attention to our prayers and consider answering them was also part of Jewish theology.  In one Jewish writing, we find this: “Rabbi Amram said in the name of Rab: [There are] three transgressions which no man escapes for a single day: Sinful thought, calculation on [the results of] prayer, and slander. ‘Slander’? [How] could one imagine [such a thing]!”^[32]  The transgression in trying to predict God’s answer to prayer is described by Jewish scholars as thinking ahead about what you want, speculation on the results of the prayer, or expectation of the immediate granting of one’s request.  The offense lies in the presumption that God must answer prayers of any kind whatsoever.^[33]

Furthermore, prayer demonstrates the Christian’s confidence in God.[34] Christians can pray with assurance because they know God hears and answers prayer. It brings conviction to their prayers. The origin of the Greek noun parrēsia (“confidence”) in verse fourteen is in the idea of freedom of speech. Christians can talk freely and confidently to God about their needs. John addresses the subject of “confidence” at three previous points in this epistle.[35] But above all, God is accessible to every believer. Therefore, Christians can have confidence in approaching the Father in prayer. Such assurance in prayer is for those born again, yet many experience frustration in prayer. They can trust God for eternal life, but they cannot trust Him for this life. We trust God for a life without end, but we do not trust Him to meet our financial needs. We have a general faith in God but are unsure about His answering. We know that we trust God if we have an effective prayer life.[36]

---

[1] Heaster, Duncan. New European Christadelphian Commentary: op. cit., The Letters of John, p. 77

[2] John 20:31

[3] Jobes, Karen H., 1, 2, and 3 John (Zondervan Exegetical Commentary on The New Testament Series Book 18), op. cit., pp. 225-226

[4] 1 John 5:15 ^2×, 18, 19, and 20

[5] O’Donnell, Douglas Sean. 1–3 John (Reformed Expository Commentaries), op. cit., loc. cit., Kindle Edition

[6] Hebrews 3:6

[7] Ibid. 3:14

[8] Ibid. 10:35

[9] Jeremiah 29:12-13

[10] Matthew 7:7-8

[11] Ibid. 21:22

[12] John 15:7

[13] Ibid. 16:24

[14] James 1:5-6

[15] Ibid. 4:3

[16] Job 34:27

[17] Psalm 31:22

[18] Ibid. 34:17

[19] Ibid. 69:33

[20] Proverbs 15:29

[21] John 9:31

[22] Ibid. 11:42

[23] Jeremiah 20:11-13

[24] Matthew 21:22

[25] Job 34:28

[26] Psalm 31:22

[27] Psalm 34:17

[28] Proverbs 15:29

[29] John 9:31

[30] Ibid. 11:42

[31] Hebrews 4:16

[32] Babylonian Talmud: Seder Nazikin, Masekhet Baba Bathra, folio 164b

[33] Ibid. footnote (56) – See also Studies in Pharisaism and the Gospels by I. Abrahams, Cambridge Press, 1917

[34] See 1 John 3:21

[35] Ibid. 2:28; 3:21-22; 4:17

[36] Matthew 7:7; Ephesians 3:20-21

NEW TESTAMENT CONTEXTUAL COMMENTARY

By Dr. Robert R. Seyda

FIRST EPISTLE OF JOHN

CHAPTER FIVE (Lesson XCIV) 03/21/23

^5:13 I write this letter to you who believe in God’s Son. I write so that you will know that you have eternal life now.

In his unorthodox Unitarian way, Duncan Heaster (1967) points out that some believed in the Name of Jesus, demonstrating it through baptism in that Name, who now doubt their salvation, and whether they had received the promise of “eternal life” as a present experience. In this, we find John addressing so many of us. John has extended beyond discussing how to recognize a faithful Christian and thereby reject false Christians into the more personal application to us. They are those who believe in the Lord and have received the gift of His Spirit, His life, which is eternal life.^[1]

Bright seminarian Karen H. Jobes (1968) notes that verse thirteen is strikingly similar to the mission statement of John’s Gospel.[2] John’s Gospel is logically prior in its relevance to believers since it presents reasons to believe. John’s epistle encourages those who have dedicated themselves to continue in that faith, even in confusing circumstances. Theology is the “Application of What We Believe About the Future Determines How We’ll Live Today.” In the busyness of daily life, it is easy to lose sight of one’s eternal future and not even give it a thought until one is confronted with mortality at the grave of a friend or loved one. The priorities of our modern lives probably include working, meals, worship, exercise, shopping, mowing the grass, maintaining our homes and cars, spending time with family and friends, and so on. The importance of life after death seldom comes to mind, even for Christian believers.

Yet, says Jobes, nothing seems to have been a greater concern to John’s Gospel and Letters than securing people with the only source of eternal life, Jesus the Anointed One. He is the Eternal Life sent to earth to die and to open the way through death to life for all who would believe and follow. Jesus’ atoning death – the “water and blood” Gospel – is the heart of Christian theology. No theology claiming otherwise can be true, for God’s testimony confirms only a “water and blood” Gospel, not a “water only” gospel ‒ today’s theology trends toward a “nonviolent” atonement. While perhaps well-intentioned, it is a modern expression of the thinking the Apostle John corrects by reminding his readers that Jesus the Anointed One did not come by water (baptism) only but that His blood (crucifixion) is essential for the atonement that secures our eternal life after death.^[3]

As a dedicated messenger of God’s Word, Douglas Sean O’Donnell (1972) remarks that it is a strange day in which we live when doubt is considered a virtue and skepticism as humility. They view absolute truth as unconditionally false. Reflective of this trend, a college chaplain once held “A Festival of Doubt,” during which various campus activities underscored the importance of religious uncertainty. The spirit of our age is so different from God’s Spirit. In John’s epistle – from the beginning of chapter one through the end of chapter five – the chaplain in Ephesus holds a “Festival of Faith.” It is a celebration that crescendos and concludes with certainty: “I write these things to you who believe in the name [Yeshua, meaning “Savior”] of God’s Son that you may know that you have eternal life.” John’s call to confidence escalates in verses fourteen to twenty-one, where he repeats the word oidamen (“we know”) five times,[4] and the phrase “that you may know” is used in verse thirteen and “that we may know” in verse twenty. That is seven “knows” in nine verses! But what are we to know? Here John teaches that we are to know that (1) God hears our prayers, (2) Jesus protects us from sin and the evil one, and (3) Jesus is the true God, and in Him, we have eternal life.[5]

^5:14 We can come to God with no doubts, which means that when we ask God for things that agree with what He wants for us. God cares about what we tell Him.

EXPOSITION

All believers need to know that the Anointed One, as God’s Son, is in charge of His Father’s entire household. And we are God’s family; if we keep our courage and remain confident in our hope as we did when we first became believers in the Anointed One.^[6] Therefore, John institutes his seventh test, the Test of Prayer. It means the Apostle John wanted them to know that when they come to God with no doubts in their hearts or minds, if we are faithful to the end, trusting God just as we did when we first became Christians, we will share in all that belongs to the Anointed One.^[7] So, don’t throw it all away now. You were sure of yourselves then. It’s still a secured thing!^[8]

But how can we be sure? God gave the prophet Jeremiah a promise that is still valid today. He told him, “When you call on Me in prayer, I’ll be listening. When you come looking for Me, you’ll find me if you are sincere about contacting Me.^[9] When Jesus came, He reinforced what the prophet Jeremiah heard. He told His followers, “Keep asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep seeking, and you will find. Keep knocking, and the door will be opened to you, for everyone who asks receives. Everyone who seeks finds. And for everyone who knocks, doors will open.”^[10] However, Jesus made it clear that none of this will work without faith.^[11] Yet, says Jesus, such trust can only be valid if you make yourselves My home and My words are at home in you; you can be sure that whatever you ask will be listened to and acted upon by God.^[12] But the Master doesn’t leave it there; He tells everyone that if they haven’t tried this before, begin now. When asking My Father, use My name, and you will receive, and your cup of joy will overflow.^[13]

The Apostle James adds another factor to this invitation to ask God for one’s spiritual needs. He wrote that if someone doesn’t know what they are doing, they should pray to the Father, He loves to help. You’ll get His assistance and won’t be ashamed when you ask for it. So, ask boldly, believingly, without a second thought. People who “constantly second-guess God’s answers are like wind-whipped waves.^[14] But be careful; you may not get what you’re asking for because you know that what you ask for is something you have no right to. You’re like a spoiled kid, always wanting things your way.^[15]

Remember what Job, the wise man, said about such conceited people: “They stopped listening to God. They no longer think about Him or His ways.”^[16] That is what King David did, and he tells us, in a panic, I cried out, “I am cut off from the Lord!” But you heard my cry for mercy and answered my call for help.^[17] David was encouraged to do so because he knew that God is listening when you plead for help, ready to rescue you.^[18] It’s based upon the promise that God stops and listens to those in need; He doesn’t walk off and leave depressed people to themselves.^[19] God stays away from evil-minded people. Yet He stands by to help those loyal to Him.^[20]

Also, a blind man that Jesus healed echoed Job’s words in his testimony. He told the Jewish elders we all know that God doesn’t listen to sinners, but He is ready to hear those who worship Him and do His will.^[21] And Jesus prayed with that same assurance after He called Lazarus out of his tomb. But He did so loudly that everyone standing there could hear Him. He told His Father in heaven, I know You always listen, but because of this crowd standing here, I’ve spoken so that they might believe You sent me.^[22]

When the Jews were in exile in Babylon and Persia, and some were losing hope of ever being able to worship God again as they did in Jerusalem, the Lord used Jeremiah to send them a message. “I have good plans for you. I don’t plan to hurt you. I plan to give you hope and a good future. Then you will call my name. You will come and pray to me, and I will listen. You will search for me; when you search for me with all your heart, you will find me. I will let you find me.”^[23]

But John’s statement here also proves that he listened when Jesus told His disciples: “If you have faith, it will happen. You will get anything you ask for in prayer if you believe.”^[24] I must confess that when I hear some believers pray, it sounds like they are either praying to a picture in their mind or are leaving a message on God’s message machine. I do not detect they are aware that their words are being directed to a living God listening to them at that very moment. He understands every human language, and His vocabulary contains every word. So, we need not talk to Him like a baby or senile person.

Even Elihu told Job that when those down and out felt hurt and discriminated against, they would cry to God for help. And He would hear their cry!^[25] Elihu didn’t say that God “could hear,” “might hear,” or even “may hear,” but “will hear” our words as soon as they leave our lips.  David sang that once; he was afraid and hiding for his life in a cave where Saul could not find him.  But says David to the Lord, “I prayed to You, and you listened to my loud cries for help.”^[26]  Later, when he had to cross the border into enemy territory to escape Saul’s henchmen, David could say with assurance, “Pray to the Lord, and He will hear you. He will save you from all your troubles.”^[27]

Solomon carried his father’s faith with him, so he states this with certainty: “The Lord seems far away to the wicked, but He is always close by for the prayers of those who do what is right.”^[28]  This testimony is precisely what the blind man offered the Jewish leaders who were disputing that Jesus had healed him by calling Jesus a sinner.  The man told them, “We all know that God does not listen to sinners, but He will listen to anyone who worships and obeys Him.”^[29]

Also, after they rolled the stone away from Lazarus’ grave before Jesus called him out, He looked up to heaven and said to His Father, “I know that You always hear me. But I’m saying this so that those standing around me can hear what I say because I want them to believe that You sent me.”^[30] The Letter to the Hebrews’ author could confidently say, “With Jesus as our high priest, we can feel free to come before God’s throne where there is grace. There we receive mercy and kindness to help us when we need it.”^[31] This no doubt stayed in John’s mind, so he told his readers.

This idea of having God pay attention to our prayers and consider answering them was also part of Jewish theology.  In one Jewish writing, we find this: “Rabbi Amram said in the name of Rab: [There are] three transgressions which no man escapes for a single day: Sinful thought, calculation on [the results of] prayer, and slander. ‘Slander’? [How] could one imagine [such a thing]!”^[32]  The transgression in trying to predict God’s answer to prayer is described by Jewish scholars as thinking ahead about what you want, speculation on the results of the prayer, or expectation of the immediate granting of one’s request.  The offense lies in the presumption that God must answer prayers of any kind whatsoever.^[33]

Furthermore, prayer demonstrates the Christian’s confidence in God.[34] Christians can pray with assurance because they know God hears and answers prayer. It brings conviction to their prayers. The origin of the Greek noun parrēsia (“confidence”) in verse fourteen is in the idea of freedom of speech. Christians can talk freely and confidently to God about their needs. John addresses the subject of “confidence” at three previous points in this epistle.[35] But above all, God is accessible to every believer. Therefore, Christians can have confidence in approaching the Father in prayer. Such assurance in prayer is for those born again, yet many experience frustration in prayer. They can trust God for eternal life, but they cannot trust Him for this life. We trust God for a life without end, but we do not trust Him to meet our financial needs. We have a general faith in God but are unsure about His answering. We know that we trust God if we have an effective prayer life.[36]

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[1] Heaster, Duncan. New European Christadelphian Commentary: op. cit., The Letters of John, p. 77

[2] John 20:31

[3] Jobes, Karen H., 1, 2, and 3 John (Zondervan Exegetical Commentary on The New Testament Series Book 18), op. cit., pp. 225-226

[4] 1 John 5:15 ^2×, 18, 19, and 20

[5] O’Donnell, Douglas Sean. 1–3 John (Reformed Expository Commentaries), op. cit., loc. cit., Kindle Edition

[6] Hebrews 3:6

[7] Ibid. 3:14

[8] Ibid. 10:35

[9] Jeremiah 29:12-13

[10] Matthew 7:7-8

[11] Ibid. 21:22

[12] John 15:7

[13] Ibid. 16:24

[14] James 1:5-6

[15] Ibid. 4:3

[16] Job 34:27

[17] Psalm 31:22

[18] Ibid. 34:17

[19] Ibid. 69:33

[20] Proverbs 15:29

[21] John 9:31

[22] Ibid. 11:42

[23] Jeremiah 20:11-13

[24] Matthew 21:22

[25] Job 34:28

[26] Psalm 31:22

[27] Psalm 34:17

[28] Proverbs 15:29

[29] John 9:31

[30] Ibid. 11:42

[31] Hebrews 4:16

[32] Babylonian Talmud: Seder Nazikin, Masekhet Baba Bathra, folio 164b

[33] Ibid. footnote (56) – See also Studies in Pharisaism and the Gospels by I. Abrahams, Cambridge Press, 1917

[34] See 1 John 3:21

[35] Ibid. 2:28; 3:21-22; 4:17

[36] Matthew 7:7; Ephesians 3:20-21

NEW TESTAMENT CONTEXTUAL COMMENTARY

By Dr. Robert R. Seyda

FIRST EPISTLE OF JOHN

CHAPTER FIVE (Lesson XCII) 03/20/23

^5:13 I write this letter to you who believe in God’s Son. I write so that you will know that you have eternal life now.

Now John comes to his last paragraph. He implements, one more time, some of his favorite words and expressions. He picks them up, puts them down, and passes them on. He is reminded that this world is wicked but will soon be done with it. Others will have to battle it out. How corrupt is it? Cruel enough to kill God’s Son and persecute those who believe in Him.

Ministry & Missions Overseer Muncia Walls (1937) notes that the Apostle John carries on the thought of verse thirteen as he transitions his central argument into his conclusion. Like the other Epistles, John’s was written to believers in a Church. John writes, “I have written to you that believe,” the church against which the enemy brings attacks of doubt and false teachings to side-track God’s children ‒ the purpose of the Epistle from John to the saints. They had been exposed to the erroneous teaching of the Gnostics, who would relegate the Lord Jesus to a position contrary to who He was.

Thus, John writes to refute their false dogma. He also states, “that you may know you have eternal life” To God’s children, there need not be any uncertainty concerning their salvation. Again, through the false teachers, the enemy would seek to instill doubts in their minds. John’s words were written to uplift them in the Spirit, encouraging them and reassuring them of their position in the Anointed One. ^[1]

As an articulate spokesman for the Reformed Faith movement, James Montgomery Boice (1938-2000) points out that toward the end of John’s Gospel, he gave his purpose in writing by saying he had written these things “that you may believe that Jesus the Anointed One, God’s Son and that by believing you may have life in his name.”[2] That is, written primarily to those who were not yet Christians to lead them to become Christians. Similarly, John now gives his purpose for writing the first epistle, saying, “I write these things to you who believe in the name [Yeshua, meaning “Savior”] of God’s Son so that you may know that you have eternal life.”[3] Here, those to whom John is writing are Christians; as he notes, the purpose is to lead them to full assurance regarding their salvation. This has now been done, at least to the best of John’s ability. Consequently, the body of the letter properly ends here. What follows is a postscript.  ^[4]

Expositor and systematic theologist Michael Eaton (1942-2017) senses that the Apostle John wants his readers to have a refreshed assurance of eternal life. It is worth noting how much John wants these people to regain consciousness of everlasting life. He wants them to know that their gnostic enemies know little about salvation. It is terrible when doubts about the person of Jesus rob Christians of the energetic flow of the Holy Spirit within them. It is awful to be uncertain when there is no need. John knows these people. He knows they have believed in the Gospel of Jesus, so he feels confident about giving them his assurance.

Eaton says that Zane Clark Hodges (1932-2008) is right to point out that “these things” do not refer to the whole letter but to the things John has just said (just as similar phrases in chapter two, verses one and twenty-six, refer to what immediately precedes. John’s point is that if they rest directly on the testimony of God about Jesus, they will experience the flowing of eternal life within them. Assurance will bring joy and vibrancy to their lives. Their blessed assurance is confirmed by the simple things he has presented to them.[5] [6] ^[7]

After scrutinizing the Apostle John’s subject theme, William Loader (1944) notes that when the Revised English Bible (1989) begins its translation of this verse with the words, “You have given your allegiance to God’s Son,” it obscures the formal break with what precedes and the fact that this verse introduces a separate section. Following the Greek sentence structure, verse thirteen begins: “I have written these things to you.” It echoes similar words in this epistle[8] as it looks over all that has been written and identifies the author’s purpose in writing.

“These things” could be construed to refer only to what immediately precedes, but the other is more likely. The beginning of the closing of the epistle matches chapter one, verse fourteen, at the conclusion of the opening words of the epistle: “We are writing this so that our joy may be complete.” John’s joy will be complete the minute readers are convinced they have eternal life because they pledged their allegiance to Jesus the Anointed One. The preceding section ended with the observation that this life in the believers constituted God’s evidence that what the community believed about Jesus, the Anointed One’s coming in the flesh, was true. They had given their allegiance in this way to God’s Son.^[9]

Great Commission practitioner David Jackman (1945) insist that the issues at stake are not speculative or academic. The question is where eternal life is to be found and experienced. Therefore, we are to read verse thirteen as a concluding statement about the letter’s purpose and the pivotal assertion to which the preceding chapters have been dedicated. “These things” must surely refer to the whole letter rather than the immediately preceding sentences. When John began his letter, he expressed his purpose in writing, “to make our joy complete.”[10]

Now he shows us what the content of that joy is. It comes in seeing his “dear children” continuing in the faith, believing in the name [Yeshua, meaning “Savior”] of God’s Son, and rejoicing in the certainty of eternal life. For the Apostle John, his “children,” and Christians in every generation, joy is found in the conscious experience of fellowship with God the Father, through Jesus the Son, within their Christian family’s community, the Church. ^[11]

After analyzing the Apostle John’s teaching in verses eleven to twenty-one, Earl S. Johnson Jr (1947-2020) sees that this section has two major parts ‒ (1) The Message Brings Eternal Life (verses eleven to thirteen).[12] Thus, John’s first epistle ends as it began, directly referring to John’s Gospel. We should note that “name” in verse thirteen points to the belief in the ancient world that the name of a god or a divinity, just by itself, was a sign of power and majesty. For instance, policemen command a house door to be opened “in the name of the Law.” The reason is that names indicate essence, definition, and nature. Thus, “Jesus the Anointed One” signified God’s Anointed One, the unique Son of God. Therefore, “In the name of Jesus” spells divine authority and the power to forgive sins as the physical manifestation of God who sent Him. That’s why one day, every knee will bow, and tongue confess that He is Lord because, through Jesus’ name, all opponents and the devil will be defeated. [13]

(2) The Message Keeps Persons from Sin (verses fourteen and fifteen). These verses expand the reference in verse thirteen to the power of Jesus’ name. If Jesus’ name is mighty, then it follows that prayers given in that name, according to God’s will, certainly will be answered. So, John may be thinking of where Jesus promises His disciple that anything they ask for in His name will be answered.[14] [15]

After studying the context surrounding this verse, John W. (Jack) Carter (1947) notes that the word rendered “know” is knosis in Greek, and its meaning is essential to understand the Apostle John’s urging. This form of insight goes far beyond a surface understanding to the deepest level of comprehension possible.  This type of awareness involves an intimate relationship between the one who knows and the object of that expertise. This type of understanding produces children in a marriage.  Knosis is a “confident knowledge” that contains no mixture of doubt.  The text could have been accurately rendered, “know for certain.” The believer has a different relationship to sin than one who is lost.  One lost is condemned to eternal separation from God because their sin remains unforgiven.

Nevertheless, when one comes to the LORD in faith, He is faithful to forgive the believer’s sin, and through that promise, sin has lost the power to condemn. The impact of sin on the believer is also different. Where sin is the nature of an unbeliever, sin brings conflict into the life of a Christian.  The consequences of sin in God’s children serve only to separate them from others and the LORD.  Sin in the life of those born of God can create as much hurt and pain as it does in the life of the lost, and many blessings can be lost due to sinful practices. However, even though sin can still create some strife in the life of a believer, it will not separate them from God at the final judgment.^[16]

As a man who loves sharing God’s Word, Robert W. Yarbrough (1948) says that verse thirteen precedes a series of commendations to love God and others. By John’s interpretation, we have often seen that love is intertwined with the ethical integrity of keeping God’s commandments and the confessional integrity of a faith that conforms to the truth of Jesus’s coming, His work, and nature. To “have” Jesus the Anointed One[17] is to completely trust in the witness God has furnished regarding Him,[18] which results in eternal life. It is the assurance of this life of which verse thirteen speaks. “Eternal life” becomes shorthand for the full breadth and depth of benefits available through the message of the Anointed One received broadly and deeply.^[19]

After a microscopic examination of the text, Philip W. Comfort (1950) notes that verse thirteen is expanded in the Greek text as follows: “and that you may continue to believe in the name [Yeshua, meaning “Savior”] of God’s Son.” (NKJV; see also KJV). The expansion was to make this verse closer to John 20:31. In its shorter form, it sufficiently concludes the previous section on eternal life and introduces its conclusion.[20] [21]

Skilled in Dead Sea Scroll interpretation and New Testament writings, Colin G. Kruse (1950) notes that for the first time in verse thirteen, the Apostle John explicitly states his purpose for writing the letter. “These things” he refers to are the contents of this letter now brought to its conclusion. Also, “those who believe” are Christians who, along with John, continue in the teaching about Jesus the Anointed One that they heard from the beginning. They believed “in the name”[22] means having faith “in the person” who bears that name. The text in John’s Gospel confirms this by placing the idea of believing in His reputation and person in parallel.[23] ^[24]

Believing that Christians can fall away from the faith, Ben Witherington III (1951) argues that verse thirteen could be said to go with what precedes or follows, but probably it is the latter. John’s reference to writing is like closing a letter, but that is incorrect since it is a purpose statement. Notice that we have already seen this very same formula[25] nowhere close to the end of the discourse, and for that matter, we could compare 1 John 1:4 and other verses.[26] Interestingly, from the beginning of the document until 1 John 2:13, John says, “I write,” whereas from 1 John 2:14 to the end, he says, “I wrote.” However, it is likely that the reference in verse thirteen to “these things” is cumulative and includes all that has come before, and 1 John 2:13 refers to what immediately precedes the statement. Moreover, in verse thirteen, John returns to the first person singular for the first time since 1 John 2:26.^[27]

With her crafted spiritual insight, Judith Lieu (1951) feels that under the influence of John 20:31, this verse often reads as the letter’s conclusion. It then becomes something like an appendix, tagged on awkwardly, like we would add P. S. (meaning postscript) to a letter.  Along similar lines, the Greek text, followed by some English versions and commentaries, shows a significant break between verses twelve and thirteen and treats verses thirteen to twenty-one as a single section. However, the words “I have written to you” do not introduce a new section but serve to sum up and drive home the significance of what has preceded, just as it does in 1 John 2:1, 21, 26. Therefore, “these things”[28] in verse thirteen refer back specifically to verses four to twelve and not to the letter as a whole.

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[1] Walls, Muncia: Epistles of John and Jude, op. cit., pp. 89-90

[2] John 20:31

[3] 1 John 5:13

[4] Boice, John Montgomery: The Epistles of John, An Expository Commentary, op. cit., p. 136

[5] Hodges, Zane Clark: John F. Walvoord and Roy B. Zuck, Dallas Theological Seminary, The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, vol. 2, op. cit., p. 902.

[6] See 1 John 5:6-12

[7] Eaton, Michael: Focus on the Bible, 1,2,3 John, op. cit., pp. 190-191

[8] Cf. 2:1, 12-14, 26

[9] Loader, William: Epworth Commentary, The First Epistle of John, op. cit., pp. 72-73

[10] 1 John 1:4

[11] Jackman, David: The Message of John’s Letters, op. cit., p. 158

[12] See 1 John 2:24-25; John 20:31

[13] See Mark 11:9; John 1:12; Acts of the Apostles 4:10; 1 Corinthians 1:2

[14] John 15:16; 16:23-26

[15] Johnson Jr, Earl S, Basic Bible Commentary, James, 1-2 Peter, 1-3 John, and Jude, op. cit., pp. 123-124

[16] Carter, Dr. John W. (Jack). 1,2,3, John & Jude: (The Disciple’s Bible Commentary Book 48), op. cit. pp. 129-130

[17] 1 John 5:12

[18] Ibid. 5:10

[19] Yarbrough, Robert W., 1-3 John (Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament), op. cit., p. 296

[20] 1 John 5:16, 20

[21] Comfort, Philip W., Tyndale Cornerstone Biblical Commentary, 1-3 John, op. cit., p. 372

[22] Cf. 1 John 3:23

[23] Cf. John 1:12; 8:24; 1 John 5:13

[24] Kruse, Colin G., The Letters of John (The Pillar New Testament Commentary), op. cit., loc. cit., Kindle Edition

[25] 1 John 2:1

[26] Ibid. 2:14, 21, 26

[27] Witherington, Ben III, Letters and Homilies for Hellenized Christians: A Socio-Rhetorical Commentary on Titus, 1-2 Timothy and 1-3 John, op. cit., loc. cit., Kindle Edition

[28] Cf. 1 John 2:26

NEW TESTAMENT CONTEXTUAL COMMENTARY

By Dr. Robert R. Seyda

FIRST EPISTLE OF JOHN

CHAPTER FIVE (Lesson XCI) 03/17/23

^5:13 I write this letter to you who believe in God’s Son. I write so that you will know that you have eternal life now.

John’s desire for them is not that they may have faith in and receive but that having accepted; they may know that they have obtained and therefore continue to maintain eternal life in the present. That you may know means, both in word and tense, not that they may gradually grow in assurance but that they may possess here and now a certainty of the life they have received in the Anointed One. They had been unsettled by the false teachers and became unsure of their spiritual state. Throughout the letter, John gives them criteria (doctrinal, moral, social) to test themselves and others. His purpose is to establish their assurance. “This letter assures you that you already have eternal life.”[1]

Historical-critical method researcher, Catholic priest, and prominent Bible scholar Raymond Edward Brown (1928-1995) responds to the Apostle John’s words, “We are writing this,” with a question: “What is the reference for ‘this,’ literally ‘these things?’” Many scholars choose verses one to twelve here in chapter five or the last verse of that unit. The chief argument is that verse five spoke about “the person who believes that Jesus is God’s Son,” and verse twelve states, “The person who possesses the Son possesses life.” Those verses could explain why John would say, “1 have written these things to you so that you may know that you possess this eternal life – you who believe in the name [Yeshua, meaning “Savior”] of God’s Son.” Such an interpretation makes verse thirteen a transition to what follows.

However, others think that the apostle refers to everything written up to this point in verse thirteen. The parallel with the conclusion of John’s Gospel supports this[2] since he refers to the whole Gospel. Also,  “We are writing this”[3] includes verse thirteen, which looks ahead to all that follows because John adds, “so that you may know that you possess this eternal life.” In the Greek word text, the adjective “eternal” comes at the end, separated by the verb from the noun it modifies. The emphatic position means that John refers to the “eternal life” mentioned in the preceding verse as the object of the same verb “to have, possess.” So, John is effectively saying, “I have written this to you who believe in the name [Yeshua, meaning “Savior”] of God’s Son so that you may know that you possess this eternal life.”[4]

A competent dissector of Holy Scripture, Rudolph Alan Culpepper (1930-2019), remarks that since the Apostle John addresses his letter to believers, the emphasis is on knowing the life they already have. If the faithful recognize that they already have eternal life, they will not be swayed by the appeals made by their opponents. The elderly apostle’s faithful adherents can also have confidence in prayer. When believers are so responsive to the guidance of the Spirit of truth that their prayers are in accord with God’s will, God hears them and grants their requests. This general assurance regarding confidence in prayer leads to the troublesome question of prayer for one who is sinning. So, Culpepper asks, “Who gives life, the one who prays or God?” Ultimately, of course, only God can give life.[5]

Brilliant New Testament Bible professor Simon J. Kistemaker (1930-2017) notes that the Apostle John sums up what he has said so far, beginning in verse thirteen. The words “these things” refer to the entire letter but note that John writes the letter to Christians “who believe in the name [Yeshua, meaning “Savior”] of God’s Son” for people who maintain constant faith in God’s Son. In an earlier chapter, he informed them of one of God’s commands: “to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus the Anointed One.”[6] John repeats the term name to indicate the complete revelation of God’s Son. Anyone who believes in (the name [Yeshua, meaning “Savior”] of God’s Son receives forgiveness of sins and eternal life.

In this chapter, John explains his theme: “believe in the name [Yeshua, meaning “Savior”] of God’s Son.” John combines the verbs to believe and to know in verse thirteen. By contrast, he concludes his Gospel with the words, “These [things] are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Anointed One, Son of God.”[7] However, in verse thirteen, John adds the concept to know, namely, to know with certainty. When he writes, “so that you may know,” he does not mean “to come to know” but “to have assurance.” Believers have the assurance of eternal life and the right to be children of God.[8] [9]

As a convincing preacher and teacher, Wendall C. Hawley (1930) indicates that the Apostle John provides his reason for writing the epistle in verse thirteen. Remarkably, the wording is nearly identical to that found in his Gospel.[10] But there is a difference. Whereas the Gospel encourages the continuance of faith in God’s Son as the means to enjoying the divine life, the verse in the epistle affirms the possession of divine life for all who believe in God’s Son. In both cases, John wanted his readers to be sure that they knew they had eternal life. And this security is the basis for the other aim of John’s letter: that they would be full of joy.[11] [12]

With academic precision, Stephen S. Smalley (1931-2018) finds that having pointed out the clear difference between the authentic and false believer; John reiterates and applies the teaching of this section. In so doing, he states one of the purposes behind his epistle. All this has been written so his readers may be sure they “possess eternal life.” John aims to strengthen the faith of believers who belong to his community, even if, along the way, he has also been concerned (to refute those among and beyond his church members) that Christology was unorthodox. Therefore, John speaks in the present tense about faith in Jesus (supported by witnesses)[13] and the consequent gift of eternal life through Him.

It is also essential to know that verse thirteen is transitional in that it looks back to the subject matter in verses five to twelve and provides a summary. Several commentaries and versions make a break after verse twelve. However, the contents of verse thirteen, with its reference to the now-familiar topics of believing in God’s Son and possessing eternal life, suggest that this verse belongs to the preceding passage rather than the one which follows, where verse fourteen introduces the new topic of prayer. The inclusion confirms this suggestion in verses five and thirteen at the opening and closing of the present section, where there is a repeated allusion to faith in God’s Son.^[14]

An insistent believer in Grace, Zane Clark Hodges (1932-2008), mentions that “these things” are often wrongly taken to refer to the whole epistle. But similar expressions in chapter two, verses one and twenty-six, to the immediately preceding material are valid here. John just wrote about God’s testimony to assure his readers that believers possess eternal life despite anything the antichrists have said. It may be pointed out that the assurance of one’s salvation always rests fundamentally and sufficiently on God’s direct promises to the believer.

In other words, one’s security rests on the testimony of God. After the comments “that you have eternal life,” most Greek manuscripts add, “and that you may believe in the name [Yeshua, meaning “Savior”] of God’s Son.” Perhaps this statement seemed redundant to some early scribe or editor and was eliminated from his manuscript. But it prepares the ground for the discussion about prayer, which follows by inviting continued faith in God’s Son on the part of those who already have received eternal life through Him. Prayer is also an expression of trust in the name [Yeshua, meaning “Savior”] of God’s Son.^[15]

Inspired by Jesus’ words, “go into all the world,” Edward J. Malatesta (1932-1998) notes that the conclusion of this section and the entire body of the letter and its purpose in terms of eternal life and faith is expressed in verse thirteen. The Apostle John concludes his message by addressing his readers as those who believe in the name [Yeshua, meaning “Savior”] of God’s Son. Therefore, just as the tone of the exposition was positive in the previous section,[16] with only four brief mentions of negative realities towards the beginning and the end,[17] the explanation is predominantly positive in the present passage.^[18]

As a capable scriptural analyst, Ian Howard Marshall (1934-2015) states that we are fortunate that John shared his purpose for writing his Gospel with us.[19] In the same way, he summarizes his goal in the composition of this Epistle. He was writing to a church where conflicting teaching about the nature of Christian belief had arisen. Such a situation was calculated to make the members wonder whether they possessed eternal life; some who professed faith in Jesus as God’s Son must still have wondered whether they were right in their belief and whether their experience of eternal life was not a delusion.

Having demonstrated to the readers that eternal life is found only in Jesus the Anointed One,[20] John now sums it up by saying that what he has written should assure believers that they possess eternal life. John was writing not to persuade unbelievers of the truth of the Christian faith but rather to strengthen Christian believers who might be tempted to doubt the reality of their Christian experience and give up their faith in Jesus. Those who believe in the name of Jesus can be sure of their possession of eternal life.^[21]

As a seasoned essayist on the Apostle John’s writings, John Painter (1935) notes that if his mission statement in verse thirteen did not fit the rest of his epistle, we might think that the reference to “these things” was mentioned only in verses eleven and twelve. But coming, as it does, in the concluding section and fitting the epistle’s purpose so well, we can scarcely doubt that the entire letter was in view. Moreover, John expresses his intention in terms reminiscent of his Gospel and supports this conclusion when the appended nature of chapter twenty-one in John’s Gospel is recognized. Nevertheless, verse thirteen here and in John 20:31 is followed by introducing new material before the book ends.

While verse thirteen uses many of the same words in similar phrases, the purpose is different. It is written to those who already believe in  God’s Son. There is no doubt that the content of faith is crucial. The significance and scope of that belief are gathered in the Johannine doctrine of “belief in the name,”[22] but the purpose is to ensure that those who believe may know they have eternal life. Here, the knowledge content is introduced by the Greek conjunction hoti (“that”). John confirms that those who believe rightly know they have eternal life.

This purpose is consistent with how his epistle is written, from beginning to end. John is determined to establish tests confirming believers’ status as God’s children whose lives manifest the character of the divine life that displays their source as God and is evidence of eternal life. The Christological test is also related because eternal life was revealed in Jesus the Anointed One, having come in the flesh.[23] So, to believe in the Son, to have the Son, is to have eternal life.[24] Indeed, there is life in His name for those who believe in His name.^[25]

With a Jewish convert’s enthusiasm for the Christian Anointed One, Messianic writer David H. Stern (1935) believes that verse thirteen demonstrates that you have eternal life. You have it already, here and now, you who keep trusting in the person and power literally, “in the name” of God’s Son.[26] [27]

A warrior against boring preaching, John Phillips (1937-2010) states that the Apostle John knew the power in the name of the Lord. He uses the title Son of God, giving the Lord Jesus, the Anointed One, His highest title ‒ woe to those who dare to downgrade the person of God’s beloved Son. By denying the incarnation, the heretics proved themselves to be unbelievers. John knew Jesus to be God’s Son; the Apostle Peter, the spokesman for the others, also confessed Him as the living God’s Son.[28]

Only an omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent One could provide and administer salvation of eternal dimensions to be offered to all humanity throughout time. Only such a person could overcome all obstacles, hold in perfect balance and poise all the facts of each case, satisfy all the claims and demands of God’s throne, provide sufficient payment for all the enormous indebtedness of the race, and carry out God’s purposes in grace throughout all the unborn ages of eternities yet to be. That is why John wrote, “that you may know that you have eternal life and that you may believe on the name [Yeshua, meaning “Savior”] of God’s Son.”

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[1] Stott, John. The Letters of John (Tyndale New Testament Commentaries), op. cit., pp. 183-184

[2] John 20:31

[3] 1 John 1:4

[4] Brown, Raymond E., The Anchor Bible, The Epistles of John, op. cit., pp. 607-608

[5] Culpepper, Rudolph Alan: Harper’s Bible Commentary, op. cit., pp. 1294-1295

[6] See 1 John 3:23 also John 1:12

[7] John 20:31

[8] Ibid. 1:12

[9] Kistemaker, Simon J., New Testament Commentary, James and I-III John op. cit., pp. 359-360

[10] John 20:31

[11] 1 John 1:4

[12] Hawley, Wendall C., Tyndale Cornerstone Biblical Commentary, 1-3 John, op cit., p.373

[13] 1 John 5:9-11

[14] Stephen S., Word Biblical Commentary, Vol. 51, 1,2,3 John, op. cit., pp. 189-290

[15] Hodges, Zane C. John F. Walvoord and Roy B. Zuck, Dallas Theological Seminary, The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, op. cit., vol. 2, p.902

[16] 1 John 5:4-14

[17] Ibid. 5:4, 8a, 18, 20

[18] Malatesta, Edward J., Interiority and Covenant, op. cit., p. 311

[19] John 20:31

[20] See 1 John 5:11ff

[21] Marshall, Ian Howard: The Epistles of John (The New International Commentary on the New Testament), op. cit., p. 243

[22] See John 1:12; 2:23; 3:18; 20:31 and 1 John 3:23

[23] 1 John 1:2; 4:2-3

[24] Ibid. 2:22-23; 5:11-12

[25] Painter, John. Sacra Pagina: 1, 2, and 3 John: Volume 18, op. cit., loc. cit., Kindle Edition

[26] Cf. John 11:25-26

[27] Stern, David H., Jewish New Testament Commentary, op. cit., Kindle Edition

[28] Matthew 16:15-17