Down an Unfamiliar Road

NEW TESTAMENT CONTEXTUAL COMMENTARY

By Dr. Robert R Seyda

FIRST EPISTLE OF JOHN

CHAPTER FOUR (Lesson XCI) 05/31/22

^4:14 Furthermore, we have seen with our eyes and now tell the world that God sent His Son to be their Savior.

Scottish Presbyterian Church leader, theologian, and philosopher Thomas Boston (1676-1732) says that we should notice some things imported in this testimony of the Anointed One as the Savior of the World.

(1) The world needed a Savior; otherwise, none would have been provided for them by Him who does nothing in vain.

(a) It was a sick world.[1]

(b) It was a cursed world and needed a Savior to remove the curse and bring in the blessing.[2]

(c) It was a lost world.[3]

(2) No one of inferior dignity to the Son of God could be the world’s Savior.

(3) The Anointed One was sent as Savior of the world by heaven’s design. The salvation of humanity was planned entirely without them being involved.

(4) The Anointed One is fully empowered to save a lost world, and being sent in that character speaks of His ability to answer the call.[4]

(5) The salvation of lost sinners of the world is acceptable to our Lord Jesus and the Father; otherwise, He would not have sent His Son to be Savior of the world.[5]

(6) There is no other Savior besides Jesus the Anointed One.[6] [7]

Johann Bengel (1687-1752) highlights “and we”[8] thus – “have seen and do testify,” inferred from verse sixteen, “we have known and believed.”[9] Making acquaintance is denoted by the expression, “we have known,” like the German idiom, kennen lernen, which means the ability to learn and make an acquaintance. A certain degree of knowledge goes before believing, even as believing comes before testifying. But the words “have seen” denote the complete satisfaction of sight in beholding it. The Son – There are two practical tests of our dwelling in God and He in us; these are our communion with the Holy Spirit and our acknowledgment of God’s Son.[10] [11]

Joseph Benson (1749-1821) makes a good point here. Some commentators understand the Apostle John as speaking of the extraordinary gifts of the Spirit. Definitely, these gifts, of whatever kind they might be, never were to any person evidence of their possessing a super union with God. Our Lord Jesus spoke clearly about this when He told His disciples that “On Judgment Day, many will say to Me, ‘Lord! Lord! We prophesied in Your name, cast out demons, and performed many miracles in Your name.” So, what did Jesus say? “I never knew you. Get away from Me, you who break God’s laws.”[12]

The ordinary graces of the Holy Spirit, says Benson, are called out by the Apostle Paul as evidence of a person being God’s child.[13] But the extraordinary gifts of the Spirit are in a different category.[14] These personal gifts are not as prominent today as they were back in John and Paul’s time. But no matter how proudly or obstinate they might be in accepting these gifts and graces, these things are the foundation and the criteria of our abiding in God and God in us, namely, the communion of the Spirit, spoken of here in verses thirteen and fifteen.[15] Sadly, even some churches and denominations denounce anyone who might claim to have the same gifts of the Spirit as the Apostles did.

Charles Simeon (1759-1836) says that we can join the Apostles in telling those who will listen that the Anointed One is indeed God’s Son, “Emmanuel, God with us.” We affirm that His errand in coming was to save a ruined world. We confirm that He did all that was necessary for our soul’s redemption; and that “He can completely save those who come to God through Him.”[16] But keep the faith and say as Jesus did to Nicodemus, “We speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen.”[17] The only thing we must do is yearn to know more about Him until we can say with the Samaritan converts, “We have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man is the world’s Savior.”[18] Indeed, you cannot see Him now, as the Apostles did, face to face; but by faith, you may “see Him that is invisible:”[19] and if you only behold Him now by faith, you will one day see Him as you see others. As the Apostle Paul says, “Now I know only a part, but at that time I will know fully, as God has known me.”[20] [21]

William Lincoln (1825-1888) tells us that the Lord Jesus could not stoop any lower than He did, coming so low that whenever anyone hears the Gospel, they hear this message, “We have seen and do testify, that the Father sent His Son to be the remedy for our sins.”[22] Since we could not get to Him, He came to us and took the penalty for our sin upon Himself; He came to be the world’s Savior. After all, there is nothing so comforting as being aware that God did not blink when He saw we were sinners but still made provision for our salvation. Even though one might condemn themselves and oppose the Gospel, the Lord Jesus can hold them into His arms and say, “Child, be of good cheer; I forgive your sins.”[23]

Presbyterian minister Griffith Parry (1827-1901) views Christianity as a spiritual power or a source of enduring influence on the world. It began in a remote location but now is worldwide. As Parry sees it, the Incarnation of God’s Son was the indispensable condition of the reunion of mankind with God. It is the highest magnitude that any creature can attain – that God should “dwell in them, and they in God.” It does not mean to disappear like a ripple in the ocean of the Godhead, as the pantheists[24] imagine, but to become one with God in the unification of holiness and the fellowship of love and yet to preserve our individuality forever in conscious enjoyment of that union. Humanity could not have been saved by ascending with their strength – by the mere development of their natural powers. On the contrary, God’s descent from heaven fashioned our salvation of unparalleled magnitude.

So, it follows, says Parry, that the Incarnation and death of the Son of God form the spiritual power to create the world anew and the moral elevator for raising humanity to God. Suppose we see a Christian of extraordinary attainments in godliness. In that case, we may be sure that this is the secret of their strength their thoughts and affections constantly revolve around this great center, “God manifest in the flesh;” They abide by faith and love in the Anointed One, and thereby God dwells in them, and they in God. It is the “secret of godliness.”

Therefore, Parry advises, the facts of our redemption accomplished in Palestine years ago remain in the world yet, as great spiritual forces operating on mankind’s soul to raise them to God. So, in conclusion, let us appreciate the Gospel above all things. Remember that godliness, and all progress in holiness, draws its strength from the Anointed One and His Cross, life, death, and resurrection.[25]

Henry A. Sawtelle (1832-1913) points to the Apostle John, adding a new and additional line of proof of the union of God and His people. We, says John, the Christian Party, through the apostles, have seen the evidence accompanied with careful contemplation.[26] John urges us to continue to do so since testifying to Gospel truths is not a one-time event. God the Father is so named because of His relationship to the Anointed One, rather than John. What God sent in the past still has its influence and effects today.[27]

Furthermore, God’s Son coming to be the world’s Savior is a distinctive title declaring the mission on which He came. He was sent to provide, in person, salvation for the world, which is available and applied through belief and confession.[28] But, to those who receive Him, the Son of God is Savior from what? Delivery from guilt and eternal damnation, despair and sinful nature, error, the body of death, the world, Satan, and eternal hell required a great Savior, with all His deity, humanity, blood, and Spirit.[29]

Charles H. Spurgeon (1834-1892) says that it is a sweet thought that Jesus the Anointed One did not come to us without His Father’s permission, authority, consent, and assistance. We are prone to forget that, says Spurgeon, while there are personality distinctions in the Trinity, there are no distinctions of honor. We too frequently ascribe the glory of our salvation, or at least the depths of its generosity, more to Jesus the Anointed One than we do the Father. Did not His Father send Him? If His speech was impressive, did not His Father pour grace onto His lips that He might teach the Final Covenant? Have you put your confidence in the Man Jesus, the Anointed One? Have you put your trust solely in Him? Then you are united with the Father of heaven.[30]

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[1] Matthew 9:12

[2] Acts of the Apostles 3:26

[3] Luke 19:10

[4] Hebrews 7:25

[5] 1 Timothy 2:3-4

[6] Acts of the Apostles 4:12

[7] Boston, Thomas: Biblical Illustrator, op. cit., Vol. 22, pp. 97-99

[8] John 15:27

[9] 1 John 4:16

[10] See 1 John 4:13, 15

[11] Bengel, Johann: Critical English Testament, op. cit., p. 321

[12] Matthew 7:22-23

[13] See Galatians 5:22-23; Ephesians 5:9; Colossians 3:12-17; Romans 12:9-21

[14] See Mark 16:17-18; 1 Corinthians 13:2; Ephesians 4:11-12

[15] Benson, Joseph: Commentary of the Old and New Testaments, Vol. 3, p. 11103

[16] Hebrews 7:25

[17] John 3:11

[18] John 4:42

[19] Hebrews 11:27

[20] 1 Corinthians 13:12

[21] Simeon, Charles: HoræHomileticæ, op. cit., Discourse 2456, pp. 489-490

[22] 1 John 4:14

[23] Lincoln, William: Lectures on 1 John, op. cit., Lecture VII, pp 119-120

[24] Pantheism is a doctrine which identifies God with the universe, or regards the universe as a manifestation of God, and their worship admits or tolerates all gods.

[25] Parry, Griffith: The Biblical Illustrator, op. cit., 1 John 4, pp. 94-96

[26] See 1 John 1:1-2

[27] Ibid. 4:9

[28] See Romans 10:9

[29] Sawtelle, Henry A., An American Commentary, Alvah Hovey, Ed., op. cit., p. 51

[30] Spurgeon, Charles H., Morning and Evening Daily Readings, op. cit., February 5, AM

After listening to all the demands and outrage by politicians and talking heads on TV about the shooting in Uvalde, Texas, I thought of two things in connection with this horrible tragedy and how it might have had a different outcome.

First: Introduce the following changes to federal gun laws as follows: “No individual between ages 18 and 21 will be allowed to buy a firearm without a parent or legal guardian’s approval, signed in person at the place of purchase.”

Second: The misguided outcry that our approach to Mental Health issues in America needs fixing. The real problem behind such a hideous act as that committed by this deranged young man is not Mental Health, but Moral Health.

Therefore, no person should be able to receive a graduation certificate from high school without taking a 2-semester hour class on Ethics in their junior or senior year. With Bible and prayer being taken out of our homes and schools, these young people have no moral compass to guide them in deciding what is the right or wrong thing to do when under stress.

These are just my thoughts, and I wanted to share them with you. Thank you for reading what I have written with an open mind. God bless you.

My computer is down, so I will not be able to post for a while, Thank you for your prayers

NEW TESTAMENT CONTEXTUAL COMMENTARY

By Dr. Robert R Seyda

FIRST EPISTLE OF JOHN

CHAPTER FOUR (Lesson XC) 05/24/22

^4:14 And furthermore, we have seen with our eyes and now tell the world that God sent His Son to be their Savior.

John stresses that Jesus was God’s Son before He came to earth. He did not become a Son at Bethlehem, and it was for Him to be the world’s Savior, not merely some special messenger. Jesus came to the world as “Savior,” not “social worker.” There are only two instances where the Final Covenant calls Jesus “Savior.”[1]  What makes this so critical is that all humanity needed saving. So, the basic principle here is that Salvation through the Anointed One is the foundation of dynamic Christian living. Faith in the Anointed One produces love for God and ignites a love for other believers. As God showed His love toward us in the Anointed One, we are to show that same love to those who love Him. 

COMMENTARY

Œcumenius (800-900 AD) comments that since we have fellowship with God in agápē, it is also by agápē that the Apostles who saw Him in the flesh acknowledged Him and bear witness that the Father sent Him to be the world’s Savior. But above and beyond their testimony, Jesus instructed them to teach us about this, thereby leading us to a perfect understanding of Him, as when He said: “I went out from the Father and came into the world.”[2][3]

John Calvin (1509-1564) points out that the Apostle John now explains the other part of the knowledge of God, by which He communicates Himself to us through His Son and offers Himself to be enjoyed. It follows that we receive Him through faith. John’s design shows that God is so united to us by faith and love that He dwells in us and manifests Himself in a manner visible by His presence. Otherwise, we would not know God was there. Therefore, when John says that we have, seen, and testify, he refers to himself and others. And by seeing, John does not necessarily mean only by visible contact, but by the spiritual enlightenment found in faith by which they recognized the glory of God in the Anointed One. So then, according to what John goes on to say, Jesus was sent to be the world’s Savior; and this knowledge flows from the illumination of the Spirit.[4]

John Brown of Haddington (1722-1787) feels that since the Apostle John tells his readers that he and other Apostles were eye-witnesses to the personal life of the Anointed One, His preaching, miracles, suffering, death, resurrection, and ascension back into heaven’s glory, that upon such infallible evidence can attest to the fact that God the Father sent His only begotten Son to be born in human flesh and thereby qualify Himself as the Lamb of God to be the Redeemer of both Jews and Gentiles so that whoever believes in Him will not perish but have everlasting life.[5]  

William E. Jelf (1811-1875) notes that the Apostle John, for a moment, recalls what he said before as the source and foundation of Christian love, [6] the source from which it springs, the foundation on which it stands – God’s agápē in sending His Son as reconciliation with God for our sins. He now puts his personal and visual evidence of the certainty of this doctrine to confirm it and show the importance of a genuine belief as the sound foundation for practice for himself and the other apostles.[7]

William Kelly (1822-1888) points out that the Spirit of God glorifies the Anointed One by receiving His words and explaining them to us. He was to guide us into all the truth. Many religions recommend a kind of mysticism that glorifies self; it is occupied with feelings. Therefore, it exposes some souls to self-worship and others to dejection. People are not easily satisfied with what they get from such meditation. It is wholesome to learn that there is nothing in ourselves to yield spiritual satisfaction, to make the Anointed One our all-in-all. But to be occupied with one’s heart, save for humbling ourselves on account of it, is as dishonoring to Him as it is dangerous to ourselves. Occupation with ourselves is not merely unprofitable, but hinders growth in grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus the Anointed One.

Yet, says Kelly, there is no doubt that many Christians get drawn into this human philosophic view which substitutes occupation with self instead of the Anointed One, Jesus, and being happy instead of always delighting in the joy of the Lord.[8] So, how can we correct such inward-looking? John says here, “And we have seen.” Here are the emphatic words of the inspired witnesses, “and testify that the Father has sent the Son as Savior of the world.” Whatever others may occupy themselves with, “The Father sent His Son as the world’s Savior.” What is, what ought to be, the effect of such a truth?

Does this not fill us with the praise for the Father and the Son? Does it not shame us into nothingness as to ourselves? We are shown that we were sinners saved by faith through grace—timid faith questions whether we were so bad or God was so good. But if we simply believe through the Holy Spirit, we cannot assuredly find anything in ourselves worth talking about compared to grace, so rich and everlasting. It’s how God weans us from ourselves, the world, and every other object, to delight our souls in Him and His Son. Knowledge may puff up, but the Father’s and Son’s love builds up.

Kelly adds that he hardly knows of anything that should affect us more profoundly than these words in verses thirteen and fourteen. How can we conceive of being near God if it is not dwelling in God and God in us? No image paints a more graphic picture of intimacy and mutuality, so to speak, than this. And when we think about who and what God is and what we are, it is indeed a great testimony. But who is the Apostle John talking about? Very high and pious believers? Only ministers and theology professors? Perhaps devoted saints like Mother Theresa? No! He speaks of every Christian. We are all fruit of the same Gospel.

Kelly concludes that the best way to know that we dwell in Him, and He in us, is because He gave us His Spirit. This goes farther than the last verse of chapter three, “The one who keeps God’s commands lives in Him and He in them. And this is how we know that He lives in us: We know it by the Spirit He gave us.” But now, John adds that we have seen and testified that the Father sent His Son to be the world’s Savior. Therefore, whoever will confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwells in them, and they in God.[9] So what John says connects what we do to show God’s Spirit is in us rather than what we say about Him dwelling in us.[10]

James Arminius (1560-1609) comments on the testimony of the Samaritan village people who learned about Jesus after revealing Himself to the woman at Jacob’s Well who said: “We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man is the world’s Savior.”[11] Arminius says that the Samaritan’s word was confirmed by the Apostle John, who stated: “And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent His Son to be the world’s Savior.”[12] He focuses on the word “world” and says that all people, in general, are to be understood as part of the world in these passages. For there is, in my judgment, says Arminius, no passage in the whole Bible in which it can be proven beyond controversy that the word “world” signifies only the Elect. Again, the Anointed One is said to have died for all.[13] Paul explains that He is said to be “The Savior of all people, especially those who believe.”[14] [15]

John Bunyan (1628-1688) writes concerning the individual who comes to the Anointed One and their advantages. Those who come to the Anointed One are nearer to Him than those still choosing to go to Him; They are like the prodigal son, “And while he was still a long way off, his father saw him coming.”[16] Now the one nearest to God can see Him clearly. It helps them make the best judgment of His amazing grace and beauty; as God said, “Let them approach; then let them speak.”[17] And as the Apostle John says, “And we have seen and testify that the Father sent His Son to be the world’s Savior.”[18] Those who have not decided to come to the Anointed One, though He is coming back, is not fit, (incapable of judging the worth and glory of the Anointed One’s grace), as those who have come to Him, and have seen and observed it. Therefore, sinner, suspend your decision-making until you decide to draw nearer to God.[19] [20]

William Burkitt (1650-1703) says it’s as if the Apostle John said, although no one has ever seen God with their physical eyes at any time, yet, the apostles, who preach the doctrine of faith and the duty of love, have seen Him with their natural eyes through the Lord Jesus the Anointed One, and do testify, that God the Father glorified His agápē, by sending His Son to be the Savior of a perishing world; not of Jews only, but also of the Gentiles.

And John further declared, says Burkitt, that whoever believes the apostle John’s testimony will confess with their mouth and believe in their heart that this Jesus, whom we preach, is the Son of God and will evidence the truth of his faith by the sincerity of His agápē. God dwells in them by His Spirit, and they abide in God by repeated acts of love. We apostles, says John, know well and firmly believe the love, the incredible great love, which God manifested towards us, in and through His Son Jesus the Anointed One; we again affirm and conclude that God is love.[21]

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[1] 1 John 4:14 & John 4:42

[2] Ibid. 16:28

[3] Œcumenius: Commentary on 1 John, loc. cit.

[4] Calvin, John: Commentary on the Catholic Epistles, op. cit., loc. cit.

[5] Brown, John of Haddington: Self-Interpreting Bible, op. cit., p. 1328

[6] 1 John 1:1

[7] Jelf, William E., First Epistle of St. John, op. cit., p. 63

[8] Philippians 4:4

[9] Kelly, William: Lectures on the Catholic Epistles of John, op. cit., p. 327

[10] Ibid.

[11] John 4:42

[12] 1 John 4:14

[13] See Hebrews 2:9

[14] 1 Timothy 4:10

[15] Arminius, James, op. cit., An Examination of the Treatise of William Perkins (1558-1602), p. 312

[16] Luke 15:20

[17] Isaiah 41:1 – Complete Jewish Bible

[18] 1 John 4:14

[19] Reminds me of the song the ship’s string ensemble on the Titanic, as it sank. “Nearer to Thee; E’en though it be a cross that raises me, still all my song shall be Nearer, my God, to Thee, Nearer, my God, to Thee, Nearer to Thee.”

[20] Bunyan, John: Practical Works, Vol. 2, Come and Welcome to Jesus the Anointed One, pp. 153-154

[21] Burkitt, William: Notes on N.T., op. cit., p. 432

NEW TESTAMENT CONTEXTUAL COMMENTARY

By Dr. Robert R Seyda

FIRST EPISTLE OF JOHN

CHAPTER FOUR (Lesson LXXXIX) 05/23/22

^4:13 And He has put His Holy Spirit into our hearts as proof that we live in Him and He with us.

Ben Witherington III (1951) suggests that we connect verse thirteen with what the Apostle John said earlier.[1] The phrasing here is a bit odd, and it raises interesting questions. It says that we know we are in God, and vice versa because He has given us, literally, “from His Spirit.” If this simply meant, “We know God is in us because He gave us His Spirit, which is the manifestation of the divine presence in a human life,” it is a strange expression. One possible explanation is that Jesus received the Spirit without limits. By contrast, believers only receive a portion “of His Spirit.”[2] It could be a reference to spiritual gifts, although John does not focus on that in the way the Apostle Paul does.[3]

Duncan Heaster (1967) states that what the Apostle John says here complements his statement in verse twelve that we know He abides in us if we live in love. The presence of the Spirit will produce love, the love of the Anointed One, which is the cardinal feature of His entire Spirit. In Biblical exposition, the Spirit is a gift, given – and not cultivated by our steel-willed effort or pleasure. The Spirit came after the Lord ascended back into heaven, [4] giving each believer a specific gift.[5]

Karen H. Jobes (1968) says that the Apostle John’s concerns are the Christian testimony that God sent His Son to be the world’s Savior. This flow of thought closely follows what we find in John’s gospel.

            John 17:18: “As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world.”

            John 17:21: “… that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me, and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.”

            John 17:26: “I have made you known to them … so that your love for me may be in them.”

Christian love, therefore, is the expression of us being in God (who is agápē) and Him in us. That unity also has an evangelistic and revelatory purpose so that the world might see the presence of God’s love in the Anointed One. The Spirit is the assurance of God’s presence in us and us in Him.[6]

David Legge (1969) laments that what is lacking in the preaching today is the cross – the practical agápē of the dying Jesus. That is not possible of ourselves; it is God’s agápē – and verse thirteen shows us that this happens only by the Spirit of God if we look at it. Don’t you think you can just go out and throw your arms around drunks and hug them – it doesn’t work like that! It has to be God’s agápē within your heart; only God’s agápē will do – but what we’re saying here is that the first way that agápē is presently demonstrated, as it was in the past at the Anointed One’s death, is through Christlike lives of Christians who are Spirit-filled, filled with the agápē of Jesus. It doesn’t matter what you say with your mouth; it’s what you do with your love?[7]

4:14     We have seen that the Father sent His Son to be the world’s Savior, and this is what we tell people now.

EXPOSITION

When Jesus was talking to Nicodemus, He pointed out, “The truth is, we talk about what we know. We tell about what we have seen. But you Jews don’t accept what we tell you. I have told you about things here on earth, but you do not believe me. So, I’m sure you will not believe me if I tell you about heavenly things!”[8] So later on in this same chapter, John the Baptizer confirmed this when skeptics were questioning him, “He tells what He has seen and heard, but people don’t accept what He says. Whoever accepts what He says has given proof that God speaks the truth. God sent Him, and He tells people what God says. God has anointed Him to do this.”[9]

And this is not new; in talking to the religious leaders who were disputing His claims about being the Messiah. Jesus tells them what they missed, “You carefully study the Scriptures. You think that they give you eternal life. These same Scriptures tell about me!”[10] So while they were looking at Jesus to find fault, they were not looking to see what God had said about Him.  Here John tells his readers that they must not make the same mistake.

John and the Apostles saw and testified of the Son of God’s presence in His time on earth. The words “have seen” mean that the apostles deliberately contemplated the reality of the Incarnate Anointed One on earth, the Son of God, in the incarnation.  It was not simply a moment-in-time, but a process of seeing and testifying. The apostles gave continuing testimony to the incarnate Anointed One. John puts stress upon Jesus as the Son.  The Son was the Son before He came into the world.  Our Lord always was the eternal Son of God.  He did not become God’s Son at Bethlehem.

As John recorded in his Gospel: “God sent Him.”[11]  The Pharisees and scribes were upset that Jesus had appointed Himself as the Messiah.  They kept calling for proof that God was behind His coming.  Jesus was very outspoken about this and was not hesitant to tell His distractors, “But I have a proof about Myself that is greater than anything John the Baptizer said. The things I do are My proof. These are what My Father gave me to do. They show that the Father sent Me. And the Father who sent Me has given proof about Me Himself. But you have never heard His voice. You have never seen how He appears. The Father’s teaching does not live in you because you don’t believe in the one the Father sent.”[12]

It wasn’t so much that there was no evidence that the Father was behind Jesus’ coming; they refused to look and accept the evidence.  What would your answer be if someone asked you to prove that Jesus was living in you and that the Holy Spirit was leading you?  Would you use some theological defense or dogmatic creed?  No!  You would produce evidence to show the difference they’ve made in your life.  Like the blind man being questioned about the claim that Jesus healed his eyes said, “All I know is this, once I was blind, but now I see.”  So, when the religious leaders argued with Jesus over His being the Son of man, He asked them, “So why do you accuse me of insulting God for saying, ‘I am God’s Son?’ I am the one God chose and sent into the world.”[13]

Therefore, the dispute was not with Jesus, nor is it with us; it ends up being with God.  I have learned through debating that we must always keep this in mind when someone challenges us about our faith or beliefs.  Always inform them that their argument is not really with you; it’s with the Scriptures, upon which your faith and beliefs are founded.  So, each time they point to you, you point to the Scriptures.  Eventually, you can establish this rule for any further debate: Their argument is with the Scriptures, and your argument is in defense of the Scriptures.  Where did I get this brilliant idea?  From Jesus the Anointed One, my ideal debater.  John now wants to add after his readers saw that the heavenly Father was involved.

John the Baptizer was the first to see this.  We hear him announce as he saw Jesus walking toward him during his baptismal services: “Look, the Lamb of God. He takes away the sins of the world!”[14] And after telling the story about Nicodemus coming to Jesus to learn more, John concludes that “Yes, God loved the world so much that He gave His only Son so that everyone who believes in Him would not be lost but have eternal life.”[15]

Not only that, but so impressed were the townspeople where the woman who met Jesus at the well in Samaria lived that they told her this, “First we believed in Jesus because of what you told us. But now we believe because we heard Him ourselves. We know now that He is the one who will save the world.”[16] And Jesus concurs with their words when He tells those who came out to welcome Him as He rode from Bethany toward Jerusalem, “I did not come into the world to judge people. I came to save the people in the world.”[17]

Jesus was the Redeemer of the world, not merely the elect.  Jesus came to the world as “Savior,” not as a social worker. There are only two instances where the Final Covenant calls Jesus the “Savior,” here and in John 4:42. That means that all people are savable (2:2).[18] Salvation in the Anointed One is the foundation of dynamic living in Christianity. 

Thus, “we” clearly means apostles, and “beheld” implies contemplation with bodily eyes.[19] The invisible God can only be “invisibly seen” with a pure heart. The language of this verse fourteen would be strained and unreal for someone who had not seen the Anointed One in the flesh. Note that “Savior” has no article. The “world,” as commonly used in John’s writings, is primarily unregenerate sinners among the human race.

It is good to keep in mind that the Apostle John and other apostles saw and testified of the Divine Son’s presence in time on earth. The words “have seen” mean steadfastly and deliberately contemplating the very existence of the Anointed One in human form on earth.  It was not a momentary event, but a process of seeing and testifying. The apostles gave continuing testimony that the Anointed One was alive and, in the flesh, while He was with them.

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[1] 1 John 3:24

[2] Cf. Ephesians 1:13-14

[3] Witherington III, Ben: Letters and Homilies for Hellenized Christians: op. cit., loc. cit., (Kindle Locations 7216-7223)

[4] John 7:39

[5] Heaster, Duncan: New European Commentary, op. cit., 1 John, p. 33. Heaster does not reveal what that special gift is. We can only assume that he means “eternal life.”

[6] Jobes, Karen H., 1, 2, and 3 John (Zondervan Exegetical Commentary on The New Testament, Book 18), p. 195

[7] Legge, David: 1,2,3 John, Preach the Word, op. cit., “Christian Love: Its Source and Sign,” Part 13

[8] 1 John 3:11-12

[9] Ibid. 3:32-34

[10] Ibid. 5:39

[11] Philippians 3:34

[12] Ibid. 5:36-38

[13] Ibid. 10:36

[14] Philippians 1:29

[15] Ibid. 3:16

[16] Ibid. 4:42

[17] Ibid. 12:47

[18] Ibid. 2:2

[19] 1 John 4:12

CYNICS may ask, why don’t people follow the advice of numerous proverbs and maxims of forethought available for centuries? Instead, they conclude that these are only used after some rightful venture has gone “horribly wrong.” When, for instance, a person gambles and loses all they have, including their house, why did they not remember the old Scottish proverb which declares “willful waste leads to woeful want?” But didn’t the gambler know this well-worn saying from earlier years? However, what good, then, did it do? Are the maxims of morality useless because people disregard them? For Christians and Jews, the Book of Proverbs is a great example. Yet, what about other religions and philosophers?

The most widely read French poet of the 17th century, Jean de La Fontaine, said, “Let us not strain our abilities, or we shall do nothing with grace. Whatever he may do, a clown will never pass for a gentleman.”

It sounds a lot like the Apostle Paul thought when he wrote, “Let your conversation be graceful and properly seasoned so that you will have the right response for everyone.”[1]

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[1] Colossians 4:6

SOMETIMES IT’S ALRIGHT TO BE HATED

Hélder Câmara was an unlikely folk hero. Standing barely five feet tall and weighing about ninety pounds soaking wet, he was a tiny person – entirely unimposing. But more so than his physical stature, what made him an unlikely folk hero was after he began his ministry as a young priest in Brazil as part of the far-right Integralist Party.

As an Integralist member, Father Câmara spearheaded a campaign to eradicate the shanty towns located on the hills around Rio de Janeiro and forcibly relocate their residents to new housing in the city. But, Father Câmara’s campaign did not go quite as planned. Yes, the Integralists managed to bulldoze down those shacks and shanties and move their inhabitants into the city. However, once there, the folks they uprooted were reeling from the forced relocation and without jobs to support themselves.

Backed into this Câmara-made corner, they did what they had to do to survive. Namely, some pulled the electric and water fixtures out of their new abodes and sold them. Others moved their families out onto the streets and sublet their apartments so that they could have money to buy food. Suffice it to say, Father Câmara’s campaign was an abject failure.

This campaign succeeded in bringing Father Câmara face-to-face with the poorest of Brazil’s poor for the first time. And he was forever changed by it. Because of this experience, he left the Integralist Party and began to talk about “unjust policies of poverty” and how the Church needed to work not just for the people but also with the people. He took this perspective with him when he was appointed archbishop of Olinda and Recife, a particularly impoverished area of the country.

Discarding all the usual trappings of that office – a palace to live in, bright-colored robes to wear, and gold jewelry to enhance himself – he chose instead to live a life of solidarity with the poor. He took up residence in a small house behind a church, wore only a brown cassock and a wooden cross around his neck, and ate his meals at a bar on the corner surrounded by construction workers and alcoholics. That same year Câmara was appointed archbishop, a fascist military dictator took over the Brazilian government. Câmara observed that the poor were suffering even more than before under their rule.

In response, he instituted social programs to help meet the primary material and spiritual needs of the masses living in poverty in his archdiocese. He initiated feeding programs and various housing projects. He established a permanent campaign of charity for the needy. Furthermore, he even advocated for industry to move into that area of the country to create jobs with which people could support their families.

At the same time as he worked to alleviate the suffering of the poor, Câmara also became an outspoken critic of the regime. In weekly radio broadcasts, he would speak in favor of governmental reform. While this ministry engendered a great deal of love among the common people, it produced a great deal of hatred among those in power.

At first, Father Câmara was simply blacklisted. He was labeled a communist by the regime, and censors forbade the media from interviewing or quoting him. Yet, every Sunday in the pulpit, he persisted in agitating for reform. His sermons were described by those who heard them as “lyrical cries for social justice.”

Then one day, Câmara opened the door of his little house to find a man standing there – a hired killer with his gun drawn, he announced matter-of-factly. “I have come to assassinate you, Dom[1] Hélder.” With Mahatma Gandhi’s calmness, Câmara responded, “Then you will send me straight to the Lord.” Astounded by this reply, the assassin – himself from the impoverished classes – lowered his gun and let loose his tears. “I can’t kill you,” he sobbed, “You belong to God.”

It’s not often we get the opportunity to say this, but: that assassin was RIGHT! Hélder Câmara belonged to God. He was a faithful follower of Jesus who told us not to be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.[2]

In a day and time when so many portray themselves as victims rather than accept responsibility for their poor decisions and bad behavior, Hélder Câmara shows us what it looks like to be hated for all right reasons. His ministry was a bold testament to God’s special care and concern for those struggling under poor economic conditions and powerless to bring changes. And for it, Câmara was hated, just like Jesus had said his followers would be. In his famous words, Hélder Câmara said, “When I give food to the poor, they call me a saint. But, when I ask why so many people are so poor, they call me a communist.” The world would be a better place if more of us were hated for those same reasons! 

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[1] Dom in Portuguese is a title of honor

[2] Matthew 10:28

NEW TESTAMENT CONTEXTUAL COMMENTARY

By Dr. Robert R Seyda

FIRST EPISTLE OF JOHN

CHAPTER FOUR (Lesson LXXXVIII) 05/20/22

^4:13 And He has put His Holy Spirit into our hearts as proof that we live in Him and He with us.

Hiebert notes that John first mentioned the reality of this interrelationship here in chapter three, verse twenty-four. There the mutual indwelling was presented as the experience of the individual believer. Still, the use of the plural pronouns, “we/us,” underlines this relationship as the experience of the Christian community. In this verse, John asserts the community wide scope of this connection between God and His people.[1] So, not only is this enlightening verse expressive, but it is self-explanatory. There are many such verses in the Bible, notes Hiebert, but we don’t take the time to look at them for an explanation.

Simon J. Kistemaker (1930-2017) notes that the New International Version has “we know,” but the Greek text says, “By this we know.” The words “by this” refers to the context where John tells us that God lives in us if we love one another. Therefore, the Apostle John’s discussion of the subject of love is the backdrop for the confidence John expresses in God. But what is that confidence? First, John says, “we know that we live in Him and He in us.” Because of God’s presence in our lives, we know that we are in union with Him, and He in us. However, there must be more than that. How do we know that we are in partnership with God? “Because He gave us His Spirit to live in us.” Earlier in his narrative, John makes a slightly different point. He says, “We know it by the Spirit, He furnished us,”[2] and that divine blessing flows to us through the work of the Holy Spirit.[3] Herein verse thirteen, John writes, “He has given us of His Spirit.” Thus, the gifts of the Holy Spirit are God’s gift to us, and we are the recipients.[4]

Stephen S. Smalley (1931-2018) sees three truths about the nature of God’s agápē in verses seven to twelve, where the Apostle John presented these as “inducements to brotherly love.” First, we are to love one another as a condition for living as the Father’s children[5] because God is love and the source of agápē. Secondly, because God loved us first. And thirdly, if we love others, spiritual benefits follow. The first of these results, the fact that God indwells the believer, is now taken up and developed here in verse thirteen.[6] This certainly gives those who think that singing or saying, “I love you, God,” or “I adore you, Lord,” express their love to Him. But according to John, it is of no value when it is not practiced.

Ian Howard Marshall (1934-2015) says that it would seem that John lists additional characteristics of the faithful Christian, by which he differs from those who rest their claims simply on charismatic experiences. The test for the reality of spiritual gifts is whether those who possess them also hold to the apostolic faith. So, John goes on to state that he and his readers have seen and now bear witness that the Father sent His Son to be the Savior of the world. Although the wording is close to that of 1 John 1:1ff., it seems likely that we have the church’s testimony as a whole rather than merely of the original eyewitnesses of the earthly ministry of Jesus. The confession is similar to the statements made in 1 John 4:9ff. But where the previous comments described Jesus as an atoning sacrifice for sins, here He is called the “Savior of the world.” The confession should remind us of the words of the Samaritans, who discovered for themselves that Jesus “really is the world’s Savior.”[7] [8]

John Painter (1935) believes that the reason God gave or has given us His Spirit is to provide evidence that He abides with us and of our mutual abiding. It is noteworthy that these two tests are embedded in affirmations that broaden the basis of evidence. First, it asserts that “the person keeping His commandments abides in Him and He in them” (mutual abiding).[9] Then it declares that “if we love one another, God abides in us.”[10] Keeping the commandments and loving one another broaden the base of the evidence. We must note that John says the only basis for our mutual abiding is “that He abides in us.”[11] Meanwhile, there is evidence that God abides in us, and we in Him.[12] It suggests that there is only mutual abiding in John’s thinking, which can at times be spoken of from one side only. Thus, God’s Spirit abides in those who enjoy union with God. If we remain in contact with Him, He will remain in fellowship with us.

Muncia Walls (1937) says that by the Anointed One dwelling in us by His Spirit, we know He is within us because of the witness of His Spirit. His Spirit brings agápē into our life that the Apostle John has just written about. The coming of His Spirit into our hearts is an actual activity that is undeniable and convincing to all who receive the Spirit. The evidence that accompanies the Spirit coming into one’s life is compelling. The individual loses control of their vocal cords, and the Spirit begins to speak through them in His language. Yes. Those filled with the Spirit know that the Spirit dwells within![13]

For Michael Eaton (1942-2017) the Greek verb ginōskō (“know”) does not refer to deductive logic but to conscious enjoyment of God’s working in our lives in a way that we can understand. Some expositors take ginōskō to mean to “deduce” or “prove,” but there are objections to this approach. This is the Apostle John’s picture of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is a witness to our being in God and God in us. The bi-directional flow of love and communication between God and us occurs through His working within us. On our side, our prayers to God are directed by the Holy Spirit. He causes our spirit to stir and bubble up within us on God’s side. They include His guidance, prompting, illumination, encouragement, empowering, and impartation of Gifts. By this same Spirit, we remain in union with God.[14]

David Jackman (1947) notes that with the living God abiding in His people, it will always produce the characteristics of His essence – holiness and righteousness, mercy and love. When a believer experiences that inner constraint to love others unselfishly, whereas before, they might have feared, ignored, or rejected them, that is evidence that the Holy Spirit is at work within. It is a real assurance of salvation. But we must not avoid the negative implications. Where someone claims to be a Christian but has no time for fellowship with others, criticizing the Church and writing it off, practicing a solitary devotion, should we not inquire whether that person is deluded and God really does live in them? Where the Spirit of God is at work, it sweetens bitterness, melts hardness, and multiplies love.[15]

Robert W. Yarbrough (1948) notes that here in verse thirteen, the Apostle John speaks of the Spirit’s role in the believers’ assurance that God is in their midst as they reach out to others with the divine love that has touched them. When it comes to the doctrine of salvation, John is not a proponent of “groupthink,” but this does not mean there is no cooperation between God and His people as He gives and they, receiving, respond. The Spirit is the link, even agent, who permits believers to see this interchange for what it is: a token of God’s very presence among them, assuring them of the integrity of the message they have received and the importance of the ethic they are called upon to embrace.

Here John encourages them, then, with the apostolic insight that divine presence and not merely human impulse move them to selfless regard for each other. Within John’s discourse, this is not simply an interesting theological observation; it rather raises the stakes of the earlier essentials[16] by implying that failure to love would be to grieve if not completely spurn the Spirit of God. In John’s sphere of reasoning, allowing for a divine being’s connection with humans would be to reject the Father, Son, and Spirit as well.[17]

Colin G. Kruse (1950) explains that it is difficult to know whether this verse should be read with what precedes or what follows it. This theme is found in both what precedes in verse twelve and what follows in verses fourteen and fifteen. The difference between what goes before and what comes after is that verse twelve emphasizes love for fellow believers. In contrast, in verses fourteen and fifteen, the testimony supported by eyewitness accounts that God’s agápē was expressed in sending Jesus to be the world’s Savior.

The question we are left with is: When John introduces the giving of the Spirit as the ground of assurance in verse thirteen, is he implying: (a) that the Spirit motivates love for fellow believers and the objective practice of love is the basis of their assurance or (b) that the Spirit teaches the truth about God’s sending Jesus as the Savior of the world and knowing this provides believers with the basis of assurance, or (c) that the very presence of the Spirit Himself in believers creates the sense of assurance?[18]

Judith M. Lieu (1951) imagines that just as the Apostle John’s readers may be getting complacent in their gentle caresses of self-affirming love, and are not awakened to the dangers that still lie ahead. Logically, this might expose the argument as flawed: how can the experience of God’s Spirit be any more secure than the experience of God’s indwelling or His residing in us? How can the former be the grounds for knowing the latter? The beginning of the chapter provided something of an answer: the experience of God’s Spirit is established by the confession of Jesus as God’s Son. Now it has become more apparent why all this should be so. The God who indwells us and is indwelt by us is the One whose fundamental nature of love was demonstrated and experienced by sending the Son.[19] That makes the formula clear. By confessing that Jesus is God’s Son, we also accept Him as a part of God’s agápē. So, unless you first accept Jesus, there can be none of God’s agápē in you.

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[1] Hiebert, David E., Bibliotheca Sacra, op. cit., January-March 1990, p. 79

[2] 1 John 3:24

[3] Cf. Roman 5:5

[4] See John 20:22

[5] John 13:35

[6] Smalley, Stephen S., Word Biblical Commentary, Vol. 51, op. cit., p. 249

[7] John 4:42

[8] Marshall, Ian Howard. The Epistles of John (The New International Commentary on the New Testament) op. cit., pp. 219-220

[9] 1 John 3:24

[10] Ibid. 4:24

[11] Ibid. 3:24

[12] Ibid. 4:12-13

[13] Walls, Muncia: Epistles of John & Jude, op. cit., p. 75

[14] Eaton, Michael: Focus on the Bible, 1,2,3 John, op. cit., pp. 154-156

[15] Jackman, David: The Message of John’s Letters, op. cit., p. 126

[16] 1 John 4:7, 11

[17] Yarbrough, Robert W. 1-3 John (Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament) (pp. 246-247). Baker Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.

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

[19] Lieu, Judith: The New Testament Commentary, op. cit., p. 187

NEW TESTAMENT CONTEXTUAL COMMENTARY

By Dr. Robert R Seyda

FIRST EPISTLE OF JOHN

CHAPTER FOUR (Lesson LXXXVII) 05/19/22

^4:13 And He has put His Holy Spirit into our hearts as proof that we live in Him and He with us.

I like the little verse that Harry A. Ironside (1876-1951) shared: “You are writing a Gospel, a chapter a day, by deeds that you do, by words that you say. People read what you write, whether faithless or true; tell me, what is the Gospel according to you?”[1] The only way any of us can write the Gospel in our words and deeds is with the help of that portion of God’s Spirit He gave us. What does that mean – “He gave us of His Spirit?” He has implanted within us a new nature. His Spirit is that of love, and this is the very essence of this unique nature, so that all you and I have to do is to let the Spirit of God control us, and as we do that, we will manifest the Anointed One’s agápē.[2]

Charles H. Dodd (1884-1973) says we must begin with the gift of the Spirit when the Apostle John mentions this aspect of the Christian life.[3] The first reference to the Spirit suggested to John the Spirit of Prophecy, and he pursued that subject in the following verses. But it is not clear that this was the apostle’s first intention. The Gift of Prophecy applied to early Christians, the powerful proof of God’s presence in the Church.[4] But John told us it is the individual Christian who is the subject of that union with God described as mutual indwelling, and it is of this that the gift of the Spirit is proof.[5] Prophecy is only one of the manifestations of the Spirit, and behind all such revelations lies the fundamental experience that Paul describes in his letter to the Romans.[6] [7]

Rudolf Bultmann (1884-1976) points out that in an earlier passage, [8] that mutual abiding consists in our keeping His commandments. Here, however, is the fact that God gave us of His spirit.[9] Since the commandments are concentrated in brotherly love, on the one hand, and since, on the other, see verse thirteen, follows the admonition to brotherly and sisterly love, the proof for the reception of the Spirit must be seen precisely in the fact that it grants us the possibility of such devotion. According to verse fourteen, however, the spirit grants us the knowledge of and witness to God’s agápē in sending His Son, from which “confession” and “belief” follow as a consequence. For John, however, there is no difference. The “commandment” is double in verse fourteen: faith and love. Because He has “given us of His Spirit,” it has a twofold sense. The first points back to the command to love one another, which is dependent on God’s agápē, and the second looks forward to confession and faith grounded in God’s agápē.[10]

Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981) says that when it comes to God being in union with us and us with Him, which the Holy Spirit witnesses in harmony with our spirit, we must not rest; we have full and confident assurance and jubilation. The Final Covenant was written so that we may have it, and John argues that this is something that really must be unavoidable. The apostle cannot understand someone who not only lacks this certainty, but who would even dare to argue against such an inevitability. It’s hard to understand such a person, says Lloyd-Jones, even on the grounds of logic. As unbelievers, we were spiritually dead; we had no life of God in our souls. So, is it possible that we can have such energy in us and not know it? That is impossible! The presence of God’s life in our soul is so different from the life without God that we cannot but know it; and; therefore, if you are uncertain, you must examine the foundation of your faith. So then, when God comes to dwell in us and take us into Himself, it is something we must be sure we know and then thank God; we can recognize it.[11]

Paul Waitman Hoon (1910-2000) says that by saying, “here’s how we can know,” the Apostle John issues the first test for Christians. His appeal to the presence of God’s Spirit in the soul focuses on the object of this test and rebukes people’s preoccupation with their self-centered moods. When we read, “He has given,” it suggests something very definite; people ought to be able to recognize the Spirit of God as active in their lives. The fundamental spiritual nature of the test places the proper light on the conventional tests to determine the depth of one’s religion.  These include appealing to nominal church membership and, acknowledging one’s polite behavior in society, identifying someone as a Christian.[12]

But, says Hoon, it’s got to be more than that. Foremost, you must be born again.[13] This requires that you believe and confess Jesus as your Savior and sins are forgiven[14] and accept Him as your Lord and Master.[15] Second, God’s Spirit living in you must agree with your spirit that you are God’s child.[16] That way, the Spirit will be able to guide you as a child of God.[17] But it wasn’t you who qualified as a child of God; it involved having the Anointed One, God’s Son, dwelling in you.[18] By putting His Son in you, He put His agápē in you.[19] The most significant evidence will be your love for one another that identifies you as a child of God. Third, you must not only develop a lifestyle where everything you do is for the good of others, not always for yourself.[20] Be like a little child, ready to learn.[21] One of the things you learn is to be a peacemaker.[22] Sometimes, you must be willing to face persecution and suffer humiliation for His sake to become a joint-heir with the Anointed One.[23]

Donald W. Burdick (1917-1996) notes that this cycle of the epistle is primarily characterized by the Apostle John interweaving of themes from previous sequences into a single fabric of truth. Earlier, John set forth ethical and doctrinal tests by which the genuineness of a person’s salvation can be ascertained.[24] He stressed love for fellow believers, [25] obedience to divine commands, [26] and belief in Jesus as the Anointed One, the Son of God.[27] John included love and obedience as righteousness in the ethical test. In this concluding cycle, the moral section deals almost exclusively with love. It will be noted that the discussion is no mere repetition of previous statements.[28] Instead, the Apostle now proceeds to explain how it is that love can be a test of one’s possession of eternal life. He explains why the believers will love their brothers and sisters in the faith.

Now, beginning in 1 John 4:7, John shows that these are not qualities to be possessed separately. They are all fundamentally related. No one item by itself can serve as a valid test of one’s salvation. Belief must be accompanied by love and obedience, for love can only be produced by regeneration, and regeneration comes only from belief. And obedience is the inevitable result of love. That’s because Love is the essence of God.[29] Now John begins this final discussion of love for fellow believers by appealing to his readers as “Beloved,” exemplifying what he urges them to do. His plea is that we should continually (present tense) “love one another.” As elsewhere in his epistle, John has in mind the love for fellow Christians.[30] Unfortunately, while loving God is highly emphasized, the qualifier of doing so by loving others is not always made a requirement.

Raymond E. Brown (1928-1998) says some commentators are surprised to find the Holy Spirit suddenly introduced as a principle of divine indwelling, although the author prepared for this idea when he wrote,  “Now this is how we can know that He abides in us: from the Spirit that He gave us.”[31] Also, when Jesus promised, “I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you.”[32] Therefore, the standard offered here is a definite act of God’s having given the Spirit, similar to God’s having sent His Son.[33] So, the Spirit placed in a believer’s life is not by accident, nor in response to their practice of abstinence, but by God’s will and according to His purpose.

John R. W. Stott (1921-2011) points out the Apostle John wrote his Gospel for unbelievers so that they might read the testimony of God to His Son, believe in Him to whom the testimony pointed, and thus receive life through faith. This Epistle, on the other hand, was written for believers. John’s desire for them is not that they may believe and receive, but that they may know they have received and continue to have eternal life. “That you may know” does not mean they may gradually grow in assurance, but that they may possess here and now a present certainty of the life they have received in the Anointed One.[34]

David E. Hiebert (1928-1995) says the ringing words “By this, we know that we abide in Him and He in us” expresses the fundamental assurance of the Christian life. The words “Hereby” (KJV), (“This is how” – NIV) in verse thirteen look forward to the gift of the Spirit as expressed by the “because.” The present tense verb “we know” indicates “the process of obtaining knowledge by experience, by observation, or by instruction.”  The content of this ongoing knowledge is “that we abide in Him and He in us.” The verb “abide” portrays the continuing reality of this reciprocal abiding as a close and intimate relationship – God dwelling in believers and they in Him.

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[1] A quote by Paul B. Gilbert

[2] Ironside, Harry A., The Epistles of John and Jude, op. cit., 154-155

[3] 1 John 3:24

[4] Cf. 1 Corinthians 1:24-25

[5] 1 John 3:24

[6] Romans 8:15-16

[7] Dodd, Charles H., The Moffatt Commentary, Johannine Epistles, op. cit., p. 115

[8] 1 John 2:3

[9] Ibid. 3:24

[10] Bultmann, Rudolf: Hermeneia, A Critical and Historical Commentary, op. cit., p.70

[11] Lloyd-Jones, Martyn: Life in the Anointed One, op. cit., p. 467

[12] Hoon, Paul, W., The Interpreter’s Bible, op. Cit., 1 John, Exegesis, pp. 282-283

[13] John 3:3

[14] Romans 4:25

[15] John 1:12

[16] Romans 8:16

[17] Ibid. 8:14

[18] Galatians 3:26

[19] 1 John 3:1

[20] 1 John 3:10

[21] Matthew 18:10

[22] Ibid. 5:9; cf. Mark 10:15

[23] Romans 8:17

[24] 1 John 1:5 – 4:6

[25] Ibid. 2:7, 11; 3:10b, 24

[26] Ibid. 2:3-6; 3:22-23

[27] Ibid. 2:2-23

[28] Ibid. 2:7-11; 3:10b-24

[29] Ibid. 4:7-8

[30] Burdick, Donald W., The Epistles of John, op. cit., p. 71

[31] 1 John 3:24

[32] John 14:16

[33] Brown, Raymond E., The Anchor Bible, op. cit., p. 522

[34] Stott, John. The Letters of John (Tyndale New Testament Commentaries), op. cit., p. 184

NEW TESTAMENT CONTEXTUAL COMMENTARY

By Dr. Robert R Seyda

FIRST EPISTLE OF JOHN

CHAPTER FOUR (Lesson LXXXVI) 05/18/22

^4:13 And He has put His Holy Spirit into our hearts as proof that we live in Him and He with us.

William E. Jelf (1811-1875) says that the Apostle John presents a test and testimony in clear language – Our possession of the gift of the Spirit is the foundation of our knowledge on this point, as our understanding must be our assurance. The “Spirit” is the Spirit of truth and holiness and miracles. The question is – how the Spirit shows itself. One way must be by its fruit, and the Apostle Paul lists these in his Epistle to the Galatians.[1] Therefore, the possession and practice of the Christian graces must be the foundation of this assurance. We do not receive the Spirit’s gifts on our own, only by the Spirit Himself. What we call the gifts of the Spirit are, in reality, the Spirit working in us. The phrase “of the Spirit” might signify the difference in how the Spirit of miracles worked. It is the same Spirit, but to one He worked in one way, to another a different way; or, popularly speaking, one gift would be given to one person, a different one to another.[2] [3]

William Kelly (1822-1888) draws our attention to the fact that our relationship with God begins with Him residing in us, not with our living in Him. It is of great importance to discern the difference. That God dwelling in us is His grace when resting on the Anointed One’s redemption. That we are in union with Him is the fruit of the confidence in God that His grace inspires in us. Thus, as it were, we retire from self and all things around us and make our hearts God’s home even while we are here below. This is abiding in God, and it is only suitable for us to look to God for grace to keep in union with Him. When fellowshipping with Him this way, He acts in us through power. Therefore, it is written that He has given us of His Spirit. “Of His Spirit” has a distinct method in the manner of its expression. It indicates that what He shares with us is part of Himself.[4]

Kelly then proposes that we look at the force of this passage more closely. In verse twelve, we read, “This is how we know that we dwell in Him, and He in us because He has given us of His Spirit.” Then in verse fifteen, it says, “Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwells in them, and they in God.” Perhaps, a person may be without the objective knowledge that God’s Spirit is in them. But this does not hinder the truth of the blessing. If you confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwells in you, and you in God. He resides in you, having given His Spirit to be in you. This is the way His dwelling in us is affected, but the consequence of that gift to you is that you make God your refuge and delight.[5] In other words, once God knows you, it’s up to you to get to know Him. That’s why He put His Spirit in you for that purpose.[6] You just don’t sit in your salvation and marinate; you activate it into action.

Charles H. Spurgeon (1834-1892) gives us this excellent parody. “Do you want a house for your soul? What will it cost?” Is it something less than proud human nature will provide? Is it without money or price? Ah! says Spurgeon, you would like to pay rent! You would love to do the Anointed One a favor! Then you cannot have this house, for it is “without price.” You see, this house is furnished with all you need; it is filled with riches more than you will accumulate as long as you live. Here you can have intimate communication with the Anointed One and feast on His agápē. Do you want this house? Here is the key, “Come to Jesus.” Even if you don’t feel good enough to live there, the Anointed One will make you good enough. He will wash you and cleanse you, and you will be able to exclaim, “I dwell in Him.” By “dwelling in Him,” you have not only a perfect and secure house, but an everlasting one. When this world has melted like a dream, your house will survive. It stands more imperishable than marble, more solid than granite. It is self-existent, for it is God Himself – “We dwell in Him.”^[7]

John James Lias (1834-1923) says that an answer is ready if we ask how God can live in us. God dwells in us because there is a presence within us of His Spirit.[8] Nor is this a mere dream of the imagination. We have not seen God, but we see our fellow humans, the Image of God, endowed with the visible signs of God’s agápē working through us to perfection. He announced Himself as the Savior of the world. His claim is backed by His works of mercy He untiringly performed and that great and final attestation of His mission which His resurrection placed before us. To Him, we testify. And it is to the confession of Him as God manifest in the flesh that we owe the presence of the Spirit in our hearts, and from this presence alone comes the life of love we lead. Our union with our comprehension of God comes not from the intellectual insight that enables us to grasp the mystery of His being, but from the spiritual oneness with Him, which enables us to carry out the purposes He had in humanity’s creation.^[9]

In Lias’ mind, the Apostle John teaches that living in Him involves placing our wills in line with His. His will is love for all mankind. Our will aligns with His when we desire to love as He does. And so, we are here told (1) that when our will becomes united with His, He abides within us. He makes no brief visit to our heart, but takes up His dwelling there. Our union with Him is an actual and permanent fact, manifested by our conduct. And we are further told (2) how to discover the signs of this permanent indwelling. If it exists, we shall be conscious of continued impulses toward good due to the constant presence of His Spirit in the heart. And the presence of that Spirit is due to the humanity of Jesus. The union of the Godhead in His person is the means whereby we all are taken up once more into union with the Divine. Through the humanity of Jesus, the Divine Spirit flows into each human heart. And by its impulses to love, we recognize its presence within. We know that we dwell in God and God in us because we feel inspired and mastered by God’s purpose toward all the world.[10]

Alfred Plummer (1841-1926) notes that in verse thirteen, “knowing that we live in God and He in us” is in harmony with “those who keep God’s commands lives in Him and He in them” in verse twenty-four. There, as here, the gift of the Spirit is the proof of God’s abiding presence: but this is joined with keeping His commandments; here, it is connected with the special duty of brotherly love. He gave us His spirit, but we must receive our measure of His Spirit. However, only of the Anointed One, it is said in the fullest sense, “not by measure” is the Spirit given to Him.[11] Christians are sometimes told “receive the Spirit,”[12] and sometimes, receive the gifts “of” the Spirit.[13] Accepting the whole Spirit, not just “of,” is only true of the Anointed One.[14]

Clement Clemance (1845-1886) points out that the Greek text reads, “out of the Spirit of Him,” and the NIV renders it, “has given us of His Spirit.” It is impossible, says Clemance, for us to receive more than a portion; the fullness of the Spirit is possessed by the Anointed One alone. That is how we have the fullness of the Spirit available to us. As John says in his Gospel, “Out of His fullness,”[15] we have His grace. For instance, when Mary brought in a pint of expensive perfume made of pure nard, she poured out the perfume on Jesus’ feet.[16] So it is with us; all the Spirit’s grace, wisdom, power, knowledge, and other gifts are poured into us.[17]

Thomas Gunn Selby (1846-1910), Methodist missionary in China, notes that some say the most delicate rose tree in the world is in Holland, which a few years ago had six thousand flowers in bloom at the same time. So, perhaps, the less spectacular English hedgerow rose might despair of rivaling that wonderful rose tree and attaining worldwide distinction. But if someone transplanted it and gave it nurture of needful skill, and a bud from that Dutch tree be grafted into it, the poor despised growth of the hedgerow might hope one day to bear its thousand blooms and be the wonder of a nation. And as lacking in all high moral and spiritual qualities as we may be, grudging in sacrifice, dishonorable in spirit, confused in motive, yet if God grafted His life within us, no limit can be put to our spiritual development.[18]

James B. Morgan (1850-1942) addresses how our brotherly love serves as the evidence of our fellowship with God, arising out of the indwelling of the Spirit. If there is such an exercise of this heavenly principle, it cannot ascend from any other source than God’s indwelling the soul by the Spirit. Is there a person who longs after the spiritual well-being of their relatives, who can say like the Apostle Paul, “I could wish that I were cursed and cut off from the Anointed One for the sake of my people, those of my race?”[19] Instead, we may say of them, “God dwells in them and has given them of His Spirit.” Is there a person who loves it and lingers with it wherever they see the image of the Anointed One, whose “You are my Master! Every good thing I have comes from you.” The godly people in the land are my true heroes! I take pleasure in them.”[20] [21]

Is there a person who burns with zeal for the soul’s being converted, asks Morgan, and longs and labors to see this world of sin and sorrow become holy and happy? These are fruit that do not grow in nature. They are the plants of grace alone, and unmistakably proclaim their heavenly origin. The seal leaves its impression behind it, and we may know where the Spirit is by the image He stamped upon the character. He is the Spirit of holiness, and wherever holiness is found, He dwells. He is the Spirit of love, and there is He wherever there is holy love.[22]

Albert Barnes (1872-1951) states that God has imparted the influences of His Spirit to our souls, producing “love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,” etc.[23] It was one of the promises which the Lord Jesus made to His disciples that He would send the Holy Spirit to be with them after He withdrew from them, [24] and the clearest evidence we have that we are the children of God is derived from the influences of that Spirit on our hearts.[25]

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[1] Galatians 5:22-23

[2] Romans 12:6-8

[3] Jelf, William E., First Epistle of St. John, op. cit., p. 62

[4] Kelly, William: An Exposition of the First Epistle of John, op. cit., Logos, loc. cit.

[5] Kelly, William: Lectures on the Catholic Epistles of John, op. cit., pp. 327-328

[6] See 1 Corinthians 2:11

[7] Spurgeon, Charles H., Morning and Evening Daily Readings, op. cit., May 6 AM

[8] See 1 John 4:13

[9] Lias, John James: The First Epistle of St. John with Exposition, pp. 322-323

[10] Lias, John James: The First Epistle of St. John with Homiletical Treatment, pp. 322-323

[11] John 3:24

[12] See Galatians 3:2, 3, 5; 4:6

[13] 1 John 3:24

[14] Plummer, Alfred: Cambridge Commentary, op. cit., p.150

[15] John 1:16

[16] Ibid. 12:3

[17] Clemance, Clement: First Epistle of John, Pulpit Commentary, Vol. 22, Exposition, op. cit., p. 104

[18] Selby, Thomas G., Biblical Illustrator, op. cit., Vol. 22, p. 94

[19] Romans 9:3

[20] Psalm 16:2-4

[21] 1 John 4:13

[22] Morgan, James B., An Exposition of the First Epistle of John, op. cit., Lecture XXXIV, p. 332

[23] Galatians 5:22-23

[24] John 14:16-17, 26; 15:26; 16:7

[25] Barnes, Albert: New Testament Notes, op. cit., p. 4867