Down an Unfamiliar Road

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NEW TESTAMENT CONTEXTUAL COMMENTARY

By Dr. Robert R Seyda

FIRST EPISTLE OF JOHN

CHAPTER THREE (Lesson XXIV) 08/16/21

^3:4 But those who keep on sinning are against God, for every sin is contrary to God’s will.

William Burkitt (1650-1703) says there’s one thing we can learn from this: nothing can be more unreasonable and absurd than to expect salvation from God in heaven by a sinless Savior here on earth if we allow ourselves to continue sinning; nothing could be more contrary to the purpose of the Anointed One’s death, which was not only to deliver us from the danger but from the dominion of our sinful tendencies; not only to provide compensation for our sins but to make us sinless like Himself.^[1]

James Morgan (1799-1873) explains how denouncing sin is a transgression of the Law. What else but the Law could give us a more significant warning? It teaches us what lawlessness is. The very fact that a law exists to govern our conduct should be enough to get our attention. Did not God tell Adam and Eve, “The moment you eat from that tree of the knowledge of good and evil, you’re as good as dead?”[2] We can liken such warnings to those given by tall lighthouses to warn against possible shipwreck or the low lights that guide a ship into a safe and peaceful harbor.

However, says Morgan, it is essential to know that we must obey laws, but the responsibility increases with God’s Law. He is the Lawgiver. He knows what we need to live holy lives and has the authority to enforce it. It is the copy of what’s in His mind, and to disobey it means rebelling against Him. God’s Law is perfect and worthy of His endorsement. He gave it for us to follow because it serves the best interests of those subject to it. It is holy – distinguishing between right and wrong, good and evil. It is fair – never claiming anything beyond what God is justified to require of people instructed to live by it. And it is good – securing the best advantages to all who obey it.^[3]

Sir Robert Anderson (1841-1918), in his commentary on sin and the coming judgment, notes that natural humanity is sinful, not because of what they do but because of what they are. We must be careful to interpret this well-known conclusion as a theological statement of doctrine. An examination of the Greek noun hamartia (translated as “sin” – KJV) the Apostle John uses in verse four must be seen in a far broader scope than “missing the mark.” Hamartia is used throughout the Final Covenant as a generic term for “sin.”[4] But it is much more than simply not obeying the law. It also implies an offense, a violation of the divine law in thought or act. Therefore, it’s used the same way we employ the word “anarchy” for mankind’s laws when we utilize it concerning God’s law. As such, sin is a revolt against God’s Word and Will.[5]

Albert Barnes (1798-1870) helps us understand what “sin” means in verse four. It goes beyond making a mistake; the law of God was given to mankind as a rule of life. The Apostle John aims to urge his readers to live holy and discourage them from sinning. No doubt he still had in mind what he said in the previous verse about everyone who has the hope of heaven will aim to be holy like the Savior. To confirm this, John shows them that, as a matter of fact, those born of God commit themselves to live obedient lives, and this he introduces by exposing sin’s nature.

According to Barnes, that among those things that dampen our thirst for indulging in sin we should consider the following: (a) all sin is a violation of God’s law.[6] (b) the very object of the coming of the Anointed One was to deliver mankind from evil.[7] (c) those who are true Christians do not habitually sin.[8] (d) those who sin cannot be true Christians but are of the devil.[9] And (e) those born of God have a seed or principle of true holiness in them and cannot sin.[10] It seems evident that the Apostle John is combating an opinion that people might sin and yet be true Christians.[11] He worried that this opinion would become prevalent in the Church.^[12]

William E Jelf (1811-1875) notes that it seems as if the Apostle John was arguing against some mistaken views on the subject of Christian duty. It is implied in the phrase “let no one deceive you,”[13] as John insists on the moral identity between hamartia (“missing the mark”) and anomia (“Lawlessness”). It would seem, says Jelf, as if those against whom he is arguing tried to distinguish between them. We may observe further that brotherly love and inward purity, on which John had spoken, might misinterpret by some as not required since it was already part of human law.

Furthermore, notes Jelf, some claim that law violations are only misdemeanors due to a person’s failure, such as hamartia: (“missing the mark, falling short”). But should not be considered violations of society’s requirements as embodied in the Jewish law system, in which case the offender would be a Jew or an outlaw under the heathen moral code. In either case, they may have converted from Judaism or heathenism, but not realizing the spiritual and internal morality, may have argued that as the sins opposite to these graces insisted on by John concerned only oneself, and not the well-being of society; thus, they were not necessary. The Apostle John certainly counters this by stating that the foundation upon which they based these distinctions does not exist. Any act of breaking God’s law is one of lawlessness.[14]

Brooke Westcott (1825-1901) points out that the Apostle John tells us to purify ourselves so that we are not contaminated by sin because that is lawless living. No, that doesn’t mean such a person is an outlaw as far as the legal standards of this world are concerned, but lawless by the fact that they ignore God’s laws for righteous and holy living.^[15] Some of God’s laws are in the same category as speed limits, trespassing, jaywalking, shoplifting, misbehaving, etc., which we often call “misdemeanors.” In addition, we might include such things as “hating our neighbor, wishing ill or bad luck on someone, of not going the second mile, or not forgiving someone seventy times seven.^[16] However, our Lord made it clear that all sins will be forgiven, including the bad things they say about God. But if anyone blasphemes the Holy Spirit, they will never be forgiven. They are guilty of a sin that lasts forever.^[17] Here on earth, this same judgment is pronounced on those who commit premeditated murder. Only in the case of God’s law, it is a person’s way of committing spiritual suicide.

Robert Law (1860-1919) points out that it is noticeable that this verse corresponds in thought and effect to what the Apostle John said earlier in this Epistle.[18] There, right living was exhibited as the “keeping of God’s commandments.” So here, sin is defined as “repudiation of the whole authority and aim of God’s moral government.” It is expressed with precision. Sin is essentially lawlessness, whatever action or law may be involved.  It is to set up, as the rule of life, whether by one’s will instead of the perfect will of God. But this argument against being uninterested in the role of morals – that every act of sin is the assertion of a lawless will and in defiance of moral authority – while it is a truth that lies at the basis of Christianity, is not the specifically Christian expression of that truth. John will give that next. Indifference to sin, in whatever degree, on whatever pretext, is the direct negation of the whole purpose of the Anointed One’s mission and the full significance of the Anointed One’s character.[19]

Arno C. Gaebelein (1861-1945) concludes that the Apostle John teaches that the sinner, then, sins, which shows itself in their spiritual state, and the moral root of their nature as a sinner – being lawless. But the one born of God is in a different position. They know the Anointed One revealed Himself to take away our sins because in Him there was no sin. If the believer sins, they have lost sight of the Anointed One and do not perform in the new life they received. Another thing that seizes the place of the Anointed One is one’s self-will that exposes them to the devil’s tricks, who uses their old nature to lead them back into the world. If a person lives habitually in sin, they have not met the Anointed One nor gotten to know Him. A child of God may commit sin, but they are no longer living in sin; if a professing believer constantly lives in immorality, it is evident they never knew Him at all. Some false teachers tried to deceive them. Their instructions included a denial of holiness and that there was no need for right living. But the demand is for righteousness. Those who live habitually in sin are of the devil. No true believer lives that way, for they know the One whose life they possess came into their lives that He might destroy the devil’s schemes.^[20]

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[1] Burkitt, Robert: First Epistle of John, op. cit., p. 767

[2] Genesis 2:17

[3] Morgan, James: Biblical Illustrator, First Epistle of John, op. cit., pp. 115-116

[4] According to Strong’s Concordance, equivalent to 264 times.

[5] Anderson, Sir Robert: The Fundamentals, R. A. Torrey (Ed.), op. cit., Vol. 3, Ch. 3, pp. 36-37

[6] 1 John 3:4

[7] Ibid. 3:5

[8] Ibid. 3:6

[9] Ibid. 3:8

[10] Ibid. 3:9

[11] Ibid. 3:7

[12] Barnes, Albert: New Testament Notes, op. cit., pp. 4839-4840

[13] 1 John 3:7

[14] Jelf, W. E., A Commentary on the First Epistle of St. John, op. cit., p. 41

[15] Westcott, Brooke: Epistles of John, op. cit., pp. 101-102

[16] See Matthew 18:21-22

[17] Mark 3:28-29

[18] 1 John 2:3-4

[19] Law, Robert: The Tests of Life: A Study of the First Epistle of St. John, op. cit., pp. 216-217

[20] Gaebelein, Arno, C: The Annotated Bible, op. cit., loc. cit.

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THE RIGHT USE OF TRIALS

François Fénelon found it hard to believe that people would think that, out of loving-kindness, God piles crosses on those He loves. “Why should He take pleasure in causing us to suffer?” they ask. “Could He not make us good without making us so miserable?” Yes, doubtless God could do so, for to Him, all things are possible. His all-powerful hands hold the human heart and turns it as He pleases, just as people who have a garden hose turn the stream in whatever direction they desire. But though God could save us without crosses, He chose not to do so, just as it’s His will that people grow up through the weakness and troubles of childhood instead of being born fully developed. He is the Master; we can only be silent and adore His infinite wisdom without understanding it. Thus, we see that Christians cannot become excellent except by becoming humble, unselfish, and in all things turning from self to God.

But as grace operates, it cannot (except through a miracle), do otherwise. God does not perform continuous wonders in applying kindness, any more than in the order of nature. It would be as great a phenomenon to see a self-centered person die suddenly to thoughts of self-consciousness and self-interest as it would be to see a three-year-old child go to bed and wake up the next morning thirty years old! So, God hides His work beneath a series of invisible events, both in grace and nature and in this way, He subjects us to the mysteries of faith. While we are waiting, He is working. God accomplishes His work gradually, but does it by the simplest and most ordinary means so that its success appears natural. Otherwise, all that God does would be like perpetual supernatural marvels, and this would cancel the life of faith by which He wants us to exist.

Such a life of faith is necessary, not only to mold us by causing us to sacrifice for our benefit in a world of darkness, but also to blind those whose presumption misleads them. Such people see God’s works without comprehending them, and take them to be simply natural. Thus, they are without proper understanding, since knowledge is given only to those who mistrust their judgment and the proud wisdom of humanity.

Therefore, it is to ensure that the operation of grace may remain a mystery that God permits to be slow, painful, but sure. He uses our inconsistency, ingratitude, disappointments, and failures that come with prosperity to detach us from the created world and its good things. He opens our eyes by letting us realize our weakness and evil through countless falls. All this seems to part of natural occurrences, and this series of apparently natural causes bakes us like a slow fire. We would much rather be consumed at once by the flames of pure love, but so speedy a process would cost us nothing. It is utter selfishness that we desire to attain perfection so cheaply and so quickly.

Written over 450 years ago

Vocabulary redacted by Dr. Robert R Seyda

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NEW TESTAMENT CONTEXTUAL COMMENTARY

By Dr. Robert R Seyda

FIRST EPISTLE OF JOHN

CHAPTER THREE (Lesson XXVII) 08/13/21

^3:4 But those who keep on sinning are against God, for every sin is contrary to God’s will.

Can you imagine the astonishment on the faces of those standing around watching John the Baptizer baptized those who came in repentance for their sins, when John suddenly looked up and saw Jesus coming toward him and cried out, “Look! There’s the Lamb of God who will take away the sins of the world!”^[1] This truth about the Anointed One was undoubtedly etched in the Apostle Paul’s mind when he told the Roman believers that God sent the Anointed One Jesus to take the punishment for our sins and to end all God’s anger against us. He used the Anointed One’s blood and our faith as the means of saving us from His wrath.^[2] And Paul confessed that he was one of the worst sinners God ever compassionately pardoned.^[3]

So, how was this possible? The Anointed One not only died a merciless death on the cross, but He died as a result of God’s punishment for our sins by dying in our place. That was the only way God would accept us a being right with Him and issue us a free writ of pardon that we could be free from the penalty of eternal death.^[4] The Apostle Peter found this so amazing that God would send His Son to carry the load of our sins to the cross personally and put Himself through such misery and pain just to help us quit sinning.^[5] But that wasn’t all; God then had Jesus sit down beside Him so that any further sins we may commit and repent for could be forgiven through grace, love, and mercy.^[6] And when John saw Jesus the Anointed One in his revelation, he identified Him as the One who loved us and made us free from our sins by pouring out His lifeblood on our behalf.^[7]

COMMENTARY

Theophylact of Ohrid (1050-1108) said that sin stays away from good, whereas immorality is a transgression of the law. The first is a rejection of holiness as a general principle; the second is a particular violation of law and order. Therefore, the sinner is someone who goes against nature, and it is the nature of human beings to live rationally. Consequently, sin is something we must regard as being out of line with God’s will.[8]

In verse four, Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274) is questioned whether justification involves the remission of sins? It would seem to some that the justification of the ungodly is not the remission of sins. For sin is opposed not only to justice, but to all the other virtues. Now, justification signifies a particular movement towards justice. Therefore, not even remission of sin is justification, since the action is from one contrary to the other. Furthermore, according to Greek philosopher Aristotle, “in everything the essence is identical with the ground of its being.”[9] Now the remission of sins is brought about chiefly by faith, [10] and according to King Solomon, “Love covers all sins.”[11] Therefore, the remission of sins ought to be named after faith or love rather than justice.^[12] [13] Thus, while the work of the Anointed One provides the basis for justification, it does not forgive all of mankind’s sins. They must acknowledge their sin, confess their sin, and receive the promise of their sins being washed away.

In line with what John says here in verse four, Thomas Aquinas was also asked if it is an act of love when correcting one’s spiritual brother or sister for an offense against you? Again, it would seem that it is not an act of agape-love. When Jesus said, if your brother or sister in God’s family does something wrong, go and tell them what they did wrong. Do this when you are alone with them.[14] As the Prophet stated, “These are the things you are to do: Speak the truth to each other; in your courts, administer justice that is true and conducive to peace.”[15] Also, in the collections of Rabbi sayings by a Messianic Rabbi, we read: “The sages observe, If your friend wrongs you, scold him privately; if he listens to you, your goal is attained; if not, reprimand him before one or two; should he remain deaf to your advice, treat him as a hindrance.”[16] As such, they say, justice is a distinct virtue from love. Therefore, fraternal correction is an act, not of charity, but of justice.

Aquinas responds: To correct the wrongdoer is a spiritual act of charity. In that case, restoring a fellow brother or sister to fellowship is an act of lovingkindness. The discipline of the wrongdoer is a remedy we should use in dealing with anyone’s wrongdoing. A person’s sin may be considered in two ways, first as being harmful to the guilty individual. Secondly, it may result in the spiritual harm of others by hurting or embarrassing them or damaging to the good of God’s family.

James Arminius (1560-1609) made several propositions to which other Reformers gave answers. In one such recommendation, Arminius says that because Adam was the first human, everyone who followed was created in a state of supernatural grace. Therefore, no one could be considered just another animal. First, it’s because we were all fashioned in Adam after the image and likeness of God; but that is supernatural grace. Secondly, God’s instructions to Adam were for all who followed, which is evident in that all sinned in Adam and became guilty of transgressing the Law. 

To this, fellow Reformer Franciscus Junius (1545-1602) answered Arminius: Your projection, namely, “Adam, and all those in him, were created in a state of supernatural grace,” is very unclear. You say, namely, that what was natural to Adam became the rule for everyone. All God said was that Adam should not eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. According to Junius, it is not credible that this law should be valid for everyone who followed Adam. Neither is it reliable to say that if all had remained unfallen, they would have to come to Eden’s Garden to eat the fruit of that tree to test their obedience.

But Arminius will not let this go. He tells Junius, I’ve concluded that God in predestination would not have left anyone out because they were nothing more than animals. I based my first argument on humanity’s divine nature.[17] I founded my other argument on the fact God imposed His law on the first human – from which all humanity came. Therefore, God already knew about His supernatural grace. Moreover, since sin is the transgression of the law, [18] the law cannot be transgressed by those for whom it was not enacted. Hence, Adam disobeyed before Eve conceived her firstborn son, Cain. As such, it is inherent in human nature. Therefore, no one comes into the world born-again. Adam sinned against no other law, and, indeed, we are all guilty of breaking the law. Thus, the law was compulsory for all Adam’s descendants.[19]

As we can see, the arguments concerning the “original sin” question started early in the Protestant movement. Many argued over this today. The most heard objection is this: Why should I be guilty of a sin I didn’t commit? That would be like someone saying, “Why should I have red hair, or green eyes, or come with black, white, or brown skin? That would not have been my choice.” It happened because such features are genetic; they came in the sperm and egg we all came from in our mother’s womb. You can’t go back and change it. That’s why Jesus told Nicodemus, what is born of the flesh and the Spirit is different.[20]

John Bunyan, writing on the doctrine of the Law and Grace, states that there are still some in Gospel times who are still under the Torah. He notes that the Apostle Paul stated that there could be no transgression of the law if there is no law.^[21] Yet, although sin is not imputed when there is no law; nevertheless, death reigned from Adam to Moses.^[22] But if there had been no law, then no transgression would have occurred. So, how could death follow as the wages of sin?^[23] Sin is the breaking of the law. It includes any personal wrongdoing, as well as any public misconduct, as John says here in verse four.[24] Death was pronounced on the sin of Adam and Eve, not after Torah was given to Moses. Had God not taken action, there would have been no Law to show us what sinning really is and no Savior to rescue us from the death penalty.

George Swinnock (1627-1673) states that sin crosses the line of God’s Law, a violation of His command, a contradiction of His will. Listen to what the Apostle John says: “These are the ones who are not God’s children: those who don’t do what is right and those who do not love their brothers and sisters in God’s family.”^[25] It means we do not value our obedience or disobedience according to how important or unimportant the law was that we broke, nor how much harm it caused to us or others. Instead, we judge its seriousness based on the person’s authority who gave the law that forbids such action.^[26]

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[1] John 1:29

[2] Romans 3:25

[3] 1 Timothy 1:15

[4] Titus 2:14

[5] 1 Peter 2:24

[6] Hebrews 1:3; See 9:28

[7] Revelation 1:5

[8] Theophylact of Ohrid: Bray, G. (Ed.), James, 1-2 Peter, 1-3 John, Jude, p. 197

[9] De Anima: On the Soul by Aristotle, Bk. II, Part 5

[10] Acts of the Apostles 15:9

[11] Proverbs 10:12

[12] Mark 2:10

[13] Thomas Aquinas: Summa Theologica, Vol. 2, P(2a)-Q(113)-A(1) p.1368-1369

[14] Matthew 18:15

[15] Zechariah 8:16

[16] Rabbi Solomon ibn Gabirol: Mivchar-HaPninim (“The Choice Pearls”) #269

[17] Genesis 1:26

[18] 1 John 3:4

[19] Arminius, James, Works of: Reply of Arminius to the Answer of Junius to the Fourteenth Proposition, Vol. 3, pp. 148-149, 157-158

[20] John 3:5

[21] Romans 4:15

[22] Ibid. 5:13-14

[23] Ibid. 6:23

[24] Bunyan’s Practical Works: Vol. 7, The Doctrine of the Law and Grace Folded, Ch. 1 p. 181

[25] 1 John 3:4

[26] Swinnock, George, The Works of: Vol. 4, Ch. 18, p. 457

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NEW TESTAMENT CONTEXTUAL COMMENTARY

By Dr. Robert R Seyda

FIRST EPISTLE OF JOHN

CHAPTER THREE (Lesson XXIII) 08/12/21

^3:4 But those who keep on sinning are against God, for every sin is contrary to God’s will.

Every sin involves two issues: the will and the act. Confession of wrongdoing involves two subjects as well: identification and repentance. Identification is the process of knowing what misdeed violated the will of God. Repentance is the attitude that wants to do God’s instructions. A Christian in name only remains in a state of lawlessness until they acknowledge their offense. That means they are outside the “law of the Spirit of life in the Anointed One, Jesus” that freed them from the law of Moses. They are beyond the boundaries of the spiritual law.[1]  Sins such as jealousy, hatred, bitterness, and envy bar them from fellowship. As long as these sins remain unconfessed, they are in a state of lawlessness. The Holy Spirit no longer controls their life.

Imagine a backslidden follower of the Anointed One who removed themselves from the law of spirituality by their loose living. In that case, they can do nothing to get it back except throw themselves beneath the Cross and beg forgiveness. They did something to put out the fire in their spirit, but they can do nothing to get it burning again. It does not help the situation agonizing alone in grief, do good works as a way of repenting, or become overemotional to get it back. That violates the provision of God’s grace in the Anointed One and the power of the Holy Spirit.

Spirituality and immorality are mutually exclusive, just as light and darkness. Darkness is entirely incompatible with God’s light. There is no such thing as being partially spiritual because of the absoluteness of God’s character. Committing one sin is a revolt against the God of Light, in whom there is no darkness whatever.[2]

We must be willing to acknowledge what the Apostle Paul confessed: The moment I decide to do good, my sinful tendencies are there to trip me up. I truly delight in God’s commands, but it’s pretty apparent that not all of me joins in that delight. Parts of me secretly rebel, and just when I least expect it, they take charge. I’ve tried everything, and nothing helps. I’m at the end of my rope. Is there no one who can do anything for me? Isn’t that the real question? The answer, thank God, is that Jesus the Anointed One can and does. He acted to set things right in this life of contradictions where I want to serve God with all my heart and mind, but when pulled by the influence of sin, I do something entirely different.[3]

Instead, Paul clarifies for us in Galatians that the law of God was a schoolteacher to bring us to the Anointed One. God’s law was to instruct us, but only the Anointed One could save us, and so the law teaches us that we need a Savior and points us to the Anointed One. Now, if the law could save us in and of itself, keeping the Dos and Don’ts of the Final Covenant, why would it need to direct us to the Anointed One? It has to point us to the Anointed One because He is the only answer. God gave the law to show us our inherent sinfulness, to demonstrate to us that we couldn’t keep it, to illustrate how far short we fall from the glory of God, and to make us feel our need for a Savior. It’s like a magnifying glass that shows us more clearly our sinfulness.^[4]

Matthew saw this from another view. He said that when the Angel spoke to Mary, he told her this son she was going to give birth to “should be named Yeshua, [which means ‘Adonai saves,’] because He will save His people from their sins.”^[5] So, it makes sense that only a person without sin can save another who is dying in sin.

And the Apostle Paul saw a parallel between what John the Apostle says here and the Anointed One’s relation to the Church. He wrote, “Husbands, love your wives the same as the Anointed One loved the Church and gave His life for it. The Holy One died to make the Church holy. He used the Good News to make the Church clean. Furthermore, He died to give the Church to Himself like a bride in all her beauty. Finally, He died so that the Church could be holy and without fault, with no evil or sin or any other thing wrong in it.”^[6]

So, it was important for the Church always to seek forgiveness of any sin that might stain its holy garments. But, the writer of Hebrews laments that it would then be necessary for Him to die again and again. No! He came once and for all to cancel the power of sin forever by sacrificing Himself on our behalf.^[7]

Even the confessing thief on the cross beside Jesus told the other one, “We deserve to die for our crimes, but this man hasn’t done anything wrong.”^[8] And when the captain of the Roman military unit handling the executions saw what had happened, he too was stricken with awe before God and said, “Surely this man was innocent.”^[9]

We must remember that earlier during Jesus’ ministry; He challenged His critics to prove that He was guilty of sin. “If I tell the truth, why don’t you believe me, He asked them?”^[10] That’s why Jesus could tell His disciples, “I don’t have much more time to talk to you, for the evil prince of this world approaches. But he has no power over me.”^[11] The devil only influences those whose sinful tendencies are active and uncontrolled.

It gave the Apostle Paul all the evidence he needed to tell the Corinthians, “God took the sinless Anointed One and poured into Himself our sins. Then, in exchange, the Anointed One poured God’s goodness into us!”^[12]

Some may think that Jesus was popular in Galilee. But when we read the record, we find out that not even His older brothers did not accept Him as anything else but a visionary with big ideas.^[13] And none of the disciples would have met and followed Him had He not called them. Even His second cousin, John the Baptizer, confessed that he didn’t know his cousin was the Messiah.^[14]

The author of Hebrews puts it this way: “Jesus, our high priest, is able to understand our weaknesses. When He lived on earth, He was tempted in every way. He was tried in the same ways we are tempted, but He never sinned once.^[15] The Apostle Peter emphasized this point in his first letter.^[16] He died once for the sins of all us guilty sinners, although He was innocent of any sin at any time, that He might bring us safely home to God. But though His body died, His spirit lives on in us.^[17]

So, Jesus is the kind of high priest we need. The Anointed One is holy, has no sin in Him. He is pure and not influenced by sinful temptations. And He is exalted in the heavens.^[18] The writer then follows this up with these words, “So, the Anointed One was offered as a sacrifice one time to take away the sins of many people. And He will come a second time, but not to offer Himself for sin. He will come the second time to complete salvation for those who are waiting for Him.”^[19]

Therefore, when the Apostle Paul wrote to Timothy, he let him know that it may take some time before he would be able to come see him; yet he still trusted Timothy to know those in leadership should conduct themselves in the house of God. And even though it is true that the correct way to live a godly life is not an easy matter, all they have to do is look to the Anointed One to find the most outstanding example.^[20] So, it is not a question of “What would Jesus have done,” but “Do what Jesus did.” And our Lord’s life was not accidentally holy; it was planned before the world was formed.^[21] Otherwise, there would have been no reason for Him to come to take away our tendency to sin.

And even that was not easy. The prophet Isaiah made that clear when he described the pain and passion our Lord would endure just to die on the cross in our place.^[22] But, as the prophet Hosea stated, it made it possible for any believer dealing with these sinful tendencies to come to the Lord and ask Him to take their desire to sin away. And don’t be worried; God will not greet you with an angry frown, but with grace and mercy. That will certainly give every believer a reason to praise Him.^[23]

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[1] Romans 8:2-4

[2] 1 John 1:5; See Psalm 119:34-35, 77

[3] Romans 7:22-25

[4] Legge, David, Preach the Word, 1,2,3 John, op. cit., Part 9

[5] Matthew 1:21 – The Complete Jewish Bible

[6] Ephesians 5:25-27

[7] Hebrews 9:26

[8] Luke 23:41

[9] Ibid. 23:47

[10] John 8:46

[11] Ibid. 14:30

[12] 2 Corinthians 5:21

[13] Ibid. 7:5

[14] Ibid. 1:31

[15] Hebrews 4:15 – Easy to read Version

[16] 1 Peter 2:22

[17] Ibid. 3:18

[18] Hebrews 7:26

[19] Ibid. 9:28

[20] 1 Timothy 3:15-16

[21] 1 Peter 1:20

[22] Isaiah 53:4-12

[23] Hosea 14:2

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NEW TESTAMENT CONTEXTUAL COMMENTARY

By Dr. Robert R Seyda

FIRST EPISTLE OF JOHN

CHAPTER THREE (Lesson XXII) 08/11/21

^3:4 But those who keep on sinning are against God, for every sin is contrary to God’s will.

Before I knew anything about the law, Paul says, I was living great. But when I heard the law’s command, my sinful tendencies came alive, and my spiritually died of thirst. God ordered these restrictions to bring spiritual life, but for me, it brought spiritual death. Sin found a way to fool me by using the command to kill me spiritually. I believe the law is sacred, and the rules are holy and right and good. So, does this mean something designed to help me ended up ruining me spiritually? No, my sinful tendencies used these excellent commands to bring my innocence to an end. It shows how terrible sin is. It can use an excellent guideline to produce a result that shows sin at its worst.[1]

Remember, the second sin ever recorded was committed in the Garden of Eden; we should not be surprised that God used Moses to speak to the children of Israel about this continued penalty for going against God’s Word. The first sin was Satan’s rebellion against God, which cause him to be ejected from heaven, just as Adam and Eve were kicked out of Eden’s Garden.^[2] At least king Saul summoned the courage to confess one of his sins to the prophet Samuel.^[3] So, it should have been no surprise that the Holy Spirit came upon Zechariah and gave him a message for the people of Israel that they were disobeying God’s will. The last words in his proclamation must have sent chills down the people’s spine: “Because you have left the Lord, He has left you.”^[4] You would have thought the people of Judah learned their lesson about forsaking God’s Word and Worship. Yet, such unfaithfulness and idolatry led to living in a foreign land under the rule of a pagan king who worshiped a false god.^[5]

Therefore, the Apostle Paul found himself dealing with the same issues with the Christians in Rome, even though they knew that refusing to obey God’s will lead to sin.^[6] But what about strictly following all of God’s law? That won’t work either, says Paul because that is only done to try and make oneself look good in God’s eyes and earn mercy from Him. The problem is that no matter how many you keep, there will always be some you break, and then you lose everything and must start all over.^[7] The Apostle James said it the same way in his letter.^[8]

Once more, the Apostle John turns from the positive to the negative. Having shown what the new birth involves, he goes on to show what it excludes. “Anyone who breaks God’s law sins.” Thus, violations of the Law are the same as living contrary to God’s will. It seems to be the same kind of balance we find in verse three: “All who have this eager expectation will keep themselves pure.” Since doing wrong is the opposite of doing right, it leads to rebellion, and that is anarchy. All misdeeds are contrary to the law, and all lawlessness is sin. Not following the rules expresses ignoring the Law rather than being ignorant of it. The Law “means the moral law of God in the fullest sense, not the Mosaic Law.” In short, we define ungodliness as the transgression of God’s will, for God’s will is His Law.

The Apostle John alerts us to the fact that sin is incompatible with spiritual birth.[9]  It is contrary to our born-again nature.  Doing wrong stands in opposition to the purity of the previous verse. Therefore, we must not take our faults lightly because it is a revolt against God. Furthermore, rebelliousness is out of line with being regenerated. It is out of harmony with the will of God. A believer in fellowship with the Lord and fellow Christians wants to do God’s will, not theirs. Being filled with the Spirit produces God’s character and Christian living according to God’s standards.

On the other hand, unbelievers think they can please the Lord by doing things their way.  They imagine that pretend spirituality will make God happy. They are convinced that self-denial, emotionalism, or having a delighted experience glorifies the Lord.  It is righteousness by works and not by the power of the Spirit.  It’s all ungodliness on the outside and nothing godly on the inside. They do nothing but turn their lives loose to commit lawlessness when they allow their sinful tendencies the freedom to control them. Being lawless means paying no attention to God’s law of love and holds contempt for it.  The Final Covenant renders this word “iniquity.”  It is more than disobeying God’s law; it also conveys the idea of rebellion against Him. Lawlessness is the rejection of law rather than merely the absence of any regulations. Immorality and violation of God’s law are identical concepts. When we break God’s commandments, we declare war against Him.

In addition, being irresponsible is more than the mere violation of the laws of mankind – the laws of society.  Rejecting authority is not simply stealing; it is robbing oneself of God’s character.  It is defiance against God. We know that hatred abuses God’s law of love because it results in anarchy, acts of violence, and the next-generation following the same pattern. People who do not believe in God’s restraint of their instincts participate in lawlessness. That is why we must understand that God’s law is an expression of His character. We declare rebellion against God when we break the laws of His divine nature. Sin both defiles God’s goodness and defies God’s respectability. The more sincere we are and the more serious we are about pleasing God, the more alarm we have about the issue of immorality in our lives. God’s law is an expression of God’s character. If we step over that line, we insult the righteousness of God.[10]

Note that this passage does not say, “Where there is no law, there is no sin.”  Being defiant comes in different sizes and shapes. We cannot step over a line where no line exists. We cannot violate God’s character if there is no restriction or probation against doing what we do.[11] Sin did not take on the flavor of misbehavior until the law came. There was no express law forbidding something. Instead, the law became a warning sign. The moment we fly in the face of an explicit restriction against something, we enter into the domain of rebellion. We willfully disobey the revealed will of God.

Sin is incompatible with God’s divine nature expressed in His Law and Word.  Evil is parallel with lawlessness.[12]  Immorality is by its very nature lawless. Wrongdoing is anything contrary to the character of God.  Transgressions are more than just breaking the Ten Commandments because it involves lawlessness.  It mocks the moral essence, divine nature, and authority of God.  Misdeeds are essentially being insubordinate to God; it defies and violates God’s standards of right living, whether incorporated in the Mosaic Law or not. We cannot please God except by a new nature because of the absolute character of a perfect God.

Keep in mind, doing evil is a rejection of God’s expressed will. No human can please God without a reborn nature. If people attempt to keep the law without the mindset to do so, they will fail. The only thing that can bridle the unbeliever’s sinful tendencies is a change of heart. The fundamental cause of all our faults and all law-breaking is a heart issue. Education will not change the heart. We can have the finest schools and teachers with the most outstanding facility, but if there is no change in the student’s behavior, they will fail because they cannot get to the root of the issue. Psychology does not change the heart. It can change behavior patterns and some attitudes but not the fundamentals in a person’s heart. Governmental laws and police enforcement cannot change the heart. New gun legislation cannot stop the person who wants to murder. Anarchy mounts, and we get nowhere. People are not disobedient because they commit offenses; they violate God’s Law and Will because they are sinners.[13] Our outward shortcomings are an index of our inner nature.  Only by the new birth do we get a recreated attitude.

The reason for all this is that only a person with a spiritual nature can please God and do His will. For instance, compare Romans 6:6 with Colossians 3:10; Galatians 5:24 with 5:17; and 1 Peter 1:23 with 1 John 3:9. Any way you look at it, a crime is breaking God’s law of love. In fact, “lawlessness” is a more impactful term than “sin” because it includes the idea of a determined disregard for the law.  Being error-prone is more than a failure to measure up; it is a stubborn refusal to conform to God’s standards.  The operating principle of wickedness is equivalent to a refutation, an assertion against God’s will. Thus, the active focus of evil is rebellion against the nature of God.

Therefore, sin has an authority problem. At heart, we are rebels. “We want our way no matter what anyone thinks about it.  We don’t care how God feels about it.”  It is spiritual anarchy.^[14] It liberates everyone to do things their way; The only valid will in the universe is God’s, yet we set up our faulty intentions in opposition. Since God is absolute, we must come to God on God’s terms. And coming to Him on our terms is out of the question. Neither can we bargain nor make deals with God. God does not have a changing character. He does not adjust His divine nature to accommodate mankind because His integrity is infinite and absolute. God will not trade His standards away.

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[1] Romans 7:7-13

[2] Numbers 15:31

[3] 1 Samuel 15:24

[4] 2 Chronicles 24:20

[5] Daniel 9:11

[6] Romans 3:20

[7] Ibid. 4:15

[8] James 2:9-10; cf. Romans 7:7-13

[9] 1 John 3:1-3

[10] Romans 4:15

[11] Ibid. 5:13-14

[12] Ibid. 2:29

[13] 1 John 3:8

[14] Isaiah 53:6

• 

NEW TESTAMENT CONTEXTUAL COMMENTARY

By Dr. Robert R Seyda

FIRST EPISTLE OF JOHN

CHAPTER THREE (Lesson XXI) 08/10/21

^3:3 And all who have this eager expectation will keep themselves pure, just as He is pure.

Colin G. Kruse (1950) notes that the Apostle John concludes his parenthesis by stating that everyone who has this hope in them sanctifies themselves, just as He is pure. In the future, the hope of being like the Anointed One expresses itself by getting rid of sin to be like Him in the present. The verb “to purify” (hagniz) is found only seven times in the Final Covenant. It can have either ceremonial or moral implications. So, in John’s gospel and the Acts of the Apostles, it is used consistently in connection to ceremonial purification.[1] However, the Apostle James says, “purify your hearts, you who are double-minded,”[2] and the Apostle Peter states that believers “purified themselves by obeying the truth.”[3] Here, the word purify denotes moral sanctification, and this is what it means in verse three, where people inwardly cleanse themselves to be sinless as the Anointed One is pure. The moral cleanliness of the Anointed One that John has in mind is confirmed by what says in verse five: the Anointed One appeared to take away our sins, since there is no sin in Him.[4]

Gary M. Burge (1952) notes that the Apostle John’s summary contains his confidence in Christian life in verse three. He knows the Father’s love by witnessing His sanctifying work in us, experiencing the world’s unfriendliness, and sharing renewed faith and joy at the prospect of Jesus’ return. These things build love’s transformation into joy and assurance among Christians who may be struggling. It was undoubtedly the setting for John’s church in Ephesus, with division challenging his leadership and threatened to tear the church in two. However, John’s pastoral purpose here is to reassure his readers’ wavering in their faith. Ultimately, his purpose is ethical. If we set our minds with confidence based on God’s promise, we will feel differently, which will help us renew the way we live. “Purity” only occurs here and refers to the absence of any stain. But John does not have ritual cleansing in mind. A mind singularly focused on meeting Jesus will discover a restored willingness to pursue sanctification so that “when He appears,” our right living will resonate with Him. It recalls the words of Jesus in Matthew 5:8, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.”[5] [6]

Bruce B. Burton (1954) comments that because Jesus the Anointed One lived without sin, believers who have this hope of seeing Him and being like Him will want to purify themselves. To “purify” means to be morally and ethically free from sinful habits. People can only do this through the Spirit of the Anointed One being in them because, as Jesus said, “Apart from me, you can do nothing.”[7] It is an ongoing cleansing process, beginning at one’s rebirth and continuing until the day Jesus returns. The purer His people become, the clearer their view of Jesus will be. God also purifies Christians, but they must take steps to remain morally fit.[8] [9]

Peter Pett (1966) states that the present and the future are glorious for God’s children, who came to Him through the Anointed One. They are His own. Let them rejoice in that and appreciate what was given to them. But an even more glorious future awaits. What they will be is like a seed; it has not bloomed and blossomed. Indeed, it is so exquisite, no one can appreciate it until it is displayed. For it is so magnificent that we can only experience it when the Anointed One is revealed in all His glory. Then we will know and will be made like Him, for we will see Him as He is.

We all indeed started from lowly beginnings. But, once we are “born from above,” we see the glory of the Anointed One dimly. We are babies. We are little aware of the truth about ourselves. But we begin the journey to Christlikeness, becoming what God purposed for us as He is working in us, helping us to want to do what pleases Him and gives us the motivation to do so.[10] And so, as we grow, we become more and more aware and are transformed from one degree of glory to another.[11] Thus we become more and more like Him until that day that we see Him as He is, which completes everything in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, when we are made like Him. Such a gift has never been conferred on humanity before.[12]

Karen H. Jobes (1968) focuses on what the Apostle John says here about our eternal future. She notes that the Greek noun elpis translated as “hope,” has a more robust sense of certainty than the English word. For example, one might say, “I hope it rains today; we really need rain.” The word “hope” expresses a strong wish or desire in such phrases, which may or may not have any basis on a weather report. Or one might say, “I invest in my retirement account in the hope of a secure future.” In this case, “hope” is more than a wish; we are confident that taking such action is the basis for realizing the desire. But when John speaks of the Christian’s future hope, there is no uncertainty because it is based on what Jesus the Anointed One has already done. Thus, the only reason this attitude is referred to as “hope” is that it is still in the future. It is a confident hope in which a believer waits.^[13]

David Legge (1969) asks, what happens upon conversion – or what was supposed to happen? We come to the Anointed One and repent of our sin, and the Bible says that God gives us a new nature to live upright before Him and the world. The “do not” in the Ten Commandments, [14] those things that we were not supposed to do in the flesh, the Apostle Paul tells us because, in the Anointed One, Jesus, the law of the Spirit that brings life made us free. It liberated us from Torah that brings sin and spiritual death.[15] Now we can do our work using the fruit of our renewed spirit and effectively fulfill God’s law of loving Him and others. That way, we can say that the Ten Commandments no longer apply because we do not do the things it forbids. We are not doing these things in our strength; it is the very life of God in us to live a sanctified life. Now, what John is saying is this: it is a true sign that God’s child is living in obedience to the law of God’s love. Thus, as the believer anticipates the second coming of our Lord Jesus, they will be purging themselves of sinful addictions as they gaze at the prospect of the Anointed One’s return.[16]

My father used an illustration in his sermons, in which he told of a wealthy German prince who lived in his castle in southern Bavaria. Each time he went on a trip, he would leave his staff in charge of welcoming visitors and maintaining the grounds. One day, before he left, he told his top servant, “I don’t know when I will return, or at what hour, but if anyone opens this door after I knock once, I will give them a palace as their reward.” Months passed, and time seemed to drag on. Then, one morning at around 2 AM, there was a knock at the door. Within seconds, the door was open. The prince was amazed when he saw his head servant standing there. “I’m surprised you opened the door so soon.” The servant replied, “Each time I heard a knock, I thought it was you.” Will Jesus find us ready to open the door when He knocks again?

3:4a The person who customarily sins is habitually breaking God’s law. So yes, sinning is the same as going against God’s will.

EXPOSITION

To say that sin is lawlessness can be rightly converted into saying that lawlessness is sin. Knowingly to keep sinning against what God says in His Word is the surest way to drive a person further away from God. It was what led to King Saul’s death on the battlefield.^[17] King Solomon warned the children of Israel about this in his dedication prayer for the new Temple.^[18] We also find out that the Apostle Paul feared the same thing when he planned to visit the believers in Corinth.^[19]

Neither is the Apostle James silent on this subject. He told his readers that you are sinning if you treat one person as more important than another. You are guilty of breaking God’s law. You might follow all of God’s law. But if you fail to obey only one command, you are guilty of breaking all the commands in that law.[20] Then James shared the remedy for such failures through spiritual healing.^[21]

The Apostle Paul felt the necessity of shining additional light on this subject. So, he told the saints in Rome; you might think I am saying that sin and the law are the same. That’s not true. But the law was the only way anyone could learn what sin means. No one would have ever known it is wrong to want something that is not theirs. But the law said, “You must not want what belongs to someone else.”^[22] Sin found a way to use that command and make us want all kinds of things that weren’t ours. So, Paul said, my sinful tendencies rose because of what I was taught not to do. However, without the law, sin has no power.

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[1] John 11:55; Acts of the Apostles 21:24, 26; 24:18

[2] James 4:8

[3] 1 Peter 1:22

[4] Kruse, Colin G., The Letters of John, The Pillar New Testament Commentary, op. cit., Kindle Edition.

[5] Matthew 5:8

[6] Burge, Gary M., The Letters of John (The NIV Application Commentary), op. cit., p. 147

[7] John 15:5

[8] See 1 Timothy 5:22; James 4:8; 1 Peter 1:22

[9] Burton, Bruce B., 1, 2, & 3 John (Life Application Bible Commentary), op. cit., p. 64

[10] Philippians 2:13

[11] 2 Corinthians 3:18

[12] Pett, Peter: Truth According to Scripture Commentary, op. cit., loc. cit.

[13] Jobes, Karen H., 1, 2, and 3, op. cit., p. 142

[14] Exodus 20:3-17

[15] Romans 8:2

[16] Legge, David: Preach the Word, 1,2,3, John, op. cit., Part 9

[17] 1 Chronicles 10:13

[18] 1 Kings 8:47

[19] 2 Corinthians 12:21

[20] James 2:9-10

[21] Ibid. 5:15

[22] Exodus 20:17; Deuteronomy 5:21

• 

NEW TESTAMENT CONTEXTUAL COMMENTARY

By Dr. Robert R Seyda

FIRST EPISTLE OF JOHN

CHAPTER THREE (Lesson XX) 08/09/21

^3:3 And all who have this eager expectation will keep themselves pure, just as He is pure.

In his sermon on our being sons and daughters of God, Mr. Beverly Carradine (1848-1931) uses verses two and three here as his text and tells us: This passage of Scripture teaches three great truths. The first is evident at a mere glance: “If we are children of God, then there must have been a spiritual birth.” The second is taught but not as quickly seen” “If children of God, there should be a family resemblance.” The third lies buried yet is the most important of the three: “If they are children of God, they should love the rest of the family.” If you seem surprised, our heavenly Father would do things this way, why? The God of Grace and Nature is the same. He who hides certain ores under the earth’s surface and buries gold, silver, and gems farther down, acts consistently in the spiritual kingdom, when He conceals precious truths under the meaning of the word, and still more sacred mysteries still deeper.^[1]

Alonzo R. Cocke (1858-1901) says that the Apostle John’s statement that “everyone” indicates every born again child of God. They have this “hope in Him.” It should read “hope on Him” to carry the correct meaning; it is leaning on Him as their pillar of hope, the Promiser of eternal life and glory. The moral consequence of such a hope is, they “purify themselves of sin, even as He is sinless.” If there is something in God’s child which should not be there, this hope removes it and cleanses the soul.^[2] The standard of this cleansing is the Anointed One, “even as He is pure.” He did not need to purge Himself. He came untainted from heaven and remained that way. But we must, and it is accomplished according to the spotless and sinless character of Jesus as He is now in heaven. Having the same lifestyle as the Anointed One in glory, we resemble His divine holiness through the motivation of hope. The Anointed One is the ray of light shot from the heart of God into this dark world, and here untainted and untarnished, He radiated that glory. We should seek to be like Him, as one day we will be.[3]

Philip Mauro (1859-1952), a Christian attorney-at-law in New York, wrote about “Life in the Word.” Here the truth concerning our likeness with the Son of God is broadly stated. Other passages declare specific features included in this general likeness. Thus, the Apostle John states, “Those who are God’s children do not continue to sin because the new life God gave them stays in them. They cannot keep sinning because they have become children of God.”[4] John’s view is that of an ideal Christian – something rarely attained. Nevertheless, the new nature received the characteristics necessary to keep sinful tendencies under full control. Therefore, when this unique nature begins to manifest itself in the spiritually awakened spirit, there is an immediate struggle between human desires and those of their spirit.[5] Everyone who God has birthed knows from experience what this struggle means. Again, the Apostle John states that presently, we believers are children of God, though we appear so little like it.[6] What we know, upon the clear testimony of Scripture, is that “when He appears, we will be like Him; for we will see Him as He is.”^[7]

Alan E. Brooke (1863-1939) reminds us concerning the Greek verb hagnizō (Translated as “purifieth” KJV)[8] here in verse three that those who appeared before God at the Jewish feasts were required first to purify themselves from all Levitical and ceremonial uncleanness. Thus, the hope of appearing before God and of seeing the Anointed One inspires its possessors to put away every defilement which clouds their vision of God. The Anointed One’s human nature was perfected through discipline and suffering while here on earth. But now He stands exalted in the presence of the Father.[9] The same will be true of us.

Paul Kretzmann (1883-1965) now introduces another motive for Christian conduct. Look at the great love our Father gave to us that makes us His children now. Christians should carefully examine this truth. They should use their physical and spiritual eyes and concentrate their attention upon that miracle, upon that mystery, that we should be honored with the name “children of God.” We’ve been removed from the state of judgment and damnation and placed into fellowship with God. It resulted from being born again through the power of His Spirit in the Word. It is the experience we had, making us God’s children, making us what we are by faith in the Anointed One, Jesus.[10] We are now children of God, led by His Spirit, heirs, and joint-heirs with the Anointed One.[11] The image of God, lost by Adam’s fall, is awakened in us. As a result, we are forming the Anointed One in us.[12] [13]

Daniel Snaddon (1915-2009) hears the Apostle John saying that all who hope to see the Anointed One and to be like Him do all they can to remain sin-free, even as the Anointed One is pure. The hope of seeing Him brings into focus the rapture. If we live our lives as if the Anointed One was crucified yesterday and coming tomorrow, we would be continually purifying ourselves. Therefore, the imminence of the rapture should have a sanctifying effect on every believer.^[14]

Dwight Pentecost (1915-2014) points out that the Apostle Paul said, “all who eagerly look forward to His appearing.[15] Some people take this position to show that the rapture must be a partial one. However, the subject of translation is not a factor in this passage, but the question of reward. God intended the second advent to be a purifying hope.[16] Such cleansing produces a new lifestyle because of the expectancy of the Lord’s return. Therefore, those who truly “yearn for His appearing” will experience a new kind of holy living that will bring an eternal reward.^[17]

D. Edmond Hiebert (1928-1995) sees the Apostle John insisting that every individual who eagerly awaits the Lord’s second coming exercises ongoing purification from sinful habits. The only other place where John uses the Greek verb hagnizō (“purify”) refers to physical ceremonial purification.[18] Here, in verse three, the term denotes spiritual moral purification. The present tense points to this being a repeated experience. And by John saying that this is done by the person themselves implies their conscious need for such purification. Because of a believer’s hope, they cannot live comfortably with sin. John earlier stated that the blood of the Anointed One cleanses, [19] while here he wrote of self-purification. Both are true and necessary. Just as a dirty coal miner must apply soap and water to be clean, the believer must use the God-given means of sanctification to cleanse themselves from any moral defilement.^[20]

Ian Howard Marshall (1934-2015) tells us that the importance of this section is that it draws attention to the reality and unfinished work of the Christian experience. Christians who doubt their standing before God need to be reassured that those who do what is right have been born of God and belong to Him. They have all the privileges of God’s children. At the same time, however, they need to be warned against thinking they’ve done all that’s necessary to be a complete, sanctified Christian. To believe this is to ignore the dimension of hope. It suggests that God has already done all He can do and that His work in us is finished.[21] Worse still, it is to accept the world’s present sorry sinful state and live our lives in unending darkness. Instead, we must remind ourselves of the hope of a future transformation and let our light shine until that great event.[22]

Robert W. Yarbrough (1948) notes that verse three does not contain anything needing immediate attention, but it sounds like it. It is a clear statement with irresistible force. To have the hope of which verse two speaks is to have a zeal for moral living. It is valid for “everyone,” that is, every child of God, not just some among John’s readers. Closely related is the Apostle Paul’s appeal to the Corinthians in the light of God’s promises.[23] Both John and Paul’s mention of future events are a reason to pay close attention to personal holiness here and now. We find the same conviction in the writings of James[24] and Peter.[25] John leaves no place for a dreamy heavenly-mindedness that does believers no earthly good. But what is the nature of the hope of which John speaks? Translations like “everyone who has this hope in them”[26] may give the impression of a hope that is resident within the believer[27] and “everyone who entertains this hope.”[28] Other translations render it “Everyone who has this hope in Christ,”[29] proves this point.

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[1] Carradine, Beverly: Revival Sermons, Sonship, Ch. 4, p. 48

[2] Cf. “Living to God’s glory on earth is the gate to living in God’s glory in heaven,” Andrew Murray (1828-1917): Like Christ, Thoughts on the Blessed Life of Conformity to the Son of God, Willard Tract Depository, Toronto, Canada, 1886, p. 242

[3] Cocke, A. R. (1895), Studies in the Epistles of John, op. cit., pp. 72-73

[4] 1 John 3:9

[5] Galatians 5:17

[6] 1 John 3:2-3

[7] Mauro, Philip: The Fundamentals – a Testimony to the Truth: Edited by R. A. Torrey: Vol. 2, Ch. 7, p. 163

[8] Cf. Exodus 19:10ff; Numbers cf. 6:3, 8:17; Joshua 7:13; 1 Esdras 7:10; and John 11:55

[9] Brooke, Alan E. International Critical Commentary, op. cit., p. 84

[10] Galatians 3:26

[11] Romans 8:14, 17

[12] Galatians 4:19

[13] Kretzmann, Paul E., Popular Commentary, 1 John, op. cit., pp. 566-567

[14] Snaddon, Daniel: Plymouth Brethren Writings, 1 John, op. cit., loc. cit.

[15] 2 Timothy 4:8

[16] 1 John 3:3

[17] Pentecost, J. Dwight. Things to Come: A Study in Biblical Eschatology, Kindle Locations 3053-3057

[18] John 11:55

[19] 1 John 1:7

[20] Hiebert, D. Edmond: 1 John, Bibliotheca Sacra, op. cit., p. 207

[21] Cf. Philippians 1:6

[22] Marshall, Ian Howard. The Epistles of John, op. cit., p. 174 

[23] 2 Corinthians 7:1

[24] James 5:8

[25] 1 Peter 1:13

[26] New International Version and Today’s New International Version

[27] Cf. 1 Peter 3:15 – New American Standard Bible

[28] The Jerusalem Bible Translation

[29] Yarbrough, Robert W., 1-3 John (Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament), op. cit., pp. 179-180

• 

FALSE NOTIONS OF SPIRITUAL PROGRESS

François Fénelon saw some people in his church who had not grown an inch since their conversion and baptism. Almost all who aimed at serving God did so more or less for their sake. They always want to win, not to lose. They desire to be comforted, not to suffer. Furthermore, they crave to possess, not to be deprived. They yearn to increase, not to diminish. Yet, for dedicated Christians, their whole interior progress consists of losing, sacrificing, decreasing, humbling, and not using some of their talents as a way to impress God that they want to closer to Him. We are often like patients who take their pulse fifty times a day and want the doctor to be perpetually ordering some new medication or telling them how much better they are.

Some people treat their spiritual director or pastor in this way. They move round and round in a tiny circle of easy virtues, never stepping beyond it heartily and generously. Yet, at the same time, they expect the director (like the physician) to soothe, comfort, encourage, and foster perfectionism, only ordering minor sedative treatments that drop into mere habit and routine.  However, as soon as they start doubting the assurance of salvation, they want something to comfort them, as milk does to a baby. Such people imagine that all is lost. It means they worry more about how they were called than why they were chosen. In other words, they are more concerned about the means than the end. It all has to do with being centered on themselves.

Facing hardships is the food of solid minds: They invigorate the soul, take it out of its comfort zone, and offer it as a living sacrifice to God.[1] But weak people are in despair at the first sign of adversity. They are under the illusion that all their purely good works are being thrown overboard just when they were becoming used to them. They are willing to let God do whatever He pleases with them, as long as it provides something fantastic and beneficial. But they have no conception of being humbled and crushed or offered as a sacrifice to be consumed by the divine flames. They seek to live by pure faith yet want to retain all their childish worldly wisdom that makes them look great in their eyes. But what a spiritual Mirage this is!

Written over 450 years ago

Vocabulary redacted by Dr. Robert R Seyda

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[1] Romans 12:1

• 

NEW TESTAMENT CONTEXTUAL COMMENTARY

By Dr. Robert R Seyda

FIRST EPISTLE OF JOHN

CHAPTER THREE (Lesson XIX) 08/06/21

^3:3 And all who have this eager expectation will keep themselves pure, just as He is pure.

Horace Bushnell (1802-1876) was an American Congregational minister and theologian and feels that people should stop singing “When we all get to heaven,” just because they are disgusted with the world down here. Why keep praising heaven’s adorable purity in eloquent words as if to excuse or atone for the lack of all purity down here. Let us only say that they are living a glorious life due to the meditation of the Anointed One, surrounded by those who are also celebrating their freedom because of Him. We must sanctify our minds of negative thoughts through pure communication with His Spirit. So then, live anticipating the treasures laid up for us in heaven.^[1] It will motivate us to be purified like the Anointed One and the hopes we have in Him.^[2]

William Graham (1810-1883) believes that the hope of the Anointed One’s second coming and our likeness to Him is sanctifying in nature and requires no proof. All that our heavenly Father reveals to our faith and hope must make us wiser and better, holier and happier than before. Among the followers who please Him most are the ones who keep an eye on the second advent. The Apostles, who saw Him ascend from Mount Olive to heaven, received from the attending angels the promise, “This Jesus has been taken from you into heaven, but someday He will return in the same way you saw Him go!”[3]  Likewise, the Apostle John’s last words in Revelation are a solemn prayer, “Amen, come, Lord Jesus.”[4] [5]

English Puritan theologian John Howe (1817-1868) talks about the purifying influence of hope. For him, the Apostle John is one of the most mystical teachers in the Final Covenant by insisting on plain morality just as vehemently as his friend the Apostle James could have ever done. His thought is a simple one – If you expect, and by expecting, hope to be like Jesus the Anointed when you meet Him in the air, you will try your very best to be like Him down here.^[6]

Daniel Steele (1824-1914) tells us there is a practical lesson to learn about self-purification. Sin weaves a film over the spiritual eye. Sanctification removes that film, and our determination in that faith which retains the indwelling Sanctifier, keeps the coating from returning to darken the soul. Thus, faith requires constant personal effort directed to this definite point, “keep purifying oneself.”[7] It can only be done indirectly by the believer since purification is the work of the Holy Spirit. It is our constantly fulfilling the conditions on which He sanctifies. Before appearing in God’s presence in the temple, [8] the required practice of ceremonial purification explains this form of expression.[9] ^[10]

Alexander Maclaren (1826-1910) discusses the call for believers to purify themselves. Some may ask, “Purify ourselves?” That is not evangelical teaching. Well, let us see. For instance, let’s take two or three verses out of this Epistle that seems contradictory. The first focuses on the blood of Jesus, God’s Son, who purifies us from all sin.[11] Then, secondly, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”[12] Thirdly,  “Anyone who continues to live in union with Him will not sin.”[13] Therefore, every child of God defeats this evil world and achieves victory through faith.[14] [15] Now, that doesn’t sound like doing things to keep sin out of our lives on our own.

Robert Cameron (1839-1904) says that the manner of love the Apostle John calls on us to behold is not simply manifested, but is imparted to us. The love glowing in God’s heart lavished[16] upon His children is also infused into their hearts and becomes the source of spiritual life. This gift of love forms the basis and the justification of the divine title given to us. This great love – the agape-love ends, making us children of the living God. It is not sons, but children. John uses this term undoubtedly to emphasize two facts: that we are all partakers of divine nature, and, there is a possibility of growth in character and privilege afterward.

According to divine grace, says Cameron, Christians have the standing of full-grown sons and daughters, but John does not have that view. He is always speaking of the life imparted to believers, making them children. This life is not yet fully developed, but there is a promise of maturity and glory. Hence, John never but once uses the term “son,” which indicates position and privilege, and that only, when speaking of the inheritance of all things in the new heavens and the new earth, where the growth is complete. Paul speaks of “sons” because of our standing through grace, while John uses “children” because of life through spiritual birth.[17]

Alfred Plummer (1841-1926) feels that this is referring to God. He states that it is possible to take the Greek pronoun ekeinos, in verse three means “that [one],” translated as (“He” – KJV) recalling the person already indicated by the Greek pronoun autos in verse two means “him,” translated as (“Him” – KJV). Otherwise, make both pronouns refer to God. At first sight, this seems to make a better sequence between verses two and three. So, we can render it, “Hereafter we will be like God; therefore, here we must strive to become pure as God is.” However, I’m inclined to interpret the pronouns Him and He as Jesus. In any case, since they are three in one, it doesn’t matter. I’m convinced that when we attribute something to the Son that Scriptures designate as belonging to the Father, He doesn’t get upset.^[18]

Erich Haupt (1841-1910) speaks of our Lord’s purity by saying that He reached His present glory through absolute obedience, by virtue of His overcoming all temptations and entirely submitting Himself to obey His Father’s will. So, as a human, what He accomplished through holy living now radiates from His face as our Redeemer. Therefore, the Apostle John views Him in the form and under the aspect of the sacrificed lamb.[19] Nothing of what the Lord possessed upon earth has passed away; everything has become an eternal element of His personality. As with anyone, nothing they experienced would be different through the ages from what they are, the same with the Lord. If, then, we are to become hereafter like Him, the Apostle John says, we must on our part appropriate to ourselves the purity which the Lord exercised here below, in virtue of which He passed into His glory. No word expresses the absolute grace and tenderness of divine ethical habits to the same extent as this.[20]

J. Westby Earnshaw (1846-1931) recalls the story written by Nathan Hawthorne (1804-1864) about “The Old Man and the Mountain.”^[21] He says that this is the case with our noblest hopes as Christians. Thus, it is with the grandest of all hopes – one day to see God. All grossness, negligence, selfishness, wretchedness, falsity, scorn, bitterness, and contempt are purged from the heart where such hope lives. Pessimism is the grave of heroism, aspiration, the motivation of noble purpose, and generous enthusiasm. The person who believes the worst will be their worst. The ones who believe the best will be their best. And those who have the hope of seeing the Anointed One and being like Him will purify themselves of sinfulness, even as He is pure.

Earnshaw goes on to say that when we look at our lives here on earth like a tent under which we function, it helps us understand its temporary purpose and that it does not survive all the winds and rain that comes, costing us extra time and effort to stay covered. But when we abide under the love of God most high, we come to realize that although we are still human we’ve reached a higher level by which we are joined and governed by His Spirit. The great question regarding every life is this: “Does it respond to the highest, does it cling to the best?” Our divine Elder Brother, revealed His godly sonship, making possible for us to realize the glory that is coming to pass. He did so by asserting us as part of God’s family, and chose us, so we could live the life God intended for us.^[22]

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[1] Matthew 6:19-21; cf. 1 Corinthians 2:9

[2] Bushnell, Horace: The Expositor’s Dictionary of Texts, Vol. 2, op. cit., p. 401

[3] Acts of the Apostles 1:11

[4] Revelation 22:20

[5] Graham, W. (1857). The Spirit of Love, op. cit., p. 194

[6] Howe, John: The Preacher’s Complete Homiletical Commentary, op. cit., p. 293

[7] 1 John 3:3

[8] John 11:55; see Hebrews 10:22

[9] 1 Timothy 5:22; 1 Peter 3:2

[10] Steele, Daniel: Half-Hours with John, op. cit., p. 67

[11] 1 John 1:7

[12] Ibid. 1:9

[13] 1 John 3:6

[14] Ibid. 5:4

[15] MacLaren, Alexander: Expositions of Holy Scripture, op. cit., (Kindle Locations 168656-168661)

[16] The Greek word didōmi translated by Guzik figuratively as “lavished” can be used two ways: as an adjective it means “sumptuously rich, elaborate, or luxurious;” as a verb, it implies “to offer something in generous or extravagant quantities.” John uses it here as a verb.

[17] Cameron, Robert: The First Epistle of John, op. cit., p. 110-111

[18] Cf. John 10:30

[19] John 1:29

[20] Haupt, E., The First Epistle of St. John, op. cit., pp. 169-170

[21] This story by Hawthorne highlights a village amidst a towering rock formation at the head of a valley which they called “The Great Stone Face.” One evening, a little boy named Ernest sat in the doorway and told his mother, “I wish the Great Stone Face could talk.” His mother told him about an old wives’ tale that one day everyone will see a man with a face like that. Little Ernest lived daily with that hope of seeing this man. One day news begins to spread throughout the valley that the promised man may have come. His name was Mr. Gathergold. (You’ll have to read the rest of the story to find out what happens.)

[22] Earnshaw, J. W., Biblical Illustrator, 1 John, op. cit., pp. 101-102

• 

NEW TESTAMENT CONTEXTUAL COMMENTARY

By Dr. Robert R Seyda

FIRST EPISTLE OF JOHN

CHAPTER THREE (Lesson XVIII) 08/05/21

^3:3 And all who have this eager expectation will keep themselves pure, just as He is pure.

In his treatise on Religious Affections, Jonathan Edwards (1703-1758) states that we find our spiritual fruit and agape-Love in a Christian’s lifestyle. By that, I mean, says Edwards, they have influence and power upon those subject to such interaction. As a result, they cause the universal conformity to Christian rules in holy living to be part of any practice or business of a believer’s life. Therefore, believer’s everywhere must be obedient to living a sanctified life.[1] We know Jesus the Anointed One manifested Himself in the flesh to help us combat sin. Being in union with Him, who did not sin, helps everyone successfully resist their sinful tendencies. By doing so, we remain right in God’s eyes because the devil controls those who go on sinning.[2]  Jesus did say, “You are my friends if you do what I tell you to do.”[3] ^[4]

But Edwards has more to say about John’s text here in verse three. In his sermon on how hypocrites are deficient in the duty of prayer. He points to the words of Job^[5] and the Psalmists^[6] on neglecting prayer, and asks us to consider how living with such negligence is consistent with leading a holy life. The Scriptures tell us more than once that true Christians lead a holy life, for, without holiness, you’ll never see the Lord.[7] It is why John tells us here in verse three to maintain as free from sin’s contamination as the Anointed One did. Wise king Solomon tells us that good people try to avoid evil. They watch what they do and protect themselves.[8] And the prophet Isaiah joins in by telling us there will be a road there. This highway will be called “The Holy Road.” Evil people will not be allowed to walk on that road. No deniers of God will walk on it. Only good people will walk there. John sees this as talking about those redeemed persons mentioned in the preceding verses. The Apostle Paul also speaks of it.[9] ^[10]

Then, Edwards makes another comment about keeping ourselves pure in expectation of the Lord’s return. Finally, he focuses on hope by saying that we must be ready to humbly and reverently give a reason for the hope in us, providing a reason or explanation for our belief. So, hope seems to be used for faith by the Apostle John.[11] In the Final Covenant, hope is often spoken of as a great Christian grace and virtue. It is one of the main things that distinguish a true Christian. Otherwise, it would be difficult to understand or account for if our hope meant no more than thinking well of one’s current situation or wishing oneself luck in the future state.^[12]

John Wesley (1703-1791), preaching on Christian perfection, states that anyone who lives in true holiness has “purified their hearts by faith,” to the degree that everyone in union with the Anointed One has the hope of glory because they, “eliminated sin even as He was sinless.”[13] Believers are cleansed from pride, for the Anointed One was lowly of heart.[14] He was pure from self-will or desire, for the Anointed One desired only to do His Father’s will[15] and finish His work.[16] Followers of Jesus must also guard against angry outbursts in the ordinary meaning of the word. It is what the Apostle Paul urged believers to do.[17] I say “anger,” in the everyday sense of the word, for all anger is not evil.

The following Greek term sullupoumenos, meaning “being jointly grieved,” notes Wesley, shows that when Jesus looked at the people, He was angry but felt sorrowful because they were so stubborn.[18] So likewise, the Master was displeased at the offense, but sorry for the offenders. So, with righteous indignation, He glared at the situation but was heartbroken for the sinners. And just like He told the young lawyer, the Messiah expects us to go and do the same.[19] So, when you are angry, don’t let that anger make you sin, and don’t stay upset all day. Furthermore, don’t become despondent over every offense you see done against God. Instead, express only love and tender compassion to the offender.^[20] After all, if you came upon a terrible accident caused by a drunken driver who hit a tree or light pole, would you run to the car, see the bleeding individual unable to free themselves because the automobile was on fire, and then just turn and walk away? For many of us, Jesus found us with wrecked lives, but didn’t walk away either.

Samuel E. Pierce (1746-1829) says some ministers preached too much about what a person should experience or feel inwardly. Today it is called “motivational preaching.” Or, they emphasize what changes they must make to feel right in their hearts; otherwise, they will continue feeling bad about themselves. Call it what you will, but this is not preaching the Anointed One to a sinner: and there cannot be any spiritual life in the soul before He lives there. The only way they can have the Anointed One in them is to preach Jesus and the cross.

Another mistake, declares Pierce: is to lead people to find another way for peace in their hearts, encourage them in it, and motivate them instead of leading and building them up in the Anointed One. Another is insisting on their self-production of the fruit of faith. In doing so, they neglect to present the Person, work, worthiness, righteousness of the Anointed One, and His fountain of blood. But, finally, it is a fantastic way to go by marks and signs and point out a man’s interest in the Anointed One.[21]

Adam Clarke (1762-1832) gives what the Apostle John says here in verse three the feel and sense of some great, exciting coming attraction never seen before. All who have the hope of seeing the Anointed One as He is; that is, of enjoying Him in His glory; purifies themselves – abstain from all evil, and keep them from all that is in the world, that is, the lusts of the flesh, of the eye, and the pride of life.[22] Once God purifies a heart, it is the individual’s business to keep themselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus the Anointed One for eternal life. The Apostle John does not speak here of anyone self-purifying their heart because it is impossible. Instead, they must persevere in the state of purity into which the Lord brought them.^[23]

Augustus Neander (1789-1850) tells us that the world’s relation to the children of God may exhibit itself under two forms. First, those raised in Christian homes who work in a Christian environment and live in a “Christian” country may be conscious of the source of superiority that distinguishes them from all who belong to pagan nations. Secondly, they may unconsciously absorb this influence as an element once introduced into the national culture without acknowledging Christianity as its source.[24] In either case, believers themselves bear the responsibility to retain and maintain that unique character and virtue exhibited by genuinely born-again Christians, whether they are recognized as children of God or not.

In his sermon on the Christian’s hope, Charles Finney (1792-1875) uses verse three as his text. He says that this passage shows what its meaning must be. The Apostle John calls our attention to that love placed on us by the Father by calling us His children with admiring wonder.[25] It is a present blessing, not something that is going to happen down the road. The thing known and current in our family relationship with God is that we are His children. Any future item not yet known pertains to what we will be. It will come to light when the Anointed One appears again; then, seeing the Anointed One as He is will certainly, by common sense, and in accordance with the divine plan, be like Him. It is the thing we hope for. Furthermore, it is the foundation of a Christian’s hope – that they will see the Anointed One as He is and is like Him for eternity.^[26]

Alfred Jenour (1797-1868), Curate of Seaton, and Harringworth, Northamptonshire, England asks, “Is it possible for any man to purify himself? Is it not the Spirit of God that must work in us ‘both to will and work for His good pleasure?’” To this, I answer, says Jenour, that we must identify the twofold work of purification: the part that God does and the part we must do to maintain it.

But, notes Jenour, admitting that a person may purify themselves in a sense the Apostle John mentions here in verse three, can they do it to that degree equal with the purity of the Anointed One? Jenour then answers that the term “even as” – KJV (“just as” – NIV) implies equivalent to, not equally. It means those who hope to share the Anointed One’s glory must get their hearts purified of any sinful tendencies with the same kind of holiness that they see in the Anointed One, even though they never reach or measure up to the same perfection. As a result, they acquire the same humility, spiritual mindedness, and love on the same spiritual level; that is, the same kind.^[27]

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[1] 1 John 3:3

[2] Ibid. 5:18

[3] John 15:14

[4] Edwards, Jonathan, The Words of: Vol. 2, A Treatise Concerning Religious Affections, Part 3, p. 986

[5] Job 15:4

[6] Psalm 36:1

[7] Hebrews 12:14

[8] Proverbs 16:17

[9] Romans 8:1

[10] Works of Jonathan Edwards: Vol. 4., Fifteen Sermons on Various Subjects, Sermon 8, p. 804

[11] 1 John 3:3

[12] Works of Jonathan Edwards: Vol. 6, Notes on the Bible, p. 1164

[13] 1 John 3:3

[14] Matthew 11:29

[15] Mark 14:36; Luke 42:22

[16] John 17:4

[17] Ephesians 4:2

[18] Cf. Mark 3:5

[19] Luke 10:37

[20] Works of John Wesley: Vol. 6, Sermon 40, p. 25

[21] Pierce, S. E., An Exposition of the First Epistle General of John, op. cit., Vol. 1, p. 346

[22] 1 John 2:16

[23] Adam Clarke: First Epistle of John, op. cit., p. 381

[24] Neander, Augustus: The First Epistle of John: Practically Explained, op. cit., p. 173

[25] 1 John 3:1

[26] The Charles Finney Sermon Collection: Vol. 2, The Christian’s Hope, p. 974

[27] Jenour, Alfred: Biblical Illustrator, First Epistle of John, op. cit., p. 89