Archbishop François Fénelon (1651-1725) noticed now that the war was over and people got back to their routines, their constant seeking God for help in times of trouble faded, and they gave God less and less of their attention and time. As a result, church attendance lessened, their focus was more on feeding their stomachs than feeding their souls. So, the Bishop cautioned them by sharing wise words of the past.
He reminded them that St. Augustine once said that “Whatever we love outside God, so much the less do we love Him.” It is like a river from which a farmer digs a channel to redirect water for personal use. Such a diversion takes away from what belongs to God and gives rise to aggravation and trouble, God desires to have everything, and His love for us cannot endure a divided heart. The slightest affection apart from Him becomes a hindrance and causes indifference and consequent separation. The soul can expect to find peace only through love that holds nothing back.
Fénelon sees that such disintegration of commitment to God among His people is a great enemy of remembering what they used to be before He came into their lives. The reactivation of old feelings for worldly things activates and distracts the soul and drives it from its proper resting place. Further still, it kindles the senses and the imagination, and to quiet them again is hard to do, while the very effort to do so is in itself inevitably a distraction.
So, urges the bishop, give quiet, calm attention to those things assigned to your care by the Lord. Then, gaining wisdom and insight from God’s Word of what to do during seasons when their heart is open to instruction will ensure the accomplishment of a great deal more by quiet, thoughtful work done while God looks on rather than hidden from God’s sight by all the busy eagerness and overactivity of our restless human nature.[1]
So, what can God’s Word tell us about being distracted from doing what He called us to do for His pleasure, not ours? One way would be to listen to what Moses told the Israelites about their mission to live and work in the Promised Land for His glory. The chosen prophet said to them that if they listen obediently to the Voice of God, their God, and heartily obey all His commandments that he issued that day, God, their God, would place them high above all the nations of the world. All these blessings will come down on you and spread out beyond you because you have responded to the Voice of God, your God. Moses then goes on the spell out those blessings.[2]
However, Jesus, often a man of few words, states plainly, “where your treasure is, there your heart will also be.” [3] That’s why His disciple, James, told his readers not to fool themselves into thinking that they are good listeners when they let God’s Word go in one ear and out the other.[4] And the Apostle Paul told the Corinthians what he wanted them to do whatever would help them serve the Lord best, with as few other things as possible to distract their attention from Him.[5]
So, keep in mind that “distraction” is defined as things that prevent someone from concentrating on what they need to be doing. In fact, a diversion is an activity a person gets involved in for their immediate pleasure. Our goal is the kingdom of God while here on earth so that we can join our King in heaven.
[1] Fénelon, François: Paraclete Giants, The Complete Fénelon, Translated and Edited by Robert J. Edmonson, Paraclete Press, Brewster, Massachusetts, 2008, pp. 27-28; Vocabulary redacted by Dr. Robert R Seyda
3:16So now we can tell who is a child of God and who belongs to Satan. Whoever is living a life of sin and doesn’t love his brother shows that he is not in God’s family;
But his readers’ icon, says Yarbrough, is supposed to be the Anointed One.[1] However, in verse sixteen, John will make this explicit. Love for others may be considered easy in affluent Western settings, where insulation from such haters is possible. But Roman philosopher Lucius Seneca (BC 4-65 AD), writing approximately in AD 50, is more realistic and honest. He frankly points out “how we gain nothing by getting rid of all personal causes of sadness, for sometimes we are possessed by hatred of the human race. When you reflect how rare simplicity is, how unknown innocence, how seldom faith is kept, unless it is to our advantage.”[2] But Seneca suggests a better strategy, says Yarbrough: not John’s technique of love but the Stoic’s approach of contempt. Laugh! Scoff and be cynical! “He who after surveying the universe cannot control his laughter shows, too, a greater mind than he who cannot restrain his tears, because his mind is only affected in the slightest possible degree, and he does not think that any part of all these apparatuses is either important, or serious, or unhappy.”[3] In other words, act as though it doesn’t matter whether you love others or not.
Seneca’s forthrightness is admirable, but John points to a better solution. It is easy to write people off, but believers were called to a road higher than dismissive ridicule or bitter resignation. In verse sixteen, John infers that Jesus’ followers ought to lay down their lives for each other. “Ought” (Greek opheilō) occurs twice in John’s Epistles. Each instance points to the Anointed One[4] or God[5] as examples to respect as a divine pattern. In John’s Gospel, Jesus told His disciples that by imitating His model, they “ought to wash one another’s feet.”[6] But here, John makes the same point but uses a metaphor from Golgotha rather than the Upper Room. Early Christians frequently had to risk their lives doing their duties.[7] The Anointed One’s precedent furnishes believers with a mandate, even though a response will be costly.[8]
Judith Lieu (1951) notes that failure to love was hidden in Cain, while Jesus openly displayed its presence in the Priest and Levite.[9] So, are we like Cain or Jesus? Such self-sacrifice means taking a risk. You willingly put yourself in the line of fire. Jesus was not blessed or complimented while dying on the cross. Instead, the soldiers stood around and made fun of Him. The same may happen to you. Regarding our Lord, He endangered His life to benefit us, to remove sin’s penalty of death from over our heads. And what did God do? He raised Him to life and thereby purchased everlasting life for us. We note that Peter, James, John, and Paul did the same thing to honor their Lord and Savior with the promise of being raised to everlasting life when He returns.[10]
But another thing to consider is that surrendering one’s life does not always mean suffering physical death. Jesus’ words to His disciples make that clear: “For whoever would save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for My sake will save it.”[11] In other words, anyone who demands complete control over their life to live the way they want is a loser. But if you surrender your life to Jesus, you will end up with more abundant life. And keep this in mind: Every time a woman goes into labor to give birth, she puts her life at risk. But when it is over, she enjoys her new baby, which is an extension of her life. So, it is when we are willing to suffer labor pains in helping to give birth to a new child of God.
Marianne M. Thompson (1954) points out that the readers understand that love is a central theme and concern at this point in the Apostle John’s epistle. So, now, John says it is about time that we know what Love is.[12] To begin with, it is actual and active, not felt or imagined; it is not something we explain but something we express. Thompson says that learning what Love implies involves a representation and a revelation, an example,andenlightenment. Jesus represents Love at its highest degree; the Spirit opens our eyes to the understanding of Love to its fullest extent. Both of these involve selflessness and self-sacrifice. We don’t just admire Love; we apply Love.[13] Standing onshore and yelling to a drowning friend to try and stay afloat is one thing, but diving in and keeping them afloat is entirely different.
Bruce B. Barton (1954) says that believers need only look at their Lord for an example to understand real love. They can know love by this, that He laid down His life for all people. The Anointed One’s model shows believers that real love involves self-sacrifice, which John points out, [14] must result in self-sacrificial actions. Because He is our example, we believers must be willing to lay down our lives for one another. It is done by becoming genuinely concerned about the needs of Christian brothers and sisters and by putting aside our wants to give time, effort, prayer, and possessions to supply those needs. Such an attitude would result in actually dying for a brother or sister if this were ever necessary. Believers’ lives should not be more precious to them than God’s Son was to Him.[15]
Daniel L. Akin (1957) states that we come to an acquired and abiding knowledge of what love is when we consider the punitive, substitutionary sacrifice of God’s Son on our behalf. He lived the life we should be living but didn’t. And He died the death we should have died, but now don’t have to die. Love, at its core, is about self-sacrifice and self-substitution. And in our case, it is for those who are entirely unworthy. In the song “You Are My King,” the author, Chris Tomlin, reminds us that our King died on our behalf! Once we accept and comprehend this amazing truth, our only reasonable reaction is to honor God. If we truly understand the magnitude of what God did for us and the implications for eternity, we will feel obligated to show gratitude. It is more than merely being thankful; we will joyfully present our lives to God as a living sacrifice in grateful worship.[16] That is precisely what the Apostle John tells us. Out of “Gospel gratitude” for laying down His life for us, “we ought to be willing to lay down our lives for the brothers and sisters.” Jesus said it like this: “No one has greater love than this, that someone would lay down their life for their friends.”[17][18]
Bruce G. Schuchard (1958) agrees that to know something means “to have knowledge of,” and knowledge comes from acts, information, and skills acquired by a person through experience or education and the practical understanding of a subject. So, that’s what the Apostle John has been saying from the start: Here is how we know, we heard, saw, and touched the Word of God in the flesh. But I also know, repeats John, because I was there when He laid down His life on our behalf, and I looked into His grave, and it was empty; I was also present when He came into the Upper Room after His resurrection. So, that’s why I can tell you, this is how we know what love is.[19]
The same is true of the believer today. You can tell the world, “I know I’m saved.” I was there when I heard the message of salvation preached; I felt the convicting power of the Holy Spirit that drew me with love to the altar, where I knelt and repented of my sins and asked God to forgive me. I then experienced the feeling of joy that flooded my heart, soul, and mind when Jesus moved in to live in my heart. In Gospel singer CeCe Winans’ words: “You weren’t there the night He found me you did not feel what I felt when He wrapped His loving arms around me.”[20] For the first time, I was able to see what a miserable sinner I was and what a happy child of God I became because of His love, grace, and mercy. That’s how I know!
David Guzik (1961) asks, what is love? How we define love is essential. If we define love the wrong way, then everyone passes, or no one passes, the love test. To understand the Biblical idea of love, we should begin by understanding the vocabulary of love among the ancient Greeks, who gave us the original language of the New Testament:
Eros was one word for love. It comes, as we might guess, from the root word itself, erotic love. So, it referred to sexual love.
Storge is another word for love. It referred to family love, the kind of love between a parent and child or between family members in general.
Philia is also a word for love. It spoke of a brotherly friendship and affection. It is the love of deep friendship and partnership. Therefore, we can describe Philia as the highest love that one is capable of without God’s help.
Agape is the divine word for love. It describes an affection that loves without changing. It is a self-giving love that gives without demanding or expecting re-payment. Not only that, but it is love so great, we can give it to the unlovable or unappealing. It is love that loves even when rejected. Agape love gives and loves because it wants to; it does not demand or expect repayment from the love given – it gives because it loves, it does not love in order to receive.
3:16So now we can tell who is a child of God and who belongs to Satan. Whoever is living a life of sin and doesn’t love his brother shows that he is not in God’s family;
Rudolf Schnackenburg (1914-2002) puts it this way: “After this horrifying glimpse into the abyss of hatred, the Apostle John proceeds to give us his positive assessment of the nature of love and how it operates.” And all we need to do is look at the Son of God for an example of love put to the test. His willingness to surrender His life on our behalf provides the best illustration of the essence of genuine love. Pure love is expressed by ordinary means as well as in extraordinary ways. Love, sometimes, requires selflessness and, at other times, sacrifice. But for this demonstration of love to be far-reaching, it must begin in the House of God among the children of God.[1]
Donald J. Burdick (1917-1996) also emphasizes that the original Greek text does not read: “Hereby we perceive the love (of God).” The definite article “the” before the noun “love” identifies the particular kind of love of which the Apostle John is speaking. It is the love John has been describing that we know as agapē, whether expressed by God to us or from us to others. So, when you say that you love a brother or sister, it is not romantic infatuation or physical attraction, but love from God’s heart instilled in us.[2]
John Phillips (1927-2010) points to what the Apostle John means by saying, “This is how we perceive Love.” The Greek verb John uses is ginōskō, which can mean: “learn to know,” “come to understand,” “become acquainted with.” I remember living in Switzerland and showing a guest from the United States around the countryside. I wanted to show him a flowery green alpine meadow with a sparkling lake. It was very foggy as we drove up the mountainside, and I was becoming fearful that the higher we went, the foggier it would get. So, as we entered the tunnel to get into the center where the valley lay, it meant he would not get to see the enchanting scene in all its beauty. However, when we exited the tunnel, it was sunny and bright, and the valley and lake looked as fantastic as ever. I came to understand that the fog on the outside did not jump over the alp to the inside. In the same way, John implies that despite all we’ve seen and heard about the foggy hatred in this world, we’ve come to understand the ripeness and sunshine of Love. Which love? God’s Love![3]
Raymond E. Brown (1928-1998) reminds us that the Apostle John says we must not be like Cain, who joined the devil’s brood and killed his brother. And why did Cain kill him? Because he was personally involved in the practice of evil, while the acts of his brother were righteous. So, don’t be surprised, friends, when the world hates you. It has been going on for a long time. We know about our transfer from spiritual death to eternal life, that we love our brothers and sisters. Anyone who doesn’t love is spiritually dead. Anyone who hates a brother or sister is a murderer, and you know very well that eternal life and murder don’t go together.[4] But now, John leaves the negative for the positive. Now that you know, this will help you understand real love. In this case, instead of the world (Cain) killing Jesus (Abel) to usher in death, our Lord brought in eternal life. So, while hatred leads to murder, love guides to everlasting life.[5]
Simon J. Kistemaker (1930-2017) says that we can paraphrase what the Apostle John says here about getting to understand Love by stating, “We have learned our lesson and know it well.” Kistemaker reminds us that Jesus’ death on the cross is not a passive death, comparable to the sacrificial death of an animal. On the contrary, Jesus died actively and purposefully. They did not take His life from Him; He gave it freely to them. Kistemaker recalls an old sacred hymn that expresses this sacrificial love so beautifully:
I gave My life for thee, My precious blood I shed, That thou might ransomed be, And raised up from the dead; I gave, I gave My life for thee, What hast thou given for Me? I gave, I gave My life for thee, What hast thou given for Me?[6]
When John says we “ought” to lay down our lives, he imposes a moral obligation. It also calls for action instead of just words. [7]
Stephen S. Smalley (1931-2018) says that the Apostle John continues developing the theme of obedience as a condition of living as a child of God by studying the pattern of loyalty in fulfilling the love command of the Anointed One. John focuses on the exemplification of obedient love, supremely found in Jesus. Love is something that has to be proven, not just verbally expressed. A husband can say to his wife, “I love you,” a dozen times during the day, and it will be taken as a promise. But only when he does some kind, loving, and caring deed for her will it resonate in her heart as real. Love must be presented as a concrete act, not just an abstract thought.
That’s why John uses Jesus as an example at the beginning of this verse, says Smalley. So, it is not so much that we say we love, but how we display our love to our fellow believers and God.[8] And when it comes to acts of love, there is a difference between sharing and sacrificing. Sharing means you take something you have in abundance and pass it around to others. Sacrifice denotes taking something of which you only have one and giving it away. Jesus only had one life, and He gave it away on our behalf. In using this illustration, John sets up the next verse as an example.[9]
Edward Malatesta (1932-1998) says that John purposely proposes the positive example of the Anointed One who gave His life so that others might live. Similarly, Christians should give their lives so that their brothers and sisters might live.[10] Not only does this prove that we can live by example, but we can also live by following a righteous pattern. At the same time, we cannot be an example unless we have a representative to follow.
John Painter (1935) sees in these texts God’s Love in giving His Son, who in love laid down His life for us to define what love is and create the obligation (Gk. opheilōmen) for us to love one another the same way. It implies that our responsibility is in the form of a debt, which is the commandment’s ingredient. Then Painter says that we can link the failure to live by the commandment to an unwillingness to confess that Jesus the Anointed One came in the flesh. It is not surprising in the light of what he says here in verse sixteen. Here the love command is grounded and defined by Jesus’ loving action in giving Himself for us. We will see that love is described in terms of action responding to those in need in following these two verses.[11]
David Jackman (1945) says that since love is what drew us to the Anointed One, then certainly that same love should attract us to each other, and even bring sinners to hear the message of salvation. Sometimes expressing that love is easy because it fills our hearts like a fountain, but at other times it may require sacrifice, which can cost us dearly. But instead of seeing such surrender as a fatal act, look at it as an investment in someone else’s life. It may not pay off, or it may pay back moderately or even awesomely.[12] In either case, that is the risk we run every day with other commitments in our life.[13]
Robert W. Yarbrough (1948) tells us that the first half of verse fifteen makes the point that everyone who hates their Christian brother or sister is a killer. In the linguistic style of his epistle, John says not to love is hate, [14] and to hate is to be a murderer. It is not very satisfactory as a strictly logical argument. In fact, there seems to be a whole spectrum of options available between the interpersonal relationship of love and hate. Similarly, it is not true that if we do not love someone, we have murdered them in the same sense that Cain murdered Abel. John, however, is not marshaling a strictly logical and literal argument. Instead, he uses the either/or imagery found in the Sermon on the Mount.[15] There, Jesus says to be angry is murder, just as lusting mentally is to commit adultery.[16] Most Bible scholars agree that the Anointed One was speaking hyperbolically. John is likewise using overstatement to clinch his point here in verse fifteen.
[1] Schnackenburg, Rudolf, The Johannine Epistles, op. cit., p. 182
[2] Burdick, Donald J., The Epistles of John, op. cit., p. 60
[3] Phillips, John, Exploring the Epistles of John, op. cit., 109-112
3:16So now we can tell who is a child of God and who belongs to Satan. Whoever is living a life of sin and doesn’t love his brother shows that he is not in God’s family;
Albert Barnes (1798-1870) enlightens us that the words “of God” are not in the original Greek text, which reads literally: “in to this we have known the love that for of us the soul of Him He laid down,” and should not have been introduced into the English translation. Barnes feels it would read better this way: “By this, we know love because He laid down His life for us.” However, we find “of God” in the Latin Vulgate, Genevan versions, and one Greek manuscript. They would naturally convey the idea that God laid down His life for us.
Of course, the One who gave His life for us was Jesus the Anointed One, who is also God. Nevertheless, the original Greek is much more expressive and emphatic because we now know what true love is; we see a most affecting and striking illustration of its nature. Love’s fundamental nature, power, sacrifices, and influences are seen in its highest form when the Son of God willingly offered Himself to die for us on a cross.[1]
Richard Rothe (1799-1867) strikes the same note as Thomas Scott above in that the love spoken of here by the Apostle John does not specify it as God’s nor the Anointed One’s love for us, but love itself. Love that is genuine and perfect brotherly love. To show us how deep, wide, and endless our love should be for each other, John uses what the Anointed One did for us out of love. In such self-sacrifice, the full effect of His love for us brings a clear understanding to our minds. It shows us that the concept of love in all its purity and greatness has not grown up in the natural heart of mankind; we owe it to the divine revelation in the Anointed One.[2]
Robert L. Dabney (1820-1898) says we may illustrate the value of the Anointed One’s example in the following details: It verifies that God displayed the original concept of holiness. First, however, that concept needs assurance. Fortunately, we see it embodied in the “Image of the invisible God,” who is “the brightness of His glory, and the express image of His person,”[3] the Son of God.
Next, says Dabney, the Anointed One illustrated the duties for believers of all ages and accomplishments; for the divine wisdom collected in His brief life from infancy to adulthood, make Him a friend, teacher, ruler, King, hero, and martyr by sanctification and kind deeds. So again, the Anointed One teaches us everyday duties are exalted when performed with a selfless motive. So, our Lord provided for His Church’s infinite blessedness and for His Father’s eternal glory by simply fulfilling the humble tasks of a carpenter or traveling evangelist. Finally, in His death especially, He illustrated those duties essential because they pertain to the most critical emergencies of our being, the responsibilities of forgiveness while suffering, patient courage under anguish, and faith with bravery in the hour of death.[4][5]
George G. Findlay (1849-1919) feels that The Authorized Version (KJV) mistranslated verse sixteen, “Hereby know we the love of God.” That is the Apostle John’s point later on.[6] What John says is, “Herein we got to know love;” we have learned what love is – its reach and capability, discovered in Jesus the Anointed One. Other notions of love and attainments in the way of love are meager compared to this and hardly deserve the name – love.
Robert Browning (1812-1899), an English poet and playwright, speaks of the present life as man’s “one chance of learning love.”[7] That chance came to the Apostle John and his fellow disciples in getting to know Jesus the Anointed One, and they seized on it. They found the One who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life, the thing for which “If someone gave all their wealth for love, they would only gain utter contempt.”[8] Love’s mystery, sent from the bosom of the eternal Father, lay open for all to see in the life and death of Him who said, “You cannot find any love greater than this, that a friend lays down their life for their friends.”[9][10]
Dr. James Denny (1856-1917) wrote this stirring piece: “If I were sitting on the end of the pier, on a summer day, enjoying the sunshine and the air, and someone came along and jumped into the water to prove their love for me, I would find it quite incomprehensible. I might be much in need of love, but an act like this that has no relationship to anything I need, and such an act would prove nothing. But had I fallen off the pier and were drowning, and someone sprang into the water, risking their life for my sake, then I should say, ‘Greater love hath no man than this.’”[11]
C. H. Dodd (1884-1973) says that the Apostle John’s language here in verse sixteen is similar to what he said in his Gospel.[12] So it is confirmed in every part of the Final Covenant.[13] It is part of the central core of the original apostles’ proclamation. But most critical, says Dodd, is that it is the most significant part of what the early apostles heard from the One they saw and touched.[14]
Greville P. Lewis (1891-1976) says that the Apostle John gives the Greek noun agape (“love”) an entirely new content. First through our Lord’s incarnation and sacrifice on the cross, and then in His indwelling in our bodies. It reveals the real essence of “true love.” Lewis tells us that in the “Acts of John,” a Gnostic interpretation of Christian doctrine, written around 160 AD. It represents the Anointed One as a divine Being quite incapable of suffering and death. That makes the scene on the cross an illusion and the resurrection a fantasy.[15] John called on us to imitate the Anointed One, [16] which we are all willing to do, except for what they did to Him before He went to Calvary, and His suffering and death on the cross.[17]
Amos N. Wilder (1895-1993) has quite a bit to say about this sixteenth verse. Wilder begins by saying that the “love” used here is complete. He also rejects the addition “of God” as found in the KJV. Finally, Wilder notes that the Apostle John looks back to the revelation that Jesus laid down His life on our behalf. In other words, don’t wait for Jesus or the Holy Spirit to give you an example of what love means; our Savior did those numerous times.[18]
Paul W. Hoon (1910-2000) says that the love expressed here by the Apostle John is not optional; it is an obligation. That’s what Jesus did; He denied Himself – forfeited His life. That means He voluntarily decided not to hold on to something He would have liked to keep for other people’s benefit. So, to be like Jesus, we too must certainly deny ourselves of anything we might have enjoyed so that someone else could have joy with what we supplied them.[19]
As a pastor, I once asked my congregation to deny themselves certain things they loved so that those in foreign lands could rejoice in salvation. I suggested that they give up one cup of coffee or piece of pie they always had at the local café, a trip to the lake, or some family entertainment park, and give that money to mission work. My suggestion echoed that beautiful hymn by Isaac Watts, “Were the whole realm of nature mine, that were a present far too small; Love so amazing, so divine, demands my Soul, my Life, my All,”[20] where we see what real self-denial means.
Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981) says that the Apostle John now turns from the doctrinal to the practical side of applying what he’s already said about loving one another. So, he provides an illustration so that his readers won’t mistakenly interpret and be deceived by what he will say from verse nineteen onward. It affects our prayer life and our ultimate meeting with God on Judgment Day. It is also essential to give a testimony about the Anointed One to a doubting world from our viewpoint. There are no excuses or alibis for why we are not adding practice to our preaching. It involves more than doctrine; it includes doing what we’re telling others to do.
Lloyd-Jones continues by saying that we need to distinguish between “loving” and “liking.” God did not call us to “like” our fellow believers, but to “love” them. They are essentially dissimilar. For instance, “liking” is instinctive, not the result of effort or decision-making. We like it or don’t care for it based on the sensing organ (sight, hearing, tasting, feeling) we employ. That makes it physical and not controlled by intelligence. Like the animal world, it is “instinctive.” We must understand “loving” in terms of God’s Love. Such Love is not innate; it is an act of the will.[21] When I realized that I instinctively did not enjoy certain foods, I used my will to overcome natural impulses and developed an acquired taste. If we can do that with food, we can do the same with people. That makes “love” a part of high intelligence. It was not a part of our original nature. Thank God, He introduced it to humanity. Otherwise, this would be a more miserable world.
[1] Barnes, Albert: New Testament Notes, op. cit., p. 4851
[2] Rothe, Richard, The Expository Times, op. cit., June 1893, p. 410
3:16So now we can tell who is a child of God and who belongs to Satan. Whoever is living a life of sin and doesn’t love his brother shows that he is not in God’s family;
COMMENTARY
Ambrosiaster (circa 300-400 AD), in his writing about what Paul said to the Ephesians, notes that the apostle wants everyone to duplicate God the Father’s kindheartedness and mercy, so they can replicate His Son’s love. That way, just as He loved us and gave Himself for us, we might also give our lives for one another. This is echoed by what the Apostle John says here in verse sixteen. In other words, when we give our lives for our fellow believers, we do so following the Anointed One as an example.[1]
Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274) says we may speak of a righteous act in two ways. To begin with, the type of activity, as compared to the integrity prompting it. In this way, martyrdom cannot be the most perfect of virtuous acts. Any endurance of death is not praiseworthy in itself, but only in so far by directing it toward some good cause. It includes faith or love for God so that, in the end, one’s intentions make things better for others.[2]
John Calvin (1509-1564) teaches how two natures constitute the character of the Anointed One as our Mediator. Calvin mentions that when the Word became flesh and blood, we must not understand it as if God changed from a spirit into a human being or His divinity became diluted by His humanity. It is clear that the Anointed One chose the Virgin’s womb as a temporary temple where He was clothed with flesh. Nevertheless, people sometimes attribute divine qualities (Son of God) to His humanity and human attributes (son of man) to His divinity. In other words, God cannot die, but humans must. In other words, when the son of Mary died on the cross, the Son of God stayed alive. After His resurrection, these two elements were joined again, and that was His essence He took back to heaven with Him. Sometimes qualities that embrace both natures do not apply to either one in particular. Such a combination of His God/man nature is expressed in such a way that He appears to be talking about Himself.[3]
According to Calvin, we place little dependence on these statements unless proven by numerous passages throughout sacred scriptures that men did not make them up. What the Anointed One said about Himself[4] was very foreign to His humanity. There is a communication in God-language when the Apostle Paul says that God purchased the Church “with His blood”[5] and that the Jews crucified the Lord of glory.[6] In like manner, John says, that the Word of God was “handled.” God certainly has no blood, does not suffer, and cannot be touched with hands. But since the Anointed One, who was truly God and truly man, shed His blood on the cross for us, the kind acts He performed as a human also included His miracles.
Calvin then points out a similar example where John says here in verse sixteen that God laid down His life for us. Hence, we see a property of His humanity communicated with His divinity. But, on the other hand, when the Anointed One was still living on earth, said, “The only one who has ever gone up to heaven is the one who came down from heaven – the Son of Man.”[7] Therefore, although regarded as a human being, which He willingly put on, He was not at that moment in heaven. However, since He was both Divine and human, the union of His twofold nature attributed what belonged to one belonged to the other.[8]
In his commentary on verse sixteen, John Owen (1616-1683) says that God willingly and voluntarily became the Anointed One to make atonement for us out of His abundant goodness and love. And accordingly, we find this undertaking ascribed to that love He exercised in doing so.[9] Moreover, He clothed Himself with human nature to be like us, and we had nothing to do with it. We did not elect or appoint Him to that role, yet He took responsibility for doing what He came to do. He did it as though we asked Him to do it. For that reason, regardless of what He and the Father agreed to, He volunteered to be our Redeemer.[10] He could do so by becoming one of us, which was the formal reason for His installation in that office.[11][12]
Owen then has more to say about the Anointed One giving up the same kind of life we have to save ours. He became human when He “came in the flesh.”[13] These are just some passages where the person of the Anointed One is revealed to our faith that we may believe in Him as the Son of God and have eternal life. There is no need to counter the objections of our adversaries against this divine revelation, nor do we need to defend ourselves against their strange antichrist concepts.[14] The day will come when they are proven wrong, and we are confirmed to be right.
John Flavel (1627-1691) discusses the implications of truth proven by the fact that Jesus the Anointed One devoted Himself to the work of a mediator for our sake. One of those is the pattern of love for the saints. That is, calling all those in union with the Anointed One to imitate Him to the point of giving up self-service to the service of others, as the Anointed One did. We cannot duplicate what He did but can do what we are capable of. So, you see how His heart was affected by us that He would offer Himself as a redeeming sacrifice on our behalf.[15]
In his sermon on the Anointed One being an example for ministers, Jonathan Edwards (1703-1758) refers to what the Lord said on giving them an example to follow: “do as I have done to you.”[16] The Apostle John insists on following this great example the Anointed One gave us. In the discourse the Anointed One had with His disciples, this same night, He said: “And so I am giving a new commandment to you now – love each other just as much as I love you.[17] Later, during the Last Supper, Jesus told His disciples, “I demand that you love each other as much as I love you. And here is how to measure it – the greatest love is shown when a person lays down their life for their friends.”[18] And so here in verse sixteen, we observe the love of God because God laid down His life for us; and we ought to be ready to do the same for our brothers and sisters.”[19]
Thomas Scott (1747-1821) states that a Christian may grow more knowledgeable of our love for God and others when our selfish passions subside. As heavenly love increases, pride and anger become less apparent. Then believers can manifest love that is patient, kind, not envious, bragging, or puffed up, thinks no evil, rejoices over the truth about good and evil.[20] In other words, love, when shown in both word and deed, will flourish when heavenly wisdom and deep humility make a Christian ashamed of pretending to love.[21]
Scott also says that genuine love’s efforts toward our fellow believers are required. We might understand this by considering “God’s love” for sinners. The reality and vastness of His love were apparent, especially in that He, the Anointed One, was also called Emmanuel – God is with us. He laid down His “life” for His people to compensate for their sins and ransom their souls.
Scott then points out that in the Authorized Version (KJV), the first line of verse sixteen reads: “the love of God.” By putting “of God” in italics, they show it is missing in many Greek manuscripts. However, it is implied because Jesus, who is God, laid down His life for us. Therefore, our love for Him should make us willing to lay down our lives for Him and our brothers and sisters when the situation is urgent; we gain something honorable by doing it. So, if we are willing to give up our life for God and others, how much more for less costly and meaningful things. Therefore, beware of anyone who claims they would die for their Lord but is unwilling to give up a coat, shoes, or a meal for a needy fellow believer.[22]
Charles Simeon (1759-1836) gives a profound meaning to the Apostle John’s statement in verse sixteen. In contemplating Christianity as a system, the apostle states that we scarcely know how to admire more, the depth of its mysteries or the height of its requirements. Of all the secrets specified in verse sixteen, the death of our incarnate God for the sins of mankind is beyond comprehension. Yet, on the other hand, of all comparisons that require greatness, there is none so demanding as having the willingness to lay down our lives for any fellow believer. The two taken together portray Christianity in a most endearing way and exhibit it as motivation to the spiritual perfection of our nature and the completion of our joy.[23]
[1] Ambrosiaster: Ancient Christian Texts, op. cit., p. 54
[2] Thomas Aquinas: Summa Theologica, Vol. 4, pp. 27-30
[3]Cf. Mark 2:5-7; 10:17-18; John 6:38-39; 8:31, 48; 10:30-33, 36-39; 14:6
[14] John Owen: The Doctrine of the Trinity and the Person and Satisfaction of Christ, p. 69; See also: A Vindication of Some Passages in a Discourse Concerning on Communion with God, p. 66
3:16So now we can tell who is a child of God and who belongs to Satan. Whoever is living a life of sin and doesn’t love his brother shows that he is not in God’s family;
EXPOSITION
It is no coincidence that John 3:16 and 1 John 3:16 bear a close resemblance to each other. What Jesus said to Nicodemus was what inspired John to write about the peace God’s love brings that surpasses all human understanding.[1] And what a moment it must have been when John heard the Master say that He did not come as a Prince to be served, but as a servant for others and give His life as a ransom for the world.[2] And after Jesus returned to heaven, the Father sent the Holy Spirit to help us be like shepherds, guiding and watching over His flock – the Church. After all, they were the ones He ransomed from sin’s slave market that cost Him His life.[3]
The Apostle Paul took this as God’s way of showing His love for us, even while still living in sin.[4] He reminded the Ephesians of how the Anointed One lived a life full of love, and we should do the same in His honor. And just as the priest offered sweet-smelling incenses on the altar in the Temple’s Holy Place, so we can do the same by offering our talents, gifts, and spiritual abilities to help others to the glory of God the Father.[5] And the best way to begin is in our homes among our families.[6] Furthermore, we should do so because we know that soon time will run out for us and, eventually, the whole Church.[7]
And the Apostle Peter points to one of the great motivators who inspires us to live as a giver, not a getter. God paid a ransom that was worth more than silver or gold.[8] Not only that, but the cost of our redemption involved God’s Son willingly carrying our sins to the cross and suffering the punishment we deserved on our behalf, and by whose stripes and wounds we are spiritually and morally healed.[9] In fact, we could say that He was murdered to keep us from going to hell.[10]
But, if we must all suffer, some more, some less, it is easy to see who among them do so for the sake of others. Such heroes are those who, although they could have avoided such hardships by running away, chose to remain faithful than abandon others to whom they are a spiritual lifeline. By such conduct, the love recommended by the Apostle John proved to be valid. In John’s words, “The Anointed One laid down His life for us: and we ought to willingly lay down our lives for the brethren.”[11]But if those who abandoned their posts had willingly endured suffering on their fellow believers’ behalf, they would have unquestionably done the same.[12]
By this, we have come to know (have acquired and possess the knowledge of) love (what love is), in that Jesus laid down His life to redeem us.[13] When we look at this in the case of Cain and Abel, Cain’s deed symbolizes hate. He took his brother’s life to benefit himself. In contrast, the Anointed One laid down His life to benefit those who hated Him.[14] We must be ready to imitate our Lord’s idea of love, prepare to sacrifice, even our lives, for the good of others. The abuse of another’s rights, and perhaps existence for one’s sake, is the essence of hatred. However, the willingness to abandon one’s rights for another’s sake is the essence of love. The Anointed One died for those who hated Him.[15] Likewise, Christians must deal with the world’s hatred with love, ready to die for their haters.
Now we come to the perfect example of true love – the Lord Jesus the Anointed One. Instead of taking a life as Cain did, He came to give life. That is the way we know it was love. The Greek text here in verse sixteen provides this idea with the words: “By this [what I am about to state] we have come to know love.” We came to experience genuine love through the greatest act of love, a Savior who willingly died that we might have eternal life. The primary characteristic of the Anointed One’s love is sacrifice. Love was the motivation for His coming to earth. He demonstrated that love in sacrificing Himself for others.[16]
Where the text reads, “He laid down His life,” the pronoun “He” carries a heavy emphasis. It is because John puts prominence on the One who paid the debt for our sins. He is, unlike any other, an exceptional, one-of-a-kind personality. Jesus chose to die; no one forced Him to give up His life. Instead, He deliberated, planned, and intentionally died to buy forgiveness for our sins.
So, how can we apply this to our Christian lifestyle? We start by proving that our love is genuine. For instance, the way a husband can show love for his wife is not in words only, but by how much he gives himself to her. After all, God gave her to him, so it is his responsibility to protect, provide, and promote her goodwill for his and God’s sake. Just as the Apostle John says that we prove our love for God by loving others, so it is, the husband demonstrates his love for God by loving his wife. Jesus the Anointed One showed us through His crucifixion that Christian love requires sacrifice and service to others. Our Lord’s love sought the welfare of others, not Himself. It puts a moral obligation on believers. Jesus did it to save; we do it to serve.[17]
Therefore, Christians live under a divine imperative; they have an obligation to God. The Apostle John said we “ought to lay down our lives,” which means to owe, be under obligation, or debt. It is a financial term for the responsibility to pay a debt.[18] The Greeks used the verb opheilō for an “inner moral obligation.” As such, Strong, in his Greek Concordance, says opheilō carries the idea of an ethical obligation instead of a logical necessity. Love is activated when we put it into action. The English word “ought” is a contraction of two words: “owes it.” We owe it to the Lord to love others as He loved us. Members of the devil’s viper brood care only about themselves, but Jesus laid down His life for His enemies. Therefore, no one can have greater love than to give their lives for their friends.[19]
Thus, it becomes the Christian’s moral obligation to love as Jesus loved. So, if we have a moral duty to do what Jesus did, why don’t we? God may never call on us to give our lives physically for others, but He calls us to sacrifice for others. That may come in the form of material goods or money. We owe something to needy Christians because we owe everything to the Anointed One.[20]
It is also interesting that the Greek verb tithēmi (“lay down”) means to divest oneself of something. Thus, love deprives itself in order to give to others. As Strong says, “to carry no longer.”[21] Spiritually speaking, Christians must follow the example of their Lord in ridding themselves of selfishness to meet the requests of others about their needs. They seek the highest good in others. It may be inconvenient for them to do this, but convenience is not their core value. This love gets involved with helping underprivileged people.
In summary, just as hatred can result in murder, so love leads to life. True love is willing to give its all for another; it is the capacity to deny self in the interest of others. Jesus laid out this imperative in His farewell address to the disciples: “I’m giving you a new commandment: Love one another. In the same way I loved you, you love one another. This is how everyone will recognize that you are my disciples – when they see how you love each other. The very best way to show your love is by putting your life at risk for your friends.”[22] Even the Apostle Paul sensed an obligation to the Greeks and barbarians.[23] He owed the Gospel due them, so he was bound and determined to give them the Good News about the Anointed One. It leaves us no room for excuses.
[12] The Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Vol. 1, The Confessions and Letters of Augustine of Hippo (354-430) AD, With a Sketch of His Life and Work, Letters of S. Augustine of Hippo (354-430) AD, Letter 228 (428 or 429 AD) p. 1161
Archbishop François Fénelon (1651-1725) felt that although the war was over and people had gone back to living a peaceful life, because of what happened and its debilitating effect, there were still many who became anxious at the slightest sign of stress caused by their fear of the unknown. So, the good Bishop offered the following advice:
Do not let your natural anxiety consume you because of minor, annoying, imaginary problems all around you. You cannot pray too much when trying to calm your fears. When you frequently seek God for help, the more you will feel His presence throughout the day. A Christian growing anxious over things that have not yet happened will awaken to the sense of God’s presence amid such a crisis. They are like a child whose mother sees them suddenly lose their temper because they didn’t get their way. When reality hits them, they feel embarrassed that they acted that way.
We should be more concerned about not inventing troubles that don’t exist and concentrate on peacefully fulfilling all our duties and obligations as well as we can. Let your inward fears and anxiety be absorbed by the One who lives in you. Jesus is the only one worthy of our attention. Whenever we become conscious of the impulse to worry over something we don’t know whether it is real or imagined, we must throw them aside so that His grace may possess us completely. It is well to stop when we find our tendency for becoming anxious getting the upper hand. Such faithfulness to grace is beneficial to the body as well as the soul! We are not guilty of neglect of duty; we’ve done our best. Yet, like Martha when Jesus visited her and Mary after Lazarus’ death, she was more worried about preparing a meal than dealing with her grief.[1][2]
The Apostle Paul said it very well: Don’t worry about anything, but pray and ask God for everything you need, always giving thanks for what you have. And because you belong to Christ Jesus, God’s peace will stand guard over all your thoughts and feelings. His peace can do this far better than our human minds.[3] And the Apostle Peter believed the same way when he said, “Give all your anxiety to Him because He cares for you.”[4] So, it’s your choice; you can be like Martha, all worried over something unattached to her situation, or like her sister Mary, who knew that taking time with Jesus would help her cope with her fears, worries, and anxiety.
[2] Fénelon, François: Paraclete Giants, The Complete Fénelon, Translated and Edited by Robert J. Edmonson, Paraclete Press, Brewster, Massachusetts, 2008, p. 27; Vocabulary redacted by Dr. Robert R Seyda.
3:15Anyone who hates his Christian brother or sister is a murderer at heart; you know that no one wanting to murder has eternal life within.
Stephen S. Smalley (1931-2018) points to the quality of spiritual life available to the believer through the Anointed One. No wonder, everlasting life is synonymous with Jesus. Therefore, hatred means “refusing to accept the Anointed One as the conclusive revelation of God’s Love.”[1] It indicates that no believer has everlasting life without the Anointed One dwelling in them. So, a hater loses their access to eternal life because they reject Jesus, who is everlasting life.[2]
Michael Eaton (1942-2017) says that hatred begins to develop in the heart of a believer when they start to tolerate their hatred. That’s why the Apostle Paul cautioned believers, not to let a day end without taking care of any anger that tends toward retaliation.[3] If that happens, then, says Eaton, their relationship with the Anointed One, who is their everlasting life, ceases to have any effect. That means any progress in the direction of perfection is halted in readying them for His return. Spiritual liveliness comes from being in union with God. Therefore, the Christian who hates finds themselves powerless, joyless, and unable to resist the temptation to hate.[4]
Colin G. Kruse (1950) notes that by the Apostle John saying that anyone who hates their fellow believer is a murderer may be pointing to Cain killing Abel, something he mentioned earlier.[5] Alternatively, John may be alluding to the teaching of Jesus that those who are angry with their fellow believers will be subject to judgment in the same way as those who commit murder.[6] John then continues by reminding his readers that no murderer has eternal life in them.
The purpose of this whole verse, says Kruse, appears to give greater impact to what John said in verse fourteen that anyone who does not love others is spiritually dead. Such a person is like a murderer, and those consumed with murderous intents have no spiritual life in them. When describing those who do not love and those who hate, [7] John uses present tense verbs. It indicates an ongoing failure to love or constant hatred that he believes marks those who remain spiritually dead and do not have eternal life.[8]
Judith M. Lieu (1951) refers to the subjects of love and hate and their ties to the concept of “justice.” As the Apostle John sees it, hatred is an injustice, therefore, a sin. In that sense, Cain was unjust in killing his brother Abel. In fact, other than for sin and Satan, the Scriptures do not allow hatred. It should be no surprise then that Satan promotes hatred because he was Cain’s murder of Abel. That’s why those who hate are called the devil’s viper brood.[9]
Bruce B. Barton (1954) says that the Apostle John indicates that hate fills the void if a heart is empty of love.[10] There is no middle ground between love and hate, light and darkness, spiritual life and death. Where a person has one, it deprives the other. If a person hates someone, it is like wishing that the other were dead, and the Lord sees the inner desire as equal to the outward act it would bring.[11] Therefore, anyone who hates another brother or sister is a murderer at heart. The loveless believer has given up abiding in light but chooses to live in darkness.[12] They rebel against God and join the devil’s brood.[13] John describes love as the outward test that a person has passed from spiritual death (degenerate condition) to spiritual life (regenerate state).[14]
Daniel L. Akin (1957) tells us that loving others has numerous positive benefits and blessings. One is that we know we are born again and have eternal life. In fact, John says we have an abiding and settled knowledge “that we have passed from [spiritual] death to eternal [spiritual] life because we are loving [continually] our brothers and sisters.” In contrast, John says here in verse fourteen that the one who does not love is spiritually dead.”
Interestingly, says Akin, the word “brother” or “brethren” occurs 14 times in this letter and almost always has in view the family of God. John, no doubt, would affirm our love for all mankind and women in general, but here he calls for us to love our brothers and sisters in the Lord in particular. Paul says something similar to the Galatians, “That’s why whenever we are able, we should always be kind to everyone, and especially to our Christian brothers and sisters.”[15] Those whose lives are characterized by hatred have never been born again, or they are “spiritually dead.”[16] Further, not only do they live in a world of spiritual deadness, they are murderers in God’s eyes. John is explicit: an attitude of hate in your heart is equivalent to murder in your hands. John is again drawing from words he heard from Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount.[17][18]
Bruce G. Schuchard (1958) emphasizes that the person who does not love does more than simply hate. Haters are character assassins eager to take away the other person’s joy and livelihood. So, we can see how monstrous it is for a “so-called” believer to hate another. In doing so, they reveal themselves possessed by the same spirit as the devil’s viper brood.[19] As Christians, we are to mirror the image of the Anointed One in our words, deeds, and behavior. Who can imagine a hater believing that others can still see the image of the Anointed One in them?[20]
David Guzik (1961) admits that many people trying to select the options for living a holy life offered in the Scriptures answer, “none of the above.” They consider themselves Christians because they are not Muslim, Jewish, Buddhist, Hindu or atheist. Claiming to be a believer is more than saying, “I am a Christian.” There are, in fact, some sinners claiming to be saints. How can we know if we are one of these? The Apostle John has been constant and straightforward. There are three tests to measure the proof of genuine Christianity: The Truth Test, [21] the Love Test, [22] and the Moral Test.[23] If we believe what the Bible teaches is valid, meaning we show the love of Jesus to others because our behavior has changed, becoming more like Jesus, then it proves our claim of being a Christian is valid.[24]
Peter Pett (1966) sees Cain as representative of the world’s rebellion against God’s will. So, we should not be surprised if we, as faithful Christians, seek the will of God, and the world hates us for it. And yet, they dislike being reminded of the fact. On the contrary, they want congratulations for thinking it is fine for earthlings to believe there is nothing wrong with their immoral living and behavior. Consequently, if anyone dares to do otherwise, they will find themselves hated. Furthermore, the world belittled them if they spoke out. Thus, the world becomes irritated by them.
Pett points out that the Bible calls them murderers. That is, like Cain, rebelling against God’s will and word. But hate here in this verse is not a consuming hatred (although it can become that); it is to have a dislike, in this case, for the truth. As a result, they cannot have eternal life dwelling in them, for they have the murder virus within their hearts. Not only that, but those who continue to think this way reveal that they insist on living contrary to God’s will. As a result, they remain lost in the darkness of self-deception.[25]
David Legge (1969) supposes that’s why Christians don’t take hatred as seriously as murder, but God does. Answer this: “Since you call yourself a Christian, do you have a grudge against another brother or sister?” Don’t misunderstand; it’s not saying that if you get angry with somebody at some time, or you’ve stopped talking to each other, you’re on your way to hell. We all get angry from time to time, especially when they follow us too closely on the highway or cut in line at the bank. The Apostle John is talking about those who pursue a habitual lifestyle of breaking the law.
Therefore, notes Legge, the Apostle John, says that anyone who continues to hold on to resentment against some brother or sister in the Lord needs a wake-up call. Unwillingness to let go of an unsettled grievance is hateful; you need to be careful – why? Because, just as the Lord Jesus said in His Sermon on the Mount, “If you do not forgive people their wrongdoings, your Father will not forgive your misconduct.”[26] Oh, we quickly skip over that one! We’re all for free grace; grace is free! I know it’s free, but not at any price – forgive your brother or sister, or God will have no interest in pardoning you.[27]
3:15Anyone who hates his Christian brother or sister is a murderer at heart; you know that no one wanting to murder has eternal life within.
Also, the Greek verb eidō (“know”) means to “perceive, notice, discern, discover” something instinctively as self-evident. We know spontaneously that murder is incompatible with a believer’s eternal life in the Anointed One. Therefore, we can make a sweeping declaration that murder is fundamentally against one’s nature as a Christian. Everyone knows that as a generally accepted principle, murder is wrong; the same applies for hatred. So, it goes without explanation; God does not fellowship with Christians who commit mental murder.
Therefore, we must constantly remind ourselves that simply suppressing such evil thoughts will not solve the problem. Just because we bury it in one place, it will pop up somewhere else. The only way to honestly deal with this is to tell it like it is – our sinful tendencies are still at work. We must acknowledge that hatred of others violates our fellowship with God. So, confess it and pray for the Spirit’s help in never doing it again. We dare not justify ourselves by rationalizing hate away. Keep in mind; if you understood why, you hate someone, you would better understand your animosity. Even if we can fool other Christians, we cannot fool the Lord. If we do not love our brother or sister, then we detest Him who is in them. Evil hostility not only hurts the person being disliked, but it also hurts the person who hates. It is self-induced misery. It will put the hater ultimately into sinful bondage.
COMMENTARY
Regarding the effects of hating instead of loving our spiritual brothers and sisters, Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274) is asked whether hatred of a neighbor is the most grievous sin against them? Some think that it would seem that being hostile to a neighbor is the most grievous sin because of what the Apostle John says here in verse fifteen. And since it makes murder the most unfortunate of sins against a neighbor, so is hatred. We all know that “worst” is opposed to “best.” The “best” thing we can give our neighbors is everything ascribed to love. Therefore, hatred is the “worst.”
But Aquinas disagrees. We call something evil because it hurts, he says. There are sins by which a person harms their neighbor more than by hatred, such as theft, murder, and adultery. Therefore, hatred is not the most grievous sin. On the other hand, the commandments of the Anointed One include not being angry[1] or desiring what is not yours.[2] Obedience brings excellent rewards, while being angry and greedy are but minor transgressions. Now hatred is an internal movement like anger and desire. Therefore, hatred of one’s brother or sister is less grievous than murder.[3]
In expounding on the Ten Commandments (Hebrew: Ten Words), John Calvin focuses on the sixth, “You must not murder.”[4] Calvin finds this commandment significant since the Lord tied humanity together with the rope of unity. Consequently, we must consider everyone’s safety as entrusted to each of us. As such, all violence and injustice done to a neighbor are prohibited.
This commandment, notes Calvin, also forbids murderous ideas in our hearts and requires a sincere desire to preserve our brother and sister’s lives. The hand, indeed, commits the murder, but the mind, influenced by rage and hatred, conceives it. How can you be angry with your brother or sister without passionately longing to do them harm? If you must not be mad at them, neither must you hate them; hatred is nothing but untreated chronic anger.
So, regardless of how you may disguise the fact or try to escape from it by empty excuses, says Calvin, where either anger or hatred is, there is an inclination to harm. Therefore, if you persist in constantly evading any immediate action or clear explanation, the Spirit declared through the Apostle John that whoever hates their brother or sister is a murderer.[5] So also, our Savior told us that anyone with a lot of anger in their hearts against a brother or sister is guilty of murder. And carelessly calling a brother an “idiot!” might result in the authorities hauling you into court. Or, if you thoughtlessly yell “stupid!” at a sister, and you are on the ledge above hell’s fire.[6] The simple moral fact is that words can kill.[7]
While there is only one living and true God, says Charles Hodge (1797-1878), yet as there are three persons in the Godhead, and as these three are the same in substance, it follows that where the Father is, there the Son is, and where the Son is, there is the Spirit. Hence, our Lord says, “All who love me will do what I say. My Father will love them, and We will come and make our home with each of them.”[8] And the Apostle John states, “Anyone who hates another brother or sister is a murderer at heart. And you know that murderers don’t have any chance of eternal life.”[9][10]
Albert Barnes (1798-1870) suggests that the Apostle John implies here that the person who hates their brother or sister has the spirit of a murderer; they have that which, if acted upon, would lead them to do bodily harm, as Cain did to Abel. Their hidden spitefulness, secret grudges, and the envy they cherish in their hearts are murderous in their tendency. So, if it were not for the outward restraints of human laws and the dread of punishment, it would often lead to the act of murder.
The Apostle John does not say, notes Barnes, that those who hate their fellow believers do not commit homicide. However, although they don’t kill anyone, they are just as guilty as if they did. John means that the spirit that would lead to murder is active, and God will hold them responsible for it. Nothing is lacking but the removal of outward restraints, which would lead to committing this awful deed. That’s why God judges’ people by what He sees in their hearts.[11]
William Graham (1810-1883) feels it is far more important to observe the Apostle John’s intention than his form of expression. He assures us that no murderer has eternal life in them. They are not Christian and can have no claim on the promises of life and immortality. They have not passed from being spiritually dead to being alive in the Anointed One. Furthermore, they have never tasted that the Lord is gracious, nor that the power of the Holy Spirit has renewed their heart. Brotherly love, therefore, is the test of discipleship, and we should stimulate our reborn spirits in daily fellowship with God’s children. Do we genuinely love them? Can we say we love all of them? Is our love them because they are part of us? No! We love them simply and solely because they belong to the Anointed One? In that case, we may confidently say, “If anyone says ‘I love God,’ but keeps hating their brother or sister, is a liar; for if they don’t love their brother and sister who is right there in front of them, how can they love God whom they have never seen?” Thus, the evidence of whom they belong to is in the open and provides all the proof necessary.[12]
Charles Moinet (1842-1913) says that sin is measured by one’s temperament, not by the act. Some may say the following words are a form of double-talk. “I hate this person, it is true, but I would not harm them for anything in the world.” So, we can agree, there is a big difference between the feeling of resentment or even a long-running quarrel, such as the one between Cain and Abel that ended up costing Abel his life.
As for the essence of the words here in verse fourteen, says Moinet, it is enough to say that they proceed from the Apostle of Love and that, if genuine, we should share them with everyone. In addition, if you find fault with John, you must find the same fault with yourself. Have you considered what having an unforgiving and unloving attitude really means? These reflect selfish and impure desires. They are like tall weeds that show which way the wind is blowing. They also serve as symptoms of a fatal spiritual disorder. As such, we cannot dismiss them simply by changing our mood or our manner of worship? Be assured, there is only one thing that can save a person, and that is the grace of God through the Anointed One. We have the promise that where sin is prevalent, grace is more predominant. It provides forgiveness when we come to God, and He cleanses us from all wrongdoing. So, with God’s love in us, we fulfill the requirements of the law.[13]
Rudolf Schnackenburg (1914-2002) notes that the Apostle John says hatred is one of the most dreadful sins, since it is equivalent to murder. Look at what happened to Abel. It has been a longstanding rule that a person must pay for taking another’s life with their life. The same is true with a Christian who assassinates another brother or sister’s character or reputation; they lose their spiritual life. However, to be a hateful person does not mean there is no divine life left in them. Thus, they are not in danger of losing their eternal life, since it wasn’t theirs in the first place.[14]
Down an Unfamiliar Road 