Chapter XIII: Section V: Greek. Latin

εαν ειδητε ὁτι Si scitis quoniam
δικαιος εστιν, γινωσκετε ὁτι iustus est, scitote quoniam
πας ὁ ποιων την δικαιοσυνην omnis qui facit
εξ αυτου γεγεννηται. iustitiam ex ipso natus
Ιδετε ποταπην αγαπην est. Videte qualem
δεδωκεν ἡμιν ὁ πατηρ, ἱνα caritatem dedit nobis
τεκνα Θεου κληθωμεν, και Pater ut filii Dei nominemur
εσμεν. δια τουτο ὁ κοσμος et simus.
ου γινωσκει ἡμας, ὁτι ουκ Propter hoc mundus
εγνω αυτον. Αγαπητοι, non novit nos, quia non
νυν τεκνα Θεου εσμεν, novit eum. Carissimi,
και ουπω εφανερωθη nunc filii Dei sumus
τι εσομεθα· οιδαμεν et nondum apparuit
ὁτι εαν φανερωθη quid erimus. Scimus
ὁμοιοι αυτυ εσομεθα, quoniam cum apparuerit
ὁτι οψομεθα αυτον καθως similes ei erimus,
εστιν. και πας ὁ εχων quoniam videbimus
την ελπιδα ταυτην επ' eum sicuti est. Et
αυτυ αγνιζει εαυτον omnis qui habet spem
καθως εκεινος αγνος εστιν. hanc in eo sanctificat se,
Πας ὁ ποιων την ἁμαρτιαν sicut et ille sanctus est.
και την ανομιαν Omnis qui facit peccatum
ποιει· και ἡ αμαρτια et iniquitatem facit,
εστιν ἡ ανομια. και et peccatum est iniquitas.
οιδατε ὁτι εκεινος Et scitis quoniam
εφανερωθη ἱνα τας ἁμαρτιας ille apparuit ut
αρη, και ἁμαρτια εν αυτω peccata tolerit, et peccatum
ουκ εστιν. πας ὁ εν αυτω in eo non est.
μενων ουχ ἁμαρτανει· Omnis qui in eo manet
πας ὁ ἁμαρτανων ουχ non peccat, et omnis
ἑωρακεν αυτον ουδε qui peccat non videt
εγνωκεν αυτον. Παιδια, eum nec cognovit eum.
μηδεις πλανατω ὑμας· Filioli, nemo vos seducat.
ὁ ποιων την δικαιοσυνην Qui facit iustitiam,
δικαιος εστιν, καθως iustus est,
εκεινος δικαιος εστιν. sicut et ille iustus est:
ὁ ποιων την ἁμαρτιαν qui facit peccatum, ex
εκ του διαβολου εστιν, diabolo est quoniam
ὁτι απ' αρχης ὁ διαβολος ab initio diabolus
ἁμαρτανει. εις τουτο peccat. In hoc apparuit
εφανερωθη ὁ υιος του Filius Dei, ut
Θεου, ἱνα λυση τα εργα dissolvat opera diaboli.
του διαβολου. πας ὁ Omnis qui natus est
γεγεννημενος εκ του ex Deo peccatum non
Θεου ἁμαρτιαν ου ποιει, facit, quoniam semen
ὁτι σπερμα αυτου εν ipsius in eo manet, et
αυτω μενει· και ου non potest peccare,
δυναται ἁμαρτανειν, ὁτι quoniam ex Deo natus est.
εκ του Θεου γεγεννηται.

AUTHORISED VERSION. REVISED VERSION.

If ye know that He If ye know that He
is righteous, ye know is righteous, ye know
that every one that that every one also
doeth righteousness is that doeth righteousness
born of Him. Behold, is begotten of
what manner of love Him. Behold, what
the Father hath bestowed manner of love the
upon us, that Father hath bestowed
we should be called upon us, that we
the sons of God: should be called children
therefore the world of God: and _such_
knoweth us not, because we are. For this cause
it knew Him not. the world knoweth us
Beloved, now are we not, because it knew
the sons of God, and it Him not. Beloved,
doth not yet appear now are we children
what we shall be: but of God, and it is not
we know that, when yet made manifest
He shall appear, we what we shall be. We
shall be like Him; for know that, if He shall
we shall see Him as He be manifested, we shall
is. And every man be like Him; for we
that hath this hope in shall see Him even as
Him purifieth himself, He is. And every one
even as He is pure. that hath this hope _set_
Whosoever committeth on Him purifieth himself,
sin transgresseth also even as He is
the law: for sin is the pure. Every one that
transgression of the doeth sin doeth also
law. And ye know lawlessness: and sin
that He was manifested is lawlessness. And
to take away our sins; ye know that He was
and in Him is no sin. manifested to take
Whosoever abideth in away sins; and in
Him sinneth not: whosoever Him is no sin. Whosoever
sinneth hath abideth in Him
not seen Him, neither sinneth not: whosoever
known Him. Little sinneth hath not
children, let no man seen Him, neither
deceive you: he that knoweth Him. _My_
doeth righteousness is little children, let no
righteous, even as He man lead you astray:
is righteous. He that he that doeth righteousness
committeth sin is of the is righteous,
devil; for the devil even as He is righteous;
sinneth from the beginning. he that doeth sin
For this purpose is of the devil; for the
the Son of God devil sinneth from the
was manifested, that beginning. To this
He might destroy the end was the Son of
works of the devil. God manifested, that
Whosoever is born of He might destroy the
God doth not commit works of the devil.
sin: for His seed remaineth Whosoever is begotten
in him: and of God doeth no sin,
he cannot sin, because because His seed
he is born of God. abideth in him; and
he cannot sin, because
he is begotten of God.

ANOTHER VERSION.

If ye know that He
is righteous, ye are
aware that every one
who is doing righteousness
is born of
Him. Behold what
manner of love the
Father hath bestowed
upon us that we should
be called children of
God;--and we are.
Because of this the
world knoweth us
because it knew not
Him. Beloved, now
are we children of
God, and it never yet
was manifested what
we shall be; but we
know that if it shall
be manifested we
shall be like Him;
for we shall see Him
as He is. And everyone
that hath this hope
_fixed_ on Him is ever
purifying himself even
as He is pure. Every
one that is doing sin, is
also doing lawlessness;
and, _indeed_, sin is lawlessness.
And ye know
that He was manifested
that He should take
away sins; and sin in
Him is not. Whosoever
abideth in Him is
not sinning; every one
that is sinning hath
not seen Him neither
hath known Him.
Little children, let no
man mislead you; he
that is doing righteousness
is righteous, even
as He is righteous: he
that is doing sin is of
the devil, because the
devil is continually
sinning from the beginning.
Unto this end
the Son of God was
manifested that He
might destroy the
works of the devil.
Whosoever is born of
God is not doing sin
for his seed abideth in
Him, and he is not able
to be sinning, because
he is born of God.

NOTES.

Ch. ii. 29, iii. 9.

III. ver. 2. "_Hope fixed in Him_" or "_on_ Him."] The English reader should note the capital letter; not hope in our hearts, but hope unfastened from self. Επι σοι Κυριε ηλπισα, is the LXX. translation of Psalm xxx. 1.

_Is ever purifying himself._] "See how he does not do away with freewill; for he says _purifies himself_. Who purifies us but God? Yet God does not purify you when you are unwilling; therefore in joining your will to God you purify yourself." (St. Augustine _in loc._)

_We shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is._] "So then we are about to see a certain sight, excelling all beauties of the earth; the beauty of gold, silver, forest, fields--the beauty of sea and air, sun and moon--the beauty of stars--the beauty of angels. Aye, excelling all these, because all these are beautiful only for _it_. What, therefore, shall we be when we shall see all these? What is promised? _We shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is._ The tongue hath spoken as it could; let the rest be thought over by the heart" (St. Augustine _in loc._). Cf. 2 Cor. iii. 18. "As the whole body, face, above all eyes of those who look towards the sun are _sunnied_" (insolantur).--_Bengel._

Ver. 3. The ample stores of English divinity contain two sermons, one excellent, one beautiful, upon this verse. The first is by Paley; it is founded upon the leading thought, which he expresses with his usual manly common sense. "There are a class of Christians to whom the admonition of the text is peculiarly necessary. Finding it an easier thing to do good than to expel sins which cleave to their hearts, their affections, or their imaginations; they set their endeavours more towards _beneficence_ than _purity_. Doing good is not the whole of our duty, nor the most difficult part of it. In particular it is not that part of it which is insisted upon in our text." (Paley, Sermon XLIII.) But the second sermon is perhaps the finest which ever came from the pen of South, and he throws into it the full power of his heart and intellect. The bare analysis is this:--

Is it indeed possible for a man to "purify himself"? There is a twofold work of purification. (1) The infusing of the habit of purity into the soul (regeneration or conversion). In this respect, no man can purify himself. (2) The other work of purification is exercising that habit or grace of purity. "God who made, and since new made us, without ourselves, will not yet save us without ourselves." But again, how can a man purify himself to that degree _even as Christ is pure_? _Even as_ denotes similitude of kind, not equality of degree. We are to purify ourselves from the _power_ of sin, and from the _guilt_ of sin. Purification from the _power_ of sin consists in these things. (1) A continually renewed repentance. Every day, every hour, may afford matter for penitential sorrow. "A fountain of sin may well require a fountain of sorrow." Converting repentance must be followed by daily repentance. (2) Purifying ourselves consists in vigilant prevention of acts of sin for the future. The means of effecting this are these. (_a_) Opposing the very first risings of the heart to sin. "The bees may be at work, and very busy within, though we see none of them fly abroad." (_b_) Severe mortifying duties, such as watchings and fastings. (_c_) Frequent and fervent prayer. "A praying heart naturally turns into a purified heart." We are to purify ourselves, also, from the _guilt_ of sin. (1) Negatively. No duty or work within our power to perform can take away the guilt of sin. Those who think so, understand neither "the fiery strictness of the law, nor the spirituality of the Gospel." (2) That which alone can purify us from the _guilt_ of sin is applying the virtue of the blood of Christ to the soul by renewed acts of faith. "It is that alone that is able to wash away the deep stain, and to change the hue of the spiritual Ethiopian." The last consideration is--how the life of heaven and future glory has such a sovereign influence upon this work? [This portion of the sermon falls far below the high standard of the rest, and entirely loses the spirit of St. John's thought.] South's _Sermons_. (Sermon 72, pp. 594-616.)

Ver. 6. _That He might destroy the works of the devil._] The word here used for Satan (διαβολος) is found in John vii. 70, viii. 44, xiii. 2; Apoc. ii. 10, xii. 9, 12, xx. 2, 10. One class of miracles is not specifically recorded by St. John in his Gospel--the dispossession of demoniacs. Probably this terrible affliction was less common in Jerusalem than in Galilee. But the idea of possession is not foreign to his mode of thought. John vi. 70, viii. 44, 48, x. 20, xiii. 27. He here points to the dispossessions, so many of which are recorded by the Synoptics.

III. ver. 9. His _seed abideth in him_.] Of these words only two interpretations appear to be fairly possible. (1) The first would understand "His seed" as "_God's seed_," the stock or family of His children who are the true אֱלהִים זֶרצ, _seed of God_ (Mal. ii. 15). In favour of this interpretation it may be urged: first, that "seed" in the sense of "children, posterity, any one's entire stock and filiation," in perhaps nearly two hundred passages of the LXX., is the Greek rendering of many different Hebrew words. (See σπερμα in Num. xxiv. 20; Deut. xxv. 1; Jer. l. 16; Gen. iii. 15; Isa. xiv. 20, 30, xv. 9; Num. xxiii. 10; 2 Chron. xiv. 27.) Secondly, no inapt meaning is given in the present text by so understanding the word. "He is unable to go on in sin, for _God's_ true stock and family (they who are true to the majesty of their birth) abide in Him." (2) But a second meaning appears preferable. "Seed" (σπερμα) would then be understood as a metaphorical application of the grain in the vegetable world which contains the possible germ of the future plant or tree; and would signify the possibility, or germinal principle, given by the Holy Spirit to the soul in regeneration. For this signification in our passage there is a strong argument, which we have not seen adverted to, in St. John's mode of language and of thought. "His seed abideth in him" (σπερμα αυτου εν αυτω μενει) is really a quotation from the LXX. (ου το σπερμα αυτου εν αυτω--note the repetition of the words Gen. i. 11, 12). Now the Book of Genesis seems to have been the part of the Old Testament which (with the Psalms) was chiefly in St. John's mind in the Epistle. (Cf. 1 John i. 1, Gen. i. 1.--iii. 8, Gen. ii.--iii. 12, Gen. iv. 8--iii. 15, Gen. xxvii. 41.) St. John, also, connects the new birth of the sons of God, as did our Lord, with the birth of the creation, whose first germ was "the Spirit of God moving upon the face of the waters" (Gen. i. 2; John iii. 5). This parallel between the first creation and the second, between creation and regeneration, has always commended itself to profound Christian exegesis as being deeply set in the mind of Scripture. Witness the magnificent lines.

Plebs ut sacra renascatur,
Per Hunc unda consecratur,
Cui super ferebatur
In rerum exordium.
Fons, origo pietatis,
Fons emundans a peccatis,
Fons de fonte Deitatis,
Fons sacrator fontium!
Adam of St. Victor, Seq. xx., _Pentecoste_.

It is instructive, to study the treatment of our Lord's words (John iii. 5) by a commentator so little mystical as Professor Westcott. St. John, then, might point at this as another hint of regeneration in the parable of creation, viewed spiritually. The world of vegetation in Genesis is divided into two classes. (1) _Herbs_ צֵשֶׂב = all grasses and plants which "_yield seed_." (2) _Trees_ מְּרִי צֵץ = shrubs and arboreous plants which have their seed enclosed in their fruit (Gen. i. 11, 12) Such are the plants of God's planting in His garden. Of each the "seed" from which he sprung, and which he will reproduce unless he becomes barren and blighted, "is in him." "He cannot sin." It is against the basis of his new nature. Of the new creation as of the old, the law is--"his seed is in him."

The rest of this verse is interpreted in the Discourse upon 1 John v. 4.