Bible Commentary (1871–1879 Edition)
The Manner nf TcMing False Prophets. 1 JOHN IV. He that Loveth not, Knoweth not God.
Satan and seduces into CTTor. 7. Resumption of the main theme (ch. 2. 29). Love, the sum of righteousness, is the CHAPTER IV.
Ver. 1-21. Tests OF False Prophets. Love, tiik Test OF Birth from God, and the Necessary Fruit of Knowing His Great Love in Christ to its. 1. Beloved—Tlie alt'ectioiiale address wherewitli he calls tln ir test of our being born of God. Love flows from a sense of God's love tois: cf. v. 9 with cli. 3. 16, which v. 9 resumes; and V. 13 with ch. 3. 24, which similarly v. 13 resumes. At tlie same time, f. 7-21 is connected with the immediately preceding context, d. 2 setting forth Chri.<it's incarnation, t/ie great proof of God's iove (v. 10). Beloved an address appropriate to his subject, "love." love—a/J attention, as to an inapoilanl subject, every spirit— which presents itself in tlie person of a propliet. Tlie
Spirit of trutli, and the spirit of error, speak by men's love is from God as its fountain: especially that embodiment of love, God manifest in the flesh. The Father also is spirits as their orgalis. Tliere is but one Spirit of trntli, and one spirit of Antichrist, try—by tlie tests (r. 2, 3). All believers are to do so : not merely ecclesiasi ics. Even an angel's message should be tested by the word of God: much more men's teachings, however holy the teachers may seem, because, &c.—tlie reason why we must "try," or test the spirits, many false prophets—Not " propliets" in the sense " foretellers," l)at organs of the spirit that inspires them, teaching accordingly either trutli or error: "many Anticlirists." are gone out—as if fiom God. into t!te world—said alike? of good and bad propliets CJ John 7). The world is easily seduced (i. 4, 5). a. "Herelove (('. S). The Holy Ghost sheds lovea,s its first/c!<rt abroad ill the heart, knoweth God—spiritually, experimentally, and habitually. 8. knoweth not Greek aorist: not only knoweth not now, but never knew, lias not once for all known God. God is love—There is no Greek article to love, but to God ; therefore we cannot translate. Love is God, God is fundamentall.y and essentially love: not merely i.sloving, for then John's argument would not stand; for the conclusion from the premises then would be this. This man is not loving: God is loving'; therefore he knoweth not God IN so far as God is loving; still he might know Him in His other attributes. But when we take love as God's essence, the argument is sound: This man doth not in.", know . . . the Spirit of God—whether he l)e, or not, in tliose teachers professing to be moved by Him. Every spirit—t. e., Every teacher <:1-A\m\ng ins|)iration by THE Holy Spirit. confessetU—the truth is taken for granted as established. Man is required to co»i/n«.v it, i. e., in his teaching to profess it openly. Jesus Christ Is come in the flesh—a twofold trutli confessed, that Jesus love, and therefore knows not love: God is essentially love, therefore he knoivs not God. 9. toward \xs— Greek, "in our case." sent Greek, "hath sent." into the world— proof against Socinians, that the Son existed before He was "sent into the world." Otherwise, too. He could not have been our life (i-. 9), our "propitiation" (v. 10), or our ".Saviour"' (i'. 14). 11 is the grand proof of God's love. His having sent His only-begotten Son, that we might live through Him, who is the Life, and who h.as redeemed our forfeited is the Christ, and that He is cnme (the Greek perfect implies not a mere past historical fact, as the aorist would, but also the present continuance of the fact and its blessed effects) in theflesh ("clothed with flesh :" not with a mere
humanity, as the Docetre afterwards taught: He therefore was, previously, something far above flesh). His Jlesh implies His death for us, for only liy assuming life; and it is also the grand motive to our mutual love. 10. Herein Is love love in tlie abstract: Love, in its flesh could He die (for as God He could not), Hebrews li. !i, liitihest ideal, is herein. The love was all on God's side, none on ours, not that we loved God—though so altopet her wort li.v of love, he loved us—though so altogether uiiwortli.v of love. The Greek aorist expresses. Not that we did any act of love at any lime to God, but that He did the act of love to us in sending Christ. 11. God's love to us is the grand motive for our love to one another (cl). 3, 10, U, 16; and His death implies His love for us (.loliii ir>.
13). To deny the reality of His flesh is to deny His love, and so cast away the root which produces all true love on the believer's part (v. 9-U, 19). Rome, by the doctrine of the immaculate conception of the Virgin Mary, lienies Christ's projier liumanity. 3. confesseth not that .lesns Christ Is come lit tlie tlesli— Ii'.KN.EUS (3. S), Lucifer, Origen, on Slatthew 2.5. 14, and Vulgnte read, "livery
Hi). If—as we all admit as a fact. we. . . also—as being born of and therefore resembling our Father who is love. In proportion as we appreciate God's love to us, we love Him and also the brethren, the children (by regeneration) of the same God, the representatives of the unseen God. 1^. God, whom no man hath seen at any time, hath appointed His children as the risible recipieiils of our outward kindness which flows from love to Himself, "whom not having seen, we love." cf. spirit which destroys (sets aside, or does aii fry icilh) Jesus ((Jlirist)." Cyprian and Polycarp support Knc/lish Version text. The oldest extant S'..S.S., which are, however, centuries alter Polycarp, ret-d, " Fvcry spirit that confesseth not.(i. e., refuses to confess) Jesus" (in His person, and all His ol Hces and divinity), omi tti iig " is coine in the flesh." ye have heard— from your Christian teachers, already Is It In the world—in the person of tlie false prophets (V. \). 4. Ye—Kinpliatical : Ye who confess .Jesns
V. II, 19, 20. Thus v. 12 explains why, Instead (In V. 11) of saying, " If God so loved us, we ouglitalso to love (,'o(t," he said, "We ought also to lovo one am thrr." It we love one another, C>o<l dwelleth lit lis—for God is love ; and it must have been from Him dwelling m us that we drew the real love we bear to the brethren (v. 8, 16). John discusses this, «. l.S-10. his love—rather, "the love of (i.e., lo) Him" (ch. 2. .')), evinci'd by our love to HU representatives, our brethren. Is perfected lu us—John discusses this, v. 17-19. Cf. ch. 2. 5, " Is perfected," t. e., attains Its proper malurlt.v. i:i. " Herein." The token vouchsaled to us of God's dwelling {Greek, "abide" ) In us. IlKiugh we see Him not, is this, that He hath given us "ol His S|)irll" (ch. ,S. '24). 'Where the Spirit of God Is, there (iod is. One Spirit dwells in the Church: each believer receives a measiue "of" that Spirit in the proportion (;od IhiiiksHt. />(«'( is His rirst fruit Kialalians 5. '22). In Jesus alone (he Spirit dwelt without measure (.John 3.!i4), 14. And we— I'rimaril.v, tec apostles, I'lirlst's appointed
In contrast to "them," the false teachers, overcome them — (cli. .'3. 4, .5)— instead of being "overcome and brought into (spiritual) bondage" by them (2 I'eter 2. 1!)). John 10. 8, "), "The slioep did nat hear them:'' "A stranger win they not follow, bnt will flee from him: for llioy know not the voice of strangers." he that Is In you God, of whom ye are. lie that Is In the world— the spirit 111' Ant iciirist, the Devil, " the prince of this world." 6. of the world— tliey derive their spirit and teaching from the world, " unregeiieiatc' human nature, ruled over and possi'ssrd by .Satan, the prince of this world." [Al,- FORD.I speak . . . of the worhl— th(\v draw the matter of their conversation lioiii the lile, opinions and tV'el'.iigs Of the world. Ilie world hearetli I lieiii -(.loll Ii 1.'). IS, HI.)
'I'lie wiirtd loves its own. <>. We 'J'rue Icnclicrs of Christ : in colli riisl, lo them, are of Ood—and therefore speak of God: 111 contrast to "speak llie.v of the world," r. '>. knoweth <io<l—as his Father, bring a child "of Clod" (eh. e,v«>- witnesses totestify to the fads concerning HIni. The Internal evidence ol the Indwelling Spii-ll (v. VI) is eorroboialed by the external evidence of the eye-wllnesses tO the fact of the Father liiivlug ".sent His Son to be the Saviour of the world." seen— f/'-(.Y'Ar, "ci>iiteniplaled " "at-
2. i:!, II). iK'iiretli us -( 'f. John IS. .'iT, " Fvery one that is of IIk! (rulh, hearetli my voice." Ilerehy—(r. 2-())~l!y their i-onfesslng, or not confessing, Jesus; b.v the kind of recejilloii given them respeetl vel.v b.v tliose who know Uod, and b.v lliose who are of the world and not of (iod. aplrit of \r\\tU~ine tSpiril which comes from God and Icii lively belu'ld" (A'wr, ch. 1. 1 ). sent— (,'/<'(•<-, " /»n//i sent :" not an eiitlri'l.v past t'\u:t (aorist), but one o^' which the effects continue U'erfect). 15. shall confess—ouoo for all: lettihe-' Oi(/A. splrll of error—t/ie .yiirit which comes from i)'6i