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3:1 Videte qualem caritatem dedit nobis Pater, ut filii Dei nominemur et simus. Propter hoc mundus non novit nos : quia non novit eum.
*H Behold what manner of charity the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called and should be the sons of God. Therefore the world knoweth not us, because it knew not him.


Ver. 1. Behold what manner of charity (or of love) the Father hath bestowed upon us. S. John had said in the last verse of the foregoing chap. that every one who doth justice, is born of him; i.e. is the son of God by adoption. But the world knoweth us not, nor esteems and values us as such: and no wonder, because they have not known, nor acknowledged, nor reverenced God as they ought. We indeed are the sons of God; we believe it, because God has assured us of it; but it hath not yet appeared what we shall be, (v. 2) to what glory or happiness we shall thereby be exalted hereafter, for neither the eye hath seen, nor the ear heard, nor hath it entered into the heart of man, what things God hath prepared for those who love him. 1 Cor. ix. 2. We only know this, that his elect shall be like to him, because they shall see him as he is, when they shall enjoy him in heaven. Wi.

3:2 Carissimi, nunc filii Dei sumus : et nondum apparuit quid erimus. Scimus quoniam cum apparuerit, similes ei erimus : quoniam videbimus eum sicuti est.
Dearly beloved, we are now the sons of God: and it hath not yet appeared what we shall be. We know that when he shall appear we shall be like to him: because we shall see him as he is.
3:3 Et omnis qui habet hanc spem in eo, sanctificat se, sicut et ille sanctus est.
And every one that hath this hope in him sanctifieth himself, as he also is holy.
3:4 Omnis qui facit peccatum, et iniquitatem facit : et peccatum est iniquitas.
*H Whosoever committeth sin committeth also iniquity. And sin is iniquity.


Ver. 4. Committeth also iniquity. [1] By the Greek text, iniquity is here taken for a transgression or prevarication of the law, which makes the sense clearer. Wi. — Iniquity; ( ανομια ) transgression of the law. Ch.

3:5 Et scitis quia ille apparuit ut peccata nostra tolleret : et peccatum in eo non est.
And you know that he appeared to take away our sins: and in him there is no sin.
* Footnote * Isaias 53 : 9 And he shall give the ungodly for his burial, and the rich for his death: because he hath done no iniquity, neither was there deceit in his mouth.
* Footnote * 1_Peter 2 : 22 Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth.
3:6 Omnis qui in eo manet, non peccat : et omnis qui peccat, non vidit eum, nec cognovit eum.
*H Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: and whosoever sinneth hath not seen him nor known him.


Ver. 6. Whosoever abideth in him, complying with his law, sinneth not; and whosoever sinneth, hath not seen him, nor known him; that is, with such a knowledge as is joined with love. Wi. — Sinneth not; viz. mortally. See C. i. 8. Ch.

3:7 Filioli, nemo vos seducat. Qui facit justitiam, justus est, sicut et ille justus est.
Little children, let no man deceive you. He that doth justice is just, even as he is just.
3:8 Qui facit peccatum, ex diabolo est : quoniam ab initio diabolus peccat. In hoc apparuit Filius Dei, ut dissolvat opera diaboli.
*H He that committeth sin is of the devil: for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God appeared, that he might destroy the works of the devil.


Ver. 8. The devil sinneth from the beginning: not that he was created in sin, but sined soon after he was created. Wi.

* Footnote * John 8 : 44 You are of your father the devil: and the desires of your father you will do. He was a murderer from the beginning: and he stood not in the truth, because truth is not in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father thereof.
3:9 Omnis qui natus est ex Deo, peccatum non facit : quoniam semen ipsius in eo manet, et non potest peccare, quoniam ex Deo natus est.
*H Whosoever is born of God committeth not sin: for his seed abideth in him. And he cannot sin, because he is born of God.


Ver. 9. Doth not commit sin. That is, as long as he keepeth in himself this seed of grace, and this divine generation, by which he is born of God. But then he may fall from this happy state by the abuse of his free-will, as appears from Rom. xi. 20. 21. 22. 1 Cor. ix. 27. and x. 12. Phil. ii. 12. Apoc. iii. 11. Ch. — He cannot sin, because he is born of God. The meaning of this can be no more, than that he cannot sin as long as the seed of grace remaineth in him, and as long as he is the adoptive son of God. But it is evident he may fall from this happy condition, and from the grace of God, otherwise S. John would not so often in this epistle have exhorted them not to sin. Wi.

3:10 In hoc manifesti sunt filii Dei, et filii diaboli. Omnis qui non est justus, non est ex Deo, et qui non diligit fratrem suum :
In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil. Whosoever is not just is not of God, or he that loveth not his brother.
3:11 quoniam haec est annuntiatio, quam audistis ab initio, ut diligatis alterutrum.
For this is the declaration which you have heard from the beginning, that you should love one another.
* Footnote * John 13 : 34 A new commandment I give unto you: That you love one another, as I have loved you, that you also love one another.
* Footnote * John 15 : 12 This is my commandment, that you love one another, as I have loved you.
3:12 Non sicut Cain, qui ex maligno erat, et occidit fratrem suum. Et propter quid occidit eum ? Quoniam opera ejus maligna erant : fratris autem ejus, justa.
Not as Cain, who was of the wicked one and killed his brother. And wherefore did he kill him? Because his own works were wicked: and his brother's just.
* Footnote * Genesis 4 : 8 And Cain said to Abel his brother: Let us go forth abroad. And when they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel, and slew him.
3:13 Nolite mirari, fratres, si odit vos mundus.
Wonder not, brethren, if the world hate you.
3:14 Nos scimus quoniam translati sumus de morte ad vitam, quoniam diligimus fratres. Qui non diligit, manet in morte :
*H We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not abideth in death.


Ver. 14-15. We know that we have passed from death to life; i.e. from the death of sin to the life of grace: we know it by a moral certainty, when we experience in our heart a love of our neighbour. — He that loveth not God and his neighbour, abideth in death. He that hateth his brother with a mortal hatred, or to a considerable degree, is a murderer. Wi.

* Footnote * Leviticus 19 : 17 Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thy heart: But reprove him openly, lest thou incur sin through him.
3:15 omnis qui odit fratrem suum, homicida est. Et scitis quoniam omnis homicida non habet vitam aeternam in semetipso manentem.
Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer. And you know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in himself.
3:16 In hoc cognovimus caritatem Dei, quoniam ille animam suam pro nobis posuit : et nos debemus pro fratribus animas ponere.
*H In this we have known the charity of God, because he hath laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.


Ver. 16. The charity of God, [2] because he hath laid down his life for us. Jesus Christ, therefore, who laid down his life for us, was God. It is true at present the words of God are wanting in most Greek MSS.: yet the Prot. translation has them. Wi.

* Footnote * John 15 : 13 Greater love than this no man hath, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
3:17 Qui habuerit substantiam hujus mundi, et viderit fratrem suum necessitatem habere, et clauserit viscera sua ab eo : quomodo caritas Dei manet in eo ?
He that hath the substance of this world and shall see his brother in need and shall shut up his bowels from him: how doth the charity of God abide in him?
* Footnote * Luke 3 : 11 And he answering, said to them: He that hath two coats, let him give to him that hath none; and he that hath meat, let him do in like manner.
* Footnote * James 2 : 15 And if a brother or sister be naked and want daily food:
3:18 Filioli mei, non diligamus verbo neque lingua, sed opere et veritate :
My little children, let us not love in word nor in tongue, but in deed and in truth.
3:19 in hoc cognoscimus quoniam ex veritate sumus : et in conspectu ejus suadebimus corda nostra.
*H In this we know that we are of the truth and in his sight shall persuade our hearts.


Ver. 19-20. And in his sight we shall persuade our hearts. That is, if we love God and our neighbour in deed, as he said before, we may rest satisfied in conscience that we follow the ways of truth, and may have a well-grounded confidence in God. — But if our hearts reprehend us, for not complying with this duty and precept of charity, God is still greater than our heart; i.e. he sees and knows the interior dispositions of our heart, even better than we know ourselves, and therefore we have more reason to fear him, especially when even our heart and conscience reprehend us. Wi.

3:20 Quoniam si reprehenderit nos cor nostrum : major est Deus corde nostro, et novit omnia.
For if our heart reprehend us, God is greater than our heart and knoweth all things.
3:21 Carissimi, si cor nostrum non reprehenderit nos, fiduciam habemus ad Deum :
Dearly beloved, if our heart do not reprehend us, we have confidence towards God.
3:22 et quidquid petierimus, accipiemus ab eo : quoniam mandata ejus custodimus, et ea, quae sunt placita coram eo, facimus.
And whatsoever we shall ask, we shall receive of him: because we keep his commandments and do those things which are pleasing in his sight.
* Footnote * Matthew 21 : 22 And all things whatsoever you shall ask in prayer believing, you shall receive.
3:23 Et hoc est mandatum ejus : ut credamus in nomine Filii ejus Jesu Christi : et diligamus alterutrum, sicut dedit mandatum nobis.
And this is his commandment: That we should believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, as he hath given commandment unto us.
* Footnote * John 6 : 29 Jesus answered and said to them: This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he hath sent.
* Footnote * John 17 : 2 As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he may give eternal life to all whom thou hast given him.
3:24 Et qui servat mandata ejus, in illo manet, et ipse in eo : et in hoc scimus quoniam manet in nobis, de Spiritu quem dedit nobis.
*H And he that keepeth his commandments abideth in him, and he in him. And in this we know that he abideth in us by the Spirit which he hath given us.


Ver. 24. We know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us. These words may be either referred to the body of the Church in general or to the apostles, or to every one in particular. It is certain that God gave his Spirit to his Church and to the apostles, by the coming of the Holy Ghost in a visible manner, and by the miraculous gifts bestowed upon the apostles; but every one in particular has only a moral certainty that he has the Spirit of God, and his sanctifying grace in his soul. Wi.

* Footnote * John 13 : 34 A new commandment I give unto you: That you love one another, as I have loved you, that you also love one another.
* Footnote * John 15 : 12 This is my commandment, that you love one another, as I have loved you.
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