Of God's singular Chap. iii. that he hath promised us, even eternal life. 26 These things have I written unto you concerning them that seduce you. 27 But the anointing,h which ye have received of him, abideth in you; and ye need not that any man teach you; but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him. 28 And now little children, abide in him; that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming. 29 If ye know that he is righteous, ye know that every one that doeth righteousness, is born of him. CHAP. III. 1 Ile declareth the singular love of God toward us, in making us his sons; 3 who therefore ought obediently to keep his commandments. 11 As also brotherly to love one another. BEHOLD what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God! therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. 2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God; and it doth not yet appear what we shall be ; The ancisting, the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. love to mankind. but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. 3 And every man that hath this hope in him, purifieth himself, even as he is pure. 4 Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law; for sin is the transgression of the law. 5 And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin. 6 Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not ;a whosoever sinneth, hath not seen him, neither known him. 7 Little children, Jet no man deceive you; he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous. 8 He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. 9 Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin;b for his seed remaineth in him; and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. 10 In this the children of God are manifest, and the God commandeth us to Chap. iv. believe on Jesus Christ. children of the devil; whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother. 11 For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another. 12 Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother's righteous. 13 Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you. 14 We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death. 15 Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer; and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him. 16 Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. 17 But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bewels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him? 18 My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth. 19 And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him. 20 For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, & knoweth all things.c 21 Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God. 22 And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things, that are pleasing in his sight. 23 And this is his commandment, that we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment. 24 And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him; and hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us. CHAP. IV. 1 He warneth them not to believe all teachers who boast of the Spirit, but to try them by the rules of the catholic faith; 7&by many reasons exhorteth to brotherly love. BELOVED, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God; because many false prophets are gone out into the world. 2 Hereby know ye the Spirit of God; Every spirit,a that confesseth, that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh, is of God: c God is greater than our hearts, and knowing all things, will much more condemn us. a Every spirit, here means, every teacher, who pretends to be inspired. 3 And every spirit that confesseth not, that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh, is not of God; and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world. 4 Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world. 5 They are of the world; therefore speak they of the world and the world heareth them. 6 We are of God; he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the Spirit of truth, and the spirit of error. Beloved, let us love one nother; for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, & knoweth God. 8 He that loveth not, knoweth not God; for God is love. 9 In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. 10 Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation b for our sins. 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another. b Propitiation, a sacrifice, which procures pardon and forgiveness. brotherly love. 12 No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us. 13 Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit. 14 And we have seen, and do testify, that the Father sent the Son, to be the Saviour of the world. 15 Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God. 16 And we have known and believed the love that God bath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love, dwelleth in God, and God in him. 17 Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as he is, so are we in this world. 18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear; because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love. 19 We love him, because he first loved us. 20 If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar; for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? 21 And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth Ged love his brother also. Chap. v. Of Jesus being the CHAP. V. 1 He that loveth God loveth his children, and keepeth his commandments; 3 which to the faithful are light, and not griev us. 9 Jesus is the Son of God, able to save us, 14 and to hear our prayers which we make for ourselves and for others. WHOSOEVER believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God; and every one that loveth him that begat, loveth him also that is begotten of him. 2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments. 3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments; and his commandments are not grievous. 4 For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world; and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. 5 Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God? 6 This is he that came by water and blood,a even Jesus Christ; not by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth. a This is he that came attested to be the Son of God, by the water of baptism, and by his blood and death, followed by his resurrection. Son of God, &c. For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost; and these three are one. 8 And there are three that bear witness in earth, the spirit, and the water, and the blood; and these three agree in one. 9 If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater; for this is the witness of God which he hath testified of his Son. 10 He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself; he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son.. 11 And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12 He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. 13 These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God. 14 And this is the confi. dence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: 15 And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions, that we desired of him. 16 If any man see his bro Concerning the II. John. ther sin a sin, which is not unto death,b he shall ask, and he shall give him life for them, that sin not unto death. There is a sin unto death;c I do not say that he shall pray for it. 47 All unrighteousness is sin; and there is a sin not unto death. 18 We know that whosoev b A sin not unto death is supposed to be one, which a good man commits through infirmity or surprise, and of which he repents. A sin unto death is one willingly and obstinately committed, against light and knowledge, and continued in without repentance. Son of God, &c. er is born of God sinneth not ;d but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not. 19 And we know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness. 20 And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given as an understanding, that we may know him that is true; and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life. 21 Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen. d Sinnetb not habitually. See chap. iii. note a. PREFATORY REMARKS TO THE SECOND EPISTLE OF JOHN. Who the person was to whom this Epistle was addressed is not known. The design of it was to guard her and her children against the errors of one Basilides and his followers, who affirmed that Jesus Christ had not come in the flesh, that is, that he was not a real man, but only a man in appearance; consequently, that he neither did nor suffered what he appear ed to do and suffer. This was one of the errors against which John wrote his first Epistle; and as it was subversive of the whole scheme of the Gospel, and robbed the Christians of their best hopes, he thought it expedient to guard this elect lady against the same error, as by her distinguished hospitality, she was peculiarly exposed to the arts of false teachers. T THE SECOND EPISTLE OF JOHN. A He exhorteth a certain honourable matron, with her children, to persevere in Christian love and belief, 8 lest they lose the reward of their former profession; 10 and to have nothing to do with seducers. |