RCL reading for Sunday, April 26, 2009:
Excerpt from the New Revised Standard Version
via Oremus (http://bible.oremus.org)
1 John 3:1-7
1 See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God; and that is what we are. The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.
2 Beloved, we are God’s children now; what we will be has not yet been revealed. What we do know is this: when he is revealed, we will be like him, for we will see him as he is.
3 And all who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure.
4 Everyone who commits sin is guilty of lawlessness; sin is lawlessness.
5 You know that he was revealed to take away sins, and in him there is no sin.
6 No one who abides in him sins; no one who sins has either seen him or known him.
7 Little children, let no one deceive you. Everyone who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous.
STUDY GUIDE
What does the passage tell us about God?
What does the passage tell us about human beings and the relationships between people?
What does the passage say about the relationship between God and human beings?
How does the passage call us to change?
Adapted from “Theological Bible Study,” from In Dialogue with Scripture: An Episcopal Guide to Studying the Bible, ed. Linda L. Grenz (Episcopal Church Center, 1993), p. 96.
PARALLEL BIBLE COMMENTARIES via http://biblecommenter.com.
People's New Testament
3:1 Children Born of God
SUMMARY OF I JOHN 3:
The Marvellous Love of the Father. Sons of God Should Be Sinless. Christ Manifested to Remove Sin. Love the Proof That We Abide in God. The Spirit a Proof That We Abide in God.
Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us. 1Jo 2:29 speaks of the saints as born of God. That thought suggests the wonderful love in allowing us to be born again and thus to become God's children.
That we should be called the sons of God. What greater glory than to be acknowledged as sons of the King of Kings!
Therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. If the world does not know the Father it will not know his children.
Wesley's Notes
3:1 That we should be called - That is, should be, the children of God. Therefore the world knoweth us not - They know not what to make of us. We are a mystery to them.
Scofield Reference Notes
Margin world
kosmos = mankind. See Scofield Note: "Mt 4:8".
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
CHAPTER 3
1Jo 3:1-24. Distinguishing Marks of the Children of God and the Children of the Devil. Brotherly Love the Essence of True Righteousness.
1. Behold-calling attention, as to some wonderful exhibition, little as the world sees to admire. This verse is connected with the previous 1Jo 2:29, thus: All our doing of righteousness is a mere sign that God, of His matchless love, has adopted us as children; it does not save us, but is a proof that we are saved of His grace.
what manner of-of what surpassing excellence, how gracious on His part, how precious to us.
love . bestowed-He does not say that God hath given us some gift, but love itself and the fountain of all honors, the heart itself, and that not for our works or efforts, but of His grace [Luther].
that-"what manner of love"; resulting in, proved by, our being, &c. The immediate effect aimed at in the bestowal of this love is, "that we should be called children of God."
should be called-should have received the privilege of such a glorious title (though seeming so imaginary to the world), along with the glorious reality. With God to call is to make really to be. Who so great as God? What nearer relationship than that of sons? The oldest manuscripts add, "And we ARE SO" really.
therefore-"on this account," because "we are (really) so."
us-the children, like the Father.
it knew him not-namely, the Father. "If they who regard not God, hold thee in any account, feel alarmed about thy state" [Bengel]. Contrast 1Jo 5:1. The world's whole course is one great act of non-recognition of God.
Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary
3:1,2 Little does the world know of the happiness of the real followers of Christ. Little does the world think that these poor, humble, despised ones, are favourites of God, and will dwell in heaven. Let the followers of Christ be content with hard fare here, since they are in a land of strangers, where their Lord was so badly treated before them. The sons of God must walk by faith, and live by hope. They may well wait in faith, hope, and earnest desire, for the revelation of the Lord Jesus. The sons of God will be known, and be made manifest by likeness to their Head. They shall be transformed into the same image, by their view of him.
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John the elder is driving home his two principles, God is Light/God is Love. These seem to mean about the same thing to him, but here in the disputation against the docetic party he mostly talks about Light. When he says "sin" he's talking about failing to love your brother, so that is definitely in the foreground. He also uses "abide" a lot and that may be what the offshoot does not do. In verse 6 the New International Version of English translation, ". . . keeps on sinning." gives the idea of continuity. Older standard versions lack this present participle, present tense approach. This may well be an example of abiding as the children of Light abide in the Father. Even though they invariably sin they abide in Him, they climb right back on that gospel train.
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