Of them that are born of God, and of true charity. Faith overcomes the
world. Three that bear witness to Christ. Of faith in his name and of
sin that is and is not to death.
5:1. Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ, is born of God. And
every one that loveth him who begot, loveth him also who is born of
him.
Is born of God.... That is, is justified, and become a child of God by
baptism: which is also to be understood; provided the belief of this
fundamental article of the Christian faith be accompanied with all the
other conditions, which, by the word of God, and his appointment, are
also required to justification; such as a general belief of all that
God has revealed and promised: hope, love, repentance, and a sincere
disposition to keep God’s holy law and commandments.
5:2. In this we know that we love the children of God: when we love God
and keep his commandments.
5:3. For this is the charity of God: That we keep his commandments. And
his commandments are not heavy.
5:4. For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world. And this is
the victory which overcometh the world: Our faith.
Our faith.... Not a bare, speculative, or dead faith; but a faith that
worketh by charity. Gal. 5.6
5:5. Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that
Jesus is the Son of God?
5:6. This is he that came by water and blood, Jesus Christ: not by
water only but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit which
testifieth that Christ is the truth.
Came by water and blood.... Not only to wash away our sins by the water
of baptism, but by his own blood.
5:7. And there are Three who give testimony in heaven, the Father, the
Word, and the Holy Ghost. And these three are one.
5:8. And there are three that give testimony on earth: the spirit and
the water and the blood. And these three are one.
The spirit, and the water, and the blood.... As the Father, the Word,
and the Holy Ghost, all bear witness to Christ’s divinity; so the
spirit, which he yielded up, crying out with a loud voice upon the
cross; and the water and blood that issued from his side, bear witness
to his humanity, and are one; that is, all agree in one testimony.
5:9. If we receive the testimony of men, the testimony of God is
greater. For this is the testimony of God, which is greater, because he
hath testified of his Son.
5:10. He that believeth in the Son of God hath the testimony of God in
himself. He that believeth not the Son maketh him a liar: because he
believeth not in the testimony which God hath testified of his Son.
He that believeth not the Son, etc.... By refusing to believe the
testimonies given by the three divine persons, that Jesus was the
Messias, and the true Son of God, by whom eternal life is obtained and
promised to all that comply with his doctrine. In him we have also this
lively confidence, that we shall obtain whatever we ask, according to
his will, when we ask what is for our good, with perseverance, and in
the manner we ought. And this we know, and have experience of, by
having obtained the petitions that we have made.
5:11. And this is the testimony that God hath given to us eternal life.
And this life is in his Son.
5:12. He that hath the Son hath life. He that hath not the Son hath not
life.
5:13. These things I write to you that you may know that you have
eternal life: you who believe in the name of the Son of God.
5:14. And this is the confidence which we have towards him: That,
whatsoever we shall ask according to his will, he heareth us.
5:15. And we know that he heareth us whatsoever we ask: we know that we
have the petitions which we request of him.
5:16. He that knoweth his brother to sin a sin which is not to death,
let him ask: and life shall be given to him who sinneth not to death.
There is a sin unto death. For that I say not that any man ask.
A sin which is not to death, etc.... It is hard to determine what St.
John here calls a sin which is not to death, and a sin which is unto
death. The difference can not be the same as betwixt sins that are
called venial and mortal: for he says, that if a man pray for his
brother, who commits a sin that is not to death, life shall be given
him: therefore such a one had before lost the life of grace, and been
guilty of what is commonly called a mortal sin. And when he speaks of a
sin that is unto death, and adds these words, for that I say not that
any man ask, it cannot be supposed that St. John would say this of
every mortal sin, but only of some heinous sins, which are very seldom
remitted, because such sinners very seldom repent. By a sin therefore
which is unto death, interpreters commonly understand a wilfull
apostasy from the faith, and from the known truth, when a sinner,
hardened by his own ingratitude, becomes deaf to all admonitions, will
do nothing for himself, but runs on to a final impenitence. Nor yet
does St. John say, that such a sin is never remitted, or cannot be
remitted, but only has these words, for that I say not that any man ask
the remission: that is, though we must pray for all sinners
whatsoever, yet men can not pray for such sinners with such a
confidence of obtaining always their petitions, as St. John said
before, ver. 14. Whatever exposition we follow on this verse, our faith
teacheth us from the holy scriptures, that God desires not the death of
any sinner, but that he be converted and live, Ezech. 33.11. Though
men’s sins be as red as scarlet, they shall become as white as snow,
Isa. 3.18. It is the will of God that every one come to the knowledge
of the truth, and be saved. There is no sin so great but which God is
willing to forgive, and has left a power in his church to remit the
most enormous sins: so that no sinner need despair of pardon, nor will
any sinner perish, but by his own fault. A sin unto death.... Some
understand this of final impenitence, or of dying in mortal sin; which
is the only sin that never can be remitted. But, it is probable, he may
also comprise under this name, the sin of apostasy from the faith, and
some other such heinous sins as are seldom and hardly remitted: and
therefore he gives little encouragement, to such as pray for these
sinners, to expect what they ask.
5:17. All iniquity is sin. And there is a sin unto death.
5:18. We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not: but the
generation of God preserveth him and the wicked one toucheth him not.
5:19. We know that we are of God and the whole world is seated in
wickedness.
And the whole world is seated in wickedness.... That is, a great part
of the world. It may also signify, is under the wicked one, meaning the
devil, who is elsewhere called the prince of this world, that is, of
all the wicked. John 12.31.
5:20. And we know that the Son of God is come. And he hath given us
understanding that we may know the true God and may be in his true Son.
This is the true God and life eternal.
And may be in his true Son. He is, or this is the true God, and life
eternal.... Which words are a clear proof of Christ’s divinity, and as
such made use of by the ancient fathers.
5:21. Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen.
Keep yourselves from idols.... An admonition to the newly converted
Christians, lest conversing with heathens and idolaters, they might
fall back into the sin of idolatry, which may be the sin unto death
here mentioned by St. John.