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Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - 1 John 5:1-5

I. The apostle having, in the conclusion of the last chapter, as was there observed, urged Christian love upon those two accounts, as suitable to Christian profession and as suitable to the divine command, here adds a third: Such love is suitable, and indeed demanded, by their eminent relation; our Christian brethren or fellow-believers are nearly related to God; they are his children: Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, 1 John 5:1. Here the Christian brother is, 1.... read more

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - 1 John 5:6-9

The faith of the Christian believer (or the believer in Christ) being thus mighty and victorious, it had need to be well founded, to be furnished with unquestionable celestial evidence concerning the divine mission, authority, and office of the Lord Jesus; and it is so; he brings his credentials along with him, and he brings them in a way by which he came and in the witness that attends him. I. In the way and manner by which he came; not barely by which he came into the world, but by and with... read more

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - 1 John 5:10-13

In those words we may observe, I. The privilege and stability of the real Christian: He that believeth on the Son of God, hath been prevailed with unfeignedly to cleave to him for salvation, hath the witness in himself, 1 John 5:10. He hath not only the outward evidence that others have, but he hath in his own heart a testimony for Jesus Christ. He can allege what Christ and the truth of Christ have done for his soul and what he has seen and found in him. As, 1. He has deeply seen his sin, and... read more

William Barclay

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - 1 John 5:3-4

5:3-4a For this is the love of God, that we should keep his commandments; and his commandments are not heavy, because everything that is born of God conquers the world. John reverts to an idea which is never far from the surface of his mind. Obedience is the only proof of love. We cannot prove our love to anyone other than by seeking to please him and bring him joy. Then John quite suddenly says a most surprising thing. God's commandments, he says, are not heavy. We must note two general... read more

William Barclay

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - 1 John 5:4

5:4b-5 And this is the conquest which has conquered the world, our faith. Who is he who conquers the world but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? (iii) We have seen that the commandments of Jesus Christ are not grievous because with the commandment there comes the power and because we accept them in love. But there is another great truth. There is something in the Christian which makes him able to conquer the world. The kosmos ( Greek #2889 ) is the world apart from God and... read more

William Barclay

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - 1 John 5:6-8

5:6-8 This is he who came through water and blood--Jesus Christ. It was not only by water that he came, but by water and by blood. And it is the Spirit which testifies to this, because the Spirit is truth; because there are three who testify, the Spirit and the water and the blood, and the three agree in one. Plummer, in beginning to comment on this passage says: "This is the most perplexing passage in the Epistle, and one of the most perplexing in the New Testament." No doubt, if we knew... read more

William Barclay

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - 1 John 5:6-8

John goes on to speak of the triple witness. There is the witness of the Spirit. In this John is thinking of three things. (i) The New Testament story is clear that at his baptism the Spirit descended upon Jesus in the most special way ( Mark 1:9-11 ; Matthew 3:16-17 ; Luke 3:21-22 ; Acts 10:38 ; John 1:32-34 ). (ii) The New Testament is also clear that, while John came to baptize with water, Jesus came to baptize with the Spirit ( Mark 1:8 ; Matthew 3:11 ; Luke 3:16 ; Acts... read more

William Barclay

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - 1 John 5:9-10

5:9-10 If we accept the testimony of men, the testimony of God is greater, for this is the testimony of God that he has borne testimony about his Son. He who believes in the Son of God has that testimony within himself. He who does not believe God has made God a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony which God bore to his Son. Behind this passage there are two basic ideas. There is the Old Testament idea of what constitutes an adequate witness. The law was quite clear: "A... read more

William Barclay

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - 1 John 5:11-13

5:11-13 And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life and that that life is in his Son. He who has the Son has life; he who has not the Son has not life. I have written these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God that you may know that you have eternal life. With this paragraph the letter proper comes to an end. What follows is in the nature of a postscript. The end is a statement that the essence of the Christian life is eternal life. The word for eternal is... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 John 5:3

For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments ,.... Keeping of the commandments of God is an evidence of love to God; this shows that love is not in word and tongue, in profession only, but in deed and in truth; and that such persons have a sense of the love of God upon their souls, under the influence of which they act; and such shall have, and may expect to have, greater manifestations of the love of God unto them: and his commandments are not grievous ; heavy, burdensome,... read more

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