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Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - 1 John 3:4-10

The apostle, having alleged the believer's obligation to purity from his hope of heaven, and of communion with Christ in glory at the day of his appearance, now proceeds to fill his own mouth and the believer's mind with multiplied arguments against sin, and all communion with the impure unfruitful works of darkness. And so he reasons and argues, I. From the nature of sin and the intrinsic evil of it. It is a contrariety to the divine law: Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also (or even)... read more

William Barclay

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - 1 John 3:10-18

3:10-18 In this the children of God and the children of the devil are made plain; anyone who does not do righteousness is not of God, and neither is he who does not love his brother, because the message that we have heard from the beginning is the message that we should love one another, that we should not be like Cain, who was of the Evil One and slew his brother. And why did he slay him? Because his works were evil and his brother's works were just. Do not be surprised, brothers, if the... read more

William Barclay

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - 1 John 3:10-18

In this passage there is a parenthesis; we return to it now. The parenthesis is 1 John 3:11 and the conclusion drawn from it is in 1 John 3:12 . The Christian must not be like Cain who murdered his brother. John goes on to ask why Cain murdered his brother; and his answer is that it was because his works were evil and his brother's were good. Then he drops the remark: "Do not be surprised, brothers, if the world hates you." An evil man will instinctively hate a good man.... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 John 3:10

In this the children of God are manifest ,.... By regenerating grace, and not sinning, in the sense before explained, in consequence of it: adoption is an act of God's grace and sovereign will; it is secret in his own heart, and is secured in divine predestination, and in the covenant of grace, and is antecedent to regeneration: regeneration and faith do not make men the children of God, but manifest them to be so; adoption makes them the children of God, and entitles them to the... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - 1 John 3:10

In this the children of God are manifest - Here is a fearful text. Who is a child of the devil? He that commits sin. Who is a child of God? He that works righteousness. By this text we shall stand or fall before God, whatever our particular creed may say to the contrary. Neither he that loveth not his brother - No man is of God who is not ready on all emergencies to do any act of kindness for the comfort, relief, and support of any human being. For, as God made of one blood an the... read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - 1 John 3:10

Verse 10 10In this the children of God are manifest. He shortly draws this conclusion, that those in vain claim a place and a name among the children of God, who do not prove themselves to be such by a pious and holy life, since by this evidence they shew that they differ from the children of the devil. But he does not mean that they are thus manifested, so as to be openly recognized by the whole world; but his meaning is only this, that the fruit and adoption always appear in the life. read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - 1 John 3:1-12

Righteousness and sin in relation to children of God. I. RIGHTEOUSNESS INSEPARABLE FROM BEING CHILDREN OF GOD . 1 . -Present inner nature. 2 . Future glory. 3 . Action in view of the future. "And every one that hath this hope set on him purifieth himself, even as he [that One] is pure." The future glory is a matter of hope to us, arising out of our present consciousness of sonship, our present experience of assimilation to God. It is a hope that rests for... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - 1 John 3:4-12

Sin is absolutely incompatible with Christ's work of redemption and our union with him ( 1 John 3:4-8 ), and also with being born of God, as is shown by the presence or absence of brotherly love ( 1 John 3:9-12 ). read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - 1 John 3:4-12

Sinning in every way incompatible with the Christian life. Connecting link: The apostle had just said that every one with the Christian hope would purify himself" as Christ the Lord is pure." As if to guard this absolutely universal statement, "every one," against the possibility of question, he goes on to illustrate the varied aspects of sin—in its bearing on law; as regards the Person and work of Christ; as related to the new life of the children of God; and with reference to the... read more

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