Verse 6
If anyone had a question about what loving one another meant, John explained that it is essentially obeying God (cf. 1 John 5:2-3 a). That is, we love each other best when we obey God’s will that His Word reveals.
"Love strives to realise [sic] in detail every separate expression of the will of God." [Note: Westcott, p. 228.]
The antecedent of the last word in this verse is not clear in the English text or the Greek text. "It" could refer to "love" or "commandment." The latter alternative seems somewhat more likely in view of John’s argument. In this case John’s point was that his readers should obey God’s commands as they had heard these from the beginning of the apostles’ preaching (cf. 1 John 1:1). They should not obey the gospel that the false teachers were proclaiming.
All the specific "commandments" of God are really one "commandment" or obligation for the Christian (cf. 1 John 3:22-23).
Be the first to react on this!
