26 These things have I written unto you concerning them that seduce you. 27 But the anointing,h which ye have received of him, abideth in you; and ye need not that any man teach you; but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him. love to mankind. but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. 3 And every man that hath this hope in him, purifieth himself, even as he is pure. 4 Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law; for sin is the transgression of the law. 5 And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin. 6 Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not ;a whosoever sinneth, hath not seen him, neither known him. 7 Little children, let no man deceive you; he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous. 8 He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. 9 Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin;b for his seed remaineth in him; and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. 10 In this the children of God are manifest, and the a Sinneth not; this must mean, sinneth not wilfully and habitually, or continueth not in the practice of sin; for there is no man that sinneth not. See I Kings viii. 46. Eccles. vii. 20. Rom. iii. 22. b Duth not commit sin habitually. See preceding note. God commandeth us to Chap. iv. believe on Jesus Christ. 20 For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, & knoweth all things.c 21 Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God. children of the devil; whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother. 11 For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another. 12 Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother's righteous. 13 Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you. 14 We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death. 15 Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer; and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him. 16 Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. 17 But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bewels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him? 18 My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth. 19 And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him. 22 And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things, that are pleasing in his sight. 23 And this is his commandment, that we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment. 24 And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him; and hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us. CHAP. IV. 1 He warneth them not to believe all teachers who boast of the Spirit, but to try them by the rules of the catholic faith; 7 & by many reasons exhorteth to brotherly love. BELOVED, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God; because many false prophets are gone out into the world. 2 Hereby know ye the Spirit of God; Every spirit,a that confesseth, that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh, is of God: c God is greater than our hearts, and knowing all things, will much more condemn us. a Every spirit, here means, every teacher, who pretends to be inspired. 7 Beloved, let us love one nother; for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, & knoweth God. 8 He that loveth not, knoweth not God; for God is love. 9 In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. 10 Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation b for our sins. 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another. brotherly love. 12 No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us. 13 Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit. b Propitiation, a sacrifice, which procures pardon and forgiveness. 14 And we have seen, and do testify, that the Father sent the Son, to be the Saviour of the world. 15 Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God. 16 And we have known and believed the love that God bath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love, dwelleth in God, and God in him. 17 Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judg ment; because as he is, so are we in this world. 18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear; because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love. 19 We love him, because he first loved us. 20 If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar; for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? 21 And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth Ged love his brother also. Of Jesus being the CHAP. V. 1 He that loveth God loveth his children, and keepeth his commandments; 3 which to the faithful are light, and not griev us. 9 Jesus is the Son of God, able to save us, 14 and to hear our prayers which we make for ourselves and for others. WHOSOEVER believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God; and every one that loveth him that begat, loveth him also that is begotten of him. Chap. v. Son of God, &c. For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost; and these three are one. 8 And there are three that bear witness in earth, the spirit, and the water, and the blood; and these three agree in one. a This is be that came attested to be the Son of God, by the water of baptism, and by his blood and death, followed by his resurrection. 9 If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater; for this is the witness of God which he hath testified of his Son. 10 He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself; he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son. 11 And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Concerning the ther sin a sin, which is not unto death,b he shall ask, and he shall give him life for them, that sin not unto death. There is a sin unto death;c I do not say that he shall pray for it. 47 All unrighteousness is sin; and there is a sin not unto death. 18 We know that whosoev II. John. A sin not unto death is supposed to be one, which a good man commits through infirmity or surprise, and of which he repents. c A sin unto death is one willingly and obstinately committed, against light and knowledge, and continued in without repentance. Son of God, &c. er is born of God sinneth not ;d but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not. 19 And we know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness. 20 And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given as an understanding, that we may know him that is true; and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life. 21 Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen. d Sinnetb not habitually. See chap. iii. note a. PREFATORY REMARKS 1 He exhorteth a certain honourable matron, with her children, to persevere in Christian love and belief, 8 TO THE SECOND EPISTLE OF JOHN. WHO the person was to whom this Epistle was addressed is not known. The design of it was to guard her and her children against the errors of one Basilides and his followers, who affirmed that Jesus Christ had not come in the flesh, that is, that he was not a real man, but only a man in appearance; consequently, that he neither did nor suffered what he appeared to do and suffer. This was one of the errors against which John wrote his first Epistle; and as it was subversive of the whole scheme of the Gospel, and robbed the Christians of their best hopes, he thought it expedient to guard this elect lady against the same error, as by her distinguished hospitality, she was peculiarly exposed to the arts of false teachers. T THE SECOND EPISTLE OF JOHN. lest they lose the reward of their former profession; 10 and to have nothing to do with seducers. |
