RSV ~ 1 John 3 Notes
1 Jn 3:1 | ISB Notes
children of God: Believers become sons and daughters of God by the grace of divine generation, which is received by faith (Jn 1:12-13) through the water and Spirit of Baptism (Jn 3:5). Those who are blessed in this way are entitled to Godâs love and protection (Jn 16:27; 17:15), empowered to love others as Jesus did (1 Jn 3:16-18; Jn 13:34), and encouraged to direct their hearts, hopes, and prayers to the Father through Christ (Lk 11:1-14; Jn 14:2-3). Note that believers are born of God by grace (1 Jn 2:29; 3:9; 4:7; 5:4), whereas Christ is the âonly Sonâ of the Father by nature (4:9; Jn 1:18; 3:16). Paul implies such a distinction when he describes our sonship in Christ in terms of divine adoption (Gal 4:4-7) (CCC 460, 1692).
and so we are: Our dignity as children of God is not in name only. It is the result of truly sharing in his divine nature (1 Jn 3:9; 2 Pet 1:4).
1 Jn 3:2 | ISB Notes
see him as he is: The glory that awaits believers is nothing less than a direct vision of Christ. John implies in 3:3 what Jesus states explicitly in the Beatitudes: the vision of God is a blessing reserved for those who are pure (Mt 5:8; CCC 163, 2519). See note on 1 Cor 13:12.
1 Jn 3:5 | ISB Notes
there is no sin: Refers to the absolute sinlessness of Jesus (Jn 8:46; Heb 4:15; 1 Pet 2:22).
1 Jn 3:6 | ISB Notes
does not sin: The point is not that sinless perfection is required to call oneself a Christian, but that true believers refuse to lead lives dominated by sin. Instead, they strive to break free from godless habits, and, whenever necessary, they seek Godâs mercy through confession (1:9; 2:1).
This focus on the moral life leads John into a discussion about family likeness: the children of the devil act like the devil, while the children of God imitate the love of God (3:7-10).
⢠Even now we are the children of God because we possess the firstfruits of the Spirit. However, since we are not yet fully saved or renewed, we are also children of the world. This explains why we are still able to sin. Insofar as we are sons of God by the regenerating Spirit, we cannot commit sin; and yet, if we say that we have no sin, we are only deceiving ourselves (St. Augustine, On the Merits and Remission of Sins 2, 10).
1 Jn 3:7 | ISB Notes
righteous: Believers share in the righteousness of Christ as a free gift of grace (Rom 5:17). However, once established in grace, obedience to the gospel leads to a greater possession of righteousness (Rom 6:16) inasmuch as the Spirit enables us to fulfill the righteous demands of Godâs law (Rom 8:4). Scripture can thus speak of righteousness as an âunmeritedâ gift as well as something progressively âmeritedâ through obedience, which is itself the work of grace.
1 Jn 3:12 | ISB Notes
like Cain: The only direct reference to the OT in 1 John.
⢠The actions of Cain constitute the first example of fraternal hatred in the Bible (Gen 4:1-16). His envy of Abel mirrored the devilâs envy of Adam (Wis 2:24); so the murderous act that ensued made him a child of the devil, who was a âmurderer from the beginningâ (Jn 8:44). John is saying that hatred among fellow Christians is on a par with homicide (1 Jn 3:15).
1 Jn 3:14 | ISB Notes
death into life: A transfer from one spiritual state to another (Jn 5:24). Spiritual death is a state of separation from God caused by sin (Rom 5:12; 6:23). Spiritual life, by contrast, is a state of union with God effected by the infusion of divine life into the believer (1 Jn 4:4, 9, 13, 16; 5:11-12).
1 Jn 3:16 | ISB Notes
lay down our lives: The supreme expression of love according to Jesus (Jn 15:13). Some are called to a dying martyrdom, which consists of the total surrender of human life in a generous act of love and fidelity to the faith. Everyone, however, is called to a living martyrdom, which involves a lifetime of sacrifice for the love and benefit of others. Johnâs plea to help the needy with tangible assistance is one such way of giving ourselves to others (1 Jn 3:17-18) (CCC 459, 2447).
1 Jn 3:19-20 | ISB Notes
These verses are difficult to translate. Another possibility is: âBy this we shall know that we are of the truth, and we shall persuade our hearts before him, if our hearts condemn us, that God is greater than our hearts and knows everything.â The idea seems to be that Christians, despite being conscious of their shortcomings in life, can stand before God at the Judgment with confidence in the superabundance of his mercy.
1 Jn 3:20 | ISB Notes
condemn us: The heart that convicts a believer of sin is beating with the truth. It responds with contrition and immediately seeks forgiveness from Christ (1:9). The refusal to admit sin is a sure sign of deception and alienation from the truth (1:8) (CCC 1781).
God is greater: God has the power to cleanse our conscience and restore our confidence to approach him prayerfully with our needs (3:22; CCC 208).
1 Jn 3:23 | ISB Notes
his commandment: The demands of faith and love that direct us to God (Jn 14:1) and our neighbor (Jn 15:12).
believe in the name: i.e., believe in the Person signified by the name. Faith in the name of Jesus implies acceptance of the truth of his identity, namely, that he is âthe Christâ (5:1) and âthe Son of Godâ (5:5). The same teaching appears in the Gospel of John (e.g., Jn 1:49; 7:41; 11:27; 20:31).