V. 1. Behold, what love the Father has shown us, that we should be called children of God.
This is the most fervent love, which burns like a furnace of fire, because Christ so loved us, and was obedient to his Father, who gave us his Son to redeem us through him. Considering this, it is impossible that he did not bear fruit.
should bring. For the heart says to itself, "How shall I repay the Lord for all his good deeds that he does me? Ps. 116, 12. Therefore see to it that you too are stirred up to love.
What love!
2. it is said of Mary: "She thought to herself: What a greeting this is!" That is, what a glorious greeting, Luc. 1, 29. So also here:
"What love!" that is, what glorious love! This is more emphatic and powerful than if he had said: grace; but he speaks: love. What a very high love of God, to which he was provoked by no merits or works, but by love alone, yes, since we were enemies and persecutors of God and Christ.
The Father has shown us.
He calls God a "Father. With these words he wants to encourage the Christians so that they know that they have a reconciled God and the same for a father.
That we should be called God's children.
It is not enough that we are called friends, but that we are called children of God. This love could not have been expressed more strongly and emphatically. But we are called children and brothers by God Himself. "I will preach your name to my brothers", Ps. 22, 23. Likewise: "Go, preach to my brothers", Matth. 28, 10. "If we are children, then we are also heirs, namely heirs of God, and co-heirs of Christ", Rom. 8, 17. It is not enough that we become children of God, but we must also become famous under this name in the sight of God and the angels. But from where are we called? From the love of God.
Therefore the race knows us not, for it knows him not.
(5) This reason is more extensive, because we are to be ignited by love. For because we have the love of God, we are also called children of God. The world cannot understand that a man who has lived in sin and was born in sin should nevertheless be accepted by God in grace, that he is both God's child and is called God's child. The flesh does not grasp this, the world does not accept it, but the Scripture says: "Kiss the Son", Ps. 2, 12. And even the Son of God calls us: "Come to me, all of you", Matth. 11, 28. If we did not have this word, nature, because of its faintheartedness, could not grasp it. So now speaks
John: One must not pay attention to what the world, what the common people, what the flesh, what the monks judge. "We speak of the secret, hidden wisdom of God," 1 Cor. 1:27, "which the Father has hidden from the wise and prudent," Matt. 11:25. Therefore, this is an offense against the reason of proof: Should so many holy and learned people not have known this? So they say. But do not fret about it. The world does not know you; you know it is not capable of this fatherly love. That is why the world does not know it, nor the universities, nor the doctors, nor the enthusiasts, even though they often say: I believe in God. The world does not know that the Father is of this nature, even though it says that it knows God. For nature does not grasp it, unless the anointing teaches us. If they believed that God had given us His love, so that through it we might become children of God, they would behave differently; they would abandon their works and condemn all such blasphemies against Christ. But now they defend their works stiffly and firmly, and persecute us who teach these things. But the Father saith, I have given you the Son, that ye through the Son might be saved. "I have concluded all things under sin and unbelief, that I might have mercy on all." Rom. 11, 32. Gal. 3, 22. "Therefore whatever is not of faith is sin," Rom. 14, 23. Thus to know God is as much as to know what He requires of us, what He does to us. But they imagine another God. Behold, all things, be they what they may, I include under sin; it is my grace alone that rules over you. Therefore, if you want to be freed from sin, know the Son. Therefore, this is the true wisdom of Christians, when one knows that God thus has mercy through the Son, and makes all blessed, as many as are saved.
Beloved, we are now God's children, and it has not yet appeared what we will be.
This is the reason he gives again against pusillanimity: God loves you. John especially inculcates this motive and desires that it be implanted in our hearts.
may be deeply imprinted. Likewise, against the displeasure: You shall be and be called a child of God, seeing that you are in the flesh and blood, and have displeasure not only with the world, but also with yourself, not yet feeling and seeing that you are God's child, because you are in the flesh and blood, and feel the flesh. But you shall not be mistaken about this at all. "It has not yet appeared what we shall be."
7 John represents the hidden Son of God, who has revealed himself before, as it were in the shadow, but has not yet appeared in full. And God could not hide Himself more than He does. Namely, our own flesh and blood stand in the way, that we do not walk in the actual form and in the sight. God does not withdraw from us, but the world, the flesh and the devil weaken our eyes so that we do not see God. The world is one cover, the flesh another, the devil the third. Through all these lids I am to break through with faith, which is grasped from the Word. Therefore we are children of God, not by looking at God, but by faith in God. But faith in the Word promises us many things that we will be; only, as long as we are in the world, we will be carried away by the temptations of the flesh, seduced by the devil, and it will not appear what man's true blessedness will be in the future. "Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him," 1 Cor. 2:9.
But we know when it will appear that we will be like it.
We will be like or similar to him, but not God himself, as Pythagoras thought. For God is infinite, but we are finite creatures. But the creature will never become creator. However, we shall become like him. God is life, therefore we will also live. God is righteous, therefore we too will be filled with righteousness. God is immortal and blessed, therefore we will also enjoy eternal bliss; not as it is in God, but as it is suitable for us, or as we can become capable of it.
Because we will see him as he is.
When there will be no more cover, we will see God "as He is". We will be given over to death, we will see the opposite in all things in the world, but it will certainly happen that we will see God and Christ. From where does John teach this? Because we are already God's children. But a child will not be able to be excluded from the Father's presence, but will see Him "face to face", 1 Cor. 13, 12.
V. 3 And every one that hath such hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.
John does not flatter, but constantly urges that I bear fruit, either through love, because since the Father loves us, we should also love the brethren, or through hope, because I hope to see God. Therefore I must be purified, so that I will not be rejected by His eyes, because without sanctification no one can see God, Heb. 12, 14. Therefore He does not tolerate hypocritical Christians, who think it is enough when they believe they are Christians, and yet remain beside it in sins and filthiness, and do not change. If they sincerely believed that they were God's children, they would not be defiled, but would sanctify and purify themselves. Therefore Paul admonishes 2 Cor. 12, 20: "I fear, when I come, that I shall not find you as I will."
11) But there is an emphasis in the word "who purifies himself". For the Greek word: άγνίζει Εαυτόν, means as much as, he makes himself chaste (castificat sese), although it is very well translated in Latin by sanctificat, he sanctifies himself. For he that hath this hope mortifieth his flesh. "If ye live after the flesh, ye shall die. But if ye by the spirit of the flesh kill business, ye shall live," Rom. 8:13. Against these who have received this doctrine it is necessary to use such exhortations, that they may walk worthily after this profession.
V. 4: Whoever commits sin also commits injustice, and sin is injustice.
This passage is difficult. For John makes a precise distinction among the
sin (άμαμτίαν) and under the wrong (o.uo- μίαν), and he as it were again confuses these words with each other. There was a shameful kind of people among the pagans and heretics who considered fornicating, stealing, and committing other sins to be no sin, and that it was not contrary to the divine law. John goes through this and shows that such sins are against the divine law.
Otherwise, the word "sin" is used of all vices in general. But "wrong" means that sin which goes so far as to annoy one's neighbor. We are all sinners, and fall into sin at times; but a true Christian, when he falls, soon returns and turns back, and contends against sin, lest it break out to the annoyance of his neighbor. It is indeed a hard thing to be careful in war, lest one should receive a wound; but it is an honor if one gets up again, but if one flinches, that is a disgrace. So also a Christian, even if he is surrounded by sin, yet he contends with sin. There are Christians who think they are Christians because they are baptized; they let their lusts take over; they are not concerned about how to overcome sins, but follow their lusts.
14 "To sin" is as much as to follow the stimulus and desire to sin. Many let their sinful lusts run wild; they do not want to repent, nor do they want to rise again. Today they commit adultery, tomorrow they want to live chastely. It is impossible that they should not give offense to their neighbor. If not positive, certainly negative, in that they do not let happen to their neighbor what belongs to him. For the other part of Christianity is love. But love seeks [not] 1) what is yours. To seek what is one's own is not to love one's neighbor, but to follow his desires. Consequently, not to have love is as much as to do wrong. He who does not chastise himself, who does not contend with himself daily, gives way to sin and does wrong. He who does not show the fruit of his flesh does not show the fruit of his neighbor. If I do not show myself
1) Inserted by us.
If I have died, if I have not given up the care of pleasure, how can I seek that which is another's? Therefore, he who does wrong does not have love.
V. 5 And ye know that he hath appeared that he might take away our sin.
When the Scriptures speak of the future of the Messiah, they are not easily silent about His merit, which is that He takes away sin, Ps. 40:10 ff. Jer. 23, 6. Joh. 10, 11. 1 Tim. 1, 15. First you have to look at His merit, then at His example. Therefore do not boast that you are Christians, by which you deceive yourselves. He appeared in the flesh to take away sin, not to give freedom to sin. Christ willed to present to himself by his blood a holy church, not defiled. "Christ loved the church, and gave himself for it, that he might sanctify it, and cleanse it with the bath of water in the word, that he might present it to himself a church glorious, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish," Eph. 5:25, 26, 27. This is a new motive, that he might exhort them, that all they which commit sin should strive against Christ. Therefore be assured that you are contrary to Christ. "For your sakes my name is blasphemed among the heathen," because ye care not for holiness. Is. 52, 5. Rom. 2, 24. It is the same today: those who hear the gospel increase in wickedness, in unrighteousness, in avarice. There is no one who thinks what it is that Christ has taken away sin. For for this cause he took away sins, "that he might purify us unto himself a people for a possession, diligent in good works," Titus 2:14. This is an important and strong motive to admonish Christians.
And is no sin in him.
16 Sin is in us, but in him there is no sin at all. For he did not seek his own, but did all things for our good. And he also had to be without all sin who came to take away sin.
V. 6: He who abides in him does not sin.
(17) All this is spoken against the hypocrites. They say they know God, but in fact they deny Him. "They know nothing of God, I tell them to their shame," 1 Cor. 15:34. Whoever is in Him, that is, in Christ, does not sin. For where Christ is present, sin is conquered. For "those who belong to Christ crucify their flesh along with their lusts and desires", Gal. 5, 24. Even though they sin, they "do not let sin reign in their mortal body, to obey it in their lusts", Rom. 6, 12.
He that sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him.
18 "To see" and "to know" is, according to the saying of John, as much as to believe. "He who sees the Son and believes in Him has eternal life," John 6:40. "This is eternal life, that they may know You, Father, who alone are true God, and whom You have sent, Jesus Christ," John 17:3. Consequently, he who sins does not believe in Him, for faith and sin cannot stand together. We can indeed fall, but we must not indulge in sin; the kingdom of Christ is a kingdom of righteousness, not of sin.
V. 7. Little children, let no one deceive you.
(19) As those do who make freedom of the flesh out of freedom of the spirit. We see that today we are free from the rod of the driver and from bondage, and yet we do no good. Therefore, let each one live in such a way that he may serve others. If one teaches others from a sincere heart, that is serving one's neighbor. Everything we have must be at the service of our neighbor. A heart that is open to the neighbor and willing to promote his salvation, God sets it up so that there is no position in which it serves itself alone. A woman is set to serve her husband; a man to serve his wife. So also the authorities are appointed to govern the commonwealth, to punish the guilty, and to protect the innocent. But he who seeks honor is not in love. The life that serves others is only a human life.
He who does right is righteous, just as he is just.
20. Do not declare anyone to be a Christian unless you see that he demonstrates this by his works. Where you see anger, envy, avarice, arrogance, etc., do not call him a righteous man; such a one does not do right or practice righteousness. But where you see fruits of righteousness flowing from the righteousness of faith, you may call him a righteous man, for he exhibits righteousness and imitates him who is righteous.
V. 8: He who commits sin is of the devil, for the devil sins from the beginning.
21 Hereby John explains what kind of sin he was talking about here. The devil sins in the way he sins from the beginning: he is not displeased with himself, it does not repent him; yes, he rather takes care that he may sin. Thus the hypocrites and epicures sin. But penitent people do not do so. A Christian may fall, but he immediately feels this poison and is sorry.
(22) If this is what happened in the church in the time of the apostles, it will also happen to us. At that time there were those who deceived themselves with the name that they were called Christians. That is why the preachers of the divine word always had something to do and to admonish. Christ does indeed let his own fall, but he is there quickly and makes them rise from sin; as can be seen in the example of Peter, whom the Lord looked at, as well as Adam and David etc. He offered them a helping hand, so that they repented and rose from sin. Thus David says, "I am afflicted daily, and my punishment is every morning," Ps. 73:14. When I would forget, Christ was soon there with the rod, saying, "Have you done this?
For this purpose the Son of God appeared, that he might destroy the works of the devil.
Here the first sermon of the gospel is fulfilled. The seed of the woman was to be born to destroy the works of the devil. Now he has appeared in the flesh and destroyed them. For "he hath taken off the principalities and the powers, and hath destroyed them.
Wore publicly, and made a triumph of them, by Himself," Col. 2:15.
24 Thus Christ once bore the sin of the world, but he does not cease to take it away still continually 'in us, through the strife of the spirit and the flesh. These two princes cast each other out. Christ destroys the works of the devil, the devil destroys the works of Christ. Christ builds in us love, humility, chastity, etc. the devil builds in us impurity, fornication, strife, pride. If you feel that your mind is such that you do not want to sin or commit fornication, or if you feel such things and yet resist them, if you feel that you are inclined to mercy, Christ has already done his work in you. But if you feel the opposite, as an inclination to adultery, fornication, etc., if you see your brother suffering hardship, and do not come to his aid when it is in your power, the devil already has his work in you. Therefore it is easy to know among whom you are. If you are under Christ, your works show it. But if you are under the devil, the works also show this. For "the works of the flesh are manifest," Gal. 5:19.
V. 9. who is born of God.
(25) This has already been said above [Cap. 2, 29]. He is born of God who believes, and who is not a false Christian nor a pretended Christian.
He does not sin, for his seed abides with him.
(26) This is a repetition of the foregoing, wherewith he magnifies the matter. We, who are Christians, do nothing out of pretense. Being born of God and sowing sin are contradictory things. For if the flesh wants to sin, being born of God speaks thus: Not thus, not thus; for the seed of God abides in him. But the seed of God is the word of God. Therefore Peter says: "We are born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable seed, that is, of the living word of God, which abides forever," 1 Petr. 1, 23. According to this, "to be born of God" is as much as to sweep out sin, since sin is put on the burnt spit.
And cannot sin; for he is born of God.
There is nothing easier than sinning. But these are contradictory things, "being born of God" and "sinning. As long as the birth exists, and as long as the seed of God remains in a reborn man, he cannot sin. He can indeed lose the birth, and sin; but as long as the seed of GOtt is in us, he does not suffer sin beside himself. For Christ is the propitiation for sin. This seed sitteth in the heart, and keepeth Christ in the heart, that thou consent not to sin. If you look at a strange woman or money (to desire her), he says: Brother, brother, let such desires go, you are born of God. Sin is tempted, it grumbles, and would like to rule; but do not let it rule, its will shall be subject to you. If you are provoked to anger, to lust, to envy, keep the seed of the living God with you, and you will suppress these lusts within you. To walk in safety is to live in sins after losing Christ and the birth from God. God protect us for that! Now where the works of the devil are in a man, Christ cannot be there. Just as the devil is not idle, so Christ is not idle. "The devil walketh about as a roaring lion," 1 Pet. 5:8. Neither doth Christ sleep, but is stronger than the strong. "Little children, he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world," 1 John 4:4.
V. 10. This reveals which are the children of God and which are the children of the devil. He who does not do right is not of God, and he who does not love his brother.
28. It is as much as if one were to say: He who is not righteous is not of God; and he who does not love his brother is not of God. Christianity consists of two parts, faith and love. Faith is a covering or a mercy seat that covers infinite sins of which we are guilty before God. For through faith all sins, even the hidden ones, are swallowed up. Love, however, holds back the revealed sins, even though we are guilty before God.
God are burdened with many sins. However, he is talking about sin here, since one is inclined to sin. Moreover, there is no one who does not sin. He is talking about the safe spirits who, after hearing the word of grace, do not serve their neighbor.
Our works are nothing before God, but we have the forgiveness of sins as a gift through Christ. The works of love are testimonies and seals of our faith, by which we prove that we are God's children. The promises of love and good works are attached to the promises of faith in order to testify to faith.
V.11. For this is the message which you heard from the beginning, that we should love one another.
30 Above he inculcated this, that we should believe; here he inculcates that we should love. These are the two messages of the whole Gospel, namely of faith and of love. By faith (we prove that we are God's children) before God, by love before the neighbor, or against the neighbor.
(31) Accordingly, he will speak here of two kinds of people who do evil against love. The first are the hypocrites, who are most offensive under the appearance of love. Many seem to have love, but they do not; such are the enthusiasts; if only their adversaries would be completely put to death, that is what they desire, that is what they ask, that is what they strive for. However, they praise love. Thus, under the appearance of love and godliness are sometimes hidden the greatest death throes. The other kind of those who sin against love will be discussed below, v. 15.
V. 12. Not like Cain, who was of the wicked, and slew his brother. And why did he slay him? Because his works were evil and his brother's righteous.
This was especially because of the piety. Cain was apparently very pious, the firstborn and priest of Adam. Cain considers himself holy, as well as Abel, but God judges otherwise. He immediately became angry, and when he saw, he disguised his gesture,
that his brother's sacrifice was graciously regarded by God, Gen. 4, 6. Look at our monks, our priests, the holier they are, the more poisoned they are. This is what hypocritical piety does. Look at the observant ones. When the preaching monks want to go higher, they take up an undying hatred against the others. Such a thing may be supposed only of the Cainites, that is, of the saints who think themselves righteous. So they persecute us because our opinion is true and holy. "For that I love them, they are against me," Ps. 109:4. But they hate us in a twofold way. Some hate us for money, but others hate us for truth. If we were of one mind with them, and believed the lie, we would be their friends. Therefore, when their rage breaks out, we console ourselves with it.
Therefore let us pray God to keep us in the simplicity of the word. Even if we cannot understand how Christ is and comes into the flesh, there is nothing in it, yet we want to remain with Christ. I can believe nothing but what Christ taught. If he has deceived me, well and good; as Augustine says.
V. 13. Do not be surprised, my brothers, if the world hates you.
He is still talking about the first kind of people, that is, the saints. It is not surprising that the brothers also persecute us. Cain persecuted Abel, Esau Jacob; and so also all false brothers persecute those who are born of God.
V. 14 We know that we have come out of death into life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love his brother remains in death.
This is what annoys the devil, because he sees that we do not belong to the kingdom of death and darkness. So nowadays we would receive great praise if we would join their party. But Paul has depicted their way: "Because they measure themselves by themselves, and think only of themselves, they understand nothing," 2 Cor. 10:12, 18. Zwingli praises Oekolampad, Oecolampad praises Zwingli, but Paul praises himself.
not so. "We must not count ourselves among those who praise themselves. For therefore is no man proficient, that he praiseth himself, but that the Lord praiseth him."
That we have come out of death into life.
The world hates us because we have been lifted up by the roots, as it were, from death and the power of Satan, and have been transferred to life. Although this transference is hidden from us, the devil sees it well; indeed, we ourselves know that we are transposed because we love the brethren. Brotherly love is a proof, therefore we know that we are transferred into life. By this single proof I declare that I am translated into life when I love the brother, even though I feel other sins in the flesh.
V. 15: He who hates his brother is a murderer.
37 With this he looks at the other kind of people who hate their brother out of an obvious dislike. This is what Christ means, Matth. 5, 22: "Whoever says to his brother, Racha, is guilty of rath 1)." A mark of wrath is a death blow. Now everyone who is angry with his brother in his heart, or hates him, is also a man of death. So everyone who is envious of his brother kills him, he wishes him every evil, and if God fulfilled his wishes, then the brother would have to be plagued with all sensible misfortune. By this characteristic we recognize the wicked and the children of wrath, just as by their fruits. For "the wicked have tails like scorpions, and thorns are in their tails, and their power is to offend men," Revelation 9:10. Now if anyone says he loves, and yet has a bitter heart against others, and a thorn in his tail, he is a scorpion. The heart certainly tells us enough of such hatred, and if others do not see it, we still recognize it from its signs.
And ye know that a man that is slain hath not eternal life abiding with him.
1) "Raths" put by us according to the Bible, instead of: "court".
(38) This is the other kind of people, who do not make such a great pretense, but who are open enemies; and these he accuses not because of their dissimulation, but because of their cruelty. Hating is actually a characteristic of those who are not holy. But though others also hate, they do not do it so vehemently.
39 Accordingly, John acts against false Christians everywhere, because he says: "Love is not such a thing as can be hidden, for love thinks and speaks well of the neighbor. When I teach a brother, when I comfort him, when I pray for him, all this can be seen. Love is a manifest thing; not, as the sophists say, love is only a good will. For love advances to works. "Love is longsuffering and kind, love is not jealous, love is not self-willed, it is not puffed up, it is not unthoughtful, it does not seek its own, it does not allow itself to be tempted, it does not seek harm, it does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices in the truth; it tolerates all things, it trusts all things, it hopes all things, it endures all things," 1 Cor. 13:4 ff. According to this, love is a very obvious thing.
(40) As Christ laid down his life for the brethren, so we also ought in certain cases to lay down our lives for the brethren. Just as love is manifested in Christ, so it should also be manifested in us, and love for our neighbor should not be neglected. A true Christian is good at all times and in all places.
By this we have known love, that he laid down his life for us; and we also should lay down our lives for the brethren.
(41) All the cases in which we should lay down our lives for the brethren cannot be expressed; but this is the highest, when we lay down our lives for the account of the word. If a prince persecutes a preacher, let him not flee; as Athanasius did. If I see that the faith of a brother is in danger, I should teach him, comfort him, and lay down my life and everything for him. Suppose I were called to a council, and I wanted to flee to another country, I would not be able to do so.
To leave would be as much as to leave the brethren. Starting a new doctrine and abandoning the old one is as much as abandoning the brethren. That is why we speak of the salvation of the brethren when they are in danger of their souls. For in the same way as Christ gave his life, and the apostles theirs, so we should also give our lives, that is, for the confirmation of the brethren in the faith. There are also other cases than in the time of the plague, when teachers and preachers should endure to lay down their lives for the brethren.
V.17. But if anyone has the goods of this world, and sees his brother in want, and closes his heart against him, how will the love of God abide with him?
42. should one die for the brethren, rather should one give his goods and chattels for them. If I have goods and do not share them, I do not feed them, I do not water them, I do not clothe them, etc. that is, I am stingy and meager, I am not a Christian. And nowadays there is a great cry about the fact that those who have learned Christ scrape together more money than others, so that God now wants to show His wrath. God is merciful, but He is not idle and does not leave sinners unpunished. He is merciful to the humble who fear him.
(43) It is foolish and ungodly that some have understood these words of extreme necessity. For the rest, love has several degrees: one should not offend an enemy, one should help a brother, one should give sustenance to a housemate. You know Christ's commandment about loving one's enemies. But we owe more to a brother who loves us back. He who has nothing to live on should be helped. But if he betrays us, what should we do then? We should help him again. But you owe your own the most. "But if anyone does not provide for his own, especially for his own household, he has denied the faith and is worse than a heathen," 1 Tim. 5:8. This is a general rule: he has no love who has possessions and goods, and yet does not take his neighbor's need to heart.
V. 18 My little children, let us not love with words nor with tongues.
Here John concludes his exhortation to love, and returns to where he began, that he summarizes it briefly, namely: We shall love, and that, not with words, nor with the tongue, but the whole man shall love; as we have Christ's explanation of it, Matth. 22, 37. ff: "You shall love God, your Lord, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the noblest and greatest commandment. The other is like it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself." There are many who only pretend to have love. But love "shall not be false," Rom. 12:9.
But with the deed and with the truth.
For the kingdom of God does not stand in words, but in power," 1 Cor. 4:20. Therefore he calls every Christian a brother, because there is a brotherhood among Christians. Brothers are to share in the same inheritance. Besides, it is a bad thing to love only a brother who is kind and friendly. So also the world loves, according to the verse:
Vulgus amicitias utilitate probat.
That is, the common people keep friendship only with those people from whom they benefit. Accordingly, he does not say, "Let us love the holy, pleasant, rich people," but rather, "The brothers," so that one's love is not focused on anything but the brotherhood, because one loves a brother not for benefit, not for honor, but out of obligation. All the gifts we have should serve those who do not have them. For example, he who is learned should serve the unlearned, a rich man the poor, a wise man the foolish. This is something easy if you love Paulum and other apostles who serve you even after their death. But to love the weak, the morose, the unlearned, that is truly loving. Otherwise it is not a brotherhood, but a carnal being. With a little: The Christians' duty is to serve not their own, but the brothers' benefit.
V. 19. By this we know that we are of the truth.
(46) It is a testimony by which we may be assured of our profession, and by which we may be confirmed that we stand in the truth. If I do not let my neighbor's weaknesses go to my heart, I certainly do not love him. From the fruits of love we can know that we have love. Faith is fortified by fine exercise, use, and fruit. For if one surrenders to laziness in his life and walk, it is difficult for him to lift up his heart to God. Faith alone raises us up. Therefore, faith must be put into practice so that we may be freed from an evil conscience.
And can still our heart before him.
The good conscience of our well-conducted life is the most eloquent speaker who persuades us to keep the faith, because we know by our works that our faith is true. And my conscience will one day bear witness to me before the face of God that I have not been an adulterer, that I have loved my brother, that I have helped the poor; although there are always many things in which we have offended our brother.
V. 20. That if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart and knows all things.
(48) Though thou lackest works, yet shall not thou lack faith. Even if you lack conviction of heart, faith and hope are greater. If you are troubled by the negligence of your life, you must not despair because of it. For the summa of the Gospel is this, that thou shalt believe and hope. We should consider ourselves unworthy, but accept the offered grace and the gospel. If our conscience makes us fainthearted and presents God as angry, "God is greater than our heart. The conscience is a single drop, but the reconciled God is an ocean of consolation. One must overcome the fear of conscience or despair, although this is something difficult.
(49) This is an important and exceedingly sweet promise, "that if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and that he knows all things. Why does he not rather say that he does and is able to do all things? When one's conscience punishes and condemns him, he becomes afraid and says with David: "My sins have taken hold of me, that I cannot see; theirs is more than the hair of my head, and my heart has forsaken me," Ps. 40:13. He cannot speak, Ps. 49:6 [Vulg.]: "Should I fear 1) in evil days, when the iniquity of my transgressors surrounds me?" Then a sinner sighs, and says, I know not how to counsel myself. But against this darkness of the heart one says: God knows everything. The conscience is always fearful and closes its eyes; but God is deeper and higher than your heart, and searches its innermost parts more closely. He lights a light for us and opens our eyes so that we can see that our iniquity has been taken away from us. Satan often troubles our conscience, even when we do right. For example, if someone is challenged for not celebrating Mass, the devil can make him uneasy and take away all the scriptures that previously encouraged him not to keep the statutes of men 2). But then one must close one's eyes and think that God is wiser in His words and that we will not be saved by such vain works. So, when one leaves the monastic state and leaves the monastery, the devil can make him restless because of it and suppress the joy of the heart. But here he must be resisted, since God, who strengthens you in the truth, is more powerful than the devil. 3) "They serve me in vain, because they teach such doctrines as are nothing but the commandments of men," Matt. 15:9. The devil sometimes makes the best things evil, and the evil good; he makes the good low, and the evil he makes high. From a small
1) So put by us instead of: "Likewise Ps. 49, 6: "Should I not fear" etc., whereby the Bible passage is completely reversed.
3) "not" is inserted by us.
3) Rearranged by us. In the old edition: "is mightier than the devil who strengthens you in the truth".
ner laughter, he can make the eternal damnation. But you must always remember:
God is greater than our heart.
The heart knows not what is right; God knows all things, and teaches me better in the word of the gospel.
Dearly beloved, if our heart condemn us not, we have joy unto God.
(51) Joyfulness and condemnation cannot stand side by side. For if you have a joyful trust in the grace of God, your heart does not condemn you. Love cannot satisfy your heart, because it is often only with words and with the tongue [v. 18.], but faith makes you calm, which is the victory against the world and hell, I John 5, 4. '
52 From this it is easy to understand why the devil plagues us and is opposed to the word and tries to take away the word. For when the word is taken away, faith is also taken away. If faith is taken away, the tranquility of the heart is also taken away. If he cannot prevent the word, he endeavors to prevent faith, that we should not believe the word, and makes a menace of the word. If he cannot prevent faith, he tries to prevent prayer, and involves man in so much business that he cannot pray.
V.22. What we ask we will take from him, for we keep his commandments and do what is pleasing in his sight.
53. namely, if we have joy to him. God is almighty, therefore he wants us to ask for everything that is useful to us. You must have a belt or a begging bag of all kinds of need. Satan seeks to bring all evil upon us. Therefore, on the contrary, we must seek to avert all evil through prayer. God wants to pour out His goods to us with a full hand, if only there were people who would ask Him for them and pray with confidence. That is why our heart must be filled with confidence. When the joyful
If prayer is enlivened with joyful confidence, the devil is greatly assaulted. This is why we often complain that we do not know how to pray with joyful confidence. No one can pray unless he has joyful confidence.
God does not always give what we ask, nor does He give it according to the time, place, and persons we would like to have it. But John wants to say that everything is heard, even though it is not known what is heard. Christ also, when he asked for his life, was heard. But our flesh does not know the manner of the answer. Therefore, all our prayers are answered, and whatever we ask is done, although we do not know in what way. God puts us in misfortune, which is sometimes greater, so that He may put an end to another misfortune. And so he hears our request.
For we keep his commandments.
These are the evangelical commandments of faith. If we keep them, we will fear nothing. He who believes keeps his commandments.
V. 23. And this is his commandment, that we believe on the name of his Son JEsu Christ, and love one another, as he has given us a commandment.
Human frailty has too narrow a heart to be able to grasp this grace, the Son of God, who died for us. This is the most noble commandment, that we should believe in the name of His Son. The other part of it is that we love. All other works are pleasing to him where we believe. The summa is therefore this: believe in the name of the Son of God, and love your brother. Therefore one should pray: "Do not take away from my mouth the word of truth", Ps. 119, 43.
V. 24: And he that keepeth his commandments abideth in him, and he in him. And by this we know that he abideth in us.
(57) Hereby he begins a new exhortation, as I see it, for the preservation of the purity of the doctrine, against the spirits that corrupt it. For the devil revolts against the word as soon as it is again
and does not rage more than when he sees that the truth of the doctrine has been established.
In the spirit that he has given us.
For whoever does not despise the word of God, it gives him the firstfruits of the spirit, so that he may know that he is in God, and God in him, since he feels that he is invited, that he judges differently, that he is of a different mind.
When we were in the papacy, we thought that the masses and orders were pleasing to God. There was the judgment that such things were wholesome and right. By the help of the Gospel, however, we judge that we are justified by Christ alone. Therefore I reject their robes, and please myself in the righteousness of Christ alone, and attain a new sense, that I say with Paul, "What was gain to me, that I counted loss for Christ's sake," Phil. 3:7. This sense and spirit does not come from us, but from the judgment of the Spirit, which the Father has given us. From this same spirit we judge
We say that the sects and orders are ungodly and that they are not pleasing to God. On the contrary, anyone who considers this doctrine contemptible and low, who still wants to consider fine works holy, who seeks his own righteousness and does not want to be subject to God's righteousness, cannot grasp that the blood of Christ alone makes us clean from our sins, and cannot concede this conclusion either: if the blood of Christ serves us for righteousness, or has brought about righteousness for us, it follows that our works are nothing. These do not have the testimony of the Spirit, as our believers do. We, like Paul, can be challenged by Satan's angels, but the Word remains pure in us, so that we can discern it. The Spirit bears witness, first to our spirit within us, then also before the world, that we can speak. "I believe, therefore I speak," Ps. 116:10, from which we understand that Christ is in us. Here it does not depend on our intellect or power of judgment to recognize this, much less to confess it, but all this we have from the Spirit that God has given us.