1. nag, every one) The scope and design of this paragraph is plain from the conclusion, ver. 13. — xal crag, and every one) He who does not love his brother, does not love God : ch. iv. 20. He who loves God, loves his brother also. With great elegance the apostle so places the mention of love in this part of the discussion, that faith, which is the beginning and end of the whole discussion, should be referred to (regard should be had to faith) at the close. — xa/) also.
1 The omission of the pronoun avro'v, although expressed in the Germ. Vers., is reckoned among the more established readings by the margin of both Editions. — E. B.
AB omit ctvrov. Vulg. in some MSS. has “Deum.” Amiat. MS. has “in- vicem.” Vulg. makes uyoLTrap tv let us love, diligamus : not we love. Bee. Text has olvtou, with inferior authorities. — E.
2 ropyr\, spiritual love, is great towards any brother. Where there is aversion, the new life is immediately injured. — rov yeyewrifi evov, him who is begotten) An Enthymem, the conclusion of which is : He that believes delights in the love of all who love God ; and in turn loves
c3
them : ver. 2.
2. Ka;, and ) ev d/a dvo?v. Comp. ver. 3.
3. BapsTai ovx eifflv, are not grievous ) to the regenerate, who love ; and in themselves. In themselves they are pleasant : but the ex- pression, not grievous, is in contradiction and opposition to those who think them grievous.
4. nav ro yeyevvripevov, everything which is born) John iii. 6, note. — rov zofffiov, the world) which is opposed to keeping the command- ments of God and to the knowledge of Jesus Christ, and all things which the world presents in one’s way to invite and terrify. — r\ vtxy\, the victory) The more faith grows strong in the heart, the more does the world yield. — j j Rustic, faith) See the efficacy of faith.
5. Tig kcr iv, who is he ?) Every one that believeth, and none but he, overcomes. He esteems nothing in comparison with the Son of God.
6. Ovrog stir iv, this is He) We shall presently see this verse in con- nection with those that follow.
7. 'On rpsTg eiffiv oi /xaprupoovreg Ini rr\g yr\g — ev rti ovpuvip, o Ilarvip xai 6 Xoyog (6 T/og) xai r'o IDs v/acc xai oi rpeTg ev e'nsiv, Because there are three who bear witness on earth — in heaven , the Father, and the Word ( the Son), and the Spirit : and these three are one) I have long ago explained the form employed in the margin of my edition, and blamed by some one, although the whole dissertation in the Appara- tus itself was prepared for a true vindication of the passage. Now, since this most brilliant passage has again and again come under my consideration, I will first enter into a gleaning of criticisms, and will bring forward some chief points1 from my Apparatus, according to
1 These, indeed (although regularly inserted in the second Edition of the Appar. Crit. by Burk), I did not think fit to omit in this remarkable passage, as I did in the case of the other critical annotations. My doing so will, I am confi- dent, be pardoned, or even welcomed, by those readers who are not possessed of the App. Crit. — E. B.
The only Greek MSS., in any form , which support the words from ev ru ovpotvp. I, o UetTVip, to pcecprvpovvTss ev rfi yri, are — 1. The Cod. Montfortianus at Dublin, palpably copied from the modern Latin Vulgate [as the fact, that the articles before nccrvip^ Ao'yo?, and nvevpcoc are clumsily omitted, shows], and brought for- ward as an authority to compel Erasmus to insert the words : Erasmus terms it Codex Britannicus. 2. Cod. Ravianus of Berlin, a transcript from the Com- plutensian Polyglot, imitating even its misprints. 3. A MS. at Naples, with the