‘tas ἐντολὰς αὐτοῦ τηρῶμεν. 4.
1 John viii. 51, 52, 55,
iT.
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τοῦ
ἐν τούτω γινώσκοµεν ὅτι ἐγνώκαμεν αὐτόν, ἐὰν ” η
ὁ ο. Gr dai αὐτόν, καὶ
΄ ε Ss , * ἐν τούτῳ ἡ ἀλήθεια
5. ὃς δ᾽ ἂν ' τηρῇ αὐτοῦ τὸν λόγον, ἀληθῶς ἐν τούτῳ ἡ,
Xiv. 23, XV. 20, xvii. 6: Rev. iii. 8.
1 λεγων οτι SAB, edd.
work as the ground of our acquittal. He stands in the Court of Heaven ἀρνίον ὡς
ἐσφαγμένον (Rey. v. 6) and the marks of
His sore Passion are a mute but eloquent appeal: “I suffered all this for sinners, and shall it go for naught?’’ περὶ ὅλου τοῦ κόσμου, pro totius mundi (Vulgate), ‘‘for the sins of the whole world”. This is grammatically possible (cf. Matt. v. 20), but it misses the point. There are sins, special and occasional, in the be- liever ; there is stm in the world; it is sin- ful through and through. The Apostle means “for our sins and that mass of sin, the world”. Cf. Rothe: “Die ‘Welt’ ist ihrem Begriff zufolge tber- haupt stindig, ein Sindenmasse, und hat nicht blos einzelne Stinden an sich”. The remedy is commensurate with the malady. Bengel: '' Quam late patet peccatum, tam late propitiatio”. Observe how the Apostle classes him- self with his readers: ‘‘ we have,” ‘‘ our
sins’”’—a rebuke of priestcraft. Cf. Aug.: “But some one will say: ‘Do not holy men pray for us? Do not
bishops and prelates pray for the people?’ Nay, attend to the Scriptures, and see that even the prelates commend them- selves to the people. For the Apostle says to the common folk ‘ withal praying for us’. The Apostle prays for the folk, the folk for the Apostle. We pray for you, brethren; but pray ye also for us. Let all the members pray for one an- other, let the Head intercede for all.” Vv. 3-6. The Proof of our Interest in Christ’s Propitiation and Advocacy. “And herein we get to know that we know Him—if we observe His command- ments. He that saith ‘I know Him,’ and observeth not His commandments, is a liar, and in this man the Truth is not; but whosoever observeth His Word, truly in this man the love of God hath been carried to its end. Herein we get to know that we are in Him; he that saith he abideth in Him is bound, even as the Lord (ἐκεῖνος) walked, himself also so to walk.” The Apostle foresees a question which may be raised: “ How can I be assured that Christ is all this
to me—my Propitiation, my Advocate ? And how can | be assured that I have an abiding interest in Him?” He an- swers: (1) We attain to personal and conscious acquaintance with Christ by observance of His commandments (3-52) : (2) we attain to assurance of abiding union with Him by “walking even as He walked” (56, 6).
Ver. 3. The principle is that it is not enough to understand the theory; we must put it into practice. Ε.ρ., what makes an artist? Not merely learning the rules of perspective and mixture of colours, but actually putting one’s hand to brush and canvas. First attempts. may be unsuccessful, but skill comes by patient practice. Cf. Rembrandt’s ad- vice to his pupil Hoogstraten: ‘Try to put well in practice what you already know; and in doing so you will, in good time, discover the hidden things which you inquire about’. To know about Christ, to understand the doctrine of His person and work is mere theory; we get to know Him and to know that we know Him by practice of His precepts. γινώσκω (cognosco) is to οἶδα (scto) as γίνομαι (fio) to εἰμί (sum). ἐγνώκαμεν, ο μι “we have got to know,”
1.6. “we know” - τηρεῖν, “keep a watch- ful eye upon” of. Matt. XXVii. 36: Kal καθήµενοι ἐ ἐτήρουν αὐτὸν ἐκεῖ.