ες, το: ΄ ἀγαπῶμεν has no accus. The thought is that the amazing love of God in Christ is the inspiration of all the love that stirs in our hearts. Itawakens within us an answering love—a grateful love for Him manifesting itself in love for our brethren (cf. ver. 11). The in- sertion of αὐτόν is a clumsy and unneces- sarygloss. Neithershould οὖν beinserted and ἀγαπῶμεν taken as hortat. subjunc- tive. Vulg.: “Νο ergo diligamus Deum, quoniam Deus prior dilexit nos”
ον μΠ] μεν αυτον,
ὅτι αὐτὸς ΄ πρῶτος ἠγάπησεν ἡμᾶς.
193.
tii. 9, iii.
20. ' Εάν τις εἴπη, τος
ov ~ ”” fol ~ H “Ot ἀγαπῶ τὸν Θεόν, καὶ τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ µισῇ, " ψεύστης 1.6 rel.
a a a ἐστίν ' 6 γὰρ μὴ ἀγαπῶν τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ Sv ἑώρακε, τὸν Θεὸν * ὃν
ν Ver. 12 reff. w ii. 7 reff.
οὐχ ἑώρακε, πῶς δύναται ἀγαπᾶν ;ὃ 21. καὶ "ταύτην τὴν ἐντολὴν 2 iv. 15 ref
b ili. 9 reff.
A a cal Δ . ἔχομεν ἀπ᾿ αὐτοῦ," ἵνα 6 ἀγαπῶν τὸν Θεόν, ἀγαπᾷ καὶ τὸν ἀδελφὸν «1 Peter i.
αὐτοῦ.
22, 23. d 1 Cor. Xiil. 4, 5.
V. 1. Mas 6 πιστεύων ὅτι 3 ᾿Ιησοῦς ἐστιν 6 Χριστός, °€k τοῦ Θεοῦ ε John xiv. η 2
‘ A A ~ Ν γεγέννηται ' καὶ “mas 6 ἀγαπῶν τὸν γεννήσαντα ἄγαπᾷ Kal τὸν
γεγεννηµένον © ἐξ αὐτοῦ. 2.
ο τοι σαι ση.
d 25 , , «/ > Αα x εν TOUTW γινὠώσκομεν οτι αγαπωµεν τα
/ lol A eo Q a > nw ΔΝ At > λὸ 3 A τεκνα του Θεοῦ, οταν τον Θεον GAYAT WHEY, και τας EVTOAGCS αυτου
τηρῶμεν.'
1 αυτον om. AB, Aeth., Aug., edd. ;
3. ᾿ αὕτη γάρ ἐστιν ἡ ἀγάπη τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἵνα τὰς ἐντολὰς
τον θεον 9, Syrve ph, Vg., Cop., Arm.
2 avtos NSBKL, Syrvg ph, Cop., Sah., Aeth., Arm., Aug., edd. ; 0 @eos A, Vg.
3 ov δυναται αγαπαν 39Β, Syrph, Sah., edd.
4 ato του θεου A, Vg.
δαγαπα και SAKLP, Syrvg ph, Vg., Aeth., Arm., Tisch. ; om. και B, Sah., Aug.,
WH, Nest. 5 το yeyevynpevov WY.
Ττηρωμεν SKLP—an assimilation to τηρωµεν in v. 3; ποιωµεν B, Syrvg ph, Vg.
Cop., Sah., Aeth., Arm., Aug., edd.
Ver. 20. Lest the vagueness of the objectless ἀγαπῶμεν encourage false security, St. John reiterates the old test : Love for the invisible Father is mani- fested in love for the brother by our side, the image of the Father. Cf. Whittier :-—
“ Not thine the bigot’s partial plea, Nor thine the zealot’s ban;
Thou well canst spare a love of thee Which ends in hate of man”,
wWevorns, see note on i. 6.
Ver. 21. The Old Commandment. Cf. rile, Gia
CuHaPTER V.—Vv. 1-5. What makes the Commandments of God easy. “Every one that hath faith that Jesus is the Christ hath been begotten of God; and every one that loveth Him that begat loveth him that hath been begotten of Him. Herein we get to know that we love the children of God, whenever we love God, and do His commandments. For this is the love of God, that we should observe His commandments; and Hiscommandments are not heavy, because everything that hath been begotten of God conquereth the world. And this is the conquest that conquered the world—our faith. Who is he that conquereth the world but he that hath faith that Jesus is the Son of God?”
Vv. 1-2. A reiteration of the doctrine that love for God = love for the brethren. Where either is, the other is also. Love for God is the inner principle, love for the brethren its outward manifestation. The argument is ‘‘an irregular Sorites ”’ (Plummer) :—
Every one that hath faith in the Incarnation is a child of God; Every child of God loves the Father; .*. every one that hath faith in the Incarnation loves God. Every one that hath faith in the Incarnation loves God; Every one that loves God loves the children of God; .*. every one that hath faith in the Incarnation loves the children of God.