as conceived therein, the mercy precedes the grace. God so loved the world with a pitying love (herein was the mercy), that He gave His only-begotten Son (herein the grace), that the world through Him might be saved. But in the order of the manifestation of God’s purposes of salvation, the grace must go before the mercy and make way for it. It is true that the same persons are the subjects of both, being at once the guilty and the miserable; yet the righteousness of God, which it is quite as necessary should be maintained as His love, demands that the guilt should be done away before the misery can be assuaged; only the forgiven may be blessed. He must pardon before He can heal.
From this it follows that in each of the apostolic salutations where these words occur, grace precedes mercy ” (“Synonyms of the New Testament”).
With you. The best texts read with us.
From God—from Jesus Christ (rapa Qe0t—rrapa ’Inood Xpictov). Note the repeated preposition, bringing out the twofold relation to the Father and Son. In the Pauline salu- tations azo from, is invariably used with God, and never re- peated with Jesus Christ. On the use of apd from, see on John vi. 46; 1 Johni. 5.
God the Father. The more common expression is “ God our Father.”
The Son of the Father. The phrase occurs nowhere else. Compare John i. 18; 1 John ii. 22, 23; 1 John i. 3.
In truth and in love. The combination is not found else- where. The words indicate the contents of the whole Epistle.
4. |rejoiced. Expressions of thankful joy are common in the Pauline salutations. See Rom., 1 Cor., Eph., Philip., Col. 1 Thess., 2 Thess., Philem.
Greatly (A/av). The word is found in John’s writings only here and 3 John 3.
894 WORD STUDIES IN THE NEW TESTAMENT. I found (edpyxa). See on John i. 41. Rev., Z have found.
Of thy children (é« 7av Téxvor). The rendering is obscure. Rev., rightly, supplies certain. Compare John xvi. 17.
In truth (€ ddnSea). Compare 3 John 3. See on 1 John ino
5. New (caw). See on Matt. xxvi. 29.
We had (c/yapev). The apostle identifies himself with his readers.
6. Love (4 @yamn). The love just mentioned in the verb we love.
That (a). See on John xv. 13.
After His commandments (xara tas évrodds avrod). For walk, with kata after, according to, see Mark vii. 5; Rom. viii. 4; xiv. 153; 1 Cor. ili. 3; 2 Cor. x. 2. Very often with év in. See John viii. 12; xi. 9,10; 2 Cor. iv. 23 1 JON lade le
Both constructions are found 2 Cor. x. 2, 3.
From the beginning (am apyijs). See on John i. 1. In it (€v adrq). In love: not the commandment.
T. Deceivers (7Advo1). See on we deceive ourselves, 1 John i. 8.
Are entered into (é&\9av els). Rev., are gone forth into. The A. V. follows the reading eofSov entered into. The tense is the aorist, strictly rendered, went forth. It may indi- cate a particular crisis, at which they went forth from the Christian society.
Who confess not (of 2) duodoyobvtes). The article with the participle describes the character of this class of deceivers, and does not merely assert a definite fact concerning them. Com- pare Mark xv. 41, “other women which came wp with Him” (ai cwvavaBacar). Confess. See on Matt. vii. 23; x. 32.