The Pulpit Commentary — 1 John — Section 117

'rhore nre bare two etnlemeLts in reply to this question. The apostle says," Whosoever ehnll confess that J esns is the Son of God " is thus blessed; and that "he that d welleth in love" is so also. We must elucidate this by offeriag, first, a word or two on each pbrnse, and then by showing the connection that exists between them. (1) The two- fold indwelling is realized by him who" dwells in love," i.e. whose whole being is, as it were, bathed in an atmosphere of love; who lil·es, moves, thinks, acts, in that sphere, l)nd never out of it. Such a one "dwelJs in God," etc. The definite article (lv -rff -&.,,&,,11) should be noticed here, as defining the love. Followin!!, too, on the phrase 6 0,1>, a.')'il"?l lcr-rl, its force is equivalent to "God is love, and he that lives and move~ in that love of God has his abiding home in the God of love." (2) The twofold indwelling is roalizetl also by him who '\confesses that Jesus is the Son of God." This sentence probably is suggested by ver. 14, indicating that the continuous witness- bearing for Christ caused them to realize more fully than ever their heavenly privilege, a privilege which tho apostle seems to say, "Every confessor will share with us." It is very remarkable, however, that the apostle should attribute a like ble,sedness to such apparently different (but not contradictory) conditions. The reciprocal indwelling is realized by him who lives and moves in love, and also by him who openly and con- tinuously avows a certain "dogma" (to use a common mode of expression). The former is clear enough. Not so, perhaps, the latter. But what if the two should be concurrent? (not coincident, as the writer in the 'Speaker's Commentary,' by a strange oversight of logic, remarks). They are concurrent. Thus (a) that" Jesus is the Son of God," and as such the ltevealer of love, is the message addressed to faith. (b) Faith receives him, and with him the love which he reveals. (c) Confession constantly rings out the faith, and by so doing vastly increases faith's realizing power. (d) This, through the energy of the Holy Ghost (1 Cor. xii. 3), makes the love of God in Christ so real to the faithful confessor, that he actually dwells in love, and so reaches the state specified as "dwelling in love" (ver. 16). Thus the two conditions differ only as the terminus a quo from the terminus ad quem. Confession is the former; dwelling in love is the latter. Now : 'l'his is verified by the order of the phrases being in the one case, " God d welleth in him, and he in God; " and in the other, " d welleth in God, and God in him." II. THE APOSTLE MAKES A SPECIFIC APPLICATION OF THIS TO HIMSELF AND HIS FELLOW-BELIEVERS. He has not been writing at random, nor has he been moving in a. region so transcendental that experience cannot verify it. He can verify it from his own experience. Those to whom he is writing can verify it from theirs. The difference between the Authorized Version and the Revised Version should be noted here: "We have known and believed the love that God bath in us (i/11 .;,µ.iv)." Not" toward us" or "to us," as if it were ,l, .;,µ.a,. 'l'he miserable marginal rendering in the Revised Version should also be carefully avoided: "in our case" (!). The believer has gone much further than to know the love of God to him. He knows it in him, as a reviving, cheering, glowing, inspiring, life-giving power. It is in him as the "Jiving water springing up into everlasting life." 'l'he following order of thought might develop this. Divine love is: 1. A manifestation amongst us, ;,, .;,µ.iv (ver. 9). 2. An impartation realized in us (Rom. v. 5). 3. A reciprocated love, as ours has been called forth thereby (ver. 19). 4. A transforming love, causing us to love as God loves (ver. 12). 5. A self-consummating love, fulfilling its own ends in and through us, and causing its outworking to be perfected in us, as its newly opened channel, throu 6h which it is flowing on to the boundless ocean of everlasting life and glory(.;, &..,,c£"11 au-rov ,,..,,..""'"·"•v11 luTlv lv .;,µ.iv). Who, who is equal to the adequate unfolding of thoughts so sublime? In writing this homily we feel as if human words were an intrusion; and such they ure, if irrelevant or superfluous. But if they are such as we aim to make them- illustrative of the thoughts in the text-then the gracious Spirit will deign to own them, however far they fall short of what the writer's largest wishes could desire. With three queries for the conscience and the heart wo close. (1) Who can adequately extol the greatness of the Divine condescenRion, in choosing us as vehicles through which his love may be conveyed, and so taught to others? (2) Who can but wonder nt the dignity conrerred on man, in making him the means of manifesting such a love? (3) Who would not open his heart to God that he may dwell therein aud sanctify i,t, baviug expelled the Biu which would havo corrupt~d and destroyed it? l, JOijN, J 114 THE FIRST EPISTLE GENERAL OF JOHN. [err. lV. 1-:u.