1 John 3:1

George Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary - 1 John 3:1

Behold what manner of charity (or of love) the Father hath bestowed upon us. St. John had said in the last verse of the foregoing chapter that every one who doth justice, is born of him; i.e. is the son of God by adoption. But the world knoweth us not, nor esteems and values us as such: and no wonder, because they have not known, nor acknowledged, nor reverenced God as they ought. We indeed are the sons of God; we believe it, because God has assured us of it; but it hath not yet appeared... read more

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on the Bible - 1 John 3:1-2

1,2 Little does the world know of the happiness of the real followers of Christ. Little does the world think that these poor, humble, despised ones, are favourites of God, and will dwell in heaven. Let the followers of Christ be content with hard fare here, since they are in a land of strangers, where their Lord was so badly treated before them. The sons of God must walk by faith, and live by hope. They may well wait in faith, hope, and earnest desire, for the revelation of the Lord Jesus. The... read more

Frank Binford Hole

F. B. Hole's Old and New Testament Commentary - 1 John 3:1-99

1John 3 VERSE 28 of Chapter 2 stands as a short paragraph by itself, and the second chapter would more fittingly have ended with it. Verse 29 begins another paragraph which extends to verse 1Jn_3:3 of chapter 3. At this point someone might well have desired to enquire But who are the children of God, and how exactly may they be distinguished from those who are not? The answer given here is that those who are born of God are the children of God, and that they may be distinguished by the doing... read more

Paul E. Kretzmann

The Popular Commentary by Paul E. Kretzmann - 1 John 3:1-3

The Glory, Privileges, and Obligations of Sonship. The beauty of the sonship of God: v. 1. Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us that we should be called the sons of God. Therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew Him. not. v. 2. Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be; but we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is. v. 3. And every man that hath this hope in Him... read more

Johann Peter Lange

Lange's Commentary on the Holy Scriptures: Critical, Doctrinal and Homiletical - 1 John 3:1-3

2. The glory of the Sonship1 John 3:1-31Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed63 upon us64, that we should be called the sons65 of God66; therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. 2Beloved, now are we the sons of God67, and it doth not yet appear68 what we shall be: but69 we know that when he shall appear70, we shall be like him; for71 we shall see him as he Isaiah 3:0 And every man that hath this hope in him72 purifieth himself, even as he is pure73.EXEGETICAL... read more

Alexander MacLaren

Alexander MacLaren's Expositions of Holy Scripture - 1 John 3:1

1 John THE LOVE THAT CALLS US SONS 1Jn_3:1 . One or two points of an expository character will serve to introduce what else I have to say on these words. The text is, I suppose, generally understood as if it pointed to the fact that we are called the sons of God as the great exemplification of the wonderfulness of His love. That is a perfectly possible view of the connection and meaning of the text. But if we are to translate with perfect accuracy we must render, not ‘that we should be... read more

Frederick Brotherton Meyer

F.B. Meyer's 'Through the Bible' Commentary - 1 John 3:1-12

the Marks of God’s Children 1 John 3:1-12 This chapter opens with one of the astounding announcements of Scripture. Why God should have made us His children is incomprehensible, except to show forth the riches of His grace. See Ephesians 2:7 . That such we are is certain, but how marvelous! Yet even greater wonders await us, for we are to be like Jesus our Lord. He is the type to which we are being conformed, and on the other side we shall awake in His likeness. He is pure ; such is the... read more

G. Campbell Morgan

G. Campbell Morgan's Exposition on the Whole Bible - 1 John 3:1-24

The letter now passed to a discussion of the fellowship of the saints with God as love. The hope born of love will have as its inevitable result the purification of those possessing it. The apostle shows that in Christ there is no need for anyone to sin, and that if one does he violates the very life principle which makes him a child of God. The proof of fellowship with God as love, therefore, is to be found in righteousness of conduct and love manifested toward our brethren. The result of... read more

Robert Neighbour

Wells of Living Water Commentary - 1 John 3:1-24

Children of God 1 John 3:1-24 INTRODUCTORY WORDS What a wonderful truth is this: "Now are we the sons of God." What! We who were once children of darkness, are now the children of light; we who were children of the wicked one, are now children of God. Yes, "Such we are." 1. We are children by being born again; that is, we are children by nature, and not by culture. "As many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His Name: which were... read more

James Nisbet

James Nisbet's Church Pulpit Commentary - 1 John 3:1-2

WHAT WE ARE AND WHAT WE SHALL BE‘Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us … for we shall see Him as He is.’ 1 John 3:1-Exodus : Three important questions—Whence? Where? Whither? Whence came I? Where am I? Whither is the current of life speeding me? And yet there is another more important, that which St. John answers: What? The reason for this estimate is plain. Character compels circumstances; it is what we are, far more than where we are, which has to do at any time with... read more

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