Verses 1-5
1 John 5:1-Deuteronomy : . The marks of true children of God are a correct view of Christ’ s person, love to God and one another, obedience to God’ s commandment, and faith, this being the victorious principle by which “ the world” is overcome in its efforts to tempt us not to obey God.
1 John 5:1 a. See 1 John 4:2 *. The full belief in Jesus as a Divine-human being is meant, as also in 1 John 5:5.
1 John 5:2 . when we love God: the argument seems the opposite of 1 John 4:20, but the problem is being approached from a new point of view, and John is arguing that love of the parent involves also love of those who, like ourselves, have been begotten of Him.
1 John 5:3 a. Love and obedience are bound up with each other.
1 John 5:4 . the world: i.e. the anti-Christian environment ( 1 John 2:15 *, 1 John 4:3) whose evil influences tend to make obedience difficult, yet not impossible to those who, being “ begotten of God,” receive a plentiful supply of His grace.— hath overcome: the change of tense may arise from the victory, though in process of being won, being regarded as assured (EGT). If a victory already past be meant, the reference may be to the triumph over the false teachers ( 1 John 4:4), or to the victorious stand which the Church from its foundation had, in virtue of its faith, made against the world.
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