1 John 3:23 - Exposition

And his commandment is this , that we should believe the Name, etc. "Do not forget," St. John would say, "what the full scope of his commandment is. It is not exhausted by loving the brethren; we must also believe in his Son: and the one implies the other." What is the meaning of "believing the Name πιστεύειν τῷ ὀνόματι "? We can believe a document ( John 2:22 ; John 5:47 ), or a statement ( John 5:47 ; John 12:38 ), or a person ( John 10:37 , John 10:38 ); but how can we believe a name? By believing those truths which the name implies: in the present case by believing that Jesus is the Saviour, is the Messiah, is the Son of God. To produce this belief and its consequence, eternal life, is the purpose of St. John's Gospel ( John 20:31 ); it is also the will of God ( John 6:40 ), and the command of his Son ( John 14:1 ). This belief will inevitably produce as its fruit that we "love one another [present tense of what is habitual], even as Christ gave us commandment'' ( John 13:34 ; John 15:12 , John 15:17 ). Throughout the Epistle, and especially in this passage (verses 22-24), the references to Christ's farewell discourses in the Gospel are frequent. Here the main ideas of those discourses are represented—obedience to the Divine commands, particularly as to faith and love; promised answer to prayer, abiding in God; the gift of the Spirit (see on 1 John 4:5 ).