First John 3:1-24

I John 3:1-3:

^3:1You must see what-quality-of love¹ the Father gave² to us in order that we may be called children of God – and we are; because-of this the world does not know us because it did not know him. ^.2Loved-people¹, now we are children of God and not-yet was it manifested what we will be; we knew² that if-ever he may be manifested we will be like-people to him because we will see him according as he is; ^.3and every-person having this hope on him purifies himself according as that-one is pure.

You must see (perceive with your eyes and understand the object-of-sight in your mind's thoughts)…

what quality of love¹ (what sort, how, what kind or manner of Godly love)
- the Father (God) gave and continues given to us (this remains unchanged)
for the purpose and result that we may be called (we would receive all the blessing, honor, benefits, etc, of being given the name of)
- children of God (God’s children, we are born to/from/by God; God is the First, Superior or Ultimate One, the One Who has power, executes judgment, and emanates what He is, His power and light) –
and we are (with emphasis we presently and actively exist being children of God);

…on account this, the world does not know us (referring to the present time-period of this ordered-arrangement with the unbelieving inhabitants who do not have a truly active and relative knowing of holy-people, who are not personally knowledgeable of who we are being children of God) because it did not personally know him (Jesus Christ - nor God his Father).

Loved-people (beloved, truly you are loved by God and by myself with God’s kind of love)…

at the present time we are children of God
- and not-yet was it manifested what we will be (up until now it still has not been caused to be evidenced, brought to light, shown-forth what we will be in the future);
we knew and continue to know (perceive, see to the end of perceiving and knowing with our minds) that
if it should happen at any time that he would be manifested (that Christ would be evidenced, brought to light, shown-forth while we are still alive)
- we will be like-people to him (at that future time we will be people similar to/with him)
  - because we will see him (he will present himself to be perceived with our eyes and known by us)
  - according as he is (just as, according to how, in comparison to the way that he presently and actively exists today being the resurrected Christ Jesus);
and all/every person having this hope on him (holding this expectation of the future events coming to pass resting or based upon Christ Jesus)
- purifies himself (causes himself to become uncontaminated from God's viewpoint by any bad-thing which may be near-by)
  - according as that-one is pure (just as specifically that one, Jesus the Christ, is in the state of being pure).

The hope that we holy-people have is Christ’s coming to gather us all together with him in the air and receiving everything that God has promised us in Christ. Christ is the hope of glory. Christ will continue to carry-out God’s intention and we will be with him. For further details on this you may read my studies on I Thessalonians chapter 4, II Thessalonians, chapter 15 of I Corinthians, and the Book of Revelation.

The word "love¹" or the verb "to love¹" comes from the Greek word agape which is God's kind of love. To love with His love means to love the same way as God loves, to manifest God's love towards another, whether it is towards God Himself, the Lord Jesus Christ, yourself, your Christian neighbor, or towards anyone else. God tells His children today (all who have the spirit of Christ within us) how to Godly-love by means of His previously-revealed written Word and also via our holy spirit-life whereby we receive information from Him regarding how to love in different specific situations. It is the carrying out of God's commandments, His Word, which is the correct usage or way to manifest God's kind of love according to His will (refer to I Corinthians chapter 13 and I John 5:1-3). It is not the same as the brotherly or friendly kind of love, nor is it the same as the emotional/feelings/sexual kind of love.

[Reference: Romans 1:3 and 4, 5:5, 8:10, 11, 16-18 and 28-39; I Corinthians chapter 15; Philippians 3:20 and 21; James 4:8; I Peter 1:22; I John 4:10 and 17.]

Verses 4-9:

^.4Every-person doing the sin also does the lawlessness – and the sin is the lawlessness. ^.5And you knew² that that-one was manifested in order that the sins may be lifted – and there is not sin in him. ^.6Every-person remaining in him does not sin. Every-person sinning did not see² neither knew² him.

^.7Little-children, not-one-person must cause you to-wander. The (person) doing the righteousness is righteous according as that-one is righteous. ^.8The (person) doing the sin is out-from the devil because the devil sins from (the) beginning. Into this the son of God was manifested in order that he may loosen the works of the devil. ^.9Every-person having been born² from God does not do sin because His seed remains in him, and he is not able to sin because he was born² from God.

All/every person presently continuing to perform the sin (the sinful action, the error, missing the mark of God’s Word, swerving from the truth of what God says; this includes the sin of not having holy spirit-life plus committing any sinful action, aberration from what God says – emphasizing the sinfulness of the action)…

in addition presently continues to perform the lawlessness (the lawless action, the state of being without law and thus in violation, non-observance, transgression of the law of God which is what God says – emphasizing the lawlessness of the action) –
- and the sin
  - is (its characteristic presently and actively is)
- the lawlessness.

And you knew and continue to know (perceive, see) that…

that-one was manifested (specifically that one, Christ Jesus, was caused to be evidenced, brought to light, shown-forth)
- for the purpose and result that the sins would be lifted (taken up and carried; refer to Colossians 2:14) –
  - and there is not sin in him (within the sphere of action, character and attributes of Christ).

All/every person remaining in him (staying, continuing within the sphere of action of Christ Jesus)…

does not sin (does not err, miss the mark of God’s Word, swerve from the truth of what God says to/for that person – in the spirit category and the physical, flesh category).

All/every person committing sins…

did not see and continues not to see (does not perceive with his eyes and understand the object-of-sight in his mind's thoughts)
neither knew and continues not to know (does not have a truly active and relative knowing, is not personally knowledgeable of)
- him (Christ Jesus).

Little-children (in the figurative usage being a very tender, affectionate term of endearment; refer to I John 2:1, 12 and 28)…

not-one-person must cause you to-wander (no-one, nobody should make you err, cause you not to stay in your rightful place, lead you astray from your correct location in the walk/behavior category, like a planet is constantly moving around when viewed from the earth unlike the stars which retain their position relative-to each other).

The person doing the righteousness (performing God’s justness, justice, the attributes of justification, the quality of being and doing what is just/right from God's point of view)…

is righteous (is just, justified, he is in a right/just state, he is being and doing what is just/right from God’s viewpoint)
- according as that-one is righteous (just as specifically that one, Jesus the Christ, is just, justified, he is in a right/just state, he is being and doing what is just/right from God’s viewpoint; refer to I John 2:29 – born of/by/from God).

The person doing the sin (performing the error, as verse 4 above)…

is out-from the devil (originating and resulting from the devil, also known as the evil-one, refer to I John 2:14, the devil is the source of this person’s actions)
- because the devil continues committing sin from the beginning (away-from the time of the start, since the commencement, the origin of sin – he is the one who originated sin against the only true God).

Into/for this (with a view to, directed to this objective)…

the son of God was manifested (the word ‘son’ emphasizes origin, quality, and essence – the son is Jesus the Christ, the son of the only true God was caused to be evidenced, brought to light, shown-forth)
- for the purpose and result that he would loosen (loosen what was bound, unbind, unfasten, untie, in the sense of undoing or dismantling)
  - the works of the devil (the devil’s deeds, things wrought, end-products issuing from the devil, the effects produced with/by the devil’s actions expending his energy).

The word translated "devil" comes from the words: "through" and "throw" or "cast." The devil throws/casts things through people, like stabbing a person from outside through the person and out the other side with an accusation, slander, etc. The devil is the chief of the devil-spirits (demons), which are the other evil-spirits in subordination to the devil. These spirits are evil because they willingly, actively, and malignantly went against and continue to go against what the only true God says and does. God has judged them and the complete fulfillment of His judgment will come to pass at a future time. See Genesis 3:14 and 15, Isaiah 14:12-15, Ezekiel 28:11-19, I Peter 3:19 and 20, and Revelation chapters 12, 19 and 20, which are some of the prophecies that include information about the devil’s past, present, and future.

Jesus Christ, the son of God, was manifested in order that he would undo the devil’s works – which includes both the spirit category and the resulting effects of the devil’s works on mankind (the physical, flesh category).

John continues: all/every person having been born and continuing born from God (begotten, given birth to, brought forth originating out from God)…

does not do sin (does not perform a sinful action – relative to the spirit category)
- because His seed remains in him (God’s seed, which is the gift of holy spirit, the spirit of Christ, stays within this holy-person; refer to verse 24 below),
and he is not able to sin (this holy-person cannot, does not have the able-power or ability, is not capable of committing sin – relative to the spirit category)
- because he was born and continues born from God (this truth does not change).

[Reference: Genesis 3:15; Matthew 7:15-20, 16:16 and 19; John 1:29, 10:10; Acts 2:1-4 and 24, 9:20, 13:33; Romans 1:3 and 4, 4:7, 6:11, 14 and 17-19, and chapter 8; I Corinthians 1:9, 15:28; II Corinthians 1:19, 6:14, 11:14 and 15; Galatians 2:20, 3:16 and 19, 4:4; Ephesians 2:1-10 and 14, 4:13; Colossians 1:27, 2:14, 3:1-4; II Thessalonians 2:3, 7 and 9; Titus 2:14; Hebrews 2:14, 4:14, 9:28, 10:12, 13 and 17; I Peter 1:23, 2:24; II Peter 1:17, 3:10-13; I John 2:6 and 29.]

Verses 10-12:

^.10In this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest – every-person not doing righteousness is not out-from God, and the (person) not loving¹ his brother – ^.11because this is the message which you heard from (the) beginning in order that we may love¹ one-another; ^.12not according as Cain used-to-be out-from the evil-one, and he slaughtered his brother, and for-whose-grace he slaughtered him – because his works used-to-be evil but the (works) of his brother (used-to-be) righteous.

In/by this the children of God and the children of the devil presently are manifest (evidenced, brought to light, shown-forth)…

all/every person who is not doing righteousness (not performing justness, justice, the attributes of justification, the quality of being and doing what is just/right from God's point of view)
- is not originating and resulting from God (God is not the source of this person’s actions),
and the person who is not loving¹ his brother (not loving another member of God’s family, God being the Father of all holy-people, true Christians, with God’s kind of love)
- is not originating and resulting from God (God is not the source of this person’s actions) –

…(and this is a true statement) because this is the message (report, declaration, announcement) which you heard from the beginning (away-from the time of the start, since the commencement, the origin of you hearing it) for the purpose and result that we (all of us) would love¹ one-another…

not according as (just as, according to how, in comparison to the way that)
- Cain used-to-be (he was continuing to exist during a past time, historically)
- out-from the evil-one (originating and resulting from the one who is actively malignant, the evil-one was the source of Cain’s actions; referring to satan/the devil, who has many different names corresponding to the different characteristics, activities, etc, which that particular name describes; the term “evil-one” emphasizes the devil’s evilness, the one who is the originator of the bad and malignant things against God and His Word),
  - and he slaughtered his brother (Cain killed Abel who was his brother, a member of God’s family of people at that time, as he would kill an animal, such as a calf, sheep or a lamb for sacrifice which was usually done by cutting the throat and shedding its blood pouring it into a container),
- and for whose grace he slaughtered him (in favor of whom, because of whose grace, referring to the evil-one, unmerited favor to/from the evil-one; this could also be translated as “for grace/thanks of what”, for what reason of bestowed undeserved favor did Cain slaughter Abel) –
  - (and this is a true statement) because his works used-to-be evil (Cain’s deeds, the effects he produced were continuing to be active with malignancy, exercising badness),
  - but the works of his brother used to be righteous (Abel’s deeds were continuing to be just, right, justified from God’s viewpoint, the right things to do, the right-way or just-state for him to behave himself).

[Reference: Genesis chapter 4; Matthew 7:15-20; John 8:34-47; Acts 13:10; Romans 13:9 and 10; Ephesians 2:3; Hebrews 11:4; I John 2:13 and 14, 4:8; Jude 1:11.]

Verses 13-15:

^.13You must not marvel, brothers, if the world hates you. ^.14We knew² that we departed² out-from the death into the life – because we love¹ the brothers. The (person) not loving¹ remains in the death. ^.15Every-person hating his brother is a man-killer, and you knew² that every man-killer does not have eternal life remaining in him.

You must not marvel (be astonished and look-on with wonder and amazement)…

brothers (you are my brothers; all holy-people are brothers in the holy spirit category because all of us have received the same gift of holy spirit and we are therefore all children of God our Father),

…if/since it is a fact that the world (as in verse 1 above) presently hates you (it has active ill-will towards you holy-people – as Cain towards Abel in verse 12 above).

Emphatically we knew and continue to know (perceive, see to the end of perceiving and knowing with our minds; in Greek there is a definite word for “we” plus the verb meaning “we know” giving emphasis – we ourselves knew and we still know) that…

we departed and continue departed (we have changed our direction, moved)
- out-from the death (from the state of being dead – referring to lack of holy spirit-life by mankind resulting in eternal death)
- into the life (to the state of being alive – referring to our having received holy spirit-life resulting in eternal life) –

…(and this is a true statement) because we presently and actively love¹ the brothers.

The person who is not loving¹ remains in the death (stays within the sphere of action of lacking holy spirit-life, as Cain).

All/every person hating his brother (who has active ill-will towards a holy-person)…

is a man-killer (one who kills human-beings, slays members of mankind – either literally by ending his brother’s life, or figuratively he represents a man-killer because he is treating his brother as though he were dead having no life in him),

…and you knew and continue to know (perceive, see) that…

all/every man-killer (killer of human-beings, one whose characteristic and occupation is that he kills members of God’s family – this is referring to an unsaved person of the world, as verse 13 above)
- does not have eternal life (lacking the life that is lifelong-life, everlasting life, life that lasts throughout all durations of life, all ages; refer to I John 1:1-3 and 2:25)
  - remaining in him (staying, abiding within his sphere of action – he does not have holy spirit-life).

We should recognize and understand who we (holy-people) truly are in Christ Jesus, and we should not behave in the same manner as the unsaved people of the world, those who are not members of God’s family.

[Reference: Matthew 5:21-24; John 5:24, 8:44; 15:18; Romans chapter 5, 6:4 and 23, 8:1-15; I Corinthians 8:3; II Timothy 1:10; I John 1:2, 2:8-11, 24, 25 and 27, 5:11, 13 and 20.]

Verses 16-18:

^.16In this we knew² the love¹ – because that-one put his soul on behalf of us, and we owe-it to put (our) souls on behalf of the brothers. ^.17But who ever may have the life of the world and may view-with-attention his brother having a need and may shut his inner-parts from him – how does the love¹ of God remain in him? ^.18Little-children, let us not love¹ with word nor the tongue but in work and truth.

In/by this we personally knew and continue to know the love¹…

because that-one (specifically that one, Jesus the Christ)
- put his soul (placed, set the life of his body which is evidenced by breathing, his soul/breath life, and figuratively referring to his being, including his character and disposition as he was living his life)
  - on behalf of us (in our interests – from the time of his first breath until his last breath),
and emphatically we owe-it (in Greek there is a definite word for “we” plus the verb meaning “we owe-it” giving emphasis – we ourselves are indebted, we are obligated, obliged)
- to put our souls (do everything we can in the physical realm, give it all we’ve got during the everyday living of our lives)
  - on behalf of the brothers (holy-people, Christians).

But who ever…

would have the life (this word “life” is the Greek noun bios which means: the course, mode, manner of everyday living – any holy-person who holds the means of living)
- pertaining to the world
and would view-with-attention (contemplate in/with his mind)
- his brother having a need (a necessity due to lack because of not having what he needs for his use)
and would shut (close, as closing a door)
- his inner-parts (literally: his insides; figuratively referring to his inner affections, inner self, feelings, emotions, attitudes, compassions)
  - away from his brother –

…how does the God’s kind of love remain in him (stay within his sphere of action during the everyday living of life)?

Little-children (as verse 7 above)…

let us not love¹ (we should not limit our evidencing of God’s kind of love to be)
- with word (by the spoken account of our inner thoughts, containing individual words constituting what we speak – by only talking about it)
  - nor the tongue (using the physical fleshy faculty of speaking)
but on the contrary, let us love¹ (this is a polite command or a very strong suggestion advising all holy-people to evidence God’s kind of love)
- in work (within the sphere of action of doing the deed – actually evidencing love¹ using our energy, producing effects)
  - and truth (within God’s essential reality, inherent verity, the state of being true).

[Reference: John 10:11-18, 15:13; Ephesians 4:15; Colossians 3:12-14; I John 2:5.]

Verses 19-24:

^.19In this we will know that we are out-from the truth and we will persuade our heart in-front-of Him – ^.20because if-ever the heart may know-against us (we know) that God is greater of our heart and He knows all-things.

^.21Loved-people¹, if-ever the heart may not know-against (us) we have boldness towards God, ^.22and that-which if-ever we may ask we receive from Him because we keep His commandments and we do the pleasing-things before Him.

^.23And this is His commandment in order that we may believe the name of His son Jesus Christ, and we may love¹ one-another according as He gave commandment to us. ^.24And the (person) keeping His commandments remains in Him and He in him, and in this we know that He remains in us – out-from the spirit which He gave to us.

In/by this…

we will know (at any future time we will have a truly active and relative knowing, we will be personally knowledgeable)
- that we are out-from the truth (originating our actions from God’s truth, the source of truth, as verse 18 above)
and we will persuade (at that same future time we will convince)
- our heart (the word "heart" literally means: the organ which keeps the fleshy body alive by circulating the blood; but figuratively it means: the center or core of a person's being, the seat of his whole personal self and life – here we are referred to as one group or body of people having one heart – we will convince our heart of the fact that we are from the truth)
  - in-front-of Him (in full view before God) –
because if it should ever happen that the heart would know-against us (the center of our beings would personally know of something that could be brought down against us as a charge regarding our performance of some bad or wrong behavior – if our physical, fleshy selves would communicate some information which would be contrary to who we are being children of God)
- we know that God is greater of our heart (God is larger in magnitude, rank, importance, depth, etc, relative-to our heart – what God communicates to us via our holy-spirit life is greater since it would be His spiritual viewpoint regarding the matter)
  - and He knows all-things (God has a truly active and relative knowing, He is personally knowledgeable of everything pertaining to our lives).

Loved-people (as verse 1 above)…

if it should ever happen that the heart may not know-against us (it would not personally know of anything that could be brought down against us as a charge regarding our performance of some bad or wrong behavior – we would have persuaded our heart of the truth of who we are being children of God)
- we have boldness towards God (freedom, frankness and openness of speech towards God),
and if it should ever happen that we would be asking for something (as an inferior asks a superior for something to be given to him, requesting God for it)
- we receive from Him (we get it, we take the object from God Who gives it to us to use)
  - because we are keeping His commandments (as keeping an eye on them, we have them in safekeeping, and therefore not neglecting or violating but watching-over, taking-care-of, maintaining, and being observant of the things that are enjoined or commanded by God)
  - and we are doing the pleasing-things before Him (performing the things that give pleasure, are agreeable, acceptable, gratifying to God in His sight, in His presence).

And this is God’s commandment (a summary of what He commands) for the purpose and result that…

we would believe (have faith in, trust during every occasion, situation, circumstance, etc – we would believe)
- the name of God’s son Jesus Christ (relative to the spirit category – the authority and power in force by His son Jesus Christ; refer to Ephesians 1:20-23)
  - (a name is a word or phrase given to a person, etc, to be called and known-by, in order to designate and describe the distinguishing and distinctive constitution, character, quality, workings, etc – the name of God’s son who is Jesus Christ incorporates the fullness of everything involved with this name: all that the name of God’s “son”, which indicates his origin emphasizing his quality and essence, and “Jesus” and “Christ” represent and stand for; refer to I John chapter 2 for details – God issues His commandment in order that we holy-people would believe the authority, power, honor, effects, qualities, etc, that are involved-with and produced-by Jesus Christ His son; we live our lives within his realm with all the effects of his name being in operation and being manifested in the spirit realm and also in our physical flesh realm as we do what God says),
and we would love¹ one-another (relative to the category of mankind – be continuously loving each other with God’s kind of love)
- just as God gave commandment to us (as verse 11 above and which Jesus repeated on many occasions to his learning-disciples).

And the person who is keeping His commandments (as verse 22 above)…

remains in Him (continues staying, abiding within the sphere of action of God)
and He in him (God remains within the sphere of action of this holy-person),

…and in/by this we personally know that God presently and actively remains in us –

out-from the spirit which He gave to us (from the things that emanate from the holy spirit-life that God has placed within us; the spirit communicates or manifests God’s information to us).

All holy-people (Christians) have received holy spirit-life within us, which is the spirit of Christ in us; it is the deposit, token, earnest of what we will receive at a future time. God reveals information to us via the holy spirit that He has given to us.

[Reference: John 8:29, 13:34; 14:10, 17 and 23, 15:12-26, 17:21; Acts 2:1-4, 21 and 38, 3:6 and 16, 4:7-12 and 30, 5:32, 6:2; Romans 1:3 and 4, 5:5, 8:9, 13:8; I Corinthians 2:12 and 13, and chapters 12-14; II Corinthians 1:22, 5:5; Galatians 5:6 and 22; Ephesians 1:15 and 19-23, 3:16-21; 6:10-18; Philippians 2:9-11; Colossians 1:4; I Thessalonians 1:3, 3:6, 4:8 and 9, 5:8, 19 and 20; II Thessalonians 1:3, 3:6; I Timothy 4:12, 6:11; II Timothy 1:7 and 13, 2:22; Titus 2:2; Philemon 1:5; Hebrews 1:1-4; I John 1:3, 2:3, 4:13-15, 5:14. Note: verbs with a superscript 2 (²) immediately following them indicate the "perfect" tense - details are provided in the "Relevant Notes" link of this study.]

John continues regarding communications from the spirit realm in chapter 4….

I John Chapter 4