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Joh_15:12-13. Now, for the purpose of furnishing a more exact guide to this joy, is given the precept of reciprocal love, founded on the love of Christ (Joh_13:34), which is the sum of the conception of the ἐντολαί , Joh_15:10, Jesus’ peculiar, specific precept ( ἡ ἐμή ).
ἵνα ] you should (see on Joh_6:29).
Joh_15:13 characterizes the καθὼς ἠγάπ . ὑμᾶς . A greater love than this (just designated by καθὼς ἠγάπ . ὑμᾶς ) no one cherishes; it is the greatest love which any one can have, such as, according to the divine purpose, shall impel to this ( ἵνα ), that (after my example) one (indefinite) should give up his soul for the advantage of his friends. For a like readiness to self-sacrifice the greatness of my love shall be the motive, 1Jn_3:16. The ordinary interpretation, according to which ἵνα is taken as expository of ταύτης , does not correspond to the idea of purpose in ἵνα , and the attempts to preserve this conception (e.g. De Wette: in ἀγάπη there lies a law, a will, comp. Luthardt, Lange; Godet: the culminating point of loving effort lies therein) are unsatisfactory and forced expedients. On τιθέναι τ . ψυχ ., see on Joh_10:11; on τὶς , corresponding to the universal one (man, Ger.), any one, see Nägelsbach, z. Ilias, p. 299, ed. 3.
The difference between the present passage and Rom_5:6 ff. ( ὑπὲρ ἀσεβῶν ) does not rest upon the thing itself, but only on the different point of view, which in Romans is general, and here is limited, according to the special connection, to the circle of friends, without excepting the friends from the general category of sinners. To designate them, however, by that quality, was not relevant in this place. Against the weakening of the idea of φίλων : “those who are actually objects of His love” (Ebrard), Joh_15:14 should have been a sufficient guard.