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This Chapter Verse Commentaries:
NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 1Jn_2:28 to 1Jn_3:3
28Now, little children, abide in Him, so that when He appears, we may have confidence and not shrink away from Him in shame at His coming. 29If you know that He is righteous, you know that everyone also who practices righteousness is born of Him. 1Jn_3:1 See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God; and such we are. For this reason the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. 2Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is. 3And everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.
1Jn_2:28 There is much discussion among commentators whether a new paragraph should begin in 1Jn_2:28-29, or 1Jn_3:1. Because of the repetition between 1Jn_2:27 and 1Jn_2:28, the paragraph division should probably go here.
▣ "little children" See note at 1Jn_2:1.
▣ "abide in Him" This is a present active imperative. This is the third present imperative used to promote Christian perseverance (cf. 1Jn_3:15; 1Jn_3:24). See Special Topics: Need to Persevere at Joh_8:31 and Abiding at 1Jn_2:10.
The pronouns' antecedents are often difficult to identify, but in this paragraph, they are obvious.
1. "in Him," 1Jn_2:28 a - Jesus
2. "from Him," 1Jn_2:28 b - Jesus
3. "His," 1Jn_2:28 b - Jesus
4. "He is righteous," 1Jn_2:29 - the Father
5. "born of Him," 1Jn_2:29 - the Father (see note)
6. "know Him," 1Jn_3:1 - the Father (cf. Joh_15:21; Joh_16:2-3)
7. "He appears," 1Jn_3:2 - Jesus
8. "like Him," 1Jn_3:2 - Jesus
9. "see Him," 1Jn_3:2 - Jesus
10. "He is," 1Jn_3:2 - Jesus
11. "on Him," 1Jn_3:3 - Jesus
12. "as He is pure," 1Jn_3:3 - Jesus
Context, context, context!
▣ "when He appears" This is a third class conditional sentence, like 1Jn_2:29, and also the "whenever Jesus returns" of 1Jn_3:2. This is not meant to convey an uncertain event, but an uncertain time (similar to the NT use of the term "hope," cf. 1Jn_3:3).
▣ "we may have confidence" The Greek word for "confidence" (parrhçsia) is from the root "to speak freely." Assurance is a current lifestyle based on the believer's knowledge of and trust in the gospel of Jesus Christ.
See Special Topic: Boldness at Joh_7:4.
NASB "and not shrink away from Him in shame"
NKJV "and not be ashamed before Him"
NRSV " and be put to shame before him"
TEV "and not hide in shame from him"
NJB "and not shrink from him in shame"
This is an aorist passive (deponent) subjunctive which means that it can be understood as
1. the believer himself being ashamed (NASB, TEV, NJB)
2. the believer being made ashamed (NRSV)
Believers are to look for and rejoice in the return of Christ, but those who have lived in selfish, worldly ways will surely be surprised and embarrassed at His appearance! There will be a judgment of believers (cf. 2Co_5:10).
▣ "at His coming" This is a reference to the Second Coming. This word, Parousia, is used only here in all of John's writings and has the connotation of an imminent royal visit.
This is literally "until the Parousia," which means "presence" and was used of a royal visit. The other NT terms used for the Second Coming are
1. epiphaneia, "face to face appearing"
2. apokalupis, "unveiling"
3. "the Day of the Lord" and the variations of this phrase
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1Jn_2:29 "If" This is a third class conditional sentence that means potential action. Here it refers to an assumed knowledge that believers share, but false teachers have missed.
▣ "you know" In grammatical form this is either a present active indicative, which states an ongoing knowledge, or a present active imperative which speaks of a believer's necessary knowledge. John's usage of "know" as the possession of all who have the Spirit dictates that it is indicative.
▣ "He" This refers to Jesus (cf. 1Jn_2:1; 1Jn_2:28; 1Jn_3:7. However, the last pronoun "born of Him" seems to refer to God the Father because the phrase "born of God" is used so often (cf. 1Jn_3:9; 1Jn_4:7; 1Jn_5:1; 1Jn_5:4; 1Jn_5:18; Joh_1:13).
▣ "righteous. . .righteousness" This is an expected family characteristic!
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▣ "born" This is a perfect passive indicative which means a settled condition brought about by an outside agent, God the Father (cf. Joh_3:3). Notice the use of another familial metaphor (cf. 1Jn_3:9) to describe Christianity (it is a family). See note at 1Jn_3:1 d.
1Jn_3:1 "See how great a love" The terms for love used here and throughout 1 John are agapaô (Verb) or agapç (Noun, cf. 1Jn_2:5; 1Jn_2:15; 1Jn_3:1; 1Jn_3:16-17; 1Jn_4:7-10; 1Jn_4:12; 1Jn_4:16-18; 1Jn_5:3). This term was used in Classical Greek, but not often. It seems that the early church redefined it in light of the gospel. It came to represent a deep abiding love. It is unfair to say "a God kind of self-giving love" because in the Gospel of John it is used synonymously with phileô (cf. Joh_5:20; Joh_11:3; Joh_11:36; Joh_12:25; Joh_15:19; Joh_16:27; Joh_20:2; Joh_21:15-17). However, it is interesting that it is always used (in 1 John) in connection with believers loving believers. Faith and fellowship with Jesus changes our relationship with Deity and mankind!
▣ "the Father has bestowed on us" This is a perfect active indicative. The use of this tense connected to God's gift of salvation in Christ is one biblical basis for the doctrine of the security of the believer (cf. Joh_6:35-40; Joh_10:1 ff; Eph_2:5; Eph_2:8; Eph_5:1). See hyperlink at Joh_6:37.
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▣ "that we would be called" This is an aorist passive subjunctive which is used in the sense of an honorific title ("children of God") given by God.
▣ "children of God" This is the focus of 1Jn_2:29 to 1Jn_3:10. It confirms God's initiative in our salvation (cf. Joh_6:44; Joh_6:65). John uses familial terms to describe the believer's new relationship with deity (cf. 1Jn_2:29; 1Jn_3:1-2; 1Jn_3:9-10; Joh_1:12).
It is interesting that John (cf. Joh_3:3) and Peter (cf. 1Pe_1:3; 1Pe_1:23) use the familial metaphor "born again" or "born from above," while Paul uses the familial metaphor of "adoption" (cf. Rom_8:15; Rom_8:23; Rom_9:4; Gal_4:1-5; Eph_1:5) and James uses the familial metaphor of "birth" (cf. Jas_1:18) or "bringing forth" to describe the believer's new relationship with God through Christ. Christianity is a family.
▣ "and such we are" This is the Present indicative. This phrase is not found in the King James Version of the Bible because it was not included in the later Greek manuscripts (i.e., K and L) on which the KJV is based. However, this phrase does appear in several of the most ancient Greek manuscripts (P47, à , A, B, and C). The UBS4 gives its inclusion an "A" rating (certain). See Appendix Two on Textual Criticism.
▣ "the world does not know us" The term "world" is used in a theologically similar way as 1Jn_2:15-17. The world denotes human society organized and functioning apart from God (cf. Joh_15:18-19; Joh_17:14-15). Persecution and rejection by the world is another evidence of our position in Christ (cf. Mat_5:10-16).
▣ "because it did not know Him" This is apparently a reference to God the Father because in the Gospel of John Jesus says again and again that the world does not know Him (cf. Joh_8:19; Joh_8:55; Joh_15:18; Joh_15:21; Joh_16:3). The pronouns in 1 John are ambiguous (see note at 1Jn_2:28). In this context the grammatical antecedent is the Father, but the theological reference in 1Jn_3:2 is the Son. However, in John this may be purposeful ambiguity because to see Jesus is to see the Father (cf. Joh_12:45; Joh_14:9).
1Jn_3:2 "it has not appeared as yet what we will be" This speaks of John's inability to describe these end-time events (cf. Act_1:7) or the exact nature of the resurrected body (cf. 1Co_15:35-49). This also shows that 1Jn_2:27 does not mean exhaustive knowledge in every area. Even Jesus' knowledge of this event was limited while He was incarnate (cf. Mat_24:36; Mar_13:22).
▣ "when He appears" The term "when" introduces a third class conditional sentence. It is used here not to question the Second Coming, but to express its uncertain date. John, although emphasizing a full salvation now, also expects a Second Coming.
▣ "we will be like Him" This involves the consummation of our Christlikeness (cf. 2Co_3:18; Eph_4:13; Php_3:21; and Col_3:4). This is often called "glorification" (cf. Rom_8:28-30). This is the culmination of our salvation! This eschatological transformation is related to the full restoration of God's image in humans created in His likeness (cf. Gen_1:26; Gen_5:1; Gen_5:3; Gen_9:6). Intimate fellowship with God is again possible!
▣ "because we will see Him just as He is" Job longed to see God (cf. Job_19:25-27). Jesus told us that the pure in heart will see God (cf. Mat_5:8). To see Him in His fullness means that we will be changed into His likeness (cf. 1Co_13:12). This refers to the glorification of the believer (cf. Rom_8:29) at the Second Coming. If "justification" means freedom from the penalty of sin and "sanctification" means freedom from the power of sin, then "glorification" means freedom from the presence of sin!
1Jn_3:3 "everyone" The Greek term pas appears seven times from 1Jn_2:29 to 1Jn_3:10. There are no exceptions. John presents truth in stark, black-or-white categories. One is either the child of God or the child of Satan (cf. 1Jn_2:29; 1Jn_3:3-4; 1Jn_3:6 [twice],9,10).
▣ "this hope" In Paul this term often refers to Resurrection Day (cf. Act_23:6; Act_24:15; Act_26:6-7; Rom_8:20-25; 1Th_2:19; Tit_2:13; 1Pe_1:3; 1Pe_1:21). It expresses the certainty of the event, but with an ambiguous time element.
John does not speak of "the hope" of the Second Coming as frequently as other NT authors. This is the only use of the term in his writings. He focuses on the benefits and obligations of "abiding" in Christ now! However, this is not to imply he did not expect an end-time judgment of evil (cf. 1Jn_2:18) and end-time glorification of the believer (cf. 1Jn_3:1-3).
▣ "purifies himself, just as He is pure" This is a present active indicative. Purity is important (cf. Mat_5:8; Mat_5:48). We must cooperate in the process of sanctification (cf. 2Co_7:1; Jas_4:8, 1Pe_1:22; 2Pe_3:13-14) just as Joh_1:12 speaks of our cooperation in the process of justification. This same tension between God's part (sovereignty) in our salvation and our part (human free will) can be clearly seen by comparing Eze_18:31 with Eze_36:26-27. God always takes the initiative (cf. Joh_6:44; Joh_6:65), but He has demanded that covenant people must respond by initial repentance and faith as well as continuing repentance, faith, obedience, service, worship, and perseverance.
This may be an allusion to Jesus' High Priestly prayer of John 17, especially 1Jn_3:17; 1Jn_3:19. He sanctifies Himself, His followers sanctify themselves. It is somewhat surprising that different forms of the same basic root are used.
1. Joh_17:17; Joh_17:19 - hagiazô (hagios, cf. Joh_10:36)
2. 1Jn_3:3 - hagnizô (hagnos, cf. Joh_11:55)
CONTEXTUAL INSIGHTS TO 1Jn_3:4-10
A. This passage has been the center of the controversy between Christian perfectionism (cf. Romans 6), sometimes called entire sanctification, and the continuing sinning of the Christian (cf. Romans 7).
B. We must not allow our theological bias to influence our exegesis of this text. Also, we must not allow other texts to influence this text until our independent study of this text is complete and we have ascertained what John was saying both in chapter 3 and in the entire book of 1 John!
C. This text clearly presents the goal that all believers long for, a total deliverance from sin. This same ideal is presented in Romans 6. Through Christ's power we have the potential for sinless living.
D. This passage, however, must fit into the larger context of the entire book of 1 John.
1. To interpret this passage without regard for 1Jn_1:8 to 1Jn_2:2 (Christians still sin) would be folly.
2. To interpret this passage in such a manner as to defeat the overall purpose of 1 John, the assurance of salvation against the claims of the false teachers would be folly also.
3. This passage must be related to the false teachers' claims of sinlessness or sin's insignificance. Possibly 1Jn_1:8 to 1Jn_2:2 deals with one extreme of the false teachers, while 1Jn_3:1-10 deals with another. Remember that interpreting the letters of the NT is like listening to one half of a phone conversation.
E. A paradoxical relationship exists between these two passages. Sin in the Christian's life is a recurrent problem in the NT (cf. Romans 7). This forms the same dialectical tension as predestination and free will or security and perseverance. The paradox provides a theological balance and attacks the extreme positions. The false teachers were presenting two errors in the area of sin.
F. This entire theological discussion is based on a misunderstanding of the difference between
1. our position in Christ
2. our striving to fulfill that position experientially in daily life
3. the promise that victory will be ours one day!
We are free from sin's penalty (justification) in Christ, yet we still struggle with its power (progressive sanctification) and one day we will be free of its presence (glorification). This book as a whole teaches the priority of admitting our sin and striving toward sinlessness.
G. Another option comes from John's literary dualism. He wrote in black and white categories (also found in Dead Sea Scrolls). For him one was in Christ and thereby righteous, or in Satan and thereby sinful. There was no third category. This serves as a "wake up call" to peripheral, cultural, part-time, funeral-only, Easter-only Christianity!
H. Some references on this difficult subject:
1. For the seven traditional interpretations of this passage see "The Epistles of John" in The Tyndale New Testament Commentaries by John R. W. Stott, published by Eerdman's (pp. 130-136).
2. For a good treatment on the position of Perfection see Christian Theology, Vol. II, p. 440ff by H. Orlon Willie, published by Beacon Hill Press.
3. For a good treatment on the doctrine of continuing sin in the life of the Christian see "Perfectionism" by B. B. Warfield published by The Presbyterian and Reformed Published Company.