Webster Bible (1833) - with Strong’s numbers (EN)

1BeholdG1492, what mannerG4217 of loveG26 the FatherG3962 hath bestowedG1325 upon usG2254, thatG2443 we should be calledG2564 the sonsG5043 of GodG2316: thereforeG1223 G5124 the worldG2889 knowethG1097 usG2248 notG3756, becauseG3754 it knewG1097 himG846 notG3756. 2BelovedG27, nowG3568 are weG2070 the sonsG5043 of GodG2316, andG2532 it dothG5319 not yetG3768 appearG5319 whatG5101 we shall beG2071: butG1161 we knowG1492 thatG3754, whenG1437 he shall appearG5319, we shall beG2071 likeG3664 himG846; forG3754 we shall seeG3700 himG846 asG2531 he isG2076. 3AndG2532 every manG3956 that hathG2192 thisG5026 hopeG1680 inG1909 himG846 purifiethG48 himselfG1438, even asG2531 heG1565 isG2076 pureG53. 4WhoeverG3956 committethG4160 sinG266 transgressethG4160 G458 alsoG2532 the lawG458: forG2532 sinG266 isG2076 the transgression of the lawG458. 5AndG2532 ye knowG1492 thatG3754 heG1565 appearedG5319 toG2443 take awayG142 ourG2257 sinsG266; andG2532 inG1722 himG846 isG2076 noG3756 sinG266. 6WhoeverG3956 abidethG3306 inG1722 himG846 sinnethG264 notG3756: whoeverG3956 sinnethG264 hathG3708 notG3756 seenG3708 himG846, neitherG3761 knownG1097 himG846. 7Little childrenG5040, letG4105 no manG3367 deceiveG4105 youG5209: he that doethG4160 righteousnessG1343 isG2076 righteousG1342, even asG2531 heG1565 isG2076 righteousG1342. 8He that committethG4160 sinG266 isG2076 ofG1537 the devilG1228; forG3754 the devilG1228 sinnethG264 fromG575 the beginningG746. ForG1519 this purposeG5124 the SonG5207 of GodG2316 appearedG5319, thatG2443 he might destroyG3089 the worksG2041 of the devilG1228. 9WhoeverG3956 is bornG1080 ofG1537 GodG2316 dothG4160 notG3756 commit sinG266; forG3754 hisG846 seedG4690 remainethG3306 inG1722 himG846: andG2532 he cannotG3756 G1410 sinG264, becauseG3754 he is bornG1080 ofG1537 GodG2316. 10InG1722 thisG5129 the childrenG5043 of GodG2316 areG2076 revealedG5318, andG2532 the childrenG5043 of the devilG1228: whoeverG3956 doethG4160 notG3361 righteousnessG1343 isG2076 notG3756 ofG1537 GodG2316, neitherG2532 he that lovethG25 notG3361 hisG846 brotherG80. 11ForG3754 thisG3778 isG2076 the messageG31 thatG3739 ye have heardG191 fromG575 the beginningG746, thatG2443 we should loveG25 one anotherG240. 12NotG3756 asG2531 CainG2535, who wasG2258 ofG1537 that wicked oneG4190, andG2532 killedG4969 hisG846 brotherG80. AndG2532 whyG5484 G5101 did he killG4969 himG846? BecauseG3754 his ownG846 worksG2041 wereG2258 evilG4190, andG1161 hisG846 brother’sG80 righteousG1342. 13MarvelG2296 notG3361, myG3450 brethrenG80, ifG1487 the worldG2889 hateG3404 youG5209. 14We knowG1492 thatG3754 weG2249 have passedG3327 fromG1537 deathG2288 toG1519 lifeG2222, becauseG3754 we loveG25 the brethrenG80. He that lovethG25 notG3361 his brotherG80 abidethG3306 inG1722 deathG2288. 15WhoeverG3956 hatethG3404 hisG846 brotherG80 isG2076 a murdererG443: andG2532 ye knowG1492 thatG3754 noG3756 G3956 murdererG443 hathG2192 eternalG166 lifeG2222 abidingG3306 inG1722 himG846. 16ByG1722 thisG5129 we perceiveG1097 the loveG26 of God, becauseG3754 heG1565 laid downG5087 hisG846 lifeG5590 forG5228 usG2257: andG2532 weG2249 oughtG3784 to lay downG5087 our livesG5590 forG5228 the brethrenG80. 17ButG1161 he whoG3739 G302 hathG2192 this world’sG2889 goodG979, andG2532 seethG2334 hisG846 brotherG80 haveG2192 needG5532, andG2532 shutteth upG2808 hisG846 compassionsG4698 fromG575 himG846, howG4459 dwellethG3306 the loveG26 of GodG2316 inG1722 himG846? 18MyG3450 little childrenG5040, let usG25 notG3361 loveG25 in wordG3056, neitherG3366 in tongueG1100; butG235 in deedG2041 andG2532 in truthG225. 19AndG2532 byG1722 thisG5129 we knowG1097 thatG3754 we areG2070 ofG1537 the truthG225, andG2532 shall assureG3982 ourG2257 heartsG2588 beforeG1715 himG846. 20ForG3754 ifG1437 ourG2257 heartG2588 condemneth usG2607 G3754, GodG2316 isG2076 greaterG3187 than ourG2257 heartG2588, andG2532 knowethG1097 all thingsG3956. 21BelovedG27, ifG3362 ourG2257 heartG2588 doth notG3362 condemnG2607 usG2257, then have weG2192 confidenceG3954 towardG4314 GodG2316. 22AndG2532 whateverG3739 G1437 we askG154, we receiveG2983 fromG3844 himG846, becauseG3754 we keepG5083 hisG846 commandmentsG1785, andG2532 doG4160 those things that are pleasingG701 in hisG846 sightG1799. 23AndG2532 thisG3778 isG2076 hisG846 commandmentG1785, ThatG2443 we should believeG4100 on the nameG3686 of hisG846 SonG5207 JesusG2424 ChristG5547, andG2532 loveG25 one anotherG240, asG2531 he gaveG1325 usG2254 commandmentG1785. 24AndG2532 he that keepethG5083 hisG846 commandmentsG1785 dwellethG3306 inG1722 himG846, andG2532 heG846 inG1722 himG846. AndG2532 byG1722 thisG5129 we knowG1097 thatG3754 he abidethG3306 inG1722 usG2254, byG1537 the SpiritG4151 whoG3739 he hath givenG1325 to usG2254.


Matthew Henry - Concise Commentary
 1   Little does the world know of the happiness of the real followers of Christ. Little does the world think that these poor, humble, despised ones, are favourites of God, and will dwell in heaven. Let the followers of Christ be content with hard fare here, since they are in a land of strangers, where their Lord was so badly treated before them. The sons of God must walk by faith, and live by hope. They may well wait in faith, hope, and earnest desire, for the revelation of the Lord Jesus. The sons of God will be known, and be made manifest by likeness to their Head. They shall be transformed into the same image, by their view of him.

 3   The sons of God know that their Lord is of purer eyes than to allow any thing unholy and impure to dwell with him. It is the hope of hypocrites, not of the sons of God, that makes allowance for gratifying impure desires and lusts. May we be followers of him as his dear children, thus show our sense of his unspeakable mercy, and express that obedient, grateful, humble mind which becomes us. Sin is the rejecting the Divine law. In him, that is, in Christ, was no sin. All the sinless weaknesses that were consequences of the fall, he took; that is, all those infirmities of mind or body which subject man to suffering, and expose him to temptation. But our moral infirmities, our proneness to sin, he had not. He that abides in Christ, continues not in the practice of sin. Renouncing sin is the great proof of spiritual union with, continuance in, and saving knowledge of the Lord Christ. Beware of self-deceit. He that doeth righteousness is righteous, and to be a follower of Christ, shows an interest by faith in his obedience and sufferings. But a man cannot act like the devil, and at the same time be a disciple of Christ Jesus. Let us not serve or indulge what the Son of God came to destroy. To be born of God is to be inwardly renewed by the power of the Spirit of God. Renewing grace is an abiding principle. Religion is not an art, a matter of dexterity and skill, but a new nature. And the regenerate person cannot sin as he did before he was born of God, and as others do who are not born again. There is that light in his mind, which shows him the evil and malignity of sin. There is that bias upon his heart, which disposes him to loathe and hate sin. There is the spiritual principle that opposes sinful acts. And there is repentance for sin, if committed. It goes against him to sin with forethought. The children of God and the children of the devil have their distinct characters. The seed of the serpent are known by neglect of religion, and by their hating real Christians. He only is righteous before God, as a justified believer, who is taught and disposed to righteousness by the Holy Spirit. In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil. May all professors of the gospel lay these truths to heart, and try themselves by them.

 11   We should love the Lord Jesus, value his love, and therefore love all our brethren in Christ. This love is the special fruit of our faith, and a certain sign of our being born again. But none who rightly know the heart of man, can wonder at the contempt and enmity of ungodly people against the children of God. We know that we are passed from death to life: we may know it by the evidences of our faith in Christ, of which love to our brethren is one. It is not zeal for a party in the common religion, or affection for those who are of the same name and sentiments with ourselves. The life of grace in the heart of a regenerate person, is the beginning and first principle of a life of glory, whereof they must be destitute who hate their brother in their hearts.

 16   Here is the condescension, the miracle, the mystery of Divine love, that God would redeem the church with his own blood. Surely we should love those whom God has loved, and so loved. The Holy Spirit, grieved at selfishness, will leave the selfish heart without comfort, and full of darkness and terror. By what can it be known that a man has a true sense of the love of Christ for perishing sinners, or that the love of God has been planted in his heart by the Holy Spirit, if the love of the world and its good overcomes the feelings of compassion to a perishing brother? Every instance of this selfishness must weaken the evidences of a man's conversion; when habitual and allowed, it must decide against him. If conscience condemn us in known sin, or the neglect of known duty, God does so too. Let conscience therefore be well-informed, be heard, and diligently attended to.

 22   When believers had confidence towards God, through the Spirit of adoption, and by faith in the great High Priest, they might ask what they would of their reconciled Father. They would receive it, if good for them. And as good-will to men was proclaimed from heaven, so good-will to men, particularly to the brethren, must be in the hearts of those who go to God and heaven. He who thus follows Christ, dwells in Him as his ark, refuge, and rest, and in the Father through him. This union between Christ and the souls of believers, is by the Spirit he has given them. A man may believe that God is gracious before he knows it; yet when faith has laid hold on the promises, it sets reason to work. This Spirit of God works a change; in all true Christians it changes from the power of Satan to the power of God. Consider, believer, how it changes thy heart. Dost not thou long for peace with God? Wouldst thou not forego all the world for it? No profit, pleasure, or preferment shall hinder thee from following Christ. This salvation is built upon Divine testimony, even the Spirit of God.