This is his commandment, that we should believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another, even as he commanded.
Parallel Translations
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This is his commandment, that we should believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another, even as he commanded.
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And this is his commaundement that we beleve on the name of his sonne Iesus Christ and love one another as he gave commaundement.
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This is then his commandement, That we beleeue in the Name of his Sonne Iesus Christ, and loue one another as hee gaue commandement.
Cross-references (18)
Passages linked to 1 John 3:23 in the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, ordered by reader-vote popularity; verse text shown in World English Bible.
- John 6:29 Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.”
- John 13:34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also love one another.
- 1 Peter 1:22 Seeing you have purified your souls in your obedience to the truth through the Spirit in sincere brotherly affection, love one another from the heart fervently,
- John 15:12 “This is my commandment, that you love one another, even as I have loved you.
- 1 Peter 4:8 And above all things be earnest in your love among yourselves, for love covers a multitude of sins.
- 1 John 3:11 For this is the message which you heard from the beginning, that we should love one another;
- Mark 9:7 A cloud came, overshadowing them, and a voice came out of the cloud, “This is my beloved Son. Listen to him.”
- 1 Thessalonians 4:9 But concerning brotherly love, you have no need that one write to you. For you yourselves are taught by God to love one another,
- 1 John 4:21 This commandment we have from him, that he who loves God should also love his brother.
- Matthew 22:39 A second likewise is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’
- Ephesians 5:2 Walk in love, even as Christ also loved us and gave himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling fragrance.
- 1 John 2:8-10 Again, I write a new commandment to you, which is true in him and in you; because the darkness is passing away and the true light already shines. He who says he is in the light and hates his brother is in the darkness even until now. He who loves his brother remains in the light, and there is no occasion for stumbling in him.
- Acts 16:31 They said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.”
- Deuteronomy 18:15-19 Yahweh your God will raise up to you a prophet from among you, of your brothers, like me. You shall listen to him. This is according to all that you desired of Yahweh your God in Horeb in the day of the assembly, saying, “Let me not hear again Yahweh my God’s voice, neither let me see this great fire any more, that I not die.” Yahweh said to me, “They have well said that which they have spoken. I will raise them up a prophet from among their brothers, like you. I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I shall command him. It shall happen, that whoever will not listen to my words which he shall speak in my name, I will require it of him.
- Psalms 2:12 Give sincere homage to the Son, lest he be angry, and you perish on the way, for his wrath will soon be kindled. Blessed are all those who take refuge in him.
- John 17:3 This is eternal life, that they should know you, the only true God, and him whom you sent, Jesus Christ.
- John 14:1 “Don’t let your heart be troubled. Believe in God. Believe also in me.
- 1 Timothy 1:15 The saying is faithful and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief.
Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)
Explain this verse (17 sources)
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John Calvin 1540 · Public Domain 23 And this is his commandment He again accommodates…
23 And this is his commandment He again accommodates a general truth to his own purpose. The meaning is, that such is the discord between us and God, that we are kept off from an access to him, except we are united by love to one another. At the same time he does not here commend love alone, as before, but joins it as the companion and attendant of faith.
The Sophists by their glosses distort these words, as though liberty to pray were obtained by us, partly by faith and partly by works. As John requires us to keep God’s commandments that we may pray aright, and afterwards teaches us that this keeping refers to faith and love, they conclude, that from these two things ought we to derive confidence in prayer. But I have already several times reminded you, that the subject here is not how or by what means men may prepare themselves so that they may have confidence to pray to God, for he speaks not here of the cause of ills or of any worthiness. John only shews, that God favors none with the honor and privilege of intercourse with himself but his own children, even those who have been regenerated by his Spirit. The import, then, of what is said is, Where the fear and love of God do not prevail, it cannot be that God will hear prayer.
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But if it be our purpose to obey his commandments, let us see what he commands. He does not, however, separate faith from love; but he requires both together from us. And this is the reason why he uses the word commandment in the singular number.
But this is a remarkable passage; for he defines briefly as well as lucidly in what the whole perfection of a holy life consists. There is then no reason that we should allege any difficulty, since God does by no means lead us about through long labyrinths, but simply and shortly sets before us what is right and what he approves. Besides, in this brevity there is no obscurity, for he shews to us clearly the beginning and the end of a life rightly formed. But that a mention is here only made of brotherly love, while the love of God is omitted, the reason is, as we have elsewhere said, that as brotherly love flows from the love of God, so it is a sure and real evidence of it.
On the name of his Son The name refers to preaching; and this connection deserves to be noticed, for few understand what it is to believe on Christ; but from this mode of speaking, we may easily conclude that the only right faith is that which embraces Christ as he is set forth in the Gospel. Hence also it is, that there is no faith without teaching, as Paul also shews to us in Romans 10:14. We must at the same time observe, that the Apostle includes faith in the knowledge of Christ; for he is the living image of the Father, and in him are laid up all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. As soon, then, as we turn aside from him, we cannot do anything else but wander in error.
John Calvin's Commentaries (1540-1563) — public domain. Text from the Calvin Translation Society English edition (1840s-50s) via the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (ccel.org). Calvin's coverage is partial (roughly two-thirds of the Bible); uncommented books and verses are honest gaps, never fabricated. The 19th-century editor's footnotes and remarks are omitted so the notes are faithfully Calvin's own voice.
John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain 23 And this is his commandment, That we should…
23 And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment.
Ver. 23. And this is his commandment] This is the sum and substance of the gospel, that we believe and love; and the more we believe God’s love to us, the more love shall we bear one to another; for our love is but a reflex of his.
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And love one another, as he gave us commandment] Lo, love is a commandment; we should therefore not only submit, but embrace it joyfully as a gift.
John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Matthew Poole 1685 · Public Domain Thus briefly is comprehended the whole of our duty…
Thus briefly is comprehended the whole of our duty towards God in Christ, and one another, in a like summary as that, Ecc 12:13.
Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
William Burkitt 1703 · Public Domain Observe here, 1. What is the sum of the…
Observe here, 1. What is the sum of the Christian’s duty, faith and love, to believe on the name of Jesus Christ; that is, to rely upon him as our Redeemer, our Teacher, our King, our Intercessor, and to obey his great command of loving one another with a pure heart fervently.
Observe, 2. What a mighty encouragement it is to faith, that believing on Christ is constituted a duty by a plain gospel-precept, This is his commandment, for this command cuts off that vain pretence and plea of presumption. What! such a vile wretch as thou presume to believe on Christ? says Satan. Yes, says the Christian, here is a command to me so to do, yea, a command from the highest sovereignty, the contempt whereof I must answer at my utmost peril.
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Observe, 3. How the command of faith, and the command of love, are linked and knit together, as if the weight of our salvation hung equally and alike upon both; as without faith it is impossible to please God, so without love it is impossible to please him also. Will no duty profit without faith? In like manner can we neither profit ourselves nor others without love: As whatever is not of faith is sin, so whatever duty we perform towards our brother, if we do it not out of love, we miss our reward. If I give all my goods to feed the poor, and have not love, I am nothing. 1Co 13:1 Lord! can we ever think this command of love small and inconsiderable, when thou hast joined the love of thine image with faith in thy dear Son? This is his commandment, that we should believe on the name of his Son, and love one another.
William Burkitt's Expository Notes on the New Testament (1700–1703) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Matthew Henry 1710 · Public Domain The apostle, having mentioned keeping the commandments, and pleasing…
The apostle, having mentioned keeping the commandments, and pleasing God, as the qualification of effectual petitioners in and with Heaven, here suitably proceeds,
I. To represent to us what those commandments primarily and summarily are; they are comprehended in this double one: And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment, Jo1 3:23. To believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ is, 1. To discern what he is, according to his name, to have an intellectual view of his person and office, as the Son of God, and the anointed Saviour of the world. That every one that seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life, Joh 6:40. 2. To approve him in judgment and conscience, in conviction and consciousness of our case, as one wisely and wonderfully prepared and adapted for the whole work of eternal salvation. 3. To consent to him, and acquiesce in him, as our Redeemer and recoverer unto God. 4. To trust to him, and rely upon him, for the full and final discharge of his saving office. Those that know thy name will put their trust in thee, Psa 9:10. I know whom I have believed, and I am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day, Ti2 1:12. This faith is a needful requisite to those who would be prevalent petitioners with God, because it is by the Son that we must come to the Father; through his grace and righteousness our persons must be accepted or ingratiated with the Father (Eph 1:6), through his purchase all our desired blessings must come, and through his intercession our prayers must be heard and answered. This is the first part of the commandment that must be observed by acceptable worshippers; the second is that we love one another, as he gave us commandment, Jo1 3:23. The command of Christ should be continually before our eyes. Christian love must possess our soul when we go to God in prayer. To this end we must remember that our Lord obliges us, (1.) To forgive those who offend us (Mat 6:14), and, (2.) To reconcile ourselves to those whom we have offended, Mat 5:23, Mat 5:24. As good-will to men was proclaimed from heaven, so good-will to men, and particularly to the brethren, must be carried in the hearts of those who go to God and heaven.
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II. To represent to us the blessedness of obedience to these commands. The obedient enjoy communion with God: And he that keepeth his commandments, and particularly those of faith and love, dwelleth in him, and he in him, Jo1 3:24. We dwell in God by a happy relation to him, and spiritual union with him, through his Son, and by a holy converse with him; and God dwells in us by his word, and our faith fixed on him, and by the operations of his Spirit. Then there occurs the trial of his divine inhabitation: And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us (Jo1 3:24), by the sacred disposition and frame of soul that he hath conferred upon us, which being a spirit of faith in God and Christ, and of love to God and man, appears to be of God.
Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible (1708–1710) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain And he that keepeth his commandments,.... Attends to those…
And he that keepeth his commandments,.... Attends to those instructions and declarations concerning faith in Christ, and love to the brethren, and acts according to them:
dwelleth in him, and he in them; that is, he dwells in Christ, and Christ dwells in him; the same is said of believing in Christ under the figurative expressions of eating his flesh, and drinking his blood; see Gill on Joh 6:56;
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and hereby we know that he abideth in us; or dwelleth in us, as before,
by the Spirit which he hath given us; which if understood of private Christians, as the preceding verses incline to, the sense is, that union to Christ, and the continuance of it, or his indwelling as a fruit of union, and the permanency of that, are evidenced by the Spirit of God; who is given in consequence of union and relation to Christ, as a spirit of regeneration and sanctification, of faith and love, of adoption, and as the earnest of the heavenly inheritance; but if of the apostles and ministers of the word, it may regard the gifts of the Holy Spirit bestowed on them, fitting them for their work and office, and who is a spirit of truth, and not of error; and by having and enjoying these, they knew that Christ abode in them, and had reason to believe, according to his promise, that he would be with them, and with his ministering: servants in succession, to the end of the world; and this sense seems to be encouraged by the former part of the following chapter.
Next: 1 John Chapter 4
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
John Wesley 1765 · Public Domain And this is his commandment - All his commandments…
And this is his commandment - All his commandments in one word. That we should believe and love - in the manner and degree which he hath taught. This is the greatest and most important command that ever issued from the throne of glory. If this be neglected, no other can be kept: if this be observed, all others are easy.
John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.
Adam Clarke 1810 · Public Domain Verse 23. That we should believe on the name…
Verse 23. That we should believe on the name of his Son] We are commanded to believe on Christ, that for the sake of his passion and death we may be justified from all things from which we could not be justified by the law of Moses; and being through him redeemed from the guilt of sin, restored to the Divine favour, and made partakers of the Holy Ghost, we are enabled to love one another as he gave us commandment; for without a renewal of the heart, love to God and man is impossible, and this renewal comes by Christ Jesus.
Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Joseph Benson 1811 · Public Domain 1Jn 3:23-24. And this is his commandment, That we…
1Jn 3:23-24. And this is his commandment, That we should believe, &c. — Namely, all his commandments: in one word, That we should believe and love — In the manner and degree which he hath taught. This is the greatest and most important command that ever issued from the throne of glory. If this be neglected, no other can be kept; if this be observed, all others are easy. And he that keepeth his commandments — That thus believes and loves; dwelleth, or abideth in him — In Christ Jesus, or in God the Father; and he — Christ, or the Father; in him — This seems to be an allusion to our Lord’s words, Joh 14:23; If a man love me, he will keep my words, and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. That is, in this way we obtain fellowship with the Father, as well as with the Son; yea, the most intimate acquaintance, friendship, and communion, and are thereby made unspeakably happy; and hereby we know that he abideth in us — That we have this intimate union and communion with him; by the Spirit which he hath given us — The Spirit of adoption and regeneration, witnessing with our spirits that we are his children, and producing in us love, joy, and peace, holiness and happiness.
Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Albert Barnes 1834 · Public Domain And this is his commandment - His commandment, by…
And this is his commandment - His commandment, by way of eminence; the leading, principal thing which he enjoins on us; the commandment which lies at the foundation of all true obedience.
That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ - See the notes at Mar 16:16. Compare Joh 16:1; Act 16:31.
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And love one another ... - This follows from the other, and hence they are mentioned as together constituting his commandment. Notes, Joh 13:35.
Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown 1871 · Public Domain Summing up of God's commandments under the Gospel dispensation…
Summing up of God's commandments under the Gospel dispensation in one commandment.
this is his commandment--singular: for faith and love are not separate commandments, but are indissolubly united. We cannot truly love one another without faith in Christ, nor can we truly believe in Him without love.
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believe--once for all; Greek aorist.
on the name of his Son--on all that is revealed in the Gospel concerning Him, and on Himself in respect to His person, offices, and atoning work.
as he--as Jesus gave us commandment.
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
Daniel D. Whedon 1874 · Public Domain 23. And this—Is the true test of all emotionalism.…
23. And this—Is the true test of all emotionalism. A true believe and a true love, verified by actual performance, negative and positive, of the commandment; that is, of all duty.
Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain 23. And this is his commandment] Or, And His…
23. And this is his commandment] Or, And His commandment is this; see on 1Jn_1:5. Here the singular is right: the various commandments, especially the two here named, faith and love, are summed up as one whole. This verse is the answer to those who would argue from the preceding verses that all that is required of us is to do what is right; it does not much matter what we believe. Not so says the Apostle. In order to do what is right it is necessary to believe: this is the first step in our obedience to God’s commands.
that we should believe] For ‘that’ (ἵνα) see on 1Jn_1:9 : here perhaps it merely “gives the nature and contents of the commandment, not the aim” (Jelf).
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believe on the name of his son Jesus Christ] More accurately, believe the Name of &c. It is not the precise phrase used 1Jn_5:13, Joh_1:12; Joh_2:23; Joh_3:18 (πιστεύειν εἰς τὸ ὄνομα), a construction of which S. John is very fond, but a phrase which occurs nowhere else in N. T. (πιστεύειν τῷ ὀνόματι), a construction similar to that in 1Jn_4:1, 1Jn_5:10. The former is the stronger expression, marking the more permanent trust and repose; but in such a phrase as this there cannot be much difference between ‘believing’ and ‘believing on’. ‘To believe His Name’ means to believe all that His Name (here given with solemn fulness) signifies and implies; His Divinity, His Sonship, and His office as Mediator, Advocate and Saviour.
and love one another] ‘Faith if it have not works is dead’ (Jas_2:17): hence the necessity for adding ‘and love one another’, which of course means love ‘in deed and truth’ (1Jn_3:18). ‘And’ here is not epexegetic: it adds something fresh, giving active love as the necessary effect of living faith. ‘Love’ is in the present tense of what must be continual.
as he gave us commandment] Or even as (to mark the difference between καθώς and ὡς). ‘He gave’ refers to Christ, just mentioned; and this limits ‘commandment’ to ‘love one another’ (Joh_13:34; Joh_15:12; Joh_15:17): moreover love rather than faith is the subject of this portion of the Epistle. ‘To give commandment’ is a phrase which in N. T. is peculiar to S. John (Joh_11:57, Joh_12:49, Joh_13:34): it occurs in Demosthenes.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Pulpit Commentary 1880 · Public Domain And his commandment is this (comp. verse 11), that…
And his commandment is this (comp. verse 11), 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 pisteuein tw ojnomati"? We can believe a document, (Joh_2:22 Joh 5:47) or a statement, (Joh_5:47 Joh_12:38) or a person; (Joh_10:37, Joh_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; (Joh_20:31) it is also the will of God, (Joh_6:40) and the command of his Son. (Joh_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". (Joh_13:34 Joh_15:12, Joh_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 1Jn_4:5)
Vers. 23, 24.
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Outward precept and inward life.
Connecting link: The word ejntolh which marked the preceding verse, is caught up in this, and the life of obedience thereto, which had been shown to be the condition of freedom in fellowship with God and of success in prayer, is here declared to be the seal and fruit of the living Spirit, creating and sustaining an inward life corresponding to the outward rule. Topic
The life enjoined by the command of Christ a seal of the indwelling of the Spirit of Christ. The following order of thought is suggested.
I THE PRECEPTS OF OUR LORD MAY RE SUMMED UP IN TWO.
1. That we should believe in the Name of his Son Jesus Christ. The title here given to Christ is "a compressed creed" (Westcott); comp. John
1:12. The man who believes in Christ is one to which the privilege ofbecoming a child of God belongs, as the apostle had taught in his Gospel. (see also Joh_6:28, Joh_6:29) This faith in Christ is here regarded as the basis on which the second duty rests.
2. That we should love one another. The first includes the sum of religion Godward; the latter, the whole of practical Christianity manward. The second is in every way so obviously admirable that many contend for it who yet ignore the first. But it will be found, practically, that the two cannot be disjoined. Such love to men as Christ commands never has been, will be, or can be sustained apart from faith in Christ. No building can be put up without a foundation, however admirably its outline may be drawn on paper. The cross is love"s inspiration as well as its model.
II WHERE THERE IS HABITUAL OBEDIENCE TO BOTH COMMANDS, THERE IS A LIVING UNION BETWEEN THE SOUL AND GOD. (Verse 24.)
1. Man abides in God by faith and fellowship.
2. God abides in man by the indwelling of the Holy Ghost (1Co_3:16; Eph_2:22)
III THIS FRUITFUL INDWELLING OF THE SPIRIT IS THE SEAL OF GOD"S LIFE IN THE SOUL. When by an inspiration net of man nor by man we are led to a life which is above and beyond nature, "we know that be abides in us." The Spirit which he gave us when we believed (Eph_1:13) is the seal to us of God"s own life. His command used to be an outside letter, bidding us to live a life that was high above us. Now we have an inward force, inspiring a life that conforms to the letter! In a word, God"s Spirit in the soul brings about, in actual life, what the precept enjoins. By the Word we were taught that such a life was the right one to lead. By the Spirit we are so inspired that we cannot lead any other! Note:
1. The Law without is a great gift. The Spirit within is a greater. It is ablessing to be shown the right way. It is a greater blessing to be disposed to walk therein.
2. As we all have the blessing of the Word, since we know there is agreater one obtainable, ought we not to seek for it? For observe:
3. The gift of the Holy Ghost, albeit it is the greatest possible blessing, isprecisely that of which we may make most sure, when sought by fervent prayer.
4. Let those who have the Spirit of God seek for a richer fullness of hisindwelling power. The more of the Holy Ghost we have, the easier will it be to obey; and just as it is the penitent"s duty to receive pardon from Christ by faith, even so it is the believer"s duty to receive the Spirit from him by faith.
The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
B. W. Johnson 1891 · Public Domain 23, 24. And this is his commandment. The commandments…
23, 24. And this is his commandment. The commandments may be summed up in one, with two parts, viz.: Faith in Jesus Christ, and love of the brethren.
B. W. Johnson's The People's New Testament with Notes (1889–1891) — public domain. Electronic text from the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (CCEL) ThML edition.
unfoldingWord translationNotes 2017 · CC BY-SA 4.0 This is his commandment: that we should believe ...…
This is his commandment: that we should believe ... just as he gave us this commandment
The abstract noun "commandment" can be stated as "command." AT: "This is what God commands us to do: Believe ... just as he commanded us to do" (See: Abstract Nouns)
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Son
This is an important title for Jesus, the Son of God. (See: Translating Son and Father)
remains in him, and God remains in him
The close union of believers is expressed by the terms "remains in him." See how "remains in God" was translated in 1 John 2:5-6. (See: Metaphor)
translationWords
command
believe
Son of God
Jesus
love
Holy Spirit
unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.
Tyndale Open Study Notes 2022 · CC BY-SA 4.0 3:23-24 John here gives a new criterion for discerning…
3:23-24 John here gives a new criterion for discerning who has the Spirit. The Spirit is not the possession of an elite who are enlightened without their lives being changed. Instead, the Spirit comes to all believers and stimulates obedient discipleship (Gal 5:22-23).
Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.