‏ 1 John 3:23

 His commandment ( η εντολη αυτου ).

 That ( ινα ). Subfinal use of  ινα in apposition with  εντολη (commandment) and explanatory of it, as in Joh 15:12 ( εντολη ινα ). See Christ's summary of the commandments (Mr 12:28-31; Mt 22:34-40). So these two points here (1)

 We should believe ( πιστευσωμεν, first aorist active subjunctive according to B K L, though Aleph A C read the present subjunctive  πιστευωμεν ) either in a crisis (aorist) or the continuous tenor (present) of our lives. The "name" of Jesus Christ here stands for all that he is, "a compressed creed " (Westcott) as in 1:3. Note dative  ονοματ here with  πιστευω as in 5:10, though  εις ονομα (on the name) in 5:13; Joh 1:12; 2:23; 3:18. But (2) we should love one another" ( αγαπωμεν αλληλους ), as he has already urged (2:7f.; 3:11) and as he will repeat (4:7, 11f.; 2Jo 1:5) as Jesus (even as he gave us commandment, that is Christ) had previously done (Joh 13:34; 15:12, 17). There are frequent points of contact between this Epistle and the words of Jesus in Joh 13-17.

Copyright information for RWP