notes
Main point summary
John begins by dealing with our assurance of our standing before God. He states that we can know that we are of the truth when we love in word and deed (v18). This knowledge convinces or sets our conscience at ease. If, however, our conscience condemns us, we can still have assurance because God is greater than our conscience and knows all things, implying that He knows our inner desires to reside in Him. John continues, stating that when we have overcome the condemnation of our conscience, we have confidence before God and He will grant us whatever we ask of Him. This is because we keep His commandments and do the things pleasing to Him. Implied here is not that we can "force" God to answer our prayers by our works but that our residing in Him means our will (and thus our prayers) is in line with His will. The questions then arises, what are His commandments? John answers: believing in Christ and loving one another. If we keep these commandments, we reside in Him and He in us, returning to the topic of assurance. How can we know that He resides in us? Through His Spirit He has given us.
Arc
editing
NT
1 John 3:19-24
na28
nasb
schl
[Καὶ] ἐν τούτῳ γνωσόμεθα ὅτι ἐκ τῆς ἀληθείας ἐσμέν,
We will know by this that we are a of the truth,
Daran erkennen wir, daß wir aus der Wahrheit sind,
καὶ ἔμπροσθεν αὐτοῦ πείσομεν τὴν καρδίαν ἡμῶν,
and will 1 assure our heart before Him
und damit werden wir unsre Herzen vor Ihm stillen,
ὅτι ἐὰν καταγινώσκῃ ἡμῶν ἡ καρδία,
1 in whatever our heart condemns us;
daß, wenn unser Herz uns verdammt,
ὅτι μείζων ἐστὶν ὁ θεὸς τῆς καρδίας ἡμῶν
for God is greater than our heart
Gott größer ist als unser Herz
καὶ γινώσκει πάντα.
and knows all things.
und alles weiß.
series
conditional
ideaexplanation
Ἀγαπητοί, ἐὰν ἡ καρδία [ἡμῶν] μὴ καταγινώσκῃ,
a Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us,
Geliebte, wenn unser Herz uns nicht verdammt,
παρρησίαν ἔχομεν πρὸς τὸν θεὸν
we have b confidence 1 before God;
so haben wir Freimütigkeit zu Gott;
καὶ ὃ ἐὰν αἰτῶμεν λαμβάνομεν ἀπʼ αὐτοῦ,
and a whatever we ask we receive from Him,
und was wir bitten, empfangen wir von ihm,
ὅτι τὰς ἐντολὰς αὐτοῦ τηροῦμεν
because we b keep His commandments
weil wir seine Gebote halten und tun,
καὶ τὰ ἀρεστὰ ἐνώπιον αὐτοῦ ποιοῦμεν.
and do c the things that are pleasing in His sight.
was vor ihm wohlgefällig ist.
ground
Καὶ αὕτη ἐστὶν ἡ ἐντολὴ αὐτοῦ,
This is His commandment,
Und das ist sein Gebot,
ἵνα πιστεύσωμεν τῷ ὀνόματι τοῦ υἱοῦ αὐτοῦ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ
that we 1 a believe in b the name of His Son Jesus Christ,
daß wir glauben an den Namen seines Sohnes Jesus Christus
καὶ ἀγαπῶμεν ἀλλήλους,
and love one another,
und einander lieben,
καθὼς ἔδωκεν ἐντολὴν ἡμῖν.
just as c He 2 commanded us.
nach dem Gebot, das er uns gegeben hat.
comparison
καὶ ὁ τηρῶν τὰς ἐντολὰς αὐτοῦ ἐν αὐτῷ μένει
The one who a keeps His commandments b abides in Him,
Und wer seine Gebote hält, der bleibt in Ihm
καὶ αὐτὸς ἐν αὐτῷ•
and He in him.
und Er in ihm;
καὶ ἐν τούτῳ γινώσκομεν ὅτι μένει ἐν ἡμῖν, ἐκ τοῦ πνεύματος οὗ ἡμῖν ἔδωκεν.
c We know by this that d He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us.
und daran erkennen wir, daß Er in uns bleibt: an dem Geiste, den er uns gegeben hat.
Third class conditional 'Present General Condition' indicating a generic situation or universal truth at the present time
I assume that this is referring back to that we love in deed and truth (v18)
Third class conditional 'Present General Condition' indicating a generic situation or universal truth at the present time
I am following the recommendation of the NET and assuming that this is epexegetical and not causal.
We know we are in the truth when we love in word and deed and we thus have assurance before God. And if our conscience condemns us, we know that God is greater than our conscience and knows all things.
If we have a clear conscience, we can expect God to grant all that we confidently ask, because we keep His commandments, pleasing Him.
His commandment is that we believe in Christ and love one another.
In keeping His commandments we reside in Him and He in us through His spirit.
na28
discourse
Phrase
1 John 3:19-24
A. Assurance of Residing in the Truth
We will know by this that we are of the truth,
and will assure our heart before Him
in whatever our heart condemns us;
for God is greater than our heart
and knows all things.
B. Confidence Before God and in Prayer
Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us,
we have confidence before God;
and whatever we ask we receive from Him,
because we keep His commandments
and do the things that are pleasing in His sight.
This is His commandment,
that we believe in the name of His Son Jesus Christ,
and love one another,
just as He commanded us.
A'. Assurance of Residing in Him and He in Us
The one who keeps His commandments abides in Him,
and He in him.
We know by this that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us.
phrasing
Phrase Greek
1 John 3:19-24
na28
[Καὶ] ἐν τούτῳ γνωσόμεθα
We will know by this that we are of the truth, and will assure our heart before Him
Daran erkennen wir, daß wir aus der Wahrheit sind, und damit werden wir unsre Herzen vor Ihm stillen,
ὅτι ἐκ τῆς ἀληθείας ἐσμέν,
καὶ ἔμπροσθεν αὐτοῦ πείσομεν τὴν καρδίαν ἡμῶν,
ὅτι ἐὰν καταγινώσκῃ ἡμῶν ἡ καρδία,
in whatever our heart condemns us; for God is greater than our heart and knows all things.
daß, wenn unser Herz uns verdammt, Gott größer ist als unser Herz und alles weiß.
ὅτι μείζων ἐστὶν ὁ θεὸς τῆς καρδίας ἡμῶν
καὶ γινώσκει πάντα.
Ἀγαπητοί, ἐὰν ἡ καρδία [ἡμῶν] μὴ καταγινώσκῃ,
Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God;
Geliebte, wenn unser Herz uns nicht verdammt, so haben wir Freimütigkeit zu Gott;
παρρησίαν ἔχομεν πρὸς τὸν θεὸν
καὶ ὃ ἐὰν αἰτῶμεν
and whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do the things that are pleasing in His sight.
und was wir bitten, empfangen wir von ihm, weil wir seine Gebote halten und tun, was vor ihm wohlgefällig ist.
λαμβάνομεν ἀπʼ αὐτοῦ,
ὅτι τὰς ἐντολὰς αὐτοῦ τηροῦμεν
καὶ τὰ ἀρεστὰ ἐνώπιον αὐτοῦ ποιοῦμεν.
Καὶ αὕτη ἐστὶν ἡ ἐντολὴ αὐτοῦ,
This is His commandment, that we believe in the name of His Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as He commanded us.
Und das ist sein Gebot, daß wir glauben an den Namen seines Sohnes Jesus Christus und einander lieben, nach dem Gebot, das er uns gegeben hat.
ἵνα πιστεύσωμεν τῷ ὀνόματι τοῦ υἱοῦ αὐτοῦ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ
καὶ ἀγαπῶμεν ἀλλήλους,
καθὼς ἔδωκεν ἐντολὴν ἡμῖν.
καὶ ὁ τηρῶν τὰς ἐντολὰς αὐτοῦ ἐν αὐτῷ μένει
The one who keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him. We know by this that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us.
Und wer seine Gebote hält, der bleibt in Ihm und Er in ihm; und daran erkennen wir, daß Er in uns bleibt: an dem Geiste, den er uns gegeben hat.
καὶ αὐτὸς ἐν αὐτῷ•
καὶ ἐν τούτῳ γινώσκομεν
ὅτι μένει ἐν ἡμῖν, ἐκ τοῦ πνεύματος
οὗ ἡμῖν ἔδωκεν.
[Καὶ] ἐν τούτῳ γνωσόμεθα ὅτι ἐκ τῆς ἀληθείας ἐσμέν, καὶ ἔμπροσθεν αὐτοῦ πείσομεν τὴν καρδίαν ἡμῶν,
ὅτι ἐὰν καταγινώσκῃ ἡμῶν ἡ καρδία, ὅτι μείζων ἐστὶν ὁ θεὸς τῆς καρδίας ἡμῶν καὶ γινώσκει πάντα.
Ἀγαπητοί, ἐὰν ἡ καρδία [ἡμῶν] μὴ καταγινώσκῃ, παρρησίαν ἔχομεν πρὸς τὸν θεὸν
καὶ ὃ ἐὰν αἰτῶμεν λαμβάνομεν ἀπʼ αὐτοῦ, ὅτι τὰς ἐντολὰς αὐτοῦ τηροῦμεν καὶ τὰ ἀρεστὰ ἐνώπιον αὐτοῦ ποιοῦμεν.
Καὶ αὕτη ἐστὶν ἡ ἐντολὴ αὐτοῦ, ἵνα πιστεύσωμεν τῷ ὀνόματι τοῦ υἱοῦ αὐτοῦ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ καὶ ἀγαπῶμεν ἀλλήλους, καθὼς ἔδωκεν ἐντολὴν ἡμῖν.
καὶ ὁ τηρῶν τὰς ἐντολὰς αὐτοῦ ἐν αὐτῷ μένει καὶ αὐτὸς ἐν αὐτῷ• καὶ ἐν τούτῳ γινώσκομεν ὅτι μένει ἐν ἡμῖν, ἐκ τοῦ πνεύματος οὗ ἡμῖν ἔδωκεν.
Diagram
scripturetext
components
1 John 3:19-24
na28
subjectverb
solid
drop
equal
revrocket
line
pred
γνωσόμεθα
indirectobj
pstack
cword
ἐν
τούτῳ
directobject
shelf
vertical
rocketship
ἐσμέν
πείσομεν
prepphrase
ἐκ
τῆς
ἀληθείας
τὴν
καρδίαν
ἡμῶν
ἔμπροσθεν
αὐτοῦ
obtuse
ὁ
θεὸς
ἐστὶν
γινώσκει
predicate
μείζων
τῆς
καρδίας
ἡμῶν
πάντα
καὶ
ἡ
καρδία
καταγινώσκῃ
ἡμῶν
ἐὰν
ὅτι
ὅτι
καὶ
ὅτι
table
[Καὶ]
text
v19a
v19b
v19c
Ἀγαπητοί
v20a
v20b
v20c
ἔχομεν
λαμβάνομεν
ἀπʼ
αὐτοῦ
παρρησίαν
πρὸς
τὸν
θεὸν
τηροῦμεν
ποιοῦμεν
τὰς
ἐντολὰς
αὐτοῦ
τὰ
ἀρεστὰ
ἐνώπιον
αὐτοῦ
καὶ
ὅτι
αἰτῶμεν
ἐὰν
ὃ
καὶ
ἡ
καρδία
καταγινώσκῃ
μὴ
[ἡμῶν]
ἐὰν
v21a
v21b
v22a
v22c
v22d
v22b
Καὶ
αὕτη
ἐστὶν
ἡ
ἐντολὴ
αὐτοῦ
πιστεύσωμεν
ἀγαπῶμεν
τῷ
ὀνόματι
τοῦ
υἱοῦ
αὐτοῦ
equals
Ἰησοῦ
Χριστοῦ
ἀλλήλους
ἔδωκεν
ἐντολὴν
ἡμῖν
καθὼς
καὶ
ἵνα
καὶ
ὁ
μένει
participle
τηρῶν
τὰς
ἐντολὰς
αὐτοῦ
ἐν
αὐτῷ
αὐτὸς
[μένει]
ἐν
αὐτῷ
καὶ
v24a
v24b
καὶ
γινώσκομεν
ἐν
τούτῳ
ἐκ
τοῦ
πνεύματος
μένει
ἐν
ἡμῖν
ὅτι
ἔδωκεν
ἡμῖν
οὗ
smartline
dashed
free
ttext
v24c
v24d
v24e
Comparative, noun being compare is in the genitive
A relative pronoun plus ἐὰν serve as an indefinite relative pronoun.
Object compliment
diagram